I have been visiting plants for 22 years now, and every time I go to the Levinoff-Colbex facility, I am always amazed to see just how complex the industry has become. I made that point using some statistics. There were 500 slaughterhouses in 1980, and now, there are only five. When you actually visit these facilities, you realize that the technologies that are used and the know-how of the employees are of critical importance.
If that slaughterhouse were to shut down, naturally, that would be an economic disaster for our community, as well as for all of Quebec and Canada. Because workers are hard to come by these days, it is difficult to recruit staff. Over the years, the Levinoff-Colbex slaughterhouse has developed some exceptional expertise in our region. It produces high quality products. While I believe that consumers do feel safe, improvements are necessary, which brings in the whole financial aspect for the producers, obviously, although there is also the qualitative aspect in terms of the safety of Quebeckers and Canadians.
Because of the nature of the industry at this time, there is that specialization. So, we have to listen to the promoters when they bring forward projects that will enable them to keep what they have, while meeting the needs of the industry both quantitatively and, especially, qualitatively.
There are currently 250 employees. Consolidation is very important, but there will be 150 additional employees as a result of the new cutting room, which will bring the slaughterhouse closer to the product. And, naturally, there will be enhanced efficiency for the cattle owner, from the financial standpoint.