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Over 30 businesses across the GTA are receiving a boost of investment from the federal government amid Canada’s tariff war with the U.S.
The sum of nearly $26 million comes from the Regional Tariff Response Initiative, which the federal government launched in March 2025 as part of its tariff response plan.
Evan Solomon, Canada’s minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation, made the announcement Friday at Daybar Industries Ltd. in Brampton, Ont., a steel doors and frames manufacturer.
Solomon is also the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
“We did not as a country choose these conditions,” Solomon said Friday, referring to the tariff tensions with the U.S. “But we do control and choose how we respond and we are going to respond in one way: we are going to build together.”
He said that the initiative is supporting 31 GTA businesses, and investing $700,000 in Daybar Industries, which is taking on a $12-million project with FedDev Ontario to expand its markets and improve the supply chain.
“It’s not just replacing equipment,” said Solomon. “It’s creating a modern, digitally-connected production line that can deliver customized Canadian-made products, Canadian-made steel much faster.”
The announcement was attended by Mark Dodson, president of Daybar Industries, and Treasury Board of Canada president Shafqat Ali, who said the government is focused on “what we can control at home.”
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“This investment will help businesses in Brampton and across the [GTA] grow, create good-paying jobs, and open up more opportunities for people and families,” said Ali in a FedDev Ontario news release Friday.
Dodson said that it’s helpful to “know we have somebody in our corner and [that] the government is behind us.”
“They understand what you’re going through and they’re willing to put their money where their mouth is to help companies like Daybar get through these difficult times,” he said after the announcement Friday.
Dodson said the funding will help Daybar to “continue delivering high-quality products and services while creating opportunities for growth and long-term success for employees and their families,” in the FedDev Ontario news release.
The three largest funding contributions by FedDev Ontario are going to printing company SinaLite at $2,870,729, air quality system manufacturer Oxygen8Solutions Inc. at $2,532,000, and packaging company PakFactory Inc. at $1,603,125.
The new federal funding is part of a larger $7.5-billion package of measures the government announced in August to support Canadian businesses affected by the tariffs, according to the news release.