Latest news with #FedDevOntario
CBC
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
'Unusual activity' expected at Blue Water Bridge — but not related to border security
If you notice some "unusual activity" near or at the Blue Water Bridge over the coming months, it has nothing to do with heightened border security measures, according to bridge officials. There will be more technology instruments in use from now through the summer. A small group of eligible start-up companies is testing mobility or border-related technologies such as sensors and drones, and on trucks under "real-world" conditions. Alexandre Gauthier, spokesperson for the Federal Bridge Corporation, which operates the crossing, says their involvement is limited other than providing the testing environment and ensuring "normal bridge operations continue uninterrupted." The bridge corporation recently posted a heads-up to travellers and area residents on social media about the testing. "Our posts were only meant as an advisory for commuters and locals who might otherwise worry or alert us of unusual activity around the bridge," said Gauthier. Roughly 10 companies will be testing technologies related to mobility, transportation and emissions. This includes the use of things such as drones, unmanned aerial view vehicles flying near or around the bridge; trucks moving in specific formations and closed-circuit television cameras monitoring traffic pattern. "There are no security concerns, and traffic will not be affected," the bridge corporation said on its Facebook page. "We appreciate your cooperation as these exciting pilot projects move forward." The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) works at an arm's length from the provincial government and is designed to support new technologies around transportation and the automotive and mobility sectors. The work being tested at the bridge is paid for under the FedDev Ontario umbrella, said Raed Kadri, the head of OVIN. "This program really is a piloting program. And what that allows Ontario small, medium-size enterprises to do is try their technology out and pilot it for a prolonged period of time so that they can work out the final kinks in them," he said. "I would say it's the last leg of commercialization and industrialization before we get them to market and why that's important is with a partner like the Blue Water Bridge, they're able to look at to use this big piece of infrastructure." Kadri says the bridge's structural integrity will be tested to see if there are places in need of maintenance. Other pilot work includes monitoring emissions and fuel performance metrics, he says, along with tracking traffic flow congestion and vehicle behaviour data via AI-based real-time analytics systems. "How do we modernize our infrastructure, reduce emissions and improve the flow of goods and people across Ontario?" he said.
CBC
13-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
3 Hamilton festivals get loans from Ottawa to help in a year with tourism uncertainty
Three prominent Hamilton festivals — FrancoFEST, Because Beer, and Festitalia — are receiving loans worth $320,000 from the federal government to support their growth, attract more visitors and boost the local economy. The funding for these festivals is being provided by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) as part of its Tourism Growth Program. The funding was announced on March 7. While the financial support will help expand the events, some of the festival organizers are worried about the impact of ongoing tariff war, including a possible decline in U.S. attendance this year. Lanciné Koulibaly is director general of Centre Francophone Hamilton which runs FrancoFEST, an event serving the local Francophone community that has been running for more than 35 years. It takes place over three days in June. Koulibaly said despite the new funding, he feels worried about the year ahead. "We are expecting some decline in U.S. attendance, especially with the current economic climate and the tariff situation," he told CBC Hamilton this week. But the funds will help, he added, and allow FrancoFEST and other local festivals to make a bigger impact, particularly in attracting new audiences locally and creating economic opportunities for Hamilton's local businesses. FrancoFEST is expecting about 6,000 people this year, he said. Because Beer expanding to Guelph Meanwhile, Tim Potocic, founder of Sonic Unyon Records which runs the Because Beer Craft Beer Festival, is hoping a favourable exchange rate of the Canadian dollar could encourage U.S. visitors. The funding will allow his team to expand the festival into Guelph, in addition to Hamilton, and to "enhance the overall experience," said Potocic, whose team also runs Supercrawl and event space Bridgeworks. Because Beer, which first launched in 2014, is expecting about 10,000 people to attend in Hamilton this year — it runs at Pier 4 Park in July — and another 3,000-5,000 in Guelph. However, Potocic emphasized, funding awarded to the festivals is not a grant but a repayable loan. The $185,000 Because Beer received has a two-year repayment plan starting in January 2027, he said. Both Potocic and Koulibaly said that their team had applied for a higher amount but are happy with what they received. FrancoFest is receiving $38,500 and Festitalia $100,000. "It's allowing us to finance an expansion at a higher level than I would have been able to on my own," Potocic said. CBC Hamilton reached out to the organizers of Festitalia, which celebrates 50 years this year during a two-expo in June, but did not receive a response before publication.
