No new blueberry development on former Tracadie range, province says
Deforestation of land for cultivation has been controversial in region
The provincial government has announced it will not develop any more of the former Tracadie firing range on the Acadian Peninsula for blueberry production.
"We recognize the importance of the wild blueberry industry and its economic benefit to the Acadian Peninsula and the province of New Brunswick," Pat Finnigan, minister of agriculture, said Thursday in a news release.
"However, we have been listening to the concerns of the local community and acknowledge the need to balance further development on the Tracadie range with social acceptance."
Deforestation for blueberry development on the range has been a controversial topic in Tracadie, leading to protests and concern from local officials.
The province will honour current leases and agreements for use of the range by First Nations, but will cancel a request for proposals to develop about 830 new hectares for blueberry development there, the release said.
Serge Brideau says he's seen new deforestation on the range since the recent provincial election. (Submitted by Serge Brideau)
Serge Brideau, who was a Green Party candidate for Tracadie in the provincial election, has been outspoken against the deforestation of the range.
He said the announcement left him cautiously optimistic, but that he was concerned the word "moratorium" was not used by the province.
"It's all in the details and time will only tell. Right now, yes, I'm happy, but I'm also a bit worried."
Brideau has been onto the range to see the deforested areas, including some that he said have been cut down since the election.
"It's where I used to fish when I was younger, and I'm still worried about the future," Brideau said.
Brideau, right, speaks at a protest against deforestation for blueberry production in December 2023. (Radio-Canada)
He's not against the blueberry industry, he said, and there's plenty of land in the north of the province to use, but he wants to see a moratorium so that a proper strategy on forest management can be developed.
"They're walking in the right direction, and I hope that they continue. But this just can't be a little bone that they're throwing at us, it won't suffice," Brideau said.
Decision leaves room for improvement, industry group says
Donald Arseneault is the executive director of N.B. Blueberries, which represents about 200 wild blueberry growers in the province, and a former Liberal MLA and cabinet minister. He said he's "not concerned at all with the announcement."
"The fact that they're going to honour the leases that were signed and they're going to continue the conversation with the First Nations, I think that's good," Arseneault said.
"We're going to have to continue to make our case."
The Acadian Peninsula "is just the gem of the wild blueberry industry, but we just haven't done a great job at educating the public on it's uniqueness, and we haven't done a great job either of making it accessible to people on the Peninsula."
Donald
Arseneault, left, executive director of N.B. Blueberries, is seen here
with president René Chiasson. Arseneault says the industry has to do a
better job of marketing blueberries in the northeast. (René Landry/Radio-Canada)
Arseneault said in other blueberry-producing parts of the province, such as St. George and Pennfield, local blueberries are easily purchased. But on the Acadian Peninsula, most end up frozen and sent off to processors.
"So it's almost like the general public doesn't see the benefit of the industry in their region because you don't have access to it."
Arseneault said Crown land used for agricultural purposes in Gloucester County, which includes much of the Acadian Peninsula, has only grown from 24,000 acres in 1986 to 26,000 acres in 2021.
"So when the media and some people in the public are trying to portray that we're deforesting the whole Acadian Peninsula, for either wild blueberries or peat moss or whatever, it's the same amount of land that's for agricultural purposes as there was 40 years ago."
"Sometimes people are trying to make it sound worse than what it seems, and I find that's quite unfortunate, but it just goes to show we've got to do a better job."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Amos
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I crossed paths with all the dudes mentioned and have a few stories to tell
David Amos
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Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Apr 25, 2023 2:53 PM ADT
Brideau performs at the Liberal byelection victory party at a downtown Bathurst pub Monday night while Holt supporter Stephanie Tomlinson, in white, and Holt's chief of staff Alaina Lockhart stand by and watch
David Amos
Can't anyone see this for what it is?
David Amos
I was surprised that Brideau didn't run for the Red Coats this time
David Amos
Reply to David Amos
Now he says he's seen new deforestation on the range since the recent provincial election. Methinks he must be feeling betrayed N'esy Pas?
Chuck Michaels
Reply to David Amos
Brideau est un homme honorable...
David Amos
Reply to Chuck Michaels
Yea Right
BTW Proud Canadians spell it "honourable" and we don't use it as often as politicians and their lawyers do
Reply to David Amos
Honor among thieves.
David Amos
Reply to Denis Reagan
Oh So True
Chuck Michaels
Reply to David Amos
I love my country.... some day I hope to be proud of her again. Need a BIG change of management/direction first tho'....
Chuck Michaels
I was a very Proud Canadian until I ran for public office in 2004
David Amos
I said lots about this topic over the years Correct?
Blueberry controversy sparks debate on Higgs agricultural policy
Aerial images of fields prompt calls for moratorium, more diversification of farm sector
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Nov 24, 2023 5:09 PM AST
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to David Amos
Office of the Premier
Oxford Frozen Foods Ltd. investing in New Brunswick
31 October 2013
SAINT-ISIDORE (GNB) – Oxford Frozen Foods Ltd. is investing $184 million to construct a new processing facility, develop wild blueberry fields and create up to 300 jobs on the Acadian Peninsula.
"Investing in the value-added food sector and in New Brunswick workers is an important part of our government's plan to rebuild the economy and create jobs in our communities,” said Premier David Alward. “Our government is committed to working with strong partners like Oxford Frozen Foods Ltd. to grow the blueberry sector throughout our province and achieve the vision outlined in the recently announced New Brunswick Wild Blueberry Sector Strategy.”
The announcement was made today by Alward, Natural Resources Minister Paul Robichaud, and John Bragg, founder, chair, co-chief executive officer and president of Oxford Frozen Foods Ltd.
Don Corey
It's always nice to see the former Green loser (to Holt) is back in the news again and doing his thing.
What's more interesting is that Donald Arsenault, a former provincial political heavyweight is too. I expect there's already a plan between him and Holt for additional blueberry land in the northeast, so he'll have the last laugh on this one.
BTW, there's nothing wrong with blueberries. For those who don't know, they grow best on acidic sites, generally bordering on bogs and swamps. Such sites generally produce poor/stunted forest growth.....scrubby black spruce and spindly white birch especially.
"Deforestation" is a gross exaggeration.
John Murray
Too bad they have to clear cut for this.
David Amos
Reply to John Murray
The real question is who done it
hmm.....did the cons place any lands for conservation in the last 4 years.......just wondering
Ralph Skavinsky
Reply to Dan Lee
Can't remember, but it's now a moot point
Don Corey
Reply to Dan Lee
Where in the article did you read anything about "conservation"?
David Amos
Reply to Dan Lee
Holland claimed he did
Blueberry pie....mmmmmmm
David Amos
Reply to Gerry Ford
I concur but blueberry cake is even better
Reply to David Amos
Blueberry dumplings, make it on top the stove.......
David Amos
Reply to Gerry Ford
Whenever I get some berries I always make the cake my Mother taught me because I enjoy the memories that come with it The same can be said of crab apple jelly
Chantal LeBouthi
Reply to Gerry Ford
BC blueberry are the best in the world
Reply to David Amos
My mom made delicious blueberry pies; the best ever......and blueberry pudding with ice cream.
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to Don Corey
Welcome back to the circus
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to Don Corey
Wins are wins for N.B. Liberals, but Greens celebrate too
Monday’s byelection results preserve the political status quo. That could be good news for PC government
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Apr 25, 2023 2:53 PM ADT
Brideau performs at the Liberal byelection victory party at a downtown Bathurst pub Monday night while Holt supporter Stephanie Tomlinson, in white, and Holt's chief of staff Alaina Lockhart stand by and watch. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
After most Liberals had drifted away from their byelection victory party at a downtown Bathurst pub Monday night, the event took a surprising turn.
Defeated Green candidate Serge Brideau arrived with a small group of his campaign workers.
Brideau had stopped in earlier to congratulate Liberal leader Susan Holt on beating him in Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-St. Isidore.
For his second appearance, he brought his guitar. Soon he was performing Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash and songs by his own folk-rock band, Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire.
The remaining Liberals, including Holt's chief of staff Alaina Lockhart and former Bathurst MLA Brian Kenny, seemed alternately bemused and confused as their celebration started to look more like a Green hoedown.
Gerry Ford
Reply to Chantal LeBouthi
Not a chance, the wild blueberries are a different level all together
Now liberals give the information on his much pesticide as been sprayed
David Amos
Reply to Chantal LeBouthi
Go Figure
Chantal LeBouthi
BC does have 95% of the market Ontario and Quebec have the rest that why so many blueberries as rotten in the fields in northern NB but the question who made the money either all the wood we know is not the municipality or the province who did
David Amos
Reply to Chantal LeBouthi
Obviously you know the answer as well as I
Chantal LeBouthi
Good was about time nb blueberries and Oxford frozen food did such a mess destroying such a beautiful wildlife habitat
David Amos
Reply to Chantal LeBouthi
I second that emotion
Ronald Miller
Liberals stifling economic development, say it aint so. Another failure of the Holt gov't.
Yves Savoie
Reply to Ronald Miller
False, they wasted tons and tons of berries this year....no need for more
David Amos
Reply to Yves Savoie
C'est Vrai
Yves Savoie
Reply to David Amos
Seen it for myself...
David Amos
Reply to Yves Savoie
Me too years ago in NS
james bolt
They're not clearing the land to grow wild blueberries. In New Brunswick blueberries grow close to the ground and not very close together. They want to plant bushes that grow 6 ft tall which while they are blueberries they are not wild Eastern blueberries
David Amos
Reply to james bolt
Blueberry bushes grew wild in front of my wife's beach house near Cape Cod
Bob Enrob
Reply to james bolt
Are we supposed to be clutching our perils with that info? sounds great!!!
Chantal LeBouthi
Reply to james bolt
No they are full of pesticides
Reply to james bolt
I have yet to see a mechanized blueberry harvester that can work with bushes
Reply to David Amos
Give Trudeau another mandate and he can bring in taller TFW to do the job.
David Amos
Reply to Tom
Why is it that I am not laughing?
That was close, allowing investment would have resulted in some jobs for NB... Good thing they fought back.
Denis Reagan
Reply to Bob Enrob
Lots of jobs. Cutting down trees! Cutting down trees! Cutting dow...................................
Denis Reagan
Reply to Bob Enrob
Lots of jobs. Cutting down trees!
David Amos
Reply to Denis Reagan
Not as many jobs as there used to be
Bob Enrob
Reply to Denis Reagan
Yes
Denis Reagan
Crown land? Sounds sooooo yesterday. Let's call it "Chuck's Place" now?
David Amos
Reply to Denis Reagan
Why not Chucky's Stomping Grounds? After all it once was a Military Base set up to train our folks to defend his Grampy et al Correct?
Gerry Ford
Reply to Denis Reagan
The land stewards will want a tariff for that.
Not great news for economic development in the area ; but it seems obvious that Susan Holt's Liberals will be gone in four years , and the ground will be put back into blueberry production . So really nothing to get overly concerned about , just a temporary set back for the blueberry industry .
David Amos
Reply to Matt Steele
There is more to this story
Sam Carson
Very interesting article. I am from Ontario and first I have heard of this. I hope people in the area continune to fight this and wish them luck.
David Amos
Reply to Sam Carson
They need it
David Amos
Reply to Sam Carson
Deja Vu???
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/win-liberal-byelection-greens-1.6821783
Denis Reagan
Reply to David Amos
Yah! And all over again.
Allan Marven
Still marketed as "wild " in Charlotte County. Nothing wild about them .
David Amos
Reply to Allan Marven
True
Kyle Woodman
My advice to Susan Holt is to stay away from anything Donald Arseneault is promoting.
David Amos
Reply to Kyle Woodman
They are hooked at the hip
Allan Marven
One of, if not the, most chemically dependant industry in the province. And sprayed directly on the ground.
Jack Bell
Reply to Allan Marven
"Health Canada is proposing to allow three times the current limit for residue of an insecticide and a fungicide in wild blueberries sold to Canadian consumers."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/blueberry-pesticide-residue-increase-1.6120711
Allan Marven
Reply to Jack Bell
Nice. Class action against monsanto in U.S. NB is on the verge of becoming a defendant in that.
MR Cain
Reply to Jack Bell
While Health Canada has the authority to register pesticides, municipalities and provinces/territories have the authority to further impose restrictions on the use of pesticides that have been approved at the federal level by the PMRA.
Jack Bell
Reply to MR Cain
But will they?
Allan Marven
Reply to Jack Bell
Nb won't. Ask Elish Cleary and Rod Cumberland.
David Amos
Reply to Allan Marven
Everybody knows the score
MR Cain
Reply to Jack Bell
The Department of National Defence (DND) is still doing UXO clearance work at the former Tracadie Range. They also used a number of defoliants in the area, some not too nice. The local population were picking wild blueberries from the range for years; nobody has been glowing in the dark yet.
Denis Reagan
Reply to MR Cain
They might yet find their thrill. Domino did.
David Amos
Reply to Denis Reagan
May Fats Rest in Peace on the hill of his dreams
Reply to Allan Marven
It looks to me like the class action is more to do with false advertising than seeking compensation; cause and effect are difficult to prove.
Reply to David Amos
Not resting yet. Still walking to New Orleans.
David Amos
Reply to Denis Reagan
Dream on
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