NEWS RELEASE
FEDNOR
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The Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor), today announced an investment that will support Northern Ontario youth and position small and medium-sized businesses for growth.
This Harper Government investment of $2,158,000 will support 30 youth internships across Northern Ontario, enable the City of Sault Ste. Marie to revitalize its downtown core with streetscape improvements, and assist the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation to establish and operate a small business incubator in the community’s downtown area.
In addition, Minister Rickford launched a new initiative to help more small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Ontario benefit from the talent and skills offered by post-secondary graduates to support business growth.
The private sector youth internship initiative will be delivered through two Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) Networks, on behalf of CFDCs across Northern Ontario.
Quick Facts
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The funding announced today is provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program, which supports projects that promote sustainable community economic development, enhance business development and growth, and facilitate innovation throughout the region.
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Since 2006, through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program, the Government of Canada has invested more than $308 million in support of 1,500 projects. These investments have created more than 15,000 jobs throughout Northern Ontario.
Quotes
“Our Government is helping Northern Ontario communities and businesses maximize their potential by investing in key initiatives that create opportunities for youth, business growth, economic development and job creation. Today’s announcement will increase the competitiveness of entrepreneurs in Sault Ste. Marie and across the region, as well as strengthen the economy of Northern Ontario,” The Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for FedNor.
“Today’s announcement will not only assist a variety of small and medium-sized enterprises to complete a range of strategic initiatives with the help of youth interns, it will also retain talented, young post-secondary graduates in Northern Ontario, as well as help businesses to grow, create jobs and prosper, delivering positive results for the people who live and work in the region,” Bryan Hayes, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie.
“On behalf of all the funding recipients, I’d like to thank FedNor and Minister Rickford for their support of youth interns who provide organizations across the North with much sought-after skills. We recognize how important youth are to the vitality of our region. And on behalf of Sault Ste. Marie, we are excited about moving forward with two priority initiatives that will help address commercial vacancies in the downtown area and extend support services for sustainable business development,” Debbie Amaroso, Mayor, City of Sault Ste. Marie.
Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie $839,500
The City of Sault Ste. Marie will receive $839,500 to revitalize its downtown core with streetscape improvements.
The goal is to attract and retain private sector investment, as well as enhance the visitor experience.
Sitting areas, lighting fixtures, new paving stones and sidewalks are among the planned upgrades for portions of Queen and Gore Streets.
Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation $252,000 With a FedNor investment of $252,000, the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation will establish and operate a small business incubator in the city’s downtown core.
The goal of the three-year initiative is to promote job creation and diversify the economy, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises offering professional services such as engineering, accounting and graphic design.
The incubator will offer business training for new and existing entrepreneurs who are seeking to expand and grow, helping them succeed in their business endeavours.
Youth Initiatives $1,066,500
Since 1997, FedNor has helped provide more than 1450 young post-secondary graduates with their crucial first job, and assisted countless local organizations and businesses in growing the economy by helping them access a qualified and talented workforce.
This investment of more than $1 million will enable 30 recent graduates from across Northern Ontario gain valuable on-the-job experience through FedNor youth internships, helping the successful candidates make the transition from the campus to the workplace.
The interns’ responsibilities will range from marketing and promotional work to research and coordinating activities.
The host organizations receiving FedNor funding of up to $31,500 a year for each intern, for a maximum of two years, include:
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Chapleau Economic Development Corporation
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City of Elliot Lake
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Great Spirit Circle Trail
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Lacloche Manitoulin Business Assistance Corporation
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North Caribou Lake First Nation
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Hard-Line Solutions
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Canadore College
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Stroma Service Inc.
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City of North Bay
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Town of Cobalt
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Cranberry Products of Canada Limited
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Friends of the Muskoka Watershed
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Huntsville/Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce
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Muskoka Chautauqua
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Muskoka CFDC
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Muskoka Lakes Museum Port Carling
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RJW Enterprises Inc.
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MIRARCo
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Northern Centre for Advanced Technology
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Symboticware Incorporated
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Avila Music School
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Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge
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Lakehead University
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Township of Red Rock
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Township of Schreiber
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Town of Kirkland Lake
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Keepers of the Circle Aboriginal Family Learning Centre
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Mushkegowuk Council
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Timmins Downtown Business Improvement Area Inc.
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Township of Harley
Private Sector Youth Internship Initiative
Established in 1997 as a pilot project, FedNor’s Youth Internship Program was originally offered only to not-for-profit organizations.
It was aimed at providing recent post-secondary graduates with valuable work experience to help curb youth outmigration, secure a skilled workforce for the future and lead to permanent employment in Northern Ontario.
In 2002, private sector applicants were added as eligible recipients.
To help small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Ontario further benefit from the talent and skills offered by post-secondary graduates to support business growth, FedNor is broadening access to internships by launching the Private Sector Youth Internship Initiative.
This initiative will be delivered through two Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) Networks, on behalf of CFDCs across Northern Ontario.
Statistics Canada’s 2011 Survey on Financing and Growth of small and medium-sized enterprises revealed that more than one-third of the Northern Ontario respondents cited a shortage of labour as an obstacle to growth.
This initiative will provide Northern Ontario businesses with easier access to post-secondary graduates to support their business goals.
In general, funding would be provided as a non-repayable contribution of up to 50 percent of eligible costs to a maximum of $31,500 per internship, and would complement the current funding provided directly through FedNor for private sector internships.
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