Incumbent Bathurst councillors give views on job creation

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The current Bathurst city council has varying views on their track record for job creation.

With the municipal election taking place next Monday, May 12, some feel a change of council is needed because the current city representatives have not done enough for economic development.

Deputy mayor Scott Ferguson, for one, feels that point of view is a misconception.

"We have been actively pursuing different manufacturing companies and retail businesses through the business development committee," he said. "When you have a big shutdown of a mill with 300 employees, it's very difficult to make that up in a short period of time...Right now, it's difficult for all industries...and it's not that we haven't been pursuing it but we haven't had a whole lot of takers yet, although we do have some people who are close to opening within the next little while."

Coun. Pat Duffy agrees that job creation takes time and she feels some good news will come soon as a result of the current council's efforts.

"Things do take time, nothing happens overnight," she told The Northern Light "We have new projects that are ready to be announced...New jobs and keeping people in the community is important to everybody but nothing happens overnight."

Coun. Lise Ouellette said the City of Bathurst is doing its part to make the region attractive to people and that will help spur economic development.

"We're always trying to get our youth back," she said.

Coun. Blair Doucet echoed that same line of thought, noting the city must promote its natural beauty and services first before focusing on bringing in business.

He also said it's not the job of councillors to be going out and getting business to come here.

"It's ludicrous to say that, 'I brought in business'...We deal with it at council. Normally, business goes to the mayor and the city manager and they bring the issues to us."

Coun. Claire Wilt said perhaps an additional sub-committee of council could be formed as a watchdog for potential businesses. She added that it requires a team effort for any business prospects to become a reality.

"As an individual member ofcCouncil, I recognize that I don't have the power to make changes on my own, however; I am a great team player and will support and agree with the whole of council with any and all ideas that I believe to be of benefit to our City. I am also not afraid to bring up new ideas and suggestions."

Coun. Graham Wiseman said it's difficult for a municipal government to create jobs because of the lack of incentives. He said council has done what it could with the resources available.

"I believe we've created some jobs but job creation in itself is not a municipal government's responsibility.

We're not like the feds and the province who can give out grants or money to lure companies into this area. All we can do and play with what we have and give tax concessions...What we have to do is we've got to find out where the Premier has been and who's he's talked to. Then we have to do the follow-up."

Coun. Hugh Comeau believes council has made a good effort towards economic development but said it should be more of a focus in the next term.

"I think what happened in the past is we've been reactive as opposed to proactive. We've reacted to businesses coming to town and hung our hat on that. That's fine because we've done various things such as incentives to entice them to stay or decide to come but the way it's going now, if we don't do it ourselves, I don't know who else is going to do it...We have to push the manufacturing industry."