City of Brockville opens new Procter and Gamble pavilion

On Thursday, Procter and Gamble employees from the Brockville plant celebrated the opening of a new pavilion built by the city.

After 40 years in the business, the Procter and Gamble location in Brockville is shutting down. However, as one door closes for the city of Brockville, another one opens.

On Friday, members of the community faced the bitter cold temperatures to celebrate the opening of the Procter and Gamble pavilion.

During a round of speeches, the current Procter and Gamble plant manager, Mutazz Akour, said, ” Today, for us, a dream comes true. A dream of leaving a legacy to the Brockville city community — a city that nurtured Procter and Gamble business employees and their families.”

Constructed within four months at a cost of $750,000, the new building is located in Rotary Park and includes a skating rink and a splash pad for the summer months.

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“It’s something that the maximum number of people in the community can benefit from, with the emphasis on youth and families,” Akour said.

“We wanted this to benefit them all year round.”

Referring to the closure of the P&G Brockville location, the Mayor of Brockville Jason Baker says,

“It’s a financial hit to lose a large employer like that,” said Brockville Mayor Jason Baker, referring to the closure of the city’s Procter and Gamble location.

“They wanted to leave the community with their head held high and I think this project is certainly indicative of the class that the corporation has worked within our city for years.”

Despite the economic impact the closure of Procter and Gamble Brockville has had on the community and its dedicated employees, some see the pavilion as a symbol of new beginnings.

“Most of our employees were born and raised here and this is a building we will look at each day,” said plant employee Joanne Sine.

“It’s a place for us to bring our children, our families, our grandchildren and be proud of.  As our building leaves us at the end of June, this is a place we can still come and remember the great 40 years we had at this site,”

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