The copper and zinc plants at Kidd Metallurgical Site in Timmins will close their doors permanently May 1, leaving 670 employees without work.
Kidd site manager Thompson Hickey said the company made the decision because of a global over capacity of smelting plants, a high Canadian dollar and the Timmins plant is too small to benefit from economies of scale.
The company stated the closure is not linked to the Vale Inco strike in Sudbury, unlike the temporary shutdown the Kidd site experienced late this summer. Vale Inco was providing copper concentrate to the plant before the labour dispute.
An early retirement program will be offered to employees who qualify. The Kidd mine and the Kidd concentrator are not affected by the shutdown.
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