SAINT JOHN – Canadian Blood Services is putting a new call centre in Saint John that could create up to fifty jobs.

COO Ian Mumford also confirmed a blood holding unit will be housed in its University Avenue location, with the call centre and a blood donor clinic.

He said the decisions were made for business reasons, and had nothing to do with criticism from medical and government officials over the CBS plan to move a blood production facility from the Port City to Dartmouth.

Mumford said the choice became clear once the province decided to stay with CBS.

“Because they decided to continue, because the building we’re in here in Saint John is a perfectly good building, that’s where, really, the stars aligned and said, ‘Look, this makes the most sense,’” Mumford said. “Do I hope that this helps us continue to rebuild trust in New Brunswick? Of course I do. That would be good, but really these decisions were quite separate.

CBS said the national contact centre would open in about a year, and will supplement its main contact centre in Sudbury, Ontario.