Mystery man, mystery plan: Questions abound on Stephenville airport acquisition
CBC
The dozens of people assembled inside the small airport terminal in Stephenville, N.L., rose to mark the good news. Applause echoed off unused airline customer-service counters and unstaffed rental car kiosks.
They had just heard Carl Dymond announce ambitious plans he called a "game changer, in every way shape and form" for the western Newfoundland town that has had its economic struggles over the years.
A $200-million investment into airport infrastructure and the community. A plan to manufacture cargo drones, "some of the biggest in the world." The return of major airlines, and scheduled passenger service. The creation of thousands of jobs.
All this, using the Dymond Group of Companies' own cash.
"We're also not asking for any financial resources at all from the town of Stephenville, from the area, from the province," Carl Dymond said at that media event on Sept. 9.
"We want to be able to do this with our money. I think putting our money into it is showing that we're serious about what we're looking to do."
Local politicians and business leaders have lauded Dymond's plan for how it would rev up the region's economy.
And the announcement provided hope for local residents who have too often relied on out-of-province rotational work — hope there may soon be jobs closer to home. The mayor says it has spurred other investment in the region.
But a CBC News investigation has found inconsistencies between Dymond's public comments, and what those on the other side of some of his business plans are saying.
Also, timelines for signs of progress at the airport have become more elastic, moving further into the future.
And the corporate history of the Dymond Group remains murky.
"I know we're very secretive in how we do work, but we're the kind of company that we'd rather show people what we did than to tell people along the way what we're doing," Dymond said at the announcement in Stephenville in September.
CBC News provided detailed information to Dymond about the findings outlined in this story.
He declined interview requests, indicating he would answer questions after the deal closes for his acquisition of the Stephenville airport.
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