For Immediate Release:
November 1, 2010
Queens Park – Apparently the McGuinty government feels the loss of hundreds of jobs in Haldimand and Norfolk Counties is something to be proud of.
That’s what MPP Toby Barrett was left to assume after a pair of questions directed to the Premier – but answered by Minister of Agriculture Carol Mitchell – regarding the closure of Smuckers facilities in Delhi and Dunnville.
“On September 30, I encouraged the Premier to pick up the phone and to call Smuckers after news the company would be closing its Bick’s Dunnville processing as well as its Delhi tank farm,” Barrett reported to the Legislature. “These closures will devastate the town of Dunnville, as well as farmers that grow cucumbers, peppers, beets, onions, cauliflower, tomatoes. It’s been a month. Has your Premier made the call to Smucker? ….My question, Acting Premier, is: What progress is being made on this?”
Instead of answering the question, with the Premier nowhere in sight, the Minister of Agriculture stood up to express that the government “understands” before boasting about their investments into rural Ontario – investments that serve as cold comfort to those left without a job.
“This reminds me of what your McGuinty government allowed to happen in 2008 with the peach and pear canning operations in St. Davids. CanGro closed shop after more than 100 years because they discovered in a McGuinty Ontario it’s more efficient to can fruit from China,” Barrett recalled. “Back to Smucker – are you offering assistance through the rural economic development fund or your so-called “job creation funds”?
“In the last year, your government has sat by while hard-working people in my area have been kicked in the teeth, not only by Smucker, but by two separate massive labour disruptions at US Steel, a lockout at the former Heckett and plans to close down OPG Nanticoke. How do you expect hardworking families in Haldimand-Norfolk to survive when you oversee these massive job losses or do you just not care anymore?”
Once again the Minister rose to state how “proud” she was of the investments made in rural Ontario, completely missing out on the point that government inaction has meant that many in Haldimand and Norfolk Counties are left on their own.
– 30 –
For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
(519) 428-0446 or (905)-765-8413, 1-800-903-8629
Plant closure
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
November 1, 2010
Mr. Toby Barrett: To the Acting Premier: On September 30, I encouraged the Premier to pick up the phone and to call Smuckers after news that the company would be closing its Bick’s processing facility in Dunnville as well as its Delhi tank farm. These closure will devastate the town of Dunnville, as well as farmers who grow cucumbers after news the company would be closing its Bick’s Dunnville processing as well as its Delhi tank farm. These closures will devastate the town of Dunnville, as well as farmers that grow cucumbers, peppers, beets, onions, cauliflower, tomatoes.
It’s been a month. Has your Premier made the call to Smucker? Has he picked up the phone to talk to other food processors who may be interested in this state-of-the-art tank farm and the processing facility? My question, Acting Premier, is: What progress is being made on this?
Hon. Dwight Duncan: To the Minister of Agriculture.
Hon. Carol Mitchell: Thank you very much for the question. The McGuinty government understands that any plant closing has a significant impact on both the employees families and communities. We continue to support improved competitiveness in Ontario’s food and processing sector. We have made significant investments through our rural economic development program, and we continue to work with the growth and expansion through Our Open Ontario plan.
I look forward to even further expanding on the investments that we have made with our processors and, specifically, in rural Ontario and the conversations that we have had. I want to assure the member from across the way that we are on the ground working, in the past, and we are working today, and those calls have been made.
I’m very proud of the—
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?
Mr. Toby Barrett: Well, Minister of Agriculture, this reminds me of what your McGuinty government allowed to happen in 2008 with the peach and pear canning operations in St. Davids. CanGro closed shop after more than 100 years because they discovered in a McGuinty Ontario it’s more efficient to can fruit from China.
Back to Smucker: Are you offering assistance through the rural economic development fund or your so-called “job creation funds”? In the last year, your government has sat by while hard-working people in my area have been kicked in the teeth, not only by Smucker, but by two separate massive labour disruptions at US Steel, a lockout at the former Heckett and plans to close down OPG Nanticoke.
How do you expect hardworking families in Haldimand-Norfolk to survive when you oversee these massive job losses or do you just not care anymore?
Hon. Carol Mitchell: I just want to say there could not be anything further from the truth. We understand how significantly it does affect the community and, specifically, the employees.
I want to say: $290 million was invested in the food processing sector. We understand how critical it is. It’s the second largest industry in Ontario, and that’s why those investments have been made.
I want to speak specifically to the $290 million; that has retained and created 6,200 jobs. I am very proud of the investment that we have made on this side of the House. We know that there was not the investment made from that side of the House. We recognize there’s more work to do and that, quite frankly, is why we have the Open Ontario plan. The investments have been made in the past—
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.
Notices of dissatisfaction
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Pursuant to standing order 38(a), the member for Beaches–East York has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Labour concerning the practice of tip-outs. This matter will be debated tomorrow at 6 p.m.
Pursuant to standing order 38(a), the member for Haldimand–Norfolk has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs concerning Smucker closing the Dunnville processing and Delhi tank farm. This matter will be debated tomorrow at 6 p.m.