FedDev Ontario provides more than $33 million in support to 11 businesses and organizations in Ottawa, Peterborough, Kingston and surrounding regions in 2023, supporting over 160 jobs
The Government of Canada is committed to investing in people, their potential and all the possibilities they create across southern Ontario. As part of this commitment, in 2023, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) invested more than $190 million to support more than 70 businesses and organizations in southern Ontario, protecting an estimated 4,000 jobs. In Ottawa, Peterborough, Kingston and surrounding regions, FedDev Ontario invested more than $33 million in 11 projects, that have created and maintained an estimated 160 jobs in the region.
Understanding the important role rural businesses have on our economy, earlier this year, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario, was at family-owned Brasserie Tuque de Broue Brewery Inc. in Embrun to announce an investment of nearly $40 million for southern Ontario's trusted network of Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs). With this support, the 36 CFDCs and three CFDC associations in southern Ontario continue to support local economic development and strategic planning, while also providing expert knowledge and tailored on-the-ground support, including business counselling and access to capital, to businesses in their communities.
In Ottawa, an investment of over $4 million for the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (CHEO RI), in partnership with Bruyère, is helping to establish the 8-80 Collaborative. Working with Bruyère, this initiative is bringing together regional representatives and early-stage innovations from Eastern Ontario's health professionals and connecting them with companies that provide health solutions for patients spanning from youth to older adults.
With a $4.1 million FedDev Ontario investment, Vars-based Les Ateliers Beau-Roc (Beau-Roc), a woman-owned and led, Francophone manufacturer of custom-built dump truck bodies and accessories, expanded their energy-efficient facility and purchased new manufacturing equipment. This project allowed the company to be able to cut lead times in half and create 30 new skilled jobs in the region.
FedDev Ontario continues to work with industry and community leaders, workers, entrepreneurs, and organizations across the region to support them as they grow and thrive. This year, FedDev Ontario launched a new, easy-to-use application process that makes applying for funding easier and more predictable for clients. Understanding the important role Indigenous businesses and communities play in strengthening our economy, the Agency also launched a dedicated team and resources to help guide Indigenous-owned businesses and organizations in southern Ontario on programming and services available to them.
Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, businesses and organizations can now apply for funding under the Tourism Growth Program in southern Ontario to develop local tourism products and experiences to attract visitors to the region. The first round of applications is now open until February 29, 2024. A second round will open in the summer.
The Agency continues to support inclusive economic growth for the region, investing over $60 million in 35 projects led by underrepresented groups, estimated to create and maintain over 1,400 jobs in 2023. Helping our underrepresented groups achieve their goals will unlock unlimited potential for Canada's economy and Canadians as a whole. A strong, diverse economy and a better future for all Canadians is a priority for the Government of Canada.
