Canadian Layoff Tracker

OMERS Ventures, the VC arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, laid off several employees from its U.S. investment team, including senior managing partner Michael Yang, as part of a strategic shift to refocus on Canadian investments. The layoffs reduced the firm's headcount from 19 employees in June to 12 total, with the U.S.-based investment team reduced from two-thirds to half of the firm's investment staff.

Arbec Forest Products announced a six-week shutdown of its OSB mill in Miramichi, New Brunswick in September, with 29 permanent job eliminations out of 113 affected employees. The closure is due to a market-related inventory adjustment, with the company citing tariff impacts on US exports as the reason for the production pause.

Vancouver, Canada-based Canfor Corp. is closing sawmills in Darlington and Estill, South Carolina, laying off 290 workers. The company cited persistently weak market conditions and sustained financial losses as reasons for the mill closures.

Ridgewood Industries, a furniture manufacturer in Cornwall, Ontario, will close in September 2025 after 55 years in business, resulting in 300 job losses. Parent company Dorel Industries cited the U.S. economy and the need to return to profitability as reasons for the closure of the domestic manufacturing operations.

Bayer's BlueRock Therapeutics is cutting 50 jobs in 2025 with Canadian employees affected. The layoff announcement was published on July 17, 2025.

Burgundy Diamond Mines announced the suspension of open pit operations at Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories, laying off several hundred employees and contractors, with the Union of Northern Workers confirming approximately 160 of its members were affected. The company continues mining at the Misery underground site while the layoffs are attributed to weak diamond market conditions, reduced demand in China, and competition from lab-grown diamonds.

Canadian EV charger company Flo is closing its Quebec plant and laying off 80 employees across Canada and the U.S. The company cited operational restructuring as the reason for the closure.

Rogers Communications ended its contract with external customer-service firm Foundever, resulting in approximately 900 job losses across Canada as the telecom company shifts to AI-powered chat support. The layoffs affect a mix of short and long-serving staff who were previously outsourced to Foundever for customer service roles.

Conestoga College is laying off at least 190 staff and suspending 82 programs due to a 48% drop in international student enrollment caused by the federal international study permit cap. This is part of a broader crisis affecting Ontario's 24 public colleges, with over 10,000 faculty and staff being laid off or projected to lose their jobs across the province.

The Vancouver Art Gallery is cutting approximately 30% of its staff (34 employees) and reducing programming by 30% to balance its budget. The reductions include 16 voluntary departures and 18 layoffs, with additional job losses possible through a union seniority process affecting all departments.

The Township of Fauquier-Strickland in Northern Ontario announced it will cease all municipal services and lay off five township employees as of August 1, 2025, due to a $2.5-million operating deficit. The municipality of 467 people exhausted its cash reserves and faced the choice between shutting down services or implementing a 190-230 percent property tax increase on residents.

The Nova Scotia Community College is laying off 27 food service workers across its campuses as it outsources operations to private company Aramark Canada. The college cited unsustainable annual losses of approximately $800,000 in its in-house food services operations.

The City of Windsor eliminated 38 seasonal and part-time caretaker positions at arenas and community centres due to a failed agreement on job protection with CUPE Local 82. The union had negotiated for 19 months seeking a memorandum of understanding to prevent elimination of full-time positions while seasonal employees remain employed.

Paccar, a truck manufacturer operating a plant in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, is laying off at least 175 workers effective August 4, 2025. The layoffs are attributed to decreased demand for trucks due to economic uncertainty from U.S. tariffs and follow 250 job losses in December 2024.

Amazon closed its seven warehouses and delivery services in Quebec in January 2025 as part of a cost-saving decision. According to the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, 4,500 affected workers still lack jobs, proper severance, or government assistance.

Foundever has announced layoffs affecting Canadian employees. The article provides guidance on employee rights and severance pay entitlements in Canada.

Microsoft announced layoffs of 9,000 employees globally, representing 4% of its workforce, as part of a major restructuring effort. The article mentions a Microsoft building in Vancouver, BC, Canada, indicating Canadian operations are affected by these layoffs.

Nearly 200 workers were suddenly laid off at the NextStar EV battery plant in Windsor, Ontario. The layoffs occurred at a contractor facility as the automotive sector faces uncertainty amid U.S. tariffs and trade tensions.

About 200 construction workers were laid off at Canada's first large-scale electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Windsor, Ontario, affecting 145 millwrights and ironworkers, 45 electricians, and three pipe fitters. NextStar Energy stated the layoffs do not impact its workforce or operations and are part of standard project adjustments.

Klue Labs CEO Jason Smith announced layoffs of 85 employees (40% of workforce) in June 2025 as part of a strategic shift to integrate generative AI into all operations and improve competitiveness. The company offered voluntary buyout packages while also conducting involuntary layoffs across all departments, with the expectation that remaining employees would embrace AI tools.