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The Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO) together with our partner, the Construction Employers Coordinating Council of Ontario (CECCO), have released the following statements with regards to the Nexstar Energy Project in Windsor, ON and continue to work closely with the Essex and Kent Building Trades Council and local contractors to monitor this project.
November 17, 2023 - "The investments made in the Nexstar Energy project in Windsor, ON by the federal and provincial governments have helped bring this project to reality. Now, it's time for the local area contractors and skilled trades workforce that have the skillset and training to build projects just like this, to get to work. We continue to invest in building our skilled trades workforce in the Windsor area and across the province to ensure we can fulfill the labour demand needed to build this project, and others, safely. We look forward to working with the project owners, contractor partners and our skilled trades workforce with full confidence that the requisite labour supply can be secured locally, in the Windsor area."
November 21, 2023 - “Building Trades members and our contractor partners have been involved in a large variety of projects that include assembling proprietary pieces of equipment that, at times, includes technical oversight, while the work is performed by our skilled trades workforce. We have worked collaboratively with a variety of clients to determine the skillsets needed to construct a large scope of projects. Put simply, there isn’t a project in Ontario that our Ontario contractors and skilled trades workforce can’t build. What we hope for, with the Nexstar Energy Project like so many projects before, is to meet with the project owners and identify the specific skillsets needed throughout the entirety of the project, allowing us to ensure that we put Ontarians to work. We remain steadfast in the knowledge that PBCTCO and CECCO can deliver the project on time, on budget, and with the skilled workforce to do it safely.”
November 24, 2023 - “The recent comments made around the Nexstar Energy Project in Windsor Ontario are concerning and need to be taken seriously. We have been involved in the construction, installation and maintenance of projects within the auto, EV and battery sector as it has evolved and grown over the last decade. We have worked with a number of owners on the construction and installation of specialized equipment, working collaboratively to determine specialized skillsets and oversight needed to complete projects safely. But the fact remains that Ontario workers and contractors are trained, qualified and experienced to do the bulk of the work on the Nexstar Energy Project and the suggestion that over 1000 workers need to be brought in on permits to get this completed is a false narrative. Put simply, there isn’t a project in Ontario that our Ontario contractors and skilled trades workforce can’t build and, we urge the company and the Government to engage in dialogue with industry to ensure that happens in Windsor."
Marc Arsenault, Business Manager, Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario Wayne Peterson, Executive Director, Construction Employers Coordinating Council of Ontario