Brantford residents show support for SC Johnson amidst battle to keep plant in town

There was an outpouring of support for SC Johnson at a Brantford council meeting Tuesday evening, as the city works to keep the company's main plant in town.

SC Johnson says if a townhouse development proposed beside its facility goes ahead, it won’t be able to make proper investments in the plant, ultimately forcing it to leave the city.

The issue is now in the hands of the Ontario Land Tribunal.

On Tuesday, nearly 100 people voiced their concerns at a packed Brantford council meeting, with many sharing stories about what the long-time employer has meant to them. SC Johnson has been in the community for more than 100 years.

“When I couldn’t find worthwhile full-time employment as a veteran, it was SC Johnson who reached out with an opportunity to work full-time and make a living,” Ethan Brooks told the meeting. “I didn’t think that was attainable post-military life.”

'HOW IRONIC'

Shawn MacLeod spent 17 years at SC Johnson. It’s been more than a decade since he’s worked there, but he’s still on the front lines of trying to save it.

“There's disappointment in the fact that the fate of this facility this community, is being held in the hands of the land tribunal,” MacLeod told CTV News on Wednesday.

Former SC Johnson employee Shawn MacLeod is on the front lines of the fight to keep the plant in Brantford. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV Kitchener)

SC Johnson says it’s planning a new product line worth more than $15 million USD at its main Webster Street facility. It also wants to invest $10 to $15 million USD to increase space at its Brantford distribution centre.

But SC Johnson says they wouldn’t feel comfortable making those investments worth upwards of $30 million if the land becomes residential because those changes are what they need to stay open, and the development would stop them from doing so. 

“How ironic is it that we would build 156 housing units only to unemploy 200 people, many of whom live in this exact Homedale area, and who would not have the means to keep their homes here,” MacLeod said.

DEVELOPER RESPONDS

Meanwhile in an email to CTV News, developer Rosart Properties Inc. says they will work with the city, SC Johnson and concerned residents.

“We bought the property several years ago with the hope to build new homes there. Since then we have worked with the city’s staff, preparing numerous studies as per their direction,” Rosart Properties Inc. said in part. “We have spent millions of dollars to remediate and clean up the old industrial site. We believe our proposal will enhance the residences that already exist there.”

The City of Brantford is hoping to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal to stop the development.

It will accept public feedback until the end of the month, which will then be sent to the tribunal.