First it was the little Canadian flag lapel pins that you could get at parliament hill. Then it was the Olympic uniforms that our athletes wore at the winter and summer Olympics. Now it’s our Canadian passport covers, which used to be produced right here in Cornwall. What should be more Canadian than that especially in a country that has so many trees to produce paper and plastics necessary to produce it. Not to forget the people it keeps employed to produce them for the ‘Government of Harper’ which used to be the ‘Government of Canada’. The former two Canadian items are now made in China, whereas our passports will be now made in Europe.
And last, where was Guy on this issue?Columbia Finishing Mills, a company in Cornwall, said it may lose jobs to a firm overseas.
The small company had supplied the Federal Government with the cover of Canadian passports for the past 30 years.
When their contract came up, the $1-million job went to a company based in the Netherlands.
“It’s going to affect everyone in the company, whether you are a low man on the totem pole or not,” said Mark Whitford, Columbia Finishing Mills worker. He is afraid he will lose his job.
“Twenty-five or 30 per cent of our people will be let go unfortunately,” said Brian Lynch, Columbia Finishing Mills President.
The passport covers account for a quarter to a third of Columbia’s overall business.
The Head of Cornwall’s Chamber of Commerce is outraged the city is losing more jobs to a company overseas.
“Every Canadian has a passport…That was made in Cornwall. Now it’s going to an overseas company to make,” said Rick Shaver, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce. “What’s next? Our currency?”
The MP for the area said Canada Bank Note is the company that tendered the contract for Passport Canada.
The Head of the Chamber of Commerce had written the Prime Minister demanding the government rescind the contract and invest in the local firm.
http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/canadian-passport-covers-to-be-made-overseas-1.990525#ixzz295xkiuen
They haven’t had a response.
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Dave I think it also should be pointed out that Rick Shaver, our President of the Chamber neglected to send the press release to his city’s number one read media and at least one other local media outlet.
When you put your personal agenda ahead of your role as President of the Chamber of Commerce you should simply resign. If you can’t be professional in your role you should not be in that role.
As sad as this issue is there are countless Cornwall area businesses that need support and assistance and our chamber is an utter failure under his and Lezlie Strasser’s direction.
Could political patronage also be a factor in moving the contract to Europe? Brian Lynch, president of Columbia Finishing Mills is also associated with the local NDP. So Harper’s goons are not only throwing away Cornwall jobs but they are punishing the NDP for now being the official opposition.
Dave are you sure they are the same person?
Yeah, there are two listings for Brian Lynch. If they are the same person, then what does that say. If not, then I apologize for the association.
If it is true that the president of Columbia Finishing Mills is active in the NDP, or even a known supporter, it would explain the whole thing.
The Brian. Lynch, from Columbia Finishing Mills, is NOT the Brian Lynch, that is associated with the NDP, this Brian, is a former City Mayor & Alderman.
Yes the Communist Chinese and their millions of child labourers churn out the bric-a-brac that foolish Canadians buy, such as… the support the troops fridge magnets, ball caps, yellow ribbon kitsch and t-shirts, and of course the olympic mittens and scarves that the American owned Hudson bay Company was flogging.
In fact, if you remember the Red Fridays Foundation it was happy to be mistaken for a charity until exposed; they raked in a ton of donations, and the little that was turned over to charity, well guess who got the income tax deduction… not the original suckers that donated and bought all of the Chinese made junk that was being hawked at the expense of our killed, wounded, and generally f’d up soldiers. (Do a little research on Brian Muntz the founder of Red Fridays Foundation of Canada… you’ll find he was an importer of Asian crap and that he couldn’t cut it in business until he milked the patriot game)
Come November 11th… where do you think all of the poppy pins come from? and most of the artificial wreaths?
This sure is a switch from China to Europe and I am wondering what part of Europe since there is Communist Europe and the other is democratic. Europe earns a lot more money than Canada and this doesn’t make any sense at all unless it were in Communist Europe. Something is fishy indeed. Ti Guy sure isn’t doing very well for Cornwall at all nor is Kilger unless you are their friends with their tongues hanging out for something. As long as there are people like Cornwall, and Ti Guy and all others like them Cornwall will not move ahead one iota until all that gang is gone for good.