Donna Boyd shows off St. Albert cheese curds produced at an interim factory
One of the most important cheese producers in Eastern Ontario and West Quebec, the St. Albert cheese factory, was destroyed in an industrial fire early last week. The community of St. Albert, which is located in The Nation township in Eastern Ontario, was concerned about a potential shortage of its famous cheese curds and the loss of employment for many members of their community. After the fire, local cheese producers offered to let St. Albert cheesemakers use their facilities to produce the St. Albert curds using their special recipe. The production of these first bags of cheese curds was extremely heartening to this community and the rest of the region; a sign of hope for recovery.
Following the industrial fire, a water advisory was issued in St. Albert after concerns that chemicals from the factory may have affected the water supply. Canadian Red Cross volunteers visited all of the homes in the community to provide further information on the water advisory and the availability of bottled water for residents. The Red Cross distributed more than 1000 cases of bottled water donated by Nestle to households in the region, including two seniors' facilities. The Red Cross continues to support the community.