The number of federally inspected beef packing plants in Canada has been declining for many years.
In 1988, the Canadian Meat Council reported that at least eight plants were operating in Alberta: Burns Meats in Lethbridge; Canada Packers in Calgary, Lethbridge and Red Deer; Centennial Packers in Calgary; Gainers Foods in Edmonton; XL Foods in Calgary and Lakeside Packers at Brooks.
Canada Packers operated 11 cattle slaughter plants across the country before it restructured in 1991.
In 1989, 70 federal cattle processing plants operated in Canada: eight percent in Atlantic Canada, 32 percent in Quebec, 27 percent in Ontario, 24 percent on the Prairies and nine percent in British Columbia.
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As of the beginning of this year, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency listed 26 plants in Canada. Many processed less than 1,000 head per week and handled other species as well.
There were two federally approved packers handling beef in B.C., six in Alberta, one in Saskatchewan, one in Manitoba, eight in Ontario, six in Quebec and one in Prince Edward Island.
Canfax reported that Cargill Meat Solutions in High River, Alta., has the capacity to process 20,000 per week. Lakeside Packers in Brooks, Alta., can process 28,200, XL Beef in Calgary handles 5,000 per week and its Moose Jaw division handles the same.
Levinoff Foods in Montreal kills 4,750 per week and Cargill’s plant in Guelph, Ont., processes 7,500.
