New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant travelling to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum has some critics in Sussex, N.B., saying he should be dealing with economic problems at home.
Tuesday’s sudden shutdown of the Piccadilly Potash Mine has left many reeling – including Leroy Armstrong, who has been trucking in the Sussex area for over 50 years.
"It's a bad, bad situation here," said Armstrong.
PotashCorp was a reliable source of work for many of Armstrong’s years in the industry.
"We're still depending on this here mine to be a steady income to help support that,” said Armstrong. “It affects the banks. I'm sure there's going to be people who are not going to be able to make it."
Gallant didn’t know about the Potash shutdown until after he left. Energy and Mines Minister Donald Arseneault says Gallant is there for a good reason.
"Specific meetings with Glencore, Uber, IBM, Alibaba, and there's some others, as well," said Arseneault.
Arseneault says Gallant is hoping to convince the major companies to invest - or increase their investment - in New Brunswick.
Arseneault believes the actual job loss from Potash is more like 600, rather than the 430 previously indicated.
"It will have a big effect here at the Port of Saint John, that's unquestionable," Pat Riley, spokesman for the International Longshoremen’s Association.
Last year, PotashCorp unveiled plans to expand their marine terminal at the Port of Saint John.
"Certainly for the short-term, the potash terminal will not be expanding, we do know that,” adds Riley.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.
