BARRIE: Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), with the support of the Ontario government, is launching a new Ontario Made Consumer Directory.
This guide will make it easier for shoppers to find made-in-Ontario products while supporting local businesses and manufacturers.
By promoting Ontario-made products, this initiative will support good-paying jobs and set the province down the path to further growth and long-term economic recovery.
The announcement was made by Premier Doug Ford, Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and Dennis Darby, President & CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, at Napoleon, in Barrie.
“As local manufacturers have proven time and time again during this pandemic, they can make anything. Ontario-made products are second to none in quality and excellence,” said Premier Ford.
Ontario’s manufacturing sector is the economic engine of Canada, directly accounting for over 12 per cent of the province’s economy, with nearly $300 billion in annual shipments and $200 billion in exports. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturers across the province stepped up to innovate by ramping up or shifting their production lines to produce more food, personal protective equipment, and other essential supplies.
In September alone, an increase of 51,700 jobs pushed Ontario’s manufacturing employment 17,000 jobs above pre-COVID levels.
In a recent CME survey, 73 per cent of Ontarians said they already try to purchase Canadian-made products and 56 per cent said they would try more often to purchase domestic goods.
Since launching in July 2020, CME’s SupportOntarioMade.ca website has registered over 4,600 products from over 1,200 local manufacturers. Over 150 retailers are also participating in the program.
Products with the Ontario Made logo range from baby wipes to barbecues, and cosmetics to cars. Consumers can easily find these made-in-Ontario goods in the new online directory at SupportOntarioMade.ca.
This includes products that are made in local communities, participating retailers and company profiles.
• Funding for Ontario Made is made possible through the $50 million Ontario Together Fund.
• Since its launch, the SupportOntarioMade.ca website received over 25,000 visits and over 3,800 subscriptions to the Ontario Made newsletter.