The New Brunswick government gave snow plow-manufacturing contract potentially worth $500,000 to a Quebec firm even though its bid was only $1,600 less than a Hartland, N.B. company.

In an email leaked to CBC News, Ben Craig, an owner of Craig Manufacturing, explained to his employees that he was at a loss as to why the government was sending the work elsewhere.

"It's just very crushing to be let down like this by your home province," Craig wrote.

Craig went on to say that the company fully expected the extra $1,600 price tag to be offset by the cost of travel that inspectors would have to incur travelling to Quebec. He also wrote the slightly higher price tag would be a minimal deterrent to keeping money and jobs in the province.

"...although we were $1,600 high on the package or $60 high per plow, we had been confident that the NB Government would keep the business here in the province..."

The contract awarded the building of 27 plows and 30 plow wings to the competing Quebec company.

A manufacturer of similar plows estimates the cost of a single unit to be around $15,000. That price does not include installation or the cost of hydraulics needed to operate the snow plows.

A statement from Bonnie Doyle Creber, a communications officer for government services, reads: "The tender for this contract was conducted in compliance with the regulation under the procurement act. It was compliant with the various trade agreements to which the Province is a signatory. While both bidders met the technical evaluation criteria, the contract was awarded based on the lowest price, as stipulated in the tender documents."

Hartland Mayor Craig Melanson says the decision shows poor judgement.

"For that amount of money, it just doesn't even make any sense at all to me" he said. "None whatsoever. We're gonna lose, lose, lose."

Craig says a number of people have written government offices about the lost tender, adding Premier Brian Gallant has reached out to him and there may be a meeting between the two parties.