Amalgamation could secure future for Labrador West towns, says MHA

The MHA for Labrador West says amalgamating the towns of Labrador City and Wabush could help secure the future of both communities.

Graham Letto told the CBC on Thursday he understands the townsare working towards amalgamation.

"It's a struggle right now," he said."I think they're moving to a point now where they see the need to come together and to share services and to be one community and to certainly move forward in this difficult time."

"It's not a matter of getting rid of one community or the other. It's a matter of going ahead with a plan and to work together and be sustainable for the future."

The conversation was renewed earlier this month after municipal plans for both communities were released.

Last week Labrador City Mayor Karen Oldford told the CBC she was pretty sure amalgamation is going to happen. Wabush's plan stated it is vital that both towns share almost everything.

• Labrador City mayor predicts merger with Wabush

Letto saidonce the provincial government receives requests from both towns, it can begin to plan a process that would include public consultations and establish a commissioner to assess the feasibility of amalgamation.

'Benefit for everybody'

Amalgamation has long been a topic of discussion between the communities discussions which Letto has been part of since he's served three terms as mayor of Labrador City.

"At the time we were proceeding down that road. We never got to where we needed to go but we saw the benefits of it then. I still see the benefits of it today," Letto said,

"Common facilities, common services. It's a benefit for everybody."