Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The letter from the town goes on:
With no public consultation from the community prior to this meeting the Town of Vegreville, Mayor and Council are deeply concerned about the effects this will have.
The mayor of Vegreville released the following statement:
I apologise for not getting an official statement out sooner. I have spent the last couple of days on the phone trying to get answers and wrap my head around the devastating blow our town received this week.
To say I'm disappointed in the decision of our Federal Government would be an understatement. It was only upon getting a phone call that I needed to rush to a meeting already in progress that I had any inkling that something was up.
I was shocked to hear that the fate of our town had been decided without any of us knowing or being considered. I am shocked at the audacity of Minister McCallum to assume that 200 plus employees affected would be willing or even have the means to pack up their families to follow their jobs 100 kilometres away. I am shocked that the economic fallout that will occur on a town of roughly 6,000 was not even considered.
As Mayor of this community, a life long citizen of this town[,] I take this assault to my home—to OUR home—very seriously.
The mayor has been working around the clock through the past month, working with all levels of government, citizens, employees, and local activists to ensure that the voices in Vegreville are heard loud and clear. He has been working with the landlord of the building. He has offered several suggestions for alternative office spaces in town. He has verified with the landlord that all maintenance tickets for the current building are dealt with immediately and there aren't any current outstanding tickets.
I have also heard from several other towns, municipalities, and MLAs who are very concerned with the course of action taken by the Liberals.
This is from Beaver County:
On behalf of Beaver County, we are respectfully asking that you reconsider your decision to move the Immigration Case Processing Centre from Vegreville to Edmonton.
The closure of this employer in Vegreville will have devastating effects to our neighboring community. The loss of 228 jobs within the Town of approximately 5,800 people will impact not only the personnel that work at this location, but their families, schools, churches, businesses, retailers, and community clubs. The economic impact will be far reaching, into the surrounding communities as well. Rural communities play a vital role in Canada, and we need to ensure that our communities stay vibrant and strong. Our council is expressing its deep concern for the Town of Vegreville and surrounding area on losing such a large employer. We advocate to you to keep this vital facility in the Town of Vegreville.
This is from the Village of Mannville:
On behalf of the Village of Mannville, I would like to express our concerns about the Federal Government's plan to close the Case Processing Centre...in Vegreville...and mov[e] the facility to Edmonton....
No prior consultation took place between all the people this decision has and will affect moving forward. We have been informed that there are close to 280 employees that currently work at this facility which will have a dramatic effect on the Town of Vegreville's population and economy. Not only will this directly affect the Town of Vegreville, other surrounding communities such as ours, the Village of Mannville, will be affected, which I believe we have residents that live in our community that currently work at the facility as well.
Vegreville is in the heart of central Alberta, on the twinned Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway. Highway 36, a few miles east of Town, is a major north-south corridor [in] eastern Alberta. Vegreville is a vibrant community; rich in cultural heritage and progressive in terms of facilities, municipal government, and above all, people. The Village of Mannville would like the Federal Government to re-evaluate their current decision to close the immigration Case Processing Center in the Town of Vegreville.
This is from the County of Two Hills:
The County of Two Hills neighbors the County of Minburn where the Case Processing Centre is located in the Town of Vegreville. The closure of the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville would have devastating effects on our communities, as numerous citizens from our municipalities are employed in Vegreville at this Centre....
The County of Two Hills...asks that you reconsider relocating the Case Processing Centre to Edmonton and keep our small communities viable by having this Centre remain... in Vegreville, not only for the communities, but for the citizens well being.
This is from the Village of Holden:
This centre is a major employer in...Vegreville and the surrounding area. Our Village is located 44 kilometers from the town, and we know that closure of the centre would have devastating effects. As a major employer in our region, the job losses would affect not only the individual workers, but also their families, local schools, the business community, and the not-for-profit/ volunteer sector.
Not all of Alberta has enjoyed a hot economy over the years. In fact our east-central agriculture-based area is in a much more slow-and-steady economic situation. The Immigration Case Processing Centre has offered reliable employment that assists farm families, youth, workers from all backgrounds, people of all ages, and the region as a whole. Rural communities are vital to the health of our nation, and we know that across Canada there are many such regions that need the understanding and support of the federal government to remain vibrant and strong.
Our Council wishes to express deep concern for the region, and for the Town of Vegreville, if such a large employer is lost. Edmonton has so many thriving business opportunities, and our area has so much less. Why not support this region with a reversal of this decision?
We respectfully ask you to keep this vital facility in the Town of Vegreville.
This is from the Town of Elk Point:
[W]e are respectfully asking that you reconsider your decision to move the Immigration Case Processing Centre from Vegreville to Edmonton.
The closure of this employer in Vegreville will have devastating effects to our neighboring community. The loss of 228 jobs within the Town of approximately 5,800 people will impact...the personnel...their families, schools, churches, businesses, retailers, and community clubs....
Our Council is expressing its deep concern for the Town of Vegreville and surrounding area on losing such a large employer. We advocate to you and the Honorable Minister of Public Service to keep this vital facility in the town of Vegreville.
From the MLA for Bonnyville—Cold Lake:
I am writing to you today to voice my opposition to the recent decision to relocate the Vegreville Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Case Processing Centre to Edmonton. This action, if implemented, will have serious consequences for the economic well-being of communities in Central Alberta.
There's a similar letter from the MLA for Lac La Biche—St. Paul—Two Hills.
This bring us to the next issue, which is cost analysis. I'm sure we all agree there can't be a business case without a cost analysis.
Minister, as you did again today, you have cited on several occasions, that there's a strong business case for the closure. You even said that Canadians expect their government to make responsible decisions on spending that will address current challenges, account for future situations, and ensure tax dollars are spent on quality services to meet expectations of clients and provide program excellence. You said the relocation will also save money, as the new office space will be located within the Government of Canada's existing property inventory.
Without any consultation or a cost analysis, how can any of this be known?
And of course, Mike Brecht, the Prairies representation for the Canada Employment and Immigration Union, said, “During the announcement, the union asked the question as to what was done to ensure fiscal responsibility. Was there a cost analysis done? Was the option of opening a satellite office in Edmonton considered? The response to both questions was no.”
Where are the facts?
In a letter I received, an employee of the centre said the following:
I question your motives when you say a strong business case is to be made for this move, with no details provided. No cost...analysis has been shown or any other reasons, only saying it will be a net growth in jobs for Alberta. I can't understand what benefits will come out of the move as no explanation has happened and jobs could be added in Vegreville.
The minister has also said the department intends to expand its operations in Alberta in the coming years; this was stated earlier. In negotiating a new lease, the department has made the difficult decision to move its operations to Edmonton. Town officials, who once again were not consulted, have said without a doubt there's plenty of vacant space in Vegreville. There wasn't an economic impact assessment completed either. The spinoff loss from this edict will ricochet throughout the entire community and region.
A local small business owner wrote me this letter:
We have lived in Vegreville, AB for 10 years. My husband and I have small businesses and property rental/sale properties and home restoration. Closing down a major employment venue for the town of Vegreville would devastate this town and the surrounding areas. The loss of citizens affects the entire area local stores; job loss at CPC Vegreville as well as any other small businesses that support the running and maintenance of the building; classroom sizes in schools; all services that support a town...would be greatly affected.
Even trying to sell your home and move to Edmonton to work at the new Edmonton CPC location is almost impossible due to Alberta's stagnant state, then to face higher prices to purchase from, if available at all.
CPC was the perfect placement for Vegreville's summer students from local high schools, colleges and universities for valued office experience in a federal building while getting their degrees.
Closing Vegreville CPC is not healthy for this town and its citizens. CPC has been so important for so many of Vegreville's citizens and businesses. To date, the Vegreville CPC contribution has been a valued part of Canada's Immigration process that all Canadians have been able to count on.
Please allow CPC to remain in Vegreville to continue a healthy and productive future for Vegreville.
Another small business owner wrote me this letter:
As a business owner and board member of the Vegreville and District Chamber of Commerce selfishly I would like to write a letter that lets you know just how extremely impactful this decision will be on my business and the business community of Vegreville as a whole. We know how impactful population change can be on an area but in a smaller area the impact is exponentially higher, from an economic standpoint for our area there will be a massive negative impact with so many people in our community affected. As impactful as this decision will be on my business and the business community as a whole it is as a resident of the town of Vegreville, and not just a business owner, that I must speak to the wider impact on the town and community as a whole.
For those in larger communities that have already faced job losses 280 jobs leaving town likely sounds fairly small, but in our town of around 5,800 people that works out to almost five percent of the total population (a number that goes up exponentially if you were to look at the working population number instead of total population) being effected directly by this decision to relocate their jobs. But let me be clear because it isn't 5% of a town that is effected, that number is truly 100%, everyone will be impacted by this decision!
Our local charitable organizations will feel the impact. Many groups have received monetary donations directly from the fundraising efforts from the staff at the Vegreville Case Processing Centre such as Kidsport Vegreville, Little Warriors, Vegreville Breakfast Club and the Vegreville Food Bank (which as you might not know has recently had to have an emergency call for donations to meet the massive increase in demand for their services due to the economic challenges we are currently facing) just to name a few of the more recent organizations that the staff have helped....
[It] is [also] the time that these people commit to volunteering. From the time I moved to Vegreville I don't think I can think of a single board, community group, charitable organization, sports team or activity that hasn't had a volunteer that is directly or indirectly tied to the Case Processing Centre involved. Dance groups, Minor Hockey, Agricultural groups, School and Student groups among many other groups and organizations will feel the effects of this decision, and in many cases our youngest and most vulnerable citizens will be the ones impacted.
Perhaps the most concerning part for me is the effect on our town's young people. Having numerous employment options makes a smaller town more attractive when trying to retain young people and young families. While the Case Processing Centre is one of many great employers in town, it is certainly one of the larger ones and provides young people an entry opportunity into a career in civil service. Additionally the impact for our youth population will be felt in our local schools—