...from today's Globe...
www.theglobeandmail.com/s...y/Business
Canada has witnessed a series of plant closings, especially in Ontario and Quebec. Hershey's, the famous chocolate factory in Smiths Falls, is one of the latest casualties. But there have been many others, including pulp and paper plants across Canada, automobile plants including Ford, Chrysler and GM in Southern Ontario, and in the chemical sector there have been four plant closings in Ontario alone.
What is disturbing about these closings is that many were productive, modern facilities. For example, ERCO's sodium chlorate facility was the most productive plant in the business, but had to close solely because Ontario's electricity prices are no longer competitive. Ontario used to enjoy a competitive advantage when it came to electricity: modern generation with a mix of fuels, reliable transmission infrastructure and a young, highly skilled work force. Now its electricity rates are among the highest in Canada.
These lost jobs are just the tip of the iceberg. According to Statistics Canada, Canada has lost 149,000 manufacturing jobs since 2002; 100,000 of these in 2005 alone. Ontario manufacturing has lost 74,000 jobs since 2003. The combined effects of these job losses for the employment and tax base of communities is very significant.
www.theglobeandmail.com/s...y/Business
Canada has witnessed a series of plant closings, especially in Ontario and Quebec. Hershey's, the famous chocolate factory in Smiths Falls, is one of the latest casualties. But there have been many others, including pulp and paper plants across Canada, automobile plants including Ford, Chrysler and GM in Southern Ontario, and in the chemical sector there have been four plant closings in Ontario alone.
What is disturbing about these closings is that many were productive, modern facilities. For example, ERCO's sodium chlorate facility was the most productive plant in the business, but had to close solely because Ontario's electricity prices are no longer competitive. Ontario used to enjoy a competitive advantage when it came to electricity: modern generation with a mix of fuels, reliable transmission infrastructure and a young, highly skilled work force. Now its electricity rates are among the highest in Canada.
These lost jobs are just the tip of the iceberg. According to Statistics Canada, Canada has lost 149,000 manufacturing jobs since 2002; 100,000 of these in 2005 alone. Ontario manufacturing has lost 74,000 jobs since 2003. The combined effects of these job losses for the employment and tax base of communities is very significant.
