Ontario accepts $25M investment from Waterdown facility supporting local jobs

The Ontario government is welcoming a $25 million investment from Opta Waterdown Inc., to expand local production, create new jobs and protect existing ones in Hamilton.

Neil Lumsden, the MPP for Hamilton East – Stoney Creek, announced Monday that the investment from the facility in Waterdown will create 16 new, good-paying jobs and protect 19 existing local positions.

“By supporting strategic investments from regional businesses, our government is protecting Ontario’s workers and creating the conditions for a strong, stable, and resilient
economy that can weather any storm,” said Lumsden in a statement. “Opta Waterdown’s investment will support growth and innovation across the local manufacturing sector and create more good-paying jobs for workers and families in Hamilton.”

Following the investment, the facility plans to pivot its Waterdown operations from creating silica free abrasives for blast cleaning and products for the steel industry, to a recycled glass processing facility.

Specifically, it will make glass pozzolan — finely ground glass powder that can be used to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete — to help move the construction materials industry to carbon net-zero.

“By transforming our Waterdown facility into a recycled glass processing operation, we are not only strengthening our business but also contributing to a lower-carbon construction industry,” said Nancy Kunysz, the director of finance at Opta Glass. “We appreciate the support of the Ontario government as we continue to innovate, grow, and create high-quality jobs in the Hamilton community.”

In support of the investment, the provincial government is providing Opta Waterdown Inc. with $1,836,600 in funding through the Regional Development Program’s Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) stream.

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