More provincial funds announced for Northern projects

The province has announced another round of funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).

Funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is earmarked for economic development initiatives.

Projects receiving NOHFC funding include:

• $9.5 million over five years toward research at the Experimental Lakes Area, a freshwater research facility west of Dryden. Areas of focus include the implementation of an acid rain recovery program for the Sudbury region; actions to address phosphorus in inland lakes and the Great Lakes; and efforts to address the effects of mercury emissions from coal-fired plants in Ontario and the U.S. Another $180,000 will be used to produce design drawings and cost estimates for a potential new building at the site;
• $5.5 million for a five-year research project at Lakehead University's Enhancing Prevention of Injury and Disability @ Work (EPID@Work) Research Institute. It will help employers in Northern Ontario reduce mental health stigma in their workplaces, improve support for workers, and ensure managers have the tools for the early identification of mental health symptoms. The funding will also contribute to ongoing research to understand Indigenous workers’ experiences in Northern Ontario workplaces to provide them with better mental health support and prevent injuries on the job;
• $400,000 to the City of Kenora for its Lake of the Woods Museum, to protect and preserve local and Indigenous artifacts and improve the building’s accessibility;
• $99,825 for The Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Association (YMCA-YWCA) to upgrade the facilities and accommodations at Camp Stephens, a nature-based children’s camp on Lake of the Woods, near Kenora;
• $86,850 for the Township of Lake of the Woods to design and build a second pavilion at Oscar Bay Beach, allowing the park to continue to host events and people while increasing safety standards;
• $40,785 for Jano Productions to produce the first of a series of one-hour documentaries entitled Traditions: Wild Rice Renew, highlighting the importance of wild rice, or manoomin, to First Nation communities; and
• $18,484 for Minaki Yurt Adventures to build and furnish a modern yurt to meet the growing demand for glamping accommodations in the region.

A full list of the projects that have been funded through the NOHFC since 2018 is available for viewing here.