Mr. Christie's Bakery Redevelopment

[Filip]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Humbertown has 2 levels of retail that is plenty.

Not nearly enough for the ~50k people they're trying to cram in this spit of land.

[dudedmc]

As an employee there these "crappy" jobs pay us 2.5 times what minimum wage is. Our benefits are some of the best in the Provence and you tell me some crap office job can compare? Ok.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by dudedmc

As an employee there these "crappy" jobs pay us 2.5 times what minimum wage is. Our benefits are some of the best in the Provence and you tell me some crap office job can compare? Ok.

While I am sorry for your loss, and wish that kraft could have found employment for you somewhere else in their company, this is the cycle of capitalism. factories move as their land becomes much more valuable than the factory itself. to suggest otherwise is to run against one of the most basic principles of capitalism, which is land ownership. You simply can't leave a factory that employs 500 people over 28 acres, (1.2 million square feet) when that same employment could be covered by a small 5 floor office building, taking up no more than than an acre. or many many other forms of high-paying employment that thrives in high density, high land cost areas such as here. Factory jobs are key to a thriving economy, don't get me wrong. But they are much better placed on the edges of the city, rather than in the middle of it.

Originally Posted by Filip

Not nearly enough for the ~50k people they're trying to cram in this spit of land.

Humbertown is basically a 2 floor mall but with open air "hallways". How a 2 floor mall with probably upwards of half a million square feet of retail is not good enough for you, I don't know.

[Filip]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

While I am sorry for your loss, and wish that kraft could have found employment for you somewhere else in their company, this is the cycle of capitalism. factories move as their land becomes much more valuable than the factory itself. to suggest otherwise is to run against one of the most basic principles of capitalism, which is land ownership. You simply can't leave a factory that employs 500 people over 28 acres, (1.2 million square feet) when that same employment could be covered by a small 5 floor office building, taking up no more than than an acre. or many many other forms of high-paying employment that thrives in high density, high land cost areas such as here. Factory jobs are key to a thriving economy, don't get me wrong. But they are much better placed on the edges of the city, rather than in the middle of it.




Humbertown is basically a 2 floor mall but with open air "hallways". How a 2 floor mall with probably upwards of half a million square feet of retail is not good enough for you, I don't know.

You're vastly overestimating the scope of Humbertown's redevelopment.

[Toronto2008]

It's not nice to fire people so close to Xmas...

[Innsertnamehere]

they will still be working for another year before the factory closes...

[rbt]

Originally Posted by Toronto2008

It's not nice to fire people so close to Xmas...

It's not immediate.

That said, far better to be fired in early November than in early January after you accumulated your holiday spending debt.

[icemachine]

These people have a 1 year notice. I think that's far more than most people get. 4 guys here gone on Monday with no warning

[Taller, Better]

I'd rather the factory stays and the condo goes elsewhere. Toronto does not need a new condo that badly.

[isaidso]

Agree. What factory will this Christie production go to?

[icemachine]

They're saying it ill be split between a factory in East York (Peek Freans) and one in Montreal

[isaidso]

At least production isn't moving outside of Canada like happens far too often. The corporate mentality is: lets eliminate hundreds/thousands of Canadian jobs, move production to Indiana, then ask Canadians to keep buying our products.

[Taller, Better]

Originally Posted by isaidso

At least production isn't moving outside of Canada like happens far too often. .

But, half of those jobs are moving out of Toronto, the city we live in.

[kettal]

Doesn't matter. Condos are not happening here.

Employment designated lands are now strongly protected from conversion by provincial & city policy.

And I have to call out those who are belittling the industrial sector. The GTA is still heavily dependant on industrial, and especially food manufacturing jobs. Being squeezed out by condo-investors is not good for the city.

[kettal]

The whole notion (rather excuse by Mondelēz Canada) is that the facility was old and could not keep up is a crock of shit. They were sitting on a gold mine and knew it. It's all about money, lining their pockets with the big green while they can. It's just so easy to fire all the workers and sell the land to developers.

This is absolutely correct. The cookie factory is highly efficient and adaptable. They service a huge market as far reaching as Kentucky & Indiana. They have run into legitimate problems, however, when it comes to noise complaints from residential neighbours who have shown up in past 10 years.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

But, half of those jobs are moving out of Toronto, the city we live in.

Yes, I'd rather the jobs remained. Hopefully, this will make the East York factory more cost efficient.

[Taller, Better]

Originally Posted by kettal

Doesn't matter. Condos are not happening here.

Employment designated lands are now strongly protected from conversion by provincial & city policy.
.

Sounds like Christies have decided to close that plant, regardless. Torontonians should lambaste them and send angry letters the same way as citizens in other cities do when their businesses pull out.

[Toronto2008]

Reeeeeeeeeeejected!

[kettal]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

Sounds like Christies have decided to close that plant, regardless. Torontonians should lambaste them and send angry letters the same way as citizens in other cities do when their businesses pull out.

Then let them leave. What is more important is preserving industrial lands for future industrial use. It's literally a non-renewable resource, and we will soon regret wasting it on a real-estate bubble.

[Gil]

Originally Posted by Marcanadian

I really can't imagine 27 condominiums being appropriate for this site. This site needs heavy retail development to offset the lost jobs in the neighbourhood. Also, transit is inadequate in the area to support that many new residents. I'd like to see a mixed use development - mid-rises, office and retail with a public square - so long as transit is improved.

There was that idea at one point of relocating the Humber Loop to first Legion Rd. then Park Lawn. That would at least get more reliable transit to the area rather than having it stop short when vehicles are turned back at Humber. The same also goes for the Mimico GO station. Although they're putting work into that station so I doubt it'll be relocated any time soon!

I don't know the manufacturing industry well enough to determine whether or not there'd be another interested party willing to retrofit to plant to their needs. If they could downsize the plant and put in some office space as a buffer from all of the condos, that could work. It's right next to a highway and rail line, I can't believe there aren't any interested industries looking for a place like this.