St. Stephen bids farewell to long-serving mayor, councillors
Council in St. Stephen has bid an emotional farewell to two long-serving local leaders who are not reoffering in the next election in May — Mayor Allan MacEachern and Deputy Mayor Ghislaine Wheaton.
At the final regular council meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Renaud paid tribute to the entire council — thanking them for their commitment to public service.
“As we approach the conclusion of this council term, it is appropriate to pause and reflect on the work that has been undertaken, the challenges that have been navigated, and the progress that has been made on behalf of the residents of the Municipal District of St. Stephen,” he said. “On behalf of the administration, I wish to extend my sincere thanks for your commitment to public service and to the community you represent.”
Renaud said the term — totalling five years for some following amalgamation in 2023 — has not been without its moments of difficulty.
This included the death of Coun. Earle Eastman in May 2025.
“Coun. Eastman served his community with dedication and a clear sense of purpose,” Renaud said emotionally. “His contributions remain part of the work and decisions of this council and his absence has been felt by colleagues, staff and the broader community.”
Renaud previously presented staff with a challenge coin following the town’s corporate services upgrades — and at the end of the council’s term presented one to each member.
On one side is the municipality’s former logo — recently changed as part of its rebranding — and on the other a picture of the council during the swearing-in ceremony.
Deputy Mayor Ghislaine Wheaton will also not be returning to the horseshoe. She served on the council for a decade.
“It’s been a wonderful 10 years,” she told the council. “It is my honour to offer a heartfelt thank you to Mayor MacEachern as he concludes his time in office. I especially thank him for his mentorship along my journey as a councillor. Public service is never an easy path.”
Wheaton said she isn’t done stepping up for her community, though, turning her attention to different committees — including the age-friendly committee and the wellness task force.
Coun. Emily Rodas has also decided not to re-offer. She announced she would not run in the May election in October 2025.
“I take being a councillor very seriously and I’m really proud to represent my community. I wholeheartedly believe that all councillors have a huge responsibility to the people who elected us. To hear you, and be transparent, which is why I don’t take the decision to re-run lightly,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, Wheaton mainly addressed Mayor Allan MacEachern — a 14-year public servant.
St. Stephen is facing significant issues like many other New Brunswick municipalities, including homelessness, affordability, and infrastructure deficits.
The local government has been dealing with approximately 100 individuals experiencing homelessness — which resulted in the provincial government opening a 30-bed shelter on 9 Main Street in late 2024.
It has been an acute source of conflict between the community and the council. Residents have expressed significant concerns about public safety, especially the neighbours in the immediate vicinity of the shelter.
A group of residents has sought a judicial review of a defeated motion to relocate the shelter to outside the municipal boundaries.
Several properties that were purchased by an out-of-province landlord who has let the buildings fall into disrepair have been the subject of the Safer Neighbourhoods and Communities Act. Those properties were seized by the Department of Justice and Public Safety — many have gone up for property tax sale.
The town has also struggled to attract developers to build affordable housing — but recently entered into an agreement with Charlotte County-native developer Tressa Bevington for a 66-unit building — known as The Dock apartments.
It is Bevington’s second property in St. Stephen, fourth in Charlotte County.
The council worked on financial incentives for developers in the last year, which has also helped attract the deWinter family for the construction of a hotel — the St. Stephen Amsterdam Inn and Suites.
But the council continues to grapple
with ongoing water infrastructure issues, including a 150-year well
system in danger of collapse.
The council recently approved $4,579,309.20 for paving of roads and streets through the Municipal Capital Borrowing Board. In August 2024, it was reported that the town had a $17 million backlog in road construction projects.
Despite promises from the Holt government to have a collaborative care clinic within the first 18 months of the mandate, it remains under construction — operating temporarily out of the Charlotte County Hospital.
Council has developed an incentive program for physicians and other health professionals to help recruit and retain them in St. Stephen. This has led to two doctors — both of whom work in the collaborative care clinic.
MacEachern spoke at the end of the meeting thanking the community for entrusting him with 14 years — but also making a plea.
“Before I step away, I want to share something that matters deeply to me, something that goes beyond any single project or term in office is — how we care for our most vulnerable,” he said, holding back tears. “A strong community is not measured by what we build, but by how we show up for one another.”
He said this is a moment that calls for steady leadership.
“We understood that change would not be comfortable, but staying stuck was not an option,” he said. “This is not a time for division and disruption for its own sake. The waters around us are already complex and uncertain.
“We will see the best outcomes by supporting leadership that is committed to working for everyone.”
Author
Municipal District of St. Stephen
| Municipal District of St. Stephen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position to fill | # Positions to fill | # Candidates | Status |
| Mayor | 1 | 3 | (Election) |
| Councillor Ward 1 | 3 | 5 | (Election) |
| Councillor Ward 2 | 3 | 8 | (Election) |
Position; Name; Incumbent; Acclaimed; Telephone; E-mail; Website
Mayor; Steven C. Backman; ; ; ;
Backman4MAYOR@proton.me
;
Mayor; Mark Groleau; ; ; 506 927 0037;
mark@buildupststephen.ca
; http://www.buildupststephen.ca
Mayor; Joyce Wright; ; ; 506 467 4747;
mamanana426@gmail.com
; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566535655532
Councillor Ward 1; Chandra Best; ; ; ;
chandrabestruralward@gmail.com
;
Councillor Ward 1; Kris Booth; ; ; 506 321 3996;
krisbooth1974@hotmail.com
; https://www.facebook.com/kris.booth.889872
Councillor Ward 1; Brian Cornish; (inc./sort.); ; 506 469 4049;
bcornish47@gmail.com
;
Councillor Ward 1; Wade Greenlaw; (inc./sort.); ; 506 653 7837;
wadegreenlaw234@gmail.com
; https://www.facebook.com/share/1Nxi3WsZR1
Councillor Ward 1; Justin Wesselink; ; ; 519 357 7642;
justinwesselinkward1mdss@gmail.com
; https://www.facebook.com/share/17ro8KpzBf/
Councillor Ward 2; Bernadette Cunningham; ; ; 506 467 1385;
berniesbodyblast@yahoo.ca
;
Councillor Ward 2; Anthony Hall; ; ; 506 469 0692;
tinylee0123@gmail.com
;
Councillor Ward 2; Marg Harding; (inc./sort.); ; ; ;
Councillor Ward 2; David Hyslop; (inc./sort.); ; 506 469 1841; ;
Councillor Ward 2; Steven Morgan; ; ; 647 705 2872;
stevenmorgan@bellaliant.net
; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579467647322
Councillor Ward 2; Ken Parker; ; ; 506 466 3151;
PHPKDP@hotmail.ca
;
Councillor Ward 2; Mark Howard Porter; ; ; ;
mhporter@bellaliant.com
; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572081875390
Councillor Ward 2; Aelia Virdaeus; ; ; ;
aelia_for_council@proton.me
;
St. Stephen Votes on CHCO-TV: Meet the mayoral and council candidates for St. Stephen, hosted by Vicki Hogarth and Nathalie Sturgeon and taped at the Garcelon Civic Center.
Municipal District of St. Stephen Mayoral Candidate: Steve Backman
1. What is your vision for the municipality over the next four years, and how will you measure success?
My goal over the next 4 years will be to reposition St. Stephen for growth through community engagement, strategic planning for our infrastructure, business sector growth, public safety concerns, and recreation. Success will be measured by population growth, new businesses opening, and community event participation
2. How will you balance fiscal responsibility with maintaining and improving municipal services?
This begins with empathy for the tax payer. Through community engagement define budget, the budget needs to be a road map for the strategy, rather than a spending guide. Once complete all items are costed and prioritized. Every budget objective needs to be tracked according to timelines, spending relative to budget and reported in a clear understandable format.
3. What is your strategy for long-term infrastructure planning and funding?
Develop a 30 year Infrastructure plan prioritizing most critical components. This is then updated on a rolling 5 year review. Continuously look for innovative ways and new technologies to increase efficiency of both human and physical resources. Leverage local funding through shared programs with other levels of government.
4. Many communities in the region are experiencing population changes, including aging populations, affordability issues, homelessness. How will your leadership address workforce retention and attract new residents?
I plan to work with the local business community to identify and remove municipality related barriers to growth, cataloging assets within the community which support new business development and leveraging relationships to attract businesses. this will foster opportunities for young people and encourage retention. I also want to build on existing community facilities to create recreational activities which appeal to a variety of interests inspiring a more family focused and attractive community.
5. Describe a difficult decision you’ve made in a leadership role. How will that experience inform your approach as mayor?
As a product manager I was faced with a decision. There was pressure to improve plant efficiency and reduce product skews; at this same time i had noticed that there was a new market segment starting to develop in which no supplier had a suitable product to fill. To facilitate this decision I collected the relevant data, assessed market potential. to complicate this decision, Production team opposed it, Procurement team wasn’t happy about having to find new raw materials, and the sales team didn’t a real need. The analytics said otherwise, so i took the risk. The analytics showed it was justified and the decision to add a skew proved to be the correct one. What i learned is the model of collect verifiable data, apply good analytics and follow the evidence to a sound decision.
5. Why should voters trust you to lead the municipality at this time?
I for always been involved in community volunteering, and team focused which has helped be successful in many community projects. I was a director in the fundraising campaign for the Garcelon Civic Center, Chari of the Shark attack swim club where he hosted two provincial tournaments and the Canada Games Team NB. As president of the Charlotte County Hospital Foundation we have secured new equipment and services for out hospital including Dialysis, Mammography, Cold Cap, X-ray, Cat Scan, AI driven blood analysis, as well as continuing education for staff, and more recently piloting Stay Strong program for cancer patients. I have also been chair of Kirk McColl Church, Youth Choir Assistant Director, and Master of the Masonic Lodge. In my professional career I have received the RVL Walker Award from the CVMV, Am the Charter president of the CAAV and Charter Secretary of the EAVA. I am also a subject matter expert for the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Recently received the ACCFA Award. I have also been a Key Note Speaker at the Atlantic Universities Scientific Conference and provided scientific presentations at international conferences as well as guest lectures at local universities, Veterinary Colleges and NBCC. Each of these helped broaden my skill set and help bring out the best in teams I have worked with.
Each candidate was provided with the same six questions and equal limits on response length and time. Candidates who did not have publicly available contact information through Elections New Brunswick were required to contact The Courier in accordance with its Municipal Election Coverage Fairness Policy. Candidates who did not respond or declined to participate are noted. Failure to participate will not result in additional coverage elsewhere in the newspaper.
Saint Andrews
| Saint Andrews | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position to fill | # Positions to fill | # Candidates | Status |
| Mayor | 1 | 3 | (Election) |
| Councillor Ward 1-Bayside | 1 | 1 | (No Election) |
| Councillor Ward 2-Chamcook | 1 | 1 | (No Election) |
| Councillor Ward 3-Saint Andrews | 4 | 4 | Deceased candidate (No Election) |
| Saint Andrews | |
|---|---|
| Name | Optional Contact Information |
| Mayor (1 to elect) | |
| Charles Creaser | Telephone : 5067542473 Email : charleswcreaser@gmail.com |
| Guy Groulx | Telephone : 506 321 5050 Email : guy.groulx@me.com http://www.guyformayor.com |
| Steve Neil | Telephone : 506 529 4249 Email : steveneil06@yahoo.ca |
| Councillor Ward 1-Bayside (1 to elect) | |
| Darrell Weare (inc./sort.) (accl.) | Telephone : 506 467 6446 Email : wearedb@nbnet.nb.ca |
| Councillor Ward 2-Chamcook (1 to elect) | |
| Annette Harland (inc./sort.) (accl.) | Telephone : 506 321 7015 Email : annetteharland01@gmail.com |
Saint Andrews Mayoral Candidate: Guy Groulx
1. What is your vision for the municipality over the next four years, and how will you measure success?
My vision for Saint Andrews is to be a community that cherishes its natural beauty, rich heritage, and spirit of togetherness. We will welcome visitors through responsible tourism to create memorable visitor experiences and keep our heritage alive for generations to come.
As a hub for marine biology, we will nurture curiosity and stewardship of the sea and encourage our community college to grow. Here, lifelong learning will thrive, empowering citizens of all ages.
Our retirement community will be active and engaged, sharing wisdom and experience, while young families will find support, opportunity and a place to grow.
Together, we will build a unified and inspiring future—a place where every generation belongs, where our rural and town way of life flourishes in harmony with nature and each other.
We will measure success in the quality of visitor experiences, level of growth, preservation of heritage and bonding as one community.
2. How will you balance fiscal responsibility with maintaining and improving municipal services?
To balance fiscal responsibilities with maintaining and improving municipal services, the Town must focus on delivering core municipal services. As a first step a review of the services being offered should be done to identify potential savings or if the service being funded is even a Municipal responsibility.
The next step is to examine the level of service delivery to ensure that the services being delivered meet the expectations and needs of the public or can an adjustment be made to generate savings.
To measure service delivery costs, the Town needs to measure and track the work that is being done by Town staff. A work order management system where all work is assigned a work order to track and prioritize work will enable the Town to carry out preventive maintenance which can lengthen the lifespan of assets, dramatically reduce infrastructure costs and improve municipal service delivery.
3. What is your strategy for long-term infrastructure planning and funding?
Saint Andrews like many other municipalities, faces significant challenges due to the poor condition of its infrastructure assets. To address these challenges the Town needs robust asset management practices that include inventorying all infrastructure assets, evaluating their condition, assigning an asset priority and setting clear maintenance and replacement schedules.
This process will enable the Town to make informed decisions and more effectively allocate scarce resources to areas of greatest need and risk. Leveraging asset management software can help streamline data collection and analysis, providing a reliable basis for long-term infrastructure planning and funding decisions.
Moreover, accurate asset management data is essential for securing funding from provincial and federal programs. By demonstrating a clear understanding of infrastructure needs and priorities through reliable data, the Town can strengthen its applications and better justify requests for financial support. St Andrews can and should be a leader in municipal asset management in New Brunswick.
Many communities in the region are experiencing population changes, including aging populations, affordability issues, homelessness.
4. How will your leadership address workforce retention and attract new residents?
Sometimes moving ahead starts with taking stock and recognizing the unique blend of heritage, tourism, and marine biology that defines our community and who we are. Strengthening our tourism industry, promoting our heritage, building on the marine science expertise and embracing Saint Andrews a center of knowledge will provide opportunities for growth.
The model which brought us the subdivision of dividing Town land into smaller serviced lots and selling those lots below market value can be the vehicle for attracting young families. For existing homeowners, the Town can decrease the tax rate at the same rate as assessment increases so that the average property tax payable remains the same.
To address workforce retention, the Town can work with developers to create affordable dormitory style accommodations at NBCC where students can stay during the school year and seasonal workers can live during the summer.
We can and must do better.
5. Describe a difficult decision you’ve made in a leadership role. How will that experience inform your approach as mayor?
As Chief of Asset Management for Parks Canada, I was responsible for $23 billion of infrastructure across the country including 450 bridges.
In September 2006, the de la Concorde overpass in Montreal collapsed killing 5 people and injuring six others. Parks Canada did not have a formal bridge inspection program at the time and I decided to recommend that all 450 Parks Canada bridges be inspected on an emergency basis which was very expensive, time consuming and disrupted the entire maintenance program. The lesson I learned from this experience was to be prepared and anticipate the unexpected.
For example, Saint Andrews would face a major challenge if the Province transferred ownership of highway 127 and the side roads to the Town. Similarly, our aging infrastructure poses a risk of expensive unexpected failures that could impact our ability to deliver municipal services.
We need to be prepared for the unexpected…
6. Why should voters trust you to lead the municipality at this time?
To lead the town to the next level, qualifications are important.
In terms of education, I have a Masters degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters Degree in Business Administration.
In the realm of experience, I served as a military engineer, managed service contracts valued at $100 million annually, provided leadership in the management of $23 billion in Parks Canada assets including 5 resort towns, managed over $400 million in construction projects and served as a Town Councillor for over 6 years.
Locally, I have raised over $1,800,000 for the local community, supervised construction of a large part of the Van Horne Trail, oversaw the construction of washrooms at Katy’s Cove, and organized the delivery of groceries and medicine during COVID.
Trust is earned, not given and I can only offer my services and work hard to earn the trust of the voters.
Each candidate was provided with the same six questions and equal limits on response length and time. Candidates who did not have publicly available contact information through Elections New Brunswick were required to contact The Courier in accordance with its Municipal Election Coverage Fairness Policy. Candidates who did not respond or declined to participate are noted. Failure to participate will not result in additional coverage elsewhere in the newspaper.
Ward election cancelled in Saint Andrews after death of candidate
Residents to still vote for new mayor when N.B. has municipal elections in May
Elections New Brunswick has countermanded an election in Saint Andrews following the death of a candidate last weekend.
Kate Akagi was the acting mayor of Saint Andrews and had been running for the Ward 3 seat in New Brunswick’s local government elections May 11.
Akagi died on April 18. Following rules set out in the Municipal Elections Act, Kim Poffenroth, the Elections N.B. chief electoral officer, cancelled the election — but only for the Ward 3 seat.
A byelection for that seat will now take place on June 22. All candidates interested in running in Ward 3 will be required to go through the standard nomination process, even if they had already done so before Akagi’s death.
Nominations will close on May 29 at 2 p.m.
All other elections will go ahead on schedule, including the vote for mayor. Advanced voting days are May 2 and May 4.
The ballots have already been printed for the Saint Andrews election, according to Elections N.B. communications director Paul Harpelle.
“We will have to place a notice at all voting places where that contest exists to advise the electors that this particular contest has been cancelled,” he said in an interview.
No one currently working at Elections N.B. remembers something like this happening, Harpelle said, but he found a provincial election report from 1995 that said a candidate died during an election that fall in Charlotte County.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hanwell
| Hanwell | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position to fill | # Positions to fill | # Candidates | Status |
| Mayor | 1 | 2 | (Election) |
| Councillor at Large | 2 | 2 | (No Election) |
| Councillor Ward 1 | 1 | 3 | (Election) |
| Councillor Ward 2 | 1 | 1 | (No Election) |
| Councillor Ward 3 | 1 | 2 | (Election) |
| Councillor Ward 4 | 1 | 1 | (No Election) |
| Councillor Ward 5 | 1 | 1 | (No Election) |
| Councillor Ward 6 | 1 | 1 | (No Election) |
Position; Name; Incumbent; Acclaimed; Telephone; E-mail; Website
Mayor; Dave Morrison; (inc./sort.); ; 506-262-9799; marlow40@icloud.com ; http://www.facebook.com/share/1DhRNFN7ty/?mibextid=wwXIfrMayor; Pat Septon; ; ; 506-304-4515; pat@septon.ca ; http://facebook.com/mayorforHanwell
Councillor at Large; Jarred Dooley; ; (accl.); ; jarredjcdooley@gmail.com ;
Councillor at Large; Burt Folkins; ; (accl.); 506-461-1690; burtfolkins1@gmail.com ;
Councillor Ward 1; Susan Jonah; (inc./sort.); ; 506-238-1539; susanjonah@gmail.com ; https://www.facebook.com/susanjonahhanwellnewmaryland
Councillor Ward 1; Donna Robinson; ; ; ; ;
Councillor Ward 1; Chris Weadick; ; ; 506-230-9134; Chris.Hanwell.Ward1@gmail.com ; https://www.facebook.com/ChrisHanwellWard1/
Councillor Ward 2; Holly Hyslop; (inc./sort.); (accl.); 506-451-0697; hbhyslop@gmail.com ;
Councillor Ward 3; Alicia Stewart; ; ; ; A.Stewartward3@gmail.com ; https://www.facebook.com/share/16uS94tMAm/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Councillor Ward 3; Natascha Toedter; ; ; ; natascha4hanwell@gmail.com ; https://www.facebook.com/Natascha4Hanwell
Councillor Ward 4; Shane Walsh; ; (accl.); 506-470-8306; swalsh2028@gmail.com ; https://www.facebook.com/share/1CKZKVFDAe/
Councillor Ward 5; Hope Ceh; ; (accl.); ; CEHHOPE@gmail.com ; https://www.facebook.com/share/1XLe7bHPje/?mibextid=wwX1fr
Councillor Ward 6; John R. Casey; ; (accl.); ; ; http://johncasey.ca
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