FedNor drops $3 million in the northwest.

• Position: Federal Economic Development Initiative in Northern Ontario

FedNor delivered more than $3 million to businesses and community organizations in Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario.

The City of Thunder Bay cashed in with $1.5 million to renovate some municipalowned commercial space to attract companies and professionals to a downtown area that's part of an urban revitalization strategy. An additional $500,000 goes toward upgrades to the Delaney Arena and track to attract large sporting events.

Thunder Bay Ventures, one of the Community Futures Development Corporation in the FedNor chain, pockets $927,500 to continue providing capital and counselling services to businesses over the next three years. An additional $27,500 will go toward paying a youth intern for a year.

The Whitesand First Nation, near Armstrong, receives $333,897 to complete detailed engineering and an environmental assessment study for the construction of a three-megawatt combined heat and power co-generation and wood pellet plant. The co-gen will eliminate the community's dependence on diesel generation for power.

The Friends of Chippewa Park get $49,995 for marketing, new signage and trail improvements at the Thunder Bay park.

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association received $49,772 to host the 2013 Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation's annual conference in Thunder Bay, Oct. 23-27.

Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek, also known as Rock Bay...