FedNor invests over $3.1 million in innovation, tourism, and agri-food in the Sault Ste. Marie area

The Government of Canada understands that diverse and innovative economies support strong and self-sustaining regions. FedNor’s investments in a range of sectors including agri-food, education, and innovation help people in Northern Ontario experience the high quality of living for which Canada is recognized globally.

The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor, and Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, today announced new FedNor investments of $3,172,320 in support of five projects in the Sault Ste. Marie area. The funding will support innovation and technology, education, and the agri-food sector while also creating and maintaining jobs, and enabling future growth opportunities.

Sault Ste. Marie area initiatives supported by FedNor

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre                           

$1,846,662

A division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), will receive $1,846,662 provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program to continue the Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity program (SNAPP) for another three-year period. The SNAPP program works to address the unique barriers to growth for small farming and food processing businesses in Northern Ontario, which make up the bulk of the region’s agri-food sector.

From 2020 to the end of summer 2022, the SNAPP program approved 167 projects, supporting 26 start-up businesses, 10 Indigenous businesses, and 20 Francophone-owned businesses. SNAPP’s support of these projects helped create 54 new full-time jobs and maintain 220 existing positions, while also enabling the development of 165 new products, 110 strategic partnerships, and the adoption of 65 clean technologies.

Anticipated future benefits include: 25 new start-up businesses, 20 businesses maintained, and 148 expanded businesses in the agri-food sector; 75 new full-time jobs created and 175 maintained; 150 new strategic alliances created; 150 new products and 180 value-added processes created; and 25 innovation or technology-related processes adopted.

Sault College                                                                                             

$533,208

Sault College will receive $533,208 provided through FedNor’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program to enhance their School of Engineering Innovation Lab and Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Lab. Specifically, this investment will support the purchase of state-of-the-art capital equipment and software for a mechatronics lab, which will serve as an experiential learning space for industry research and commercialization. This investment will directly support a new four-year Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics degree program being delivered by Sault College in coordination with Humber College.

Anticipated benefits include: 80 to 100 students being registered in the program at full capacity, resulting in increased revenue for Sault College; students and faculty participating in 15 to 20 industry-led innovation research and development projects each year; the creation of 33 construction jobs during the development of the learning space; and the creation of 12-15 new long-term jobs, including professors, lab instructors, and program support staff.

City of Sault Ste. Marie                                                                               

$500,000

The City of Sault Ste. Marie will receive $500,000 provided through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund to construct a boardwalk walkway that completes and connects two separate sections of the downtown waterfront walkway. The project will extend local access by expanding community infrastructure and improving accessibility, while also providing an area where residents and tourists can safely explore the waterfront and downtown amenities. This project is anticipated to create 11 construction jobs throughout development.

Destination Northern Ontario                                                             

$300,000

Destination Northern Ontario will receive $300,000 provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program to modernize and expand the suite of Tourism Excellence North training solutions. This will include the development of additional training modules, the creation of a digital training inventory, and the utilization of an e-delivery system to provide both remote and in-person training over a three-year period. This investment will help provide support for business start ups, the scaling-up of existing businesses, and the continued growth of competitive companies and the economy.

Anticipated benefits include: 90 businesses receiving one or more training opportunities, 10 new or expanded partnerships, and 2 new jobs created.

Executive Aviation Fuels                                                                           

$92,450

Executive Aviation Fuels Ltd. will receive a repayable contribution of $92,450 provided through the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative to invest in an electric ground power unit (GPU) and conduct the necessary infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the unit. The new GPU will reduce emissions and fuel costs, improving energy efficiency in servicing larger high-powered aircraft. This project will provide opportunities for Sault Ste. Marie airport to attract larger aircraft to the facility, which could lead to future economic opportunities to the community.

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News release: FedNor invests over $3.1 million in innovation, tourism, and agri-food in the Sault Ste. Marie area

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