It’s been just over two weeks since Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd. in Fort Macleod, Alta., ceased operations after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency suspended its Safe Food for Canadians licence. Some say the community is starting to see the economic impacts.
The CFIA said the licence suspension was due to the meat-processing plant’s inability to comply with regulations related to operational sanitation procedures to prevent cross-contamination of food, and preventative control measures for the detection of E. coli and temperature deviation in carcasses.
Brent Feyter, the mayor of Fort Macleod, said Friday the situation is unfortunate for employees. He said there are approximately 200 people employed at the plant, many of whom were laid off due to the suspension.
According to Bouvry, workers are from nearby communities such as Lethbridge and the Blood reserve, as well as from Fort Macleod itself, a community of around 3,200 people.
“Many (Bouvry staff) live within our town, and it’s disturbing to see,” Feyter said. “Many of them are uncertain. They don’t know what’s happening next. They don’t know when this is going to end.
“I have heard from (human resource) teams throughout the community that they’ve been getting a lot of (job) applications and a lot of interest from those that have worked for Bouvry.”
The facility processes several types of meat, including horse, beef, elk and bison. From a producer standpoint, Economic Development Lethbridge CEO Trevor Lewington said the closure could have an impact on products getting to market.
“A number of years ago, Maple Leaf had a scandal that impacted the food chain for humans, and so they were able to successfully recover,” Lewington said.
“Like any business, the key is to resolve this as quickly as possible and to make sure they meet all the regulatory requirements.”
On Friday, the CFIA said it is working closely with Bouvry “as they work to address the non-compliances outlined in the licence suspension bulletin.”
The agency added if corrective action is not taken by Bouvry within 90 days, the licence may be cancelled altogether.
“The licence suspension will be lifted if the CFIA determines that corrective measures have been taken by the licence holder. If and when the licence of Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd. is reinstated, CFIA will post an update to the licence suspension bulletin on our website.”
Global News reached out to Bouvry for an update on Friday but did not hear back.
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