Together, the 400 professionals and 600 volunteers of this large local network assist and finance over 10,000 businesses and more than 1,000 innovative local projects, creating more prosperous communities in our region.
A Local Network dedicated to
economic development of communities
Our mission
Being the hub of SADC and CAE in promoting and defending their interests, sharing and developing expertise and innovative tools, to ensure the achievement of their community development goals.
Our vision
To be recognized as a vital partner in the local economic development of our communities.
A Network of Expertise
Since 1995, the SADC and CAE have come together as a network to foster exchanges, share expertise, and best practices among the SADC and CAE, without compromising their differences and autonomy.
The Network focuses on local economic development and supporting entrepreneurs in various forms. Strong expertise has developed in areas such as sustainable development, digital transformation, business succession, and flexipreneurship. Co-creation, co-development, and projects involving multiple stakeholders are among the preferred intervention approaches.
All sectors of regional economic activity are represented by the contributions of volunteer administrators who locally support the human resources of SADC and CAE. In addition to their knowledge and skills, these men and women contribute over 13,000 hours annually to the SADC and CAE and come from various economic sectors, including agriculture, law, business management, and more. Passionate and committed to the development of their region, they understand the needs of their communities and are genuine assets to the SADC or CAE in their territory.
A helpful presence!
The SADC and CAE deploy the Community Futures Program (CFP) across all regions, through which they support and finance over 10,000 entrepreneurs and 1,500 local economic development projects each year. The CFP is a federal program that recognizes the expertise of local decision-makers and the autonomy of decision-making, in order to stimulate community participation in taking charge of their future. The CFP is also implemented throughout Canada via the funding of 269 SADC and CAE.
This program has the following main objectives:
- Promote stability, growth, and job creation
- Help create diversified and competitive rural economies in the region
- Support the development of sustainable economic communities
The SADC and CAE have been working for more than 40 years for the economic development of the regions of Quebec.
More than 400 professionals and 600 volunteers support innovative projects and businesses for thriving communities.
57 SADC
10 CAE
SADC IN QUEBEC
BUSINESSES
LOCAL PROJECTS
CAE IN QUEBEC
Our History
By the late sixties, we witnessed a rise in unemployment across different regions of Quebec, due to the widespread economic slowdown affecting all countries. It was then that numerous strategies from the grassroots level emerged. The federal government decided to support these strategies by injecting funds for the implementation of programs mainly aimed at developing the workforce in struggling regions. Gradually, the idea of equipping rural communities with tools to take charge of their own development began to take shape.
