A longtime Burnaby industrial operation is shutting its doors.
Lafarge Canada has confirmed to theNOW, as of this week, it is closing the Kask Bros. concrete operations in Burnaby, located on Barnet Highway.
In a statement from Lafarge Canada’s director of communications Jennifer Lewis, said operations from the facility will be moved to the company’s Port Mann and Harbour plants.
“All employees will be transferred to other locations,” the statement said. “There are no job losses as business is brisk and the Kask employees have a strong family and safety culture that is important to our customers and the community.”
She noted the move comes as Lafarge studies how it can best serve customers given the “evolving road network in the area.”
Asked for a further explanation, Lafarge said: “In terms of the road network, we look at how our trucks move around the entire Lower Mainland to deliver to customers, so things like the Port Mann Highway 1 improvement, the Fraser Perimeter Road project and soon to commence, Massey Tunnel replacement all impact our logistics.”
While the facility is not currently for sale, Lafarge said it is studying options for the site’s future and involving local stakeholders in the process.
Coun. Sav Dhaliwal said he wasn’t aware of the closure, or any interest or plans the city had with the property.
“That seems to be the way things are going where businesses are being consolidated by larger companies,” he said, pointing out the business had been operating in Burnaby for decades. “I’m sorry to hear, when it involves a business relocation or shutting down, it’s tough on employees.”
The closing brings an end to an era that was decades long.
The plant began as a rugged camp in the early pioneer days in Burnaby, sitting on what was then known as Barnet Road, along the shores of the Burrard Inlet.
William Kask Sr. bought the land in 1925, and workers from the nearby Barnet Mill rented cabins on the land, which became known as Kask's Camp.
The company began supplying concrete in in 1936, according to the company’s website.
