TIMMINS – The Ontario government is providing more than $440,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to two companies in the Timmins region to support business expansion and development. This investment will help create jobs, increase operational capacity and boost economic growth in northeastern Ontario.

“Supporting businesses in the area like Missinaibi Drilling Services Ltd. and Robert Rubino Trucking Ltd. will help build a stronger, more resilient and prosperous community,” said George Pirie, MPP for Timmins.

Robert Rubino Trucking Ltd. specializes in industrial hauling and float services. The company will use NOHFC funding of $283,953 to expand its facility and trucking fleet, which will increase service and repair capacity, reduce backlog downtime and get trucks back on the road faster. The expansion will increase local natural resource transport capacity, including for the local mining sector.

Missinaibi Drilling Services Ltd. provides drilling services to the mining industry. It will use NOHFC funding of $156,379 to purchase another custom drill rig and several other major pieces of equipment, which will help the company meet contracts held with several mining companies.

“Our government is helping northern Ontario thrive and stay competitive with funding for local businesses that will bring direct economic benefits to the Timmins region and the north, said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development. “NOHFC funding is increasing service capacity for our local mining and mineral sector, which will boost spending to local businesses and create new full-time 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.

• The acquisition of Missinaibi Drilling Services Ltd.’s first drill and other necessary pieces of equipment was accomplished with the assistance of a grant of $200,000 from the NOHFC in 2019.

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.

• The NOHFC’s Invest North Program boosts economic growth and attracts more investment by supporting business development, expansion and innovation.

Quotes

“Financial assistance provided by the Ontario government will help improve the quality and efficiency of our existing trucking services and expand our transport capacity for the sectors that we serve,” said Robert Rubino, Robert Rubino Trucking Ltd.

This NOHFC funding that is towards the purchase of additional drilling equipment will help our team continue to thoroughly execute drilling projects safely and on time,” said René Turgeon, Missinaibi Drilling Services Ltd.

Media Contacts

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

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