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TIMES -ADVOCATE
Exeter, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
1.25 (includes GST)
Queensway Nursing Home in Hensall held its annual NewYear's Eve party for residents and their families
Dec. 31. From left dancing are Queensway residentWinnifred Homuth and dietary aide Dorothy Mellin.The
Dukes of Dixie band led by Paul Dearlove entertains the crowd. (photo/Nina Van Lieshout)
South Huron opposes Bill 206
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
SOUTH HURON — South
Huron council opposes a
provincial plan to revise
the municipal employees
retirement fund out of fear
it could cause increases to
property taxes and reduce
services.
Bill 206, a provincial act
which seeks to revise the
Ontario Municipal
Employees Retirement
System (OMERS), has
passed second reading in
the Ontario Legislature.
Mayor Rob Morley
voiced his opposition to
the bill at a recent council
meeting, saying it will add
at least three per cent to
property taxes and sup-
ports "the bad manage-
ment of OMERS."
As a result, the munici-
pality sent a letter to
Huron -Bruce MPP Carol
Mitchell asking her to not
support the bill when it
comes up for third read-
ing.
The bill proposes to
eliminate the Ontario gov-
ernment's sponsorship of
OMERS and create a spon-
sors corporation made up
of employers and employ-
ee groups. The bill would
also increase the pension
plans of municipal retirees
"at the expense of every-
body," Morley said.
To support the retire-
ment plan, which Morley
described as "pretty much
broke," contribution rates
this year from employers
and employees have
already gone up nine per
cent.
Not only does the bill
seek to increase retire-
ment plans, but after sec-
ond reading of the bill was
passed, the province has
added firefighters, police
officers and paramedics to
the plan.
"It got worse," Morley
said, even after groups
made presentations at
Queen's Park opposing the
plan.
"We're looking at these
big increases and there's
no benefit to the public,"
he added.
"You like to believe that
when you pay your taxes
you get some kind of a
benefit out of it."
The Association of
Municipalities of Ontario
(AMO) has stated Bill 206
"will significantly increase
labour costs — changes
the municipalities cannot
afford — that will create
pressure to increase prop-
erty taxes throughout
Ontario."
A report from AMO said
the bill "fails on cost
impact, it fails on gover-
nance, and it fails on
autonomy . . . A hasty
implementation of such
fundamental changes
would be reckless and
irresponsible."
"It's just another down-
load," Morley said of the
province's plan. "It's just a
cop-out on their behalf as
far as I'm concerned."
The Ontario Legislature
has adjourned until Feb.
13.
Kraft sells
Exeter plant
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — Kraft Canada is selling five Canadian
plants including its facility in Exeter.
The sale sees Kraft selling the five Canadian plants
and a big portion of its Canadian grocery assets, includ-
ing Aylmer vegetables and Primo pasta, to two U.S.
companies, Sun Capital Partners Inc., and EG Capital
Group. The new company, which will include the Exeter
canning plant, will be called CanGro Foods.
In addition to Exeter, Kraft is selling plants in
Dresden, Toronto, St. David's, Ont., and Chambly, Que.
The 800 employees involved, including about 180 in
Exeter, will make the move to the new company, Kraft
spokesman Don Blair told the Times -Advocate last
week. The sale, announced last week, is expected to be
finalised by the end of March.
Blair said employees had been notified of the sale and
had been told to report to work as usual.
The sale includes Aylmer tomatoes, vegetables, fruits,
soup and beans; Primo pasta, sauce, soup, tomatoes,
beans and other products; Ideal vegetables; 11 Migliore
and Roma foodservice pasta; and the Canadian licens-
ing rights for a number of Del Monte products, includ-
ing canned fruits and vegetables. Kraft indicated in a
press release it will keep the Del Monte line of bever-
ages in Canada.
Terms of the sale weren't released, but Kraft estimat-
ed the sold products will generate net revenues of about
$300 million in 2005.
The move is part of Kraft's efforts to restructure the
company, something Blair said started in 2004, "to
focus our resources on core global and regional cate-
gories."
The assets sold are unique to Canada, Blair said.
"These are only made in Canada and sold in Canada.
Divesting these assets permits us to better focus our
time and resources on opportunities that would provide
Kraft with greater potential for long-term growth."
Kraft acquired the Exeter plant in 2000 from Nabisco.
111RAFT
Kraft Canada announced last week it was selling a
arge portion of its Canadian assets, including its
Exeter canning plant, to two U.S. companies.
(photo/Scott Nixon)
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