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Vegreville is a small town, located 105 kilometres east of Edmonton. Vegreville has endured its fair share of adversity and hardships over its history. Vegreville residents have fought hard to make our community an important economic and service hub for east-central Alberta. We are, if nothing else, a resilient group who don’t shy from any challenge.

Yet Vegreville finds itself facing the most difficult challenge of all — an indifferent federal government.

In late October, the Public Works branch of the federal government stepped up to the microphone and announced that it would be moving its Vegreville Case Processing Centre (CPC) in 2018. The centre, which processes applications for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, employs over 280 staff — almost 10 per cent of our community’s entire workforce.

The decision blindsided the town. Although the federal government had contemplated this move for as long as two years, Vegreville was never notified. Nor were they consulted about the potential effects of relocating a rural employment fixture that has been part of the community for more than two decades.

Former Immigration minister John McCallum was quick to defend the planned move to the capital city, citing operational issues and difficulty hiring staff. The reasons for the surprise move by department officials did not make sense so the town did some digging on its own.

The results of our investigation delivered the biggest kick to the ribs. The federal government developed no business case to support the move. Furthermore, the government’s own documents show that the decision to uproot the facility will actually create a substantial tab for taxpayers thanks to renovation costs, leasing fees, and employee compensation related to the move to Edmonton.