On February 16, 1981, the Gatineau Valley SADC (Société d’aide au développement des collectivités) was the first SADC to open in Quebec. At the time, it was known as the  Société de développement économique de la Haute-Gatineau. It benefitted from the Local Economic Development Assistance program (LEDA) and stood out from the other Canadian agencies.

Though its name has changed over the years, SADC has maintained the same objective as its predecessors, which is to “encourage the community to actively take charge of its future.” SADC has always invested either in a partnership or in conjunction with promoters and other financial institutions to help people and companies pursue their respective pathways.