A city council meeting in Brantford was awash with a flood of support for SC Johnson, a significant local employer, as the city makes concerted efforts to retain the company’s primary plant within the municipal boundaries.
SC Johnson has flagged concerns over its future in the city, should a proposed townhouse development adjacent to its current facility proceed. The company has argued that such a development would hamper any further financial investments into the plant, inevitably leading to the company’s departure from Brantford. The pressing issue has been escalated to the Ontario Land Tribunal for arbitration.
A staggering attendance of nearly 100 concerned citizens filled the Brantford council meeting on Tuesday. The crowd, comprising past and present employees and locals alike, voiced their apprehension concerning the fate of the century-old company, sharing personal anecdotes of SC Johnson’s deep-seated impact on their lives.
Ethan Brooks, a former military veteran, passionately recounted how SC Johnson provided him with lucrative full-time employment during a challenging period. “After my military service, I was uncertain of ever finding a rewarding full-time job. But it was SC Johnson that provided me with a golden opportunity to work and live a fulfilling life.”
The odds faced by the company have compelled its former employee, Shawn MacLeod, to join the frontline of the meleé, despite having left SC Johnson a decade ago. Speaking about the precarious situation of the facility, MacLeod expressed, “It’s disheartening that the fate of this community-focused enterprise lies in the resolution of a land dispute.”
SC Johnson is poised to introduce a new product line, worth an impressive $15 million USD, to its principal Webster Street facility. In line with this, the company has plans to inject an additional $10 to $15 million USD, to expand its distribution centre in Brantford.
However, SC Johnson’s plans to forge ahead with these substantial investments, adding up to a notable $30 million, are held in the balance due to the looming threat of the land conversion into residential property. The development proposal stands at odds with the company’s strategies to remain operational.
MacLeod criticized the irony of the situation by saying, “It’s a peculiar paradox to construct 156 housing units only to potentially render 200 people unemployed, many of whom are residents of this very Homedale area, who probably wouldn’t have the means to hold onto their homes.”
In response, the property development company, Rosart Properties Inc, has conveyed its intentions to cooperate with the city, SC Johnson, and the worried residents. It stated, “Our vision has always been to construct new residences on the property, which we bought several years ago. In the intervening years, we have been collaborating diligently with the city’s staff and have invested millions to rehabilitate the old industrial site. We trust that our proposal will enhance the existing living conditions.”
The City of Brantford is looking to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal to halt the proposed development, with a public feedback window open till the end of the month. The collected feedback will subsequently be submitted to the tribunal for consideration.
