By Doug Draper
St. Catharines regional councillor Andy Petrowski, in an open letter to Niagara, Ontario’s regional chair, Gary Burroughs, is calling for an emergency meeting to discuss how Niagara can find a way of winning up to 340 jobs that may be brought here by GreenSafe Demanufacturing Inc., a company that apparently has a successful track record of recycling old stoves, dishwashers and other large household appliances of their kind in t east coast facilities in Canada.
St. Catharines regional councillor Andy Petrowski
Petrowski, a new regional councillor who has already made it clear he doesn’t mind shaking things up at council, told Niagara At Large he would rather see economic development personnel at the regional government level working to attract a company like GreenSafe here but, in his view, where are they?
Burroughs told Niagara At Large during an interview this November 4 that as much as he agrees with Petrowski that he wants to see a company like GreenSafe set up shop and generate jobs here, it is not really a municipalities place to make up for any part up to the $10 million the company asked Ontario’s government (which has so far said no) to set up shop here.
“I want to see this company here too,” said Burroughs, adding that he has met with the company within the past month to discuss how the region can help. Rather than putting regional taxpayers’ dollars on the line, he said, he is determined to lobby the provincial and federal governments to do what they can to support GreenSafe moving to Fort Erie/Niagara. He added that handing out ‘bonus’ money to corporations that may want to set up shop in a region is not a common practice in Ontario (although it is more often a practice in regions across the United States).”
Burroughs said he is prepared to go everything he can at the regional level to get the provincial and federal governments help GreenSafe find a prosperous future here.
Burroughs’ comments follow in the wake of Petrowski firinf off a strongly worded open letter to him, members of the Niagara area media and others this November 4 that expresses another point of view. It follows in the wake of news that the provincial government is so far not interested in providing GreenSafe $10 million to set up shop here, along with more than $40 million of the company’s own money.
Niagara At Large is posting Petrowski’s open letter below and encouraging all of you, our many readers, to express your views as long as you are willing to put your real first and last name in front of your comment.
Dear Chair Burroughs et al,
We debated for hours (at a regional budget meeting this November 3) over where $2.9 million annually in additional capital will come from in a 10-year plan to spend $1.4 BILLION and we are potentially allowing GreenSafe and its 340 jobs to disappear from under our noses?
The Region should convene an emergency meeting and consider fronting a portion or the entire $10 million (if required?) to save this once-in-a-lifetime manufacturing opportunity.
I understand (from our legal department) that there is a provision under the current legislation which guides municipalities in Ontario (including The Region of Niagara) that could enable our Region to provide financial assistance in that Greensafe’s business fundamentally contributes to redirecting waste from our landfills (as per our solicitor exceptions to “bonusing” may include…municipal capital facilities (i.e. facilities that provide municipal services including those “for the collection and management of waste and garbage…”.
At the VERY least shouldn’t Council be investigating this (as I have tried to recently) and exhaust EVERY option to retain this company in our region and the hundreds of tax-paying jobs that goes with it? As elected representatives of Niagara, it is not only our civic duty but also our social responsibility to do so. The return to our community on a $10 million investment is too obvious to ignore.
So I ask; “Is the Region 100% satisfied that it has explored EVERY avenue to keep GreenSafe in Niagara”?
I suggest it shouldn’t be. This is not about Fort Erie. This is about us, our families, our neighbours and everyone else who calls or wants to call Niagara “home”. Either we are truly serious about “economic development” or we can just act like we are and hope our struggling residents believe us?
Sincerely,
Councillor Andy Petrowski
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views below. Please remember that we only post comments by people willing to share their full names.)
Niagara At Large 
It is my understanding of the Municipal Act of Ontario that a Municipality is not allowed to give financial inducements to a business , that can only be done by Queens Park (Ontario Legislature) but they can facilitate and help a company through the quagmire of permits and other roadblocks, also make a pitch for location, rail and road, also prime industrial locations which since most of our factories went to Mexico, we have lots of choices here.any body setting up a business appreciates a speedy set up, as time is money,and money equals profit. the only and prime motive of doing a project like this one.,
LikeLike
It,s a tough Call !!! I was the Managing Director of a company that was on the receiving end of Provincial Grants and Municipal Contributions but we had conditions that had to be met in order to receive forgiveness on the contributions (loans) received ,such as employment levels – longevity and others. The rules must be stringent and enforced before I would even consider using Tax dollars to support any new venture – By the way the company I mentioned above is 30 years later still in the same location producing $ 20,000,000.00 in sales employing over 150 people. An upside story but unless rules are stringent the story could be much different and I am not so sure the the regional government has anyone with the business abilities to understanding or tackle such an undertaking.
LikeLike
Plenty of prime locations. Just don’t use the words “Mexico” or “China” when negotiating. Consider also that the generous public subsidies might also indirectly end up overseas.
LikeLike
Exactly where is this successfully operating facility
LikeLike