COLD LAKE, AB: United Conservative MLA Scott Cyr is deeply concerned with the recent announcement that the federal Liberal government’s plan to take jobs away from 4 Wing Cold Lake, by relocating the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment (AETE) to Ottawa.
“For two years, I have been communicating my concerns directly with the Minister of Defense about the impacts that this would have on the community of Cold Lake. Alberta is already facing a crisis of more than 180,000 unemployed families. It doesn’t make sense for the federal government to impose further job losses on our struggling communities,” said MLA Cyr.
“The fact that it took Minister Sajjan more than one year to respond to my letter highlighting this concern, demonstrates that the federal Liberal government does not take the concerns of my community seriously. Further, a vague mention by the minister that some jobs might return to 4 Wing Cold Lake are hollow, unless a public commitment is made clearly.
“The Minister of Defense needs to clarify, immediately, how the federal government is planning to address the jobs they are purposefully removing from Cold Lake. These are real people who rely on this important jobs, and it doesn’t make sense for the federal government to impose job losses on a region that is already hurting, with no other plans.
Included in this release is the letter from MLA Cyr, dated June 7, 2016, as well as the federal response from Minister Sajjan, more than a year later, on August 8, 2017. MLA Cyr adds, “It is unacceptable to impose this decision, without understanding the negative impacts that it will have on the whole community of Cold Lake. The people who depend on these jobs deserve a clear answer on the federal government’s plan for 4 Wing Cold Lake.”
Letter from MLA Scott Cyr to Minister Sajjan
Response from Minister Sajjan to MLA Scott Cyr