Labour Market News Bulletins-Renfrew and Lanark Counties
May 2011: Sod is turned on new Algonquin College Pembroke Waterfront Campus. The project will create dozens of construction jobs through its completion in September of 2012. Giffels Contractors awarded building contract.
April 2011: Strike at Commonwealth Plywood in Pembroke extends to one year anniversary. No new negotiations scheduled as strike drags on.
January 2011: Ellis Don Contractors awarded multi-million dollar contract to build new helicopter hangar/facility at CFB Petawawa. Once completed the new building will house a new helicopter squadron at the base, bringing with it another 400 military personell. The project will also create dozens of construction/skills trades jobs.
August 2010: KI Pembroke lays off more than 15 employees. Other employees continue to be offered work sharing through government programs.
August 2010: AECL re-starts NRU Reactor in Chalk River, resuming radio-isotope production. The reactor had been off line for more than a year.
June 2010: Atomic Energy of Canada announces lay offs. As many as 40 staff at Chalk River Laboratories are given lay off notices.
April 2010: Sod turning is held for new Perth Algonquin College Campus. Construction to be completed in time for Fall 2011 school year.
April 2010: Unionized workers at Commonwealth Plywood in Pembroke go on strike in a dispute over wages and job security. The former Canada Veneers plant has struggled in recent years causing significant layoffs.
March 2010: Plan to turn former Hershey plant in Smiths Falls into a distribution centre for Aquablue Spring Water International, a bottled water company, fails. The company has planned to create as many as 200 jobs in the community but it facility never got up and running.
December 2009: The Government of Canada announces its intentions to locate a squadron of 15 Chinook Helicopters at CFB Petawawa. Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke M-P Cheryl Gallant says the announcement will result in as many as 440 new jobs at the base. Click here to view the article published in the Pembroke Daily Observer.
November 2009: On Line Support (OLS) announces plans to consolidate its operations in the former Eddy Match building in Pembroke. The decision to vacate its second location at the West End Mall in Pembroke will allow the company to save money on infrastructure, but also to expand its Eddy Match operation to add an additional 100 employees. OLS is now the largest private employer in the City of Pembroke with more than 400 employees.
November 2009: Montessori School will close in Pembroke as of December 31, 2009. Six staff will be laid off as a result of the closing of the school which began operations in 2007. The decision to close is based on financial losses as a result of low enrolments.
November 2009: Superior Electrics closes Pembroke plant. The appliance manufacturer had operated in Pembroke since 1917, but in the final few years of operation it had only a skeleton staff. In its peak, it employed more than 120 workers.
October 2009: A bus manufacturing/refurbishing company, New Flyer Industries announces plans for a bus repair centre in Arnprior. The company holds a job fair seeking skilled workers in several trades.
October 2009: CFB Petawawa announces it may have to lay off as many as 50 construction trades contract workers because of a lack of work. The Base has not received funding for some major construction projects, resulting in the planned layoffs.
October 2009: Laurentian Valley Township rejects request by ATC Panels to forgive outstanding taxes because council feels there is no guarantee it would help the company re-start the fibreboard plant, which closed down several months ago. The company is now in receivership.
October 2009: Wal Mart and the City of Pembroke reach an agreement allowing Wal Mart to proceed with an expansion of its Pembroke store to include a grocery department. The expansion will be less than what Wal Mart had originally planned, and the retail giant has also agreed to provide a $50,000 donation to a cause that supports the city's downtown.
October 2009: KI Pembroke introduces work sharing to avoid lay offs. KI makes office furniture, primarily filing cabinets, and many of its primary customers are in the United States which has been hard hit by the recession.
June 2009: Algonquin College President Robert Gillett announces construction on the college's new Pembroke Campus will begin April 1, 2011 with a completion date of September 2012. The $36-million project will create dozens of construction/skilled trades jobs.
June 2009: Aquablue Spring Water International announces it is purchasing former Hershey Plant in Smiths Falls. The acquisition will help create jobs in the town which has been hard hit by plant closures in recent months. Learn more: http://www.aquablueinternational.com/news.htm
April 2009: Ottawa Valley Rail announces 30 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the economic downtown which is reducing the transport of materials on OVR's railways in Eastern and Northern Ontario.
April 2009: More job losses at Pembroke Daily Observer. 7 full-time employees and 23 part-time employees in the company's mailroom operation are losing their jobs at the century old newspaper as its parent company, Opsrey, tries to cut costs. Earlier this year, the Daily Paper eliminated its Monday paper and cut jobs in its sales and office staff areas.
March 2009: Sandvik Steel in Arnprior announces layoff of 40 employees.
March 2009: 'A' Television annouces lay off of almost all of its Pembroke Television station employees as part of a nation wide downsizing to stop financial losses at its conventional TV stations. The job cuts essentially close the Pembroke station which has been broadcasting in the Ottawa Valley for more than 50 years.
February 2009: Tel Tech officially closes its doors at its call centre in Renfrew.
January 2009: A major New Year's Day fire destroys six businesses in Renfrew, including Deslaurier Custom Cabinets. More than 150 employees are displaced by the blaze. Deslaurier plans to re-build.
December 2008: Zomax in Arnprior lays off almost 80 employees.
December 2008: Tel Tech announces its plan to close its Renfrew call centre, effective February 2009. The closing will displace more than 300 workers.
November 2008: Algonquin College's Board of Governors approve plan to build new Pembroke Campus and new building for Perth Campus. The Perth project is scheduled for completion by fall 2011 with the Pembroke project completed by fall 2012. Both projects will create significant construction jobs and lead to more access to post-secondary training in Renfrew and Lanark counties.
November 2008: ATC Panels announces a further lay off at its fibreboard plant in Laurentian Valley, impacting almost all of the company's 140 employees. The company says the plant shutdown will remain in place until market conditions improve in the forestry sector.
October 2008: Stone Container announces it will close its pulp and paper plant in Portage Du Fort, Quebec as of October 31, 2008, throwing 218 people out of work, including several Ontarians who live in Renfrew County.
October 2008: ATC Panels announces one month lay off of almost 70 workers at its Laurentian Valley fibrboard plant just outside Pembroke. The lay off impacts almost half of the plant's employees.
June 2008: Timminco announces its plan to close Haley Station manufacturing facility. The company's workforce has been in decline for many years. The final closing impacts 24 employees. Click here to read the newspaper article
May 2008: Atomic Energy of Canada announces its intentions to shut down the Maple X reactor project at its Chalk River laboratories. The reactors were intended to assist with medical isotope production but after years of construction they never reaching their potential.
February 2008: Action Centre is set up in Renfrew for displaced workers at Trimag Plant. The plant announced its intentions to close its Haley Station manufacturing faculity in May, impacting more than 100 employees.
December 2007: Keata Pharma announces its intentions to purchase Phizer Canada's Arnprior plant, saving 175 jobs. Click here to read the newspaper article
August 2007: ATC Panels continues hiring spurt. More than 80 jobs added to support new moulding division at Pembroke fibre board plant.
May 2007: Trimag announces it will close its Haley Station manufacturing facility resulting in more than 100 full-time jobs being lost. Click here to read the newspaper article
April 2007: American retail giant Value Village announces intentions to open a store in Pembroke, creating 50 full and part-time jobs. The store will open in September 2007. Click here to read the newspaper article from the Pembroke Store Opening
February 2007: Hershey Canada announces intentions to close Smiths Falls manufacturing facility, potentially resulting in the loss of more than 400 jobs.
January 2007: Commonwealth Plywood in Pembroke announces its planned closure of its veneer division in Pembroke. More than 100 employees are impacted by the pending closure. Click here to read the newspaper article An action centre has been established to help the workers affected by this closure. Click here to read the newspaper article
August 2006: On-Line Support officially opens its second call centre in Pembroke in the former Eddy Match Building. The Call Centre projects its workforce will surpass 400 employees sometime in 2007. Click here to read the newspaper article (#1) (#2)
August 2006: Phizer Canada in Arnprior announces its plan to close its Arnprior facility within two years. Click here to read the newspaper article
June 2006: Smurfit-MBI closes its corrugated board plant in Pembroke resulting in the permanent lay off of more than 120 full-time employees. Click here to read the newspaper on the Smurfit-MBI Employee Action Centre
April 2006: TeleTech opens new call centre in Renfrew, creating approximately 100 full-time jobs.
Lanark and Renfrew Counties Community Profile Brochure
This brochure allows for a quick glance at the make up of the region. It includes information on population, top job categories, largest employers, education of the labour force, fastest growing occupations, and trends.
Labour Market Consultation - November 2006
Representatives from several major local employers were on hand to discuss their critical labour market needs and the kinds of issues they are facing in finding the right employees for the job. Participants had the opportunity to learn more about these issues, ask questions, and work with those who attended to discuss possible solutions to the labour market struggles being faced by many local employers.
Click to view the PowerPoint Presentation from the event as well as the minutes.
Labour Market Forum - February 2007
The following presentations were made at a Lanark and Renfrew Labour Market Forum in Carleton Place on February 16, 2007.
- Understanding the Labour Market
Bruce Rosove, a retired HRDC Labour Market Specialist and a consultant in Career Development Services provided a PowerPoint overview on the need for career development services in using labour market information.
- A Global Perspective on Skilled Trades
Stuart Johnson, Vice President of Policy and Government Relations with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce provided a PowerPoint overview on the Chamber's recent publication Retooling for a Prosperous Ontario: A Global Perspective on Skilled Trades.
Labour Market Forum - March 2006
The following presentations were made at a Lanark and Renfrew Labour Market Forum in Arnprior on March 10, 2006.
- Trends, Opportunities, and Priorities in Renfrew and Lanark Counties
The following link is to two PowerPoint presentations by Mitchell Wilkie, Manager of Economic Development Services for Renfrew County. The presentations focus on the role of the Economic Development office as well as current economic trends in Renfrew and Lanark Counties.
-
Labour Market Information
Lorie Tremneur, a Labour Market Information Analyst, provides a PowerPoint overview of what Labour Market information is and the products and services available from Service Canada.
- High Costs Are No Accident
David Law, a lawyer specializing in labour, employment, and workplace law, provides a summary of his interactive program dealing with the role and value of workplace safety to employers. Contact information is also provided.