Canada possesses all the appropriate fundamentals for growth: Letter to the Editor
by Allen Ballach, a reader in Trenton, Ont.
CanadianManufacturing.com often receives emails from readers offering their views on a particular story, suggesting stories they would like us to cover or providing various critiques about what they like or do not like about this website. We appreciate all correspondence and will, from time to time, publish them here
Dear Editor:
I have recruited executives and managers for the Canadian manufacturing sector for over 30 years and have never seen the sector in such bad shape.
Canadian manufacturing has never recovered from the devastation of jobs lost during the economic recession of 2008-2009. Canada’s middle class has virtually disappeared.
I believe CanadianManufacturing.com would certainly receive heartfelt and candid comments from many owners/operators/suppliers, who are fed up with our lackadaisical federal government’s rhetoric and excuses.
We have dragged our feet regarding any proactive and constructive manufacturing investment policies designed to attract major industrial OEM investment in Canada. Our government’s big infrastructure spend (designed to create jobs) is in a total mess with no one really knowing what infrastructure projects we need to support. These are project jobs anyway, not long term.
Canada possess all the appropriate fundamentals for growth in the industrial manufacturing sectors and could lead a North American wide initiative. We have an attractive Canadian dollar, an educated and experienced work force (auto-aerospace) and have close proximity to major North American customer markets. Yet the majority of our Tier 1 manufacturing business are foreign-owned and headed for Mexico and China.
Why do we always appear to be waiting for the US to throw us their crumbs?
Your publication should reflect such strong views. While they may be unpopular with current politicians they reflect the opinions of many in the Canadian manufacturing sectors. This is why you need to open your publication to their voices—good or bad—by adding the opportunity to comment on your stories.
Our Federal Minister Bains is an accountant and number cruncher by education and training. He has never held an executive position in manufacturing, yet he will decide how to promote Canada’s manufacturing capabilities to the world.
If not for the frustrated and perhaps angry voices of your readership, he will never truly understand the real issues they have and the desperate need to act now—before it’s too late.
I appreciate your effort to listen to these concerns from your readers and hope your actions bring a much needed voice to their cause.
Editor’s Note: This was an excerpt from a reader email, which has been edited for clarity and published with consent. Please feel free to send emails to any of the editors and our publisher, which are listed on the contacts page of our site, or to myself at mouellette@canadianmanufacturing.com.
