Our successes

Since 1987, FedNor has administered a variety of programs to meet the changing economic needs of Northern Ontario communities. Below you can read about FedNor-supported projects that have helped strengthen businesses and communities across this great region.


Bucky’s BBQ Blend spices up the Royal

Every year in November, 300,000 people visit the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair in Toronto to celebrate the very best food, livestock and horsemanship this country has to offer.

Beaming with Pride

In four short years since Anong Beam opened her business on Manitoulin Island in 2020, it has grown exponentially. The Indigenous businesswoman is manufacturing artist-quality watercolour paints that are available in more than 170 stores around the world.

Supporting Northern College’s Evolution

With the grand opening of Northern College's “3D Evolutions: Futures Printing Lab” earlier this summer, the Timmins-based institution took a significant step forward in bolstering its technology and innovation-based class offerings.

The Drive to Succeed

Dan Meneray opened his towing and automotive business in 2016 on Manitoulin Island. The young entrepreneur worked around the clock to make his dream a reality after purchasing property and building a small one-bay garage that summer.

Canadore College leading the way for positive change

The line, “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink,” from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1798 poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, is a grim reality for some rural and remote Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario dealing with a contaminated water supply.

Three people stand in front of the new printing equipment showing off newly printed apparel in their hands

Sault company ramps up production with new equipment

Sherry Berlinghoff has been in the clothing and apparel printing business for 29 years. With her sights set on being a one-stop shop for all forms of apparel, as well as signs and promotional items, the owner of SK Group in Sault Ste. Marie is excited about the growth potential that her new direct-to-garment machine presents for her primary line of business.

A gray brick building with a sign in block letters that reads FSET.

FSET Inc. – “For the North by the North”

Since 1999 FSET Inc. has understood the unique opportunity presented by establishing their business in Northwestern Ontario. Founder David Brown was sure that computers would be the future and started off with intentions to provide Kenora’s neighbouring First Nations with cost-effective technology solutions.

Building Business Bridges at PDAC 2023

Mushkegowuk Development Corporation (MDC), general partner for the Mushkegowuk Regional Economic Development Limited Partnership, was founded with the vision to support economic growth through the pursuit of sustainable business development opportunities that generate wealth and create employment for its Indigenous partners. 

Covergalls, A Good Fit at PDAC 2023

Participation in the FedNor-supported Northern Ontario Mining Showcase (NOMS) at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual convention is proving to be a good fit for a Lively, Ontario company that produces women’s industrial workwear. Covergalls, founded and operated by Alicia Woods, specializes in manufacturing clothing for women working in the industrial sector. The company’s products include coveralls, bibs, jackets, gloves, sustainable high-visibility work shirts, cargo pants and maternity wear.

Superior Strategies at PDAC – Warrior Engineering

Jason Thompson noticed a difference this year at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2023 convention in Toronto. The President of Warrior Engineering, an Indigenous-owned and operated engineering and environmental consulting firm based in Thunder Bay, was one of 112 exhibitors in the FedNor-supported Northern Ontario Mining Showcase (NOSM).

Partnership Forged at PDAC

Two participants in the FedNor-supported Northern Ontario Mining Showcase credit their current working relationship to time spent together at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual convention. 

Making Tracks at PDAC 2023

RufDiamond’s interactive booth featuring its new amphibious off-road utility vehicle garnered a lot of attention at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2023 convention that took place March 5-8 in Toronto. The Sudbury-area company was one of 112 mining supply and service companies in the FedNor-supported Northern Ontario Mining Showcase.

FedNor at PDAC 2023

The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual convention in Toronto was back in full swing this year following a condensed version in 2022 as Canada emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Once again, the FedNor-supported Northern Ontario Mining Showcase was centre stage with the largest pavilion and 112 exhibitors.