Aquablue Exposed!

Back in June, the Polaris Institute released a report about the plans of a little known bottled water company to start bottling water at an old Hershey chocolate factory in the town of Smiths Falls, Ontario. The report posed some serious questions about the company and the bottled water industry.

Given that Smiths Falls has recently suffered huge job losses due to the closure of the Hershey's plant and other facilities, one of the main concerns raised in the report was that by embracing a bottled water plant the town would be relying on a diminishing industry with limited ability to create jobs. Further research conducted over the past few months showed that the company had a limited track record in operating a business, highlighted the questionable business dealings of the company's CEO and president, and revealed that the plant had not actually been purchased by Aquablue. Based on this information, our fears that the people of Smiths Falls were being taken for a ride seemed to be coming true.

This brings us to last Friday, December 7th, when the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) aired a story about Aquablue that confirmed many of our concerns about whether or not this business would ever actually open. Since December 7th the CBC has produced 4 radio pieces, posted 4 news stories and aired two television reports that speak about many of our concerns with Aquablue.

Here are some highlights of what the CBC has uncovered:

• "When Aquablue International...announced in June that it would take over the closed Hershey chocolate factory and create a business that would employ 200 people, it was like a light at the end of a long tunnel for the residents of Smiths Falls."
• "'We're actively looking to secure all our financing, especially on the equipment side, placing an order for the equipment,' Villeneuve said.When asked whether he had all the financing, he said: 'No, not completely, not totally, yes.'"
• "One local man — who didn't want to give his name — said no one he knows believed it would actually happen. 'They think it's just a phoney setup,' he said. 'They make a lot of promises, but nothing's coming out.'"
• "several local companies have already worked removing old production lines and retrofitting the building. Between them, they are owed more than $360,000 for the work."
• "Tom Ondrejicka, who left his position as Aquablue's former marketing director six months ago, said he's still owed $14,000 from the company and he doubts it will ever reopen the Smiths Falls plant. He estimated taking over the plant would cost close to $50 million. 'That money's not there,' he said."
• The company's president, Dan Villeneuve, said there's still no lease-to-own agreement with Hershey for the factory, and Aquablue hasn't ordered any equipment, but the company is committed to opening the plant by next June.

To see the December 7th television news report click here
To listen to the December 10th radio expose click here