Ontario Supporting the Forestry Sector and Creating Jobs in Sault Ste. Marie

$400,000 investment will help meet Ontario’s increased demand for building materials

February 11, 2022


SAULT STE. MARIE – The Ontario government is providing $400,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to help establish Norquay Trusses Ltd. in Sault Ste. Marie, a new business in the forestry manufacturing sector. The funding will strengthen the regional economy, create new jobs and boost the competitiveness of Ontario’s forestry sector.

“This investment will allow Norquay Trusses to purchase new equipment and make important facility upgrades to increase capacity and create three new full-time jobs, plus an additional five seasonal jobs,” said Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie. “This is another example of how our government is helping local businesses to increase their competitive edge while creating more local jobs.”

The funding will be used to complete building improvements and purchase manufacturing equipment. The company provides custom wooden roof and floor trusses, stock garage and shed trusses, structural builder’s hardware, and wooden panelling. Norquay Trusses Ltd. will re-manufacture softwood lumber into these finished products that will supply the building and construction markets in Northern Ontario and the northern US.

“Our government is proud to invest in local businesses that support the province’s forestry sector, create jobs and keep the North competitive,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. “With this investment, we will help address increasing market demand for wooden building materials in Canada and the United States.”

“We were very pleased to receive the NOHFC grant from the Ontario government, which assisted us in developing our new manufacturing business in Sault Ste. Marie”, said Scott Beaumont, President and General Manager, Norquay Trusses Ltd. “We have been very busy with roof truss production and are looking forward to continued growth into new markets and with new product lines.”

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 $432 million in 4,025 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.4 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 6,200 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.

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