Well I couldn’t help but read about all the wonderful news flowing out of Newfoundland these past few days. The signing of the Hebron deal sure has a lot of people excited. At least on the CBC.ca website and forums anyway. I haven’t spoken to many from back home so I don’t know what the true sentiment is back there. I imagine there’s a lot of excitement and angst all at the same time. What is it going to mean. Are we finally going to be a have province, and what will that bring with it. Well, you don’t have to look too far to see that. While most of us will turn a blind eye to the reality of the situation, the reality is that with progress there is always a tag along of unfortunate circumstance. I won’t get into that here, as I want to try and stay positive about this wonderful new deal. It will certainly mean great things for the province. Especially if the government is able to put that expected 20 billion to good use. Hmmm.. wait a minute now… it’s “anticipated” but not signed in concrete, so don’t get all hell bent on spending it just yet!
I would like to see some real plans come out of this for sustained, long-term job growth and security for the great people of Newfoundland & Labrador. I fear, however, that this will be just another Hibernia. However, if you were to listen to all the news, it could be further from the truth. Yet, all parallels can be drawn to the great Hibernia deal… except for the real estate gouging that is taking place. I don’t recall there being this much hype around Hibernia. And for good reason. There it was, gone. And without longer term strategic initiatives put in place to ensure the future of our fortunes, the same will hold true for Hebron. A there it was, gone story.
This is a 7+ year project, and the 3000+ jobs it promises are a ways off just yet. The immediate jumps in real estate are a sure sign that real estate companies, builders, and agents are instilling panacea into investors to get in on the next Fort McMurray… This seems unwarranted at such an early stage, but I look forward to seeing how it plays out over the coming months/years.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this one. Indulge me with your comments! 
Until next time…
