The Official PEI Project Thread

[MontagueHill]

DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

A decision on the possible relocation of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard is imminent, says Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee.
“It’s my understanding the decision is imminent and will probably be made within the next week to 10 days,’’ Lee said.
The province has plans to build a new convention centre on the Charlottetown waterfront that is now home to the Canadian Coast Guard and DFO. The construction had been expected to begin this spring with the moving date for the coast guard and DFO operations slated for the end of April.
That date has come and gone and a spokesperson for federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea said recently no decision on the future of the offices has been made.
The question is where will these two federal operations go once they leave the Charlottetown waterfront. Summerside, Georgetown, Souris, Borden-Carleton and Charlottetown are interested in the operations.
The federal minister said earlier this year that government is gathering information and assessing all these sites in view of how each of these services can be best provided to the public.
Shea said both operations may be moved as a unit or they could go to separate locations.
Workers with DFO and coast guard are represented by the Union of Environment Workers (UEW) and the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE), both of which are components of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).
Lesley Thompson, Atlantic communications officer with PSAC, said Thursday the union wants the jobs to remain in Charlottetown.
“The UEW and UCTE locals suspect that, for political reasons, Shea will want to house the new facility in her riding,’’ Thompson said. “Yet, such a move would mean a serious disruption for the workers.’’
Lee spoke to Shea on Wednesday at the Charlottetown Seaport Centre following a ceremony to recognize the 100th visit of the cruise ship Maasdam.
“Today, I expressed to Gail the position of the city that we would not be supportive of relocating these employees out of Charlottetown,’’ Lee told The Guardian.
The mayor said between DFO and the coast guard, approximately 60 families are potentially impacted.
Lee said he’s concerned about the economic impact of losing more federal government employees and the impact such a move would have on those families.
Lee and Coun. David MacDonald, chair of economic development in Charlottetown, met Tuesday with Steve Maund, head of the UEW, which represents the DFO workers.
“People want to stay in the Charlottetown area,’’ Maund said. “We serve all our clients from the Charlottetown area and our clients expect us in Charlottetown. To move it either way doesn’t seem to make much sense but politics play a part in it, too.’’
Maund said there are employees who live in the eastern end of the province who commute to Charlottetown and don’t welcome the thought of another hour on the highway to Summerside.
He said he wants to stress they aren’t opposed to moving off the Charlottetown waterfront but not as far away as some of the locations being suggested.
A move of over 40 kilometres triggers employee entitlements under the Work Force Adjustment directive.

“(UEW) Local 90168 has determined that this would affect a large majority of its members, many of who currently live in the Charlottetown or greater Charlottetown area,’’ Thompson said. “A number of them also live in eastern P.E.I., in areas like Murray Harbour and Montague, and already have significant commutes to Charlottetown. The local worries that triggering the Work Force Adjustment directive could result in substantial relocation costs to the government department and a significant upheaval in the day-to-day lives of its members.’’
Lee said he’s met with Shea at least six different times over the matter.
“I’ve been clear each and every time and the message that I’ve given to her each time is it is unfair to the families and it’s really, by relocating economic activity to another part of the province, not doing anybody any good.’’

Maund said employees are very nervous.
“Definitely. It’s causing lots of anxiety around the office, especially with the newer people.”