Funding helps merchants adapt to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines
PARRY SOUND — The Ontario government is providing $840,000 to help 43 businesses adapt to COVID-19 public health guidelines in the Parry Sound region. The funding is being delivered through the Northern Ontario Recovery Program (NORP) and will support building renovations, installation of safety equipment, and the purchase of personal protective equipment.
“This program has made the difference for many small businesses across the Parry Sound District,” said Norm Miller, MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka. “NORP has enabled businesses to stay in business and make necessary upgrades to protect their customers and employees.”
Funding for businesses includes:
- $25,000 for Zak’s Inc., a retail shop in Sundridge, to purchase personal protective equipment, develop a fully functional custom website and email marketing program, and renovate the staff kitchen and washroom.
- $25,000 for Glen Bernard Camp, an overnight summer camp for girls in Sundridge, to expand its facilities in order to accommodate social distancing.
- $25,000 for The Cutter’s Edge Corp., a manufacturer and retailer of custom wood furniture, home décor, and fashion items in Burk’s Falls, to help restructure its business operations and develop marketing strategies.
- $25,000 for Bearly Used Books Inc., a used bookstore in Parry Sound, to purchase personal protective equipment, restructure its business operations, create a new e-commerce website, and develop marketing strategies.
- $8,536 for Swift Canoe Company Inc., a manufacturer of hand-made, lightweight canoes, kayaks and pack boats in South River, to purchase personal protective equipment and install a customer service window.
“This funding represents a significant and welcome boost for Parry Sound area businesses,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. “Our government stands shoulder-to-shoulder with small and medium businesses, and we will continue to find solutions to support communities, businesses, and families.”
Quick Facts
- NORP was established as a short-term program to help businesses across Northern Ontario adjust to the impacts of COVID-19.
- Applications were accepted until November 20, 2020, and a total of 1,384 businesses have received funding.
- A running list of NORP funding recipients is available on the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) website.
Quotes
“The Northern Ontario Recovery Program was immensely helpful for our business. We as a business are trying to do what we can to keep our customers and employees healthy and stop the spread of COVID-19, and the program was able to reimburse us for the costs of the increased safety measures needed to achieve that goal. Implementing additional health and safety measures has allowed our factory to safely stay open, keeping people working and allowing us to continue production and serve our customers.”
– Mike Ramsay
General Manager, Swift Canoe Company Inc.
“The NORP funding received from the Ontario government has literally changed the way that Zak’s Inc. has operated this year. The business has been operational for 36 years and with the funding, we were able to build a fully operational custom website and email marketing program. Once again, without this grant, we don’t believe we would have successfully completed this financial year. As we stand, our current sales projection is healthy for the 2021 financial year end, with a few gains in some areas, and certainly an upward trend in our social media and digital platform as a whole.”
– Penny Stoker
Owner, Zak’s Inc.
“Glen Bernard Camp, celebrating its 100th season, truly appreciated the valuable investment received from the Ontario government. This funding assisted the updating of one of the camp buildings in order to meet the challenges of COVID-19. We acknowledge the leadership and assistance of our MPP, Norm Miller, securing funds to support businesses like ours in this area.”
– Jocelyn Palm
Executive Director and Owner, Glen Bernard Camp
“We are so appreciative of the support our business has received from the Ontario government. It has helped us overcome some of the challenges of developing a business in the north and has strengthened our organization tremendously.”
– Robin Wood
The Cutter’s Edge Corp.
“The funding allowed us to buy new computers to socially distance our staff so they did not have to constantly queue for the same computer. It also allowed us to cover PPE costs, salary to hire contractors to install workplace divisions, and the hiring of a website designer to help us design an online sales website. Without this funding, we would be incredibly less efficient and less socially distant in the workspace.”
– Melissa Thomson
Owner, Bearly Used Books Inc.
Source Province of Ontario
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