Ontario invests $332K in printing company to manufacture inclusive PPE

A Mississauga–based digital printing company will manufacture inclusive PPE for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community with a $332,000 investment from the government of Ontario.

McRae Imaging is making three-layer face masks that feature a lens for lip reading, which is impossible to do with traditional surgical-style or N95 masks.

The My Access Mask was designed by the Como Foundation, a not-for-profit enterprise also based in Mississauga.

Through a partnership with the Como Foundation, McRae Imaging plans to produce 1.4 million My Access Masks, which will feature the Ontario Made logo as part of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters program to highlight made-in-Ontario products.

“I am honoured that McRae Imaging has been chosen to receive this OTF grant. The impact of the grant cannot be understated – we have been able to bring back our entire finishing team with an additional seven new hires,” says Bob Murray, president of McRae Imaging, in a statement.

“Furthermore, the grant has allowed us to invest in capital equipment increasing our production speed by a factor of four.”

“Creating the My Access Mask was the change towards breaking down communications barriers. The funding and our partnerships have allowed us to bring awareness and solutions to every community in the province with our My Access Mask,” says Sarah Veinot of the Como Foundation.

Funding is being provided through the province’s $50-million Ontario Together Fund, which was established to help businesses retool their operations to produce PPE.