FedNor invests to empower businesses across the region to better compete for defence industry contracts
February 23, 2026 - North Bay, ON - Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario - FedNor
The world is changing rapidly. The international rules-based order is fading, and technological change is expanding the fields of conflict. In response, Canada's new government is focused on what we can control to protect Canada's sovereignty, build our prosperity, and strengthen our strategic autonomy.
Today, Pauline Rochefort, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Rural Development) announced a Government of Canada investment of $472,859 to enhance Northern Ontario's participation in Canada's defence sector. The announcement will be made on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for FedNor.
FedNor's targeted investment will allow the City of North Bay to launch a multi-year pilot project to help businesses diversify and explore the defence industry, while helping to position Northern Ontario businesses for long-term success in the defence industry.
As part of the project, the City of North Bay Economic Development Department will coordinate activities and provide support to companies in their certification efforts. This non-repayable funding will also be used to develop and host workshops to raise awareness of opportunities in the defence industry as well as topics such as certifications required for bids, how to prepare bids for the defence industry and how to effectively pitch to prime contractors. This includes helping the City host the Northern Ontario Road to Defence (NORD) Conference and exploring ways to have eligible businesses to join a Northern Ontario delegation at industry events.
Today's announcement builds on the Government of Canada's recently announced Buy Canadian plan for supplying the military and growing Canada's domestic defence industry. This $6.6-billion plan promises to prioritize building military equipment at home, hike the share of defence contracts awarded to Canadian firms and add up to 125,000 new jobs over the next decade. It also supports the Government of Canada's commitment to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP, or approximately $63 billion, in 2025-26, and to 5% of GDP by 2035.
