MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO – Maple Leaf Foods Inc. announced on March 9 that a poultry processing facility in Schomberg, Ontario, would be closed after a new plant opens in London, Ontario, in late 2022.

The company said facilities in Schomberg and Bradford, Ontario, will continue to operate as usual for the next 18 months. Still, the Schomberg plant will be shuttered once the London plant is fully operational. The London facility is expected to be at those levels by late 2023. Once the transition is completed, the Bradford plant will continue to operate focusing on value-added production.

Maple Leaf said it would identify opportunities within the company at other plants for workers affected by Schomberg closure.

“Pursuing these optimization opportunities is part of Maple Leaf Foods’ ongoing strategy of building its strong, competitive and efficient poultry value chain, leveraging best-in-class technologies, processes and ingenuity to deliver nutritious food,” the company said. 

Maple Leaf purchased the Schomberg facility as part of its acquisition of Cericola Farms in 2018. The Bradford plant was also included in that deal.