Bombardier is laying off 200 people from its plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario. 

The plant was being used by the company to help produce 18,000 ventilators for a contract with the Ontario government.  

According to Unifor local president Dominic Pasqualino, 125 people are going to be laid off starting mid-October and another 75 will lose their jobs by April. 

Over the past year, Bombardier has significantly reduced its operations and laid off a significant chunk of its workforce. 

In March, Liberal Leader of the Government Pablo Rodriguez lamented the company’s decision to lay off 70% of its Canadian staff, saying his “heart goes out to the employees of Bombardier.”

The earlier layoffs came as Bombardier curbed its jet and rail production operations in the midst of the pandemic.

In 2017, the company benefited from a bailout package from the Liberal government to the tune of $372.5 million in federal loans. The company also received an additional $1 billion from the government of Quebec. 

Despite these funds, Bombardier has struggled to meet project requirements and performance on the stock market has continued to be poor. 

Most recently, after the company announced it would focus on its private jet business, Bombardier stock fell to 43 cents down from $1.21.

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