Events

Virtual

Part of our Starter Company Plus Spring 2026 workshop series.

Financial Q&A with Andrew is your chance to get expert advice on the financial challenges facing new businesses. Ask your burning questions about budgeting, cash flow, financing, and more.

Hosted by Andrew Seguin.

Register via Zoom here.

South Stormont Community Hall, Long Sault

Local tourism businesses, community organizations, and event planners are invited to the 2026 Cornwall & SDG Counties Tourism Summit. Building on the success of the inaugural summit held last year, this year’s event will take place on April 22, 2026, at South Stormont Community Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The day begins with a networking continental breakfast followed by a regional tourism update highlighting current initiatives and collaborative priorities across Cornwall and SDG Counties. Featured sessions include:

• Leadership Development | Sheli Warren: Practical tools to strengthen leadership capacity within tourism organizations. This session is supported by Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre.
• Tourism Development Fund Update: Insights into funding opportunities and regional investment priorities.
• “Just Be Yourself!” | Dug Stevenson & Trevor Norris: Experts from the Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board discuss building an accessible and sustainable destination by embracing authentic identity.
• AI Affecting Web Traffic | Cathy Kirkpatrick: Exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping online visibility and visitor engagement.

Registration & Ticket Information

Tickets for the 2026 Tourism Summit are available for purchase now. The cost of attendance is $25.00 per person, which includes the continental breakfast, networking lunch, and access to all sessions and interactive activities.

Key Details:

• Date: April 22, 2026
• Time: (Networking 8:30 a.m.) 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Location: South Stormont Community Hall, Long Sault
• Tickets: $25, includes, breakfast and lunch
• Register Here: 2026 Cornwall SDG Tourism Summit

Virtual

This session will inform Canadian entrepreneurs on how to find the right government resources and supports for their business.

In this free session, you will:

• See how to get a tailored list of supports, personalized to meet your business’ needs, including funding, loans, wage subsidies, tax credits and more, with the Business Benefits Finder
• Learn to navigate the regulatory environment of permits and licenses using BizPaL
• Hear from an expert advisor about how they can help incorporated businesses grow

The session will also include a Q&A Session with the expert panelists.

Hosted by Innovation Canada

To learn more and to register now click here.

Virtual

Setting up your books is one of the most common—and costly—struggles for new and growing business owners. If bookkeeping feels overwhelming, confusing, or easy to put off, this session is designed for you.

What You’ll Learn – In this 60-minute session, we’ll cover:

• Why good bookkeeping matters for cash flow, pricing decisions, taxes, and long-term growth
• How to choose the right bookkeeping system—software vs. spreadsheets
• How to set up a simple and effective chart of accounts
• How to categorize and record expenses correctly
• CRA requirements for receipts and financial documentation
• HST basics: when and how to register, what to collect, and what to remit
• How to pay yourself correctly as a new business owner
• Monthly routines and financial habits that keep your books clean, current, and stress-free

Who Should Attend

• New entrepreneurs and startups
• Small business owners who are DIY-ing their bookkeeping
• Business owners who want to understand their numbers better before hiring help
• Anyone feeling behind, unsure, or frustrated with their financial records

Event hosted by Business Advisory Centre Durham

To learn more and register click here.

Virtual. Click here to register.

This session is for you if you want to learn how to sell your food product at markets, online, or to retailers.

In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:

• How to set your pricing for success
• Positioning your product on the market
• Building an audience of raving fans
• The key things you can do to secure the sale

Successfully selling your product involves more than just having great tasting food. Pricing, marketing, and how you position your product all play a key role in ensuring that people will buy it.

Virtual

Part of our Starter Company Plus Spring 2026 workshop series.

Learn how to effectively define your target market (Product), communicate your unique value proposition (Promotion), choose the right channels to reach your audience (Place), determine the optimal pricing for your offerings (Price), and build a strong brand identity (Branding).

Hosted by Adam Gibeau.

Register via Zoom here.

Virtual. Click here to register.

This session is for you if you want to know how to price your food or beverage product appropriately.

In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:

• Understanding your COGS
• Cash Flow Management
• Planning for Profits

If you want to run a successful business it’s important for you to know the ‘numbers’. Learn how to cost and price your products and services for profitability and how the decisions you make about your operations and production processes affect your bottom line. Understand how to budget and spend money so you can pay all your bills and still have money left in your pocket at the end of the year.

Each participant will receive an Excel Financial Forecasting spreadsheet (blank) and completed examples for both a product and service business to assist you through the process. Use the spreadsheet to develop your individual timeline, operating and capital costs, and pricing calculator to create a cashflow projection and income statement for your business.

You will leave with a better understanding of how to properly cost and price your product to make a profit in the food and beverage industry!

Virtual

Part of our Starter Company Plus Spring 2026 workshop series.

This session will teach you how to leverage social platforms to reach and engage your target audience.

Hosted by Adam Gibeau.

Register via Zoom here.

Virtual

Part of our Starter Company Plus Spring 2026 workshop series.

This session will equip you with the skills to create a compelling pitch deck. Learn how to craft a persuasive story, deliver impactful presentations, and confidently answer investor questions.

Hosted by Shannon Ferguson.

Register via Zoom here.

Virtual. Click here to register.

This session is for you if you have a food or beverage product that needs the perfect brand to suit the right market.

In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:

• Why YOU are your brand as a new food or beverage business
• What to consider when creating a visual identity for your company
• What does marketing in 2026 look like?

Amanda DeVries of Eye Candy Design specializes in branding food and beverage companies. In this webinar, Amanda will share her expert insight, from how to create your brand, how to retain and grow your brand to what sort of colours and typography styles are right for your product. You will learn the difference between designing for store shelves vs. food markets vs. digital spaces. She will also cover tips for working with a graphic designer and determining exactly who your product is for. As Amanda advises, “if your product is for everyone, then you are selling to no one”. Know your target market.

You will leave with a better understanding of how to brand and market your product in the food and beverage industry!

Virtual. Click here to register.

This session is for you if you are starting a food business and want to make sure you are producing safe products right from the start.

In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:

• Basic Food Safety Principles Every Business Must Know
• Practical Food Safety Practices for Production
• Common mistakes to avoid when starting your food business

When you’re launching a food product, understanding food safety is essential not only for protecting your customers, but also for meeting regulatory expectations and building retailer trust. In this session, Lisa Cove, Food Safety Consultant and Founder of Shelf Ready Inc., will walk you through simple, actionable steps you can take to build food safety into your business from the very beginning—without getting overwhelmed by regulations. 

You’ll leave with a clear understanding of basic food safety expectations, practical steps you can implement immediately, and the confidence to move your food business forward safely!

Lost Villages Brewery: 16133 ON-36, Long Sault ON K0C 1P0

Day 1: May 27, 2026

Start your conference experience with an afternoon exploring the cultural and historical landscape of Eastern Ontario. This guided tour departs from Lost Villages Brewery at 1:00 PM and offers a meaningful introduction to the region before the conference officially begins.

During this experience, you will:

• Visit the Native North American Travelling College (NNATC) to learn about Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) culture, language, and lived experience on the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne.
• Explore the Saunders Hydro Dam Visitor Centre, where the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project is presented through engineering, community, and environmental perspectives.
• Tour the Lost Villages Museum, which preserves the stories of the ten communities displaced and submerged during the project.

Networking Event: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Return to Lost Villages Brewery for a relaxed networking session featuring a curated beer flight and appetizers. Connect with fellow attendees, reflect on the day’s insights, and enjoy locally crafted flavours inspired by the region’s history.

Click here for more information and to register now!

South Stormont Community Hall: 2 Mille Roches Road, Long Sault ON K0C 1P0

Day 2: May 28, 2026

Morning Sessions 

• Opening Remarks – 9:00 AM Land Acknowledgement and welcome from regional leaders.
• Keynote: Global Affairs Canada – 9:30–10:00 AM Insights on how national and international policy shifts affect local businesses and economic development officers, with a focus on navigating recent legislative changes.
• Panel: Cross‑Border Partnerships & Joint Ventures – 10:00–11:00 AM Explore strategies, opportunities, and lessons learned in cross‑border collaboration, including perspectives from Indigenous entrepreneurship and community‑driven partnerships.
• Coffee & Networking Break – 11:00–11:15 AM
• Community Improvement Programs / Regional Incentives – 11:15 AM–12:15 PM A practical look at how municipalities and government partners implement programs that support growth, featuring examples from smaller communities and evolving CIP models.

Afternoon Sessions

• Lunch Break – 12:15–1:15 PM
• Panel: Cross‑Business Promotion – 1:15–2:15 PM Learn how local businesses—including Lost Villages Brewery, Cardinal Meats, and the Lost Villages Museum—collaborate to preserve regional heritage, attract tourism, and strengthen the local economy.
• Coffee & Networking Break – 2:15–2:30 PM
• Speaker Spotlight: Ross Video – 2:30–3:30 PM A deep dive into growth strategies, municipal collaboration, workforce investment, and the impact of tariffs on operations.
• Closing Remarks – 3:30–3:45 PM

Click here for more information and to register now!

Virtual. Click here to register.

This session is for you if you have a food or beverage product that needs an accurate and compliant label.

In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:

• Packaging Considerations
• Labelling Requirements
• Mistakes to Avoid

Packaging and labelling your food product is where marketing meets regulatory compliance and food safety. You know you want your product to look great on a store shelf, but what are you required to put on the label? How do you choose the right package for your product? For this session, we will be joined by Nicole Haney, former Founder & CEO of Boho Bars. Nicole will guide us through what to consider when choosing a package for your food product, what to include on your label, and what mistakes to avoid when packaging your food product.

You will leave with a better understanding of labelling & packaging in the food and beverage industry!