These new jobs are separate from 500 others promised in December by federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly
A Canadian Centre of Excellence for Ballistic Steel Production announced yesterday will be located in Sault Ste. Marie and will create as many as 500 new jobs, Algoma Steel Inc. confirmed today.
When the Sault steelmaker and Brampton-based armoured vehicle manufacturer Roshel Inc. announced the new centre, up to 500 new jobs were mentioned, but it was unclear where the new facility would be located.
“We could see a sizable production facility here in Sault Ste. Marie,” Laura Devoni, Algoma’s vice-president of human resources and corporate affairs, told SooToday at a community engagement open house at the Northern Community Centre.
“Yesterday, we announced the Roshel Algoma Defence Solutions (RADS), which will be located here,” Devoni said.
“Up to 500 employees. It’s contingent on light utility vehicles.”
RADS will produce ballistic steel that protects against bullets and explosive blasts.
The ballistic steel will be marketed for military purposes and will include light utility vehicles (LUVs), the Domestic Arctic Mobility Enhancement (DAME) program, ships, submarines and broader Canadian defence needs.
It will also be used in other industries, including aerospace, infrastructure, marine and security platforms.
The possibility of up to 500 new RADS jobs is not to be confused with 500 other jobs promised in December by federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly.
Those jobs are expected to happen next year in a new Algoma Steel plant for manufacturing structural beams and enhanced plate.
The final paperwork to make the beam plant a reality has yet to be signed, but Devoni told us negotiations are ongoing.