Success Stories

After more than 30 years in the credit and collections industry, working in both contributor and senior manager roles, Paul Cyr made a bold shift. In 2017, he left the corporate world to follow a personal calling and launched Auction Owls Inc., now celebrating its 8th year in 2025. His motivation was simple: More peace of mind and more time with his family and grandchildren. “Picking” had always been a calming hobby, so turning it into a business felt natural.

The name “Auction Owls” came from a casual coffee chat with a writer friend who noted Paul’s love of owls and his habit of staying up late—a true night owl. The “Auction” piece fit perfectly.

Today, following auction periods, 50–60 people may pass through Auction Owls in a single day. With roughly 10 projects on the go at any time, the business is lively and purpose-driven. But the early days were challenging. Paul describes entrepreneurship as “very tough,” often requiring 24/7 effort with little initial reward. His mantra—“If you don’t sow, you don’t reap”—kept him going.

CBDC played a crucial role throughout his journey. Their seminars, networking, and guidance helped him build confidence, and a $120,000 loan from CBDC Central PEI provided essential startup support. “Banks don’t look at your character,” Paul says. “CBDC does.”

Despite obstacles, Paul loves the freedom of being his own boss and aligning work with his best hours. Looking ahead, he hopes to see the brand carried on by one of his children—or eventually scaled down into a small, home-based operation that brings him back to his roots.

Brenda Dragon’s parents raised a large family of healthy outdoor kids dressed in wild furs from their trapline; despite temperatures below -40, they were never cold. When Brenda became a mother, turning to wild fur was a natural answer. In 2015, Brenda created Aurora Heat, the result of a dream where natural fur was the first choice for warmth, replacing single use products, fast fashion, and synthetic/petroleum-based materials.

Out of a deep respect and gratitude to the Land and to the beaver, Aurora Heat uses all parts of their pelts and leaves nothing to waste. It is no surprise that their company’s motto is “Live in Harmony with Nature.” Thebacha Business Development Services, the Community Futures office in Fort Smith, supported Aurora Heat through counselling, referrals, and advice, and also the use of their Resource Centre, offering access to a computer, printer, and internet service to launch Aurora Heat forward to warm success.

Located in the heart of the village of Saint-Damasse, Beva Pack offers a full range of can formats and types, enabling companies to prepare, package and label their private label beverages. This small plant impresses with the scope of its operations, which stretch from coast to coast in both Canada and the United States, as well as its specialist know- how in co-packing.

Initially focused on coffee-specific food processing, the company, under the leadership of Lorena Meneses, has strategically pivoted towards the production of canned liquids, demonstrating a remarkable ability to adapt to changing market realities and quickly translate trends into tangible offerings. This strategic positioning has enabled Beva Pack to distinguish itself as a key player in the sector in Quebec.

However, the entrepreneur has had to navigate considerable challenges, including obtaining finance and the need to ‘prove herself twice’; as an immigrant woman with no established history in Quebec. These obstacles, often exacerbated in rural areas, threaten the survival of innovative businesses. The intervention of the SADC Saint-Hyacinthe Acton, as a key player in economic development, proved decisive. The SADC has demonstrated its ability to adapt its support beyond a simple financial contribution. It provided essential strategic and human support, listening carefully to the specific needs of the business. By valuing flexibility and accepting intelligent risks, the SADC has enabled Beva Pack to consolidate its growth and diversify its product offering.

The use of mentoring and ongoing training, recommended by the SADC, helped reduce costly mistakes and accelerate the company’s trajectory. Beva Pack has been able to innovate thanks to its agility, demonstrating cutting-edge technical expertise. Part of the company’s success lies in maintaining strategic flexibility to respond to change and in continually adapting its product offering. Beva Pack’s story is a perfect illustration of how the SADC, with its in-depth knowledge of the realities on the ground, deploys local growth strategies, thereby strengthening a community’s resilience and economy.

In a food sector often dominated by franchises, CakeyHand Dessert Factory stands out as a locally rooted, family-run business built on craft, culture, and community. Founded just over five years ago by Anna and Suren, CakeyHand has grown from a single table at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market into two storefronts, a food court booth, and a popular dessert vending machine. The business is now on track to employ up to 25 full- and part-time staff.

This growth is particularly notable as Anna and Suren built the business while raising two young children, completing academic studies, and navigating life as newcomers to Canada. Throughout their expansion, Community Futures, through CBDC Cabot, has played a critical role in supporting their success. After self-financing their Paradise location, the owners partnered with CBDC Cabot to secure financing for their innovative dessert vending machine and later accessed a Youth Loan to support the opening of their St. John’s storefront.

CakeyHand’s impact extends well beyond financial success. The business prioritizes inclusive employment, with a team made up largely of new Canadian women who are paid fair wages and supported in meaningful ways. Their offerings range from custom cakes and catering to baking classes, blending traditional international recipes with modern techniques.

Deeply committed to community, Anna and Suren regularly support local organizations and mentor other newcomers interested in starting food businesses. Their willingness to share knowledge, even with potential competitors, reflects a belief in shared success.

With continued support from Community Futures, CakeyHand Dessert Factory demonstrates how access to tailored financing and advisory services can help entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses that strengthen local economies and communities.

Coombs Country Candy began 45 years ago, when founder Murray Lawlor started his practice in the art of chocolate and sweets creations. Originally from Niagara Falls, Murray honed his culinary candy skills over the years by practicing and perfecting his recipes when he owned and operated businesses across Canada and in the United States. Once Murray had a taste of the island lifestyle, he decided it was time to set down permanent roots in Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, an area he loved to explore and whose strong sense of community always made him feel welcome. There he stayed, growing the business into a staple of the Alberni Valley for 26 years until 2020 when he and his wife Lenore decided it was time to retire. Today, the store is run as a social enterprise by Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot, who re-invest part of the store’s profits back into the community. With Murray’s blessing, the new owners continue to use his time-honoured recipes and product line, and added online sales so that even more people can enjoy his legacy.

Raven Wolden of Corvina Design is an artist, graphic designer, and an Indigenous youth entrepreneur from Sts’ailes First Nation, who started Corvina Design and her second business Get Smashed Piñatas in 2018 in Cultus Lake, British Columbia. From a very young age, she showed an interest in the arts and aspired to be an artist. Her major influences were her mother (Betty Ann Pennier – First Nations Clothing Designer), and father (Rory Wolden – Artist and Graphic Designer), as well as her late uncle (George Pennier – First Nations Artist and Carver). She has won numerous awards throughout her school years including the District 33 Art Scholarship and Sardis Secondary Gr. 12 Art Award. Raven creates and designs ornaments, some of which reflect Indigenous culture, while also creating designs for clients. With the help of Stó:lō Community Futures in British Columbia, Raven was able to purchase a laser printer/cutter to help expand her business by increasing efficiency to create more unique and higher quality products to sell locally and globally, while located in S’ólh Téméxw, the Stó:lō Traditional Territory in British Columbia.

Since forming in the town of Westbourne, Manitoba in the early 1990s, country band Doc Walker has earned a Juno Award (7 Nominations), 14 CCMA Awards (42 Nominations), 21 Top 10 Canadian country radio singles, eight #1 CMT videos, and millions of streams. The band has also performed in every province and territory in Canada, and shared stages with everyone from Bon Jovi to Eric Church.

Doc Walker’s creative team, singer/guitarists Chris Thorsteinson and Dave Wasyliw, first reached out to their local Community Futures office, CF Heartland in Portage la Prairie, in 1997 to fund the production of their debut album, “Good Day to Ride.” Since then, they have produced an additional 8 albums, and recently released their latest single, “She Wants What She Wants,” that features their trademark harmony, a heart-swelling chorus, and a modern spin on traditional instrumentation.

Founded in 1999 by Dave Brown, FSET Inc. began with a vision to bring reliable, high-quality technology services to Northern Ontario communities that were often underserved. Nicole Brown joined the business in 2010, helping guide its evolution into a nationally recognized provider of managed IT services, cloud solutions, and cybersecurity infrastructure.

With support from the Community Futures Program through the Lake of the Woods Business Incentive Corporation (LOWBIC), FSET was able to grow strategically while remaining rooted in Northern Ontario. LOWBIC provided financing alongside hands-on advisory support, taking the time to understand the company’s goals, resources, and long-term direction. This partnership helped FSET scale its operations, expand capacity, and create skilled employment opportunities in the region.

“LOWBIC’s support was more than just a financial contribution — it was a true partnership,” Nicole said. “They took the time to understand where we were and where we needed to go.”

Today, FSET employs 30 people and serves clients across Ontario and beyond, including organizations operating in complex and high-security environments. By choosing to remain headquartered in Kenora, FSET demonstrates that rural and northern communities can support innovative, high-growth technology companies that contribute meaningfully to Canada’s digital economy.

When Shannon Costello and her husband Ryan launched Groovy Goat Farm Co. in Ingonish, many people were skeptical. What began as a small hobby raising goats and experimenting with handmade soap, has grown into a thriving rural business, supported at key stages by Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) North Side.

Groovy Goat Farm Co. started with goat’s milk soap made in small batches at home. Encouraged by strong customer feedback, Shannon and Ryan expanded their product line to include lotions, lip balms, shampoo bars, bath bombs, and other natural body care products. As demand increased, they began exploring opportunities to scale the business.

In 2013, the Costellos opened their first storefront with financial support from CBDC. Since then, CBDC has played an ongoing role in the business’s development, working with the owners at multiple stages of growth and expansion. “CBDC has been with us all along,” Shannon says. “We’ve worked with them three separate times over the life of our business. They believed in our idea and supported it.”

That partnership continued in 2017, when CBDC provided financing to help Groovy Goat expand with the construction of a new barn. Following a devastating barn fire in 2021 that destroyed the facility and livestock, the Costellos faced significant challenges. As the community rallied to help rebuild, CBDC remained a trusted partner, supporting the business’s recovery and future planning.

In 2023, Groovy Goat Farm Co. expanded again, opening a new storefront that includes a soap shop, gelato counter, production kitchens, and on-site accommodations. Today, the business offers farm tours, educational experiences, and agri-tourism opportunities, with additional expansion planned.

With continued support from Community Futures through CBDC, Groovy Goat Farm Co. stands as a strong example of how rural businesses can grow, adapt, and succeed with the right financial and advisory support.

In February of 2017, Marek and Anetta Krol acquired the necessary assets to begin the operation of Iron Berry, a Canadian Controlled Private Corporation (CCPC) that manufactures nutraceutical powders made from natural Newfoundland and Labrador berries such as blueberry, cranberry, and sea buckthorn and other nutritionally rich foods such as chia seeds and flax seeds. Using these powders, Iron Berry also produces derivative products such as chia and berry mixes, infused maple syrups, and ultimate bites. CBDC Trinity Conception in Newfoundland and Labrador assisted Iron Berry in various aspects of funding from 2018 with start-up assistance, in 2019 with marketing development through the Consultant Advisory Service, in 2020 with expansion assistance, and in 2021 with assistance to purchase equipment. The best of man and the best of nature come together at Iron Berry, with processes and technology that are at the very leading edge of innovative manufacturing and human technical and scientific capability, combined with the best ingredients nature has to offer.

Sisters Jane Woodley and Susan Humby co-own Jane & Sue Chocolate where they create hand crafted, fine artisan chocolates and confections using premium, sustainably produced and thoughtfully sourced chocolate, as well as local and organic ingredients whenever possible. Jane and Susan started their business in the Spring of 2018 as a retirement project, but their business expanded quickly; they soon reached out to CBDC Central PEI for their first loan in April of 2019 to help with business expansion. They continue to partner together through the Consultant Advisory Services Program, with various business loans, and by attending entrepreneurial events. Jane & Sue Chocolate has grown from selling at weekend Farmers’ Markets to the opening of a brick-and-mortar store whose display cases are filled with an eye-pleasing array of delicious works of art.

A desire for change led Miriam Andrews and Stephen Trites to transform a historic Dorchester property into a thriving community destination. Today, Lady Smith Manor operates as a full-service wedding and event venue with luxury accommodations and The Thirsty Whippet Pub, supported at key stages by CBDC Westmorland Albert.

Built in 1840 and once owned by former New Brunswick Premier Sir Albert Smith, Lady Smith Manor had been vacant for several years before the couple purchased it in 2019. Despite its condition, Miriam and Stephen envisioned a space that would preserve the home’s history while creating a welcoming place for gatherings, celebrations, and community connection. They balanced full-time work with extensive renovations to restore the nearly 10,000-square-foot property.

When they decided to add a pub, financial and regulatory requirements presented major challenges. Traditional lenders were unable to help, so Miriam turned to CBDC Westmorland Albert. Approval of an initial loan enabled construction to proceed, and when delays arose, a second loan and access to CBDC Client Advisory Services helped keep the project on track.

The Thirsty Whippet Pub opened in March 2024 and has become a popular venue for community events, markets, and unique experiences, attracting visitors from across the Maritimes. With diversified revenue from weddings, events, accommodations, and the pub, Lady Smith Manor is now positioned for long-term sustainability.

Miriam credits CBDC with helping bring their vision to life, noting that having a partner willing to invest in their success made all the difference.