The Bay du Nord oil project off Newfoundland’s shores may not be on the federal government’s initial list of nation-building projects, but it is just as much in the national interest as a port in B.C. or a nuclear plant in Ontario. This $16-billion project will create thousands of person years of high-paid employment for Newfoundland and thousands more spinoff jobs throughout the region. And yet the company hired to build this $16-billion project,

Equinor has hired an offshore company to build the topside pumping stations, piping and processing equipment. Recent statements from the provincial premier expressing a commitment to see union labour play a central role in the project are encouraging, but words must now translate into clear requirements that this work be done here at home.

To miss the opportunity for Canadian workers to help build such a project would be a travesty felt for generations. We need our federal government to stand with the province and Trades NL and demand this construction work be done here at home. With the premier signaling support for keeping this work in the province, and for ensuring union labour has a fair opportunity to lead construction, now is the moment to turn that momentum into concrete action.

There is a persistent narrative even amongst some here at home that we don’t have the skilled people we need to take on a project of this scale. There’s a Newfoundland term for this misconception: codswallop.

In fact, of the seven mega projects built in the past 30 years, the majority of each project’s workers came from Newfoundland. Our current skilled workforce has successfully completed large-scale endeavors throughout the province, including Muskrat Falls, the recently completed West White Rose’s 14-million Newfoundland worker-hours, Terra Nova’s 12-million Newfoundland worker-hours, and Sea Rose’s 11-million Newfoundland worker-hours, representing more than two-thirds of the project’s labour. What’s more, work on four of those projects overlapped, and still we had the skilled labour to get them done. We have proven time and again that we can rise to the occasion when given the tools, resources, and advance planning needed to succeed.

Bay du Nord is another opportunity to employ Canadian talent closer to home — and for many, closer to their families. It should be undertaken by the talented men and women in our building trades, including specialists from other regions across our country. Canada has a proud tradition of sharing its skilled tradespeople from coast to coast to coast. Just ask the folks in Fort McMurray where their projects would be without Newfoundland’s skilled workers.

The impressive results we’ve achieved when we combine our skilled labour with the planning and execution of large projects should provide confidence rather than doubt. We know how to mobilize our workforce effectively, and we have the proven capability to take on big, bold projects.

This is a moment for action, not excuses. Here are three things we can do together:

• Proper planning. Planning should include collaboration with unions and building trades organizations from the outset, allowing us to assess the available workforce, identify skill gaps, and create training programs that swiftly prepare new entrants for high-demand roles. It is crucial to recognize that identifying and anticipating workforce needs can mitigate delays and amplify our capacity to meet project demands.
• Engage and bring in new talent, particularly from underrepresented groups, including women and Indigenous peoples. Fostering strong relationships between industry, educational institutions, and trade organizations will help address concerns over workforce availability but also create a pipeline of skilled labour that aligns with the future needs of our projects.
• Directly funding union training centres will ensure the success of the federal government’s Union Training and Innovation Program. This would follow the practice already succeeding in other provinces.
• When we look at the potential of the Newfoundland and Labrador economy, one buoyed by Bay du Nord and other significant developments, we see the immense value that our building trades can bring. But that value can only be realized if we approach these projects with a commitment to collaboration, strategic planning, and investment in our current and future workforce.

Canada’s Building Trades Unions and Trades NL stand ready to partner with Equinor to ensure that our skilled workforce is front and centre in executing these landmark projects. We represent 600,000 skilled workers across 14 different international unions and 60 trades, with 300 training centres nationwide — including advanced facilities in Newfoundland & Labrador — there is no group better qualified to meet the needs of our growing province.

Equinor’s recent pledge to work more closely with in-province suppliers is a welcome step, and we expect that commitment to extend to using the skilled unionized workforce already here and ready to deliver.

Not only will the Bay du Nord project provide an opportunity for local workers to stay closer to home to build their province’s infrastructure, but this project will provide stable economic opportunities for today’s workforce and future generations.

The talent is here, the capacity exists, and with the right integration and planning, we can rise to the occasion and deliver on these ambitious initiatives.

As only a Newfoundlander can say, let’s give her bickies and make this project one of many made-in-Canada stories.

Sean Strickland is the executive director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.