THUNDER BAY – The Ontario government is providing $255,752 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for eight job placement opportunities in Thunder Bay. This investment will help strengthen and develop Northern Ontario’s health sciences sector workforce.

“Our government is hard at work making targeted investments that support economic development and growth right here in Thunder Bay,” said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan. “These investments demonstrate how, together with our northern partners, we are building strong, vibrant communities and creating real opportunities for the people who live in the North.”

The NOHFC is funding the following internships:

• $140,000 for the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to hire four Research Assistant Interns and $10,752 to hire a Human Resources Intern
• $105,000 for the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute to hire three Research Assistant Interns.

“Our Ontario-wide health care system is a partnership in its truest form, and with this support from our partners at the NOHFC and Ontario government we can strengthen and develop talent right here in Northwestern Ontario,” said Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. “Our interns are working with world-class researchers on innovative technology and clinical research that can directly have a positive impact on people and patient care. I’d like to thank everyone involved for helping make this happen.”

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.

“We are helping people find opportunities to gain hands-on experience and build rewarding careers here in Northern Ontario,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development. “Our investment helps connect health research facilities to talented individuals, securing highly skilled, good-paying jobs.”

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 $608 million in 5,070 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.93 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 8,100 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.

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.

Media Contacts

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

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