New funding will help 3M Canada manufacture more N95 respirators in Ontario over the next five years.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the announcement at the company’s facility in Brockville.
The provincial and federal governments are each giving just over $23-million to expand the plant, which will be running at full capacity early next year.
Canada and Ontario will each get 25 million masks each year.
Ford says this is another step away from relying on other countries for much-needed personal protective equipment like N95s, which created shortages earlier in the pandemic.
“I promised the people of Ontario that we would never, never again be left at the mercy of other countries for this critical P.P.E. I promise that we would never be in that position again,” Ford emphasizes.
“While the virus remains a threat, we need to make sure these real-life heroes have the equipment they need,” Trudeau adds. “This agreement with 3M Canada highlights the Government of Canada’s commitment to protecting those who are doing so much to keep their fellow Canadians healthy and safe.”
