One of the oldest packing plants in Alberta will likely be torn down and the land sold to the City of Edmonton, Alberta’s premier has announced.
Ralph Klein said the now-gutted Maple Leaf hog packing plant will likely be torn down to make way for new development on the 47-acre lot in north Edmonton.
“I’m pleased to be able to tell you, that our government, through the department of public works, is going to facilitate cleanup of this site in consultation with the City of Edmonton,” Klein told guests at the Edmonton Premier’s Dinner.
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“We all know the unfortunate situation surrounding the plant and its shutdown. But we must move on.”
Maple Leaf has spent the last few months removing equipment from the plant after workers went on strike Nov. 17.
What’s left is a shell that is not structurally sound and would take thousands of dollars to keep open for another two years, said a report commissioned by the public works department.
“The structural reports are not very complimentary,” said Denine Krieger, executive assistant to public works minister Stan Woloshyn. “It would cost $500,000 to make the facility operational until 2000.”
The provincial government inherited the facility when Gainers, owned by Peter Pocklington, defaulted on its government loan. The government kept the buildings and land, but the business was sold to Maple Leaf.
