Province to spend more than $2.8M to support 89 jobs in Sudbury area

Article content

The Ontario government is funnelling more than $2.8 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to pay for 89 employment opportunities in the Sudbury region.

Article content

This investment will help businesses expand operations and grow the northern workforce, the province said in a release.

Article content

“Our government is steadfast in its commitment to strengthening the northern economy by actively supporting projects through the NOHFC that facilitate career advancement through on-the-job training right here in Greater Sudbury,” said Greg Rickford, the minister of Northern Development. “Together with our northern partners, we’re addressing skilled labour shortages head-on by building sustainable, good-paying careers that uplift individuals and meaningfully contribute to the prosperity of our northern communities.”

Among the projects that will receive funding is Indigenous Tourism Ontario. The group will receive $35,000 to hire a project administrator.

Article content

Article content

“Indigenous people continue to be underrepresented within mainstream labour market pools and we remain committed to the growth and prosperity of Indigenous workforce development initiatives, alongside trusted partners and allies like the NOHFC, that share a common vision,” said Sherry Mayer, VP of operations at Indigenous Tourism Ontario. “Miigwech for this opportunity.”

The Ontario government is supporting local internships through NOHFC’s People and Talent Program. The program supports a 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.

Article content

This year, funding will support two different sports, neither of which involves a hockey rink.

Nickel City Aquatics will receive $35,000 to hire a senior development head coach. The swim club said the money is helping to keep sport more accessible.

“Funding from the NOHFC allowed us to grow our swim club through the hiring of a new head coach during difficult financial times. As the cost of recreational activities continues to increase, this funding enabled us to keep our fees as low as possible, making swimming accessible to more families,” said Michael Loken, the board president. “This has allowed children to learn critical life skills; led to the development of numerous student-athletes; and promoted a swim-for-life philosophy for people of all ages.”

Article content

The money will also support local baseball. The Baseball Academy will receive a little more than $25,000 to hire a manager of player development.

“NOHFC funding has allowed us to attract qualified people in our field and to northern Ontario. We truly believe that without this funding, we would not be able to create employment within our field in the north,” Jean-Gilles Larocque, owner of The Baseball Academy, pointed out. “The quality of programming we can now provide to our community is directly correlated to what NOHFC funding has done for our business.”

ArchNorth Inc., part of Centreline Architecture, will use about $33,000 it received to hire an intern to support the development of architecture and design in Northern Ontario.

Article content

“The NOHFC’s People and Talent Program is vital to the health of small businesses in Northern Ontario cities and communities,” the directors at ArchNorth said in a joint statement. “With this funding, small firms like ArchNorth can hire much-needed staff to help do the work to make fundamental and impactful change in our communities. It also helps our firm foster and promote the importance of design and creativity in industry, especially in the north.”

A list of the 89 programs in the Sudbury region to receive NOHFC funding is available at nohfc.ca.

sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca

X: @SudburyStar

Article content