Dan Friyia is the executive director of the Community Development Corporation of Sault Ste. Marie, a FedNor funded Community Futures corporation dedicated to enhancing the community’s economic and employment base through planning and economic development initiatives.
Originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Dan spent 24 years as general manager of the Superior East Community Futures Development Corporation serving the communities of Wawa, White River, Dubreuilville, Chapleau and a number of First Nation communities.
He also teaches courses on social and economic development at Algoma College and for the University of Waterloo.
In 2008, when the Domtar lumber mill in White River shut down, he worked closely with municipal officials to keep the town alive and participated in one of the most noteworthy industrial rescue missions in the history of Northern Ontario, bringing together the Town of White River, the Pic Mobert First Nation and legendary forest industry executive Frank Dottori to restart the mill.
In this interview, Dan talks about the hard work, patience and persistence that paid off for White River and the importance of partnerships and creative thinking that contributed to the success of two community development initiatives in Sault Ste. Marie: the Sweet Change Chocolate Company and the Grocer 4 Good grocery store. The Chocolate Company provides employment training for the unemployed, while Grocer 4 Good provides employment for people with autism and intellectual disabilities, while also providing a source of groceries for residents of an inner city neighbourhood lacking a supermarket.
Dan advises Northerners in economic development roles about the importance of lifelong learning and building networks. “You don’t have to know everything,” he tells us. “You just have to know who to call.”
Finally, “Make sure you have a sound understanding of community economic development, so you can hit the ground running.”