50 Lucerne workers being laid off in Winnipeg plant closure

About 50 employees at Lucerne's Winnipeg plant, which makes ice cream and cheese for Safeway stores, are being laid off this summer.

The plant on King Edward Street is closing on Aug. 30 and the work is being transferred to a facility in Edmonton, according to Safeway, which owns Lucerne.

"The plant was built over 40 years ago and the capacity, the production is not sufficient enough to ensure financial viability," Safeway spokesperson John Grahamtold CBC News on Friday.

Graham saidemployees were notified of the plant closure and layoffs on Thursday.

"For employees, we understand the impact and the difficult decision we've had to make," he said.

"From a customer perspective, Lucerne ice cream will still be in every store."

Thisis the only plant closure that has been announced since Sobeys Inc. took over Canada Safeway Ltd.