Andrew Aylward
Special to SaltWire Network
Corner Brook Mayor Jim Parsons is bullish on the potential for construction activity in Corner Brook and gave a rundown of expected projects to attendees at the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association (NCLA) general membership meeting Thursday night at the Greenwood Inn & Suites in Corner Brook.
One project is the 145-bed long-term care facility expected to open in 2020, being built through a public-private partnership between the province and Corner Brook Care Partnership. Construction began in spring 2018 and the facility is expected to cost $120 million.
Parsons explained that the median age in his city of 20,000 is 48 years old, with roughly a third of the population over 60. That’s down from a population of 31,917 in 2016. Parsons said that’s created an issue of unfilled positions in the service and retail sector.
“The city, both population and demographically, is facing some challenges, quite frankly,” he said, but added there’s also momentum for growth and opportunity.
He said the value of business in the city is at an all-time high, with Kruger Pulp and Paper investing in infrastructure to maximize the mill’s efficiency. The City of Corner Brook has also spent money on projects and programs to improve the tourism sector and provide recreation opportunities in an effort to attract young families, such as the splash pad and the train that will be chugging along West Street in July.
The city is also working with Grenfell Campus of Memorial University to renovate the aquatic centre.
“We’re really throwing a lot of spaghetti at the wall and trying to see what sticks,” Parsons said, adding now’s the time for construction firms to move in and get a piece of the action.
“If you don’t have your office space booked, you better get on it, ’cause it’s gonna go,” he said.
The NCLA is a not-for-profit organization representing construction firms from across Newfoundland and Labrador, providing a hub for construction companies to network and collaborate on projects, as well as create solutions for issues within the industry.
“I believe the construction industry is the single most important industry in Newfoundland and Labrador in terms of the economic benefit we provide, the number of employment opportunities we provide,” said NCLA chairman James Loder, “so we really need to make sure the government takes our industry as seriously as possible and puts the support behind it that we all need to be successful.”
He said the NCLA plans to make itself known as an organization to the provincial government and hopes to try to push for positive changes in the industry together.
The Western Star
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