Ontario Funding Mining, Forestry and Technology Sectors in the North Bay Area

Ontario Funding Mining, Forestry and Technology Sectors in the North Bay Area

$2.4 million provincial investment will help strengthen regional economy

March 25, 2022

Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry

NORTH BAY – The Ontario government is providing more than $2.4 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to nine projects to strengthen the mining supply, forestry, agriculture and technology sectors in North Bay. This investment will help support job creation, boost economic growth and improve quality of life in northern communities.

“Our government continues to foster a strong future in Nipissing by supporting economic growth, job creation and reaffirming the North as a great place to live and work,” said Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing. “It’s one more way we are signalling to the world that Northern Ontario is open for business and open for jobs.”

Examples of projects receiving NOHFC funding include:

  • $887,500 for DDS Drilling Services to purchase new equipment to expand its diamond core drilling services.
  • $144,092 for North Bay Machining Centre Inc. to purchase new equipment and update its electrical infrastructure to help improve productivity.
  • $56,988 for Metal Fab to purchase new equipment to meet growing customer demand.

“Promoting business expansion helps create jobs and keep the North competitive,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. “These investments will help our mining supply, forestry and technology sectors grow and thrive, providing good job opportunities for northerners.”

The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects – big and small, rural and urban – that stimulate growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $473 million in 4,244 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.5 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 6,600 jobs.

Quick Facts

  • In 2021, the Ontario government launched new and improved NOHFC programs that support more projects in rural northern communities and make it easier for more people and businesses to apply. The programs target existing and emerging markets, provide more work opportunities for Indigenous people and address the skilled labour shortage in the North.

Quotes

“DDS Drilling Services is a brand new diamond core drilling company based in North Bay that provides drilling services to exploration companies and operating mines. Financial assistance from NOHFC helped us purchase two clean-tech drilling systems, support equipment, and tooling required for our start-up. This project created 16 full-time jobs, all in Northern Ontario, and we continue to expand our operations.”

– David Jones
co-founder and Business Development Officer, DDS Drilling Services

“The NOHFC funding for Metal Fab Limited to purchase new production equipment will streamline processes and allow our business to increase workflow. It will also allow us to decrease lead times, while maintaining and improving the quality of the products and services we provide.”

– Jake Grasser
General Manager of Metal Fab Ltd.

Additional Resources

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