The move unites two of the province’s largest lumber companies at a time when demand for the product has never been higher, inventory levels are low, and logistics are strained.

Applications for funding through next year’s program are open until November 6, and the province has raised the per-project maximum funding for bridge projects to $5 million.

A second access road is being built at the Northern Ontario landmark, while funding is also needed to repair and maintain some of the park’s heritage structures.

Aggregated user data released by Procore Canada for Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia shows construction output hit hard in the early days of the pandemic, but approaching—or surpassing—pre-pandemic levels by July.

The donation is the latest in a series of gestures the Rimkey brothers have made toward supporting Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.