Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Chapman's Dairy fire in Markdale

Heard on the news this morning about another sad loss to the Grey County area. A few weeks ago millions of dollars of damage occurred from a tornado. Now the local ice cream plant has burned to the ground. We usually buy Chapmans Premium Ice Cream because it is made in Ontario and the first ingredient is "Cream" - therefore they get to use the "little blue cow" logo.
On one hand I want to say go out and buy a 2L tub (Plastic container) of Chapmans Ice Cream because it is on sale this week at Zehr's. On the other hand I do not want to tell you that because I need to stock up my freezer since there will probably be limited supply in a few weeks.
Full news report at CKNX websites:
http://am920.ca/news.php?area=details&cat_id=4&art_id=6364
http://www.1017theone.ca/news.php?area=details&art_id=6364
Photos by Kirk Scott

Views: 692

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on September 6, 2009 at 3:55am
Hi Wayne: Have you heard if they plan to rebuild or not? How many employees work there...tough situation in a small town like Markdale...

Joe
Permalink Reply by Wayne Black on September 6, 2009 at 5:21am
Yes they plan to re-build in Markdale. They are pretty dedicated to the town since they are the largest employer with 400 employees. Another reason to support this business: David Chapman said "they will continue to pay their 400 employees for however long it takes" at a news conference Sunday Sept. 6th.
for more information on the company: http://www.chapmans.ca/

Joe Dales said:
Hi Wayne: Have you heard if they plan to rebuild or not? How many employees work there...tough situation in a small town like Markdale...

Joe
Permalink Reply by Andrew Campbell on September 7, 2009 at 12:16am
This is amazing. I can't think of one other company that has continue to pay employees while they rebuild. This is what every small town in Ontario needs, a company that will support it through the good and bad. One more reason I'll buy Chapman's.

Wayne Black said:
Yes they plan to re-build in Markdale. They are pretty dedicated to the town since they are the largest employer with 400 employees. Another reason to support this business: David Chapman said "they will continue to pay their 400 employees for however long it takes" at a news conference Sunday Sept. 6th.
for more information on the company: http://www.chapmans.ca/

Joe Dales said:
Hi Wayne: Have you heard if they plan to rebuild or not? How many employees work there...tough situation in a small town like Markdale...

Joe
Permalink Reply by Wayne Black on September 8, 2009 at 6:21am
I knew this would happen.
As soon as I said - better stock up on Chapman's Ice Cream - everyone must have also. My wife cleaned out the last remaining 2 L Chapman's Premium Ice Cream in Zehr's in Goderich. No more.
I wonder where the next closest store would be.... and with this heat wave... :-(

Wayne Black
Permalink Reply by John Beardsley on September 8, 2009 at 10:30am
if they want to maintain their contracts with major food distributors they will need to have someone copack their ice cream for them. I wonder how many companies they were co packing for?

Andrew Campbell said:
This is amazing. I can't think of one other company that has continue to pay employees while they rebuild. This is what every small town in Ontario needs, a company that will support it through the good and bad. One more reason I'll buy Chapman's.

Wayne Black said:
Yes they plan to re-build in Markdale. They are pretty dedicated to the town since they are the largest employer with 400 employees. Another reason to support this business: David Chapman said "they will continue to pay their 400 employees for however long it takes" at a news conference Sunday Sept. 6th.
for more information on the company: http://www.chapmans.ca/

Joe Dales said:
Hi Wayne: Have you heard if they plan to rebuild or not? How many employees work there...tough situation in a small town like Markdale...

Joe
Permalink Reply by John Beardsley on September 8, 2009 at 10:33am
I wonder how many consumers know that if it doesn't have the blue cow it isn't a) cream or B) canadian cream. chapman's also make a bargain brand out of dairy solids or some other euphemism for out of country sugar/milk concoction made to pole vault the import regultions of supply management..

Wayne Black said:
I knew this would happen.
As soon as I said - better stock up on Chapman's Ice Cream - everyone must have also. My wife cleaned out the last remaining 2 L Chapman's Premium Ice Cream in Zehr's in Goderich. No more.
I wonder where the next closest store would be.... and with this heat wave... :-(

Wayne Black

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Your Essential Ag & Country Directories are Here – Online and Ready!

The annual Ag & Country directories for Prairies and Ontario are now live online - these directories are your go-to resource for maximizing productivity and supporting rural living.

PigLEARN Expands Training Library with New Modules Focused on Handling, Health, and Safety

The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) is preparing to release a new set of training modules as part of its PigLEARN platform, continuing its push to provide practical, accessible education for workers entering the swine industry. Launched earlier this year, PigLEARN is an online learning platform designed to give new barn workers a strong foundation before stepping into day-to-day production tasks. The system was showcased this month at the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2025. A Growing Library of Practical Swine Training Mark Fynn, Training Resources Coordinator with the CPC, says the platform has quickly grown to become a comprehensive resource. PigLEARN currently includes 86 training modules covering topics such as: Group sow housing Pig handling and movement Transport preparation Euthanasia protocols Farrowing unit procedures General barn workflows Each module includes built-in knowledge checks and is available in multiple languages—including English, French, Tagalog, Spa

Countdown to Christmas -- Farms.com Holiday Calendar Brings Fun for the Whole Family

Farms.com is helping farm families celebrate the season with its Holiday Countdown Calendar! Starting December 1, click each day to reveal festive surprises.

Stronger Together: How Collaboration Is Transforming Swine Disease Preparedness in Western Canada

The Saskatchewan pork sector is entering a new era of disease preparedness as producers, veterinarians, and government partners work more closely than ever to guard against both endemic and foreign animal diseases. At the recent Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2025 in Saskatoon, provincial leaders highlighted how coordination and communication across the industry have strengthened dramatically over the past decade. The message was clear: no single group can tackle swine disease alone. A Shift Toward Shared Responsibility According to Saskatchewan’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Stephanie Smith, one of the biggest changes in modern animal health management is the move toward industry-wide integration. Collaboration isn’t just encouraged — it’s becoming the standard. Canada’s evolving structures, including national and provincial surveillance networks and the development of Animal Health Canada, are enabling faster information flow, better detection of disease trends, and more c

Ontario Hog Market Trends: Prices Continue to Ease as 2025 Wraps Up

Ontario hog markets continued their late-fall softening trend in the week ending November 28, with formula prices, cutouts, and feeder pig values all posting declines. Here are the key developments producers need to know. Ontario Market Prices Slide Again The 100% Base Formula Price dropped to $209.29/ckg, down from $218.13 the previous week — its lowest level in several weeks. Average dressed hog pricing settled at $259.22/ckg, with highs of $288.87 and lows of $226.11. Weekly dressed weight averaged 108.54 kg, and total hog marketings reached 118,407 head, a strong figure relative to this time last year. Weaned and feeder pig prices softened alongside formula declines: Weaned pigs: $54.42 Feeder pigs: $86.33 Canadian Slaughter Strong; Provincial Prices Ease Canadian hog slaughter remained robust at 456,721 head, well above year-ago levels. Provincial prices reflected the broader softness: Quebec Pool: $205.10/ckg Manitoba Hog Value: $229.20/ckg The Canadian dollar strengt

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service