Quebecor World, Canada's largest printer, permanently laid off 160 employees at its Richmond Hill and Aurora, Ont., plants last week, sources inside the company confirmed.

The cuts were the result of reduced volume. The facilities handled printing for over 70 magazines published by Rogers Publishing Ltd., a $210 million contract that Quebecor World lost to rival Transcontinental Inc. a year ago. Those operations shifted to Transcontinental earlier this month.

About 100 of those let go were involved in bindery operations, while another 60 worked in the pressrooms. The employees were advised about the terminations in late December.