The Community Economic Development Program is funded through Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).  It first received its authority to function in 1989, when Treasury Board approved funding for what was then called the Canadian Aboriginal Economic Development Strategy (CAEDS).  Under CAEDS the aim was to improve the economic capacity of First Nations to participate in the mainstream economy and to allow First Nations to better develop their own local economies.  CAEDS funded community economic development officers, and created proposal driven programs allowing First Nations to enter the resource sector, and their private entrepreneurs to apply for equity gap funding for small and medium sized business ventures.  CAEDS operated under the same Treasury Board authorities for close to 15 years and as a result in 2002 an evaluation of the Strategy was undertaken, followed by consultations with First Nation EDO's, and then eventually a revamped program.

In the present sense the new program in Ontario funds the community economic development officers based on one allocation formula (there were 4 allocation formulas operating in Ontario under the original CAEDS).  The proposal driven programs however, have been revamped or have ended, and the budgets for these are much less than before.  The position of Community Economic Development Officer functions throughout the diverse First Nation communities of Ontario Region, in the varying economic regions and climates, fly-in/remote communities, and those of course near urban southern Ontario.  All First Nations across Canada are funded under the new strategy, but regionally there are different factors, which affect how the strategy operates.

Your economic development officer is Reese Simpson .  He functions as your first point of contact for labour market training. Reese also administers the Small Business Loan Programs at the First Nation and Tribal Council level, is a liaison with Aboriginal Business Canada, conducts research on behalf of the First Nation, is responsible for the Alderville Summer Student Placements, and writes various proposals.