Program description
«IMPACT: Towards a Responsible and Sustainable Economy in Atlantic Canada» was a recent project that sought to raise awareness in our community about sustainable development, accelerate the transition to sustainable development, and take a green turn through training and support. IMPACT DD targeted French-speaking or bilingual businesses and organizations in Prince Edward Island that wished to begin a transition towards sustainability.
We offered them FREE support, which enabled them to implement a strategic sustainable development approach and stand out!
(The program as such is no longer offered, but we have many resources that we can share with you.)
Would you like to find out more? Download the IMPACT project overview in PDF format by clicking the button.
What participation in the IMPACT DD program provided:
- helps reduce operating costs and maximize productivity
- helps improve the reputation of their company or organization
- shows how to innovate and experiment with new techniques and tools
- helps them stand out from their competitors and build customer loyalty
- helps improve their employees' well-being at work
- helps attract and retain more employees
- helps them reduce their environmental impact and resource consumption and increase the social benefits of their activities
- helps you manage risk more effectively
Who was eligible?
Businesses, cooperatives or community organizations.
To participate in the program, you had to:
- Be able to express yourself in French (owner or management team);
- Be based in Prince Edward Island;
- Have at least 2 employees;
- Commit to a 1-year training program and attend at least 16 hours of coaching;
- Have an interest in integrating a sustainable development approach into your company or organization.
Program content
Training tailored to the needs of their company or organization:
- 16 hours of group training
- 25 to 100 hours of personalized coaching for their company
During the program, our trainer led a series of workshops to help them:
- Introduction and self-assessment;
- Stakeholder consultation;
- Adoption of eco-responsible business practices/Sustainable development action plan formalization;
- Communication/How to avoid greenwashing/Accountability;
- Summary of a sustainable development approach
They received tools (like the Activator) and mockups to help them with their tasks, and the coordinator offered them several hours of support between workshops as needed to ensure their progress.
Click the button to read a two-page document (in PDF format) that explains more about the training they will receive.
How to reach us
Cohort 3
(2025-2026)
PHOTO 1: At the signing of the Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean's IMPACT program participation agreement, from left, Sebastian Vargas, RDÉE ÎPÉ's community economic development manager; Tifany Fournel, Leckrani Nunkoo, Celeste Guzmán Alejandre and Marion Fougerouse, all Carrefour employees; and Julien Fournel, coordinator of the IMPACT SD project for ÎPÉ.
PHOTO 2: At the signing of the agreement committing the Coopérative d'artisanat d'Abram-Village to the sustainable development approach, from left, Sebastian Vargas, RDÉE ÎPÉ's community economic development manager; coop advisors Zelma Arsenault, Lorraine Gallant, Simone Arsenault and Yvette Arsenault, president; and IMPACT DD coordinator Julien Fournel.
PHOTO 3: Following the signing of the Knead A Brake commitment agreement, from left, Julien Fournel, coordinator of the IMPACT SD project for ÎPÉ; the owner of the bakery/bike store, Raphaël Amiot Savard; and Sebastian Vargas, RDÉE ÎPÉ's community economic development manager.
Le Carrefour de l'Isle-Saint-Jean, a French-language school-community center in Charlottetown, offers a wide range of cultural and community programming to a diverse market. It strives to ensure the vitality and sustainability of francophone culture in the capital, while addressing challenges related to inclusion, accessibility and sustainability of its operations. It aims to strengthen its social, cultural and environmental impact.
Abram-Village Artisan Cooperative, approaching its 60th anniversary, offers an exceptional platform for local artisans to display and sell to visitors their beautiful creations, such as quilts, woodwork, embroidery, crochet, knitting, weaving and painting. The coop is looking to increase its visibility, marketing and sales with its limited resources.
Kirsten and Raphaël Amiot Savard developed their skills in various countries around the world before setting up their business at Travellers Rest. Knead a Brake is a specialized bakery (bread, croissants, etc.), combined with a bicycle sales and repair store. The company wants to hone its entrepreneurial skills with the support of a mentor, and establish more business connections in the Atlantic region.
Cohort 2
(2024-2025)
PHOTO: The leaders of IMPACT SD (Prince Edward Island edition) with participants from the program's second cohort: from left, Israël Poulin, program coordinator; Jean-Guy LeBlanc of Buyers Canada, Éric Morency of the Commission scolaire de langue française, Mathieu Gallant of Fromagerie PEI, David Mitchell and Chris MacCormack of Famous Peppers/Pathfinder Foods and Florian Enjalbal, program manager for RDÉE Île-du-Prince-Édouard.
Commission scolaire de langue française de l'ÎPÉ (represented primarily by Superintendent Ghislain Bernard and Éric Morency, Director of Communications and Public Affairs) manages six schools across the province. It employs some 279 people who deliver educational services from kindergarten to grade 12.e year to 1253 students. CSLF is embarking on this process because «We want to be able to prepare our students to face the future world and to be able to contribute to their community, their province, their country and the Francophonie.»
Buyers Canada (owner Jean-Guy LeBlanc), located on Water Street in Summerside, buys used industrial machinery and equipment, recycles, repairs or refurbishes it, and resells it. Among other things, the company recycles and resells household, electrical, agricultural, plumbing, restaurant, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and warehousing parts.
Since 2016, La Fromagerie PEI (owner Mathieu Gallant) of Mont-Carmel is best known for its production of «Squeak-ies» cheese curds. More recently, the company has also ventured into the production of other frozen dairy products. Its aim is to make its operations as efficient as possible, while reducing its carbon footprint as much as possible.
The company Famous Peppers Inc. (with David Mitchell as General Manager and Chris MacCormack as Chief Operating Officer), was founded in 2003. The corporation now operates Famous Peppers Pizza in Montague and Charlottetown, Crafters Smokehouse in Montague and Khoaw Pon Authentic Thai in Stratford year-round, and Hooked at Bogside and Twisted Tacos in Montague during the tourist season. In addition, it operates the Pathfinder Foods catering and cafeteria service, including in numerous schools and government offices.
Cohort 1
(2023-2024)
From October 2023 to the end of 2024, two companies and one organization signed up for our IMPACT training-coaching program and received individualized support:
- Les Fermes Urbainville in Urbainville (Robert Arsenault, owner)
- Double Hill Cider Mill in Caledonia (Sebastian Manago, owner)
- La Société acadienne et francophone de l'ÎPÉ (SAF'Île) in Summerside (Isabelle Dasylva-Gill, General Manager).
IMPACT DD ÎPÉ Recognition Award
This is a new annual award launched in 2023 to celebrate outstanding sustainability projects by Island businesses and organizations. We want to highlight the fine efforts made by businesses and organizations in our community that contribute to the environment, the social fabric and local governance.
Winner 2025
Founded by Raphaël and Kirsten Amiot-Savard, natives of Montreal and Australia respectively, Knead a Brake began its operations in a former small school in Travellers Rest in 2023. Open almost year-round, Knead a Brake offers a range of artisanal pastries—breads, croissants, muffins, cookies—as well as bicycles, accessories, and nutrition products. It provides comprehensive cycling services, including repair, fitting, rental, and custom builds. Sustainability is at the core of its mission. Innovative compostable cups and utensils are used. The company participates in the online «Too Good To Go» program to reduce food waste. It also strives to promote cycling as an eco-friendly mode of transportation. Looking ahead, Knead a Brake plans educational initiatives in cycling safety and the installation of eco-friendly vending machines along the Confederation Trail.
Winner 2024
Founded in 2003, Famous Peppers Inc. is a family-run business with 60 employees. Run by David Mitchell and Chris MacCormack, it operates several establishments: Famous Peppers Pizza in Montague and Charlottetown, Crafter's Smokehouse in Montague and Khoaw Pon Authentic Thai in Stratford. During the tourist season, she also runs the Hooked at Bogside seafood restaurant in Montague and Twisted Tacos in Charlottetown. Pathfinder Foods, its catering and cafeteria service, serves several schools and government offices. The company places sustainability at the heart of its operations. It has replaced all its lighting with energy-efficient LED systems and integrated remotely programmed heating controls, thereby reducing energy consumption. It modernized a 3,500 sq. ft. warehouse, reducing internal product movements by 60%. Its school food program uses compostable containers, eliminating 200,000 single-use plastic containers per year.
Winner 2023
La Société acadienne et francophone de l'ÎPÉ (SAF'Île) in Summerside - resource-sharing project through its ServiceFinances and ServiceRH shared services, giving members access to specialized skills in human resources management and accounting, without having to bear the full cost of such services individually.
Two other 2023 finalists:
- Buyers Canada Inc. (Jean-Guy Leblanc, Summerside): recycling and reuse initiative for broken or abandoned industrial equipment and tools, and employment program for disabled people.
- Les Fermes Urbainville (Robert Arsenault d'Urbainville): installation of a state-of-the-art potato washing line to significantly save water, while improving operating efficiency.
Resources
The IMPACT program also offers sustainability awareness training in the form of resources, webinars and face-to-face workshops.
Available resources
Articles
Links to relevant sites
Financing
This project is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes (SQRC), under the financial support programs for the Canadian Francophonie.
Partners
