As soon as the story about a proposed work camp went online at thenorthernview.com, the backlash to these type of projects was quick to appear and anything but subtle.
It is backlash that, quite frankly, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
If thousands of workers are coming to the North Coast, which will happen if any number of large-scale projects come to fruition, the best thing that could possibly happen for Prince Rupert and Port Edward is for those workers to be housed in these large-scale accommodation developments.
The benefits of these projects are plentiful:
- The coming and going of workers are closely monitored and workers need to apply by the rules of the work camp lest they lose their high-paying jobs. That can’t happen if these individuals are in the community.
- Traffic on the roads is minimized as workers are picked up and dropped off. That sounds a heck of a lot safer than having hundreds of additional vehicles hitting the roads of the North Coast.
- Most importantly, the rental market isn’t overrun with thousands of people seeking accommodation. When that happens, supply and demand dictate prices climb and the result would be more renovictions and more homelessness in Prince Rupert and Port Edward.
The reality is the people who are knocking the work camps aren’t actually against those projects at all. They are opposing major industrial development that would boost the economy of the region.
After all, the only way these work camps won’t be needed is if no LNG project or other major construction development takes place.
Unfortunately, the opposition to these projects is manifesting itself with the broad stereotyping of hard working men and women who would arrive in the region to earn good money to support themselves and their families. That is simply unfair.
If you oppose LNG, oppose LNG. Don’t turn your venom on the workers who would build the terminals.