TORONTO — Weston Foods, a division of George Weston Ltd., has announced plans to close its Cobourg, Ont., baking plant in the second half of 2020. The announcement comes a year after the company said it would expand the plant and add about 50 positions.

Weston Foods said production from the Cobourg facility will be relocated to other bakeries in the Weston Foods network. Approximately 180 jobs are expected to be lost in connection with the closing, the company said.

“As a company, we are always working to understand consumer needs and to meet changing customer demands, and that important work informs our decisions to re-evaluate our bakery network and make changes to ensure our future success,” Weston Foods said. “Closing a bakery is one of the toughest decisions we ever face. We deeply regret the personal impact this closure will have on our Cobourg employees and are committed to providing support and resources to all those affected.

“As always, our top priorities are the well-being of our employees, meeting our compliance standards, and continuing to deliver top quality products seamlessly to our customers.”

The Cobourg plant opened in 1994 as the Weston Fruit Cake Co., later becoming Maplehurst Bakeries. The facility bakes round and square cakes, fruit cake and Swiss rolls.