Blue Triton closing Aberfoyle water bottling plant

A company that bottles ground water just south of Guelph has announced plans to close up their Aberfoyle facility and put the building up for sale.

In a statement to CTV News, the company said, “We have initiated a public sale process for our Guelph facility and will wind down our operations in Ontario by the end of January.”

The news of the facility’s sale comes after Blue Triton announced a merger with Primo Water.

Both companies are based in the U.S.

Blue Triton says, “This was a difficult decision, unrelated to our merger with Primo. We will continue to serve our customers through this transition period and will continue to have operations in Canada in our Hope [British Columbia] facility, which will serve our business in the Western provinces as well as some of our U.S. Pacific Northwest business.”

Economic impact

Puslinch Mayor, James Seeley told CTV News, “They were the third highest taxpayer in Wellington County. Approximately 200 jobs are going to be lost.”

He’s worried about the economic hole such a large company could leave when exiting town.

“It's a loss to our community as they were a great contributor to our local community groups,” Seeley said. “If a new company buys [the facility], then maybe there's a possibility those people will still be employed. But that's all unknown right now.”

Wellington Water Watchers reaction

Wellington Water Watchers (WWW), a local advocacy group formed to push back against water bottling operations, feel they've won their almost 20-year fight.

Their slogan is, “water is for life, its not for profit.”

Arlene Slocombe and Dani Lindamood from Wellington Water Watchers pose near a Blue Triton sign on Nov. 11, 2024. (Krista Sharpe/CTV News)

“This is a significant victory for water justice in Ontario,” Wellington Water Watchers Programs

“We hope that it has ripple effects that go beyond just this community,” she added.

Wellington Water Watchers Executive Director Arlene Slocombe said, “This significant decision for Triton to leave Ontario operations is a significant landmark decision that is a victory for our community to celebrate. It's a huge victory in the battle towards water justice in this province.”

The group has put out five calls for action including “a just transition for current employees” and “the return of well ownership to local, Indigenous-informed stewardship.”