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Pandemic ‘poses particular challenges’ for food processing plants: Freeland

Pandemic ‘poses particular challenges’ for food processing plants: Freeland

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau warns labour shortages could affect the food supply

The federal government says it’s looking at proposals to support food processors during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says the government is working on ways to support Canada’s food processing plants during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to concerns about labour shortages.

“I am so grateful to all of our farmers and ranchers and food processors, but you’re right that the coronavirus poses particular challenges to food processing facilities because of the dangers of contagion there,” Freeland said during her briefing with reporters today.

“That is something that our government has been working on, that I’ve been personally focused on over the past few days.”

Cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at three Alberta meat packing plants, according to the union that represents plant workers.

United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union local 401 president Thomas Hesse said three cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at the JBS plant in Brooks, Alta.

At the Cargill plant in High River, there are 38 COVID-19 cases, and in March one worker at Harmony Beef in Balzac tested positive, he said.

Hesse said the union has reached out to those plants, and to the Olymel pork plant in Red Deer, to ask them to proactively shut down to keep their workers safe.

“They’ve all said no. But Cargill has in some ways done what we’ve asked because of pressure,” Hesse said, noting that the plant has reduced its operations.

Meanwhile, the Olymel hog slaughter and cutting plant in Yamachiche, Que., reopened Tuesday after shutting down for two weeks following an outbreak among employees there.

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Donald Trump’s win ‘bad news for the auto industry,’ says David Dodge

Donald Trump’s win ‘bad news for the auto industry,’ says David Dodge

Former Bank of Canada governor predicts factories could move south of the border

A Chevrolet Cruze is assembled at General Motors' Lordstown Assembly Plant in Ohio. Donald Trump's goal of putting America first in trade agreements could be a problem for Ontario's auto industry.

A Chevrolet Cruze is assembled at General Motors’ Lordstown Assembly Plant in Ohio. Donald Trump’s goal of putting America first in trade agreements could be a problem for Ontario’s auto industry. (Mark Duncan/Associated Press)

A former Bank of Canada governor says renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with president-elect Donald Trump will be dangerous for Canada’s automotive industry.

Part of Trump’s win has been credited to voters in the rust belt — Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania — where his anti–trade and protectionist promises played well with the electorate.

And he’ll remain beholden to those voters if he wants to stay in power, says Dodge.
“We’re going to have more of our classic border skirmishes with the Americans. The Canada-U.S. border will get thicker. I worry more about a lot of the bits and pieces that make trade difficult, as opposed to a wholesale slaughter,” he told the CBC’s Chris Hall in an interview for The House. 
Dodge federal budget

Former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge says Finance Minister Bill Morneau needs to focus on ‘setting the stage’ for the next four years ahead of this week’s federal budget. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

“This is bad news for the auto industry in Ontario.… The only thing I can hope is the North American auto industry is so integrated across these borders and stuff flies back and forth so much that you can’t keep American factories operating without that flow taking place in the short run.”
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Olduvai IV: Courage
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Olduvai II: Exodus
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