Abbotsford Farm & Country Market
Spearheaded by CFSF and with financial support from Western Economic Diversification and Service Canada, the most vibrant farmers' market in the Fraser Valley launched in summer 2004. It now operates under the governance of the independent volunteer-run Abbotsford Farm & Country Market Society.
The market is the place to meet, socialize, and enjoy the bounty that local vendors have to offer. The market location is Montrose Avenue, north of George Ferguson Way: this is adjacent to Trinity Memorial United Church, across from the old Abbotsford post office.
Abbotsford Connected Neighbourhoods
With seed funding from BC Healthy Communities and Spectra Energy, CFSF has convened a working table composed of a number of community service agencies and the City of Abbotsford in order to foster the establishment of local neighbourhood associations in Abbotsford. The pilot community is Clearbrook, with special attention paid to the seniors demographic.
Through the establishment of a system of neighbourhood associations, community members will have a means of establishing links with those living in immediate proximity to them, moving from a feeling of neighbour as 'Other' to neighbour as 'Self'. Barriers of race, socio-economics, and demographics will be lessened, and a welcome at the borders will be created for all. Neighbourhoods will become safer, more self-reliant, and will enjoy effective communications routes to local government.
BC Centre for Social Enterprise
Launched in 2005 with funding from Western Economic Diversification, as a project of CFSF, the BC Centre for Social Enterprise offers advice and technical assistance for social enterprise development.
Social enterprise is a business that offers goods or services, but beyond financial goals, aims to make social and/or environmental impacts, with profits flowing to that end.
The Centre also works on related policy issues in order to create a more enabling legislative and regulatory environment for these enterprises.
Abbotsford Food and Agriculture Connection Table
The Abbotsford Food and Agriculture Connection Table exists to enhance life in Abbotsford by connecting city and country through food and agriculture. Co-convened by Farm Credit Canada and CFSF, this table is composed of a number of funders, government representatives, residents, and community-based organizations, who are interested in the development of community gardens, food security issues, use of underutilized agricultural land, and fostering related social enterprises.
The inaugural project, a community garden developed in partnership with the City of Abbotsford's Parks and Recreation Department, was opened in May 2008.
Charity building workshops sponsored by Canada Revenue Agency
Charities lawyer Richard Bridge and the BC Centre for Social Enterprise are teaming up to deliver 20 in-person workshops to small and rural charities across Western Canada. Charities in rural and smaller communities will be specially targeted via videoconferencing (VC).There will be three separate half-day workshop topics, focusing on legal aspects of governance, bookkeeping, and fundraising. The VC presentations will be taped, and uploaded to a website for viewing beyond the project period. We will also be creating factsheets for more permanent use. Some will be translated into French. For more information visit http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/chrts/fndng/grmnts-eng.html
Fraser Valley Indicators
Based loosely on the Vital Signs project (underway in communities such as Metro Vancouver), the Fraser Valley Indicators project is championed by the Fraser Valley Regional District and supported by a number of community organizations, including CFSF.
The project will, over time, measure quantitative and qualitative indicators of community well-being in areas such as the economy, education, the environment, social capital, housing, and social inclusion. Based on a model of community feedback and capacity building, the indicators project is intended as a basis for continual and monitored improvement in the target areas, across the Fraser Valley.
Inmate Operated Business policy
Thanks to the support of Coast Capital Savings, CFSF, on behalf of InsideArt Cooperative, has drafted and championed to adoption, a Corrections Canada standing order that will allow federal inmates within the Pacific Region to operate businesses while incarcerated.
The intention of this policy is to foster an environment in which inmates can work to become self-sustaining through entrepreneurship. The vision is of taxpaying inmates who have little reliance on the social safety net when released into the community, also decreasing risks for re-offence.
Legal structure for social enterprise
Inspired by the UK's separate legal structure for social enterprise (called the Community Interest Company), the BC Centre for Social Enterprise is leading the way for the introduction of a similar structure in Canada.
When adopted into legislation, this business structure (tentatively called a Social Enterprise Company) will enable cross-sectoral ownership of social enterprises by various interests (non-profit, charity, and private), will increase ease of government stimulation and tracking of social enterprises, and will enhance brand awareness (by purchasers of goods and services) of these 'multiple bottom line' businesses.
Measuring Up
As part of the Abbotsford Social Development Advisory Committee, a sub-committee (of which CFSF is a member) was formed to take on a pilot project called Measuring Up. Measuring Up is actually a guide to determine how accessible and inclusive a community is, for people with disabilities. This initiative is being encouraged throughout BC. and Abbotsford has taken on the challenge.
Stemming from feedback from a local public forum, the top three areas of focus in Abbotsford are transportation, accessible school playgrounds and awareness building of disabilities in the elementary school system, and business accessibility and inclusion.
Supported Self-Employment curriculum
Funded by Kwantlen College and a group of local Community Living organizations, CFSF has developed curriculum for support workers of adults with developmental disabilities who are interested in self-employment. The curriculum made its premiere at Douglas Collage in November / December 2009.
Self-employment provides a flexible alternative to traditional work, while providing ample opportunities for capacity building and social inclusion. Equipping community living support workers with the tools necessary for bolstering the entrepreneurial efforts of their clients will ensure that as many people as possible can follow their dreams of operating a small business.
