TORONTO — The provincial Liberal government has handed out $33.23 million in grants to agricultural and food industry companies since 2013.
Agriculture is just a small chunk of the $907 million handed out in total, including $220 million to high-tech company Cisco, $71 million to Ford Motor Company of Canada, and $120 million to OpenText Corporation.
The grants — awarded through the jobs and prosperity fund, the Eastern Ontario development fund and the Southwestern Ontario development fund — are designed to create new, full-time jobs. Here are 29 agricultural and food industry companies that have received grants since 2013:
Hamilton’s Parrish & Heimbecker, a Canadian grain company: $5 million.
London’s Natra Chocolate America, which makes chocolate for consumers and manufacturers: $2.85 million.
Cornwall’s Aliment Prince s.e.c., a meat packing plant: $1.5 million.
Kingston’s Frulact Canada Inc., which makes fruit-based preparations for application in the dairy, ice-cream, beverages, and industrial pastry markets: $1.5 million.
Belleville’s Vantage Foods Inc., which operates four food processing facilities and offers a full range of fresh meats capability: $1.5 million.
Breslau’s Conestoga Meat Packers Ltd., which specializes in pork: $1.5 million.
Guelph’s Linamar Corporation, which makes corn and sunflower heads for agricultural equipment: $1.5 million.
Ferrero Canada Limited, which makes Ferrero Rocher chocolates and buys Ontario-grown hazelnuts: $1.5 million.
Harley’s Stubbe’s Precast Commercial Inc., which specializes in concrete solutions for agricultural, commercial and residential buildings: $1.5 million.
Dunnville’s Original Foods Limited, which makes food and confectionery products: $1.5 million.
Toronto’s Lassonde Beverages Canada, which makes fruit and vegetable drinks: $1.5 million.
Welland’s Northern Gold Foods Ltd., which sells breakfast and meat products: $1.43 million.
Cambridge’s Grand River Foods Ltd., which manufactures over 200 private label food products for grocery, restaurant and food service companies: $1.32 million.
Leamington’s Lakeside Produce Inc., a greenhouse that sells peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and eggplants: $1.03 million.
Mississauga’s Super-Pufft Snacks Corp., which makes snack foods such as potato chips, popcorn and beverages: $1 million.
Winchester’s Parmalat Canada Inc., which produces milk and dairy products, fruit juices, cultured products, cheese products and table spreads: $1 million.
Kitchener’s Colonial Cookies Limited, which makes cookies including President’s Choice brand cookies: $1 million.
Brantford’s Hartmann Canada Inc., which develops, produces and sells recyclable moulded-fibre packaging for eggs: $840,000.
Waterloo’s Sunwest Food Processors Ltd., which operates hatcheries, processing facilities and sales, logistics and product development: $800,000.
St. Eugene’s Skotidakis Goat Farm, a dairy goat farm and processing plant: $750,000.
Chepstow’s Fritz Construction Services Inc., which started its business in agricultural precast concrete: $700,000.
Winchester’s Ideal Pipe, which develops storm water management and treatment for agriculture, commercial, recreational and highway drainage: $460,000.
North Dundas’ Synagri L.P., which offers nutrition programs, fertilizers and crop protection products: $370,000.
London’s LA CIE McCormack Canada Co., which sells herbs, seasonings and Billy Bee honey: $350,000.
Cambridge’s Meridian Manufacturing Inc., which is North America’s largest manufacturers of smoothwall hopper bins: $240,000.
East Garafraxa’s JAY-LOR Fabricating Inc., which sells TMR mixers, spreaders and dump wagons: $210,000.
Havelock’s Havelock Metal Products Inc., which makes roofing and siding for residential, commercial and agricultural buildings: $140,000.
Cambridge’s Grober Inc., which sells swine and calf feed: $140,000.
Brantford’s North West Rubber Ltd., which sells rubber mats for dairy barns: $100,000.