Jobs Minister praising Ontario businesses for responding to medical equipment production demands

Minister Vic Fedeli says response "tugs on the heartstrings,"

Ontario’s Jobs Minister says business big and small stepped up and did Ontario proud in the battle against COVID-19.

“It’s really heartwarming to see the spirit of Ontario coming through,” said Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade Victor Fedeli, in an exclusive interview with Barrie 360, “you have so many Ontario companies who are now looking at making personal protective equipment,” The province has committed $50 million to help Ontario businesses retool to manufacture medical masks, ventilators, and other personal protective equipment needed in the fight.

“We opened a website, Ontario Together, and we’ve had almost 17,000 submissions now,” added Fedeli, “We have 3,700 companies who are retooling and buying new equipment to make masks and sanitizers and face shields. It’s just absolutely spectacular to see this happening in Ontario,”

Fedeli points out it isn’t just the big guys lending a hand either, “One of our manufacturers is making 265,000 face masks a week, but we still see mom and pop shops making 100 for their local police force or their local hospital,” he told Barrie 360, “I talked to one small business owner, he is an immigrant from Germany, came here 12 years ago. He and his three daughters are making masks, and he said ‘Vic, us little guys will help out until the big guys are ready to deliver’ and I thought that just truly captured the spirit of Ontario. When you see the pictures of these families sewing masks and doing these kinds of things until the big production starts, it just tugs at your heartstrings,”

Fedeli acknowledges not all businesses and workplaces can step up during this time. He says the employees of those companies can still help in the fight. “there’s work for everybody delivering meals, doing things, volunteering at all kinds of places,” he said of the Ontario Together website, which allows volunteers to apply and fill needs elsewhere in the province.

While the provincial government is committing funds to help Ontario business retool, it has no plans to help these companies revert back. “We don’t ever want to be caught again here in Ontario. We want to start making these things ourselves. So we are going to encourage these companies to continue,” concluded Fedeli, “We see this as a big opportunity for us to show our manufacturing muscle and begin to do these things for the rest of the world,”

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