Left to Right: Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, Martin Pochtaruk, President, Heliene Inc.and Brad Simard, Chief Financial Officer, Heliene Inc.

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Joining Terry Sheehan, Martin Pochtaruk and Brad Simard are employees of Heliene Inc.

Office of Terry Sheehan

Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie

NEWS RELEASE

MP TERRY SHEEHAN ANNOUNCES FEDNOR INVESTMENT FOR HELIENE INC. TO ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATE ENERGY OPTIONS

September 05, 2019 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON —Communities, businesses and residents in the Sault Ste. Marie region will benefit from new opportunities as a result of a Government of Canada investment of more than $1.36 million. This FedNor funding will assist Heliene Inc., a solar panel manufacturer in Sault Ste. Marie, with two clean technology projects allowing them to capitalize on innovation to grow and create jobs.

Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Minister responsible for FedNor.

“I’m proud to be part of a government that recognizes that technology and innovation will shape the economy of the future. Today’s investment aligns with the Government of Canada’s Prosperity and Growth Plan for Northern Ontario and assists Heliene Inc. to be a key player in developing, commercializing, and manufacturing new solar products to meet the growing demand for clean energy solutions.”TERRY SHEEHANMember of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie

Of the total, Heliene will receive a repayable contribution of $707,250 to help develop and pilot renewable electric vehicle charging stations with energy storage capacity. These fast charging stations will work independently from the existing electrical power grid. A second repayable contribution of $650,000 will be used to help develop a photovoltaic smart grid solution for home and commercial use. The hardware and software development project will help create intelligent modules that can increase the efficiency of power generation, enable remote monitoring, and react quickly to an increase in demand.

In addition to today’s funding announcement, Sheehan announced in 2017 $1.65 million in federal support for Heliene for research and development and for purchase and installation of a new, fully automated soldering machine.

Quotes

“Our government is committed to helping innovative businesses develop clean-tech solutions—a key component of Canada’s approach to promoting sustainable economic growth—that will address our future energy needs. Today’s announcement will enable Heliene Inc. to diversify its operations beyond its existing manufacturing and service streams, increasing its competitiveness on the global stage.”

THE HONOURABLE NAVDEEP BAINS

Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Minister responsible for FedNor

“We would like to thank the Government of Canada, through FedNor, for its continued support of our efforts to drive business growth through innovation. We take pride in being at the leading edge of clean technology, and helping position our community for growth and success.”

MARTIN POCHTARUK

President, Heliene Inc.

Quick Facts

• The investments announced today were provided through FedNor’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program, which supports the growth of Canadian businesses, their expansion into new markets and their adoption of new technologies and processes, and the Northern Ontario Development Program, which supports projects that promote sustainable community economic development, and enhance business development and growth.
• Since 2016 and through successive budgets, the Government of Canada has earmarked an additional $62 million for FedNor in support of various initiatives to enable the organization to further strengthen Northern Ontario’s economy and create even more middle-class jobs for Canadians.

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