Voyageur Aviation in North Bay is expanding.

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle announced an investment of $2.75-million from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

The funding will help create 40 jobs and support Voyageur Aviation’s three-year production and infrastructure project to further develop its world-class regional aircraft engineering, maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in North Bay.

“Investing in businesses like Voyageur Aviation and their new production and infrastructure project is critical to supporting opportunity and job creation in Northern Ontario,” says Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines and Chair of the NOHFC. “Through the NOHFC, our government is fostering increased opportunity and fairness for residents and business across Northern Ontario.”

Gravelle says Voyageur has been a huge part of the aerospace industry for half a century and this expansion will result in an improvement in local employment levels.

“Voyageur is the biggest employer in the Airport Industrial Park. It’s going to continue to grow and expand around the world in fact. And we’re very pleased to support it.”

“We are very pleased that Voyageur continues to invest in North Bay,” said Mayor Al McDonald. “Operating in our community since 1968, the company has grown into a diverse aviation operation that is an integral part of our local business community and the North Bay Jack Garland Airport. Now a Chorus Aviation Inc. company, Voyageur is well positioned for future growth.”

“With the support of the NOHFC, we will be able to invest in personnel and infrastructure at our facility in North Bay to meet the rising demand for Voyageur’s specialized regional aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services,” says Scott Tapson, President, Voyageur Aviation Corp. “As a North Bay-based company with a global client base, this investment is key to Voyageur’s continued growth.”

Tapson says 16 jobs have already been created.

“We’re talking about jobs in our technical services area. So our maintenance repair and overhaul group but administration people to support the growth of the business here as well.”