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62 jobs are being impacted with the closure of Canada Bread Company in North Bay.

Vice President of Operations in Ontario Chris Markwood says operations will be winding down with the closure slated for August 5th.

He says the local plant uses a very manual process, pointing out products made locally can be produced at other bakeries in Ontario and Quebec where there is available capacity with improved speed and efficiency.

“Capital requirements to put into that facility would have been very excessive,” 

Markwood goes on to say, “we have other bakeries that have existing capacity that have assets that are sitting idle with a lower cost structure.” 

He says unfortunately it means they’re closing the bakery.

Affected associates will receive severance packages, personal counselling and ongoing outplacement services and workshops.

They will also be encouraged to seek employment at other Canada Bread facilities.

 

Meantime, the President of the North Bay and District Labour Council is hoping an action plan can be put together to help stem local job losses.

Henri Giroux says 62 full-time jobs disappearing with the impending Canada Bread closure is devastating for the people involved and the economy.

Giroux says it’s time to talk with companies to find out why they’re leaving and find incentives to keep them here.

He also says they’d like to talk with the city about bringing on new industries here and how they can do that together.

Giroux says, “62 jobs is a lot of people that will be looking for jobs where there is mostly just retail, part-time, precarious work that’s in the area right now.  Devastating for those people that just lost their job and I feel bad for them” 

 

“There are good things happening in the economy and there are bad things happening too.”  Mayor Al McDonald is reacting to the job losses announced this week at Canada Bread.

McDonald says he has talked to officials in North Bay and Toronto.

He says they explained their rationale for the decision to close the local operation, “Obviously, we’re very disappointed.”

The mayor says he conveyed the city’s economic development department is offering its services for the affected workers.

McDonald says its frustrating to hear news that 62 people are losing their jobs in a couple of months.

He says it’s an ongoing battle to create jobs and to keep jobs and council will keep moving forward by being pro active in job creation.