Clarence-Rockland concerned about relocation of 10,000 federal employees

City officials have expressed concern over the Department of National Defence's plan to relocate 10,000 employees currently working in offices east of Ottawa to the old Nortel facilities and megaplex located west of the city in Kanata.

During the December 12 council meeting, Mayor Marcel Guibord highlighted that a considerable portion of Clarence-Rockland's population is employed by the federal government.

"Inevitably, it will affect us and we will suffer from it," he said of the relocation plan. "Twenty per cent of our population works for the federal government and I fear that some staff who travel from Rockland to Orleans or Rockland to Ottawa will find that Kanata is too far."

Guibord said the relocation could bring about "an exodus of some families," which would affect the growth of the municipality. For that reason, council members passed a resolution calling on the federal government to reverse its decision - and has subsequently sent its request to other Prescott-Russell municipalities to support it.

"Whereas the federal government has decided to move upwards of 10,000 federal employees to be relocated in Kanata and Barrhaven who presently reside in Orleans and other areas east of Ottawa, such as Clarence-Rockland, and whereas the move will impact community life as well as transportation and local economic conditions, the municipal council hereby supports all activities that will either reverse the decision or provide mitigation measures for the communities affected," reads the resolution.

A copy of the resolution was also sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MP Pierre Lemieux and MPP Grant Crack.