Coboconk — The Ontario government is providing the Coboconk, Norland and Area Chamber of Commerce (CNACC) with up to $250,000 in funding through the latest intake of the Rural Economic Development (RED) program, as part of a nearly $1 million investment, to renovate the Coboconk Train Station into a multi-use community hub and business incubator.
“Our government values rural communities throughout the province, and this program provides municipalities, small towns, Indigenous communities, and not-for-profits with the funding they need for projects that contribute to local economic vitality,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Rural Affairs. “The RED program is another example of how our government is ensuring small towns and communities across Ontario continue to share in the province’s growth and economic prosperity.”
The renovations will create commercial space with rental units for businesses and an innovation hub where smaller businesses can book space on a flexible basis. The introduction of these new hub-based services will encourage business clusters with a common mandate within Kawartha Lakes’ key economic sectors, including for-profit medical, agriculture, and manufacturing. This will help to drive opportunities for new sectors, as the CNACC will be able to provide a space for industry stakeholders to work together to develop new products and services and enhance their overall operations.
The government is also announcing that the City of Kawartha Lakes and the Fenelon Falls and District Chamber of Commerce will receive up to $35,000 in funding to develop and implement an evidence-based Downtown Revitalization action plan. This will include business training and support, the development of marketing collateral, and the building of partnerships within the community to better address economic barriers.
Through the latest intake of the RED program, the Ontario government is investing more than $5.7 million in 85 projects that are helping create jobs and boost economic development in rural communities across the province. The RED program provides cost-share funding support towards activities that create strong rural communities. Funding provided through the recent intake of the program is supporting projects that diversify and grow local economies, build community capacity and address barriers to economic development and labour force challenges.