News

$563,000 for the Mining Sector

NORTH BAY– Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing has announced that the Ontario government is investing $563,000 into three local mining and manufacturing businesses in the Nipissing region to help create 9 new jobs, retain an additional 4 job and promote economic development in Northeastern Ontario.

“Our government is pleased to support Nipissing’s mining and manufacturing sector, which continues to create good jobs for our area,” said MPP Vic Fedeli. “As we continue to navigate the COVID pandemic, it is important to highlight Northern Ontario as a strong and competitive region to attract new business investments.”

Funding for the projects is being delivered through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC):

• Drillco Mining and Exploration is receiving $243,280 to Assist with the development of a prototype clean-tech ultra-deep surface drill capable of drilling diamond core drill holes to depths of 3,000 meters
• Wagg’s Petroleum Equipment Limited is receiving $120,413 to support the building expansion of the company’s facility
• Mincon Canada is receiving $199,247 to purchase a new Mazak-Variaxis CNC machine. Its fixtures will improve production efficiency and increase capacity to produce parts more affordably.

“The recent increase in mining activity throughout the North has grown the demand for Wagg’s expertise installing and servicing fueling facilities,” said Terry Ablett, President of Waggs Petroleum. “The NOHFC program funding will help us to expand our office and manufacturing facilities in order to meet these new business opportunities.”

“The NOHFC funding will greatly assist with designing, engineering, assembly, prototyping and testing costs of Drillco’s first Clean-Tech modular drill that has ultra-deep drilling capacity. Our innovative ultra-deep drill was built in North Bay and is currently being tested in Canada on a flagship gold project. Successful results is allowing us to showcase the new drill to the drilling industry,” said Sylvain Brisson, President of Drillco Mining and Exploration.

“We would like to thank the Ontario Government and the NOHFC program for approving this funding towards the purchase of new equipment for our manufacturing facility. The purchase of the new Mazak-Variaxis I800 CNC machine and its fixtures will improve our production efficiency and increase our capacity to produce parts at a more affordable cost, said Charlene Ylimaki, General Manager of Mincon Canada. “We expect that our increase in productivity will create an opportunity for existing employees to expand their skilled trades experience and create new jobs in this field.”

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects – big and small, rural and urban – that stimulate recovery, growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $309 million in 3,050 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.1 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 4,770 jobs.

Quick Fact

• On February 11, 2021, the Ontario government launched new and improved NOHFC programs that support more projects in rural northern communities and make it easier for more people and businesses to apply. The programs target existing and emerging markets, provide more work opportunities for Indigenous people and address the skilled labour shortage in the north.
• There are 900 Ontario companies ready to provide world-class mining supply and services that help bring $10.7 billion in minerals to market every year in Ontario alone and billions more in countries worldwide.