Today, Haldimand County is pleased to announce that Caledonia, Cayuga, Dunnville, Hagersville, Jarvis and Selkirk will be participating in the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program to help revitalize our main streets, providing a total of $115,000 in non-repayable contributions to support local businesses.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), announced a $23.25-million investment to the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) to establish My Main Street — a two-year program to support the recovery and revitalization of main streets and local businesses in southern Ontario through two program streams.

EDCO is delivering the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program stream, which supports the revitalization of 65 main street communities, and provides non-repayable contributions for more than 650 local businesses across southern Ontario. The program focuses on creating and maintaining vibrant and inclusive local downtowns while providing residents, new entrepreneurs, and existing businesses with economic opportunities in our communities.

Six communities in Haldimand County will be supported with two dedicated Main Street Ambassadors, customized market research, data analysis and non-repayable funding contributions for new and existing small businesses.

Quotes

“The Government of Canada recognizes the challenges that main street businesses face due to the pandemic. To help small businesses recover and ensure that our local main streets remain vibrant, our government built the My Main Street program to offer critical funding and services for local businesses as they find ways to adapt and rebuild. We will continue to be there to support our local small businesses and the communities in which they operate, create jobs and drive resilient economic growth.”

• The Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

“Small business is the backbone of our economy and the keystone of our economic recovery. Haldimand County is grateful to receive funding that will support our main streets, businesses and entrepreneurs who have experienced some of the most challenging times we’ve seen in recent history.”

• His Worship Ken Hewitt, Mayor of Haldimand County

About FedDev Ontario
For more than 12 years, FedDev Ontario has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation and growth in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects.