NORTH BAY -- The Ford Government is helping fund five northern Ontario manufacturing companies in hopes of creating 16 new jobs.

Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli announced $1.5 million in funding through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund for five different companies in North Bay, Corbeil and Onaping Falls to expand, innovate and create new jobs, so northern communities can continue to grow and thrive.

"The companies themselves are spending millions of dollars to expand. In many cases, millions of dollars each for their expansion and this is the added incentive from the Province of Ontario," said Fedeli.

$360,000 is going to North Bay Plastic Molders Ltd. in Corbeil as it plans to move into a new building in three weeks’ time, as part of a business expansion.

"For a company like us to do such a large expansion at $4 million for the building, any help that we can get is very welcome," said CEO Donald Champagne.

Meanwhile, Cementation Canada Inc. is receiving a little over $88,000 to create designs for an injection hoisting system that will transport rocks from underground mines that are 300-1,000 metres deep.

Technical Adviser Alun Price Jones, who oversaw the R&D and protection of intellectual property for the system, called the investment in technology a potential game changer.

"Currently if you want to bring rock material down from a deep mine to surface, you can do that either with trucks or by traditional hoisting," said Jones.

"With this methodology, the rocks come up from deep down through pipelines and so the material is conditioned below ground."

Meanwhile, Fedeli says the province is doing its part to support business growth in the north,

"It’s an opportunity for the province to say ‘hey, we’ve got a little bit of added incentive that you stay here in Northern Ontario."

Here is the list of funding recipients:

•             $359,341 for North Bay Plastic Molders Ltd. in Corbeil to expand its custom plastic molding production services

•             $352,968 for Boart Longyear Canada to develop an automated core-scanning system that uses X-ray measuring to provide clients with same-day, accurate data from drill core samples

•             $250,000 for Boart Longyear Canada to develop a system that allows continuous and simultaneous drilling and coring

•             $250,000 for Nordic Minesteel Technologies Inc. in North Bay to develop an electric vehicle prototype that can safely remove and carry components of large haul trucks

•             $171,515 for North Bay Woodwork Ltd. in North Bay to expand its custom cabinetry business

•             $127,675 for Boart Longyear Canada in Onaping Falls to develop a diamond drilling process that uses a wireless, electronic method to provide accurate and detailed drilling parameters to the operator

•             $88,355 for Cementation Canada to create designs for an injection hoisting system that will transport rocks from underground mines with a depth of 300 metres to 1,000 metres