Ontario is helping St. Albert Cheese Co-operative establish a new state-of-the-art cheese manufacturing operation to support 110 local jobs and strengthen the economy.
A provincial investment of $1 million will help the co-operative purchase equipment and establish a computerized production line for their new facility, which replaces their former factory that was lost to a fire in 2013. The new operation will process 50 million litres of local milk a year, create 10 new jobs and support the more than 100 jobs that were displaced as a result of the fire. At 76,000 square feet, the building will be 30 per cent larger and will feature a manufacturing plant, an observation deck for visitors, a retail store and a restaurant.
Supporting the province's agri-food industry is part of the government's economic plan that is creating jobs for today and tomorrow. The comprehensive plan and its six priorities focus on Ontario's greatest strengths — its people and strategic partnerships.
Quick Facts
- St. Albert Cheese has been a dairy-farmer cheese-making co-operative since 1894. The co-operative now has 40 members and represents 23 dairy farms.
- Ontario is home to Canada’s largest food processing sector, supporting more than 95,000 jobs and contributing more than $11 billion to the province’s GDP.
- Ontario’s food processors purchase about two-thirds of the good things that are grown and produced on the province’s farms.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
