Chocolate, pot and now what? Smiths Falls awaits what's next for historic Hershey factory 4 days ago Duration 4:32
On his kitchen table, Brent Whiten lays out binders packed withphotos and memorabiliafrom his time working at the nearbyformer Hersheychocolate factoryin Smiths Falls, Ont.
Like so many residents of the town locatedabout an hour's drivesouthwest ofOttawa, Whiten is searchingfor cluesabout what Hershey willdo with the factory it re-purchasedfrom a cannabis company almost two years ago.
"I'm always driving by to see if they've got the Hershey sign on there yet.... To this day, it does not have the Hershey sign,"Whiten said.
"We don't know if it's staying or it's going, but I hope it does stay because we could use that for Smiths Falls for sure."
When CBC News visited the factory in mid-April, only a handful of vehicles satin the vastparking lot. During the Hershey days, the lot was packed with hundreds of workers and busloads of visitingtourists and school groups.
The sign out front has no mention of Hershey or the previous owner Canopy Growth. White letters spell out "Visitor Centre."
Whiten was one of the last employees when Hershey left the town in the late 2000s. Hestarted outpacking boxes before he worked at the chocolate almondpolishing station and eventually operatedhot vats that melted the ingredients in Eat-More bars.
"They were good to us. Good to our family," he said, reminiscing about company parties, fundraisers and decades of stable work.
Sale to cannabis company
Whiten said some engineers continued to work at other Hersheylocations and may be working on what's to come in Smiths Falls. But ever sinceit re-purchased the propertyin August 2023,the company has been tight-lipped about what will be made of the plant.
From 2017 to 2023,thehistoric factory wasownedby Canopy Growth (formerly Tweed), a company that rodethe hype of medical and then recreational cannabis legalization to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into the facility and double its size.
But the company has scaled back its presence in the town it was once creditedas saving. It now operatesa bottling plant across Hershey Drive from its old headquarters.
Amy Rensby, owner of C'est Tout Bakery and Bistro in downtown Smiths Falls,saidthe loss of amajor employer in that facilityhurts smaller operations.
"It certainly reduced the amount of business that we see here ... and across the community," she said, noting she used to fill two or three large catering orders for on-boarding and other company-hosted events.
She said there's hope Hershey will bring opportunity, even if right now it's mostly asource of intrigue and gossip.
"A lot of conversation, a lot of supposition, a lot of guessing about what maybe is happening out of the Hershey factory," Rensby said.
"I don't think a company buys or invests in a property like that … without the intention of coming to operate in some way, shape or form."
Hershey return a full-circle moment
Leslie Richardson, executive director of the Smiths Falls and District Chamber of Commerce, calledHershey's return a "sweet" full-circle moment for the town.
Growing up, she said young people often got a job either with Parks Canada at the Rideau Canal Locks or working in the factory. She herselfspent one summer on the Oh Henry! line.
"We're not a one-industry town anymore. We are very resilient and we are very growth-minded," she said, pointing to the luxury rental business Le Boat.
Still, she said a large employer in the factory would have spin-off benefits for local plumbers, electricians and alarm system companies. Not to mention the sweets.
"I would hope we would get some candy, perhaps some licorice. I do fancy an Oh Henry! Bar," she said.
One theorywinding through town like a licorice whip is that the company will start producing Twizzlerslocally, but why that rumour hasstuck is a mystery.
Tariff concerns
Mayor Shawn Pankow is still optimistic Hershey is planning to set up for the long termbut understands why people are askingquestions.
"For a while, it was quiet. People assumed Hershey was working on their plans," he said."Butsince the tariff narrative has hit us all,more people have been concerned about [tariffs]."
"There's probably noimpact on the future of this facility other than where they pivot the production lines. Would they pivot on the markets they may ultimately distribute to?"
TheU.S. marketis a big part of the success of the Canadian chocolate and candy industry. The exposure to that risk may delay major investments from candy companies.
Eighty percent of all sugar and confectionery product manufacturing sales in Canadago to the U.S., according to Farm Credit Canada. Statistics Canada lists chocolate and cacao products as Ontario's second largest food export, worth $1.86 billion last year.
Recent weather events are also driving up the cost of inputs, such as sugar and cocoa, according to economic consultant Sébastien Pouliot.
"Any firm must make that business decision thinking:are we expecting tariffs in the long term? Are they going to come back? Is that the new reality?Or it's just a fad that's going to last the short term?" Pouliot said.
In an email, Hershey said the company isearly in its processand the timing is"premature" to speculate onjob creation in Smiths Falls.
"The project is a strategic acquisition and is another step in our continuing investment in our supply chain network to enable our leading snacking powerhouse vision," spokesperson Todd Scott said.
Chocolate aroma
Meanwhile, the mayor and chamber of commerce are pointing to Hershey's sponsorship of Smiths Falls Old Home Week as a sign of the company's commitment to the community.
The festival is held every 25 years, partly to draw tourists and partly to act asa reunion for current and former residents.
"The biggest thing they wanted to know was the social and economic impact this festival would have on the community — they weren't really interested in the advertising," co-organizer Christa Dales-Donnelly said.
Even though Dales-Donnelly said organizers aretalking with Hershey representatives —including about a potential parade float — they have questions like everyone else.
"Are there going to be jobs for one thing, and are there going to be tours so we can watch it again?" she said.
Though Brent Whiten wouldn't be working a line if the plant does reopen, he's eager to get back inside the doors.
"I'd love to go for a tour myself to see what it really looks like after all the changes," he said.
But most of all, he wants the return of the sweet smell he remembers from his childhood.
"I would like to see chocolate come back in the plant because the aroma of chocolate in the town, we miss that big time," he said.
