Ontario Invests In Mining Projects

The province of Ontario, Canada, is investing more than $3.5 million in six mining projects in the city of Sudbury. The projects are expected to create 28 jobs and spur innovation.

The investment, made through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. (NOHFC), supports the following projects:

• Accutron Instruments Inc. received $148,200 to develop prototypes for communications and monitoring systems for use in mining and industrial operations.
• Bestech received $146,661 to develop a Blast Gas Clearance Module to optimize ventilation of blast gas from underground mining corridors and improve productivity.
• Boart Longyear Canada received $1.37 million to develop technology for mineral exploration rigs with the potential to improve safety for miners, increase efficiency and reduce drilling costs.
• Hardrock Mining Products received $1 million to relocate, modernize and expand its Sudbury operation to increase productivity and meet market demands.
• Rock-Tech received $800,000 to help construct a new facility to expand its mining equipment manufacturing operations.
• TesMan Inc. received $75,000 to develop technology that will improve mine safety by enabling the explosives loading process to be completed from a distance.

Support for the province’s mining sector — which accounts for more than 26,000 direct jobs and 50,000 indirect jobs — is an important part of the government’s Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, it said.