Fire at meat plant puts small town Alberta residents out of work

About 155 workers at the Sunterra Meats plant in Trochu, Alta., are temporarily out of work after a fire earlier this month. (Supplied/The Town of Trochu)

The mayor of a small town in Alberta says more than 150 workers at a local meat processing facility have been laid off following a fire earlier this month.

Trochu, Alta.'s Mayor Barry Kletke says a recent fire at Sunterra Meats, one of the major employers of the town, forced the company to lay off more than 100 people.

He's now calling on the community to help the affected workers through fundraisers, job placement assistance, emotional support and volunteer efforts.

"It's important to involve the community and work together to provide a comprehensive support system for those affected by the fire," Kletke said on Facebook.

Glen Price, director for Sunterra Market in Trochu, said the fire broke out on June 17 at the end of the day, so no one was inside and no one was hurt.

"It's not investigated as suspicious," Price told CTV News. "Not a lot of product was lost."

The fire caused extensive damage to the business, but it didn't affect the whole building, Price said, however the company is in talks with its insurance provider and has no date for a reopening.

"Until we figure out what the rebuild requirement is and what it will take, we really don't know at this point," Price said.

Sunterra Meats is the largest employer in the community, but Price says not all of its workers live in the community.

He said about 120 full-time workers were given temporary lay off notice so they could access employment insurance benefits.

One of many fundraisers to support the workers, many of whom are from the Philippines, is planned for July 1.

The Kneehill Fil-Can Bayanihan Society is hosting a barbecue from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 302 Main Street in Trochu.

The town says in addition to supporting fundraisers, it asks residents to donate funds to its food bank or volunteer to help collect and deliver donations.

Businesses that are looking for employees are also encouraged to contact the town office.

Sunterra says it will also be taking steps to support the many fundraisers for the affected workers.

Trochu is a community of approximately 1,000 people, located about 148 kilometres northeast of Calgary.