Heinz closes Leamington plant, 740 people out of work

Our agriculture minister is conspicuously absent.

Too busy making jogging videos.

What a shame. We often vacation down that way and the old Heinz plant is a cool old landmark, there. They even had a ketchup bottle shaped water tower, dating from the early 20th century until pretty recently. The whole area around is nothing but tomato cultivation. That's going to change, for sure.

Well, it's not ALL tomato cultivation. I grew up in the area and there's still a lot of corn, mushrooms, peas, beans, soy etc being grown, but yeah, this is going to have a devastating effect on the area economy. Tomatoes were certainly the big money crop.

... used to be a lot of tobacco grown around there, way back when ...

... used to be a lot of tobacco grown around there, way back when ...
Yes indeed.

Hey fun facts surround this deal, I was going to put up an article on it. Did you know that:

-50% of Ontario's entire tomato crop was contracted to Heinz?
- The closure is due to a reorganization at Heinz that brought over the former CEO of Burger King, so McDonald's will no longer offer Heinz Ketchup?

She can't do anything, this is a business decision.

When you lose a major supplier like McDonald's, change is inevitable.

Maybe, the employees should buy the old ketchup factory in Leamington and start up as McDonalds supplier of condiments. You could guarantee that your product meets their spec. because you've already been making it for a century.

The facility in Leamington didn't produce ketchup squeeze packets, that's the funny thing.

She can't do anything, this is a business decision.

When you lose a major supplier like McDonald's, change is inevitable.

This is going to massively impact the economy of Leamington and Ontario tomato farmers.

As the ag minister she should at least have a comment. CBC tried to get one but got zip.

The opposition had no problems talking about it.

Thank our Secretary of State, John Kerry, for this one. Or at least thank his wife because it's her company and she had to have signed off on the decision.

I thought it was because Warren Buffet recently bought controlling interest in the parent company. . . ?

Heinz is owned by Warren Buffett. I don't think the Heinz family has any control over the company anymore.

Blame them anyway.