Thursday 26 July 2012

Agriculture Insurance Corp. moving to Kensington


Crowd gathered to hear Agriculture Minister George Webster's announcement Wednesday. (Ryan Hicks/CBC)

The Agriculture Insurance Corporation will move from Charlottetown to Kensington, Agricultural Minister George Webster announced today.
“Relocating the Agriculture Insurance Corporation to Kensington reflects government’s commitment to create new economic opportunities in rural communities across Prince Edward Island,” Webster said in a news release.
“This move will transfer agricultural jobs to the heart of the farming community and will provide services from a central location, making more efficient use of government assets.”
The AIC is a Crown corporation that provides crop insurance and income support programs to farmers.
These programs are jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments. There are approximately 42 permanent and casual employees, many of whom work in field positions.
Webster says the AIC will move from a rental facility on the Research Station property in Charlottetown — owned by the federal government — to a facility Potato Services Building the province already owns.
The province said it was paying $50,000 per year in rent for the AIC.
The AIC staff will relocate in the spring of 2013.
Kensington's mayor says he's been lobbying Sheridan and Webster for more provincial jobs in his town for the last few years.
"I said we need something in the town of Kensington, the town is growing, it's been dynamic and they finally responded to that," Gordon Coffin said.
At the Kensington Food Basket, owner Dave Boucher said he's hopeful the influx of new workers will mean a bump for his business.
"You know 42 people if they spent $5 a day in the store, it's $5 a day we didn't have, so it's hard to say," Boucher said.
Not everyone is excited about the move.
"There's no economic gain to this province by taking from one part of province to give to another," said Clifford Lee, Charlottetown's mayor.
"The only gain here is political gain for certain MLAs. The City of Charlottetown has eight MLAs representing this city and I think it's time for some of them to stand up and represent the community they were elected in."
No one from the Union of Provincial Sector Employees was available for comment.
Original article here

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