Ontario Building Business Centre in Shoal Lake 40 First Nation

KENORA – The Ontario government is providing more than $490,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for Shoal Lake 40 First Nation to build a community business centre. This investment will expand economic development infrastructure and create employment opportunities in the Northwest.

“Our government is proud to invest in the Shoal Lake 40 First Nation Business Centre, which will enable the community to attract and retain jobs and facilitate career skill development closer to home,” said Greg Rickford, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kenora-Rainy River, Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. “By supporting major economic development projects like the one we are celebrating today, we are enhancing community well-being and economic prosperity across Northwestern Ontario.”

Shoal Lake 40 First Nation is using NOHFC funding to build a new 2,000-square-foot, wheelchair-accessible, commercial-grade building to function as the community’s business centre, which will provide much-needed small business and employment opportunities for community members. The business centre will enhance accessibility for community members without access to a vehicle, attracting community members that would otherwise relocate.

“Our focus is building infrastructure for self-reliance and creating a foundation to prevent the economic leakage that made us reliant on others for too long,” said Chief Kevin Redsky, Shoal Lake 40 First Nation. “Our new small business centre will do more than create economic growth for our community, it will improve health and safety with local essential services and will empower our people to build careers as entrepreneurs.”

The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects—big and small, rural and urban—that stimulate growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $759 million in 6,233 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $2.3 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 9,590 jobs.

Quick Fact

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.

Additional Resources

The NOHFC, Northern Development Offices and Small Business Enterprise Centres are available to support northern communities, businesses and other stakeholders in identifying economic development opportunities and assist in accessing government funding programs.
The NOHFC’s Community Enhancement Program builds strong and resilient northern communities through targeted investments in critical infrastructure.