Strengthens Agriculture, Forestry & Recreation Sectors

eAwazLocal News

$3.4 million provincial investment will create jobs and support economic growth in Kapuskasing

KAPUSKASING – The Ontario government is providing more than $3.4 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to six projects in the agriculture, forestry and recreation sectors in Kapuskasing. The funding will be used to build and upgrade facilities, develop agricultural land and create good-paying jobs. These investments will build a stronger Ontario by diversifying the local economy and rejuvenating community infrastructure.

“Encouraging economic growth and job creation in Northern Ontario is a key priority for our government,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. “These investments will strengthen the economy by supporting local entrepreneurs as they start new businesses and expand services, and help the Town of Kapuskasing revitalize their community recreational facility, benefitting northerners across the region.”

Projects receiving NOHFC funding include:

  • $1,122,702 to Rogers Crop Enterprises Inc. to establish a grain and oilseed farm, creating six jobs. The farm will produce crops like wheat, barley, oats, peas, canola and hemp and will sell wood harvested from the land clearing activities.
  • $1 million to the Northeast Community Network to install 1,824 acres of tile drainage, resulting in higher crop yields and benefitting eight producers.
  • $455,400 to the Corporation of the Town of Kapuskasing to renovate the Sports Palace, a year-round, multi-use recreational and community space and cornerstone of the community.
  • $400,000 to GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. to upgrade equipment and infrastructure at its newsprint mill in Kapuskasing, creating 45 full-time jobs and ensuring the facility can continue to play a critical role in the forestry supply chain.
  • $319,800 to the Northeast Community Network to create a business plan to develop and market 1.2 million acres of under-utilized, privately held land for agricultural uses.
  • $200,000 to O’Briens Butcher’s Market to establish the business, buy equipment and make building improvements. The Market will fill a need for locally processed meats and resell produce from local farmers, creating five jobs.

“These investments speak to our government’s resolve to support farmers in tapping into innovative ways to help grow the agri-food sector,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Strategic investments such as these build on to the many steps we’ve taken to strengthen the ability of farmers in Northern Ontario to keep playing a key role in providing people of this province with a safe and reliable supply of nutritious foods.”

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 $473 million in 4,244 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.5 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 6,600 jobs.