kerrs candy

Candy company is closing Toronto factory after more than 100 years

After more than a century of calling Toronto home, Kerr's Candy is leaving its Etobicoke factory for a new production facility in Oakville.

The land that the current location is on is owned by the Toronto Catholic District School Board, and with nearby Holy Angels Catholic School deciding to expand, Kerr's has been forced to move.

It's not the first time Kerr's has been forced to find a new home, dating back to their original St. Thomas location that opened in 1985.

The company moved to Toronto in the early 1900s and has been a mainstay at the CNE and found in all sorts of retailers from Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart to big box grocery stores and even local shops.

While moving is never fun, the Kerr's team says they're excited for the upcoming changes and the potential that the company's first new facility in nearly 40 years can provide.

"It's a big change for us, we've been here in this facility since the early 1980s so it's going to be an upgrade on everything. We built it pretty much from scratch, it's going to be brand new," explained Marketing Manager Whitney Martyniuk to blogTO.

"We're hoping to do things with the community as well, offer tours and such which we haven't been able to do before."

Since the current location is in a residential area, the Kerr's team has been limited to what hours they produce candy and have trucks coming in and out of the facility. The new location allows for more flexibility.

While the production facility may be leaving Toronto, Kerr's will still be available across the city. The company's online store will also continue to deliver to Toronto residents.

With over 135 years of history, Kerr's has been an iconic part of many Toronto stories, this move outside of the city is just the start of its newest chapter.

Lead photo by

Kerr's Candy


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