Will Canada Bread megabakery land in Hamilton?
TheSpec.com - BreakingNews - Will Canada Bread megabakery land in Hamilton?
Mark McNeil
City economic development officials say they will do everything they can to try to convince Canada Bread Co. to build a $100-million megabakery in Hamilton.
The Toronto-based company announced today it is looking at several area municipalities to come up with a 31-acre parcel of land to accommodate the country’s largest bakery, employing more than 300 people.
Canada Bread said it will be closing three aging bakery operations in Toronto. The company wanted to consolidate the operations under one roof in the Greater Toronto Area but could not find a suitable piece of land. So they’re looking further afield.
Company spokesperson Jeanette Jones would not say whether Hamilton is among the contenders or what other communities are being considered.
Neil Everson, Hamilton’s director of economic development and planning, doesn’t know whether the city is on the company’s short list.
“A plant this size, I think the city has to look at it. But there is going to be a lot of competition for an operation like that, especially in this economy.”
He says Hamilton has competitively-priced land available, transportation links, and affordable housing prices for workers. He says the city has 700 acres of “shovel ready” land on inventory, and he thinks Glanbrook might be a good fit.
But officials in Brantford have other ideas. That city has a “food cluster task force” that has brought in investments from 21 food manufacturers including Maidstone Bakeries, which produces Tim Hortons products, and the North American facility for Ferrero Group, an Italian food company. The sector accounts for about 2,000 jobs in the region.
Hamilton already has a Canada Bread bakery operation in Hamilton, on Nebo Road. More than 90 employees work there. But Jones said the Nebo site is not suitable for the new bakery.
All I can say is have a bus route in place or some cheap access by walking or cycling.
Come on City Hall, Brantford is eager.........
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