London's gain is St. Marys loss as poultry plant there slated to close
Andrew Lupton | CBC News | Posted: November 27, 2018 10:00 AM | Last Updated: November 27, 2018
Mayor says Maple Leaf Foods plant that has operated since the 1960s and its closure comes as a shock
Maple Leaf Foods' plan to build a massive new poultry processing facility in London will come at a cost to the town of St. Marys.
As part of Monday's announcement to build a new $660-million poultry plant in south London, the company also announced consolidation plans that will mean the closure of smaller plants in Toronto, Brampton and in Perth South close to St. Marys.
In total, the three plants slated for closure employ about 1,600 people.
St. Marys' Mayor Al Strathdee said the plant in his region opened in the 1960s and at one time employed up to 700 people. Today, the plant has nearly 490 hourly and 35 salaried employees.
Company plans to help displaced workers
Strathdee said the news of the plant's closure comes as a hit to the town of just over 7,000 people.
"It will be a big blow, this comes as a shock," he said. "The plant has been a mainstay, it supported several families. Over the years, these were good-paying jobs.
"It's tough because it's another example of urbanization in this country," he said. "It's a boot to the smaller, rural areas."
The closures of the three plants are set to start in late 2021 and 2022.
In a letter to Strathdee, Maple Leaf Foods says "we deeply regret the impact on the affected employees and communities."
The letter also says the company will encourage current employees to seek jobs at the new facility "and other regional Maple Leaf plants where they will be given priority for jobs."
The company also plans to work with local governments and communities to find alternative uses for the plants.
Strathdee said he's encouraged that Maple Leaf Foods is willing to help displaced employees, but said it's not a transition everyone can make.
"A lot of people are long-term workers out there," said Strathdee. "If you're talking about commuting to London in the bad weather, not everyone is able to do that. This is going to be a big change for a lot of people. A message of uncertainty just before Christmas is never nice.