Bracebridge, Ont. manufacturer receives $2M to make lighter, more breathable masks

An Ontario manufacturing company is receiving $2 million from the provincial government to produce face masks for healthcare and frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19.

Smart Safe Science, based in Bracebridge, will create 50 local jobs and, when at full capacity, produce 200,000 masks monthly for the region.

The company plans to make a face mask that is lighter and more breathable to help avoid the common fatigue from wearing other types of masks for a prolonged period of time.

The filter used in the mask will be NIOSH 95+ certified, which is used in N95 masks.

As part of the development of this mask and other safety products, the company tapped into technical expertise at several Ontario universities, including Lakehead University, Laurentian University, McMaster University and the University of Toronto.

The mask comes with attachments that monitor body temperature while the person is wearing the mask.

This technology will allow the user to connect a smart device in the mask to their phone using an app that will transmit critical real-time data about the user’s health status. The mask will conform to the wearer’s facial structure, providing greater comfort and protection.

Smart Safe Science further plans to purchase equipment and expand its facilities to reach the targeted end-production capacity.

The company is a subsidiary of True North Printed Plastics, a company that makes electronic interfaces for items, including airplanes, military and medical equipment.

The funding is being made available via the province’s $50-million Ontario Together Fund, which is helping businesses to retool to produce COVID-19 PPE solutions.