Both Welland city hall and Canadian Tire Financial Services confirmed this week that the company, Welland's largest private-sector employer, "is beginning a process to examine whether to move 300 I.T. (information technology), marketing jobs to Burlington," said Mayor Damian Goulbourne in a phone message at Niagara this Week.

"I'll leave the details of why to them," said Goulbourne.

Lisa Gibson, a spokesperson for Canadian Tire, confirmed that the company is in the "exploratory phase" of a process that would remove about 300 jobs from its financial services centre in Welland.

Gibson said the jobs are administrative, such as human resources and treasury, and that Canadian Tire's "contact" jobs, namely the about 1,600 people they employ at its Welland call centre operation, are safe. She also stressed that nothing is final.

"We will be making the decision no sooner than the first quarter of 2009," said Gibson.

She said the company is "looking at options" and is determining whether to move the 300 jobs from Welland to Burlington. The city and Canadian Tire Financial Services have a good relationship, said Gibson, but the Greater Toronto Area's labour pool is the main factor rationalizing the company's potential plans.

"It's just been a bit difficult attracting talent to the Welland area," said Gibson. "We're just planning for our future."

The news comes on the heels of last week's announcement that John Deere planned to cease opertions.

Canadian Tire Financial Services is the city's largest private-sector employer, with an office on Prince Charles Drive and call centre on East Main Street.

Goulbourne said that Canadian Tire will "work with us (the city) to explore the options available to them."

He also said that he is confident that the jobs will remain because of the hard work of the employees in Welland.

"The workforce in Welland has done a great job establishing Canadian Tire Financial Services as a leader in their sector," said Goulbourne. "It's the workers that have created the environment where Canadian Tire Financial Services is committed to Welland.

"It's the beginning of a process," he continued. "They are going to provide the city with an opportunity to work with them. I'm confident you're going to see Canadian Tire Financial Services in our community for some time to come." all operations at Welland Works by the end of 2009, putting 800 people out of work.