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67-745: William Davies Company was a pork processing and packing company in Toronto , Ontario , Canada . At one time, it was the largest pork packer in the British Empire , and it operated Canada's first major chain of food stores. One of Toronto's longstanding nicknames, " Hogtown ", is attributable to the millions of pigs processed annually by the William Davies Company. William Davies , born in 1831 in Wallingford , England , emigrated to Canada in 1854, and soon thereafter set up

134-672: A "signature snack" at St. Lawrence Market , and were designated Toronto's signature dish in 2016. Although the first William Davies plant still stands on Front Street in Toronto (albeit largely modified since its days as a pork curing facility), the last of the William Davies buildings by the Don River were demolished in the early 1990s in anticipation of the Ataratiri redevelopment project. Although Ataratiri never proceeded,

201-527: A CFIA manager and an official from the union that represents the federal inspectors. At the Maple Leaf plant behind the Listeria outbreak, a single federal inspector was relegated to auditing company paperwork and had to deal with several other plants, the manager and the union official said, contradicting the impression that officials had left the week before that full-time watchdogs were on-site. Under

268-441: A class-action bread price fixing lawsuit. In May 2022, Michael McCain announced that he would become executive chairman and hand over CEO responsibilities to Curtis Frank by the 2023 annual meeting. On 11 May 2023, Curtis Frank was appointed as CEO. Saskatoon , Saskatchewan , is the headquarters of Mitchell's Gourmet Foods, formerly known as Intercontinental Packers, which produces the "Olympic Fine Meats" line of products and

335-647: A few decades workers achieved blue-collar , middle-class lives from it. Though the meat-packing industry has made many improvements since the early 1900s, extensive changes in the industry since the late 20th century have caused new labor issues to arise. Today, the rate of injury in the meat-packing industry is three times that of the private industry overall, and meat-packing was noted by Human Rights Watch as being "the most dangerous factory job in America". The meatpacking industry continues to employ many immigrant laborers, including some who are undocumented workers . In

402-559: A finger or limb per month. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported that over a period of six years in the UK , 78 slaughter workers lost fingers, parts of fingers or limbs, more than 800 workers had serious injuries, and at least 4,500 had to take more than three days off after accidents. In a 2018 study in the Italian Journal of Food Safety, slaughterhouse workers are instructed to wear ear protectors to protect their hearing from

469-429: A hog in the eye that's walking around in the blood pit with you and think, 'God, that really isn't a bad-looking animal.' You may want to pet it. Pigs down on the kill floor have come up to nuzzle me like a puppy. Two minutes later I had to kill them—beat them to death with a pipe. I can't care. The act of slaughtering animals or of raising or transporting animals for slaughter may engender psychological stress or trauma in

536-581: A large bread division, best known for the Dempster's brand. During restructuring efforts led by David Newton as CEO and Lewis Rose as CFO, it sold or closed most of its slaughterhouses . These measures were successful and the company returned to profitability. After being successfully revived, Maple Leaf Foods was purchased by Wallace McCain , formerly co-CEO of McCain Foods , who had been ousted by his brother and co-owner Harrison McCain , in 1995 along with

603-512: A new poultry plant would be built in London . The cost of the 60,000 square meter facility was estimated at over $ 600 million partly funded by $ 34.5 million from the Ontario government and $ 28 million from the federal government. The closures were necessary because the relevant plants were "50 to 60 years old and severely growth constrained because of location, footprint or infrastructure and nearing

670-475: A producer of flour-based foods, forming Maple Leaf Foods . William Davies died in 1921, after injuries sustained by being butted by a goat. Once one of Canada's largest food producers, the William Davies Company not only graced its home city with the "Hogtown" nickname (or epithet), but William Davies also introduced peameal bacon , which continues to be popular in Canada . Peameal bacon sandwiches are considered

737-643: A scarce commodity. Medical historian Benjamin Prinz has therefore pointed to the fragility of today's healthcare systems, which themselves participate in environmentally destructive and disease-causing production chains. Contemporary concerns about the meat industry within the American context have often been colored by the COVID-19 Pandemic and the resulting supply chain issues. Beyond the consumer perspective, workers were expected to drastically increase

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804-428: A series of tweets from the company Twitter account. McCain, who has been noted by media as "a role model for crisis management" , was lauded by some, for his "humanity", and criticized by others, for supplanting shareholder primacy , as reactive calls for a boycott of the company impacted stock prices. In February 2021, the company admitted in a management report that it was target of an "ongoing investigation by

871-500: A small ration of meat for urban citizens only to the world's largest meat producer; it was a movement from a handful of processing facilities in major cities to thousands of modern meat-packing and processing plants throughout the country, alongside the rapid growth of a middle-class with spending money. In the early 20th century, meatpacking companies employed new immigrants as strikebreakers during labor actions initiated by existing workers, who were often earlier immigrants themselves or

938-402: A stall in Toronto's St. Lawrence Market , where he sold cured hams and bacon. Realizing that there was an opportunity to export Canadian pork products to England , he wrote to his brother in 1860 stating: "I think you will say that the quality of the meat I send is as good as you ever saw." Davies rented a facility at Front and Frederick Streets, a few blocks east of St. Lawrence Market, and

1005-544: A statement of condolence to those affected by the outbreak. The public health agency also said a further 30 suspected cases remain under investigation. On 27 August 2008, The Globe and Mail reported a leaked Conservative cabinet document which outlined plans for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to give the food industry a greater role in the inspection process. However, some of the plans had been in place since 31 March 2008 according to

1072-613: A variety of negative health outcomes. By 1900, the dominant meat-packers were: In the 1990s, the dominant meat-packers were: Current significant meat-packers in the United States include: Beef Packers: Pork Packers: Broiler Chickens: Outside the United States: Canada Packers Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a Canadian multinational consumer-packaged meats and food production company. Its head office

1139-499: Is called a slaughterhouse , packinghouse or a meat-packing plant ; in New Zealand , where most of the products are exported, it is called a freezing works . An abattoir is a place where animals are slaughtered for food. The meat-packing industry grew with the construction of railroads and methods of refrigeration for meat preservation . Railroads made possible the transport of stock to central points for processing, and

1206-615: Is in Mississauga , Ontario . Maple Leaf Foods is the result of the 1991 merger between Canada Packers and Maple Leaf Mills. Canada Packers was founded in 1927 as a merger of several major Toronto meat packers , most prominently William Davies Company and was immediately Canada's largest food processor , a title it would hold for the next sixty years. Already in the 1930s, it used the brand name Maple Leaf along with Klik and Kam for its pork products, its main business, with its massive operations for processing hogs for exporting to

1273-545: Is one of Canada's largest meat processors, employing more than 1,400 Saskatonians. Originally established in Saskatoon in 1940 by Fred Mendel as Intercontinental Packers, the business concentrated on canned meat products sold into the US and bacon for Britain during the war years. In 1998, the family-run business changed its name to Mitchell's Gourmet Foods. In 1999, an alliance was formed with Schneider Corporation, and eventually

1340-476: Is that the pharmaceutical industry obtains basic materials for its products from the meat-packing industry; for example, tissue extracts from slaughterhouse waste. In the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, this led to the paradoxical situation that mass slaughterhouses were infection drivers due to the bad labor conditions and at the same time suppliers of important therapeutics such as heparin , which subsequently became

1407-1014: The Federal Trade Commission investigated the country's meatpackers for anti-competitive practices in the first decade of the 1900s. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was the first of a series of legislation that led to the establishment of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Another such act passed the same year was the Federal Meat Inspection Act . The new laws helped the large packers, and hurt small operations that lacked economy of scale or quality controls. Historian William Cronon concludes: The industry after 1945 closed its stockyards in big cities like Chicago and moved operations to small towns close to cattle ranches, especially in Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado. Historically, besides Cincinnati, Chicago and Omaha,

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1474-606: The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan . In 2002, the company purchased San Francisco-based Grace Baking Company. In 2003, the company purchased rival meat packer Schneider Foods (founded by John Metz Schneider in 1890 in Berlin, now Kitchener, Ontario ). The company is also one of Canada's largest agribusinesses , owning poultry and hog farms across the country. The main slaughterhouse is located in Brandon, Manitoba . As

1541-586: The U.S. Congress led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act (both passed in 1906 on the same day) to ensure better regulations of the meat-packing industry. In the 1920s and early 1930s, workers achieved unionization under the CIO 's United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA). An interracial committee led the organizing in Chicago , where the majority of workers in

1608-525: The United Kingdom helped Toronto earn its nickname "Hogtown". Moving into western Canada it became Canada's largest beef slaughterer. In 1944, it also entered the tanning industry with the acquisition of Beardmore & Co . Canada Packers diversified into other food products including ice cream, cheese, and canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, by 1950 marketed under the York brand. In 1975, it

1675-471: The continent . In addition to curing pork for export, he began slaughtering and processing hogs, and his business became the first continuous/moving rail hog-slaughtering facility in Canada. In 1891, the new plant was the first in Canada to feature an artificial refrigeration unit. In many ways, Davies was responsible for establishing the modern Canadian pork industry. His efforts led to the establishment of

1742-460: The 2008 recall of Maple Leaf Foods products due to listeriosis contamination, another recall was ordered on nine wiener products. Brands affected were Hygrade, Shopsy's and Maple Leaf at its plant in Hamilton, Ontario, due to the possibility that they may have contained traces of Listeria monocytogenes . No cases of listeriosis related to this recall were confirmed. In 1996, Maple Leaf Bakery UK

1809-629: The Argentine industry finally secured a large slice of the British market, Pateros and trade restrictions limited its penetration of the Continent. Meat in China moved from a minor specialty commodity to a major factor in the food supply in the late 20th century thanks to the rapid emergence of a middle class with upscale tastes and plenty of money. It was a transition from a country able to provide

1876-661: The Competition Bureau into the Canadian bread industry, including alleged price fixing and related securities disclosure issues." The company also noted in the management report that "Unfavourable resolution of these or other legal matters could have a material adverse effect on the Company, its financial condition and its reputation". In 2021, the company was named, with former subsidiary Canada Bread and its current parent company, Grupo Bimbo, and others, as defendants in

1943-708: The Harvestime Bakery. These three purchases were followed by the purchase of premium breads supplier La Fornaia in August 2007 and, three months later in November, Bernard Matthews bakery in Dunstable . The company's key products now include bagels, ciabatta , croissants , artisan breads, baguettes , soft pretzels , bialys and tear'n'share breads. In December 2008, after trying to take over north London based rival The Bagel Group, allegations were made by

2010-576: The McLean family that had dominated Canada Packers since its founding announced its intention to sell its stake in the company. The controlling interest passed in 1990 to the British Hillsdown Holdings , which already owned Maple Leaf Mills, through a complex transaction in which Canada Packers purchased Maple Leaf Mills in exchange for its own shares. In 1991, the combined company was renamed Maple Leaf Foods . The firm thus included

2077-475: The PTSD Journal explain, "These employees are hired to kill animals, such as pigs and cows that are largely gentle creatures. Carrying out this action requires workers to disconnect from what they are doing and from the creature standing before them. This emotional dissonance can lead to consequences such as domestic violence, social withdrawal, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and PTSD". Slaughterhouses in

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2144-474: The United States commonly illegally employ and exploit underage workers and illegal immigrants. In 2010, Human Rights Watch described slaughterhouse line work in the United States as a human rights crime. In a report by Oxfam America , slaughterhouse workers were observed not being allowed breaks, were often required to wear diapers, and were paid below minimum wage. Another problem in this context

2211-400: The amount of contaminated droplets in the air. More than 50,000 meat packing workers contracted the disease and over 200 died. Disease is not evenly distributed throughout factories and all workers in a given factory are not at equal risk for exposure and negative health outcomes despite working the same job. In particular, the overlap of immigration status and workplace exposures can result in

2278-409: The average American worker. NPR reports that pig and cattle slaughterhouse workers are nearly seven times more likely to suffer repetitive strain injuries than average. The Guardian reports that on average there are two amputations a week involving slaughterhouse workers in the United States . On average, one employee of Tyson Foods , the largest meat producer in America, is injured and amputates

2345-495: The business was sold to Schneider on 12 November 2002. On 25 September 2003, Schneider was acquired by Maple Leaf Foods. Mitchell continues as an independent operating company of Schneider Foods. However, on 12 October 2006, Maple Leaf Foods, owners of Mitchell's, announced it would be closing down its major plant in Saskatoon over the next three years. A portion of the Circle Drive - 11th Street interchange now occupies part of

2412-609: The commission's report as "the principal dealers in Canadian hog products in the English market"). In November 1917, after a series of hearings, the commission cleared the two companies of any wrongdoing, noting that any exceptionally high profits during the war were subject to the federal government's war taxes. By 1920, the highly profitable wartime commodity markets had fallen, causing a rapid drop in prices. Food producers rushed to sell off inventory at reduced prices, causing prices to drop faster and further. The William Davies Company

2479-620: The constant screams of animals being killed. A 2004 study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that "excess risks were observed for mortality from all causes, all cancers, and lung cancer" in workers employed in the New Zealand meat processing industry. The worst thing, worse than the physical danger, is the emotional toll. If you work in the stick pit [where hogs are killed] for any period of time—that lets [sic] you kill things but doesn't let you care. You may look

2546-581: The domestic market in wartime, the entire pork industry was the focus of much public outcry, including charges of excess profits and fraudulent meat curing practices. The managers of William Davies were routinely accused of being war profiteers and monopolists. The federal government established a Royal Commission by Order in Council in July 1917 to investigate both the William Davies Company and Matthews-Blackwell Company Limited (the firms later referred to in

2613-645: The early 20th century the workers were immigrants from eastern and southern Europe and black migrants from the South. Today, many meatpacking workers are Hispanics hailing from Mexico, Central and South America. A notable amount of workers are from Peru, leading to the formation of a large Peruvian community in the industry. The isolated areas in which many plants are located put these workers at greater risk due to their limited ability to organize and seek redress for work-related injuries. American slaughterhouse workers are three times more likely to suffer serious injury than

2680-477: The end of their productive capacity", according to then-CEO Michael McCain. As of November 2018, the company employed over 11,000 people across Canada and was selling its products in over 20 global markets. In January 2020, CEO Michael McCain garnered media attention for criticizing "a narcissist in Washington" regarding events preceding Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 being shot down by Iran , in

2747-538: The federal government was not doing enough. The Conservative government's changes were the subject of heated controversy as academics and the opposition express concerns over the few details that had emerged so far. The 2008 budget indicated the CFIA was asked to find savings to pay for new programs. The leaked document indicated savings would be found by transferring some meat-inspection duties to industry. Since 2008, there have been: On 4 August 2009, roughly one year after

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2814-411: The first Canadian Board of Agriculture, through which producers, processors and government officials could work together to expand the Canadian livestock industry. As Davies had predicted in the 1850s, the firm's products did extremely well in the British market, and commanded higher prices than the offerings of American competitors due to the perception that they were of higher quality. By the 1890s, it

2881-549: The first major chain of food stores in Canada. By the 1880s, it operated 84 retail outlets across Ontario . The firm was quick to open stores in fast growing areas along streetcar lines ; Flavelle was quoted as saying "where the trolley goes it fair to assume that we shall follow shortly." The company was particularly successful during the First World War . As a result of articles in the Canadian press suggesting that meat-packing plants were making excessive profits from

2948-653: The immediate descendants of immigrants. The publication of the Upton Sinclair novel The Jungle in the U.S. in 1906 shocked the public with the poor working conditions and unsanitary practices in the meat-packing plants in the United States, specifically Chicago . Meat-packing plants, like many industries in the early 20th century, overworked their employees, failed to maintain adequate safety measures, and actively fought unionization. Meat-packing workers were exposed to dangerous chemicals and sharp machinery, and routinely suffered horrible injuries. Public pressure of

3015-484: The industry were black, and other major cities, such as Omaha, Nebraska , where they were an important minority in the industry. UPWA workers made important gains in wages, hours and benefits. In 1957, the stockyards and meat-packing plants employed half the workers of Omaha. The union supported a progressive agenda, including the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. While the work was still difficult, for

3082-504: The land. On 1 March 2007, Maple Leaf Foods announced that it would cease operations of the cut/kill departments at their Saskatoon slaughterhouse. The last day of operation was 1 June 2009. In April 2019, the company announced their intent to expand products that are alternatives to meat. The plan included the purchase of a 230,000-sq.-ft.processing plant in Shelbyville, Indiana . When completed in late 2020, this facility would become

3149-596: The lands are currently being redeveloped as part of the West Don Lands precinct of Toronto's waterfront. In 2012, a plaque was installed in Corktown Common , located in the West Don Lands, commemorating the industrial legacy of the former Williams Davies Company on the site. Meat packing industry In the United States and some other countries, the facility where the meat packing is done

3216-665: The largest of its kind in North America, according to the company. Maple Leaf was already marketing meatless products such as burgers and sausages under its LightLife brand, designed to closely resemble meat in appearance and flavour. Plant-based products were being manufactured at its Greenleaf Foods SPC plant-based division in Chicago, at a LightLife plant in Massachusetts and at Field Roast’s in Seattle. The location of

3283-646: The merger improve the financial position of the constituent firms, it also blocked entry into the Canadian market by U.S. firms. Eventually, the Canada Packers operations were consolidated, with the meat packing and abattoir functions relocating to Toronto's union stockyards in the west end of the city. The former William Davies Company facilities by the Don River were first converted into a cold storage facility and soap works, and were eventually sold. Canada Packers later merged in 1991 with Maple Leaf Mills,

3350-673: The new plant was logical because "more than 95 per cent of the LightLife and Field Roast business is in the United States today", according to the company. Maple Leaf announced, in January 2021, that it would instead purchase an existing plant in Indianapolis. In August 2008, shortly after a plant closure, Maple Leaf Foods announced a recall for several products which was later expanded to products from Maple Leaf, Schneiders, McDonald's , and other products. While not immediately clear,

3417-429: The new system, federal inspectors do random product tests only three or four times a year at any given plant, and meat packers are required to test each type of product only once a month. Under the old system, inspectors had a more hands-on role on the plant floor, did more of the tests themselves and had more freedom to investigate, said former CFIA inspector. Prime Minister Stephen Harper rejected any suggestions that

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3484-426: The number of jobs fell sharply due to technology and other changes. Wages fell during the latter part of the 20th century, and eventually, both Chicago (in 1971) and Omaha (in 1999) closed their stockyards. The workforce increasingly relied on recent migrants from Mexico. Argentina had the natural resources and human talent to build a world-class meat-packing industry. However, its success in reaching European markets

3551-552: The other major meat-packing cities had been South St. Paul, Minnesota ; East St. Louis, Illinois ; Dubuque, Iowa ; Kansas City, Missouri ; Austin, Minnesota ; Sioux Falls, South Dakota ; and Sioux City, Iowa . Mid-century restructuring by the industry of the stockyards, slaughterhouses and meat-packing plants led to relocating facilities closer to cattle feedlots and swine production facilities, to more rural areas, as transportation shifted from rail to truck. It has been difficult for labor to organize in such locations. In addition,

3618-575: The outbreak of Listeriosis would kill 22 people and ail a further 35 more. According to the National Post , the recall took place on 24 August 2008 and included all cured meats manufactured from a contaminated Toronto plant. By 25 August, the outbreak had claimed as many as five lives and sickened dozens. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a public warning against consuming several Maple Leaf products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes . CEO Michael McCain issued

3685-620: The people involved. A 2016 study in Organization indicates, "Regression analyses of data from 10,605 Danish workers across 44 occupations suggest that slaughterhouse workers consistently experience lower physical and psychological well-being along with increased incidences of negative coping behavior". A 2009 study by criminologist Amy Fitzgerald indicates, "slaughterhouse employment increases total arrest rates, arrests for violent crimes, arrests for rape, and arrests for other sex offenses in comparison with other industries". As authors from

3752-471: The rate at which they process animals. For instance, workers were expected to process 175 birds per minute up from 140 birds per minute. In part this was due to shortages of workers. Workers within the industry were often in the news for large outbreaks within factories. By its nature meat processing requires close proximity to other workers and exposure to a slew of bacteria and viruses. Additionally, workers often have to yell over loud machinery which increases

3819-492: The result of a series of divestitures culminating with the 2014 sale of the bakery division ( Canada Bread Company), Maple Leaf today now only produces and sells fresh and packaged meats, as well as plant-based protein products via its acquisition of Lightlife and Field Roast. In late 2018, the company announced that the old plants in St. Marys, Brampton and Toronto, Ontario, Canada were scheduled to close in subsequent years but that

3886-678: The transport of products. Before the American Civil War , the meat industry was localized, with farmers providing beef and hogs for nearby butchers to serve the local market. Large Army contracts during the Civil War attracted entrepreneurs with a vision for building much larger markets. The 1865–1873 era provided five factors that expanded the industry to a national scale: In Milwaukee, Philip Armour , an ambitious entrepreneur from New York who made his fortune in Army contracts during

3953-423: The war, partnered with Jacob Plankinton to build a highly efficient stockyard that serviced the upper Midwest. Chicago built the famous Union Stockyards in 1865 on 345 swampy acres to the south of downtown. Armour opened the Chicago plant, as did Nelson Morris , another wartime contractor. Cincinnati and Buffalo , both with good water and rail service, also opened stockyards. Perhaps the most energetic entrepreneur

4020-516: Was Gustavus Franklin Swift , the Yankee who operated out of Boston and moved to Chicago in 1875, specializing in long distance refrigerated meat shipments to eastern cities. A practical refrigerated (ice-cooled) rail car was introduced in 1881. This made it possible to ship cattle and hog carcasses, which weighed only 40% as much as live animals; the entire national market, served by the railroads,

4087-480: Was "caught flat-footed" by the downturn, and was facing financial difficulties by the mid-1920s. The downturn in the pork trade led to a merger between William Davies Company, Gunns Limited and Harris Abattoir Co. (in which William Davies Company held a 40% share) in 1927. William Davies Company was the foremost among the merging firms. The newly merged entity was named Canada Packers , and constituted Canada's largest meat processing and packing company. Not only did

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4154-437: Was able to purchase and expand the plant in 1875. Soon, he was shipping millions of pounds annually of salt-cured pork. The William Davies building at 145 Front Street East, later occupied by the J. & J. Taylor Safeworks, still stands today. In 1879, William Davies constructed a new facility further to the east, on the south side of Front Street at the Don River , which soon became the second largest pork processing plant on

4221-707: Was established in Rotherham as a speciality bakery subsidiary of Canada Bread which in turn is 89.8% owned by Maple Leaf Foods. It operates from a total of six sites in the UK and employs around 1,200 employees. It owns the New York Bagel brand and currently makes over 90% of the 200 million bagels supplied to the UK retail and wholesale market. In recent years, Maple Leaf has diversified from its traditional bagel market into new areas of speciality bakery business. In 2006, it acquired The French Croissant Company, Avance and

4288-416: Was limited by the poor quality control in the production of its meat and the general inferiority of frozen meat to the chilled meat exported by the United States and Australia. By 1900, the Argentine government encouraged investment in the industry to improve quality. The British dominated the world shipping industry and began fitting their ships for cold air containers, and built new refrigerated steamers. When

4355-697: Was listed as the 14th largest business in Canada. During the 1980s, Canada Packers began to suffer. It closed some facilities, including its tannery. It moved into other markets, acquiring well-known brands such as Squirrel peanut butter and Black Diamond cheese . Maple Leaf Mills was created in 1961 through the amalgamation of the Maple Leaf Milling Company Limited, Toronto Elevators Limited and Purity Flour Mills Limited. Its origins can be traced back over 170 years to Grantham Mills, built in 1836 in St. Catharines , Ontario. In 1989,

4422-460: Was opened up, as well as transatlantic markets using refrigerated ships . Swift developed an integrated network of cattle procurement, slaughtering, meat-packing, and shipping meat to market. Up to that time, cattle were driven great distances to railroad shipping points, causing the cattle to lose considerable weight. Swift developed a large business, which grew in size with the entry of several competitors. The Bureau of Corporations , predecessor of

4489-620: Was supplying over half of the entire Canadian bacon trade with Britain. The company's agent in Britain, John Wheeler Bennett, was known as the " Bismarck of the bacon trade". In 1891, the business was reorganized as the William Davies Company Limited . By mid-1917, the majority of the shares were held by Sir Joseph Flavelle , a prominent Toronto businessman. The company was the first Canadian food producer to establish its own chain of retail meat and grocery stores,

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