About Us
Communities we serve:
Christina Lake • Grand Forks • Greenwood • Midway • Rock Creek • Bridesville • Christian Valley • Westbridge • Beaverdell • Big White
Who We Are
Community Futures Boundary (CFB) is a not-for-profit Corporation funded, in part, by the Federal Government (PacifiCan). We are one of 34 offices across the Province and 266 across Canada, all located in rural communities.
We are a community driven organization comprised of business savvy individuals and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. We have a passion for working with budding entrepreneurs, existing business, and local community partners.
Community Futures Boundary …
- Lends money to small business
- Supports and leads economic development projects
- Offers business counselling
- Cultivates self-employment
- Supports employment and workforce development.
Put simply, we do what we can to help to build a healthy Boundary Region economy.
What We Do
Community Futures Boundary is dedicated to the economic stimulus and growth of the Boundary Area. We are an organization that is actively involved in helping entrepreneurs see their dreams become reality by offering economic services, consultations, and business loans.
We believe in positive partnerships with a wide variety of organizations, including but not limited to business, social, and educational organizations, all levels of government, and entrepreneurs. These partnerships act as a strong, vibrant, economic catalyst which promotes a healthy business environment for the benefit of all Boundary residents
Community Futures Boundary is committed to serving the entire Boundary and maintains offices and a resource centre in Grand Forks, BC.
Our Boundary Advisors Program can provide you with free one-on-one business coaching conversations for small to medium-sized business owners in the Boundary Region. If you want to grow or improve your business in a specific way, we have a specialist who can help.
We are a high-relationship, community based lender. That means we want to work with you in a way that makes sense for your business. The goal of our loan portfolio is to balance risk and foster sustainable community economic development.
The Self-Employment Program can offer you instruction and support while developing your business plan. You will also receive ongoing training, mentoring and business coaching while you start and run your business.
Community Futures Boundary offers workshops, and training designed to support small business owners and their staff. The workshops are designed to assist in many stages of business development. We partner with Small Business BC and with other Community Futures across the Province.
Are you part of an organization or event that positively impacts the Boundary’s economy?
Community Futures Boundary’s Growing Communities Fund provides funding for projects or events that align with Community Futures Boundary’s Strategic Priorities. Requests for support should include information related to the level of support you are requesting, other parties who have been approached for support, and a high-level overview of how your organization and/or event adds to the economic wellbeing of the Boundary Region.
Board of Directors
Community Futures Boundary (CFB) is dedicated to helping local businesses thrive through our business loans, training, and advisory services. Our volunteer Board of Directors is comprised of local businesspeople and professionals with extensive knowledge of the Boundary economy. They actively support our staff, programs, and regional well-being. We are incredibly grateful for their time, energy, and commitment to the Boundary Region.
Interested in becoming a Board Member?
If you live in the Boundary Region, have a passion for entrepreneurial leadership and are interested in serving as a Board Director, we invite you to review our Board Orientation Governance Package and fill out a Board Member Application.
Current Board of Directors
Leigh Starchuk, Board Chair
Grand Forks, Electoral Area D
Leigh has been a resident of the Boundary Region since 1989. She and her husband, Greg, have been the owners of Tool Time for 28 years. Leigh has been active in the community for many years, especially with the local curling club where she coached youth and sat on the board. A former client of Community Futures, she understands the importance of having access to business funding and professional guidance. Leigh strongly believes in the entrepreneurial dream and helping people achieve their goals, which makes her role as Treasurer on the board rewarding.
Kevin Maffioli, Vice Chair
The City of Grand Forks
Kevin is the Manager of the Christina Lake Golf Club and has been a member of the PGA of Canada since 1990. He was born and raised in Fernie. Kevin moved to the Boundary Region in 1997 and raised three children, Lisa, Peyton and Sam here. When he is not running the Golf Club, he enjoys curling, fishing and hiking. He loves living in the Boundary Region because he loves how connected he feels to the community. Prior to joining the Board of Directors at Community Futures Boundary, Kevin worked with the organization and always appreciated the positive impact they had on small business. He looks forward to continuing this good work as a Director.
Keely Devries, Secretary
Grand Forks, Electoral Area D
Keely and her husband Jeremy own Jerseyland Organics, a certified organic dairy farm in rural Grand Forks. Their products are made from 100% certified organic jersey milk from their own herd of dairy cows. The farm is family-run and aside from their amazing milk, also offers a wide range of cheeses, yogurt, ice cream and even an animal petting zoo. Keely understands what it takes to be a farmer in the Boundary and knows, firsthand, what it takes to succeed as a small business owner in rural BC. She has three daughters who also help on the farm and if she isn’t working hard on the farm, can be found helping in the community in whatever way she can. She appreciates CFB’s support of small business and the opportunity to bring the voice of local food to the Community Futures table.
Joan Thomas, Treasurer
Grand Forks, Electoral Area D
Joan’s highly varied career includes years as a forestry professional, manager of an organic fertilizer plant, and management of a large, local, tree farm. Joan and her husband, Erik, who have 2 sons and 2 grandchildren, bought land in Grand Forks in the 90’s and moved in 2007. Joan is very active and, in her spare time, golfs, gardens, rides her bike, hikes, and loves to travel. She is a committed volunteer and has helped many organizations and events across this region succeed. She enjoys her time at Community Futures as she values the volunteers, dedicated staff, and the services and projects, which she feels are “first class”!
Amber Esovoloff
The City of Grand Forks
Amber and her husband Chris are raising their two daughters in Grand Forks surrounded by a large extended family. In keeping with her entrepreneurial spirit, Amber grew up loving to sew and after high school, she purchased a sewing machine and began doing basic embroidery jobs for extra cash. After they started their family, Amber wanted to be at home with their kids and so she started a home-based imprinting business after purchasing a commercial embroidery machine. That business grew to include a wide format print cut machine. When the store closed in Grand Forks (His n Hers Fashions and Boundary Board Co.) Amber saw an opportunity to expand her business ventures and rebranded Work n’ Play Clothing, introducing Rock Candy Trading Co. While the look and name have evolved, the core of the business remains unchanged: customers will continue to work with the exact same team they know and trust, backed by the same unwavering commitment to high-quality products and service.
Joe Sioga
Christina Lake
Joe and his wife, Dawn, are the owners of D&D Service Centre and Storage in Christina Lake, which provides a range of services including RV Holiday Rentals, 24-hour towing service, mobile forklifts, and mini storage. Joe and Dawn landed in Christina Lake in 2005 with their two sons, after seeking out a business that would allow them to enjoy the slower pace and friendly atmosphere of a small town. In his spare time, Joe likes to stay active, enjoying all four seasons while skiing, boating, and biking as well as volunteering with the Fire Department, Recreation Commission and Snowmobile Club. Joe values the local approach that Community Futures Boundary brings to the region’s economic development and employment services. In his words, “the organization is operated by the same people you meet walking down the street or at the grocery store.”
Kayla Sebastian
The City of Grand Forks
Kayla Sebastian joins the team with a young, fresh business perspective in the hospitality/food service industry. Kayla grew up in Grand Forks and decided to move back after being away for a decade travelling the world, gaining culinary experience, and wanting to start a family. As an entrepreneur, she dedicates her time, passion, and experience in her two downtown flagship restaurants The Wooden Spoon Bistro and The Bar + Kitchen where you’ll find her creating menus, building strong relationships and work foundations with her 40+ staff. Kayla and her husband TJ, who is a public physiotherapist at our local Boundary Hospital, are raising their two young children Avery and Silas. When she isn’t at The Spoon she can be found enjoying the outdoors, camping and travelling. Kayla is excited to be a part of the Community Futures family and looks forward to helping bring future establishments to life in our community.
Lisa Houston
Christina Lake
Lisa was born and raised in the Lower Mainland of BC where she enjoyed a very fulfilling 32_year career in Finance and Banking. In 2021, Lisa and her husband Byron made a significant life shift when they retired from their respective careers and moved to the Kootenay area following the purchase of Christina Pines Campground in Christina Lake. This new venture offered a rewarding change of pace and allowed them to allocate more of their time on the outdoors and with each other. Lisa holds her CPA designation and a Bachelor of Business degree, which serve well in supporting the business side of their new small business. Coming from a larger city, she immediately felt the support and strong sense of community from both a personal and business perspective to be refreshing and a very welcome change that she was eager to embrace. After launching into a small business for the first time, she was able to see first-hand the unique challenges that such an endeavour presents, even for the most prepared. Lisa is keen to be part of an organization such as Community Futures that embodies community and small business support in the most tangible way and looks forward to participating in a positive way to the support of this incredible community.
Community Futures Development Corporation of the Boundary Area
Performance Reports
Financial Statements are Available On Request.
Community Futures Boundary
Grand Forks, BC
Box 2949, 1647 Central Avenue
Grand Forks, BC V0H 1H0
Phone Numbers
Toll Free: 1-877-267-9399
Telephone: 250-442-2722
Business Loans ext 222
Fax Number
Fax Number: 250-442-5311
Contact Form
Community Futures Boundary would like to acknowledge that we are on the unceded territory of the Interior Salish Peoples. We honour and recognize all of the Indigenous Peoples that cared for and lived on these lands.
