https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-election-deadline-9.7159842

 

Some 'good showdowns' expected in N.B. local elections after 1,100 decide to run

Some municipal councils will have acclaimed members after May 11

 

Sam Farley · CBC News · Posted: Apr 11, 2026 5:00 AM EDT

 

The deadline for candidates to sign up for New Brunswick municipal elections on May 11 has passed. (Shane Magee/CBC)

With nominations for the May 11 municipal elections now closed, there are some potentially lively contests in some areas, and acclaimed mayors and councillors in others.

The latter bunch includes Tracy and McAdam, where the entire councils will be acclaimed with no elections needed.

Voters across New Brunswick will elect mayors and councillors in municipalities or members of rural district advisory committees. District education councils are up for elections the same day.

In total, 1,102 people put their names forward for council positions. 

“There have been some communities where there's like a really good contest, good showdowns that are going to take place,” said Paul Harpelle, director of communications for Elections New Brunswick.

“And, you know, hopefully that might translate into interest at that local level in that community and trickle down to some excitement amongst voters when it's time for them to go vote."

The province’s three biggest cities have lively races across the board, with many people running for mayor and council spots. 

Fredericton and Saint John each have 32 people running for 12 councillor spots, and Moncton has 23 people running for 10 spots.

Fredericton and Moncton will both get new mayors.

In Moncton, the mayoralty candidates are current councillors Shawn Crossman and Charles Léger, Jeffrey McCluskey and Brian F.P. Murphy, a former member of Parliament and mayor.

There's a three-way race for mayor in Fredericton, where former MP Jenica Atwin, Coun. Steve Hicks, and John M. Reid are after the mayor's job.

Mayor Donna Reardon is running again in Saint John, where Blaine Harris and Coun. Barry Ogden are also seeking the top post.

Two smaller municipalities also have large numbers of candidates running: both Miramichi and Tracadie each have five in the running for mayor and 32 running for council.

Other municipalities with large numbers of people running for council are Bathurst, Campbellton, Caraquet, Carleton North, Edmundston and Riverview. 

Out of New Brunswick’s 77 municipalities, 52 will have a contested race for the mayor’s role.

Thirty-four municipalities will see the incumbent mayor challenged by at least one other person. Two out of those 34 incumbent mayors, in Campbellton and Champdoré, are acting mayors after the elected mayor stepped aside at some point.

Eighteen municipalities are guaranteed to see new people in the mayor's job after the incumbents chose not to run.

In 20 municipalities, the incumbent mayor will be acclaimed. Five municipalities will see a non-incumbent, new mayor acclaimed. 

As for acclamations, two places, Tracy and McAdam, are set to have their mayor and entire councils acclaimed with no competition. 

Grand-Bouctouche and Nashwaak both will have one vacancy on council after not enough people signed up to run.

And two municipalities, Tantramar and Île-de-Lamèque, have their incumbent mayors running for a council seat this time around. The acting mayor of Saint Andrews is also running for a council seat there.

The three municipalities currently operating with appointed supervisors, Strait Shores, Sunbury-York South and Miramichi River Valley, will all see the last person who held the acting mayor role run for mayor. They are not counted as incumbents as there is technically no mayor and council in any of the three. 

Candidates have until 5 p.m. on Monday to withdraw from the race if they reconsider.

A full list of candidates is available on the Elections N.B. website.

Incumbent Mayors Acclaimed (20 municipalities):

• Alnwick (Ernest Yvon Robichaud)
• Cap-Acadie (Serge Leger)
• Fredericton Junction (R. Len Falconer)
• Fundy Shores (George (Denny) Cogswell)
• Grand Bay-Westfield (Brittany Merrifield)
• Hampton (Robert (Dewey) D. Doucet)
• Hartland (Tracey DeMerchant)
• Maple Hills (Erica Warren)
• McAdam (Kenneth Stannix)
• Memramcook (Maxime O. Bourgeois)
• Nackawic-Millville (Tim Fox)
• Nashwaak (David Sweeney)
• Neguac (Georges R. Savoie)
• Nouvelle-Arcadie (Jimmy Bourque)
• Oromocto (Bob Powell)
• Riverview (Andrew J. LeBlanc)
• Salisbury (Robert Campbell)
• Shippagan (Kassim Doumbia)
• Tracy (Dale W. Mowry)
• Valley Waters (Randy McKnight)

Non-incumbent mayor acclaimed (5 municipalities)

• Hautes-Terres (Cathy Paulin)
• Haut-Madawaska (Nancy Ann Landry)
• Quispamsis (Mary Schryer)
• Rothesay (Matt Alexander)
• Upper Miramichi (Frank McKeil)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sam Farley

Journalist

Sam Farley is a Fredericton-based reporter at CBC New Brunswick. Originally from Boston, he is a journalism graduate of the University of King's College in Halifax. He can be reached at sam.farley@cbc.ca

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/municipal-advance-polls-new-brunswick-9.7188388 

 

Municipal election advance polls see 15% of eligible N.B. voters cast ballots early

Election day is May 11

 

Hannah Rudderham · CBC News · Posted: May 05, 2026 1:47 PM EDT

 

 Municipal candidate signs crowd a Fredericton street corner a little under a week before election day on May 11. (Shane Fowler/CBC)

Over 83,000 New Brunswickers cast their ballot in an advance poll for the province’s local government elections.

According to chief electoral officer Kim Poffenroth, the turnout is higher for early voting than past municipal elections.

“People are taking advantage of early voting opportunities, something we've seen an increase in since the pandemic elections in 2020 and 2021,” Poffenroth said.

There are also more New Brunswickers living in municipalities since the municipal governance restructuring. 

Kim Poffenroth, the chief electoral officer for the province, said municipal government turnout is around 30 per cent of eligible voters, so the fact that the turnout is already 15 per cent before the day of the election is "pretty significant." (Shane Fowler/CBC)

Now that advance polling has ended, eligible voters can either vote at a returning office leading up to the election or at a polling station on election day on Monday, May 11. 

Poffenroth said by the time nominations closed on April 10, there were 1,200 candidates across all contests. 

“With so many candidates expressing an interest in representing their communities, I hope that … those who live in their communities have the same impetus to get out and vote and help shape the direction for their communities for the next four years,” Poffenroth said.

Poffenroth said that every day since voting began on April 20, returning offices saw about 200 people there to vote. 

WATCH | New Brunswickers appear engaged in these municipal elections:

 

Advance voting for N.B. municipal elections suggests voter engagement is up

7 hours ago|

Duration 1:46

 

About 83,000 voters have cast ballots in advance voting for the May 11 municipal elections. According to Elections New Brunswick, that's about half the number a typical municipal election sees overall.

Poffenroth said, for her, this election is going to be the benchmark for what voter turnout will look like for municipal elections under the new municipal governance structure. This, she said, is because only brand new municipalities or ones that grew by a significant number of people had byelections in 2022.

Generally, Poffenroth said municipal government turnout is around 30 per cent of eligible voters, so the fact that the turnout is already 15 per cent before the day of the election is “pretty significant.”

“Looking at the crystal ball, one could make the assumption that perhaps voter turnout is going to be higher in this election," she said.

Still, Poffenroth said engagement with municipal elections and voter turnout varies significantly across the province. 

She said that voters can present at any of the 18 returning officers across the province this week. And on election day, if someone is in line to vote at a polling station when the polls close at 8 p.m., they will still be allowed to vote. 

However, there’s a loophole in the legislation that makes it so voting at returning offices must stop at 8 p.m., so people still in line at returning offices at the time will not be able to vote.

Poffenroth said for people voting later on election day, it is safer to go to a polling station than a returning office for this reason.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hannah Rudderham

Journalist

Hannah Rudderham is a reporter with CBC New Brunswick. She grew up in Cape Breton, N.S., and moved to Fredericton in 2018. You can send story tips to hannah.rudderham@cbc.ca.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices

 

 

Arcadia

Arcadia
Position to fill	# Positions to fill	# Candidates	Status
Mayor	1	2	(Election)
Councillor Ward 1	1	1	(No Election)
Councillor Ward 2	1	2	(Election)
Councillor Ward 3	1	1	(No Election)
Councillor Ward 4	1	2	(Election)
Councillor Ward 5	1	2	(Election)
Councillor Ward 6	1	1	(No Election)

 

Arcadia
Name	Optional Contact Information
Mayor  (1 to elect)
Steve LeBlanc	Email : steveleblanc4arcadia@gmail.com http://www.steveleblanc.ca
Robert M. Stoney	Email : stoneyforarcadia@outlook.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587504938059
Councillor Ward 1  (1 to elect)
Tammy Gordon (inc./sort.) (accl.)	Email : al.tam.1@hotmail.com
Councillor Ward 2  (1 to elect)
Cameron Davidson	Email : davidson4gagetown@gmail.com https://facebook.com/davidson4gagetown
Allan Luszcz	Telephone : 506-999-5634 Email : allanluszcz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575361719234
Councillor Ward 3  (1 to elect)
Harry A. Thomson (inc./sort.) (accl.)	Telephone : 506-488-3478
Councillor Ward 4  (1 to elect)
Kalie Dykeman	Telephone : 506-567-0566 Email : KEDYKEMAN@MTA.CA https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574745659315
Steven Sharpe (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-871-2250 Email : Steven.Sharpe4Arcadia@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574393437702
Councillor Ward 5  (1 to elect)
Sheila D. Black (inc./sort.)	Email : sheila.black@gmail.com
James (Jim) Larson	Email : larsontherightway@gmail.com
Councillor Ward 6  (1 to elect)
Paula Gahan-MaGee (inc./sort.) (accl.)	Telephone : 506-440-5427 Email : Pjnjtdd@gmail.com

 

 

Platform 2026

The following outline my goals for Arcadia for the next four years. In reality, they are fairly straight forward and simple; 3 main points of focus:

1. Tax relief
2. Transparency
3. Fiscal responsibility & Debt management

As you may know, I've been very vocal about the manner in which all of our tax dollars have been handled over the past 3 years (since amalgamation). In my view, based on my attendance at council meetings for the past two years is that current council and mayor seem to be intent on spending your hard-earned money on unnecessary, expensive projects which ultimately will impact you, as the taxpayer, in increased debt and higher taxes.

Unless one steps up, there can be no change. So, I am stepping up in an effort to make change happen. I have thought long and hard about this. I recognize that this endeavour may not be easy and involves personal sacrifices. That said, the residents of Arcadia, including me, have been making sacrifices for many years now, owing to the high cost of living, increased costs for everything; food, gas, electricity and notably taxes; both federal and provincial; the latter being the never-ending property assessment increases, resulting in higher municipal property taxes.

No one has stepped up to offer any sort of plan to provide some relief. You and I are expected to contribute more and more, every year. I want to try and make a difference and alleviate the financial burden of all of the residents of Arcadia by reducing unnecessary spending, putting an end to unnecessary projects and ensuring that the millions spent every year by Arcadia are for goods and services that are needed and truly benefit all Arcadians and most importantly lessen the financial burden that the municipality has and continues to place on us.

Simply, I want to set forth on a path that sees a reduction in spending, which ultimately "paves a road" to much needed tax relief for all residents of Arcadia.

Questions for Council

In following council "going-ons" for the past 2 years or so, leads me to these questions and has led to my decision to run for mayor to hopefully steer us to a better future:

• Why is council maintaining the tax rate year after year, while the Province continually increases property assessments yearly?
• Why isn't council doing absolutely everything in their power to alleviate these financial burdens, versus ongoing, increased spending?
• Why isn't council returning surpluses to residents in the form of a mill rate reduction?
• Why does council continue to incur costs for debt servicing of over a million dollars since 2023, on a 1.9-million-dollar debt, with costs ongoing until at least 2042, while having close to $4 million dollars (by end of 2026) in reserves, with what I assume will be ongoing transfers of significant amounts into reserves ($645,679.21 budgeted for 2026)?
• Why is council maintaining a construction trailer, with no washroom, as municipal offices going on 4 years now, costing taxpayers approximately $40,000 per year, the amounts attributed to buildings in the budget; so far over $120,000 since 2023, when 10 minutes down the road is a building perfectly suitable for council's purposes, as it was, up to mid-2023 when used by the Cambridge Narrows village council?
• With a general election 2 months away: Is it prudent to consider hiring new employees? Is it prudent to consider dispatching Requests for Proposals on major projects that could cost in excess of $100,000 if not more?

Municipal Buildings

I am a firm believer in good stewardship of what you own and what you are responsible for in life. Good stewardship means complete transparency to your residents, both financially and ideologically, while responding to the needs of every one of those hard-working residents. It's simple: be transparent and tell us what your plans are for our money.

Council has made it clear; they want to build a new multi-purpose building in Jemseg. They have wanted to do that since amalgamation but steadfastly denied that a building was contemplated. We do not need a new building for Mayor and Council.

We have a perfectly suitable facility in Cambridge Narrows that served as municipal/ council office up to amalgamation. It will serve fine moving forward. Let's get rid of the eye sore that is the construction trailer in Jemseg and move staff into a proper building.

The municipal office can coexist with the Post Office, Fire Department, all while not compromising the recreational use of the building. They coexisted prior to amalgamation; they can coexist now. I see no justification in spending millions on a project that isn't needed at this point.

Council seems to have no intention of reducing the tax rate. For the past 3 years they have been transferring your tax dollars (1.2 million to December 2026), into Reserves; stockpiling monies for what is the multi-purpose building they have seemingly committed to building. Why else would they be transferring significant monies from the day-to-day operation budget to Reserves?

They took surpluses and rather than returning these to the taxpayer, rolled these into the general budget and reserves.

Regarding the multi-purpose building; any mention of a building until recently was refuted by the Mayor and council as disinformation, until recently. In the Committee of the Whole meeting on March 2, 2026, the newly created "fundraising" working group identified their main priority as raising money towards the building of a multi-purpose building.

It appears clear that council wants to construct a multipurpose building of sorts. There was no public input sought. No one asked what the wishes of the taxpayers were. They have never advised that they were building up a stockpile in reserves and why. Doesn't a project of this size warrant consultation with the people who are ultimately paying for it?

At amalgamation, there were two municipal buildings; one in Gagetown (it was sold) and the Cambridge Narrows Municipal building which has offices and council chambers. For whatever reason, the transition committee felt it was a better use of YOUR money to rent a construction trailer (with no washroom) at a cost of $46,000 a year (per the current budget) to serve as the municipal office, instead of using a fully set up, functional building 15 minutes down the road. That's $120,000 in unnecessary spending since 2023.

It seems the intent was to put the new municipality office in the geographical center of Arcadia, regardless of cost or impact to the taxpayers. There are multitudes of municipalities where the municipal offices aren't in the geographical center of the municipality. That makes no sense at all.

We've been told that the Municipal Building, used by Cambridge Narrows council to mid-2023, is "unsuitable", as it has been deemed a recreational building, yet there is a post office and firehall in that "recreational" building.

Two years ago, it was a feasibility study to either build a new building in Jemseg, or add onto the existing firehall in Jemseg. No consideration was given to existing facilities. Bids were sent out, one was returned. For some reason, council never spoke of that plan again.

Several iterations of that plan have surfaced; first, some sort of residential/ commercial complex built by private money, where Arcadia would rent space and that property taxes would make the lease cost revenue neutral. The latest is that Arcadia has submitted an "expression of Interest" to Horizon Heath to potentially build a building that would house a Collaborative Care Center for Arcadia, even though we have two existing clinics, one of which (Gagetown) was just renovated.

The Cost

Here's the problem with that. The building according to the Horizon documents has to be a minimum of 5,000 square feet. This is not just a 5,000 square foot building. Council mentioned a multi-purpose center with a daycare center, etc., and municipal office with council chambers, offices. This could be a 10 - 15,000 square foot building.

Cursory research suggests $500 to $1,100 per square foot to construct a medical building. At the lowest number – this is a building that might cost $5,000,000 perhaps higher. Then there is furniture/ equipment. These numbers do not include land, groundwork, water, sewer, parking lots, paving, curb work, exterior lighting, etc. This is an expensive proposition. What project comes in on budget these days?

Council seems to suggest that Arcadia will be building/ financing this structure by; I suppose, draining a large portion of the "rainy day" fund (Reserves) and financing a portion, adding to our already sky-high debt, which will likely lead to an increase in our taxes, doubly; by an increase in the mill rate to cover the increased debt, and the ever yearly increasing provincial assessments.

Further, we were advised at a recent council meeting that Horizon Health has made no commitment whatsoever, regarding a Collaborative Care Center in Arcadia. The Mayor confirmed that he was told that even if we had a building now, there were no guarantees that Horizon would ever put a Collaborative Care center in it. This isn't a case of "build it and they will come". Embarking on this project with no commitment is not a good idea. Imagine the ongoing costs if the building cannot be leased once built?

Fiscal Responsibility

Arcadia (and by that, I mean council) must start exercising fiscal responsibility. That does NOT necessarily mean cuts to recreation, culture, fire and other essential services. It means a careful examination; line by line of the budget, to make certain costs are where they need to be and that there are no costs there that are simply in place to "pad" the budget (i.e. $111,000 in "Urban Rehabilitation/ Beautification/ Other, $30,000 in tree cutting). "Other" expenses (not detailed) accounts for $417,464 – 7.7% of the budget. One would expect some explanation in the descriptor box for an "other" entry.

Road services make up almost 20% of the budget with some costs budgeted significantly higher than in years past (i.e. culverts and drainage ditches at $100,000 for 2026, up from $30,000 from previous year). These costs need to be looked at closely for any savings that might be achievable.

Our garbage removal services have been steadily increasing in costs; $301,000 (excluding tipping); up 5.6% from 2025. Is there a way to reduce that cost? We have to start looking at efficiencies; for example, General Administrative costs total $576,486 – 10.7% of the budget. Is that reasonable for a community of less than 4,000?

Since 2023 the operating budget has increased just over $900,000, or 20%. What are we getting for that money? We need to focus on "need" not "wants".

Property Assessments

Property assessments in New Brunswick have seen significant increases over the past five years (roughly 2021–2025), driven by a hot real estate market and population growth. Many homeowners have experienced assessment hikes ranging from 20% to over 50% during this period, with some reports of assessments for individual properties rising by over 80%.

The 2025 assessment notices, mailed in January 2025, showed an average provincial assessment base increase of 8.7% over the previous year. Over the four years leading up to 2025, property assessments have risen so significantly that the provincial government noted 70,000 properties triggered a 10% spike assessment cap in 2025, compared to only 3,000 properties in 2024.

Following municipal reforms, some rural homeowners reported assessment and tax increases exceeding 50% over the last three years. In 2025, residential assessments in major cities showed high year-over-year growth, such as 12% in Moncton and 6% in Fredericton.

I can speak from personal experience, having experienced a 58% increase in the assessed value of my home since 2023. Through appeal the current assessment was reduced; however 46% in three years is still a staggering number.

While the Province has "frozen" some assessments this year; keep in mind, this is more so a "deferral. Yes, you may pay less, or equal tax in 2026, if you were one of the residents that qualified for the "freeze. If the freeze is not maintained through 2027; most, if not all residents could see significant hikes in assessed values in 2027, meaning increased property taxes, which ultimately results in increased revenues for the municipality, despite them maintaining it does not.

Even with the "freeze", the 2026 budget for Arcadia is $300,000 higher than 2025.

The Solution

Municipalities can address rising assessments, simply by reducing the mill rate. They can essentially "wipe" out the increased assessed values, by reducing the mill rate accordingly to "zero out" or come as close as possible to eliminating the increase. Revenues stay relatively static for municipalities, and residents don't get penalized with higher taxes. With that comes the responsibility to maintain or reduce current spending levels responsibly, not to increase them, just because a municipality sees a revenue windfall due to the increased provincial assessments.

Many municipalities have done this; unfortunately, not Arcadia. Council chose to maintain the mill rate, even though there was an opportunity to cut the rate in 2026; council chose not to. How can one be optimistic for the years moving forward, given current council's record?

Council has taken surpluses generated ($80,000 in 2023 and $137,000 in 2024) and rolled those monies over into the General Operating Budget rather than returning them to the residents in the form of a tax rate reduction. Further, council has transferred (or will transfer) significant amounts of your tax dollars paid, to reserves (to the tune of approximately1.4 million) in the past three years.

Surpluses and reserves are excess tax dollars, outside of monies needed to run the municipality on a day-to-day basis. Returning surpluses to the residents and not making significant unneeded transfers to reserves means lower operating budgets, and more importantly, lower tax rates.

The 2026 budgeted reserve transfer of $645,679.21 is 11.9% of the entire 2026 operating budget. What would be the effect on the mill rate with that transfer out of the budget? In 2024, they transferred $443,000 (8.6% of the budget) and 293,000 (5.4% of the budget) in 2023. Again, what impact on the mill rate could have been possible if these transfers were not made.

Bear in mind, Arcadia, at amalgamation, had a very healthy 2.8 million dollar combined reserve; in excess of 50% of the general operating budget for each year, including 2026. For the past few years, council's excuse for not reducing the mill rate boiled down to ever increasing costs and that every cent of the budget was needed to cover the day-to-day expense in running Arcadia. That doesn't seem to "jive", given surpluses and reserve transfers.

Arcadia also has a $1.9 million debt currently. For context, that's roughly $680 per registered voter (approximately 2800 voters). You and I have paid over a million dollars in servicing that debt since 2023 (including 2026). With close to $4,000,000 in reserves as of end of year 2026, does it not make sense to look at paying off this debt, saving $300,000 to $400,000 per year in service costs? Some of these loans mature in 2042. Think about how much more taxpayers are going to have to put up just to service this debt, when by the end of the year we have twice that in reserves?

I posted these questions at the recent Town Hall meeting. There was no response from mayor or council.

Why does Arcadia need close to $4,000,000 in reserves, bearing in mind the contemplated/ expected use of reserves? What should council be doing with surpluses and transfers to reserves moving forward? Look at the percentage of the total budget these amounts represent and what that might mean in terms of potential tax rate reductions (11.9% of the 2026 budget for example)?

With 4 million in reserves, can we do something with the debt? Reducing or eliminating the debt could have an impact on the tax rate, with a still a heathy reserve remaining.

Comparison with Other Municipalities

An FYI – the tax rate in Sunbury York South(population 8000ish) has a rate of 0.80/100 for their Ward 1 and 0.83/100 for their Ward 2 for 2026; They were able to reduce the mill rate by 8.04% for their Ward 1 and 5.68% for their Ward 2. Their 2026 budget is $4,102,232 (compared to 5.4 million for Arcadia)

Butternut Valley (population 5,400 ) just passed their budget and were able to effect a 5.4 cent reduction in the mill rate on a budget of $1,740,059. They have capital projects including municipal offices (they were 5 LSD's amalgamated) at $950,000 and a park/playground project at $300,000. Their mill rate ranges from $1.198 per 100 to $1.22 per 100.

Tax relief and growth can be done…...it takes the will to do it.

My Commitments

The Province and the Municipality cannot rely continuously on the residents for more and more money. We have to:

1. Get our financial house in order, and eliminate unnecessary and unwarranted expenditures.
2. Take steps forward to start alleviating the tax burden on each and every resident of Arcadia. Amalgamation has made us one family. Everyone needs relief. Everyone deserves a break. Relief has to come from the Municipality as it's unlikely to come from anywhere else, anytime soon.
3. Address the significant debt; sooner than later. Imagine what we will have paid out in services cost when all of these debts are paid off. At the end of this year it will be in the range of 1.4 million.

It boils down to what you, as a taxpayer, want. Council, despite surpluses and significant transfers to reserves, seems to have chosen to keep the mill rate as is, despite taxpayers facing higher tax bills every year.

Council had an opportunity for a nominal tax reduction in 2026 and chose not to. I'm not optimistic that this council will ever reduce the mill rate. Maintaining the mill rate; all the while knowing that this is costing the residents more in taxes every year, doesn't deserve a "well done" or "pat on the back".

Transparency

Last (but not least), I want to commit to bringing greater transparency to local government, so you as a resident can see what mayor and council are doing with YOUR money. This could be as simple as having meeting minutes out within two weeks instead of four, more updates on the website and/or social media, making financial information (i.e. payments approved during council meetings) available (if possible) to residents, and more Town hall meetings, budget consultations with residents prior to budget approval, more disclosure of information in Committee of the Whole meetings and publishing that information for all residents to see.

There may be some information that cannot be released owing to possible privacy concerns, or legal issues. My goal is to be as open and forthcoming as to what we are doing with YOUR money, as council is legally permitted to disclose.

Closing

As a candidate for Mayor, and if I am fortunate enough to be entrusted with your support, I can only guide and set the tone for council. To truly affect change, we need a likeminded council that has the same goals and vision.

Please question your candidates and express to them what YOU want done with YOUR money. I appreciate you taking the time to read through this and hope you get an understanding as to what I want to try to accomplish as mayor. I want to grow the community, but not at your expense. I can't work miracles, but I can tell you that my focus as mayor will be to try and achieve the goals I've set out above.

You deserve that. Please come to any of the planned meetings for all candidates where you can ask your questions, tell me and others what you want your Mayor and Council to do for you for the next 4 years. Thank you again!

NB Newsmaker Sept. 29: Robert Stoney

• September 29, 2015
• News
• Duration 5:44

On reforming the Police Act

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLnqQcx2qs8 

 

 

RCMP Investigating Municipal Election Sign Damage In Woodstock, N.B.

JJ (Governor) Carrier 

 

May 2, 2026

Trump stickers used to deface candidate's face on his 'stand ups', as police say they have a suspect in this confusing effort by the alleged criminal(s) in drawing attention to something which celebrates the 'fringes' of hatred and denies our democratic process

 

 

 

https://www1.gnb.ca/Elections/en/mun26may11/26may11generalmuncandidatelist-e.asp?ELECTIONTOWNID=120TOWNID22997 

 

Woodstock

Woodstock
Position to fill	# Positions to fill	# Candidates	Status
Mayor	1	3	(Election)
Councillor Ward 1	1	2	(Election)
Councillor Ward 2	1	2	(Election)
Councillor Ward 3	1	2	(Election)
Councillor Ward 4	4	10	(Election)
Councillor Ward 5	1	3	(Election)

 

Woodstock
Name	Optional Contact Information
Mayor  (1 to elect)
Trina Jones (inc./sort.)	Email : hello@trinaformayor.com http://trinaformayor.com
Noah J. Walton	Email : n.walton.nb@gmail.com
Jeff Wright	Telephone : 506-324-0637 Email : jlwright222@hotmail.com
Councillor Ward 1  (1 to elect)
May Atkinson	Telephone : 506-425-2529 Email : may.atkinson.pc@gmail.com
Michael Martin (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-325-0006 Email : mmmartin0610@gmail.com
Councillor Ward 2  (1 to elect)
Will Belyea (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-324-0564
Marlene Hassard	Telephone : 506-650-6568 Email : m.hassard@outlook.com
Councillor Ward 3  (1 to elect)
Catherine Anne Davies	Telephone : 506-325-0456 Email : robindown@hotmail.com
Scott Dunlop	Telephone : 506-325-8222 Email : scottdunlopward3@gmail.com
Councillor Ward 4  (4 to elect)
Ken Anthony	Telephone : 506-612-0752 Email : k.anthony60@icloud.com
Jeff Bradbury (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-425-3849 Email : firetruck67@icloud.com
Norm Brown (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-328-1818 Email : normbrown1234@gmail.com
John Dolimount	Telephone : 506-324-3098 Email : johndolimount@yahoo.com
Laura Gaddas	Telephone : 506-324-3664 Email : lgaddas@live.ca
Leslie Ann Hawkes	Email : murphystella77@gmail.com
Christa McCartney (inc./sort.)	Email : mccartneychrista@gmail.com
Mark Rogers (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-325-9033 Email : markdrogers4@gmail.com
Susan L. Ryan	Telephone : 506-612-0537 Email : susan.ryan@outlook.com
Arthur Slipp	Telephone : 506-325-8524 Email : arthurslipp@gmail.com
Councillor Ward 5  (1 to elect)
Robin Antworth	Telephone : 506-425-4755 Email : robinantworth@hotmail.com
Keith Bull	Email : keith.bull@rogers.com
Lorne Leech (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-328-9830 Email : lbleech@nbnet.nb.ca

 

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXVuDDFbNNU

 

 

 

JJ (Governor) Carrier Is Running In Canterbury (Ward 4) In Lakeland Ridges In The 2026 N.B. Vote

JJ (Governor) Carrier 

 

Apr 18, 2026 

The May 11 municipal elections in the 'supervillage' will elect two members to Lakeland Ridges' eight-member council from the former Village of Canterbury and adjoining areas, with Carrier, a longtime award-winning journalist, volunteer social justice organizer, and anti-poverty advocate, one of the five candidates for the spots

 

10 Comments

 

@davidamos7114

Remember all the things you posted in the CBC comment sections when I ran for public office???  

@leopardknowledge.1430

CA$2.00

Keep up the good fight!

 

@JJGovernorCarrier

Advance polls are hot up here!

 

 

@leopardknowledge.1430

I hope a lot of people vote.

 

 

@leopardknowledge.1430

I'm running in Maple Hills at Large! I hope this helps.

 

@JJGovernorCarrier

Good luck brother...I don't take donations but will take the Toonie and give it to a local charity

 

 

@leopardknowledge.1430

​ @JJGovernorCarrier that's understandable,

 

@JJGovernorCarrier

https://www1.gnb.ca/Elections/en/mun26may11/26may11generalmuncandidatelist-e.asp?ELECTIONTOWNID=120TOWNID22957

 

@leopardknowledge.1430

​ @JJGovernorCarrier I'm the one in the middle!

 

@JJGovernorCarrier

Yepper...Don't be afraid o post your elect plug here...

 

 

 

 

 https://www1.gnb.ca/Elections/en/mun26may11/26may11generalmuncandidatelist-e.asp?ELECTIONTOWNID=120TOWNID22957

 

 

Maple Hills

Maple Hills
Position to fill	# Positions to fill	# Candidates	Status
Mayor	1	1	(No Election)
Councillor at Large	2	3	(Election)
Councillor Ward 1	1	1	(No Election)
Councillor Ward 2	1	1	(No Election)
Councillor Ward 3	1	2	(Election)

 

Maple Hills
Name	Optional Contact Information
Mayor  (1 to elect)
Erica Warren (inc./sort.) (accl.)	Telephone : 506-988-0343 Email : jfwerica@gmail.com
Councillor at Large  (2 to elect)
Mark Estey (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-875-2430 Email : mark.estey@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/esteyatlarge
Benyamin (Ben) Jazebizadeh
Eric Murray (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-863-8802 Email : ericmurrayrealestate@gmail.com
Councillor Ward 1  (1 to elect)
David Gingras (inc./sort.) (accl.)	Telephone : 506-227-4119 Email : David4ward1@gmail.com
Councillor Ward 2  (1 to elect)
Chad Martin (inc./sort.) (accl.)	Telephone : 506-866-4598
Councillor Ward 3  (1 to elect)
Erica Bulmer	Email : ericabulmer@outlook.com
Marc Savoie (inc./sort.)	Telephone : 506-874-1858 Email : acadianvy@gmail.com

 

 

https://maplehills.ca/en/your-government/council-members 

 

 

Erica Warren

Mayor

erica.warren@maplehills.ca

Mayor Erica Warren lives on farmland her grandparents raised their family on. With the exception of around 6 months, she's lived in Maple Hills her whole life. Her husband, Jason, grew up in Calhoun, NB. They have two boys, ages 15 and 17, who both went to Mountain View School in Irishtown (just like she did).

For 19 years, Erica worked at Armour Transportation Systems where she did a bit of everything. To name a few, she started in dispatch, moved to a Software Implementation Team, then to Process Improvement (where she earned a green belt), and became an Executive Assistant and Fleet Manager. In 2021, she left Armour to start a business with her husband installing commercial interior finish and millwork. They're now a crew of 4 on site and she runs the office.

While campaigning, Erica often heard people say "We live out here for a reason" and "We aren't interested in city living and all that goes with it". Erica agreed with them! Erica has pride in where she lives, and a passion for hard work, in her own words: "I would like to think that, like me and my family before me, my kids will want to stay in Maple Hills too. It’s important that Council ensures any changes are good for the long term as well as the short term."

 

Mark Estey

Councillor (At-Large)

mark.estey@maplehills.ca

Councillor Mark Estey is a devoted family man, supported by his wife Stephanie and their two boys. In his free time, he can often be found cheering on his children during their sports activities.

In 2004, Mark completed his education at Crandall University and later pursued a multi-year Business Essentials program at Western University. Built on a strong academic foundation, he is well-equipped to address the challenges residents may face. “I believe in addressing the community's needs while maintaining a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility.” Says Mark. As the owner of Adams Pest Control and BrightPath Consulting, as well as a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Mark brings a diverse business background to his role. In addition, he has served on multiple Boards of Directors, throughout the years, which further developed his leadership skills.

His journey towards public service began when he participated in a small community action group that fought against the amalgamation of Lutes Mountain into the City of Moncton. In his own words: “Through meetings with the province, petitions, and collective resistance, I witnessed the power of community unity in preserving their identity and way of life. Inspired by this experience, I knew that when the time came, I would seek a position on the council to continue advocating for the interests of Maple Hills.” Mark has a deep appreciation for the rural lifestyle, which is why he’s passionate, dedicated, and honored to be serving the newly formed Maple Hills Community and all its residents.

 

Eric Murray

Councillor (At-Large)

eric.murray@maplehills.ca

Councillor Eric Murray has lived in Irishtown/Maple Hills for most of his life, at 37 years old, he has spent 34 years of his life here in this community.

In April 2017, Eric began his career in Real Estate, and if you keep an eye out, you may be able to spot his face on a billboard in the area! Since 2020, he has devoted his spare time serving the Board for Codiac Storm Lacrosse, as well as assisting the team with coaching. In addition, you can find Eric volunteering around the community in his free time.

As a dedicated long-time resident, he is committed to making Maple Hills the best place to live the rural lifestyle, and you can rest assured that Eric has the residents’ best interest in mind when making decisions with the Council. In his own words: “When I heard about the municipal election, I felt there wasn’t enough information given to residents. As a local, I wanted to represent the people, while making sure they remain informed on what’s going on in their community.”

David Gingras

Councillor (Ward 1)

david.gingras@maplehills.ca

Deputy Mayor David Gingras is married to long-time Harrison Trimble High School educator and vice-principal, Shelley Gingras. Together they have two young boys, one is attending Harrison Trimble High School and the other is at Magnetic Hill School.

He holds a Master in public administration from Dalhousie University, certificates in local government and business, along with being a graduate of Saint Mary’s University. For nearly a decade, David was a professional writer and researcher with a Moncton-area company. He recently moved on to Employment and Social Development Canada as a Senior Advisor, Internal Communications.

In addition, he is an active participant in several volunteer efforts, including the karate program at the YMCA as one of the program’s volunteer instructors, promoting the importance of active living and discipline in our youth.

When David heard that Lutes Mountain could possibly be amalgamated into the city of Moncton, he played a key role in the campaign to keep parts of Moncton Parish in Maple Hills, successfully arguing with government officials that residents enjoy a certain lifestyle here. “They chose this place over life in the city,” says David.

 

www.youtube.com/@GingrasForABM-Riding25-NB

David Gingras

@GingrasForABM-Riding25-NB

 

Description I’m running to be the PC candidate for Arcadia-Butternut Valley-Maple Hills in New Brunswick. I’m an advocate for the hunting, fishing and trapping community - an avid outdoorsman. Over the last six years there have been numerous changes to these traditions and the sport in New Brunswick, from the introduction of pheasant and turkey hunts to a fairer Moose lottery. We must ensure the progress we’ve made isn’t lost. Furthermore, hunting, fishing and trapping are all essential skills our children should be learning - skills I’m passing down to my children. There’s a steep and long learning curve for new MLAs and candidates. For me, with years of experience at the Legislature, in municipal council, and campaigning for the Progressive Conservatives, I’m already there. I can hit the ground running tackling the issues relevant to rural New Brunswickers, to individual residents, and to the six municipal councils in the riding. 

 

Cell: 506-227-4119 

Or visit me on Facebook.

 

David Gingras - Sr Analyst, Business Analysis

 

 

Telephone :

[pending...]

Email : david.gingras@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

1081 Main Street

Moncton, New Brunswick  E1C 1H1

Canada

Chad Martin

Councillor (Ward 2)

chad.martin@maplehills.ca

Raised in the small community of Dundas on what is now the northern edge of Maple Hills, Councillor Chad Martin considers himself fortunate to have experienced a true rural upbringing. Surrounded by multiple generations of family and friends he was taught at an early age the importance of helping those around you. Like many residents he attended primary and secondary school locally (Mountain View, Sunny Brae, Moncton High) and enjoyed participating in many different sports throughout those years. One key aspect of his personality he takes directly from his local upbringing is his love for the great outdoors and for the people he is able to connect with through related organizations and hobbies.

While attending post-secondary education it became apparent that his passion for helping others was going to be a driving force in his life. He soon focused on Emergency services, Firefighting and Emergency Rescue to be specific, and graduated from the Marine Institute Via Memorial University of Newfoundland. This passion led him to multiple opportunities throughout Canada which include industrial safety and firefighting in the Oilfields as well as time with the Government of Alberta wildland firefighting helicopter attack crews (Helitack). In 2014, he accepted a position with the Moncton Fire Department where Chad continues to serve today. Over the years, he has volunteered with several organizations most of which with the intent to help families in need or help children suffering from injuries/illness.

Supporting Chad in all his endeavours is his better-half Hélène and stepson Noë. Immigrating from France, Hélène recently finished her Degree in Education and is a full-time teacher at a local Elementary school where she is passionate about helping kids succeed.

Residing in the Irishtown area, he is proud to be the council representative for ward two. In his own words: "I see this as an opportunity to not only give back, but to also help shape the future of a community that has given so much to me over the years. I have a strong belief in using common sense decision making, treating all people as equals, and doing things right the first time." It is his hope, that as the newly incorporate area of Maple Hills develops, we are able to maintain our rural way of life while growing in a positive direction to allow opportunities for current and future generations to come.

 

Marc Savoie

Deputy Mayor (Ward 3)

marc.savoie@maplehills.ca

Councillor Marc Savoie grew up in Bas-Caraquet in the Acadian Peninsula, in 1986 he came to Moncton to continue his studies at the Université de Moncton. He later graduated with Bachelor of Arts with a major in Geography and a minor in History. After completing his studies, he moved to Montreal for work and returned to New-Brunswick in the spring of 1995. September of that year he began working at Costco, this year marks his 30th year with them.

For 14 years, Marc has dedicated his time volunteering with the “Scouts du Canada”. He has held a variety of titles during his time from Scout Leader to District Commissioner, to name a few. He is also a proud father of 3 children (now adults).

In 2016, he moved to Lakeville and fell in love with both the region and his spouse, he knew right away that this was home. This is why when the opportunity came to possibly be a part of the very first council of a brand-new municipality, Marc thought “Wow! What an amazing opportunity for learning”. In his own words: “I consider it a privilege to be part of this very first Municipal Council, and I am confident that with the team we have, we will build good things for a great future for Maple Hills.”

Recently, at the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) Zone 2 meeting in July 2025, Marc was elected as one of three directors representing the zone.