Premier Doug Ford made several stops in Kitchener on Tuesday with announcements in relation to housing and the economy.
The first stop came at Airboss Rubber Solutions in Kitchener, where the Premier announced more than $12 million through the Skills Development Fund to help with in-demand jobs.
The investment will be going to 10 different companies and organizations and help over 50,000 workers prepare for jobs in fields including construction, manufacturing and the skilled trades.
During the announcement, Ford said that “anyone and everyone” should get involved in the trades, calling them a “beautiful thing.”
“It’s a trade that you’ll have that no one will take off you,” said Ford. “But it’s something you’ll have for the rest of your life.”
He was joined by David Piccini, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development, as well as local MPPs.
While taking questions from reporters, Ford also poured out a bottle of Crown Royal in protest to the company’s decision to close a plant in Amherstburg, Ontario.
Following the announcement, Ford made his way to Kitchener City Hall to award that city with a Building Faster cheque for $10,292,800 for surpassing their housing targets. The City of Kitchener said in 2024, they achieved 105 per cent of their housing target by breaking ground on 3,067 new housing units, surpassing their target of 2,917.
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack said that Kitchener surpassed the 100 per cent threshold for the second year in a row.
“80 per cent is the threshold, Kitchener beat it two times, two years in a row over 100 per cent, so that’s a pretty cool milestone,” said Flack.
The province also awarded the city of Waterloo a cheque for $6,400,000 for surpassing their housing targets. In 2024, Waterloo achieved 129 per cent of its housing targets by breaking ground on 1,722 housing units, beating their provincial target of 1,333.