Source: Devin Heroux, CBC News, April 12, 2016
30 families about to call Saskatoon home
At least 30 families living in New Brunswick are about to call Saskatoon home after a local mine in Sussex, N.B., suspended operations.
In early January, all of the employees at the Sussex mine were told they no longer have work at that mine but did have the option to relocate to Saskatchewan.
“We offered a competitive relocation package for families — up to $60,000 per family.” said Randy Burton, spokesperson for PotashCorp.
“It’s a long way to move, a lot of expenses, so we’re happy that some were able to come and happy to be able to help them.”
PotashCorp offered about 70 employees the option to move, but 40 workers have declined. Burton said there are a number of reasons for the employees declining to move, including wanting to stay to close home and family. The Saskatchewan-based corporation highlighted about 100 jobs in a number of Saskatchewan mining locations for those looking for work after being laid-off in New Brunswick.
“We have an obligation to our New Brunswick employees who, as you can well imagine, were shocked to discover they didn’t have a job to go to tomorrow,” Burton said. “At the same time we recognize we have an obligation here as well, so we tried to strike that balance.”
Making the Move
Wendy Osborne and her husband Terry were both employees at the Sussex mine before both losing their jobs. At the beginning of March, Terry hopped in his truck and made the long drive across the country to begin work at the Cory mine near Saskatoon. Wendy and her 16-year-old son are going to be coming west soon. The entire family will begin their new life in Saskatchewan this summer.
“It’s one thing to lose one income and we’ve dealt with that before, but never both at the same time,” Osborne said. “I’m not leaving New Brunswick until May 31.”
Wendy and Terry are parents to two children. The family will be living in Saskatoon. On a trip to Saskatchewan recently, Wendy was able to land a 12-month contract at the Allan mine. She said it helps that so many people are making the move.