MANITOULIN – Two Indigenous owned businesses on Manitoulin are receiving funding from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) and Hydro One funding grants to help in their efforts to recover from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent announcement outlined that nearly a dozen Indigenous-owned businesses in Northern Ontario are receiving funding to help recover from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jason Fitzsimmons, Hydro One’s chief corporate affairs and customer care officer, in an October 13 news release said, “Hydro One is proud to partner with the CCAB to invest in the success of Indigenous-owned businesses, who play a critical role in our economy and have worked hard to persevere through the pandemic. These grants are part of our commitment to empower and support Indigenous businesses and the economy by increasing our annual Indigenous procurement spend.”
“We will continue to leverage our unique position in the province and the reach of our network to further reconciliation and nurture respectful, positive and mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous communities. We thank all applicants and congratulate and celebrate all grant recipients.”
Receiving grants which include $2,500 and a CCAB membership include Desire and Glow Closet, located in Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation, and Shadow Healing, located in M’Chigeeng First Nation.
The Hydro One Business Grant initiative is part of the company’s stated commitment to direct 20 percent of its corporate donations and sponsorships to Indigenous communities and organizations that benefit Indigenous communities.
The company said it is also committed to increasing its Indigenous procurement spend to five percent of the company’s purchases of materials and services by 2026.
