Guelph's Linamar granted up to $100M from government to help create 1,500 jobs

The federal and Ontario governments announced they will invest up to $100 million in a Guelph-based company to create jobs and advance its manufacturing technology, on a busy Monday that has four cabinet ministers visiting Waterloo and surrounding regions.

Federal Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains announced the joint investment in automotive parts maker Linamar Corporation.

The federal government will provide a grant of $49 million to the company, and Ontario will provide a conditional grant of up to $50 million.

The funding will help create 1,500 new Canadian jobs and maintain more than 8,000.

Minister Bains made the announcement alongside Ontario Minister of Economic Development Brad Duguid and Lloyd Longfield,Member of Parliament for Guelph.

This is the first project announced under the Strategic Innovation Fund, a federal program that supports research and development in Canada. The fund willallocate$1.26 billion over five years through a combination of grants and loans.

This is the second investment in Linamar in three years.

In 2015, the automotive company was granted over $100 million from the federal and Ontario governments.

$30-million for transportation

Shortly after,the province unveiled a $30 million Community Transportation Grant Program in Cambridge.

Provincial Minister of TransportationSteven DelDucamade the announcement at Cambridge City Hall with localMPPKathryn McGarry.

Del Duca said on Twitterthe funding will help provide intercommunity bus service across Ontario and connect areas that are under-served by transit.

The program will allow municipalities to partner with community organizations, such ashealth, community and transit agencies, to coordinate local transportation services and provide more rides to more places.

An additional $10 million will be available to Indigenous communities, Indigenous-led organizations and not-for-profit organizations starting in the summer of 2018.

The deadline to apply for the grant program is February 28, 2018.

$784 million for schools

Finally, the province said it will allocate $784-million in 2018 to build and renovate schools across Ontario, including a new public school in Kitchener.

Ontario Education Minister Mitzie Hunter announced the province is investing more than $16 million to help build a new school in southwest Kitchener that will accommodate600 students. Theproject will create a total of 88 new licensed child care spaces and five child-care rooms.

Hunter made the announcement at JeanStecklePublic School in Kitchener, and was joined by Daiene Vernile, MPP for Kitchener Centre.

The funding will support construction of 38 othernew schools around the provinceand renovations and additions to 40 more facilities.

Ontario has previously saidit will spend $1.6-billionover the next five years to create 45,000 new licensed child carespaces in schools and other public spaces.