Frustrated with Nalcor's transmission line, outfitters hope compensation comes through
The group representing outfitters in the province says business on the Northern Peninsula is suffering because of work being done on Nalcor's Labrador-island power transmission link.
Ron Hicks, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association, says the group has been concerned about this happening since the beginning of the project.
"We're starting to realize our fears are come to fruition," said Hicks, who was in Corner Brook for the group's annual general meeting this past week.
'Huge concern'
The outfitters in the area have used the isolation and rugged terrain as attractions to the sell their hunts.
But the work on the transmission line has opened up those remote areas, which has given access to the public and disrupted wildlife.
"It's troublesome for them. It's a huge concern," said Hicks.
Hicks says he's aware of 19 outfitters affected. Many outfitters sell their hunts a few years in advance, which has led to some disappointed tourists this year, he added.
Outfitters filing compensation claims
"A lot of these hunts are sold a year, two, three in advance. And, when they were sold it was a total different picture," he said.
"So they arrive this year and see nothing but a straight corridor right down through close to the lodge, the viewscape and amount of activity that's there."
The loss in business has some outfitters turning to Nalcor for compensation.
Nalcor told CBC in a statement that there is a process for outfitters to seek compensation, and that the company has been consulting with the outfitters association and its members since before construction on the project began.
"To receive compensation, an outfitter is required to provide Nalcor with proof that they have suffered a loss through submitting a statement of claim," wrote a spokesperson in an email to CBC. "The process has just started and we are working through claims on a case-by-case basis. To date we have not denied any claims."
