Province helps companies expand, innovate and create new jobs
PARRY SOUND – The Ontario government is providing more than $124,000 to help four maple syrup producers purchase new equipment and expand operations in Parry Sound district. The investment will create new jobs and support economic growth throughout the region.
“Ontario produces some of the highest-quality maple syrup in the world and we are lucky to have many of those producers right here in Parry Sound,” said Norm Miller, MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka. “As we prepare for the holiday season, remember that locally produced maple syrup not only makes wonderful Christmas gifts, but also stimulates our local economy, creates jobs and strengthens our community.”
The following funding is being delivered through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC):
- $98,223 for Hubbert’s Maple Products – a family-owned maple syrup producer – to renovate an existing 5,200-square-foot sugar house, build a new 5,000-square-foot warehouse, and purchase new production equipment.
- $10,980 for Two Wet Dogs Inc. to start a maple syrup operation with 500 taps on 25 acres and supply wholesale raw sap and maple syrup for retail.
- $10,365 for Trillium Maple Farm to buy new equipment to increase syrup production and to produce sweet treats such as maple sugar and birch sugar.
- $4,559 for Clapperton’s Maple Syrup – a family-run business that produces maple syrup for retail, wholesale and bulk – to build a 316-square-foot kitchen and bottling room equipped with new production equipment that can process greater volumes of syrup.
“Supporting local businesses as they expand and innovate will help create jobs, keep the North competitive, and attract new investment,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. “These investments will help businesses thrive, lead to economic prosperity and provide real opportunities for northerners.”
The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects—big and small, rural and urban—that stimulate recovery, growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $374 million in 3,713 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.3 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 5,500 jobs.
Quick Facts
- In February 2021, the Ontario government launched new and improved NOHFC programs that support more projects in rural northern communities and make it easier for more people and businesses to apply. The programs target existing and emerging markets, provide more work opportunities for Indigenous people and address the skilled labour shortage in the North.
Quotes
“At Hubbert’s Maple Products, we are delighted with the success of our expansion project under the Ontario government’s Northern Ontario Business Opportunity Program. Growing our business during these difficult times includes a full website (with e-commerce), additional taps, a more efficient sap collection system, and an expanded bottling area. These enhancements have increased our supply of product while maintaining our in-house quality control. The project represents the largest investment in a farm in this localized area in over 100 years, helping us meet the demand for quality Northern Ontario food while providing for employment opportunities as we grow.”
– Bill Hubbert
Co-Owner, Hubbert’s Maple Products
“We submitted our maple syrup (Grade A Amber and Grade A Dark) to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair 2020 for international judging and won first place with our Grade A Dark maple syrup. With the support from the Ontario government, and our success last year, we have been able to change our maple syrup hobby interests into a business by increasing our production, efficiency, and allowing us to decrease our carbon footprint.”
– Ann Wilson
Owner, Two Wet Dogs Maple Syrup
“Trillium Maple Farm built a sugar shack in summer 2020, and with the help of Ontario government funding, we installed sap collection lines and purchased a new, more efficient evaporator to process the sap into pure Ontario maple syrup. I am proud to say the installation went well and the first batch of syrup was processed in spring 2021. Thank you to the Ontario government for this funding.”
– Susan Ackert
Owner/Operator, Trillium Maple Farm
“Clapperton’s Maple Syrup is grateful for the interest the Ontario government has in growing Northern Ontario businesses.”
– Mike Clapperton
Owner, Clapperton’s Maple Syrup
Source Province of Ontario
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