Advisors line up to support SC Johnson

Brantford city councilors vowed Tuesday to do everything possible to keep SC Johnson in the community.

Councilors voted unanimously in favor of a resolution presented at an operations committee meeting to support the popular long-time city employer. The resolution, prepared by Mayor Kevin Davis, calls on the city and the council to express its support and appreciation to SC Johnson.

The resolution is expected to receive final approval when city council meets later this month.

“I find it ironic that we would have houses built in an area and people there not have a job,” Coun. John Sless (Ward 2) said. “We’re exporting jobs and bringing in houses for people who don’t have jobs because the company just left.

“That just doesn’t seem to make sense to me.”

Sless and Coun. Gino Caputo (Ward 2) represents the ward where SC Johnson is located.

At issue is a plan by Rosart Bucci Group to construct a 156-unit residential development at 58 Morrell Street. The property, purchased by Rosart Bucci Group in 2021, is currently zoned industrial and adjacent to SC Johnson’s manufacturing plant on Webster Street.

SC Johnson is concerned about the proposed housing development and has said its impact would be such that the company may have to close the plant.

Company officials say they have experienced “the challenges of having residents living in proximity to our factories and it has simply not worked out.”

A decision on the rezoning application was deferred to allow SC Johnson and the developer to explore alternative solutions, but when the 120-day period elapsed, the developer was able to bypass the planning committee and city council by taking the matter to the Ontario Land Tribunal .

No date for the hearing has been set.

“I don’t have a lot of faith in the tribunal,” Sless said. “I think it’s worthwhile to go and present our case with as much information as we can.

“But to me, we need a political intervention and we need a political solution and that involves upper levels of government.”

Sless said he spoke with SC Johnson officials on Tuesday and said they are appreciative of the city’s efforts.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, we all want SC Johnson to remain in our community,” Sless said. “The reasons why are all well-known in our community.

“So we will continue to do everything legally and as humanly possible to keep SC Johnson here.”

Caputo said keeping SC Johnson in Brantford is a necessity.

“SC Johnson is a world-class corporation,” Caputo said. “This is a company that has long-been a success and certainly has been instrumental in the growth and development of the City of Brantford.

“To lose SC Johnson would be devastating.”

Caputo said he and Sless have been working tirelessly to find a successful resolution to the issue.

count. Mike Sullivan said residents clearly stated their support of SC Johnson.

“In all the different emails and communications that I’ve received since I’ve been on council, I have not had any topic come before me where I have constituted from every ward contacting me,” Sullivan said. “I’ve been flooded for the last week-and-a-half.

“It’s very clear what the residents want and like I told them on the phone, I’m going to do everything I can to help SC Johnson stay here for the foreseeable future.”

A popular and well-respected employer, SC Johnson has been a model corporate citizen for 103 years. It has, over the past two decades contributed more than $34 million CAD (in today’s dollars) to benefit the community for projects including the Brant Community Healthcare System, the SC Johnson Trail and the SC Johnson Community Centre.

The company has also been a staunch supporter of the Brant United Way campaign and Coun. Mandy Samwell (Ward 5) said the company’s contributions go even further.

“I just wanted to mention something about the little things that we haven’t heard,” Samwell said. “After the (2018) ice jam that flooded Eagle Place, SC Johnson took time to send staff to go door to door with the neighborhood association to get products to people to clean their homes.

“They really are a big part of our community.”

count. Greg Martin (Ward 3) set the record straight on the so-called ‘strong mayor’ powers that have been handed to Davis by the province.

“One of the misconceptions out there in the community is that our strong mayor can just waive his hand and say ‘no, this development can’t go forward,’” Martin said. “If my understanding is correct, it’s the exact opposite.

“If this proposal was turned down (by council) he could say ‘no, as strong mayor, I say this proposal goes forward.’”

The mayor, Martin said, has absolutely no power to deny it.

“To say the mayor isn’t doing something that he should be doing is totally false,” Martin said.