Ontario Cheese Factory to Break Ground after Fire

Ontario Cheese Factory to Break Ground after Fire

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The eastern Ontario cheese factory destroyed by a fire earlier this year plans to rebuild starting next month, with the help of local contractors.

The new facility will be larger and cost about $25-million to build. The St. Albert Cheese Factory hopes to break ground after Canada Day with the aim to finish building the structure by October. The co-op owned by 50 producers will be hiring local contractors to spur job creation in the area. Since about half of its previous employees still work for the co-op.

Since the fire, cheese making was moved to Mirabel, Quebec. St. Albert also owns a store in Orleans, ON. The factory, best known for its cheese curds, employed over 100 people in the community 45 minutes east of Ottawa. Co-op managers say the aim is to open the factory to the public in time for the on-year anniversary since the fire.