round destination spot for tourists.
#somethingshappening
Leamington sported the name ‘the toma-
to capital of Canada’ for a long time, but
when the H. J. Heinz Company of Canada
closed its plant in 2013 after being opera-
tional for over 100 years, countless peo-
ple lost their livelihoods. Since Heinz was
the municipality’s largest employer at the
time, the departure was quite a blow to the
community, but low spirits did not last for
too long. “There were a lot of hours spent
here with various agencies trying to figure
out where to go from here,” said Mayor
Paterson and within a month or two, the
municipality started carving out Leaming-
ton’s future. “Council made several busi-
ness decisions to move the municipality
forward… we still refer to ourselves as
the Tomato Capital of Canada, but we are
looking at other branding strategies for the
future.”
“Even though we’re known for tomatoes,
the volume of other products that come
out of this region might be startling to the
average person so we’re paying more at-
tention to how we could market beyond
the tomato,” Lassaline-Berglund added.
Since Heinz’s departure, the focus has
been on forming partnerships. Leaming-
ton recently partnered with the Caldwell
First Nation, whereby band members can
develop the skills needed for governance
in their own communities through intern-
ship programs with Leamington’s govern-
ing body. “I think a lot of communities have
had a less-than-welcoming relationship
with First Nations communities,” Mayor
Paterson said, but Leamington doesn’t fall
into this category. When the Caldwell First
Nation announced that they were coming
to Leamington, the first thing Mayor Pater-
son did was reach out to its chief, Louise
Hillier. “It’s been a great relationship since
then,” the mayor added.
Leamington, unlike other communities in
Ontario, has the most cultural diversity
per capita. It is home to temporary foreign
workers and seasonal agricultural workers
who keep the agribusiness thriving. At any
given time, almost a third of the popula-
“Council made several business decisions to move the municipality forward…”
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