Ontario funding 13 economic development projects in Greater Sudbury

More than a dozen projects in the Greater Sudbury area are getting a cash injection from the Ontario government to help create new jobs in the north.

The $3.6 million announcement was made through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) on Wednesday.

"As the largest city in northern Ontario, Sudbury is a major economic hub and industrial centre,” said Greg Rickford, minister of the province's Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. "By investing in projects from varied sectors in Greater Sudbury, our government is promoting a more diverse economy and supporting job creation in this important region."

The City of Greater Sudbury is getting the biggest portion with $1.6 million to "lead" the Northern Ontario Exports program.

"This ongoing support from the Ontario government and NOHFC will allow Ontario's North Economic Development Corporation (ONEDC) and the Northern Ontario Exports program to continue collaborating with member communities to help small and medium enterprises across northern Ontario take on global opportunities, expand their business and create new jobs while continuing to prosper as they navigate the effects of the pandemic," Christy Marinig, the chair of ONEDC, said in a news release.

The second-largest amount, $500,000, is going to Verv Technologies for the commercialization of an at-home biochemistry analyzer for health monitoring.

"It is imperative during challenging times for companies to remain innovative, positive and focused," said Jeff Sutton, the founder and president of Verv Technologies.

"Government support from NOHFC is essential to drive momentum and provide confidence to a new sector of biotechnology innovations in northern Ontario."  

The other projects being funded are:

• $400,000 to Flosonics Medical at Health Sciences North Research Institute for the FloPatch FP120, which electronically analyzes and monitors a patient's blood flow.
• $250,000 to 1916597 Ontario Limited to build a prototype for a very low ground pressure vehicle.
• $250,000 to IRegained Inc., a company that created a digital therapeutic system for stroke survivors, for prototyping, product testing and protecting its intellectual property.
• $177,500 to InsuranceHero.ca to build an autonomous chatbot.
• $142,000 to StaffStat Inc., a technology company that helps companies with scheduling, for services using artificial intelligence.
• $127,000 to Ingenious Countermeasures Technology to develop an "innovative software."
• $67,175 to Bio-Mine Ltd. To develop COVID-19 rapid testing kits.
• Jullian Briar Ouellette is receiving $62,990.15 for an audio production studio.
• Fall protection company Highwork Limited is receiving $31,015 for a horizontal lifeline system.
• College Boreal is receiving $29,655 for a backflow prevention training facility.
• Atikameksheng Anishnawbek is receiving $29,006 to develop an economic development strategic plan.

"The world shut down and( businesses) like ours were hit hard. It's only with the support of the Ontario government and agencies like the NOHFC that we were able to pivot and open our new health division in response to COVID-19, with our first product in the pipeline being a rapid diagnostic test based on RNA and CRISPR technology for the masses, more accurate and sensitive than any current testing being used today," said Kurtis Vanwallegham, Bio-Mine's CEO.

It is unclear how many jobs are expected to be created through this funding.