Twinning project could create positive spinoffs

Grant Feltmate believes the twinning of the Trans Canada between Sutherland’s River and Antigonish could have a huge economic spinoff for the region — particularly if a Nova Scotia company is awarded the project.

Feltmate, executive director of the Nova Scotia Road Builders Association, is hoping a provincial company lands the job; however, he acknowledges there could be outside competition for the work.

“Maybe even international,” he said.

In July, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government would be contributing $90 million to the $195-million project which will see 38 kilometres between Sutherland’s River and Antigonish twinned. Work is expected to begin in early 2020 with the goal of having the project completed by 2024.

Because of the size of the project, Feltmate said there are only a couple of Nova Scotian companies that would have the ability to do the work.

“It’s a big project that has a very diverse amount of work in it,” he said.

But while a larger company could win the overall tender, Feltmate said there could be subcontract work in a variety of areas that would distribute the economic benefits. These would be for everything from guard rails to bridges.

There’s also typically large spinoffs from work like this in the hotel and restaurant industry.

“It’s going to be a huge boost,” he said. “You’re going to have hundreds of employees working on that. Certainly, they will be taking up hotel rooms and eating a lot of food; they’re buying gas. It’s a big deal for the local economy.”

He believes it could help with unemployment numbers in neighbouring communities because there will be lots of jobs for people of all skill levels.

“Historically, road builders have been great employers of rural folks,” he said.

Another sector that could benefit from the construction work on the twinning project is the trucking industry.

Brian Williams, president of the Pictou County Trucker’s Association, said he’s optimistic it could create job opportunities, but only if the company that wins the tender uses local truckers.

“It’s certainly going to be a nice bit of work for three to four years,” he said.

However, if a company from outside Nova Scotia were to get the job, he said they could hire their own truckers and leave Nova Scotia truckers with nothing.

He would like to see it included as a tender requirement that a certain percentage of the work goes to local truckers.

“If they don’t put that in, this job is so big, someone from Ontario could come in and do the whole job and leave,” he said.