Community Futures Peace Country Entrepreneurship Bursary

Community Futures Peace Country is a community-driven, non-profit organization staffed by business professionals and guided by a volunteer Board of Directors, providing a wide range of small business services and business management tools for people wanting to start, expand, franchise or sell a business. CFPC also hosts several specialized business programs, organizes business events, and actively works with community and business leaders to foster rural economic growth.

This bursary provided by Community Futures Peace Country is open to grade 12 students who reside and intend to open a business within Community Futures Peace Country (CFPC) boundaries (see community listing below). One applicant will be selected from the entire CFPC boundaries. The successful applicant will receive a $1000 bursary and one hour of business mentorship provided by Community Futures Peace Country. This bursary is designed to support entrepreneurial endeavors which in turn boosts community vitality and spirit. 

Criteria

1. Completed Business Plan – template can be found at https://peacecountry.albertacf.com/resources

2. Support letter from your principal or teacher

3. Include a biography with a maximum of 700 words that includes the following:

• Background and interests of applicant
• Applicant’s reasons for wanting to be an entrepreneur
• Any work experience related to the applicant’s business idea
• Applicant’s commitment to working and applying their knowledge in a rural northern setting
• Any other information the applicant would like to share to help the selection committee come to a decision
• Intended use of funds

CFPC Communities include:
Bay Tree, Bear Canyon, Berwyn, Blueberry Mountain, Bluesky, Bonanza, Brownvale, Cadotte Lake, Calais, Carcajou, Cherry Point, Chinook Valley, Cleardale, Crooked Creek, Deadwood, DeBolt, Dixonville, Donnelly, Dunvegan, Eaglesham, Eureka River, Fairview, Falher, Girouxville, Gordondale, Grimshaw, Guy, Hines Creek, Hotchkiss, Jean Cote, Kathleen, Little Buffalo, Manning, Marie-Reine, McLennan, Nampa, North Star, Notikewin, Peace River, Reno, Rycroft, Silver Valley, Spirit River, St. Isidore, Tangent, Twin Lakes, Valleyview, Wanham, Watino, Whitelaw, Woking and Worsley.

Applications are to be submitted to:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mail: Attention Sherry Crawford
Community Futures Peace Country
9816-98 Avenue, Peace River, AB T8S 1J5

Application deadline: May 1, 2025               

Bursary amount: $1000

February 21, 2024 - Community Futures Peace Country is pleased to introduce Sherry Crawford as the new General Manager (GM). Sherry has replaced long-time GM Randy Hodgkinson, who retired at the end of January 2024.

“Although it’s hard to say goodbye to Randy, we are thrilled to welcome Sherry into the position,” says George Leger, CFPC Board Chair. “Sherry’s contributions to the organization have been extremely positive since she started with us in 2014,  and we look forward to working with her in this new capacity.”

Sherry started with CFPC as the Project Coordinator for the Women in the North (WIN) Conference by organizing and planning the annual event geared to support women leaders. Soon after, Sherry became involved in and spearheaded other CFPC events such as the Bear Cave, an event similar to the televised “Dragon’s Den”  in support of young entrepreneurs, Hug an Entrepreneur Day geared to celebrate business owners and she introduced Lunch and Learn professional development sessions for leaders and business owners in 2017.  Sherry moved into the role of Business Analyst in 2020 and in 2023, she launched Lemonade Day in Peace River and Berwyn, an initiative geared to spark entrepreneurial interest in elementary students. A new initiative Sherry is bringing into fruition with the assistance of CFPC staff and community partners is the Songrise Music Conference, a gathering of musical entrepreneurs from around the region that will take place this fall in Fairview.

“I feel very blessed and grateful for everything and everyone that CF has brought to my life,” says Crawford. “Randy has been a solid leader, calm, thoughtful and has helped to shape the great culture of this organization under the direction of our dedicated Board of Directors. I hope to continue his lead and along with our great team here at CF, I look forward to many great things to come.”

Community Futures Peace Country is a community-driven, non-profit organization staffed by business professionals and guided by a volunteer Board of Directors, providing a wide range of small business services and business management tools for people wanting to start, expand, franchise or sell a business. CFPC also hosts several specialized business programs, organizes business events, and actively works with community and business leaders to foster rural economic growth.