New investment supported by $1.5 million in provincial funding. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford
Bimbo Canada, formerly Canada Bread (a name change occurred in 2018 due to its purchase by the Mexican-based parent company Grupo Bimbo), is investing $15 million to build a new tortilla production line at one of its Hamilton bakeries.
Bimbo Canada is the largest and oldest commercial bakery in the country and produces over 1,000 products for 18 different brands, including Dempster’s, Villaggio, and Stonemill. The announcement is seen as a significant boost for Hamilton’s manufacturing sector.
As part of the $15 million investment, the Ontario Government announced that it will be providing Bimbo Canada with $1.5 million through the province’s Regional Development Program. The program provides cost-shared funding to various entities in order to help communities attract investment, diversify their economies, and create jobs.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was on-hand at one of the company’s facilities on Nebo Road on Hamilton Mountain this past Thursday, January 12 for the announcement.
“Our government is thrilled to support this investment from Bimbo Canada – a growing Ontario company that believes in its community and is creating jobs for the people of Hamilton,” said Premier Ford.
“As we continue to navigate global economic uncertainty, our government will continue to work tirelessly to create the economic conditions that attract investments like these.”
Bimbo Canada has its headquarters in Etobicoke and has been operating for more than 110 years, employing over 4,300 people across 16 bakeries and 11 distribution centres in Canada.
As Canadians are reportedly shifting away from sandwich bread to tortillas, the company is working to meet the demand with the new production line that will reportedly increase their tortilla output by 25 per cent. It is hoped that the line will be in operation by the end of 2023.
Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP Neil Lumsden and Flamborough-Glanbrook MPP Donna Skelly also commented on the move.
“This investment supports the growing demand for Ontario-made products and ensures good-paying jobs for the people of Hamilton,” said Lumsden.
Skelly added, “Our government has promised since the day we took office that we would make it easier for businesses to invest and create jobs in this province.”
The tortillas will be manufactured at the Hamilton “Trillium Plant”. Bimbo Canada has two Hamilton locations, both on Nebo Road. The “Trillium Plant” is the newer of the two facilities.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
