Ottawa – Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor, has announced FedNor investments totalling $1,626,150 in support of eight different initiatives led by municipalities in Northwestern Ontario. Minister Hajdu was joined by Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Rainy River in making the announcement.
These projects include community infrastructure development and expansion, critical studies and plans, as well as support for skilled personnel to further community economic development efforts.
The funding amounts listed below are provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program, which invests in projects led by municipalities, First Nations, and other organizations and institutions that support community economic development, diversification, job creation and self-reliant communities in Northern Ontario.
Initiatives supported by FedNor
$664,014
The Municipality of Sioux Lookout is receiving a non-repayable investment of $664,014 extend municipal services including water and sewer to the ten-hectare Hillcrest Commercial Site development project, which will allow demand to be met for further commercial development in the municipality.
$365,084
The Town of Fort Frances is receiving a total of $365,084 for two initiatives:
- The Town of Fort Frances is receiving a non-repayable investment of $350,000 to complete a microgrid feasibility study.
- The Town of Fort Frances is receiving a non-repayable investment of $15,084 to develop a strategic plan, which will identify specific economic development initiatives for the community to pursue, and assist the community’s leadership in prioritizing its investments.
$245,250
The City of Dryden is receiving a total of $245,250 for two initiatives:
- The City of Dryden is receiving a non-repayable investment of $162,000 to develop a community capacity study and business/services gap analysis. These studies are part of the second phase of the city’s municipal plan aimed at providing direction and support for medium-to-long-term community and economic development.
- The City of Dryden is receiving a non-repayable investment of $83,250 to develop a food aggregation and distribution hub feasibility study. This will include supply chain analysis, industry benchmarking, ownership model study, partner analysis, and financial modeling.
$216,802
The Town of Rainy River is receiving a non-repayable investment of $216,802 to support the hiring of a regional economic development officer to assist the district of Rainy River over a three-year period.
$90,000
The City of Kenora is receiving a non-repayable investment of $90,000 to support the development of a comprehensive strategic planning process for a five-year period.
$45,000
The Municipality of Machin is receiving a non-repayable investment of $45,000 to support the development of a community improvement plan, which will help identify priority areas for investment.