Ontario, feds fuel local breweries boom, invest $1.6M into 20 craft brewers
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Two tiers of government lend hand to small brewers looking for growth
Waterloo’s Ont.’s Brick Brewing Co. will invest in on-site training for its employees using funds from the federal and provincial governments. PHOTO: JustSomePics, via Wikimedia Commons
TORONTO—Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill are looking to feed Ontario’s burgeoning craft brewing industry with a $1.6 million investment.
Covering a range of projects—from the installation of new canning line at Burlington, Ont.’s Nickel Brook Brewing Co., to tap room renovations at Brimstone Brewery Company Inc. in Ridgeway, Ont.—the funds will help 20 different brewers scale up.
“Ontario’s craft beer industry is a great success story for this province,” Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said. “Craft brewers continue to build on new market opportunities in the production and sale of a range of premium quality beers.”
Ontario’s craft beer industry has grown from near-scratch a few years ago to directly employing 1,500 people across the province today.
The funding announcement coincides with Ontario Craft Beer Week, which runs from June 10-19.
A full list of the specific investments can be found here.
