DIDSBURY - West-Can Seal Coating Inc. (WCS), headquartered in Didsbury, is concerned about a lack of local support from the Town of Didsbury, says owner Andrew Arnill.
Appearing before council as a delegation on June 26, Arnill said although the company employs more than 200 people and had a payroll of more than $7,000,000 in 2017, it has done only $800 in business with the Town of Didsbury in the last three and a half years.
“The Town of Didsbury has not asked WCS for a quote in four years,” said Arnill. “There is little incentive to invest in Didsbury based on the local support we receive.
“We are currently investing elsewhere for rail and manufacturing jobs. Rail exists here, so does industrial land. More jobs will leave town if a mindset doesn’t change. Tell me as a young businessman, what’s the Didsbury Advantage?
“WCS was not afforded the opportunity to quote the supply of cold mix or did not receive an opportunity to price the spray patch work in front of our shop.”
During his presentation, Arnill pointed out several areas in town where road preservation work could be undertaken.
“Since 2000, Didsbury has not done full width preservation on any of their streets,” he said. “What’s the level of acceptable service for ratepayers?
“The pathway by the old age home on 20th has serious segregation. This new surface will fail prematurely if it is not sealed. Seal the segregation prior to having a larger issue on your hands.
“An ounce of preservation is worth a pound of cure. What is Didsbury’s plan to protect their investment?”
Town CAO Harold Northcott told council there are two large-scale road projects in town that will soon be put out for tender. He said West-Can is welcome to submit bids for both projects.
