Canada Goose opens new factory in Winnipeg

Outerwear manufacturer Canada Goose opened a new factory in Winnipeg today, while the federal government used the occasion to promote new measures being proposed to battle counterfeit goods.

Officials with Toronto-based Canada Goose gave reporters a tour on Tuesday of the factory, which is housed in the original Stovel Printing Company building on Bannatyne Avenue.

The 57,000-square-foot facility will produce almost 70,000 of the popular jackets this year alone.

The company says it currently has 160 employees at the factory and plans to boost staffing by 20 per cent over the next year.

High demand for the parkas has resulted in counterfeit versions being sold online — something the federal government wants to curb with Bill C-56.

The bill proposes giving more power to the Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP to stop shipments if they suspect the products are fake.

Manitoba Conservative MP Candice Bergen, who joined officials at the factory to promote the bill, said the legislation would also allow retailers to notify border officials if they think they are receiving counterfeit products.

Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss says the company supports the legislation, as a lot of knock-off versions of its products end up online.

"If you see a Canada Goose jacket, and you see the price is too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true," Reiss said.

RCMP in Manitoba seized about $500,000 in counterfeit goods last year, including sports jerseys and jackets.