Still reeling from Tuesday's announcement from Kellogg's that the company will be shuttering its London operation in 2014, anger and confusion remains as workers and politicians wonder why so many manufacturing jobs are leaving Ontario.
"In the last several weeks, we have lost more than 1,000 manufacturing jobs under this government's watch. The premier said she expected these closures, she said it would be unrealistic to have these closures and not have some negative impact," says Teresa Armstrong, MPP London-Fanshawe.
Kellogg's is just one of several food processors that have recently fled the area.
Bicks closed two facilities in late 2012, Heinz announced plans to shutter its Leamington plant in November and Lance Bakeries in Cambridge and Kraft Foods in Oakville are also expected to close their plants.
"I did the best I could with what I had left, now I have to go and find work and try to support my family and move on," says Fred Hendry, a tearful Kellogg's employee.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne concedes the landscape is changing.
"We're moving into a new manufacturing culture, advanced manufacturing is different than traditional manufacturing. There needs to be investment in technology and we are in the process of making those investments," she says.
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has already reached out to union members at Kellogg's and the mayor.
The government has committed to launch the Rapid Re-employment and Training Service. It often results in a job action centre and short term retraining for affected employees.
"Whether I can be trained to do another job at another factory, I don't know," says Hendry.
