London's gain is St. Marys loss as poultry plant there slated to close

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 AlStrathdeesaid the plant in his regionopened in the 1960s and at one time employed up to 700 people.Today, the planthas nearly 490 hourlyand 35 salaried employees.

Company plans to help displaced workers

Strathdee said thenews of the plant's closure comes as a hit to the town of just over 7,000people.

"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 tothe smaller, rural areas."

The closures of the three plants are set to start in late 2021 and 2022.

In a letterto 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," saidStrathdee. "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.