It’s been just over a month since we first reported on Canada Bread’s announcement that it will be closing three aging Toronto plants in 2013—including the massive Liberty Village bakery—and building a substantial factory somewhere in southwestern Ontario. Yesterday, the company announced that Hamilton will be the site of the new $100-million facility.
The 375,000-square-foot behemoth will occupy a piece of land on which Maple Leaf Foods, which owns 90 per cent of Canada Bread, wanted to build a pork-producing facility in 2005, which would have created 900 jobs. Neighbourhood opposition nixed Project Pork, but the city seems to be eager for the bread plant (which will employ up to 300), judging by how quickly the deal went through.
Liberty Village may stop smelling like fresh bread earlier than we thought, as the new plant is expected to be built by June 2011. We’re guessing Hamilton will welcome the new aromas, though, which could have been decidedly more porcine in nature.
• Canada Bread and its new home [Hamilton Spectator] • Bakery deal firmed up fast [Hamilton Spectator] • Liberty Village to stop smelling like freshly baked bread [Toronto Life]
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