ForgeShift
← All insights

Made in Ontario

Week of 24 August 2026

SME operations · funding · supply chain

6 stories · curated by ForgeShift Advisory

Plants, Investment & M&A

Xanadu lands $195M loan to open quantum photonics hub in old Toronto factory

Toronto quantum computing firm Xanadu secured a $195-million loan to convert a former Campbell’s soup factory into an advanced photonics manufacturing hub, described as Canada’s largest quantum manufacturing investment to date.

Quantum hardware manufacturing is starting to land real capital in Ontario — watch for supply-chain and talent spillover into precision manufacturing.

Funding & Grants

FedDev Ontario puts $6.6M into five Etobicoke-area businesses

FedDev Ontario invested over $6.6 million across five Etobicoke-area businesses, including a $4-million tranche to SWTCH Energy to strengthen its service capabilities for EV-charging deployments, software platforms and operating models in new markets.

If you’re a GTA SME scaling a hardware or energy product, FedDev’s Etobicoke cohort shows it funds market-expansion and service capacity, not just capex.

Workforce & Skills

Ontario puts $4.8M into worker training and protection in Simcoe region

The Ontario government is investing $4.8 million to protect and train workers across the Simcoe region. An eight-week program spanning York, Durham and Peel will give participants skills training, wraparound supports and hands-on experience toward skilled-trades careers.

A live pipeline for skilled-trades hiring in the York/Durham/Peel corridor — worth flagging to your HR team if you’re short on trades staff there.

Policy, Trade & Economy

Ottawa hikes retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum to 50%

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced Ottawa is raising retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum to 50%, calling it a "proportionate, targeted and strategic" response in the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade dispute.

If you buy or sell steel/aluminum inputs across the border, model a 50% tariff scenario into your Q4 costing now — this escalation is active, not hypothetical.

Automation & Technology Adoption

dahl Valve shares its shop-floor automation journey in new site tour

Manufacturing AUTOMATION profiled dahl Valve president Jon Kronemeyer on the company’s automation journey, highlighting results already visible on the shop floor.

A peer case study for smaller Ontario manufacturers weighing where to start an automation rollout — worth a read before your own capital-planning cycle.

Supply Chain & Reshoring

LG Electronics Canada leases King City facility as new distribution hub

LG Electronics Canada has leased a facility in King City, Ontario, to serve as a distribution hub supporting the company’s distribution and supply-chain operations across Canada.

Another large OEM consolidating Canadian distribution capacity in the GTA corridor — a signal for local logistics and warehousing demand.

ForgeShift Insights goes out weekly across three editions.

Subscribe on the insights page

We use only essential cookies. We don't use advertising or tracking cookies. See our Privacy Policy.