The federal and provincial governments joined forces to hand out $2.4 million in funding this morning toward a new meat processing plant.
Canada Meat Group Inc., which had a groundbreaking ceremony last September for its $8 million facility on Roundel Road near Jack Garland Airport, will operate a meat processing plant and cold storage facility with the goal of increasing availability and sales of high-quality meat, Kosher meat products, and Halal meat products in Ontario, across Canada and globally through exportation to countries in the Middle East and Asia. It is anticipated that the plant will grow to employ approximately 45 people.
See related: Meat processing plant to open in North Bay
Oleksandr Zahrebelnyi, President of Canada Meat Group Inc., has moved his family to North Bay from Ukraine to run the new operation.
He says the support from all levels of government and the collaboration between them all was key in the decision to make North Bay home this new meat processing facility.
“First reason is the help from the federal and provincial government, second is the great cooperation with the city of North Bay. It is not a big difference between southern Ontario and northern Ontario, just another month of winter,” admitted Zahrebelnyi.
He says most of the meat will come from southern Ontario, with some coming from local slaughterhouses as well.
“In Northern Ontario at this time we cannot find any halal slaughterhouse but we can find that in the Toronto area. Next time I hope the opportunity will be here too,” said Zahrebelnyi.
Halal food is that which adheres to Islamic law, as defined in the Koran.
Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota, who announced the $1 million repayable FEDNOR contribution, says it is important to help create good jobs for the region.
“What we are doing is creating jobs for Canadians, good-paying middle-class jobs and it is important that we have the infrastructure here, we have the companies that come set up and build a plant right here so they can build on location and process on location,” said Rota.
“This project is a great example of how technology and innovation are helping Northern Ontario entrepreneurs and firms capitalize on new opportunities to create jobs, growth and a strong economy.”
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli says this $1.4 million in provincial grant money is just another signal that Northern Ontario is open for business.
“It is not that long ago that we came and turned the sod here on this site and now we see the building almost complete,” said Fedeli.
Zahrebelnyi anticipates the facility will start its operations as early as December, starting with about 27 workers and building towards 45 within the first two or three years of operation.
