Starting next summer, it will be cheaper for Newfoundland residents to fly to Europe than to fly across their own province.
Newfoundland and Labrador鈥檚 provincial government has put up its own money to convince WestJet to offer a direct flight from St. John鈥檚 to London, U.K., starting April 2024.
That flight 鈥 which costs about $1,000 for a return trip 鈥 will be slightly cheaper than a flight from St. John鈥檚 to Wabush, a mining town on the Labrador-Quebec border.
Jordan Brown, an NDP politician who represents Wabush and the surrounding area in Newfoundland and Labrador鈥檚 House of Assembly, said at peak times, his constituents are sometimes paying $1,800 to get to the capital city.
He said others are making sacrifices because they can鈥檛 afford that hefty price.
鈥淚 know people who鈥檝e said, 鈥業 can鈥檛 make it to this funeral, I just don鈥檛 have this money on hand right now,鈥欌 he said. 鈥淧eople are making sacrifices from actually saying goodbye to loved ones, or not making it to special occasions, events, milestone anniversaries.鈥
Newfoundland and Labrador鈥檚 provincial government does offer a program that will subsidize the cost of medical travel, but Brown wants it to do more to tackle transportation costs inside the province 鈥 including more investigation as to what鈥檚 driving up prices in the first place.
鈥淵ear over year, for the last number of years, we鈥檝e seen fares constantly rising,鈥 he said.
Brown said his community is hurting because of the high fees.
鈥淟abrador West is home to two Olympic curlers, but we can鈥檛 bring any competitive curling into Labrador West because of the high cost of travel. Same with hockey, same with any sporting events.鈥
Jordan Brown is the MHA for Labrador West in Newfoundland and Labrador鈥檚 House of Assembly. (Source: Newfoundland and Labrador NDP)
Both the provincial government and the St. John鈥檚 Airport Authority said in statements they couldn鈥檛 disclose the details of the agreement with WestJet because of what the airport authority called the 鈥渃ommercial sensitivity and (the) highly competitive nature of air service.鈥
The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation said overall, the provincial government has offered almost $4 million to airports to help them attract certain airlines and routes. It added the agreement with WestJet contains clauses that will reduce the overall public spending if the flight is popular.
The prices in Wabush have gotten so high that resident Phil Poirier said he鈥檚 basically given up flying in or out of the community.
Poirier said in a message that he鈥檚 tried to invite his friends to visit the local ski hill in April, but they usually decide to head west to British Columbia instead, because it鈥檚 either cheaper or similar.
Dave Hurley, left, helps run the Iron Rock Brewing Company, a craft brewery in Labrador City. He said it鈥檚 become more affordable for him to work with breweries in Quebec than with those inside his own province. (Source: Dave Hurley)
Dave Hurley, co-owner of a brewery in Labrador City, said he鈥檇 like the provincial government to follow the example of Qu茅bec, and introduce increased subsidies for rural residents to fly to bigger centres.
Certain Qu茅bec residents can fly from rural airports to Montr茅al, Saint-Hubert or Qu茅bec City for $250 each way.
As it stands, Hurley said, even relatively routine trips with his family 鈥 or for his business 鈥 are out of reach.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got employees that we鈥檇 love to send to St. John鈥檚 for craft beer festivals and to network and collaborate with other brewers,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e unable to do that. 鈥 We鈥檙e actually going to send our employees now to Hamilton, Ont., for the Canadian Beer Awards, because it鈥檚 actually cheaper.鈥
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