Bombardier reactivates plant.Bombardier Aerospace Bombardier Aerospace is a division of the Bombardier group, with the third largest workforce (behind Boeing and Airbus) and the fourth largest in yearly delivery of commercial airplanes (behind Boeing, Airbus and Embraer). has temporarily reactivated its mothballed North Bay facility to finish completion of three Canadair water bombers. Work began in early July with the recall of 20 laid off employees in North Bay to finish off three Canadair 415 aircraft shipped in from Montreal. Situated in a former air force hangar at Jack Garland John Richard (Jack) Garland PC (January 1, 1918 – March 14, 1964) was a Canadian politician, who was a longtime member of the Canadian House of Commons for the riding of Nipissing. He represented the Liberal Party of Canada. Airport, North Bay is Bombardier's final assembly and delivery point for the 415. Bombardier spokesman Marc Duchesne says the Montreal-based transportation giant has not found buyers for the aircraft, but they are talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to several potential customers. He could not say how long the workers will be on the job in North Bay and there is no word of further pending orders for more aircraft. "We're still working on some contracts, so we may sell some additional airplanes," says Duchesne. The Saskatchewan government recently purchased some retrofit kits for their older Bombardier water bombers, "so there's still a market for those aircraft." Duchesne says Bombardier does not have a signed lease for the North Bay hangar facility but the company has forwarded a letter of intent to the property's new landlord, Voyageur Airways Voyageur Airways is an airline based in North Bay, Ontario, Canada that commenced operations in 1968. Along with air charters they also repair and maintain aircraft and an air ambulance service. , and is confident of signing a formal lease shortly. The former owner of Bombardier's hangar, the all-volunteer Air Base Property Corporation (ABPC ABPC American Book Prices Current (Washington, CT) ABPC Associated British Picture Corporation (TV & Motion Picture company; Elstree, Herts, UK) ABPC Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Cal ), divested themselves of the facility earlier this year to Voyageur Airways, a North Bay charter aircraft company, who took over negotiations for the lease. "The lease we had in place (with Bombardier) was always 12 months out," says ABPC chairman Dave Butti, "out to 2006 and indefinitely. We released negotiations over to the purchaser. There's no sense negotiating the lease and binding the new purchaser. Voyageur voy·a·geur n. pl. voy·a·geurs A woodsman, boatman, or guide employed by a fur company to transport goods and supplies between remote stations in Canada or the U.S. Northwest. picked it up and is now the landlord." Voyageur purchased three of the four hangars at the Aerospace Centre site from the non-profit site development corporation which during the mid 1990s saved the former military assets from demolition to promote economic development at the city. "We're grateful to have them back," says North Bay Mayor Vic Fedeli. Fedeli has served as ABPC chairman, and helped lure Bombardier to North Bay in the late 1990s. "They continue to try to sell product world-wide and we understand they may not begin construction of new aircraft in Montreal until such time as they've made some sales. That's our understanding." In 1998, Bombardier Aerospace announced it was moving the final assembly operations of its Canadair 415 program to Ontario to clear the way for the construction and assembly of its new Canadair Regional Jet Series 700 airliner. North Bay beat out Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie Sault Sainte Marie — pronounced "Soo Saint Marie" (IPA /su seɪnt məˈɹi/) — is the name of two cities on the Saint Marys River, which forms part of the boundary between the United States and Canada. and Ottawa among the finalists for the plant. All the other Canadair 415 operations including engineering, manufacturing and aircraft subassembly sub·as·sem·bly n. pl. sub·as·sem·blies An assembled unit forming a component to be incorporated into a larger assembly. through to marketing, sales, contracts and customer support remain in Montreal. During its peak period of operation, the North Bay facility employed as many as 80 people. Fedeli remains hopeful Bombardier will keep a permanent footprint in the city. "We expect we'll continue as the final assembly and delivery centre if and when they re-activate the facility in Montreal on a permanent basis." www.northbayairport.com www.bombardier.com By IAN ROSS Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. |
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