Former N.B. Premier Frank McKenna, Maksim Mihic of DP World Canada, Jonathan Wahba of CP Rail and Craig Bell Estabrooks of Port Saint John participate in a virtual panel discussion during Port Days 2022. Image: screen capture
New Brunswick’s former premier thinks the pandemic has changed patterns where people now see the value of living in New Brunswick.
Frank McKenna joined a Port Days panel discussion in Saint John.
McKenna said New Brunswick has safe communities with an enviable quality of life and when you add in connectivity, people can work anywhere in the world.
“All of sudden, everything we ever wanted for New Brunswick has come to us. The ability to have great jobs without leaving home. That’s the good news. The bad news is the world has become topsy-turvy as a result of the pandemic,” McKenna said.
He noted the significant changes the pandemic has brought to the provincial housing market.
“People are buying properties sight unseen all over New Brunswick. We realized the world came to a conclusion that we may not have ourselves which is ‘this is a really good place to live,'” McKenna said.
McKenna said all of New Brunswick benefits when Port Saint John benefits.
He sees great potential in what the port has done to ensure it has “the workforce of the future.”
McKenna noted what he called the “stunning advantages of Port Saint John” with a deep water port, partners like DP World and CP Rail and the ability to reach markets in Mexico and Boston sooner than other ports.
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