It’s back to school! While the Northvolt saga has Quebec in suspense, was there any encouraging news regarding employment in Canada in September…
The Resolute Forest Products plant in Maniwaki is ceasing operations for an indefinite period of at least six months, affecting approximately 120 employees. The decision, linked to a crisis in the forestry industry due to falling lumber prices, high costs and U.S. tariffs, has a major impact on forestry workers and truckers in the region. Local authorities, such as Prefect Chantal Lamarche and Mayor Francine Fortin, are calling for measures to support this essential sector.
The Hawkesbury and District General Hospital (HGH) continues its recruitment drive, and has hosted another open house on September 4, 2024. This event aimed to attract healthcare professionals such as nurses, respiratory therapists, and physiotherapy assistants. The hospital is expanding services with the addition of a Transition Care Unit and a fourth operating room. The HGH’s Chief Human Resource Officer, emphasized the need for new staff to meet community healthcare demands.
St. Albert Fire Services is actively recruiting new firefighters and recently attracted more than 50 potential candidates at two open house events last month, which demonstrated the growing interest among younger individuals in firefighting.
The department is looking to hire six firefighters to fill current vacancies. St. Albert currently employs 132 operational and 14 administrative staff, including the fire chief.
Candidates will undergo a rigorous selection process, including physical fitness testing at the University of Alberta and a station assessment day.
The company RAD Technologies, specializing in the manufacture of winter equipment, has laid off 25% of its employees. These job cuts are mainly due to a slowdown in orders, a phenomenon which affects the industrial manufacturing sector in an uncertain economic context. The company’s managing director explained that these measures were necessary to ensure the long-term viability of the company. This layoff affects around 70 workers, mainly in its Quebec factories. However, RAD Technologies hopes to stabilize its activities in the coming months.
Montreal video game studio Motive, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, is hiring 100 new employees to strengthen its team. This recruitment wave comes as the studio develops several ambitious projects, including a game based on Marvel’s popular Iron Man franchise. Motive is experiencing rapid growth, with increased workforce needs to meet market demand and the scale of new titles in development. The studio is looking for talent in various fields, including programming, design and production.
Bimbo Canada closed two factories in just four months, in Quebec and Lévis, impacting 300 workers. The first closure, in Lévis, occurred in June 2024, followed by that of Quebec in September. These closures are the result of a strategic reorganization aimed at optimizing the company’s operations. Affected employees will be offered reintegration support, and some positions will be offered at other facilities. This restructuring is part of a context where Bimbo Canada is seeking to improve its efficiency.
Northvolt, the Swedish battery manufacturer, has announced the loss of 1,600 jobs in Sweden as part of a reorganization. This reduction in staff is linked to increasing financial pressures and the need to streamline operations in the face of an increasingly competitive market. The announcement raises questions about the implications for Northvolt’s future activities, particularly its expansion plans in Quebec. However, no specific jobs in Quebec were mentioned in this wave of layoffs, and the project to build the battery factory in Canada appears, for now, to continue as planned.