A U.S. company may potentially establish an aerospace manufacturing plant in Abbotsford. Should the consideration come to fruition, this could drastically change the demographics and geography of Abbotsford.Â
The project would provide a tremendous amount of jobs, as Abbotsford News reporter, Tyler Olsen lays out in his latest analysis piece. The estimate is somewhere between 7,000-10,000, though there’s no specification on the type of jobs. It could be that most of the jobs would be lower-level manufacturing, with only a handful of managerial and engineering positions. That’s assuming that the jobs would be permanent; it could be entirely possible that this estimate includes the temporary jobs involved in construction of the plant.Â
With concern over the wealth gap growing globally, I wonder if the creation of lower-level and temporary jobs is really what we need. Income inequality is a concern, and the establishment of any new large-scale industry would see an increase in population and an increase in housing demand, which could result in increased housing costs if supply cannot reach that demand. Young people cannot afford to live in Abbotsford as it is. We’re also home to a university; if housing prices go up any more young people, especially students, will bear the brunt of it. The plant may provide a handful of managerial and engineering jobs, but if students can’t afford the education or housing cost to leverage themselves into these jobs, what’s the point?Â
If we want to foster upward socioeconomic mobility (i.e. the ability for individuals to increase their income, standard of living, and access to education) we should be investing and advocating for education and housing for lower-income individuals — including students — not more wage labour. If we want to move our society forward in a positive and thoughtful way, we need people who are educated. This strengthens our democracy, ensuring that people can access the types of jobs that are satisfying to them (therefore reducing the burden of mental health), establish growth in new industries, and become more informed voters.
Olsen’s article suggests that the plants may be tied to the current bid for Canadian F-35 fighter jet production and that some potential companies bidding for the project are Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Saab. Multiple aerospace manufacturing companies have been competing for this deal. While most of Canada’s air force missions are defence and training, the three companies that may be bidding are current suppliers of aircraft to the U.S. Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are actively involved in the war in Afghanistan and air raids in the Syrian civil war, all of which have seen massive civilian casualties and human rights abuses. It seems unlikely that a large-scale, U.S.-owned manufacturing plant would be involved in producing jets and aerospace equipment only for Canada, and thus has the potential to also supply aerospace equipment for the U.S. Armed Forces as well. Though this is speculation, it is important to be mindful of the possible impacts the establishment of a plant may have on a global scale.Â
To be clear, it is not certain that Lockheed Martin or any of the others will be the ones to take over this potential aerospace factory project, but either way, it could be a United States aerospace manufacturing company. My point is, we need to be mindful of what we’re supporting locally because it has a global impact. Should Lockheed Martin establish themselves here in Abbotsford, it would mean that we could potentially be getting involved with a company that supplies arms to violent foreign interventionists.Â
Let us not be swayed by the tired old argument about job creation — this argument will surely be a foothold for local politicians in the upcoming election. We need jobs, but let’s demand good jobs from companies that align with Abbotsford’s values and not jump on whatever job train arrives first, because truly, the results could be deadly.Â
Illustration: Kat Hine/The Cascade
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.
