▁to ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁led ▁Thomas ▁J . ▁B ata ▁to ▁search ▁for ▁a ▁location ▁in ▁Canada ▁to ▁transfer ▁operations . ▁B ata wa ' s ▁location ▁was ▁chosen ▁for ▁its ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁a ▁lake , ▁a ▁railway , ▁a ▁highway , ▁an ▁air port ▁and ▁cheap ▁land . ▁A ▁factory ▁town ▁was ▁built ▁and ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁The ▁B ata ▁company ▁owned ▁the ▁town , ▁providing ▁accommod ations ▁at ▁a ▁reasonable ▁rate ▁to ▁its ▁workers . ▁The ▁company ▁controlled ▁virt ually ▁all ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁village . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁B ata ▁gro c ery ▁store , ▁B ata ▁recre ation ▁hall , ▁B ata ▁clubs , ▁B ata ▁teams ▁and ▁a ▁B ata ▁sh oe ▁store . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁residents ▁were ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁B ata ' s ▁hom eland , ▁Czech oslov ak ia , ▁who ▁imm igr ated ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁factory ' s ▁construction . ▁The ▁town ▁was ▁initially ▁the ▁headquarters ▁of ▁B ata ▁Sho e ▁operations ▁in ▁Canada ; ▁the ▁headquarters ▁moved ▁to ▁Toronto ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁tar iff ▁bar riers ▁on ▁sh oe ▁imports ▁into ▁Canada ▁were ▁reduced , ▁allowing ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁low - cost ▁sho es ▁into ▁Canada . ▁Event ually , ▁B ata ▁determined ▁the ▁factory ▁could ▁not ▁continue ▁as ▁a ▁vi able ▁business ▁operation ▁and ▁closed ▁the ▁factory ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 0