Federal cabinet minister Mélanie Joly dished out more than three-million dollars from the Northern Ontario economic development agency FedNor this morning… on a visit to Timmins.
The local economic development corporation got 419-thousand thousand dollars. Chairman Fred Gibbons says it will continue work that’s been ongoing since 2014.
“Helping to root out inefficiencies in their system and develop more efficient processes,” he told My Timmins Now Dot Com, “so that the businesses become more sustainable, have to opportunity to hire more people and in fact grow.”
The new money will support that work for two years.
Gibbons was very diplomatic, when asked about the money coming six months before the next election.
“The last transfer payment was exhausted and we had been lobbying for continuation of this funding.”
Bob McIntyre:” So you don’t care about the timing?”
Gibbons: “It’s coincidental as far as I’m concerned, but it’s good news.”