Saputo Plant To Shut For Good This Month

The Saputo processing plant in Saint John’s north end will close for good at the end of this month.

The closure of the former Baxter Dairies plant was announced in February 2020 but the decision was potentially lost in the onslaught of pandemic information that followed in March.

A total of 65 workers will lose their jobs as of January 31st.

A company news release originally pegged the job losses at 199, but an email from the company this week said the first number was “incorrectly relayed due to an administrative error.”

Our newsroom asked Saputo officials how they were going to help the 65 workers losing their jobs.

“Impacted employees will be provided with severance and outplacement support, and some will be offered the possibility of transferring to other Saputo locations,” a spokesperson said in an email.

What will become of the storied facility at 91 Millidge Avenue remains unknown.

“We will consider the future of the facility at a later date,” the company said.

Baxter Dairies was founded in Saint John in 1931 and purchased by Saputo in 2001.