Province ramps up production of Ontario-made ventilators

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz tour the Guelph, Ont. plant. PHOTO: ONTARIO GOVERNMENT

GUELPH — The Ontario government is investing $2.5 million through the Ontario Together Fund in Guelph-based Linamar Corp., an advanced manufacturing company, to support the retooling of its assembly line to manufacture ventilator components to produce 10,000 Ontario-made e700 ventilators. O-Two Medical Technologies partnered with Linamar Corp. and other partners, including Bombardier, to produce these lifesaving devices to enhance future preparedness and help patients with severe cases of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

The announcement was made on Sept. 16 by Premier Doug Ford and Vic Fedeli, minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

“Ontario is the workshop of Canada, and it’s the creativity and ingenuity of enterprising companies like Linamar and O-Two that will make Ontario-made medical equipment known for quality and excellence across the country and around the world,” said Premier Ford in a prepared statement. “By building homegrown capacity to make ventilators, we will never again have to rely on any other country for this critical piece of lifesaving medical equipment.”

Through the Ontario Together Fund, the province is delivering investments that aim to increase the province’s stockpile of Ontario-made products and personal protective equipment (PPE).

“Businesses like Linamar, O-Two Medical, and Bombardier have stepped up with solutions to help at a critical time,” said Fedeli. “Ontario’s economic recovery would not be possible without the collective efforts of everyone in every corner of this province. We applaud our world-class manufacturing sector for helping ensure the province has the Ontario-made solutions to respond to the needs now and any future emergency, should it arise.”