Dec. 19—CANTON — The St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency doled out over $500,000 to two dozen local businesses and non-profits from American Rescue Plan-funded programs.

Most of the money went for tourism, travel, hospitality capacity and promotion, says a resolution the IDA board passed unanimously on Friday morning.

The Black Lake Association is getting $40,000 for cutting invasive species — water chestnuts and milfoil — and improving water quality. Boondockers Snow Club Inc. of Russell will also get $40,000, theirs for trail equipment.

Two more $40,000 grants will go to the St. Lawrence County Snowmobile Association for building a bridge connection to the Adirondack Rail Trail, and St. Lawrence County Trails for building a bridge to connect the Colton and Parishville trails.

The Alcoa Corp. will get $35,000, for seven new employees, up to $5,000 per employee for six months of retention. That comes from the IDA's workforce training and development fund.

The town of Massena will get $35,000 toward five fishing events in 2023.

The North Country Children's Museum is getting $32,500. Of that, $25,000 will go toward their second-floor expansion project. The remaining $7,500 is for a new website.

Canton-Potsdam Hospital is getting $30,087 from the IDA's facility and infrastructure improvement fund, which will go toward an air handling unit.

Pike's Place Venue Inc. in Brasher Falls is getting $25,000 toward building material for an outdoor event stage with electricity.

The Defelsko Corporation in Ogdensburg will get $25,000 for five new workers, up for $5,000 per employee for six months of retention. Ogdensburg-based Seaway Valley Prevention will get $22,797 for an HVAC system. The Morristown Gateway Museum is slated for $22,000, of which $20,000 is for an exhibit on the small fish of Black Lake. The other $2,000 is for creating and implementing a new marketing plan.

Other awards the IDA ratified on Friday include, from their small business and non-profit assistance program: $2,500 each to Alex's Ice in Massena and Body by Johnnie in Ogdensburg.

From the facility and infrastructure improvements fund: $17,350 for Phillips Diner in Ogdensburg for an HVAC system with a mini split; $10,670 to Tradesman Contracting LLC in Rensselaer Falls for workplace efficiency improvements. Tradesman Contracting was also given $2,200 from a separate fund for providing an existing worker with OSHA training.

For workforce training and development: $7,500 to Adirondack Flavor and Fragrance Farm in Parishville for e-commerce training; $2,569 to Foster the Plant Cafe in Potsdam for "natural cook training;" $7,500 to Potsdam Specialty Paper to train an existing worker in Lean Sigma 6 through CITEC.

Other tourism, travel and hospitality program awards include $4,000 to Ogdensburg's Fort la Presentation Association for a traveling outreach exhibit; $6,000 to the Norwood Village Green Concert Series to promote their 50th anniversary; $10,000 to the St. Lawrence County Arts Council for promoting the North Country Arts Festival; $5,000 to the St. Lawrence Power and Equipment Museum for a National Allis Chambers tractor show; and $5,000 to Swing Time Golf in Canton for advertising and creating an online presence.

In other news, the IDA is taking applications for its next round of ARPA funding. The deadline to apply is Jan. 10. Applications and more information are on the IDA's website at www.slcida.com/ARPA.