Ontario Expanding Civil Engineering Capacity in Sault Ste. Marie

SAULT STE. MARIE – The Ontario government is providing $77,788 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to Down to Earth Geotechnical Engineering in Sault Ste. Marie. This investment will expand business operations and create new commercial opportunities for the company.

“I am happy to see that our government is investing in Down to Earth Geotechnical Engineering, helping create full-time jobs right here in Sault Ste. Marie and expanding local capacity to build new infrastructure,” said Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie.

Down to Earth Geotechnical Engineering is a professional engineering company specializing in geotechnical design and inspection services. The company will use NOHFC funding to purchase a Diedrich D25 drill rig and create full-time jobs, which will help expand in-house drilling services to other geotechnical and geoenvironmenal engineering consulting firms.

“Our government is bringing innovative technology to Sault Ste. Marie, creating highly-skilled jobs and expanding civil engineering capacity in the North by helping Down to Earth supply a local demand for geotechnical drilling services,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development. “We continue to make targeted investments that empower northern businesses to expand into new markets and support local capacity to develop new foundations and key infrastructure in the North.”

“We greatly appreciate NOHFC’s funding for helping us purchase drilling equipment that has allowed us to expand our business, improve efficiency and effectiveness and help fill a local market gap for high quality geotechnical and environmental drilling services,” said Maurice Corriveau, Senior Geotechnical Engineer at Down to Earth Geotechnical Engineering.

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 $639 million in 5,265 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $2 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 8,420 jobs.

Quick Fact

• 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

• The NOHFC, Northern Development Offices and Small Business Enterprise Centres are available to support northern communities, businesses and other stakeholders in identifying economic development opportunities and assist in accessing government funding programs.

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