Haliburton County Development Corporation welcomed around 50 guests to the grand opening of The Link Oct. 4, with board chair, Pat Kennedy, saying the new space is “going to be a really valuable part of the Highlands community.”
Announced earlier this year, the facility, located beside Haliburton Timber Mart on County Road 21, will house all HCDC operations, including its business incubator, the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce, the Arts Council, services from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), and provide office space for County of Haliburton economic development staff.
It also features space for networking events and will be used to host a series of workshops, Kennedy said. There are five private offices available to rent, with eight new ‘hot desks’ that will provide working space for emerging businesses that require high-speed internet. Organizations will also be able to rent the upstairs conference room.
The Link initiative was thought up a couple of years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic and was first proposed as an expansion to the incubator, previously located beside Dysart town hall. HCDC has nurtured 10 start-ups and assisted more than 15 other developing businesses and entrepreneurs at the site since its launch in 2010.
“We needed to decide what we were going to do with it – were we going to close it? We decided no, we need to expand it, because there’s a real need for this type of service in the community,” Kennedy said, noting the expansion was approved last fall.
Executive director, Patti Tallman, said The Link will be a place for new and existing entrepreneurs to find the resources they need to start, sustain, relocate, and grow their business.
Having so many like-minded entities operating within the space is a major win for the community, Kennedy said.
“I think we all know when talent comes together, great things can happen. The focus is to make businesses, organizations, and our communities more nimble, effective, profitable, to create new wealth, new jobs, and contribute to our economic development,” he said.
Amy McFadden, representing the Federal Economic Development Agency for southern Ontario, said HCDC is one of the province’s biggest success stories for supporting local business, lauding the organization’s expansion with The Link.
“Over the last three years alone, HCDC has assisted with more than 140 SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] and entrepreneurs, and moved out over $15 million in capital financing, which has impacted over 890 jobs,” McFadden said
“This impact, on top of the delivery of the regional relief and recovery fund, which supported another 50 local businesses and provided almost $1.76 million in liquidity relief at a time when businesses needed support… due to the pandemic, is huge.
“The Link will greatly promote and support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region, providing access to the services and support entrepreneurs and SMEs need to grow and expand,” she added.
Tallman thanked those who had helped bring The Link to life – Haliburton Timber Mart for providing the space, North of Seven Custom Carpentry for leading the redevelopment, and ACM Designs for their interior work.
“This is really exciting for all of us at HCDC… it’s a new era,” Tallman said.
Small business week
Next week is small business week in Haliburton County, with six events organized to help local entrepreneurs network, learn, and grow their business.
The Arts Council – Haliburton Highlands will kick things off Oct. 17 with a panel discussion focusing on the art of managing your business, at The Link at 1 p.m. Later in the day, at 4 p.m., the County’s economic development department and HCDC is hosting a networking kick-off at Boshkung Social.
The County is hosting its second-annual business summit at Sir Sam’s Oct. 18, with Scott Ovell, director of economic development, saying the event will centre on the idea that strong communities build stronger businesses.
“At the heart of this theme lies the recognition that communities play a pivotal role in shaping the success and resilience of businesses. We firmly believe that when businesses and communities unite, they have the power to drive lasting prosperity and foster sustainable growth,” Ovell said. “Haliburton Highlands has demonstrated exactly this for so many years.”
The summit will feature five keynote speakers, kicking off at 10 a.m.
The City of Kawartha Lakes is hosting a lunch and learn session at The Link Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. focusing on digital transformation for non-profits. ACM Designs is hosting a networking event at the space at 5 p.m.
The week will conclude with the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce business and community achievement awards gala, being held Oct. 20 at Eagle View Event Centre. Chamber representative Kirstley Dams said there are more than 100 people and businesses vying for 12 premiere awards.
For more information, or to register for these events, visit thelinkhaliburton.ca/ events.
