Leamington's mayor has a pretty good idea what the mayor of St. Marys is going through following the news Heinz is closing that plant.
John Paterson says he got the news from the town's economic development officer, Janine Lassaline-Berglund, while he was having a morning coffee with his wife, Betty.
"She just put hers down and said 'Well, you have to call that mayor -- you know how you felt', and I said, 'Yeah, right. I do.' So, I did," he says.
Paterson recently spoke with Mayor Al Strathdee during a stop in London and asked if he would welcome some advice.
"I could hear it in his voice. It was the same terrible emotions that I went through when Leamington's announcement came, and I felt awful for the guy," says Paterson.
So, Thursday Paterson and CAO Peter Neufeld are going up to St. Mary's to share information, like what ministers to contact and numbers to call. But, Paterson wants to stress how important it is to remain positive.
"Your people in your municipality need to hear that from you," says Paterson. "The members of the company that are going to lose their jobs need to hear that from you. And Heinz needs to hear that from you."
He also says it'll be important St. Marys plan for the future of its supply chain moving forward.
Heinz announced last week it was shutting down seven plants in Canada and the U.S. over the next two years. About 200 people are expected to lose their jobs in St. Marys.
