It’s a name the comes up often when it comes to consulting, design, engineering and project management, but unfortunately, Stantec says there’s not enough work in this area to keep its Corner Brook office open.
Hal Lewis is the vice-president, regional leader, Canada (Nova Scotia/Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island) with Stantec. He said the closure of the company’s Union Street office is part of a consolidation process the company is undergoing at a few locations.
The Corner Brook operation will be moved to St. John’s, which is where Lewis said many of the company’s services are run.
He said the company is doing the same thing in Nova Scotia with its Antigonish office, which will now be primarily run out of the company’s Dartmouth office.
Nine people will be affected by the closure, which is expected to occur around mid-December. Lewis said a few of those are seasonal workers who would have been affected as the work dried up through the winter.
The company is giving a few of those affected the opportunity to move and is in discussions with those now. For those who can’t or have chosen not to move the company is helping out with employment search services.
According to the company’s website it has been in the community for more than 25 years
“These decisions aren’t made lightly," said Lewis. "They’re done after significant analysis. It’s tough. Right now the market just really isn’t allowing us to stay in that area. We don’t enjoy affecting people’s lives, but these are business decisions.”
He said the company will continue to do work in the city.
While the Greater Corner Brook Board of Trade respects any business’s decision as to the best operation of their organization, president Keith Goulding said this one does hurt the local economy.
“We’re not happy with the result,” he said. “It’s a lot of good paying, highly technical jobs with potentially young families in the region that now don’t have any other opportunities.”
He said they may want to uproot and move because of this.