An injection of federal cash in Northern Ontario will change lives, according to Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and la Francophonie Mélanie Joly.
A $3.4 million Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor) announcement is supporting 13 projects, including the Timmins Economic Development Corporation (TEDC).
It’s also driving a feasibility study for an all-season road between James Bay coastal communities and Highway 11, injecting cash into improvements in Matheson, and supporting a number of initiatives in Kirkland Lake.
Joly said the money will change lives by creating opportunities.
“This announcement will change the lives of people and offer more economic development and create good, middle class jobs from actually supporting the Macassa mine project and creating 450 new jobs to actually helping a community that was really basing its economy on mining to go into the tourism sector and try to grab a piece of that tourism pie,” she said.
The TEDC is receiving $419,000 over two years for its Productivity Improvement Initiative.
Chair Fred Gibbons said FedNor has supported the project since 2014.
He said it has helped more than 80 entrepreneurs, and small to medium-size businesses with commercialization, business upscaling, and growth. Since 2015, it has helped area firms hire 54 fulltime staff, and secure $300,000 of funding for business growth.
“Current project support from FedNor enables us to continue our flagship productivity innovation assessment initiative, which has helped clients address operational and inefficiencies and identify new market opportunities,” he said.
The Mushkegowuk Council has received $750,000 for a feasibility study for an all-season road connecting Attawapiskat, Kashechewan, Fort Albany, and Moose Cree First Nation to the Highway 11 corridor.
“We believe that it is important to create more mobility and connectivity,” Joly said.
“This could change the lives of many Indigenous communities, so we’re actively working hard on that project. The environmental assessment and the engineering plans must be developed, so that’s why there’s that feasibility study that is being done.”
The largest chunk of cash, more than $1 million, is going to Kirkland Lake to expand its industrial park and allow Kirkland Lake Gold to grow its Macassa Mine. The project is expected to extend the mine life from 15 to 25 years and add 450 new jobs.
The other projects receiving funding are:
• $439,059 for Matheson to support waterfront development and revitalize the history downtown.
• $279,000 for Wahgoshig First Nation to hire a economic development officer over a three-year period.
• $168,536 for Kirkland Lake to extend municipal services to industrial park and construct a 30,000-square-foot distribution centre.
• $70,000 for Cochrane to determine the viability of creating a scientific research and teaching facility at the Polar Bear Habitat.
• $63,000 for Cochrane to hire a youth intern for a two-year period.
• $40,000 for Kirkland Lake to do a land inventory and create a community improvement plan and communications study.
• $31,500 to allow the North Bay and District Multicultural Centre to implement strategies to attract and retain unemployed or underemployed newcomers to the Timmins area.
• $31,500 for the Town of Kirkland Lake to recruit a post-secondary grad to co-ordinate, promote and attract tourism events to the community.
• $31,500 to hire a social media and market youth intern for one year at the Kirkland and District Community Development Corporation for the North Temiskaming region.
• $31,500 to allow the Materials Joining Innovation Centre (MaJIC) hire a youth intern for a year.
