The federal government announced Feb. 19 it is providing more than $389,000 to the Afro-Heritage Association (AHA) of Sudbury which is in support of the Northern Ontario Black Economic Empowerment Program (NOBEEP).
Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe made the announcement on behalf of FedNor Minister Patty Hajdu. The event took place at the Zena Cafe at the Laurentian University student centre building. FedNor is the federal economic development agency for Northern Ontario.
The funding is provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program. The funding will help create 20 business startups and support the expansion and modernization of 15 more, said a FedNor news release.
In addition, the funding will allow the AHA to host up to 25 events through a series of outreach activities and roadshows, said the release.
Since its inception under the Black Entrepreneurship Program in 2022, NOBEEP has helped more than 120 businesses start up, scale up or modernize their operations, the group said. It has also created four full-time jobs and helped 29 partners participate in roadshows, while allowing AHA to host 37 events that reached close to 3,500 people within its target audience, said the release.
In what might be regarded as a pre-election announcement, Lapointe said she was proud to be part of a government supporting economic growth in the North.
"It's an exciting time for economic business development and also for economic business growth in Northern Ontario, and I'm really proud of what our government has done to help that and support our entrepreneurs," said Lapointe.
"I can tell you that, in fact, FedNor just last month alone, we invested over $2 million in a series of local projects, and that we know that those projects will deliver very significant results in terms of employment here in our region and diversifying our economic our economic opportunities.”
She said supporting the local Black entrepreneurs is part of a wider effort to support all Canadian businesses.
"I would tell you that now more than ever, I think it is important as we see that the threat of the U.S. tariffs, investments in our local entrepreneurs and in Canadian entrepreneurs are more important than ever. And I think the federal government has a very significant role to play in that," said Lapointe.
Using a business-first approach, NOBEEP is designed to address systemic racism and discrimination by creating greater pathways to opportunity, said the FedNor release. The program will gather, develop and deliver culturally appropriate support to Black entrepreneurs and business owners to address the gaps in the region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, said FedNor.
Specifically, the funding will allow the AHA to co-ordinate workshops, training seminars and trade shows, provide mentorship and consulting services, and support various events and activities that showcase Black talent, excellence, success and businesses, said the release.
Since its launch two years ago, NOBEEP has operated out of office space in downtown Sudbury; however, the initiative has now moved online, effective Feb. 1.
Len Gillis is a reporter at Sudbury.com.
