SMITHS FALLS IN THE WORLD: A STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION IN A RURAL CANADIAN TOWN

Abstract

In early February, 2007, Hershey’s Chocolate Company announced itsglobal supply-chain transformation plan to cut morethan 1500 jobs from itsCanadian and United States plants. Smiths Falls, the Chocolate Capital ofCanada, lost its Hershey factory together with theclosure of the Rideau RegionalCentre, an institution for people with developmental disabilities. By the end of2008, this Eastern Ontario town of roughly 9,000 people shed roughly 1700 jobs,constituting almost 40% of its active labour force(Sutton, 2009). Globalization,despite the confusion generated by the word, must be considered a core factor inthe economic and social situation. Smiths Falls confronts these lay-offs from aposition of economic and social strain already. The paper examines the broaderchanges in the world occurring through globalization and how the local societyof Smiths Falls has adjusted in tandem. Such an analysis has likely been relevantto Smiths Falls since its inception; as a meeting point of transcontinental tradeand a centre of manufacturing within an ever-expanding and more complexsupply chain.