Strategic investments help five local companies expand operations and create new jobs

TIMMINS – The Ontario government is providing more than $2.2 million to help five local companies purchase new equipment and expand operations in Timmins. This investment will help support job creation and economic growth and development in Northern Ontario.

“Supporting local companies as they grow their operations helps to create jobs and keep the North competitive,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. “These investments have real, tangible positive effects for local business. With this funding, local companies can thrive, leading to economic prosperity and providing opportunities for northerners.”

The following funding is being delivered through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC):
• $1 million for Timmins Mechanical Solutions Inc. – a heavy equipment repair and maintenance services company – to build a second workshop
• $400,000 for The Bucket Shop Inc. – a heavy equipment manufacturing and refurbishing business – to build a second workshop, upgrade the existing workshop and purchase equipment
• $345,207 for Steelworks Inc. – a structural steel fabrication and installation business – to build an additional workshop and purchase equipment
• $321,380 for DeBastos & Sons Ltd. – a large-scale logging contracting company – to purchase equipment
• $159,418 for Diversified Forestry Inc. – a land clearing services company – to purchase equipment
The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects—big and small, rural and urban—that stimulate growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $414 million in 3,934 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.4 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 6,000 jobs.

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Quick Facts

• In February 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.

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Quotes

“Timmins Mechanical Solutions has been in business for over eight years. Since building this new shop with the help of the Ontario government, we’ve hired over 25 employees including apprentices and a co-op student.”

– Eddy Lamontagne
Vice President, Timmins Mechanical Solutions Inc.

“NOHFC programs have made a significant positive impact to our expansion projects. Their contributions have supported our capital expenditures towards the addition of two new research and production facilities. This has helped us add value to our clients, increase our economic and employment levels, and bring solutions to the mining sector that improved their productivity or lowered their costs. Thank you for the continued support of our company, the employees, the region, and the sector that we serve.”

– Jamieson Pouw
Business Optimization Lead, The Bucket Shop Inc.

“Our company recently received a grant from the NOHFC to help finance our new cutting-edge drill line shop addition. Steelworks Inc. prides itself on being a vital part of Northern Ontario’s industrial and manufacturing economy and the opportunity to receive funding through the NOHFC is consequential to our craft, our future and our ability to proudly serve this community. We are immensely appreciative for this assistance. Thank you to the Ontario government.”

– Marco Julien
President, Steelworks Inc.

“The Ontario government funding we received allowed us to increase our production to meet the needs of local mills that we supply.”

– Marek Svec
General Manager, DeBastos & Sons Ltd.

“We want to thank the Ontario government for awarding us a grant. This has helped us grow our company significantly. We were able to buy newer equipment and bring down our costs and downtime. The key to making it in this business is minimizing down time, but to get to that point you need good assets which is usually really costly. Thank you again for helping make our business a success.”

– Dale Allard
Owner, Diversified Forestry Inc.

Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry

Photo: Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry.