Trudeau, Ford Announce Deal With 3M To Make N95 Masks In Ontario
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford shared a lectern Friday to announce a deal with 3M, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of protective medical gear, to produce Canadian-made N95 respirator masks.
The $70-million deal, a cost equally split between federal and provincial governments, is set to expand production of N95 respirators at an Ontario site by 2021.
“This is one of my proudest moments as premier,” Ford told reporters at 3M’s plant in Brockville, Ont., pleased with the idea the country’s doctors and nurses will “never have to depend on another country” for personal protective equipment (PPE).
The federal government and Ontario each expect to receive 25 million N95 respirators annually when the facility is operational.
Ford praised Trudeau for stepping up to the plate and doing an “incredible job as prime minister” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He was on the phone every single week asking, ‘What do you need? How can I help you?’ And you wonder why I’m always up here praising him?” he said, adding later, “It’s just amazing when we work together and we band together.”
Trudeau said the 3M deal is an example of how progress can be made by working together.
With no export limits or protectionist measures, the prime minister said Canada is well placed to provide masks overseas, offering it as a reason why 3M chose to expand production of N95 masks here.
Shortages of the single-use masks sparked concerns in the health-care sector about a consistent supply and their safe extended use and reuse.
3M is a leading manufacturer of medical masks. In April, the Minnesota-based company pushed back against the White House’s attempt to hoard N95 respirators, and limit exports to Canada and Latin America.
The company eventually struck a deal with the Trump administration to continue shipping its masks, manufactured in China, to Canada.
Taiwanese-American scientists Peter Tsai invented the...
