Tantramar mayoralty candidates engage in lively debate on property taxes

Posted on April 20, 2026 by brucewark

Three mayoralty candidates in CHMA studio. L-R: Terry Jones, Sabine Dietz, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell

Tantramar’s three mayoralty candidates debated the sensitive topic of municipal property taxes and tax rebates during a one-hour radio forum last week at Sackville’s campus-community station CHMA.

Since amalgamation in 2023, property tax rates in the former LSDs have been rising each year by five cents per $100 of assessment while rates in Sackville and Dorchester have been lowered slightly.

Note: Sackville and Dorchester residents pay additional utility rates for water and sewer services.

The candidates also debated the roughly 50% tax rebates available to developers under Sackville’s economic development incentive program for commercial, industrial and multi-unit residential projects.

For projects valued at less than $5 million, the tax rebates continue for five years, while those valued at more than $5 million continue for 10 years.

Rebates on a project with a construction value of $8 million

To listen to the discussion on taxes and the tax incentive rebates, click on the media player. A lightly edited transcript appears below it:

Tantramar Mayoralty Candidates Radio Forum, Friday April 17, 2026 at 2 p.m. at CHMA 106.9 FM.

Question on property taxes

Carol Cooke: Many residents of Tantramar say they’re concerned about property taxes. Terry, you’re going to lead us off. How do you feel about this issue?

Terry Jones:  I think there is concern about property tax, and there is, in this economic environment that we’re in right now, every penny counts. The local service districts, which are now part of the municipality, have traditionally had lower taxes, but we also have less services. The province still maintains our roads in those areas. The province still does our snow plowing. You know, we all deal with the RCMP. We also deal with our own water, our own wells, septics and things along that line. Living out in the rural district, I look at what is my municipal dollars going for the benefit of my community. Now as a mayor, I have to look at what, potential mayor, I have to look at what has taken place for the entire municipality.

So it would be nice to see a breakdown of our residential taxes into more specific areas so that we know what type of percentages are being used for each things, such as lighting and road maintenance in town, water bills, the infrastructure for water.

Carol Cooke: Right. Terry, this is a question I’m going to be sort of adding on to this one for all the candidates. But when you think about taxation and development and how that is done compared to residential taxes. Do you have any opinion on that?

Terry Jones: I think that our development taxes, we have to look at what type of development it is. We have to be careful about where we stand with that. I know that residential development has been giving tax incentives, which I agree with. Sabine’s project [Freshwinds Eco-Village Co-op] is amazing. I support it 100%. I was so glad to hear at town council that they had given the tax incentives.

Carol Cooke: But how do you feel, if I may, about private development going on? For example, the Lafford developments and the tax rebates they get.

Terry Jones: I have a bit of a problem with private development getting big tax incentives. Not because I don’t think we need development, but I think in a lot of cases that development was going to happen anyway. So if there was more affordable housing added into the plan, if there was more sustainable as far as energy and solar panels, green roofs, things along that line in their development plan, it would be easier to say yes to those large incentives. And possibly maybe 10-year tax incentives are just a little bit too long when we look at the way the economy is moving. but that would be something that I would have to really review with the council with the municipality and our staff so with Jennifer Borne and see just exactly what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and how it’s been benefiting so far.

Carol Cooke: Thank you so much Terry we’re going to pose the same question to Debbie Wiggins-Colwell. How do you feel about this taxation issue and property taxes in particular?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Thank you Carol. Well if you look at your property tax bills you have two parts, you have the municipal part and you have the provincial part. The municipal tax is the largest portion of the funds services and they fund services such as our fire and emergency, local roads, sidewalks, street lighting, water, sewer, recreation facilities and community programs.

Carol Cooke: And I’m going to ask you to cut to the chase. How do you feel about the rates right now?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Okay. With, well, when you look at what they cover, like the planning, the bylaws, and the town administration, ongoing reviews of the budget allows the opportunity to weigh in on the needs versus the “nice to have”. So without doubt, with ongoing hardship, budgets will be monitored by elected officials with strict approach to decision-making and to follow up with critical movement of how that money is spent. Do we need more recreation facilities? Yeah, they’re good to have. But with what is going on with the tightening of our belts, we have to really look where these services are being put.

Carol Cooke: Thank you, Debbie. And for the part two of the question, which I’m also going to pose when it’s Sabine’s turn. How do you feel about tax incentives for private development in this town compared to municipal land owners tax?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: I have no problem with that at all because they are having businesses underneath that’s bringing infrastructure development into our community. We’re going to have health cares. We’re going to have businesses coming into these new buildings. So I think that’s what Sackville or Tantramar needs is more businesses coming in and taking up. We can’t be in a stalemate. We got to move on forward along with staying. We are also representing our past, but also looking forward to the future. We have to have a future.

Carol Cooke:  Thank you, Debbie. And I’m no expert on taxes and property taxes, but I’m getting a glimmer of how it all works. And so when the big developers in town, and it’s no secret that Lafford has done a lot on big developments, when they get a 50% tax rebate, how do you feel about that? Because doesn’t the town have to pick up the rest?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: No, with that, they get the rebate at first, but in the long run, we will benefit from that. We will recoup our price that is paid out in our taxes and revenue and with having the businesses come into Sackville and move us forward. That’s my opinion on it.

Carol Cooke: Okay. Sabine, it’s your turn. This is a two-part question. Do you want to jump in?

Sabine Dietz: Can I just clarify what you mean by the 50% tax rebate? Do you mean the economic incentive program?

Carol Cooke: Yes.

Sabine Dietz: Okay, thank you for that clarification. Okay, so on property taxes, since amalgamation, the property taxes have been skewed. The outlying areas have always been lower, which was justified, a lot less services. And at some point, things need to even out because the outlying areas essentially weren’t paying for the services that Sackville back then provided, such as community building, rink, etc. So that is the basis for tax adjustments and the council that is coming in will have to deal with that. Like currently they were frozen…frozen by the province, so the municipality was still dealing municipal taxes. So that will have to be dealt with.

 I think the analysis that needs to be done is very clear, what kind of services. So, Terry you described that very well, the kind of service you actually receive versus what you’re paying. I think that’s going to be a lot of work for the incoming council, making sure that it’s fair. So I believe in fairness, you are paying for the service that you’re actually getting and getting is not just street lights, getting is also the service that you get through the recreation programs through the rink etc. So it’s all of that.

I just want to check that I touched on everything, taxes are a very sensitive issue and any incoming council member probably should look at that because it’s going to be very critical and very, very, very touchy.

As for the incentives and full disclosure, Freshwinds Eco-Village received approval for that incentive, my question to the current council is so did you actually do an analysis before approving of what you’re approving? Because that means less income for the municipality going down the road. If you’ve got too many of those incentive programs, you’re going to lose on income down the road, and all residents of Tantramar will request more services.

Carol Cooke: But Sabine, I’m going to jump in because, Debbie, you talked about the business aspect of a development that’s got businesses below. Do you want to respond to Sabine?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Well, yeah, the businesses, that’s a great boost for our economy. I mean, we need businesses in the downtown core. If we’re not, it’s going to whizzle up and it’s going to be like other communities. They’re going to be on the out basis. They’re going to be next to the Trans-Canada Highway instead of being in the core.

Sabine Dietz: Do you believe that the buildings that are currently being built in downtown wouldn’t be built without that incentive? No, that’s not the case. In those cases, in this case specifically, the money is there to build whether they get the incentive or not. I think what the incoming council needs to do is review the guidelines, review the incentive program, and make sure it’s a bit tighter than it currently is. It’s very confusing currently, and I’m still asking if you have 10 businesses asking for the incentive, currently you would have to approve all of them. Have you done the analysis of what it costs down the road? Because in Tantramar, with everything that’s going on, we don’t know how well we will do in attracting businesses. We need to, no question about that in all of the region. But the way the uncertainty of the world and what is going on, there’s no guarantee. So are you going to risk the future of Tantramar for a maybe benefit that you don’t even know is guaranteed?

Carol Cooke: And I’m going to jump in here because taxation is a big issue. So, Terry, you can jump in in a second. But I see that maybe Debbie wants to respond.

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Yes, I think that we just can’t let, like you say, private developers. I think we’ve got to give them a help too. So they are big  developed people. They could go someplace else and develop. They didn’t have to do the downtown core in Sackville.

Carol Cooke: I heard Sabine disagreeing with that though. Do you want to jump in?

Sabine Dietz: They don’t need the money. It’s a nice benefit for them. So, remember that that was actually planned before. So it’s not like, okay, so why are we giving money to companies that are million-dollar businesses?

Carol Cooke: Okay, I’m going to just come back to Debbie.

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell:  Why wouldn’t we? I mean, they’re investing in our community. They’re like, I mean, it’s the same as your not-for-profit. I mean, you’re doing stuff there, and you get the benefit for not-for-profits.

Sabine Dietz: It’s not the same, Debbie. It’s not the same. Do you know what non-profit organizations are?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Yes, I do. I do.

Sabine Dietz: You cannot compare them with for-profit.

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Okay. All right.

Carol Cooke: Okay. I think, if I may, I’m going to see if Terry Jones, do you want to jump in on this very contentious issue?

Terry Jones: Just a small little blurb. Yes, we need to attract new businesses to Sackville. We need to grow. We need to develop. However, in recent times, when a new building gets built, we are not attracting new business, but we are shuffling other businesses out of other places. So, yes, we will get some new growth, but when we talk millions of dollars over 10 years, what could we do for the town of Sackville, for the municipality of Tantramar, for any of the resources, for the fire department, etcetera, etcetera, if that money, instead of going outside and going as an incentive to encourage buildings that possibly were going to be built anyway. I think there’s a lot we could do for our community, our environment…the greening of our energy, all of those things…that money could be used in other avenues.

Carol Cooke: Terry and I sense just we’re going to move on in a second but Debbie does want another little moment.

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Thank you. I have to disagree Terry with that of shuffling the businesses around because there is new businesses coming into these buildings that that are not initially from Sackville at the moment. I do know that for meeting with them. And the health care that’s going to go into the bottom, I know it’s going to alleviate some of the pressure at the Sackville Hospital and to be able to come there, and that’s going to leave more room for the Sackville Hospital to expand or do other things, which is very crucial in our downtown core.

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What to do about Sackville Fire & Rescue? Tantramar mayoralty candidates discuss the ongoing turmoil

Posted on April 19, 2026 by brucewark

Tantramar mayoralty candidates. L-R: Sabine Dietz, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, Terry Jones

The three Tantramar mayoralty candidates — Sabine Dietz, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell and Terry Jones — discussed how to resolve ongoing problems within the Sackville Fire Department during their one-hour radio forum on Friday at CHMA, 106.9 FM, the local, campus-community radio station.

The radio forum was organized by Warktimes and moderator Carol Cooke.

The turmoil in Sackville Fire & Rescue came to a head in January when 12 firefighters turned in their pagers taking themselves off the active-duty roster. That left 18 volunteer firefighters to respond to calls, only about 40% of the full complement of 43.

The town responded by hiring a Saint John law firm that specializes in employment issues to conduct a workplace investigation that is still ongoing.

In 2021, the Montana Consulting Group had conducted a workplace assessment of the fire department. The Montana report and its 20 recommendations were never made public.

In 2024, Councillor Bruce Phinney asked a New Brunswick judge to order the release of the recommendations, but Mr. Justice Jean-Paul Ouellette ruled they must remain confidential under the provisions of the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Here is the audio of the mayoralty candidates’ discussion with a lightly edited transcript below it:

Tantramar Mayoralty Candidates Radio Forum, Friday April 17, 2026 at 2 p.m. at CHMA 106.9 FM.

Question Two on the crisis within the Sackville Fire Dept.

Carol Cooke: Question two: Many residents in Sackville are worried about their safety now that the fire department has only about 40% of the staff it needs. There’s an ongoing workplace investigation into Sackville Fire and Rescue. Debbie, to start with you, what do you feel needs to be done to restore the Sackville Fire Service to full strength? And, would you commit to releasing the report and the recommendations of the investigators when they become available?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Thank you, Carol. This subject is most concerning to me. We rely on our fire department and firefighters in supporting recruitment. Retention means clear communication, proper resources, and strong leadership from the town hall.

Going forward, our town hall has to keep an ear close to the ground to engage with firefighters with no communication gap between council and administration. As for the release of the report, I would be open to ongoing reviews, discussion prior to the release.

Carol Cooke: But just to reiterate, Debbie, would you commit to releasing the report and the recommendations of the investigators to the public?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Yes.

Carol Cooke: Okay, great. We’ve got that. Now we’re going to pass to Sabine Dietz. Would you like to just go right into the question?

Sabine Dietz: Yeah, and I would like to respond to what Debbie said. So a couple of things. This issue is not new. When I came on council in 2020, if I remember correctly, that was not new. And as far as I know, it’s been going on for a lot longer. So every continuous council has had this as a priority and there have always been promises made and not kept.

But like Debbie said, fire service and emergency service is key to our communities, whether it is from flooding or wildfires. We need them. And not having everybody in place that should be in place puts risks on all of us. So it’s a priority. But I want to remind the listeners also that there’s a very clear separation between council and staff. The CAO is the only employee of council. And the CAO is responsible for all of the other staff. And under the bylaws of the municipality, firefighters are part of that.

And then the second piece is, no, we cannot promise that this report will be made public. That is actually countering laws. If there’s any HR matter in this report, which I don’t know, they cannot be made public because that’s a confidentiality issue. So I would not commit to it. I would instead commit to doing the work that needs to be done to review everything, to work with the CAO, to figure out what can actually be done. The council has, at this stage, under the bylaws that are in place for the municipality, cannot address this directly except through the CAO, and I want to emphasize that.

So with all of that, it should be a priority of the next council and it should be a priority of the CAO. I’m pretty sure it is because it is concerning to the entire community.

Carol Cooke: Thank you very much for that Sabine and we will pass now to Terry.

Terry Jones: The fire department working at 40 percent is unacceptable. So we really need to work with the CAO as Sabine has pointed out. That is our channel of communication with the fire department. Yes we need to know what’s in the report as far as structure. We do not need to know the HR stuff. We should never violate the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.  We need, we have a legal voice on this already who has stated that and I believe that Councillor Phinney has taken it to court to get it released and it was told at a federal court level that it wouldn’t be because it violated RTIPPA.

So, the idea of just being able to open that report out, however, a new report should be done, and I believe it’s underway already, to find out exactly what is systemically wrong with the fire department. And maybe at that point in time, we have to look at what as a council in association with the CAO can do as far as possibly a restructuring of the oversight in the fire department in themselves, not letting the department just end and go to our CAO. She has a lot going on, but maybe a superintendent position who is another ear that can listen to, that has structure and can add to the overall effect of getting some of these systemic problems corrected.

Carol Cooke: Thank you. Thank you very much, Terry.

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Tantramar mayoralty candidates discuss proposed NB Power gas plant during CHMA radio forum

Posted on April 18, 2026 by brucewark

Mayoralty candidates & moderator. L-R: Sabine Dietz, Carol Cooke, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, Terry Jones

The three Tantramar mayoralty candidates — Sabine Dietz, Terry Jones and Debbie Wiggins-Colwell — took part on Friday in a one-hour radio forum at local radio station CHMA, 106.9 FM.

The forum was organized by Warktimes and moderator Carol Cooke and recorded by CHMA station manager James Anderson.

The candidates discussed a wide range of topics including how to deal with the turmoil in Sackville Fire & Rescue, what the municipality should do to prepare for climate change, property taxes, poverty issues, public engagement at council meetings and heritage protection.

In part one of the forum, the candidates introduce themselves and discuss the proposed 500 MW gas/diesel generating plant in Centre Village.

Here is the audio, followed by a lightly edited transcript:

Tantramar Mayoralty Candidates Radio Forum, Friday April 17, 2026 at 2 p.m. at CHMA 106.9 FM.

Introduction & Question One

Moderator Carol Cooke: We’re going to start with an opening question because the people that are listening would like to get to know you. And so, here we go. I’d like to start by asking each of you to talk a bit about your background and why you think that you’d be a good mayor for Tantramar. And we’re going to rotate the order of questions, but we are going to start this question asking Sabine to tell us a bit about herself. Sabine Dietz.

Sabine Dietz: Yes, thanks for having me in this forum. So my name is Sabine Dietz. I’m a Tantramar resident. I live out on Highmarsh Road and I’ve lived there for over 20 years. I’ve been active in this community for a long time, engaged on public health, currently on housing. I’m involved in climate change issues. I’ve also sat as a councillor during the amalgamation process. And I am just generally very engaged in municipal politics and in municipal government, simply because that is part of the job that I do, work with municipal governments across Atlantic Canada. And so, why I’m running is because I love this community. I’m dedicated and committed to this community, and I have been since I arrived here.

And I participate in many things that move the community forward as a whole. Just to mention one, I’m part of the Freshwinds Eco-Village Housing development and we’re building housing that’s sustainable long-term and has stable rents here in the community of Tantramar, and so the engagement goes beyond climate change which is at the core of my work that I do into all areas from food security, over health, into housing, into poverty into transportation, all of them. So I look forward to working with the community on making the best place that we can of Tantramar.

Carol Cooke: Thank you, Sabine.  Next we’re going to ask Terry Jones. And Terry, I’ll just recap the question. Would you tell us a bit about your background and why you think you would be a good mayor for Tantramar?

Terry Jones: Thanks, Carol. Well, I started this journey into municipal politics a very short time ago. I have lived in the community of Centre Village. We’ve been in Sackville, in the area for 38 years. I worked as an LPN [licensed practical nurse] at the Sackville Hospital. I’ve worked as an EA [educational assistant] at Tantramar High School. And now I have a small business and I’m a naturopath. So I’m still working, looking after and caring for people in my community.

I live quite a distance from Sackville, almost at the end of the municipality. And so the elephant in the room, the big RIGS plant is coming next door. And it always takes a jumping off point for someone to want to step up and start to be more engaged. In my case, I’ve only had this past [municipal] amalgamation, to actually have a voice. The rest of the time, it was you’re in the provincial jurisdiction. And so I didn’t feel like there was really a lot for me to be able to do as a resident. That’s changed. With amalgamation, now we’re all getting a voice at the table. we’re all going to be able to voice our concerns, bring the pluses and the minus of living in Sackville. And it’s a wonderful community.

 I say I moved from Nova Scotia, so it was a bit of a culture shock. We had party [phone] lines when I arrived here and cattle on my front lawn. It was very unique, but I’ve grown to love it and the people of Sackville. It’s unique. The entire area is so special and so unique. I don’t have a pedigree in non-profits or community service, but I do have drive, passion, reliable, dependable, and I’ve had a lot of people have asked over the last little while if someone from outside, again, Sabine’s in our ward too, I’m in Ward 4, so Kristen’s already been elected. My problem was there was no other position for me.

Carol Cooke: Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Terry. Now we’re going to pass to Debbie Wiggins-Colwell. Debbie, please tell us a bit about your background and why you think you’d be a good mayor for Tantramar.

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Thank you, Carol. I’ve spent my whole life in Tantramar. I raised my three children in Tantramar. I ran three businesses in the village of Dorchester. I am now retired. After retirement, I became the mayor of Dorchester, and now I’m deputy mayor of Tantramar. I feel now that being retired, I have the time to move forward and dedicate my time to being the mayor of the municipality of Tantramar. I’ve done over the years with uh with uh connecting with people. I have met a lot of people through say like the conferences, you met the premiers, you met the ministers and and i think that would help me moving forward in situations that happen. It means a lot if people know your face when you go into the room, they can say, “Oh Hi Debbie you know, what you do, you know, and I think that’s a big asset to move on to be mayor of Tantramar.

Carol Cooke: Great. Well, Terry, you touched on the gas plant issue, and that is our leading question. And Terry, you’re up first, and then we’ll go to Debbie for her response to it and followed by Sabine. And as I say, we’ll just rotate how the answers happen in what order. Here’s our first official question of the afternoon. The New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board is expected to make a decision soon on whether or not to approve this 500 megawatt gas plant in Centre Village. If the board does approve the project, how would you see your role as mayor in dealing with it?

Terry Jones: Well, Carol, the EUB decision, when it comes down, we’re hoping that it’s no, they’re not approving it. However, there’s always that chance that it’s going to be approved. It’s a bad project, in a bad location, at a bad time. I am fortunate to be able to follow through with what the council has started already. The sitting council has come out against the plant, which allows us to speak more candidly without being restricted as far as the negative impact towards human health, the environment, the air quality, long-term effects, water security.

It’s not creating the jobs that it has kind of alluded to. There’s going to be 8 to 10 jobs out of it. So when people start bringing that forward, it’s kind of not such an important issue because jobs is not going to come to our area because of it. There is going to be long-term damage and far-reaching. So as mayor, I want to continue to do the work that this council has already started. I want to continue to reach out and work with, like, Stop the Tantramar Gas Plant, which I am a member and an organizer. I want to reach out to Protect the Chignecto Isthmus Coalition, continue their work with all of the wonderful groups in town, Seniors for Climate, etc., that are working on this project. Together, we’re strong.

Carol Cooke: Thank you, Terry. We’re going to move on just in the interest of time. Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, if the board, the EUB, does approve this project, how would you see your role as mayor in dealing with it?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Thank you, Carol. For one thing, I do not support the gas plant as it is currently proposed. I believe it rises serious concerns around environmental impact, long-term sustainability, and community trust. Tantramar has been clear that we value our land, our health, and our future, and major developments such as aligned with these values, at present, I do not believe this proposal meets our needs. I believe in development that creates long-term benefits without compromising our environment or our quality of life. We can pursue growth that fits Tantramar and not projects that impose on us. And as I was saying earlier, in the position that I am as deputy mayor, I would be able to contact people in the provincial and maybe even the federal government to air our concerns of what is happening with the gas plant. We do not, this has, we have a fragile, fragile ecosystem in our environment. And I think with the isthmus of Chignecto, it has to be protected. And protected, we need a strong voice to move this forward. Thank you.

Carol Cooke: Thank you, Debbie. Sabine, we’ll follow up with you. And just to recap the real question, if the EU…

Sabine Dietz: I was going to get to that.

Carol Cooke: I’m just going to just take a moment, if I may. If the EUB does approve this project, Sabine, how would you see your role as mayor in dealing with it?

Sabine Dietz: Yeah, so this is the assumption that the project has gone through and not before. And I think that’s a really important piece to take into consideration. This is a provincial jurisdiction. So the municipality has limited powers, has always had limited powers, especially because our municipal plan currently doesn’t include the area. So if it is approved and I would be mayor, I would point out that our municipal plan is up for renewal. And that should really develop into a way to control developments that we don’t want in our community. So municipal planning process up in the next couple of years, definitely on a major big issue for the incoming council.

The second thing is there are limited things that council will be able to do. One of them is certainly to continue supporting the organizations that Terry has mentioned. They’ve done a lot of work around this. They need our continued support, speaking out with the province, but also negotiating with the province. There are things that can be put in place in order to reduce noise, in order to reduce the impacts on the area, especially out in the Centerville area where this is supposed to happen. All of this can be done. Like I mentioned, this is a provincial jurisdiction, and us saying over and over that we’re against it is not going to make any difference once it’s actually in place. And then we really need to fight that we’re going to get all we can out of it and that we get in the process the protections that the area needs.

Terry Jones: Unfortunately, though, the NB Power, because they’re a public utility, are able to build those facilities in any jurisdiction, in any zone, without any kind of consequence other than following the IAAC [Impact Assessment Agency of Canada] process and the environmental impact process.

Carol Cooke: Okay, Terry. Do you want to weigh in on that, what Sabine has just said, Debbie?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Yes, I do. That was very clearly put when this came forth. This came forth in July. Us as a municipality, a council sitting, we did not know about it. We heard about it the same time as the people in the community heard about it. Now, that means that they’re not communicating. They’re not letting it through. They’ve got something in their mind. They’re just going to go ahead and do it.

Carol Cooke: But Debbie, would you agree that it’s out of municipal jurisdiction?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Yes.

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Tantramar council dismisses complaint against Coun. Butcher over sexism claim

Posted on April 15, 2026 by brucewark

Councillor Bruce Phinney

Tantramar Town Council dismissed a formal complaint against Councillor Allison Butcher Tuesday on the grounds that it was “frivolous, vexatious, or made for an improper purpose” or that it did not fall “within the scope of this Code of Conduct.”

The complaint was filed on March 2nd by Councillor Bruce Phinney based on remarks Butcher made during a council meeting in February when she explained why she was voting against Phinney’s motion calling for council to get involved in “the hiring and firing” of town employees.

Phinney explained then that in the past, Sackville Town Council was involved in the hiring process, but it was taken out of council’s hands by a previous Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

“We need to know who we’re hiring, we have to know who our employees are and we don’t seem to have any idea who they are, where they came from and what their work experience is,” Phinney said.

His motion said that council’s involvement in hiring would take the pressure off the CAO and create “a trusting relationship between the CAO and council.”

Butcher’s comment

During the debate, Councillor Butcher said that before she first ran for council, she looked into what the job would entail, adding that the time-consuming task of hiring and firing was well beyond what councillors are paid to do.

“The other thing I have to wonder is, in my mind reading this motion, it sounds, I wonder if this motion would have been brought forward if our CAO was a male and I’m offended by it,” Butcher said.

Phinney responded that whether the CAO was a man or a woman had no bearing on his motion.

“That’s not the way I work and I take an insult to that,” he said just before the rest of council defeated his motion on the grounds that hiring decisions should remain with the CAO who oversees the town’s day-to-day operations and supervises its staff.

Phinney’s complaint

In his complaint against Butcher, Phinney said she insinuated that his motion was made from “a sexist point of view” and that her comment violated several sections of the code of conduct:

Butcher’s defence

Councillor Allison Butcher defended herself on Tuesday

Councillor Butcher defended herself Tuesday saying that during the debate on Phinney’s “hiring and firing” motion in February, she was explaining why she was going to vote no.

“We need to be able as councillors to discuss, during the discussion on a motion, our thoughts, our feelings, our ideas around these things because together we come to a consensus,” she said.

“I stated that I wondered if it had been a different CAO, if it wasn’t a woman, if that [the motion] would have come forward and that was actually my thought process,” Butcher added.

“I did not refer to Councillor Phinney in any way whatsoever. I was discussing the motion. I don’t think that any of what I said was inappropriate,” she said.

“I don’t think that anything that I said was directed at Councillor Phinney. I understand that it offended him and it is his right to say he was offended during the open conversation in the same way that it was my right to bring forward how I thought and felt.”

Council debate

Most other members of council accepted Butcher’s defence saying members should be free to express themselves, that her comments were not malicious, did not accuse Phinney of sexism but merely “wondered” whether Phinney would have made his motion if the CAO were male.

Although Councillor Michael Tower said he found no merit in the complaint, he did defend Phinney’s motivation.

“I can honestly say in my own mind that the motion was not brought forward because it was a female CAO,” Tower said, adding that Phinney was also sharply critical of former male Sackville CAO Jamie Burke.

In fact, Phinney’s council colleagues decided he had violated the code of conduct on two separate occasions when he made derogatory comments about the Sackville CAO and suggested another candidate was more qualified for Burke’s job.

Tower also pointed out that Sackville council did have the final say on the hiring of senior managers. That changed in 2022 when council passed a new bylaw giving the CAO the exclusive power to hire and fire all staff.

In the end, only Phinney and Councillor Barry Hicks voted against dismissing the complaint against Butcher.

“I’ve got to say, I think an apology should be made,” Hicks said.

To read Bruce Phinney’s code of conduct complaint, click here.

Posted in Town of Tantramar | Tagged | 2 Comments

Three-way race for mayor in Tantramar as 18 candidates seek council seats with one acclamation

Posted on April 11, 2026 by brucewark

Full candidate list and bios below

Kristen LeBlanc has won in Ward 4 by acclamation. Photo: Submitted

With the municipal election one month away on May 11, Kristen LeBlanc says she’s happy that for her, the outcome has already been decided and she has a seat on Tantramar Town Council.

“It’s very exciting,” she says. “I’ve had so much curiosity about certain issues that have been going on…and now I have a chance to have a closer look.”

LeBlanc has been acclaimed in Tantramar’s Ward 4 after no one ran against her.

She’s been one of the local leaders in opposing the proposed 500 MW gas/diesel plant near Centre Village which is in Ward 4, but says that’s not necessarily why she ran.

“Post-amalgamation, living in Ward 4, I see lots of things that are overlooked that are said to be the responsibility of the municipal government. And if you contact the municipal government, they say it’s provincial, but then the province says the opposite. So, it’s really frustrating.”

LeBlanc, who teaches in the medical office administration program at Oulton College, says another thing that motivated her to run was seeing that people in Ward 4 were not being listened to.

“And there was the refusal to speak to constituents,” she adds, an apparent reference to Ward 4 Councillor Matt Estabrooks who refused to take a stand for or against the gas plant.

Estabrooks and Ward 5 Councillor Greg Martin are the only members of the current town council who decided not to re-offer.

Aside from Kristen LeBlanc, there are 18 candidates vying for seats on council, slightly less than the 21 who ran in 2022.

Mayoralty candidates

The three candidates for mayor — Sabine Dietz, Terry Jones and Debbie Wiggins-Colwell stress, in their varying ways, the importance of listening to citizens’ concerns.

Mayoralty candidate Sabine Dietz. Photo: campaign website.

Sabine Dietz’s involvement in local politics began in 2012 when she ran unsuccessfully for the Sackville mayoralty. She ran unsuccessfully for a Sackville council seat in a 2018 by-election, but finally won in 2021, only to be defeated as a Ward 4 candidate in 2022 in the newly amalgamated municipality’s first election.

Dietz serves as executive director of CLIMAtlantic which, among other things, helps governments and other organizations plan for climate change. She is also an environmental consultant.

Her website explains where she stands on current issues:

  • Tantramar’s rural, non-industrial area is not a good site for NB Power’s proposed gas plant;
  • there need to be changes in property taxes so that they are fair and based on services that are being delivered;
  • there need to be spaces for common purposes, “such as a market & community building (which could house a public library)”
  • Tantramar’s green spaces “need continued investment.”

To visit her website, click here.

Terry Jones lives in Centre Village and has been a leader in the fight against NB Power’s proposed gas plant that would be on the property next to her home.

Terry Jones filing her nomination papers. Photo: Facebook

In a recent Facebook post, Jones explained why she wants to be the mayor of Tantramar:

“I am running because I believe Tantramar deserves leadership that listens, acts responsibly, and puts people first. My campaign is built on a commitment to the values and priorities that matter most to the residents of our community.

“First the health and safety of our people, our wildlife, and our environment must always come first….

“Second I believe in fair municipal taxation where residents are taxed based on the actual services they receive…

“Third our community needs to be heard. Every resident’s voice matters. As Mayor, I will ensure that concerns are not only listened to but respected and acted upon. Open dialogue will be a cornerstone of my leadership…”

To read her full FB post, click here.

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell has been serving as a Tantramar councillor and lately as town’s deputy major since January 2023. Before amalgamation, she was the mayor of Dorchester.

Mayoralty candidate Debbie Wiggins-Colwell. Campaign photo

After amalgamation, she made national headlines when she saw to the installation of Shep, the newly re-created sandpiper statue in Dorchester’s village square. A majority of Tantramar councillors decided she had violated the municipal code of conduct by acting on her own, but residents of Dorchester praised Wiggins-Colwell for restoring Shep in time for the 2023 tourist season.

In announcing her candidacy in January on Facebook, she wrote: “Over many years, I’ve had the privilege of listening to your concerns, celebrating your successes, and working alongside you to make our community stronger.

“My focus is simple:

  • Build a community where everyone feels heard and valued
  • Strengthen local services and support the people who rely on them
  • Promote sustainable growth that protects what makes Tantramar special
  • Bring transparent, collaborative leadership to Town Hall
  • I’m running because I believe deeply in Tantramar’s future, and I know when we work together, we can create meaningful lasting change.”

Ward 1 candidates

Three candidates — Alyssa Green, Katelyn Olive and Jason Holmes — are running for the council seat in the ward that includes the former village of Dorchester and the former LSDs around it.

Alyssa Greene responded to an e-mail request from Warktimes for a short biography and a brief statement about why she’s running for council by explaining that she was born in Sackville and grew up in Frosty Hollow, the daughter of Terry and Gretchen Greene.

Ward 1 candidate Alyssa Greene. Campaign photo

“After completing my post-secondary education, I travelled throughout Canada and Australia working as a chef and medic in restaurants, hotels and mineral exploration camps in the Canadian Arctic before returning home about 20 years ago when I bought a home in Dorchester. I now work for Canada Post.”

Greene writes that if elected, she would be a voice for Dorchester on Tantramar Council and would commit to:

  • “asking questions and insist on being informed before voting on any issue
  • ensure that we break free from the excessive secrecy at town hall.
  • offer advocacy to preserve and grow services in our Village. (Including: our school, library, post office, and recreation programming for all ages in the village)
  • minimize the growing tax burden by ensuring responsible fiscal decisions are made at town hall.
  • promote accessibility in all areas of Tantramar.”

To view Greene’s Facebook campaign page, click here.

Ward 1 candidate Katelyn Olive. Campaign photo

Katelyn Olive sent this message to Warktimes saying her family has been rooted in the Dorchester area since 1772 and that she grew up in the village and raised her three children there.

She writes that she and her husband developed her family’s land and farmhouse into a home where she established a small equestrian lesson program.

“As a mom to Dorchester school-aged children, I was heavily invested in our school community as chair of our PSSC (Parent School Support Committee) and volunteer to many events. I have also been a girl guide leader in our community, and a proud member of the Save Our School campaign in 2015,” Olive writes.

She goes on to promise she would be a strong voice for people in the area.

“I am running to bring equal representation and fair taxation throughout Ward 1 reflective of the needs and services received both within the village limits and in the LSDs,” Olive writes.

To read her full statement, click here.

Jason Holmes did not respond to Warktimes’ e-mail requesting information, but did post this message on his Facebook page on April 7th:

Ward 2 candidates

The election in Ward 2 is a battle between the Hickses — Barry, who is currently serving on Tantramar council and Ken, who was a one-term councillor (2021-2022) in the former town of Sackville. Ward 2 includes the communities of Frosty Hollow, Westcock, Wood Point and Rockport.

Barry Hicks

In his message to Warktimes, Barry Hicks says he was born and raised in the British Settlement/Westcock area of Ward 2 and has lived there “for all of my 69 years.”

Ward 2 candidate Barry Hicks. Campaign photo

In 2017, he retired after more than 40 years with Sackville’s public works department where he served in his later years as a superintendent.

He writes that serving as a councillor for the past three years has been “an invaluable learning experience” and his lists several “priority issues” that matter to people in Ward 2:

  • “Advocating for a fair and equitable tax structure for Local Service Districts (LDSs), so residents are no longer burdened by the current unfair system.
  • Supporting economic growth, creating local jobs, and strengthening our municipal tax base for the future of Tantramar.
  • Addressing the ongoing challenges within our Fire Department and working towards sustainable, long-term solutions that strengthen safety and support first responders.
  • Prioritizing the replacement of the Wheaton Bridge and the Pecks Cove Bridge to ensure safe, reliable infrastructure for residents and emergency services.
  • Improving accessibility at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre through the installation of an elevator and proper seating, ensuring the facility is welcoming and inclusive for all residents and visitors.”

To read Barry Hicks’s complete statement, click here.

Ken Hicks

In his message to Warktimes, Ken Hicks refers to his career as a carrier safety officer with the Nova Scotia Public Works Vehicle Transportation Inspection Carrier Safety division.

Ward 2 candidate Ken Hicks. Campaign photo

“I deal in facts, audits, and accountability” he writes, adding “I bring that same approach to the rink as a hockey coach, and it’s exactly what I want to bring back to Town Hall.”

Hicks says that he’s running for council to help end what he calls the “culture of secrecy” in which “vital information” is withheld from councillors and “decisions are reversed because of bad information,” an apparent reference to council’s reversal of its decision to release the recommendations in the Montana consultants’ report on Sackville Fire & Rescue.

“Even worse, Council has allowed itself to be distanced from the public by restricted question periods and limited accessibility. My plan is to restore your right to be heard, on your schedule, not Town Hall’s and to ensure total transparency through a ‘No-Filter’ policy for all town reports,” Hicks writes.

“While local families are making tough choices just to pay their bills, Town Hall is still spending on non-essentials. We see thousands wasted on consultant fees, contracting out, murals, and unnecessary projects like replacing perfectly good flooring. If the residents of Ward 2 have to tighten their belts, it’s time the municipality did the same.

“I’ve served as a Councillor before, so I know where the waste is and how to fix the system. I’m not afraid to speak up, disagree when it’s in the best interest of the taxpayer, and fight for a more affordable Tantramar.”

Ward 3 candidates

There are eight candidates running in Ward 3 that includes downtown Sackville and Middle Sackville. All of the incumbent Ward 3 councillors are running again along with current Mayor Andrew Black and first-time candidates James MacDonald, Haidee Robertson and Tori Weldon.

Andrew Black

Ward 3 candidate Andrew Black. Campaign photo

“Being on council for nine-and-a-half years has taught me a great many things and I have had the opportunity to not only see, but be a part of, significant change in our municipality, and I hope to be able to continue to help guide the future of this amazing place,” Black writes in his message to Warktimes.

“While I don’t have any specific priorities, being only one member of a council of nine, I am committed to hard work, informed decision making, and open communication as a possible member of council,” he adds, referring to the continued implementation of the three-year strategic plan and the recreation master plan. Black also says he plans to help create an economic development committee, strengthen health care and “streamline and modernize the budget process for Tantramar and its residents.”

Black also mentions that he has lived in Sackville for most of his life and that he believes in “the strength and resiliency of this community,” promising that if elected he would “work hard to not only preserve that but carry the torch into the future as a councillor.”

To read Andrew Black’s complete statement, click here.

Allison Butcher

“I have been a councillor here for 10 years,” Butcher writes in her message to Warktimes, “first for the Town of Sackville and then for the Municipality of Tantramar.”

Ward 3 candidate Allison Butcher. Campaign photo

She adds that when she first ran for council, she wanted her two daughters to see it’s important to “give back” to their communities.

“I was pleasantly surprised to discover that ‘doing my civic duty’ was something I enjoyed!” Butcher writes.

“I am passionate about ensuring that our community is a safe place for people to grow,” she adds.

“Having ‘something for everyone’ is important.  People need to feel that they have a municipal government that is working for the community as a whole.  I feel that one of my strengths in being a councilor is in my ability to work as part of a team, to listen to my fellow councillors and to the people I was elected to represent.”

Butcher, who identifies herself as an early childhood educator, who has worked for more  than 20 years at Playschool Inc. located in the Tantramar Regional High School, writes that she is proud of her time as a municipal councillor.

To read her full statement, click here.

Josh Goguen

Ward 3 candidate Josh Goguen. Campaign photo

Josh Goguen says he is running for re-election in Ward 3 because he has only started learning how things work since he was first elected three years ago.

“During that short time, I’ve done some good things, and I would like to continue to serve and provide a voice to the municipality,” he writes.

“There are many items that are still unfinished and I would like to have the opportunity to see them through.”

Goguen writes that he was born in Cocagne and moved to Sackville in 2006 with his wife Sara where they live with their son Ben.

“I currently work at Moneris where I’ve been for the past 19 years. I’m active in the community with the scouting organization where I took over as group commissioner last year. I also lead two of the groups, the cubs (ages 8-11) and new this year, the chipmunks (ages 4-5).”

James MacDonald

In his message to Warktimes, Ward 3 candidate James MacDonald writes that as a native of Rockport, he is proud to raise his family in a community that shaped his values.

Ward 3 candidate James MacDonald. Campaign photo

“My career as a professional truck driver and my leadership as First Vice President of the Sackville Rod and Gun Club have taught me the importance of hard work, straight talk, and showing up for my neighbours,” he adds.

“Since amalgamation, I have followed our municipality closely and realized I can be an asset on council by bringing a younger perspective to our decision-making. If elected to represent Ward 3, I will bring hands-on accountability to Town Hall.”

MacDonald goes to outline his priorities:

“My platform focuses on the health of our community: improving accessibility, prioritizing infrastructure maintenance, and supporting the Sackville Fire Department.

“By keeping a close eye on taxes and spending, I will ensure every dollar aligns with our residents’ actual needs, keeping Tantramar a thriving home for the next generation.”

Bruce Phinney

After he received the e-mail from Warktimes asking for information about his bid for re-election, Ward 3 candidate Bruce Phinney telephoned to deliver his campaign messages in person.

Ward 3 candidate Bruce Phinney’s campaign sign

“I’m running again because I feel I have the experience to handle the town’s problems,” he said.

Phinney, who has served as a municipal councillor since 2004, is especially concerned about the continuing turmoil in the Sackville fire department and what he sees as the town’s attempts to cover it up.

With Warktimes’ help, Phinney went to court in 2024 in a failed attempt to get the public release of the Montana recommendations on how to fix problems in the fire department and he voted against council’s recent decision to release only a summary of the “implemented actions” from the consultants’ report.

“The public should be able to see all those recommendations for themselves,” he says.

“Public safety is involved here and because of that I believe the fire chief and the CAO should resign” Phinney says, adding he’s planning to raise these issues with the provincial ministers of public safety and local government in Fredericton within the coming weeks.

Haidee Robertson

Ward 3 candidate Haidee Robertson. Facebook photo

Robertson filed her papers only one day before nominations closed and explained in her e-mail to Warktimes that she still needs time to refine her campaign materials.

Robertson, who was co-owner of Blooms Flower Shop and is currently working part-time as a registered nurse at the Drew Nursing Home, says she is running because, after 50 years of living and working in Sackville, she wants to contribute to the community.

“My experience as a homecare nurse has brought to light the need for affordable housing in Sackville,” she writes.

“My experience as a small business owner highlights the need for more vigorous economic development and exploring the untapped resources of tourism,” she adds.

“I have wanted to run for Council for some time and have recently become semi-retired and have time to spend in my community.”

Michael Tower

Veteran municipal councillor Michael (Mike) Tower says he’s running for re-election in Ward 3 because he wants to continue serving as a bridge between the public and town hall.

Ward 3 candidate Michael Tower. Campaign photo

“I enjoy engaging with people, listening to their concerns and ideas, and as a member of council, make their ideas realities,” he writes.

He adds that he showed “the power of persuasion” when he got council to pass a motion opposing PROENERGY’s proposed gas/diesel plant in Tantramar.

He says much of his time and effort has been focused on five concerns:

  • “rejecting NB Power’s planned ProEnergy RIGS project in Centre Village
  • resolving issues within the Sackville Fire Department
  • continuing to push for the return to full 24-hour service in the Sackville Hospital
  • bringing the Civic Center to full accessibility, including the installation of an elevator
  • ongoing discussions of the needs and possibilities for a new Library and permanent home for the Sackville Farmers Market.”

Tower writes that his background includes his nine years serving with the 8th Hussars and his 47 years working at the Sackville liquor store.

To read Michael Tower’s full statement, click here.

Tori Weldon

“I’m a journalist, communications professional and small business owner who has spent years covering municipal governments in New Brunswick,” Ward 3 candidate Tori Weldon writes in her e-mail to Warktimes.

“As a former reporter, I’ve spent many hours in municipal council meetings. I know my way around a budget, what a functioning council looks like, and I’ve seen what happens when problems are left to fester,” she adds.

Ward 3 candidate Tori Weldon. Campaign photo

“I’m running for council because I have the experience with municipal politics to hit the ground running. My youngest kids are in high school and I’m at a point in my career where I have time to dedicate to the community,” Weldon writes.

“I’m not claiming to have all the answers but I know the right questions to ask, I know where to look for good information, and I understand the importance of being honest with people about what our options are.”

She says she currently runs The Weldon Agency, a podcast production and consulting business that works with companies such as RBC, Morgan Stanley and Dell Technologies.

“I’ve lived in Tantramar most of my life, my family is from here,  I’m raising my kids here. I’ve watched Tantramar change, and I care deeply about where it’s headed,” she writes.

“I also know firsthand how frustrating it is when institutions go quiet. The public deserves to know everything that can be shared, promptly and clearly. If elected, I’ll do everything in my power to keep the people of Tantramar informed.  They deserve to have their concerns and questions heard and taken seriously.”

Ward 5 candidates

Two candidates — K.C. Hingley and Wayne Wells — are competing for the council seat in Ward 5 that includes Aulac, Point de Bute and Jolicure. The current councillor, Greg Martin, is not running for re-election there.

K.C. Hingley

K.C. Hingley campaign photo. Credit: Barry Burns

“My platform rests on three pillars: Family, Good Governance, and Arts and Culture,” Ward 5 candidate K.C. Hingley writes in his e-mail to Warktimes.

“I would like to see a more family friendly Ward 5. I would like to put some effort into slowing the traffic down a little, create public gathering and play places, and do things that bring our community together.”

Under the heading of Good Governance, Hingley writes:

“In my work as President for the Mount Allison Staff Association and in my past as a business manager, I have learned that there is a place where policy and people intersect. I know that we don’t all always agree, but I know that even through disagreement comes positive outcomes.

“Our town needs a strong council this term as they tackle very difficult issues in the fire department and with upcoming government plans such as the proposed gas plant and toll booth. We need to be brave enough to make a stand if we disagree with the provincial government, and we need to know when the good outcomes of a project might be the best choice for the community. We need to speak without fear and act without indecision.”

Under the heading of Arts and Culture, he writes:

“I am a musician, producer, and engineer. I have toured most of this country and I have worked in music and theatre related business and organizations for 20 years. In my opinion our town is far too reliant on Mount Allison for Arts and Culture.

“It needs its own special place – separated from ‘recreation,’ in the town planning and priorities. A long term goal for me is the creation of a town-operated arts and culture centre independent from Mt.A that can play host to touring musical acts and provide a home for local theatre companies and other community and touring arts projects.”

To read K.C. Hingley’s complete statement, click here.

Wayne Wells

Ward 5 candidate Wayne Wells. Campaign poster

Although Ward 5 candidate Wayne Wells did not respond to Warktimes’ e-mail request for information, he did post a message and photo on Facebook:

“At 65 years old, I have spent my entire life in this community. I am a proud family man who values my friends, neighbours, and the relationships that make this region so special…

I had the honour of serving our community for over 42 years with the fire department, including as Fire Chief. In that role, I always tried to put others first when it mattered most. That experience shaped who I am.

I have also spent many years working in transportation, where I built a strong reputation for hard work, reliability, and communication.

Now, as I look ahead to retirement, I’m not stepping back—I’m stepping forward. I want to continue serving the community I love, using my experience and a people-first approach to make a positive difference for everyone.

All candidates’ forum

Posted in Mount Allison University, NB Power, New Brunswick politics, Tantramar municipal election 2026, Town of Tantramar | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Two new critiques challenge NB Power’s proposed Isthmus gas plant

Posted on April 8, 2026 by brucewark

Two new critiques from the Protect the Chignecto Isthmus Coalition (PCIC) are challenging NB Power’s proposed 500 MW fossil fuel generating plant near Centre Village — but from very different angles.

In an academic paper, communications consultant Lisa J. Griffin argues the project reflects a long history of colonial dispossession that ignores Indigenous sovereignty while advancing industrial expansion with destructive cultural and environmental effects.

And, in a separate letter to PCIC supporters with copies to Premier Susan Holt and several of her ministers as well as NB Power CEO Lori Clark, Atlantic Wildlife Institute director Barry Rothfuss warns NB Power is using “scare tactics” about electricity shortages to promote what he calls a “fatal remedy” that would create environmental and health risks far greater than the problems it claims to solve.

‘Energy colonialism’

In her paper Energy Colonialism on the Chignecto Isthmus, Griffin examines how the history of the region has been told — and how those narratives shape present-day decisions about land and energy development.

Griffin argues that the Chignecto Isthmus, known to the Mi’kmaq as Siknikt, sits at the geographic and cultural centre of Mi’kma’ki, the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq people. For centuries it served as a portage route and trading corridor linking the Bay of Fundy and the Northumberland Strait.

PCIC communications consultant Lisa Griffin

Yet she says mainstream histories have tended to frame the Isthmus primarily as a strategic frontier between European empires, highlighting French and British fortifications such as Fort Beauséjour while relegating Indigenous and Acadian communities to secondary roles.

According to Griffin, that historical framing continues to influence modern policy debates. She argues that energy infrastructure projects — including hydroelectric dams, nuclear generation and now the proposed gas plant — are often presented as inevitable steps in economic development while the underlying questions of Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice remain largely excluded from the discussion.

Using the concept of “slow violence,” Griffin argues that environmental harm linked to fossil-fuel infrastructure often unfolds gradually across decades, making it less visible in short-term policy debates even as it shapes long-term climate and ecological outcomes.

‘Fatal remedy’

While Griffin approaches the issue through history and political theory, Rothfuss focuses on the potential environmental and health consequences of the proposed project.

In his letter, he argues NB Power is using warnings about possible electricity shortages to justify building a large fossil-fuel generating station in one of Atlantic Canada’s most environmentally sensitive regions.

Rothfuss describes the proposal as a “fatal remedy,” arguing the plant would create health and environmental risks that outweigh the reliability concerns it is supposed to solve.

He criticizes NB Power Vice President Brad Coady for warning that “people will die” if electricity shortages cause rolling blackouts.

“Deaths attributed to rolling blackouts in Canada are extremely rare,” he writes, adding that blackouts caused by storms, downed power lines and equipment failures happen all the time and in such cases, additional power plants aren’t any use.

Barry Rothfuss, AWI executive director

Rothfuss also points to research on “peaker plants” — fossil-fuel generators that operate during periods of peak electricity demand — arguing they are associated with higher pollution levels and severe effects on people’s health in nearby communities.

Studies in the United States, he writes, have linked peaker plants to emissions of nitrogen oxides, fine particulate matter and other pollutants that contribute to respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease and higher rates of asthma.

His concerns also focus on the ecological importance of the Chignecto Isthmus wetlands and wildlife habitat as well as its significance as a critical corridor for migratory birds and other species.

Building a big gas plant there, he argues, would cause severe pollution in a rural landscape whose economy and identity are closely tied to wetlands, wildlife and tourism.

Taken together, the negative effects, he writes, far outweigh its supposed benefits.

To read Lisa J. Griffin’s paper, click here.

To read Barry Rothfuss’s letter, click here.

Posted in NB Power, Town of Tantramar | Tagged | 14 Comments

5 years after Montana fire dept. investigation, several key reforms haven’t been implemented

Posted on April 6, 2026 by brucewark

Tantramar CAO Jennifer Borne

Tantramar CAO Jennifer Borne issued a news release last week revealing that while a number of recommendations from the Montana Consulting Group workplace assessment of Sackville Fire & Rescue have been implemented, several key ones have not.

Although the Montana recommendations themselves have never been made public, a Warktimes analysis indicates that roughly one-third of them focused on workplace culture and management accountability inside the department — the same issues firefighters say remain unresolved five years later.

Those issues include a lack of leadership accountability involving both the CAO and the fire chief, unresolved concerns about favouritism within the department, the absence of regular performance reviews for members based on reliable operational statistics and other management oversight measures that the consultants recommended to ensure transparency and restore confidence inside the department.

Borne issued her report after town council passed a motion on March 16 authorizing her “to release the implemented actions” from Montana’s workplace assessment.

Sackville Town Council authorized Montana to conduct the $31,500 workplace assessment in April 2021 after firefighters’ complaints of persistent harassment, bullying and favouritism led to the resignations of about 17 firefighters over a five-year period.

Former Sackville firefighter Kevin Scott—who attended a two-and-a-half hour oral briefing on the Montana recommendations along with about 30 other firefighters—posted a series of commentaries on social media in February and March examining each of the 20 recommendations.

He concluded that while some had been implemented, several key ones had not, confirming Warktimes’ own analysis based on extensive interviewing and research.

No CAO meetings re: fire chief

Sackville Fire Chief Craig Bowser

One key Montana recommendation called on the CAO to get feedback on the fire chief’s performance at least every three years from firefighters, fire department officers and other town employees.

It appears that recommendation was not followed.

The CAO’s news release refers to the recommendation this way:

“10. Ongoing opportunities and schedule for objective insight into Fire Department leadership via colleagues and firefighters.“

In his commentary, Kevin Scott wrote that the CAO’s meetings with firefighters simply haven’t taken place.

“Many firefighters first met the CAO, who’s been in that position for over three years, after the 12 dropped their pagers off at town hall,” Scott observed, referring to what happened in January when a dozen volunteers took themselves off the active duty roster list. Their withdrawal brought the number of on-call firefighters to 18, less than half the department’s full complement of 43.

No action on favouritism, accountability

Scott also referred to a Montana recommendation that called for changes to the fire department bylaw to address favoritism by establishing formal rules that apply to all firefighters equally. The consultants recommended holding meetings to discuss individual complaints and to determine whether an investigation would be needed to resolve them.

Although the CAO’s report refers to several changes that were made to the bylaw, no procedures were added to deal with complaints about favouritism.

Kevin Scott noted that the consultants recommended steps to provide accountability to members who raised issues either through the fire department’s chain of command or directly to the chief or CAO.

“Quite often we would bring up issues that would never get resolved or followed through [on] and this recommendation was to prevent that from happening,” Scott wrote in his February 16th Facebook post. “Problem is, it hasn’t been implemented yet, which means the accountability is not there.”

Here is the CAO’s only apparent or possible reference to this recommendation:

“19. HR Personnel Meeting(s) — confidential, undertaken by former Town of Sackville Administration.“

Performance reviews

Former Sackville firefighter Kevin Scott currently is a volunteer with the fire department in Point de Bute

In her report, the CAO refers to requirements that firefighters attend 60% of all training practices and 40% of all emergency calls. “Any member failing to meet these attendance requirements will have their status reviewed by the Fire Chief,” she writes, without mentioning the Montana recommendation that the chief keep statistics on attendance and conduct performance reviews at regular intervals agreed to by the CAO.

Warktimes has learned that several firefighters complained to the consultants about the lack of regular performance reviews.

Who can drive a fire truck?

The Montana consultants also dealt with the contentious issues of who is allowed to drive a fire truck and who can sit in the passenger seat of the first responding vehicle. Female firefighters complained to Warktimes that they faced persistent discrimination over these issues despite their training and qualifications.

In his Facebook post on February 19th, Kevin Scott wrote that this had been an ongoing issue for many years.

“It has caused a lot of discussion and many arguments because there were no guidelines set up on who could drive the truck,” he added.

 He noted that Montana recommended that the chief and the town develop written criteria in collaboration with the firefighters for the qualifications required to drive a truck.

It appears from the CAO’s report that this recommendation may not have been fully implemented yet:

“13. Ongoing progress for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) specifically related to the operation of fire department apparatus.“

Montana also recommended developing written criteria for the qualifications needed to occupy the passenger seat in the first responding vehicle.

The CAO’s report indicates this reform is also ongoing.

Workplace harassment training?

While the Montana consultants recommended training for firefighters and supervisors on the workplace harassment and violence policy under regulations in the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, it’s not clear from the wording in the CAO’s report whether the training has actually taken place:

“5. External 3rd party training completed under OHSA General Regulations 91-191, policy created. Current corporate version Municipality of Tantramar Workplace Harassment and Violence Policy No. 2024-10.

Process for handling grievances

In 2021, several firefighters complained to Warktimes that the grievance committee to deal with workplace complaints had never been set up, leaving members with no choice but to file their complaints to the chief, even if those complaints were about him.

Warktimes reported then that: “Multiple firefighters say attempts to lodge complaints with CAO Jamie Burke have been rejected, with Burke advising members to go through the fire department’s chain of command.”

Several firefighters said they raised this issue during their interviews with the Montana consultants, but there is no direct reference in the CAO’s report to any “implemented actions” about grievance procedures or any reference to such procedures in the town’s new fire department bylaw.

The fire department policy adopted on August 9, 2022 says members must first discuss their complaints with the chief.Implemented actions

CAO Borne’s report lists several actions flowing out of the Montana recommendations that do appear to be more fully implemented.

Town council adopted a new bylaw governing the fire department; firefighters became part-time, municipal employees; the town adopted a hiring process with formal recruitment and qualifications criteria as well as clear physical fitness standards and testing plus a formal process for firefighters returning after leave.

In her point #3, Borne states:

“Finalize and formally document the Fire Chief’s role, responsibilities, and authority in clear governance leading to clear, shared understanding of the Fire Chief’s authority, duties and accountability.” These are set out in the new fire department bylaw.

“6. Update Confidentiality Agreement and ensuring Firefighters understand obligations.” These are set out in the new policy governing the fire department:

Power & control

Many of the implemented recommendations increase the authority of the fire chief and CAO, while recommendations to make them more accountable have not been implemented.

Kevin Scott repeatedly emphasized this theme in his Facebook posts pointing, for example, to one recommendation that calls for all personnel issues to come under the sole jurisdiction of the fire chief or the CAO.

“Who does a firefighter go to when the issue is with both the CAO and the chief?” Scott asked in his Facebook post of February 15.

“When the two have each other’s backs, it makes for frustrating situations!” he added.

Scott says he still stands by his post on March 27 calling on both the chief and the CAO to resign.

“It’s time to start thinking about the fire department and more importantly, the citizens of Tantramar. People want to feel safe and right now, not everyone feels that way.”

To read CAO Borne’s report on “implemented actions,” click here.

NOTE: The CAO’s  list of 20 “implemented actions” does not correspond one-for-one with the Montana report’s 20 recommendations. Several actions refer to the same recommendation—particularly the change recognizing firefighters as municipal employees—while others describe ongoing policy initiatives rather than completed reforms.

Posted in Sackville Fire & Rescue, Town of Sackville, Town of Tantramar | Tagged , | Leave a comment

NB Power defends 100-MW expansion of Isthmus gas/diesel plant as critics warn of long-term risks

Posted on April 1, 2026 by brucewark

NB Power lawyer John Furey

New Brunswick’s Energy & Utilities Board heard final arguments today on whether it should approve a proposed 100-MW expansion of NB Power’s controversial Chignecto Isthmus gas-fired generating project.

The expansion would increase the proposed RIGS (Renewable Integration and Grid Security) project near Centre Village from 400 megawatts to 500 megawatts. Under the proposal, the additional 100 MW of capacity would be sold to Nova Scotia’s Independent Energy System Operator for 10 years.

During closing arguments Wednesday, NB Power lawyer John Furey urged regulators to approve the expansion, arguing that it meets the regulatory test of prudence and would generate financial benefits for New Brunswick ratepayers.

“A decision is prudent if it’s in the range of decisions reasonable persons might have made,” Furey told the board, citing established regulatory standards.

He said evidence before the board showed the expansion would produce positive cash flow during the first 10 years of the agreement while allowing the province to secure additional generating capacity that could be needed later as older plants retire.

He also argued that fast-responding combustion turbines would play an important role in stabilizing a grid that increasingly relies on intermittent renewable energy including wind and solar.

“If you are going to move toward intermittent resources, you need fast-acting generating capacity,” Furey said.

Alternatives not considered

Public intervener Alain Chiasson

New Brunswick’s Public Intervener urged the EUB to reject the proposed 100-megawatt expansion, arguing that NB Power had failed to demonstrate the project’s long-term prudence.

Alain Chiasson, who said his job is to protect the public interest, acknowledged that the utility had shown some short-term financial benefit, noting evidence that selling the additional capacity to Nova Scotia could produce positive cash flow during the first decade of the agreement.

But he warned that those benefits apply only to the first 10 years of  NB Power’s 25-year contract with the U.S. firm PROENERGY, leaving significant uncertainty after that.

“The only certainty is that there is a risk that in 2038 the additional 100 megawatts of combustion turbines will be cold steel in the ground,” Chiasson told the EUB.

He also said the utility failed to fully evaluate alternative ways to meet future demand, including refurbishing existing generation, expanding renewable energy, or deploying battery storage technologies that are expected to become significantly cheaper over time.

No business case

St. Thomas University Economics Professor Andrew Secord argued that NB Power failed to justify the expansion in economic terms.

“NB Power did not provide a credible economic evaluation of the project and did not analyze alternatives to the project,” Secord said in his closing argument.

He told regulators that the utility had not demonstrated that revenues from selling power to Nova Scotia would adequately cover the financial obligations created by the project’s leasing structure.

“Simply put, NB Power officials have not made an adequate case before this economic regulator, and their application should be denied,” Secord said.

Environmental groups made similar arguments.

CCNB lawyer Konstantina Northrup

Lawyer Konstantina Northrup, representing the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, told the board the 100-MW expansion cannot be separated from the larger 400-MW project that forms the foundation of the RIGS proposal.

“The expansion opportunity cannot stand alone,” she said, arguing that the board must evaluate the full 500-MW project when deciding whether the proposal is prudent.

Northrup said the expansion would simply magnify what her organization views as serious flaws in the underlying project.

“It is not prudent for NB Power to exacerbate the problems that we see in the 400-megawatt proposal by making the project even bigger and more complex,” she told the EUB regulators.

NB residents bear impact

The Protect the Chignecto Isthmus Coalition also urged the board to reject the expansion.

PCIC economist Gregor MacAskill

Coalition spokesman Gregor MacAskill argued regulators are being asked to approve a major infrastructure project without seeing the final version of key commercial agreements.

“The board is being asked to render a prudence determination on an incomplete record while key commercial, legal and financial risks remain undefined,” MacAskill said.

He warned that approving the project without finalized contracts could leave critical details to future negotiations outside regulatory oversight.

MacAskill also spoke briefly about the project’s environmental effects.

“First and foremost it is local residents in New Brunswick that directly bear the impacts of air, land and water emissions from the 100-megawatt addition that is serving the needs of Nova Scotia for at least 10 years,” he said.

EUB Chair Christopher Stewart said the board would make its decision on both parts of the RIGS project “as quickly as possible.”

For coverage of the closing arguments in the previous EUB hearing on the proposed 400-MW project, click here.

Posted in NB Power, Town of Tantramar | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Don’t expect a rate reprieve, say experts who reviewed NB Power

Posted on March 30, 2026 by brucewark

By: John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter. Source: Telegraph-Journal March 30, 2026

The expert trio who looked at NB Power says the troubled public utility should not be sold to private interests, at least not in the short term.

Instead, they say performance bonuses should be put in place to encourage people who work at NB Power to do the best possible job.

These are just a handful of the 50 recommendations the comprehensive review panel put in its final report released on Monday, many of them sure to be controversial.

In a technical briefing for reporters and a news conference for the public, they warned that electricity rates would not go down any time soon, and there were no quick fixes to NB Power’s many problems, several of which have built up over decades.

“This didn’t happen overnight,” nuclear expert and former Bruce Power CEO Duncan Hawthorne said of NB Power’s troubles, which include rapidly rising rates, a ballooning $6-billion debt and poor performance at its generating stations, particularly the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant.

“Equally, it’s not reasonable to expect that waving a magic wand will make it better tomorrow.”

The Holt Liberal government commissioned the study last year just as rates were skyrocketing. The trio spent 10 months consulting with the public, NB Power executives, union officials and interested groups. They also did a review of important documents.

A big concern was the fast-rising prices.

Over the last three years, the utility has raised rates by 24% for its 430,000 residential and business customers, and it plans to keep boosting them for the next three years, much higher than the inflation rate.

Public uproar

In a poorer province where most people heat with electricity, the price hikes have cost households hundreds of extra dollars a year.

The rate shock has caused a public uproar and businesses to cry foul.

But the experts said there was no getting around the service’s cost, and that consumers would have to pay more over the short term.

Review panel member Anne Bertrand. Photo: Government of New Brunswick

They pointed to many factors: poor performance at NB Power, aging facilities that need to be fixed or replaced, increasing electrical demand, more stringent environmental requirements and past decisions of the provincial government and the regulator to freeze rates or keep them unrealistically low.

“The vacation on rates in the past is over,” said Anne Bertrand, the retired information and privacy commissioner who used to serve on NB Power’s board of directors.

“Rates are going to go up.”

Should the provincial government follow all their recommendations, Hawthorne noted, NB Power’s performance should improve over the long term, leading to more stable, predictable and affordable rate hikes.

No new nuclear for now

Although Ottawa and the province have invested substantially in the development of small modular reactors in New Brunswick, the experts say there shouldn’t be any new nuclear added until the existing Point Lepreau plant near Saint John is running better. In terms of public funding, just shy of $130 million has already been spent, according to researchers at the Cedar Project.

“NB Power shouldn’t be a first of its kind utility,” Hawthorne said, pointing out the problems with Point Lepreau’s refurbishment in 2012 that cost $1.3 billion, plus another $1 billion in replacement power.

It was the first Candu 6 reactor to undergo such an extensive overhaul, but little was done to the non-nuclear side of the plant, causing it to break down frequently.

Point Lepreau now has one of the worst performance records of any plant of its kind in the world. While most Candu reactors run at above 90% capacity, Point Lepreau has been far below that in recent years.

To right the ship, the trio says NB Power should run the nuclear plant separately from the rest of its stations and calls for the creation of an entity called Point Lepreau Nuclear, perhaps as its own Crown corporation, that would be set up to have its own governance arrangement specifically focused on nuclear performance.

They recommend NB Power then sign power purchase deals with Point Lepreau Nuclear, which would be responsible for paying off a large portion of the debt the parent company has accumulated.

Review panel member Michael Bernstein. Photo: Government of New Brunswick

Michael Bernstein, one of the trio and a utility expert and investor, believes such a structure would encourage the plant to perform better and offer a more commercially attractive rate for the electricity it generates, with excess power sold to Nova Scotia or Quebec.

The three experts see the eventual need for another big nuclear plant next to the Point Lepreau station.

“We have to remember the existing Point Lepreau plant has itself a shelf life which currently looks between 2040 and 2042,” Hawthorne told reporters.

“So there is a strong argument to say, even if we didn’t want more nuclear, I can’t imagine a world where you have less nuclear and so for that reason, we should be putting conscious and serious steps towards engaging on the possibility of a replacement plant, if not an additional plant,” he said.

Province should assume some debt

Bernstein, Bertrand and Hawthorne agreed with the Liberal government’s decision to do away with a requirement of the previous Progressive Conservative administration that NB Power quickly pay off a large chunk of debt – about $1 billion – by 2029, calling it an arbitrary date that would have raised rates extremely high over the near term.

Instead, they recommend that NB Power’s finances be restructured, and the utility corporatized. By this, they mean part of its debt could be swallowed by the provincial government – $1.5 billion worth, which is the amount legislated rate freezes in the past have cost NB Power.

NB Power would then have enough financial strength to pay down its debts and make enough money on the side to pay dividends to the sole shareholder, the provincial government, cash that in turn could be used to pay for social programs, such as ones that could help poor people who struggle to pay their electrical bills, the report states.

Variance accounts NB Power set up to recover cost overruns at Point Lepreau – in the order of $300 million that’s being paid back by customers over an eight-year period – should also be swallowed by the provincial government, the experts say, adding that once NB Power’s plants are running better, the provincial government could then consider selling some of them to private industry.

Performance bonuses

Many critics of NB Power have complained that its executives are overpaid because they are among the highest compensated public servants in the province. And there is a perception among some citizens, borne out by the experts’ surveys, that NB Power leaders have been getting bonuses.

They don’t.

Review panel member Duncan Hawthorne. Photo: Government of New Brunswick

Hawthorne said it was time to introduce performance bonuses for NB Power workers that would reward them for hitting goals.

“I can tell you from my own experience when I took over Bruce Power in Ontario, that was one of the first things we introduced,” he said.

“Not because we didn’t feel people weren’t paid enough, but because we wanted better performance.”

Hawthorne said people were sadly mistaken if they thought NB Power executives were paid well relative to other utility officials across Canada. NB Power’s senior leadership is among the lowest paid, he said, and one of the few in utility executive ranks that doesn’t get performance pay.

When Brunswick News asked the trio if they had confidence in NB Power’s senior leadership, given all the utility’s problems, Hawthorne didn’t hesitate to defend them, including CEO Lori Clark, who took over the top job in 2022.

“Lori is drinking from a firehose,” he said. “She is the one everyone calls to do this, that and the other.

“She needs to have the ability to control her own organization without continual diversions.”

To that end, the report recommended that NB Power become more independent from government and for politicians to stop meddling in its affairs. They want directives and mandate letters from the energy minister to stop – there have been seven in the last 10 years alone – and for a comprehensive modernization of the Electricity Act.

Rebuild trust

Energy Minister René Legacy. Photo: Stephen MacGillivray for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

René Legacy, the energy minister, released a short statement Monday afternoon stating his Liberal government would create an action plan.

“This action plan will address the report’s 50 recommendations and deliver results for the future stability of NB Power and help rebuild trust in New Brunswick’s public utility,” Legacy said in a news release, adding that the government would release the next steps by the end of May.

“New Brunswickers can trust that we will act on these recommendations in a timely and transparent way. That work has already begun, and we look forward to sharing more.”

The NB Power CEO also released a short statement acknowledging that New Brunswickers were anxious about the utility’s future.

“As the report acknowledges, the challenges faced by NB Power have been decades in the making, and we need to be deliberate about planning for the future,” Clark said. “As a utility, we’re committed to making the changes needed while continuing to provide safe, reliable electricity, move toward cleaner energy, keep rates as low as possible, and strengthen our overall financial position.”

To read the comprehensive review report, click here.

Note: The report does not refer specifically to the proposed PROENERGY gas/diesel plant on the Chignecto Isthmus, but does say this on page 40: “We do however believe that partnerships and alliances, many of them being currently pursued by NB Power, are positive steps in achieving a number of objectives. Procurement from the private sector of new wind, solar, batteries, and gas plants is a good way to bring additional resources, expertise, and capital while transferring risk to the benefit of New Brunswickers.”

This story from Brunswick News was written by Local Journalism Initiative Reporter John Chilibeck with additional files from Bruce Wark.

Posted in LJI stories, NB Power, New Brunswick government | 1 Comment

‘Right smack dab’: Wildlife advocates warn gas plant threatens Isthmus migration route

Posted on March 27, 2026 by brucewark

CCAC Chair Doug Bliss

Tantramar’s Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC) is suggesting the town take steps to protect sensitive wildlife corridors on the Chignecto Isthmus when it adopts a new municipal plan in the next few years.

“There has been a lot of controversy in the last six months as you know about a gas turbine plant,” CCAC Chair Doug Bliss told town council during a presentation this week.

“We want to talk to you about why wildlife corridors are important and why the two, development and wildlife protection, can happen at the same time,” he said.

“It’s all a matter of where you put things.”

During the presentation by Bliss, Adam Cheeseman of Nature NB and Melanie Jellett of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, members of council looked at a map showing wavy blue bands marking the corridors where moose, other animals, amphibians and insects move across the Isthmus between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Canadian Geographic map showing Chignecto Isthmus that the magazine describes as “a pinch point of wetlands, forests and shoreline areas interwoven with transportation corridors, industry and communities. And as the human footprint here grows, the integrity of natural spaces and the connections between them are being whittled away.” Illustration: Canadian Geographic, August 2025

When Councillor Allison Butcher asked where the proposed gas plant would be in relation to the wildlife corridors, Melanie Jellett replied: “Right smack dab in the nice blue band where the wildlife are moving.”

“Where it says ‘New Brunswick,’ look at the bottom of the I or around where the I is,” Doug Bliss added.

He reminded council that the Nature Conservancy of Canada has acquired land on the Isthmus (2,200 hectares or more than 5,400 acres) to protect migration corridors and that residents of Tantramar are very familiar with the annual sandpiper migration at Johnson’s Mills as well as Shep, the giant sandpiper statue in Dorchester.

“Which just goes to show you that in our municipality, there is already a lot of attention to wildlife habitat protection,” Bliss said.

Adam Cheeseman also reminded council that well over 20 groups are working to protect wildlife on the Isthmus.

Melanie Jellett of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

Jellett pointed out that in 2008, the Town of Amherst worked with the Nova Scotia government to protect its drinking water supply by designating watershed lands as a provincial wilderness area.

“This past February the town purchased an additional 120 acre parcel of forest land,” she said, “so they’re really building on their conservation lands within their municipality.”

She also pointed out that in 2018, Cumberland County introduced bylaws in their Municipal Planning Strategy to protect the wildlife corridor.

Closer to home, she said, the Southeast Regional Service Commission is developing a regional land use plan and is also working to identify the best location for a wildlife crossing underpass or overpass on Rte. 15 between Moncton and Shediac.

She suggested that Tantramar could include conservation zones in its municipal plan to protect sensitive wildlife areas from development.

After the presentation, Councillor Michael Tower thanked the CCAC.

“I always love to get this information that helps build our battle up to protect this area from things that should not be planted around here,” he said.

“Meaning the gas plant.”

It appears that PROENERGY Canada President John MacIsaac ran into stiff opposition on Wednesday as he attempted to give a presentation on the proposed gas plant to residents of Elsipogtog First Nation. To read the report from the NB Media Co-op, click here.

Posted in Amherst, NB Power, Southeast Regional Service Commission, Town of Tantramar | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

‘I’m not ducking the thing’: LeBlanc faces questions on proposed Isthmus gas plant

Posted on March 24, 2026 by brucewark

Federal MP Dominic LeBlanc (L) listening to Peter Higham in the lobby of Convocation Hall

Groups opposed to the proposed 500 MW gas/diesel plant near Centre Village presented information to Beauséjour MP Dominic LeBlanc today explaining why they’re so strongly opposed to the project.

During a brief exchange on the Mount Allison University campus, Peter Higham of Seniors for Climate — Tantramar suggested that as minister of international trade, LeBlanc should be concerned that NB Power has awarded the gas plant contract to an American company at a time when the U.S. is threatening Canada economically.

Higham also seemed to question why LeBlanc hasn’t said anything so far about a project that was announced more than eight months ago.

“I’m not ducking the thing,” LeBlanc said as he suggested that the federal government is not about to tell NB Power what it can and cannot do.

Penny Mott, also of Seniors for Climate, presented LeBlanc with a letter outlining a number of reasons why she believes the project should be of concern to a federal minister including international recognition that the fragile ecosystem on the Chignecto Isthmus needs protection; that burning fossil fuels in a gas/diesel plant hastens catastrophic climate change and that in the spirit of truth and reconciliation, Indigenous people should have been asked first for their consent.

Mt. A. Religious Studies Professor Barb Clayton from the Protect the Chignecto Isthmus Coalition presented LeBlanc with a petition signed by 130 scientists and academics opposing the gas plant and suggesting alternatives such as renewable energy sources combined with battery energy storage.

In each case, LeBlanc promised to read the materials, but declined to answer questions from Warktimes.

Anti-gas plant demonstrators

Demonstrators at Mt. A. Photo: Juliette Bulmer

Earlier, demonstrators gathered at various locations on York Street where they knew LeBlanc would see them on his way into Convocation Hall.

The federal minister was guest speaker at the installation ceremony for Moncton lawyer George Cooper who is the university’s new chancellor.

One of the demonstrators, Logan Atkinson, said in spite of repeated attempts, groups against the proposed plant have not been able to talk directly with LeBlanc.

“He hasn’t talked with us since the beginning of our protest. We haven’t heard a word from his office in months,” he said.

“We’ve tried several times by e-mail, by phone calls, his office has either not responded or responded weakly or put us off, so it’s not good enough. We did have a meeting in Shediac  with his assistant early on in the fall, that’s it, nothing since.

“So, it’s not good enough for our MP to be ignoring us like this. We need his help. We need the help of every politician we can get and it’s just not coming from him.”

Posted in climate change, Mount Allison University, NB Power, Town of Tantramar | Tagged | 7 Comments