To the editor:
Member of Parliament Niki Ashton recently raised concerns about Bell MTS services in northern Manitoba. When wildfires recently damaged our network in Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage, and the surrounding area, Bell MTS technicians worked around the clock for three days to lay 9 km of fibre and restore services to the communities as fast as possible. We understand that our customers rely on our networks in these emergency situations to stay informed and connected. We will continue to put into place the right people, plans and resources to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events.
Ms. Ashton has also raised publicly that she received a letter from a young person claiming our company let go their parents without “even a minimum settlement package required by law.” We are unaware of any such claims. All team members affected by our recent restructuring were offered fair severance, career transition services, and continued access to health benefits. We have written to Ms. Ashton’s office several times since April to request more information so we can properly investigate this claim. We respectfully hope that Ms. Ashton will work with us to address this important matter.
Sincerely,
Andrew Parkinson
Senior Manager, Communications
Government & Community Affairs
Bell MTS
