The chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Foods was largely mum Thursday when asked about Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan's decision to look for buyers for its stake in the food processing company.
Asked whether he or anyone else at Maple Leaf has tried to change the pension fund's mind, Michael McCain said "Teachers, as any shareholder, makes their own decisions on investment," adding, "I absolutely respect that."
He would not comment on whether or not there is a prospective buyer for Teachers' position, saying that his focus is Maple Leaf's business strategy.
Mr. McCain spoke to reporters after giving a speech at an Empire Club luncheon in Toronto, where he expressed his support for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and its plans for a mental health campus in the city.
Tim Kiladze