News

GSDC Board Activities and Funding Updates as of June 2020

At its regular meeting of June 10, 2020, the GSDC Board of Directors approved investments totaling $134,000 to support growth in northern exports, diversification and mines research:

• The Northern Ontario Exports Program helps businesses access new export markets. A $21,000 investment over three years to Ontario’s North Economic Development Corporation will leverage an additional $4.78 million in public and private sector funding for continued and expanded program delivery.
• The Defence Supply Chain Capacity Building Program will help interested firms in Northern Ontario diversify into the defence industry by providing expertise and training to secure certification and compete for procurement contracts. A $20,000 investment over three years to Ontario’s North Economic Development Corporation will leverage an additional $2.2 million to deliver the program through Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy.
• Laurentian University’s Centre for Mine Waste Biotechnology supports the biomining research of Dr. Nadia Mykytczuk for an environmentally friendly technique of extracting valuable metals from ore. A $60,000 investment will leverage an additional $120,000 in public and private sector funding to support a feasibility study for the commercialization of using prokaryotes or fungi in the extraction process.
• MineConnect, a rebranding of the Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association (SAMSSA), plays a major role in positioning the Northern Ontario mining supply and services sector as a global industry leader. The GSDC continues to support this sector with the third installment of a total $245,000 three-year investment.

Since early 2020, the GSDC has invested an additional $605,000 to leverage and support six projects:

• Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Project to attain the benefits of economic immigration through the attraction and retention of skilled labour: $135,000
• Cultural Industries North (CION) to serve the needs of everyone working in music, film and television across Northern Ontario: $30,000
• Place des Arts to create a gathering place modern arts and culture serving Francophones and the entire community: $15,000
• Collège Boréal to create student internships for development of a ChatBot feature on Facebook Messenger that enables secure client conversations and inquiries to Insurance Hero brokerage: $25,000
• Health Sciences North Research Institute (HSNRI) to achieve sustainable solutions for health challenges faced by Ontario’s Northern and Indigenous communities: $250,000
• NORCAT Surface Facility to develop a state-of-the-art innovation centre for development, testing and demonstration of emerging technologies in an operating mine environment: $150,000