It was only a matter of time. Trying to profit from misfortune is as old as time itself. There are folks in the Miramichi that want to put direct flights from the Miramichi airport to Fort McMurray.
I wonder if these people understand that if they make it even easier for people to fly out to Alberta for work that more people will likely do it?
I also wonder if they understand the mid and longer term impacts of separating families for weeks and months at a time?
I wonder if they realize that in the long term, many people are just going to end up moving out there anyway.
I realize that there are mayors in Ontario proposing the same thing. I guess it is a “better than nothing” approach to economic development.
From a provincial perspective, we would be better off if they would start talking about putting a bus from the Miramichi to Saint John every day for the guys/gals that have the skills to work on these larger construction projects. Or even a bus from the Miramichi to Moncton every day (shades of Francis McGuire?).
Or better yet, why not try some serious economic development effort in the Chi?
Why exactly is it better to bus out people to Moncton or Saint John? You can’t blame people for trying to make the best of a bad situation, the outmigration has been going on a long time, and most of its been from the north of the province. Why should they have to add another hour and a half-or even two or three hours, when that time could be spent with their families?
Albertan companies are already accomodating easterners who fly back and forth-I suspect the reason this is getting talked about now is because the cheap flights of yesteryear are drying up.
The people pushing this are local people, its not like they have the option “ok, do we have flights from miramichi or just do oilsand development from right here” They are simply trying to make it so that people aren’t MOVING.
So from a provincial standpoint, those people earn money in Alberta, but still pay taxes in New Brunswick, probably a lot. Why shouldn’t they have the convenience of a local airport to shave two or three hours off their trip? Of course ED in NB is better, having mills operating is better, unfortunately that’s not the reality. It’s even doubtful it COULD be, its not like mill workers are going to become financiers or animators.
That’s great news! So now we will be able to stop bleeding the province’s coffers and focus on the economic development of the regions that offer higher chances of success!