|
Voisey's Bay project benefiting Labrador communities January 31, 2007 Yvonne Jones, Opposition Labrador Affairs Critic and MHA for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, says she has just returned from a visit to the Voisey's Bay site and was very impressed with the operations. Jones was joined by a number of municipal leaders from across Labrador and the MHA for Torngat Mountains, Wally Andersen. Jones says they were given a full tour of the operations including accommodations, the mine site, refinery and port facilities. "I was pleased to see so many Labradorians working on the site, most of the people we met were from Labrador communities and they were enjoying their work on site," said Ms. Jones. " The company confirmed that 80 per cent of the work force are now Labradorian with 50 per cent being of aboriginal decent. I had the opportunity to speak directly with Labradorians who were working in all aspects of the mining operation from the kitchen, to the mine to management. Many Labradorians are advancing at the work site in highly skilled and technical positions such as power generation and computer technology for the refinery operations." The accommodations at Voisey's Bay are state of the art with completely new rooms, kitchen facilities and recreational space. Jones commended the company on bringing literacy training to the work force, as well as the opportunity to learn native languages on site. "I was very impressed with the recreational programs and facilities available, as well as the fully stocked library and internet services that are fully accessible for workers. The benefits of the Voisey's Bay project are very evident in the North Coast communities as their new government enjoys the royalty benefits of the impact benefits agreements, full aboriginal employment and business services. The benefits to the province are also evident as the royalties of Voisey's Bay are helping the provincial government pay down long-term debt and contribute to posting annual surplus budgets."
|
|
Media Contact: |