Big ambitions have collapsed as Upper Canada Growers Ltd. and UCG Land Inc. filed for bankruptcy on May 15, 2025.  BDO Canada was appointed receiver by order of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. All employees were terminated on May 22.  

The Bank of Nova Scotia, the secured creditor, is owed $24.9 million as well as $2.1 million in debtor-in-possession financing. 

The family-owned enterprise helmed by Robert Haynes, president, was also home to a state-of-the-art tissue lab at Harrow, Ontario. It produced high-quality tissue culture fruit trees, rootstocks and scions with a capacity for three million clean plants per year.

According to the website, “We are fully equipped for commercial micropropagation of apples, grapevines, plums, and peaches and are constantly expanding our research and production on new initiated varieties. The stock of selected cultivars is initiated and established using micropropagation technologies, followed by mass multiplication of the stock cultures and initiation of a dense rooting system.” 

In addition, the business had planted 320 acres of apples and 110 acres of peaches.

“This bankruptcy comes during turbulent times,” says Chris Hedges, chair, Ontario Apple Growers, citing the rising costs of production. “It’s not exclusive to the apple or tender fruit sector. The bigger an operation, the more pressure to meet the financial numbers. If there are any losses, the hurdles are harder to overcome.”  

While costs of production have risen, particularly in labour and materials, other trends are impacting tree fruit.  

“Chain stores can import fruit from all over the world,” says Hedges. “Domestic apples don’t have infinite demand.” 

As Canada’s largest tree fruit nursery, the demise of Upper Canada Growers Ltd will have an impact on the industry. Growers will lose their deposits. And anyone planning to order trees for 2027 will need to find alternate suppliers. There are some smaller suppliers in Canada along with several in the U.S. 

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