Heinz Ketchup is returning to making ketchup in Canada, this time in Montreal.
In 2014 it closed its ketchup-processing plant at Leamington, Ont., and later sold it to a team of former senior people who worked there for Heinz.
It is now making potato paste.
Heinz said it’s building a $17-million plant that will employ about 30 people producing 45 million kilograms of ketchup every year.
It will be made from imported tomatoes; the company said it eventually hopes to use Canadian-grown tomatoes. The prices it was required to pay for the Leamington plant were a part of the decision to leave; since then the new owners have persuaded the province to step in and it temporarily took the place of the farmers' marketing board in negotiating prices.
The Quebec government is providing a $2 million forgiveable loan.
