The federal government has committed to $20 million in funding for the Gerdau Ameristeel.
The money will go towards upgrades to facilities in Whitby and Cambridge. Those upgrades include modernizing production lines in order to reduce long-term cost and waste.
“Today was an example of how we’re delivering for the steel industry and the workers that are employed here in Canada,” Pickering-Uxbridge MP Jennifer O’Connell said.
According to the feds, the project ensures the existing 710 jobs at the plants will remain. They’re also expecting the addition of 108 more jobs.
Altogether, the project is expected to cost around $81 million, meaning the federal government is covering just under a quarter of the overall price tag.
“We know that we have a quality product that is world-renowned, and so we’re going to stand with the industry and make sure we are globally competitive,” O’Connell said.
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