A conflict has engulfed a brand-new N.B. municipality. It may be a sign of a wider problem
Local government roiled by sanctions, resignations and accusations of bullying
The idea sounded simple: adopt local government reform to bring villages, towns and local service districts in New Brunswick together under the watch of new councils.
But a little more than two years after amalgamation happened across the province, some of those mandated unions have struggled with division, anger and a steep learning curve.
This has been especially true in Lakeland Ridges, Fundy Albert and most recently, Strait Shores, a cluster of communities that includes the former village of Port Elgin in southeastern New Brunswick.
That's where Coun. Andy MacGregor has been at the centre of a storm over legally questionable sanctions for alleged code of conduct violations.
MacGregor says the municipal code of conduct is being "weaponized" against him after he introduced some transparency motions shortly after being elected in January. Among other things, the motions called for the posting of previous financial statements, using public tenders when a municipal asset is sold, and imposing a deadline for posting meeting minutes.
MacGregor was sanctioned, and the mayor and two councillors resigned, blaming MacGregor in their resignation letters, calling him the "town bully" and accusing him of harassment.
Dan Murphy, executive director of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick, said part of the problem is the impact of local government reform.
Municipalities are dealing with increased responsibilities but sometimes with the same number of staff they had as smaller communities, and often with many first-time councillors, Murphy said.
Dan
Murphy, executive director of the Union of Municipalities of New
Brunswick, says more training for municipal councillors to clarify roles
and responsibilities would help. (Submitted by Kandise Brown)
"There are certain communities that have had struggles and are starting to get their legs under them now," Murphy said. "And then there are others that still need additional support and training and resourcing."
While the Department of Local Government offers some orientation training, and the municipalities union offers training at annual conferences, more is needed, "whether that's in clarifying roles and responsibility or financial management or understanding planning requirements," Murphy said.
"There's all kinds of things that we could do that would just help our councils and our staff be better prepared."
When major problems do erupt, where do local councils go for help?
Just shy of a year ago, the province inaugurated the Local Governance Commission, which MacGregor said he's lodged a complaint with.
New commission to investigate council problems
Mary Oley, the commission's director and general counsel, declined to discuss the Strait Shores case but said in an interview that anyone launching a complaint must first let the local council's investigation finish.
"If the local government refuses to accept their complaint, or if they're unsatisfied with the result, they can then make a complaint with us," Oley said.
"We are not an appeal body. We look at it completely new, with fresh eyes, and conduct our own fulsome investigation."
If a complaint is made, and it's within the commission's jurisdiction, the subject of the complaint is notified and has an opportunity to respond, Oley said. The commission will then offer mediation and can proceed to an investigation if needed.
That would be undertaken by the commission, which has a chair and four members.
When trouble arises within local councils, this group can helpThe commission "can impose sanctions such as repayment of funds that were obtained as a result of a conflict of interest, and they can even suspend council members, and in some circumstances, senior employees for up to 90 days," Oley said.
The timeline of the investigation depends on the case, she said.
"But we understand that especially these types of complaints, they affect people, they have real-world impacts. No one wants to be accused of wrongdoing. So we do endeavour to process them as quickly and efficiently as possible."
And if a council loses quorum, Oley said, the commission has the power to appoint a supervisor, which effectively suspends a council temporarily.
"So we need to act very quickly to have somebody in place so that essential services continue to be provided, bills are paid, things of that nature."
But another more extreme option allows the commission to recommend cabinet appoint a supervisor when councils "are not functioning properly," especially with financial issues or if it's in "the public interest."
Murphy said the commission is a good place for resolutions, but it should be a last resort.
"Ideally, we're able to have the necessary training and the ability to understand things in-house before we have to go to that."
CBC News requested an interview with Local Government Minister Aaron Kennedy or anyone from the department about the province's support for municipalities, like Strait Shores, that have run into problems. Spokesperson Kelly Cormier did not make anyone available.
Commission should take additional role, lawyer says
While MacGregor waits for the commission to take up his case after the municipality's own investigation wraps up, one expert suggests it should have been able to do so right from the start.
Constitutional lawyer Lyle Skinner said one helpful legislative tweak would allow the commission to investigate code of conduct issues from the start, instead of having municipalities investigate first.
"It ensures procedural fairness. It ensures that any perception of bias or conflict of interest is also removed," he said.
"Just to reduce the temperature."
Mary
Oley , Local Governance Commission director and general counsel, says a
local council has to complete its own investigation before the
commission can start one. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
The Strait Shores investigation into MacGregor is being done by an undisclosed third party with an undisclosed timeline and cost.
Code of conduct violations are a costly distraction from a municipality's regular business, Skinner said.
But the issue is not a sign that municipal reform was a complete failure, because "you can only anticipate certain things when drafting until you see what happens in the real world."
"This call is just for a minor, minor correction that might make a substantive difference in how these things transpire in the future."
Higgs government pushed amalgamation too fast, prof says
Geoff Martin, who teaches politics at Mount Allison University, said the former Blaine Higgs government didn't show enough sensitivity bringing in municipal reform.
Hundreds of thousands of people across New Brunswick who didn't live in municipalities and were unaccustomed to council governments were suddenly thrown into it.
"These decisions were made without local buy-in. They weren't made with the consent of the governed or their council," Martin said.
"And what aggravates the situation as well ... I think that there is hardship in rural New Brunswick with the kind of taxable increases that people are seeing and a certain anger and a certain discontent."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Legality of sanctions against Strait Shores councillor questioned
Coun. Andy MacGregor is at centre of a controversy affecting southeastern N.B. municipal council
Two experts in municipal government have a laundry list of concerns with how a councillor in Strait Shores was disciplined.
Coun. Andy MacGregor says the municipal code of conduct is being "weaponized" against him after he introduced a number of transparency motions shortly after being elected in January, including calling for previous financial statements to be posted, requiring a public tender when a municipal asset is sold, and imposing a deadline for posting meeting minutes.
He was sanctioned and then the mayor and two councillors resigned, all blaming MacGregor in their resignation letters and calling him the "town bully," accusing him of harassment and intimidation.
The councillors ended up rescinding their resignations, but a heated council meeting soon after saw residents outraged over the handling of MacGregor's sanctions and calling for all remaining councillors to resign.
But aside from categorically denying the allegations of misconduct, MacGregor said the sanctions are unjust because they differ from those under the Strait Shores council code of conduct and because they were imposed before an investigation is complete.
Constitutional lawyer Lyle Skinner says the actions of the Strait Shores council should matter to people across New Brunswick. (Submitted by Lyle Skinner)
A constitutional lawyer agrees.
"It's almost like we're into Alice in Wonderland, you know, the sentence is first, then the trial, right? That's just simply not allowed in the current structure," said Lyle Skinner, who grew up near Fredericton but now lives in Ottawa.
"There's a linear process that any type of breach of code of conduct is supposed to follow. And in this case, everything's happening all at the exact same time."
Strait Shores council not following its own rules, legal experts sayMacGregor was told he could not contact any municipal staff or fellow councillors and is not allowed inside municipal buildings. He also said he has been shut out of his municipal email account.
Those are not listed as approved sanctions under Strait Shores bylaws, which say:
- Council can vote to send a letter of reprimand.
- Request a letter of apology, request a councillor attend training.
- Suspend the mayor or deputy mayor from acting as official council spokesperson.
- Suspend from some or all council committees and bodies.
- Restrict privilege to attend conferences.
- Restrict or suspend pay.
Skinner said MacGregor's punishments are technically sanctions but they effectively result in a suspension.
"If you physically are not permitted to attend council meetings, then yes, there is a de facto suspension in process."
The sanctions are invalid, he said, because "the town at the moment is not following the bylaw that they themselves set out."
The basis of the municipality's authority to use those suspensions is unclear because acting Mayor Annamarie Boyd refused to discuss MacGregor's sanctions and did not respond to a follow-up interview request.
With
Jason Stokes having resigned as mayor and MacGregor not allowed in the
building, the council is now made up of (clockwise) Coun. Tanya Haynes,
Coun. Stacey Jones, and acting Mayor Annamarie Boyd. The municipality's
chief administrtative officer, Donna Hipditch, is seated far right. (Chad Ingraham/CBC)
The next council meeting, which was scheduled for April, has been cancelled because the municipality said in a Facebook post that it needs time to move to a new building next door to the current municipal office.
MacGregor is now waiting for the investigation but Boyd has refused to say who is conducting it, when it will be completed, and what it is costing the municipality.
The actions of the Strait Shores council should matter to people across New Brunswick, Skinner said.
"We're talking about the suspension of a democratically elected councillor from the town council," Skinner said. "And so that means that the folks that live in that particular area don't have representation at the level of government that arguably affects them the most."
Sanctions could put municipality in legal bind
Geoff Martin teaches in the department of politics and international relations at Mount Allison University in Sackville and has a research interest in New Brunswick municipal governments.
He said MacGregor's sanctions and how they were imposed could be a legal concern because "for small municipalities, it's very hard to navigate this legally and do it right."
He also pointed out that by banning MacGregor from municipal property, he's being deprived of his rights not only as a councillor but also a citizen.
"They can't even go into the municipal office and, you know, pay their water bill," Martin said.
"These are very serious actions that are injurious to someone's reputation — have they been thought through? So that speaks to how quickly this was done."
Geoff
Martin, a political scientist at Mount Allison University, says council
codes of conduct should not be used to curtail ideas. (CBC)
The fact that municipal council terms are for four years has made voters less powerful in holding account councillors they feel have misbehaved, Martin said.
"Now, it's lawyers and staff and administrative law process that holds people accountable. And I think that's expensive, often unsatisfying for everyone involved and is a worrying trend."
Martin doesn't doubt that there are issues with councillors whose conduct is unacceptable.
"I have seen these things happen and that needs to be curtailed. But what doesn't need to be curtailed is people's ideas and people who kind of style themselves as reform-oriented."
Martin said MacGregor has a right to introduce as many motions as he'd like to council, even if he likened them to "drinking from a firehose" for other councillors to navigate.
"Leadership is about channeling that in a productive way so that improvements can be made and you can build a consensus rather than immediately starting off on the wrong foot," Martin said.
But instead, the existing councillors are coming "from a defensive perspective as opposed to seeing this as an opportunity to move the municipality forward."
Martin worries about what residents will think watching their tax dollars be used on an investigation.
"I'm just thinking from the perspective of local citizens and taxpayers who are going to think, 'Well, the municipality is going to be preoccupied with this rather than moving the community forward.'"
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
https://www.goc411.ca/en/170393/Lyle-Skinner
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Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments
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Government of New Brunswick Jun 2013 to Sep 2014 · 1 yr 4 mos FrederictonCritical Infrastructure Analyst
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From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Mar 20, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Subject: Resignation letter from Strait Shores mayor calls new councillor the 'town bully'
To: <cao@strait-shores.com>, <rmcknight@valleywaters.ca>, <cao@valleywaters.ca>, <a.black@tantramarnb.com>, <j.borne@tantramarnb.com>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, Bill.Oliver <Bill.Oliver@gnb.ca>, John.Williamson <John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, harjit.sajjan <harjit.sajjan@parl.gc.ca>, <jean-francois.leblanc@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, <lise.babineau@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, Mitton, Megan (LEG) <megan.mitton@gnb.ca>, Marco.Mendicino <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, bruce.wark <bruce.wark@bellaliant.net>, jacques.j.leblanc <jacques.j.leblanc@gnb.ca>, dominic.leblanc <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>, Jacques.Poitras <Jacques.Poitras@cbc.ca>, Tammy.Scott-Wallace <Tammy.Scott-Wallace@gnb.ca>, <rob.taylor@gnb.ca>, charles.murray <charles.murray@gnb.ca>, Richard.Ames <richard.ames@gnb.ca>
Cc: <amacgregor@strait-shores.com>, <1stephen.robb@gmail.com>, Susan.Holt <Susan.Holt@gnb.ca>, Paul.Harpelle <Paul.Harpelle@gnb.ca>, premier <premier@gnb.ca>, robert.mckee <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>
Just 2 years old, an N.B. council is in turmoil after resignations and sanctions
Resignation letter from Strait Shores mayor calls new councillor the 'town bully'
Another of New Brunswick's new municipal councils has become embroiled in drama and bitter conflict.
Strait Shores lies along the Northumberland Strait and includes the former village of Port Elgin and smaller communities out to the Confederation Bridge. The sprawling community was amalgamated in 2023 as part of local governance reform.
But the Strait Shores council began to unravel this year after a new member was elected in a January byelection.
What followed were resignations, sanctions, heated allegations and a tense public meeting, where angry residents spoke out in support of the new councillor, saying he was being unfairly punished.
Andy MacGregor, a retiree who took up school-bus driving to stay busy, said he ran in the byelection after attending council meetings and feeling local government needed more structure.
"Not much detail, not much talking, no discussion, just everything was rubber-stamped in and out," MacGregor said in an interview.
At his second meeting, on Feb. 10, MacGregor introduced a dozen transparency motions. Among other things, he called for posting previous financial statements, requiring a public tender when a municipal asset is sold, and imposing a deadline for posting meeting minutes.
In his speech, which he shared with CBC News, MacGregor called on his colleagues to be accountable.
"And if you feel that for any reason, you cannot work within this system, I would strongly urge you to resign for the betterment of Strait Shores."
Over a month later, the minutes from that meeting are still not on the Strait Shores website, so it is unclear how other councillors voted on his motions.
What is clear, however, is the meeting struck a nerve.
Accusations of a 'town bully'
Mayor Jason Stokes resigned Feb. 14, and in a blistering three-page letter, attacked MacGregor.
Stokes called MacGregor the "town bully" and accused him of having "intense hatred" for municipal staff. MacGregor's motions came from a "need to control the staff," said Stokes, who wanted an apology.
How a council in rural New Brunswick unravelled after a new councillor was electedA CBC request for an interview with Stokes went unanswered.
When CBC first requested a copy of Stokes's letter, CAO Donna Hipditch said it could be found on a local Facebook group, where it was posted anonymously. Asked again for an official copy, Hipditch refused to provide one until it was tabled at council's next meeting.
Soon after, two other councillors, Stacy Jones and Tanya Haynes, also resigned, only to then change their minds. Hipditch would not provide copies of their resignation letters, saying it would be "redundant" after they had returned to their roles.
If their resignations had stood and there was no longer a quorum, New Brunswick's Local Governance Commission would have stepped in to supervise the municipality.
Last year, the province stepped in to appoint a supervisor in the municipality of Lakeland Ridges, which also saw rampant infighting among councillors. And in nearby Fundy-Albert, the mayor resigned, blaming the province for doing little to help with the growing pains of amalgamation.
No details of code of conduct review
On Feb. 20, MacGregor said he received a letter, signed by the clerk and acting mayor, telling him he was being sanctioned and was the subject of a code of conduct review.
Handwritten across the letter were the words "personal and confidential — this cannot be shared with anyone." The letter said MacGregor's conduct at the Feb. 10 meeting resulted in "multiple instances" of councillors complaining about his conduct.
"Municipal staff have also informally reported being harassed and intimidated by Councillor MacGregor's behaviour," the letter said.
Until an investigation is complete, the letter said, MacGregor was barred from contacting municipal staff and councillors, and from entering municipal buildings. No details of the investigation or a timeline were given.
"I've been basically, completely stripped of my democratically elected rights to represent people of Strait Shores," MacGregor said.
"They just weaponized the code of conduct. I mean, they just want to get rid of me."
Strait
Shores Deputy Mayor Annamarie Boyd will now act as mayor until spring
2026 after the council voted not to trigger a byelection this spring. (Chad Ingraham/CBC)
Deputy Mayor Annamarie Boyd is now acting mayor, overseeing a council now made up of herself and freshly un-resigned councillors Jones and Haynes. Normally, the council has a mayor and four councillors, one acting as deputy mayor.
While MacGregor said he believes he is still a councillor, he is not listed as one on the municipal website.
MacGregor said he's complained officially to the province and hopes to resume serving as councillor.
"I'm not discouraged at all," he said. "I mean, this is why I decided to run for transparency, accountability.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'll get back at the table when this is done, and we'll just pick up where I left off, right?"
After MacGregor was banished from the council table, those who remained made sure no one else could join them anytime soon.
No elections until 2026
According to meeting minutes, a motion to declare Stokes's mayoral vacancy to Elections N.B. in time for a spring byelection was defeated at a special council meeting Feb. 28.
Elections N.B. spokesperson Paul Harpelle said in an email that because no official notice of a vacancy was received, Strait Shores will have to wait until the next New Brunswick municipal elections on May 11, 2026, meaning Boyd will be acting mayor until then.
The decision not to ask for a byelection was just another source of anger for residents, which bubbled over at council's meeting March 10, the first since controversies started to pile up.
Residents pack council meeting
About 40 people crammed into the tiny municipal building in Port Elgin, which had seating for 12. Two RCMP cruisers idled across the street, a rare sight in the village where the nearest police stations, in Shediac and Sackville, are 30-minute drives away.
Before Stokes's resignation letter was tabled, resident Stephen Robb spoke in MacGregor's defence and called for Boyd and the remaining councillors to resign.
"It shouldn't be necessary to remind council that airing dirty laundry is the worst possible way to leave a legacy for your time in office and residents deserve and expect better," Robb said.
At
the March 10 meeting, resident Stephen Robb, centre, addressed council
and called for the acting mayor and remaining councilors to resign. (Chad Ingraham/CBC)
"Strait Shores is viewed as a community which is unable to help itself because of rampant infighting and bullying."
Robb's speech drew loud applause from the crowd. Boyd then continued with regular council business for a tense 20 minutes.
A representative of the regional service commission was also at the table. Hipditch said this was because she and the councillors were all women and fearful of the large crowd.
When the meeting adjourned, the public stayed in the room, with some jeering and others seeking one-on-one talks with councillors.
Staff turned off the lights to try to get people to leave, with little effect.
In an interview after the room darkened, Boyd wouldn't say who was doing the code of conduct investigation into MacGregor or when it would be completed, citing confidentiality.
With
Jason Stokes resigned and MacGregor not allowed in the building, the
council is now only made up of, clockwise, Tanya Haynes, Stacey Jones,
and Annamarie Boyd, the acting mayor. Donna Hipditch is the CAO. (Chad Ingraham/CBC)
She also would not comment on the call for her resignation minutes earlier.
"I'd like for people to give us a chance," she said when asked if she believed the council is transparent.
Council can only serve the public if the community "stops the infighting, the bickering," she said.
She wouldn't say why council wouldn't declare the mayor's post vacant, although she's found stepping in as acting mayor "quite overwhelming."
Supporters urge MacGregor not to quit
After residents finally left the building, several lingered on the sidewalk, voicing concerns. Some municipal staff left in such a hurry they got into a fender-bender leaving the parking lot.
Lara MacMillan said she was at the February meeting that resulted in MacGregor being sanctioned.
"He was sincere and he was serious, but he was not threatening, and he was not a bully," she said. "He was giving voice to many of us who are and have been imploring the council to represent us.
"I see all kinds of potential and what we want to see is representation that meets the needs of the community."
Nearby, Gary Rayworth agreed and said he voted for MacGregor because of his calls for transparency.
MacGregor's sanctions were indicative of problems with amalgamation and a lack of training for new councils.
He said he hopes MacGregor stands his ground.
Resident Gary Rayworth said he voted for MacGregor because of his push for transparency, and hopes he stands his ground. (Chad Ingraham/CBC)
"Go for it, Andy. Don't quit. Whatever you do. Hopefully he gets his feet back on the ground, because he's not easily deterred."
Joel Downs said removing MacGregor "doesn't seem very Canadian."
He said issues in Strait Shores reflect the slow decline of New Brunswick's small communities. Councils should be focused on promoting economic development and opportunity, he said, gesturing at several abandoned storefronts on the main street.
"Because without a future, what are our children and our grandchildren going to look forward to in these kinds of communities?"
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From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jul 14, 2024 at 8:28 AM
Subject: Loella’s Country Market got lots of attention in CBC last week EH Mr Outhouse?
To: <Steve.Outhouse@gnb.ca>, blaine.higgs <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, Susan.Holt <Susan.Holt@gnb.ca>, Mitton, Megan (LEG) <megan.mitton@gnb.ca>, rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, robert.mckee <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>, Ross.Wetmore <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>, jeff.carr <jeff.carr@gnb.ca>, Arseneau, Kevin (LEG) <kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca>, hugh.flemming <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, andrea.anderson-mason <andrea.anderson-mason@gnb.ca>, Robert. Jones <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>, Bill.Oliver <Bill.Oliver@gnb.ca>, Gary.Crossman <Gary.Crossman@gnb.ca>, John.Williamson <John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, harjit.sajjan <harjit.sajjan@parl.gc.ca>, <jean-francois.leblanc@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, <lise.babineau@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, Marco.Mendicino <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, bruce.wark <bruce.wark@bellaliant.net>, jacques.j.leblanc <jacques.j.leblanc@gnb.ca>, dominic.leblanc <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>, Jacques.Poitras <Jacques.Poitras@cbc.ca>, Daniel.J.Allain <Daniel.J.Allain@gnb.ca>, Tammy.Scott-Wallace <Tammy.Scott-Wallace@gnb.ca>
Cc: <jstokes.mayor@strait-shores.com>, <cao@strait-shores.com>, <1stephen.robb@gmail.com>, <rmcknight@valleywaters.ca>, <cao@valleywaters.ca>, <a.black@tantramarnb.com>, <j.borne@tantramarnb.com>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, <rob.taylor@gnb.ca>, charles.murray <charles.murray@gnb.ca>, Richard.Ames <richard.ames@gnb.ca>
Tourists, locals decry 'atrocious' condition of highway to provincial park
Route 955 runs past Confederation Bridge and Murray Beach Provincial Park
Parts of Route 955 are crumbling and some locals say the government isn't doing enough to fix the road. (Jonna Brewer/CBC NB)Tourists and locals alike are decrying the condition of a scenic coastal highway that's used to access a provincial park.
Route 955, which skirts the Northumberland Strait, passing by the Confederation Bridge and Murray Beach Provincial Park, has been crumbling for years, said Stephen Robb, who owns Luella's Country Market in Little Shemogue.
He said the road is so bad that last summer every customer who came into his store commented on its condition.
"It's just ludicrous that the provincial government has let this road get to this condition," said Robb.
"It is part of the Acadian coastal route, in fact it's the first part of it."
Multiple issues
Robb is a member of a group of local residents who are calling on the provincial government to fix the highway.
While most highway lanes are 10 feet wide, there are areas of the road where lanes are only seven feet wide because of deterioration, he said. The shoulders of the road dip in some places, and in others the vegetation on the shoulder is so overgrown that you can't see cars or wildlife coming around corners.
Stephen
Robb, who owns Luella's Country Market in Little Shemogue, is a member
of a group of locals who are calling on the provincial government to fix
the highway. (Jonna Brewer/CBC)
The condition of the highway makes no sense considering how much money the province has put into making Murray Beach attractive to tourists, Robb said.
"I know there's been a lot of upgrades there."
He said he met with Tourism Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace and was told repairing the road would be a priority going forward. But at a later meeting with the Department of Transportation, Robb was told the road was not a priority.
Route 955 passes by Murray Beach Provincial Park, a popular tourist
spot the province has spent money updating in recent years. (Jonna
Brewer/CBC)
He also claims the province set up traffic counters, used to determine how many cars travel on a road, in April when traffic would be lower, in order to avoid prioritizing the road.
CBC News has reached out to the departments of transportation and tourism for comment.
Highway is 'terrible' say campers
Campers staying at Murray Beach described their journey on the highway with words like "atrocious" or "treacherous."
"The roads are terrible," said John Fudge. "Everything in our trailer was all shook up and I was only going slow."
His travelling companion, Heather Dykeman, said she's travelled to a lot of provincial parks but never had an experience like this.
"This is the worst one," she said. "We were just shocked at the condition of the road to get in here."
Larry Carroll of Miramichi says the campground is nice but the road can be a bit 'scary' at times. (Jonna Brewer/CBC)
Larry Carroll of Miramichi said the campground is nice but the road can be a bit "scary" at times.
"There was a section where there was probably a quarter of the road washed away," said Carroll.
Robb said the continuing deterioration of the road will eventually hurt the tourism sector in the area.
"I think [tourists] come, they look at this and they go, 'that's a really sad place. It's pretty, but it's sad and the government doesn't care about it,'" he said.
With files from Jonna Brewer
True
If vehicles are required to be road-worthy, shouldn't roads be required to be vehicle-worthy?
Excellent question Do you remember what happened next?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
You should see parts of the TCH on Vancouver Island... now that's a disgrace.
Have you looked at parts of our TCH lately???
The part maintained by professionals that know what they're doing, or the part maintained by yellow truck shovel leaners?
Our budgetary surplus hard at work......
Surely you jest
You should see the streets in my area. They are atrocious, run down, the bushes never cut back can't see around corners. Potholes in one busy street force the driver to go on the shoulder to get around.
And yet, there is Mr DJ himself proudly showing off his governments surplus. Good job guys! Good job in focusing on pronouns instead of infrastructure.
Why not run against Mr DJ in the next election?
The internet has videos of a gent in the UK that spray paints a rather graphic/phallic graffiti around each pothole in his neighborhood.
It forces the local government to fill the pothole to get rid of the ugly graffiti.
I would never advocate that anyone do this of course. ;-)
Remember our Pothole Vigilante???
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
Pot holes another problem from climate change/s.
Yea Right
This government has completely failed in its responsibilities to govern in a balanced manner, neglecting much needed and necessary investment in even simply maintaining existing infrastructure. Instead, they’d rather spend taxpayer dollars on an out-of-province Outhouse under the guise of advisor to the premier and on high-priced private sector lawyers to defend misguided government policies. And let’s not forget all the ongoing Irving subsidies or the $66 million ($34 million more than the original $32 million estimate) being spent on a new jail, in a minister’s riding an hour from courts and healthcare services (hence higher transportation costs) that many question the actual need for. The Higgs government has not been good for New Brunswick or New Brunswickers - it’s time for change.
Reply to Jim Lake
Do you know how many Unions are
negotiating 'new' Contracts with Gov't.
at this time ??
Think about that when commenting on
how our tax dollars are being spent .
Reply to Dianne MacPherson
??? … so what are you suggesting? The government shouldn’t negotiate with or offer decent compensation to those that deliver us services? That’s all part of what I refer to as “balanced” governing.
Reply to Jim Lake
"Balance" is not a word that one can use in NB.
The Higgs Gov't in the last two years or so is
governing with one hand tied behind its back.
The *vocal* population 'governs' in NB.
In all honesty , I can't wait for Election Day.....
we need a *reset* !!
Methinks Mr Outhouse is a nervous camper these days N'esy Pas?
This is far from the only neglected road in NB. The river road along the St. John River Rt. 102 is a draw to tourists now a damaging potholed dangerous trail. The once desirable ferry tour taking the various ferry's along the river is treacherous now. Try taking the Evandale and following the 705 along the lake toward Cambridge Narrows and see if you can navigate the potholed rim bending washed out mess.
They'll put down some random patching just in time to haul sand to the garages for winter and destroy it further.
People take pride in their properties and pay ridiculous taxes and in return they get an uncaring attitude and no pride in the infrastructure. Time for a change IMO.
Amen
It should be a small wonder why I called my Mayor's office and Mr Robb's Mayor's office as well
Life is good if the only complaint is the road.
Reply to Shevek Anarres
Ah yes, because crumbling infrastructure is a hallmark of good governance.
Reply to Louis Léger
Agreed, Higgs and his like are terrible at governance.
Reply to Louis Léger
Paying $2 MILLION PER DAY in interest on a $14 BILLION provincial debt, and the people that vote in favour of this, keep coming back with a hand out for more and complain when services suffer. Wait until the province is bankrupt, for the real fun to start.
Still spinning right eh?
Same thing happened on route 114 from hwy 1 into Fundy park and Alma. Road was so bad that tourists decided not to go to Fundy. Was only the loss of tourist dollars that prompted the Higgs government to repair the road. No other reason. He didn’t give a rats behind about the residents who live along that road.
Nope Higgy did it because the National Park was in PC territory
Many a true word is said in jest The roads on Crown land are smoother correct?
In my youth, those who opted to partake in camping, and campgrounds, were also prepared to rough it. The countryside differs substantially from the urban and suburban landscape.
Reply to Robert Brannen
In my youth, we never had RVs with tv.
Reply to MR Cain
In my youth we had neither RVs, nor tvs; however, by the time I had reached my teens there were those who were converting large, retired delivery vans into something they called "campers".
Reply to Robert Brannen
That is hardly an excuse for the Higgs government not to adequately invest in maintaining the province’s infrastructure. Just another example of this government abrogating its responsibilities.
Reply to Jim Lake
"Just another example of ...Gov't." .......
PC and Liberal.
Reply to Dianne MacPherson
I’m not disputing that of past governments … but I hold out hope that we will get a new government that governs for ALL New Brunswickers (something Higgs promised to do but has massively failed at) … I hold out hope that we can elect a premier that respects balanced governing and is able to be both fiscally and socially responsible and govern to improve the future for our province and all New Brunswickers. Without this hope, we are all lost.
I like the fact that the roads around my abode are rough It keeps the snobs away
Reply to Jim Lake
I am not defending any government, just pointing our the fact that it is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to decide how much risk he is willing to take on in operating his vehicle on the roadways of New Brunswick.
I concur
Reply to Jim Lake
Ya, tell all of the PS unions to lay off. Where do people think the money comes from. Funds for every desire are not unlimited. The future is here. Time to pay the piper for the last 40 years of vote buying. The funny part is the federal government will have to step in to run the province.
In general, it's very frustrating to have significant tax increases (property, fuel/carbon) but the road conditions are left to deteriorate and services are lacking.
There has been no repairs or ditching in my general area for 15 years; the bushes are over the road shoulder and water pooling is significant. I'm sure many others see this in their area, as well.
One year ago a heck of a forest fire started 2 hundred yards from my abode because NB power had been cutting corners for years Nobody would talk about it until I called into a live talk radio show like these folks did this morning
Quinn Castillo
Billions of dollars in fuel taxes are collected annually by different levels of government but most of the money isn’t used for road infrastructure where it is intended but ends up in general revenue.
Go Figure
Tourism is at the bottom of the list for the Higgs government. And don't expect the tourism minister to raise her voice on this concern. She needs the pay cheque too bad.
You should know
Intro
Come along for a bumpy ride with CBC's Jonna Brewer. She heads down route 955 and speaks with
Stephen Robb who owns Loella's Country Store on the roads, about the deteriorating conditions on the tourist route in southeastern New Brunswick, a route that leads to a popular provincial park.
Loella’s Country Market is with Richard Ames and Hon. Tammy Scott-Wallace.
From: LeBlanc, Dominic - député <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Tue, Jul 9, 2024 at 11:56 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: As per my calls I trust that the Mayors of Norton, Sackville and Port Elgin should not deny my sending this email EH Higgy?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
(English follows)
Bonjour,
Nous
accusons réception de votre courriel adressé à L’honorable Dominic
LeBlanc, cp, cr, député de Beauséjour et nous vous en remercions.
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Pour toutes demandes des médias, veuillez contacter Kelly Ouimet à Kelly.Ouimet@iga-aig.gc.ca
Merci et bonne journée.
Bureau de L’hon. Dominic LeBlanc, cp, cr, député
Député de Beauséjour
------------------------------
Hello,
We acknowledge receipt and thank you for your email addressed to the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., K.C., M.P. for Beauséjour.
Please note that we are currently receiving a high volume of correspondence. This may mean a delay in our responding to you.
For emails related to specific issues from our constituents in Beauséjour, we will make sure to review your message and an employee from our constituency office will be in contact with you if necessary. If you have any questions or require clarification, you can always contact our office at the following phone number: (506) 533-5700.
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Office of the Hon. Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., K.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Beauséjour
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Tue, Jul 9, 2024 at 11:55 AM
Subject: Fwd: As per my calls I trust that the Mayors of Norton, Sackville and Port Elgin should not deny my sending this email EH Higgy?
To: <jstokes.mayor@strait-shores.
Cc: Ross.Wetmore <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>, Bill.Oliver <Bill.Oliver@gnb.ca>, Gary.Crossman <Gary.Crossman@gnb.ca>, John.Williamson <John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, harjit.sajjan <harjit.sajjan@parl.gc.ca>, <jean-francois.leblanc@rcmp-
Date: Mon, Jul 8, 2024 at 4:55 PM
Subject: RE: Just a Hello What is your number?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
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