Montreal chip factory closing its doors

CTV Montreal: Humpty Dumpty has fallen!

After almost 50 years in the snack-making business, Montreal's Old Dutch Foods chip factoryclosed its doors Friday.

The factory's closure -- which was announced last May -- will leave 216 workers without jobs.

In addition to finding themselves newly unemployed, many of the factory's employees have voiced concerns that they won't be receiving more than one week's worth of severance pay, regardless of how many years they have worked for the company.

The union that represents the workers is expected to be meeting tomorrow.

A representative from the union said that, despite concerns, what workers can expect by way of severance payments "is not one week." The representative could not give out any more information.

In hopes of maintaining the plant, Old Dutch had requested a $20-25 million grant from the Quebec government to put towards renovations of its Lachine factory, located on Norman St.

In June, Quebec's Industrial Policy minister Elaine Zakaib officially rejected the company's request for a grant. According to Old Dutch, its Lachine factory is no longer in a state conducive to productivity, and it is not possible to renovate or open a new factory in the area.

The factory was built in back in the 60s by Humpty Dumpty and later acquired by Old Dutch in 2006.

In it's heyday, in 1990, the Lachine factory employed roughly 500 people.

For now, the Quebec market will have to import its snacks via other Old Dutch factories across Canada -- specifically, those located in New Brunswick, Manitoba and Alberta.

Old Dutch's headquarters is situated in Saint-Paul, Minnesota.