SUDBURY – The Ontario government is investing more than $11 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) in 20 economic development projects in the Sudbury region. This investment will create jobs, foster innovation, expand business operations, improve municipal infrastructure, and support film and TV productions.

“Through targeted investments, our government is building strong, resilient and prosperous communities and businesses here in the Sudbury region and across the North,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development. “By working together with our northern partners, we are keeping Northern Ontario competitive, current and innovative.”

The NOHFC is funding the following projects:

• $2,000,000 for Raccoon HG Film Productions to produce, in Sudbury, the film Umbrella Chronicles
• $1,999,800 for Cambrian College to build a state-of-the-art research and development facility on its Barry Downe Campus in Sudbury
• $1,321,875 for Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (NORCAT) – an innovation and training facility in Sudbury – to purchase a battery electric vehicle, as well as to upgrade the centre to accommodate the new vehicle
• $1,000,000 for Get’er Done Productions to produce, in Sudbury, season 7 of the television series Letterkenny
• $728,433 for 1929995 Ontario Inc. in Sudbury to develop Plowbrush – a snowplowing system that reduces the amount of salt needed to clear roadways
• $500,000 for Circle Blue Films to produce, in Sudbury, the film Café Daughter, as well as $500,000 to produce, in Sudbury, the film Orah
• $400,000 for Amen Holdings and Consolidated Logistics, both in Sudbury, to purchase equipment and install additional railway track at their track facility
• $400,000 for Barrydowne Animal Hospital in Sudbury to purchase a building, relocate, renovate and buy equipment
• $391,785 for A&M Remediation – an industrial waste management company in Sudbury – to purchase equipment
• $255,000 for Top Steel – a manufacturing and design firm in Val Caron – to purchase equipment
• $250,000 for Rock-Tech – a mining equipment manufacturer in Lively – to develop an automated rockbreaker
• $250,000 for Sofvie Inc. – a health and safety software company in Lively – to develop an industrial grade safety device worn as a sleeve
• $222,150 for Sparrow Health – a medical technology business in Sudbury – to develop an online portal enabling patients to request prescription refills and for their physicians to process the requests
• $158,538 to establish, in Val Caron, Rees Rail Services – a service contractor for the rail industry – and $400,000 for the company to purchase equipment
• $104,140 for Chenier Drilling Services – a drilling services provider in Val Caron for the mining and mineral exploration industries – to purchase equipment
• $79,936 for Bio-Mine Ltd. – a clean technology company in Sudbury – to develop a microbial system to be used for the degradation of plastic waste
• $58,290 for FlashTheSloth Technology Inc. – a high-tech delivery service provider in Sudbury – to purchase equipment and software
• $43,416 for 1000446681 Ontario Inc. (Ken Wilson) to produce, in Sudbury, season one of the animated television series Rabbit Girl.

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 $613 million in 5,214 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.94 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 8,240 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.

Quotes

“NOHFC funding has allowed us to add two new positions in the job workforce, and purchase new machinery so we can produce our products in-house in Northern Ontario, rather than outsourcing to third-party producers in the South. With the support of the NOHFC, we have become much faster at producing our own products with complete accuracy and very little downtime, and have become very efficient by keeping all of our production in the North.” – Savy Bhardwaj, General Manager, Top Steel

“We are grateful for NOHFC’s support of our Advanced Analytics and Wearable Technology Project. The use of front-line data, artificial intelligence and machine learning is an important element in flagging common hazards and risks before they become a threat that can impact the ability of a person to return home safely.” – Gus Minor, Chief Innovation Officer, Sofvie Inc.

“Bio-Mine Ltd. is working on an innovative bioengineering process to transform plastic wastes into value-added products. The financial support from NOHFC will help catalyze the commercialization phase of this technology designed to eliminate these ‘forever’ chemical pollutants from the environment and contribute to a sustainable planet.” – Dr. Vasu Appanna, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Bio-Mine Ltd.

“The project funded by NOHFC assists small businesses in delivering the best possible service and online shopping experience to their customers while minimizing operational costs. The system is designed to handle all types of delivery orders, whether placed online or over the phone, without requiring businesses to engage professional services or build their own delivery teams.” – Yu Peng (Patrick) Lu, CEO, FlashTheSloth Technology Inc.

Media Contacts

Erika Robson, Minister’s Office — 416-450-1309 — erika.robson@ontario.ca

Media Desk, Communications Branch — mediadesk.ndm@ontario.ca