The village of Berwyn is expected to be the site for a proposed slaughterhouse and sausage plant in northern Alberta.
The Tender Beef Co-op aborted its plans to build the plant in Dawson Creek, B.C., after continued delays threatened to drag on for another two years, said co-op chair Neil Peacock.
“We knew that would kill us,” said Peacock, who has been planning the packing plant since BSE closed the U.S. border to cattle and other ruminants.
Berwyn village mayor May Rowe said most residents welcome the economic boost the plant would bring to the community of 600.
Read Also
Canola oil transloading facility opens
DP World just opened its new canola oil transload facility at the Port of Vancouver. It can ship one million tonnes of the commodity per year.
“Most people in town I’ve talked to are pretty enthusiastic. With almost $7 million worth of investment in a town our size, it makes people sit up and think. It will make them the biggest employer in town.”
The co-op hopes to build a $4.5 million federally inspected slaughter plant that will kill 100 head a day of beef, bison, elk, sheep and goats once it opens. It also plans to renovate the curling rink into a $1.5 million processing facility that will turn the less valuable cuts into higher value products like sausage and ready-made roast beef.
“It’s something desperately needed by the farmers in the area,” said Rowe.
The sausage plant will move into the cement block curling rink built in 1984 that had been returned to the village when the club folded.
“We offered them a price they couldn’t refuse,” said Rowe.
Peacock said support for the co-op is still strong. Initially 575 people bought shares in the co-op. There are now about 470 members.
“We still need Canadian-owned slaughter capacity and preferably co-op-owned slaughter capacity,” he said.
Peacock is optimistic the facility will have no difficulty with building and development approvals.
“We expect it will flow rapidly,” said Peacock, who hopes construction can begin next year.
