Ontario Creating Internship Opportunities in Thunder Bay Region

Posted on September 13, 2024

THUNDER BAY – The Ontario government is investing more than $6.3 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to support the creation of 198 internships across the Thunder Bay region. This funding will help develop and sustain a northern workforce, ensuring a prosperous economy in the Northwest.

“Our government is leveraging tools like the NOHFC to equip our northern workforce with the skills required to seize opportunities on the horizon,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development. “The investments we are recognizing today reach diverse sectors include engineering, health sciences, agriculture and more. Together, we are improving recruitment outcomes, ensuring Northerners have skilled training opportunities close to home.”

Internship projects receiving NOHFC funding include:

    • $35,000 for Roots to Harvest to hire an Education and Outreach Intern to support community members in utilizing the services provided at the Roots Community Food Centre
    • $35,000 for St. Andrews Soup Kitchen Inc. (Dew Drop Inn) to employ an Operation Supervisor Intern to manage the daily operations of the charitable organization
    • $33,488 for CSL Environmental & Geotechnical Ltd. to hire an Environmental Geoscientist Intern to conduct environmental and site assessments
    • $23,347 for de Bakker Law to employ a Client Service Representative Intern to aid the organization’s clients
    • $12,471 for Testmark Laboratories Ltd. to hire a Laboratory Technician Intern to conduct environmental quantitative and qualitative analyses.

"The NOHFC's investment in internships is a great tool in helping businesses across Northwestern Ontario bring in talented, skilled individuals who drive innovation and growth,” said Kevin Holland, MPP Thunder Bay – Atikokan. "By providing opportunities for young professionals, we’re not only strengthening our local workforce but also providing companies access to the expertise they need to succeed. These programs create talent that benefits both employers and the broader community.”

The Ontario government is supporting local internships through the NOHFC’s People and Talent Program. The program supports a wide variety of internships, including skilled trades, and addresses the unique needs of other in-demand jobs. Program candidates include new entrants into the workforce, those transitioning to a new career, the unemployed and underemployed.

The NOHFC fosters economic growth, job creation and workforce development throughout the North, benefiting communities of all sizes, both rural and urban, including Indigenous communities. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $835 million in 6,713 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $2.4 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 10,380 jobs.

Quick Facts

  • 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.

Additional Resources

Quotes

“We are thrilled to partner with NOHFC for People and Talent intern funding. This funding allows us to invest in new talent and provides a great opportunity to evaluate an intern over the course of a year. It’s a win-win for our company and the intern who gets valuable experience.” – Johnny de Bakker, Owner, de Bakker Law

“The Dew Drop Inn has been feeding the hungry in Thunder Bay for over 43 years. In the last five years, the numbers being served have more than doubled and 2023 was another record-breaking year with 152,297 meals served. NOHFC funding has allowed us to hire a full-time assistant operations manager, which is a blessing to our operations and this position has helped us to be more efficient, more organized and stronger to tackle our challenges head on.” – Michael Quibell, Executive Director, St. Andrews Soup Kitchen Inc.

“CSL Environment & Geotechnical Ltd. is pleased to have received NOHFC funding from the People and Talent Program to support the hiring of a professional engineer-in-training and professional geoscientist-in-training. These roles not only offer a pathway to a permanent position within the organization but also foster the interns’ professional growth, setting the stage for their certification with the Professional Engineers of Ontario and Professional Geoscientists of Ontario. The engineer’s and geoscientist’s work will play a crucial role in safeguarding public interests while contributing to the growth of key sectors in Northern Ontario, including mining and transportation.” – Chris Peruse, President, CSL Environment & Geotechnical Ltd.

“NOHFC funding allows Roots to Harvest, operating as the Roots Community Food Centre, the opportunity to create meaningful employment in our community. As a not-for-profit, we highly appreciate the support from the province with helping us ensure there is room at the table when it comes to community. Through our various programs and services along with NOHFC support, we reach a broad sector of our community who face food and income insecurity.” – Erin Beagle, Executive Director, Roots to Harvest

“Testmark Laboratories appreciates the Government of Ontario’s NOHFC funding support. As a company with more than 25 years of industry experience, we understand the significance of mitigating the labour gap in the province. The NOHFC’s People and Talent Program has certainly enabled us to hire multiple interns throughout our laboratories and we intend to continue using this funding to attract the talented workforce we need to respond to a changing market.” – Mark Charbonneau, President, Testmark Laboratories Ltd.

Media Contacts

Curtis Lindsay, Minister’s Office -- 437-240-7317 -- curtis.lindsay@ontario.ca
Media Desk, Communications Branch -- mediadesk.ndm@ontario.ca