THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO — The federal government is directing $4,985,998 to five Northern Ontario economic-development projects supporting women-led businesses, community lending, Indigenous procurement and bilingual-worker recruitment and retention.

FedNor announced the funding Wednesday. The projects are led by four organizations in Thunder Bay and serve businesses and workers across Northern Ontario.

PARO receives the largest share

PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise will receive $3,226,303 in non-repayable funding to help women-owned and women-led small and medium-sized businesses adopt technology and improve productivity.

The announcement describes the money as support for business growth and technology adoption. It does not provide a target for the number of companies assisted or guarantee that participating businesses will create jobs or increase sales.

Two investments support community lending

Thunder Bay Ventures will receive $900,000 for operating support over three years beginning in October 2026. The Community Futures organization provides financing and advisory services to entrepreneurs in Thunder Bay and surrounding communities.

A separate $150,000 contribution will help Thunder Bay Ventures administer an investment pool involving seven Community Futures Development Corporations. FedNor says the shared pool is intended to improve access to capital for Northern Ontario businesses.

Indigenous procurement and bilingual-worker retention

The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association will receive $394,020 over three years for a procurement navigator. The position is intended to help Indigenous-owned businesses identify bidding opportunities and work through government and corporate procurement processes.

The Association des francophones du Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario will receive $315,675 over three years for a coordinator who will connect employers with bilingual workers and support recruitment and retention.

The five contributions add up to $4,985,998. They fund services delivered by the recipient organizations; they are not direct grants to every Northern Ontario business, and the announcement does not establish how many loans, contracts or hires will result.

Sources

Lead image: Thunder Bay viewed from Mount McKay, photographed by P199, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Illustrative file photograph; it does not depict a funded project.