The news of Enbridge Gas considering closing its Chatham office isn’t sitting well with a Chatham-Kent (CK) councillor.
Alysson Storey told CK News Today that she believes this would be devastating for the municipality, comparing it to the struggles and eventual closure of the Navistar plant.
“I think it’s the worst economic news for our community in 25 years,” she said.
While she didn’t have an exact number, Storey claimed she’s been told that this could impact several hundred jobs.
She’s hoping CK council will step up in some way to help.
“I would very much be open to having those conversations with the powers that be at Enbridge,” she said. “And can we figure out a way to keep these jobs and these people in Chatham-Kent?”
After news of the potential closure, a message from Enbridge’s leadership was sent to staff at both the Chatham and London locations. A copy of the letter was given anonymously to CK News Today.
In the message, the company claims the London office isn’t large enough to accommodate all staff, so a new space in the city is needed. Since a larger facility will need to be opened, there have been discussions of moving some or all of its Chatham workforce into the new space.
At this time, no decisions have been made.
“If we do decide to move some or all of the Chatham team to London – and that is very much still an if – we anticipate that the design and construction of a new space could take several years,” read the message from Enbridge’s leadership.
For Storey, it doesn’t matter whether the company plans to move now or in the future. She wants them to stay.
“Every job in Chatham-Kent is important; every company is important. We should be fighting for these jobs,” she added.
-With files from Georgia Newman
