St. Albert Cheese Co-op gets million dollar boost

Kathleen Wynne picks out a few blocks of St. Albert's famous cheese before making a $1-million dollar funding announcement. (Photo: Christopher Scott/CTV Ottawa)

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne arrived in St. Albert looking to spend money.

After purchasing a few blocks of the St. Albert Cheese Co-op’s famous cheese, she delivered a blockbuster funding announcement.

“Ontario is investing a million dollars to support St. Albert’s efforts to build a new state-of-the-art cheese manufacturing plant,” announced Premier Wynne.

The plant and town was devastated by fire, last February, leaving many local employees without a job.

Still, the company vowed to rebuild.

“At the beginning we didn’t believe it, but (the Premier) and Grant Crack called us and it does make a difference,” says Denis Latour, General Manager of the St. Albert Cheese Co-op.

Some say the spending could be a pre-election tactic.

“Kathleen Wynne visits two Liberal held ridings today where #PCPO candidates are very strong,” MPP Lisa McLeod posted on Twitter.

Election or not, St. Albert employee Bob Levesque says the funding will help after the fire.

“Every penny will help, the equipment, the staff, the employees,” he says.

With a report from CTV’s John Hua.