| News and views about Sackville, New Brunswick and vicinity

‘We were left in the dark’: Protesters challenge $3.5B Tantramar gas plant

Posted on May 2, 2026 by brucewark

About 60 protesters, including a moose mascot, gathered in the driving rain Friday for a May Day rally at the entrance to the proposed 500 MW gas/diesel generating plant on the Chignecto Isthmus near Centre Village.

“No gas plant, no gas plant” and “people over profits,” they chanted as they marched along Rte. 940 to protest against NB Power’s proposed 25-year contract with PROENERGY, the big American company that would build and operate the gas plant if New Brunswick’s Energy & Utilities Board gives its approval.

Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton

“So many countries are looking at how to get off of fossil fuels and yet here, there are two proposed gas plants in New Brunswick, one here and one in Lorneville that would help power a data centre,” said Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton to a chorus of boos.

“Yes, that does deserve some booing,” she said with a smile as she thanked residents from several nearby communities including Memramcook, Cap-Acadie and Sackville for joining the local people in Centre Village, Cookville and Midgic in fighting a gas plant that, she said, would affect them all.

Mitton noted that the gas plant is projected to cost at least $3.5 billion.

“It’s going to raise the power rates of everyone in New Brunswick,” she said. “It’s going to cost us a lot and that money is going to flow down to PROENERGY in the United States.

“This does not help our energy security,” she said. “This does not help us with affordability. Solar and wind are the cheapest energy options.

“It is madness that we are not going all in on solar, wind and energy efficiency and that the Holt government is allowing this to go forward.”

Toxic chemicals

U de M chemistry student Hudson Rogers

“I believe this plant is a very, very bad idea,” said Hudson Rogers, a chemistry student from the Université de Moncton.

“I believe we should all be against the gas plant in Tantramar,” he added.

“We learn in so many of our classes of the different contaminants and the different substances that come from natural gas and diesel,” he said, adding that breathing such chemicals can damage people’s lungs.

“This plant will be bad for the birds, it will be bad for human health, bad for the environment and bad for our economy.”

No community involvement

Midgic resident Phyllis Wheaton leading a group of marchers along Rte. 940

Barry Rothfuss, executive director of the Atlantic Wildlife Institute in nearby Cookville, said the community knew nothing about the gas plant project until it was announced last July.

“We were blindsided by it,” he said, “and being blindsided by this kind of project seems to be a pattern that we’re seeing.”

AWI Executive Director Barry Rothfuss

He was referring to the announcement this week that the North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council and the Irish company BNRG Renewables had signed a deal for a 150 MW solar project in Cookville.

“It may be a very good thing,” Rothfuss said.

“But as a community, we were left in the dark. We have no idea of the scope or impact that it’s going to have in addition to what we’re looking at with the gas plant here,” he added.

“We’re finding out about these things after the fact, after contracts have been issued and we have no way of determining or protecting ourselves from the impact of what these things are going to do,” Rothfuss said.

“These are major decisions being made without the community being involved in the process.”

‘Beautiful umbrellas’

Meredith Fisher

Friday’s May Day protest was organized by the Tantramar chapter of Seniors for Climate.

Group member Meredith Fisher says it was meant to show solidarity with the residents who live in a beautiful, ecologically sensitive, farming area.

“It just doesn’t make sense to put something like this gas plant here or anywhere for that matter, and it’s going to create chaos for the people who live here,” she says.

“It’s pouring and pouring and pouring rain and we’re all standing here soaking in this parade of beautiful umbrellas.”

Posted in NB Power, Town of Tantramar | Tagged Atlantic Wildlife Institute, Chignecto Isthmus gas/diesel plant | 2 Comments

“Not just yes or no: Tantramar candidates differ on strategies re proposed gas plant

Posted on April 30, 2026 by brucewark

Ward 3 candidate Michael Tower

The 18 candidates running for seats on Tantramar Town Council gave a variety of answers Tuesday when asked how they see the municipality’s role regarding NB Power’s plans for a 500 MW gas/diesel generating plant near Centre Village.

“You all know how I feel about this,” said Ward 3 incumbent candidate Michael Tower.

“The idea of putting jet engines into the woods still doesn’t make any sense,” he added during an all-candidates’ forum held at the Church by the Lake in Middle Sackville.

“It affects our well-being, our social well-being, and boy, what’s it going to do with the environment? So I feel that we will continue to go out and get support, spread the word, and get somebody to try to knock some sense into the provincial government.”

Last December, Tower persuaded the current town council to reverse its previous position and take a strong stand against the gas plant.

Ward 2 incumbent candidate Barry Hicks

Ward 2 incumbent candidate Barry Hicks came down on the opposite side of the question at the all-candidates’ forum.

“This issue falls outside of municipal jurisdiction,” he said.

“It is not Tantramar council’s role to decide on it. The town has been pulled into something it doesn’t control, and residents ultimately pay the price,” he added.

“This project also brings tangible local benefits, approximately 12 jobs, increased tax revenue to support communities. The bottom line: council must respect jurisdictions, stay focused on local priorities, and make decisions that improve residents’ day-to-day lives.”

Although most other candidates expressed their opposition to the gas plant, they differed on how the town should respond.

Ward 3 candidate James MacDonald

Ward 3 candidate James MacDonald said the town should serve as an advocate for the interests of its residents, but needs to be pragmatic if the gas plant gets built.

“The municipality must ensure we aren’t just a host for industry, but a partner that receives every benefit we deserve. Our focus would be on maximizing financial gains and community improvements so that as our landscape changes, our residents see reward,” he said.

Ward 2 candidate Ken Hicks expressed a similar view after noting that he hears differing opinions as he campaigns door-to-door with some saying we need the grid security and jobs the project would bring, while others have valid concerns about the location and its impact.

“If Tantramar is to host this infrastructure, we shouldn’t just deal with it. We should capitalize on it. We should be leveraging this to become a regional energy hub, attracting battery storage industry and high-tech spin-off jobs that come with it. Let’s turn a provincial mandate into a local economic win,” Ken Hicks said.

During the all-candidates forum, moderator Carol Cooke gave each candidate one minute to answer the following question, which they were given in advance:

“What do you see as the municipality’s role regarding the gas plant?

Ward 1 candidates

Ward 1 candidates, L-R: Alyssa Greene, Jason Holmes, Katelyn Olive

Alyssa Greene

In conversations with residents of Dorchester, the proposed gas plan is often met with the statement, “Well, it’s going to happen anyways.” This is in no way a sign of lack of concern on their part, but rather built on a history of challenging decisions and changes made by the federal government related to the penitentiary. Over the years, people of Dorchester have adapted to making it work to preserve their village. Going forward to ensure that Tantramar is best prepared, council needs to establish policies, procedures, and acceptable parameters for developments that don’t stall progress, but rather guide it to best serve our community. We need to make it work for us: Establishing bylaws, programming, and programming that clearly defines the responsibilities of developers and what incentives and benefits they need to bring to our community. The legacy of the gas plant, whether it goes ahead or not, should be a council ensuring the checks and balances are in place to guide all future developments in our community on how to be a good neighbor to the people, places, and history of Tantramar.

Jason Holmes

I think we can all agree that nobody in council or the candidates going for council agree with the gas plant. What we can do is support the local groups who are challenging it. Make sure if they are going to do it, that they follow all their policies, all their safety procedures. In a time where we’re in droughts and our climate is changing, now with the people out there, we’re going to have to worry about their wells drying up and their clean drinking water being contaminated from the plant. So we need to really stress to the government, provincial, federal, that they need to keep these people in check. I don’t need the whole minute.

Katelyn Olive

I agree with council’s current statement on opposition of the gas plant. Deciding to run for council, I decided to attend the council meeting in April, and I had the honour of getting to listen to Mr. Gregor MacAskill speak about the economics of the gas plant. The environmental aspects are horrible. We’ve all heard about that, but the economics are horrible for New Brunswickers as a whole. I would urge people to listen to Mr. MacAskill speak anytime you get the opportunity or to go onto YouTube and listen to the first 10 minutes of the council meeting. It’s very informative. I looked at my platform of common sense, balanced approach to things, needs over wants, facts over feelings, preserving our services and our environments, and advocating for a place where our kids can call home for generations to come, and this gas plant is not it.

Ward 2 candidates

Ward 2 candidates. L-R: Barry Hicks, Ken Hicks

Barry Hicks

Environmental assessments have already been completed by federal and provincial regulators, experts with jurisdiction. Indigenous impacts were reviewed at the federal level and approved. If a project meets all regulatory requirements, these processes should be respected and allowed to work. This issue falls outside of municipal jurisdiction. It is not Tantramar council’s role to decide on it. The town has been pulled into something it doesn’t control, and residents ultimately pay the price. Time and resources are limited. council and staff should focus on core municipal responsibilities such as fire service, policing, road maintenance, fair taxation, recreation and cultural programs, economic development. When council is distracted by out of scope issues, service delivery to residents suffers. Concerns about projects like this should be directed to the appropriate levels of government, MLA and MP, not municipal council. The rules of the council are clear. Listen to the residents and act on issues within its authority. This project also brings tangible local benefits, approximately 12 jobs, increased tax revenue to support communities. The bottom line, council must respect jurisdictions, stay focused on local priorities, and make decisions that improve residents’ day-to-day lives.

Ken Hicks

On the issue of the gas plant, I want to be very clear. As the candidate for Ward 2, my opinion is secondary to my obligation to the people in Ward 2. In my conversations at the door, I hear many who say this plant is necessary for energy security and for jobs. And I hear others with valid concerns about the location and the impact. My job is to ensure that Ward 2 is no longer the silent partner in these provincial discussions. Ward 2 wants to be heard, and I will be that voice. We know that the energy grid is changing. Transitioning towards renewable is the future. But we need grid security now. If Tantramar is to host this infrastructure, we shouldn’t just deal with it. We should capitalize on it. We should be leveraging this to become a regional energy hub, attracting battery storage industry and high-tech spin-off jobs that come with it. Let’s turn a provincial mandate into a local economic win. But whether the plant is built or not, there are urgent issues inside our own borders that cannot wait. And we need the council to focus on that. Public safety, we cannot have an energy hub without a stable, fully supported Sackville fire department. We need a formal return-to-work plan for our volunteers, period.

Ward 3 candidates

Ward 3 candidates. L-R: Andrew Black, Allison Butcher, Josh Goguen, James MacDonald

Andrew Black

I timed this to a minute. There’s much more you could say, of course. But I want to first say that this current council passed a resolution to oppose the RIGS project. So we are bound by that opposition. We are bound by that resolution. And a council that will be coming in June is also bound by that resolution unless they decide to change it, which if I was elected, I would absolutely not do that. Even though it’s been recognized that the RIGS project from day one is not under municipal jurisdiction, which means it’s difficult for us to put our teeth into it, there are certainly things that we can do as a municipality. There are amazing groups that are doing work on action on this issue already, so it’s up to the municipality to continue to work with those groups, like the Protect the Chignecto Isthmus Coalition, the Stop the Tantramar Gas Plant, these groups, for example, and anyone affiliated or adjacent to. Making connections with people at other levels of government and introducing them to those people doing that work, and then advocating on behalf of residents and pushing where we need to, when we need to.

Allison Butcher

Hi. So very similar to what Mayor Black has said, I’m already on council and I voted against or voted in favour of sending a letter to the provincial government. Unfortunately, we don’t have, as a municipal government, much control over what happens. But we do have the ability to advocate for our constituents. We have the ability to voice our concerns, of which we have many. And if I am on council again, I will continue to do that because I do not think that the gas plant is a benefit to our community for many reasons. So thank you. I’ll continue to do that.

Josh Goguen

Good evening everybody. I am on council also and I did vote not to support the gas plant. As for what we can do as a municipality, we don’t have much teeth in it like the other candidates had said but we can definitely push to make sure that if they do build it, that they’re followed by, the regulations are followed, everything is to a T, and hold them out to be accountable for what they’ve told us that they’re going to do. Unfortunately, it’s one of those situations that we don’t have much say, but as a municipality and a bigger group, we can definitely make some noise and make our voices heard.

James MacDonald

I see the municipality’s role as the primary advocate for our residents for any project the town doesn’t have direct control of, like the Wheaton covered bridge or the Peck’s Cove bridge or the gas plant. Our job is to step up and represent the community’s interests. We need to do our best to support our neighbours by advocating for or against these projects based on collective needs and safety. We also have to be pragmatic if the gas plant moves forward. The municipality must ensure we aren’t just a host for industry, but a partner that receives every benefit we deserve. Our focus would be on maximizing financial gains and community improvements so that as our landscape changes, our residents see reward. Finally, the town needs to stay vigilant. We must monitor the progress and environmental impacts closely acting as a constant voice through the proper channels to ensure our residents are taken care of and the developers are held accountable every step of the way.

Ward 3 candidates. L-R: Bruce Phinney, Haidee Robertson, Michael Tower, Tori Weldon

Bruce Phinney

As my colleagues or candidates have said, as a matter of fact, we don’t have much say in it, other than the fact that we can put forth our opposition to it. I remember as a kid coming from or going to Midgic. I love Midgic. The other thing I don’t understand with what they want to do with this is why. I don’t know. They put millions of dollars into the Atlantic Wildlife Institute, so why would they put that, and they’re concerned about the environment, but then they turn around and put this gas plant up there. I don’t know the way of the thinking of some of the politicians, I really wonder. I’m opposed to it and always will be. A friend of mine said that actually she thinks it’s a good idea, but it’s the wrong place. Now, she’s worked in the industry for many, many years, and the thing is I have to take her at her word because I trust her and I respect her. Overall, though, I don’t think it’s what we need here, and regardless of what people say, those who are in favour, I truly believe they’re wrong, and I think we need to keep up the opposition.

Haidee Robertson

A big question. I feel a questionnaire should be done to see how the community members feel about this issue. Municipal council follows the Local Governance Act to ensure local services to residents are maintained. I would encourage council to continue to provide opportunities for informing the greater population of Tantramar. I would also encourage a robust review of all land planning documents and work to revise and implement new bylaws that encourage investment for responsible growth.

Michael Tower

You all know how I feel about this. Unfortunately, the second half of my motion hasn’t happened to get our premier down here, and there may be obvious reasons for that. And we all know that the DNR has already acknowledged that this is going to be the hottest summer on record for New Brunswick, so the idea of putting jet engines into the woods still doesn’t make any sense. Now, the location or putting it there is not within our jurisdiction, but it is within our jurisdiction, as I tried to say before, for us to speak up for everyone within Tantramar. It affects our well-being, our social well-being, and boy, what’s it going to do with the environment? So I feel that we will continue to go out and get support, spread the word, and get somebody to try to knock some sense into the provincial government.

Tori Weldon

I mean, a lot’s been said. You can only say so many things about it, but I guess one thing I really appreciate is just the amount of citizen engagement. Like, people feel strongly about it, and they’re doing something about it, and they’re saying something about it. And I think there’s a real power in numbers, like we saw it in 2013 with shale gas. So as far as the role of council, council has already made a decision. So from there, it’s really just about having a seat at the table. Because I don’t think the loudest voice wins, but it’s more about strategy. The council’s decided that it’s against the gas plant, so it’s against the gas plant. And it’s really just talking to the people in charge. Like, everyone who feels strongly against it, you’re out there, you’re doing something, and I think that’s exactly what needs to be done. I think council needs to talk to the people in charge and just try to get a seat at the table. If the gas plant does go through, I think the most important thing is just diligence, that every single regulation is followed to a T, and then from there, I guess it’s just a matter of trying to get every tax dollar out of this project possible.

Ward 5 candidates

Ward 5 candidates. L-R: K.C. Hingley, Wayne Wells

K.C. Hingley

I found this an interesting question for two reasons. First, there’s the question of jurisdiction. What can a municipality actually do to influence the province? Formally, not much. We do not approve or deny a project with the proposed gas plant in Centre Village. But that does not mean we are powerless. Municipal governments can advocate strongly for their communities, work collectively through the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick and other organizations, and speak clearly to the province about what local people expect and deserve. Our residents are also provincial voters, and when communities raise their voices together, I dare the province not to listen. Second, there’s the question behind the question that I know a lot of folks are interested to hear. Where do I stand? At this point, I do not support the RIGS project. I would prefer a made-in-Canada solution, and I’m concerned about its proximity to Atlantic Wildlife Institute. I look forward to reviewing the Environmental Impact Assessment and the Energy & Utilities Board decision when they’re released. Like many of you, I’m watching this project very closely.

Wayne Wells

I really wasn’t looking into the gas plant, but now that I’ve been looking into it, I don’t think it’s a good idea. And I think we should have more reusable energy like wind and solar power. And they should be looking at that.

Mayoralty candidates

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

Sabine Dietz

Just to get this out of the way, no gas plant, not now, never. Just to be very clear on this. As the candidates have stated very clearly, there are jurisdictional issues around this, but I’m sorry, former current council, you could have implemented a municipal plan by now, which was on your plate, and a municipal plan gives the municipality actually some power over what happens in its territory. So, at this time, it’s a matter of supporting the organizations that are very active in the region. It is supporting the resolution that was already passed by council, and it is, as has been stated before, continuing to advocate for the community with provincial and federal governments. And I believe the next council will do that because the concern is in this community about the health and well-being, which is very much so the responsibility of council to look after the health and well-being of our community. The council will have to commit to continuing supporting that.

Terry Jones

I had a speech, but I think I’ll just speak from the heart instead. The Tantramar, our Centre Village gas plant is my neighbour. I know what’s going on up there. I know it’s bad. And it’s not something that we can look away from. It’s time for our mayor and council to step up, get loud, be a public leader instead of just sending letters. We don’t have to wait for Premier Holt to come visit us. We can get in our cars and drive to Fredericton and meet with them. It’s time to demand some answers. The plant is not a go yet. We still have the EUB process, which is not finished. We still have the provincial environmental assessment, which is not finished. So it’s time for us as a community, as a municipality, as people who care about the environment, to step forward. But think about this. This is going to impact all of your health, your children’s health, your grandchildren’s health, and for the next 25 years, it’s going to spew poison into the atmosphere, into the water, and into your lungs. Remember that when you’re thinking about are your kids going to stay in this community? People don’t want to live next to a gas plant. Property values are dropping out there like a rock, and it hasn’t even started to build.

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell

As council has been doing and will continue to do is share public concerns, and that’s exactly what we did. We listened to what you had to say. We brought your problem forward. We opposed, and we wrote letters for you. I’d like to equate this to be in the provincial government as being that wall or that tree, that tree that’s got everything hidden behind. And we’re that pileated woodpecker that’s knocking on the door to let it through and make it aware of how serious this is for our community, the environment. And so we’re here to listen to what you say and bring it forward.

Table summarizing candidate positions & strategies

Core Position	Strategy	Municipal Role Emphasis	Candidates
Strong opposition	Activist agitation	Mobilize public pressure; confront province directly	Michael Tower, Terry Jones
Defer to regulators	Jurisdictional restraint	Focus on core municipal services only	Barry Hicks
Opposed; follow council resolution	Procedural advocacy	Advocate to province/feds; support citizen groups	Andrew Black, Allison Butcher, Sabine Dietz, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell
Opposed, but pragmatic if plant is built	Compliance / oversight	Ensure regulations, monitoring, accountability	Josh Goguen, Tori Weldon, Jason Holmes
Opposed or cautious	Planning / reform	Strengthen bylaws, municipal plans, long-term controls	Alyssa Greene, Haidee Robertson
Conditional acceptance	Economic negotiation	Maximize jobs, tax revenue, local benefits	James MacDonald, Ken Hicks
Opposed in principle	Values-based	Limited policy detail	Bruce Phinney, Wayne Wells, Katelyn Olive

Note: Kristen LeBlanc, who has been acclaimed in Ward 4 where the gas plant would go, is firmly opposed to the NB Power project and is working actively against it.

To listen to a recording of the entire all-candidates forum, click on this link to the CHMA-FM website.

Posted in NB Power, Tantramar municipal election 2026, Town of Tantramar | Tagged Chignecto Isthmus gas/diesel plant | 4 Comments

‘Why should we trust you?’ Fire dept. crisis puts incumbents on the spot

Posted on April 29, 2026 by brucewark

Audience members listen in the gym at Church by the Lake as municipal candidates discuss the issues

The continuing turmoil within the Sackville fire department came up repeatedly Tuesday as residents questioned the candidates running for seats on Tantramar Town Council during a forum attended by about 200 people at the Church by the Lake in Middle Sackville.

“I’m Ward 3 and by my count, we have more than half of the current council running for re-election,” said Dodie Perkin referring to five of the eight candidates in her ward which includes most of the former town of Sackville.

“Over the past few years, the fire department, for example, has gone into disarray and the council seems to be helpless to deal with that,” she said.

“So as members of the current sitting council who have gone through this, why should we trust you and why should we vote for you?” Perkin asked.

New investigation

Ward 3 Councillor Michael Tower

“One reason you can trust me is that I speak clearly and I try to provide transparency,” said incumbent Ward 3 councillor Michael Tower.

“When it comes to the fire department, I think that we finally set the right things in motion and it’s going to take time to get the answer and this new council is going to have to be the one that steps up and deals with it,” Tower added, referring to the town’s announcement in January that it had hired a Saint John law firm to investigate allegations of a toxic work environment within Sackville Fire & Rescue.

Tower added later that the town had also done the right thing by hiring a new director of protective services to oversee the three Tantramar fire departments as well as bylaw enforcement, emergency management operations and animal control.

Incumbent Ward 3 councillor Bruce Phinney said he could be trusted because everyone knows he always speaks his mind.

“I supposedly broke the code of conduct three times, allegedly, and I lost my pay and benefits for a few months,” he said, adding in response to a later question, that he had tried to persuade his council colleagues to meet with the 12 firefighters who turned in their pagers in January to hear their grievances firsthand.

“But we seem to be a divided council,” Phinney said, referring to council’s decision not to meet as a body with the 12 volunteers.

Josh Goguen explained that as a first-term councillor, he was inexperienced and naive expecting, at first, that he would receive accurate information.

“I trusted administration, I trusted my colleagues. Unfortunately, that’s not how it was,” he said, adding later that as soon as he learned about the 12 firefighters turning in their pagers, he arranged to meet with them to find out what was going on.

“We want to make sure that the [workplace] investigation is done correctly and right, so we don’t have to deal with this come another election cycle,” he said.

‘Complicated’ issues

Ward 3 Councillor Allison Butcher

Councillor Allison Butcher said she was on council in 2021 when it commissioned the Montana Consulting Group to conduct a workplace assessment of the Sackville fire department.

“I thought that what came out of that would be a solution and thought we were working towards it,” she added, “and when we found out it wasn’t, we are working and it does seem like it’s slow. I can tell you, we’ve put in many, many hours.”

Current Mayor Andrew Black, who is running for a council seat in Ward 3, said the fire department situation “is way more complicated than what people out in Tantramar believe.”

He said he agreed the investigation into working conditions in the fire department needs “to finish up so that we’re not back in this again for another two years, three years, four years, five years. That can’t happen.”

Mayoralty candidate Sabine Dietz said later she agreed with Black that the fire department issues are complex.

“I think it is very simplistic to take one side over the other and I think council is doing the right thing now by commissioning another report,” she said.

Mayoralty candidate Sabine Dietz

Dietz suggested that council should be conducting regular performance evaluations of its only employee, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

“That’s how we catch whether anything is wrong. [I’m] not saying there’s any wrongdoing or mistakes, but that’s how we catch it,” she said, adding that people should not be accusing anyone of wrongdoing.

“We’re not a negative community,” she said. “It makes all this very negative and it is highly complex and complicated.”

Former Sackville Councillor Ken Hicks, who is running for a seat in Ward 2, said the turmoil in Sackville Fire & Rescue is a symptom of a bigger problem.

“That problem is a lack of transparency. Information is being bottlenecked at the CAO’s desk, leaving both council and the public in the dark,” he said.

“We are paying for reports and investigations that we’re not allowed to see,” he added, referring to the $31,500 Montana report which has never been made public.

“I’m running to break that cycle,” he said.

Posted in Sackville Fire & Rescue, Tantramar municipal election 2026, Town of Sackville, Town of Tantramar | Tagged Montana Consulting Group, VanBuskirk Law | 3 Comments

Is Sackville about to lose another piece of its past?

Posted on April 27, 2026 by brucewark

The historic Ford Block built in 1894 is the only example left in Sackville of a three-storey, wooden, late 19th century commercial bldg

The 132-year-old Main Street building that houses Goya’s Pizza and Chirps Bar along with several other small businesses and apartments has been sold to AIL CEO Mike Wilson for $1.4 million.

Property records show that he bought it on March 31st through his company Right Coast Realty (Sackville) Limited.

Wilson said through a spokesman that he did not want to comment on any plans he might have for the building, known as the Ford Block, when Warktimes tried to reach him today.

Warktimes has learned that both Wilson and Sackville developer John Lafford were seen wearing white hard hats as they inspected the building in late August or early September last year.

The two are partners in the nearby seven-storey, residential/commercial building that is currently under construction on nearby York Street.

Mike Wilson (L) & John Lafford appeared at town hall in 2024 seeking the lifting of downtown height restrictions on their York St bldg. Photo: Erica Butler

So far, John Lafford has not responded to an e-mail request for comment.

Although it’s not known if the two intend to be partners in any project involving the Ford Block, property records show that JN Lafford Realty Inc. owns the adjacent building that houses the Corner Drug Store and Platinum Realty.

Sackville repealed its heritage conservation bylaw in 2018 allowing downtown property owners to demolish or alter the look of downtown buildings without having to apply for a special permit.

Ford Block history

According to Tantramar Heritage Trust, George E. Ford built the block as a department store in 1894 with three main sections, one for groceries, another for clothing and a third for hardware and furniture. It also had a tailor shop, several display rooms and by 1902, there were 25 full-time employees.

The late historian Bill Hamilton writes that there were office suites on the upper floors and a public hall that was the site of the historic meeting that approved the incorporation of Sackville as a town on January 12, 1903.

“For a number of years following,” Hamilton writes, “the regular Town Council meetings were held in this building.”

He also points out that the Ford Block appears in a 1959 painting entitled “Milk Truck” by Alex Colville. The painting shows a Stedmans and a Simpsons on the building’s main floor.

Hamilton writes in terms of history and architecture, the Ford Block is an important part of Sackville’s heritage:

One testament to the skill of its builders and later renovators is that the exterior is essentially the same as that depicted in a photograph taken in 1894. Further, the classic architectural lines that attracted Alex Colville in 1959 have not been unduly desecrated by modernization. There is an important lesson here for all who may be interested in architectural preservation.

It is quite possible for structurally sound buildings to retain the essentials of their external facade while permitting interior remodeling to meet contemporary needs.

Hamilton’s piece appeared in the Sackville Tribune-Post in 2001, the year a plaque marking the building’s long history was attached to one of its entrances. To read his article, click here.

For further information from Tantramar Heritage Trust, click here.

Posted in Town of Sackville, Town of Tantramar | Tagged Sackville Heritage Bylaw, Tantramar Heritage Trust | 9 Comments

Tantramar mayoralty candidates discuss how to protect the town’s heritage bldgs and streetscapes

Posted on April 26, 2026 by brucewark

Sackville United Church & commercial-residential bldg that replaced it at 112 Main

Tantramar’s three mayoralty candidates — Terry Jones, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell and Sabine Dietz — discussed how they would support steps to protect the town’s built heritage and especially its streetscapes during a radio forum earlier this month.

Sackville repealed its heritage bylaw and dissolved its Heritage Board in 2018 leaving property owners free to demolish or alter the look of downtown buildings without having to apply for a permit.

Getting rid of the bylaw cleared the way for Lafford Realty Inc. to build upscale, seniors’ apartments near its commercial-residential building on the site of the Sackville United Church that was demolished in 2015.

Now, Lafford Realty is building a seven-storey, mixed-use building on York Street where the three older buildings shown below once stood.

To listen to the mayoralty candidates’ responses on support for the protection of built heritage, click on the media player.

A lightly edited transcript of their conversation appears below it and then, a link to the full, one-hour radio forum.

Tantramar Mayoralty Candidates Radio Forum, April 17, 2026 at CHMA 106.9 FM.

Question on heritage protection.

Carol Cooke: Question seven, it’s Terry’s start off. Here it is. To what extent would you support the establishment of a revised, flexible, and creative regime of protection for Tantramar’s built heritage, especially with respect to our streetscapes? Terry.

Terry Jones: I would definitely support and endorse, however you want to put it, looking after our heritage. Sackville’s unique. The downtown core of Sackville is unique. It’s changing. It needs to be updated, yes, but it needs to be updated in a way that we can keep our small-town charm. I think a committee needs to be formed, if we don’t already have one, because I couldn’t find one, in regards to heritage, so that we can look at the buildings that are slated for demolition, the lots, and maybe put a limit on our downtown as far as new development and be more proactive in keeping that unique flavour. I am so saddened when I see big buildings going down, those lovely Victorians and things coming. I understand that we have to move forward and we have to grow, but I wonder if there’s a way that we can make sure that unique special properties have more protection so that they’re limited on how fast they change or how fast they’re torn down.

Carol Cooke: Thanks for that, Terry. Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, you’re up next. And how do you feel about protecting Tantamar’s built heritage, especially our streetscapes?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Well, there are many heritage properties and iconic structures throughout all of Tantramar. These are deserving of preservations. For example, now, this is one we’re working on right now. It’s the Wheaton’s Covered Bridge. It’s the last covered bridge in all of Tantramar. It’s DTI [Department of Transportation and Infrastructure] has that on their scope. It could be torn down. So we had an ad-hoc committee put together. so we’re going to try to either, we can’t, we can’t save it as uh as uh vehicles or transportation, there’s going to be another bridge built beside it, but if we could take part of that, pieces and parts of that, and move it to the side, keep it out where our iconic barns used to be out on the marshes. We were known for that. Now I think you can count on one hand how many barns we have out there.

Carol Cooke: And Debbie, if I may, you mentioned DTI, and I wonder if this is a similar issue to the gas plant. How much jurisdiction municipally do your councils have to weigh in and to change these things that maybe are decided in Fredericton?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Yes, well, actually, we have been working with our MLA, Megan Mitton is working with us on this ad-hoc committee. And so she’s our voice when it comes to DTI and to bringing it back. So we have a great group of people that are working to try to save this important structure for future generations because covered bridges are going to be a thing of the past. How it’s going to look, I can’t say, but if we have part of it, partials of it, whatever we can do to save pieces, I think that’s very important.

Carol Cooke: Okay. Sabine, it’s your turn to weigh in on how to protect our heritage in this town and this community.

Sabine Dietz: Yeah, so there are two different issues, actually. So Debbie touched on one is working with our provincial government and with our MLA. And I think that is definitely the role of a mayor and the role of municipal council when it comes to streetscapes, because that’s what you were asking about.

We used to have a heritage bylaw for Sackville, way, way back. That was abolished at some point with a lot of hurt. But again, I mentioned the municipal plan because there’s a lot of misunderstanding about the role of a municipal planning process and a municipal plan, which guides the community in all of its development and developments in all of its priorities. It’s way more important than a strategic plan.

The municipal plan is being renewed. Like I mentioned, this is going to be on the council’s plate. A perfect opportunity to have community conversations about how do we actually make statements about our heritage? How do we make statements about what our downtown should look like, including Dorchester, including Sackville, so the old Sackville, old Dorchester. And that can be done through the municipal planning process. I think that’s the best way.

And then whether there are bylaws that come out of it, because that’s usually what happens. You have your municipal plan, your zoning is done. You identify, we have a BIA, a business improvement area. You identify the areas that are important to the community for whatever reason. And you set bylaws accordingly. And that is a super good opportunity coming around in the next couple of years, actually fairly soon, to give the community actually the voice that it needs to identify what is important for us in terms of local heritage.

To listen to the complete, one-hour radio forum on the CHMA website, click here.

Posted in Tantramar municipal election 2026, Town of Tantramar | Tagged Heritage Board, Heritage Bylaw, heritage protection | 3 Comments

Protesters rally in Sackville as environmental award goes to gas plant opponents

Posted on April 23, 2026 by brucewark

“Hey, hey USA take your plant and go away,” about 40 demonstrators chanted as they marched across Sackville’s main intersection at Bridge and Main on Wednesday.

“No gas plant, no gas plant!” they shouted as motorists stopped at the lights honked in support.

Then, the marchers gathered on sidewalks waiting for the walk signal so they could set off again across the streets chanting, “Clear air, clean water, NB Power’s got to do better.”

The two-hour, Earth Day demonstration, organized by the Tantramar chapter of Seniors for Climate, was their latest salvo in the campaign against the proposed 500 MW gas/diesel generating plant in Centre Village.

If New Brunswick’s Energy & Utilities Board gives its approval, the plant would be built and operated by the big American company PROENERGY under a 25-year, $3.5 billion contract with NB Power.

It would burn fracked gas piped in from the States backed up by diesel likely trucked in from the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John.

After the march, people gathered at Café Tintamarre in Sackville’s Visitor Information Centre for a tea party and climate chat.

It ended with the presentation of an award for the 2026 Tantramar Environmental Citizen of the Year.

“You know, I grew up here in Sackville, but moved away, and I was away for 40-some years before I moved home,” said master of ceremonies Logan Atkinson.

He explained that he bought a big house with a wrap-around veranda, its open underside enclosed with lattice.

“First summer I was home, walking around my house in the morning, and sure enough, there’s a skunk caught in the latticework,” Atkinson said.

“And I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is way beyond my competence, I can guarantee you that,'” he added as the audience laughed.

Atkinson said he consulted the “experts” on Facebook who told him to call the Atlantic Wildlife Institute in Cookville.

Within 30-minutes, Atkinson said, Barry Rothfuss, AWI’s executive director had called him back.

“I followed his instructions to a tee, and I’m standing here to tell the tale,” he said before announcing that this year’s award would be going to both Barry Rothfuss and his partner Pam Novak for their “stewardship of this land.”

Aside from their work in rescuing wildlife and mitigating harms to the environment, Rothfuss and Novak established the Protect the Chignecto Isthmus Coalition last year to lead the opposition to the proposed gas plant.

Barry Rothfuss & Pam Novak of AWI with the 2026 Environmental Citizen of the Year trophy

“It’s a teapot,” a smiling Novak said pointing to the trophy. “This is just perfect.”

She added that anyone in the room could have won the award.

“The one thing that the gas plant has done — this nasty, little, dirty, peaker plant that we keep calling it, is bringing us all back together,” she said.

“We need to fight this because everybody who’s sitting in this room, you’re here because you care about your neighbours, you care about your own health, you care about your environment and you care about your community.”

“The environmental degradation that comes along with these types of developments is massive, right from the construction phase, to the operational phase, to the decommissioning,” Rothfuss said.

“So, let’s keep going. Let’s keep fighting.”

Posted in Environment, NB Power, Town of Tantramar | Tagged Chignecto Isthmus gas/diesel plant, NB Energy and Utilities Board (EUB), PROENERGY | Leave a comment

Tantramar mayoralty candidates discuss public question periods during radio forum

Posted on April 21, 2026 by brucewark

Mayoralty candidates radio forum, L-R: Terry Jones, Sabine Dietz, Moderator Carol Cooke, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell

Tantramar’s three mayoralty candidates — Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, Terry Jones and Sabine Dietz — discussed whether they would push for question periods at all public council meetings during their radio forum last week at CHMA-FM.

Before amalgamation in 2023, Sackville Town Council held public question periods at the beginning and at the end of its regular monthly meetings for at least 30 years. After sustained lobbying by Warktimes, Sackville added a public question period at the end of its monthly discussion meeting in 2021.

But after amalgamation, Mayor Black said Tantramar council would have to follow provincially imposed rules allowing for one 15-minute, public question period at the end of its monthly Committee of the Whole meetings. Under the new rules, questions were limited to topics discussed during the meeting and the time limit was strictly enforced.

At Tantramar council’s first regular meeting in January 2023, Councillors Michael Tower and Allison Butcher moved a motion to add a public question period at the end of the agenda, but Councillors Matt Estabrooks, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell and Bruce Phinney voted no denying the unanimous consent needed to change the agenda.

Since then, Tantramar council has not changed the rules limiting public question periods to one 15-minute session during Committee of the Whole meetings which are held at 3 p.m. on a weekday afternoon.

To hear what Tantramar’s mayoralty candidates had to say about public question periods, click on the media player. A lightly edited transcript appears below it.

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

Question on council public question periods

Carol Cooke: Question number six. Many people complain about the lack of public participation during Tantramar Council meetings. Under the current Council Procedures Bylaw, there’s only one, 15-minute public question period per month. And it’s strictly limited to topics that were discussed at that one particular meeting. As Mayor, Sabine, we’ll start with you. Would you ask the clerk to present a new procedures bylaw for consideration by the new council so that it would include public question periods on any municipal topic at every public council meeting?

Sabine Dietz: Yeah, so I’m going to just go step back a little bit. The procedures bylaw is meant to guide the council in terms of how to hold its meetings, including how much time, how much time for public input, etc. So it is clearly outlined in that bylaw. It’s actually a very useful bylaw to read because it also sets a bit of an ethical and moral standard for how you behave in the room. What I would like to do is I think it’s sad that the 15 minutes are restricted to issues that just have been brought up by council. So many of the urgent issues can never be brought up that way. I would certainly want council to reconsider opening the bylaw and changing the bylaw. There are not many things that would have to be changed, so it wouldn’t be a massive rewrite of a bylaw. But some things council needs to consider. And this is not a mayor’s decision. This is a decision of all of the council. And so all of council would have to fully understand what the procedural bylaw actually, what it is like, and what it does, and why it does certain things.

Carol Cooke: Sabine, I’m going to jump in. At this point, if you were a regular Tantramar resident, would you feel that you had enough opportunity to express your point of view at any public council meeting?

Sabine Dietz: No. So in fact, the last times I’ve been there, I don’t think I stayed until the end, simply because the 15 minutes are not open. And often there are things that have popped up in a community within a month.

Carol Cooke: And Sabine, just to clarify, don’t you have to get permission to be part of that 15 minutes per month?

Sabine Dietz: No, not at the end.

Carol Cooke: Okay, excuse me. Tell me more. Educate me.

Sabine Dietz: No, no. At the end, you can ask questions, but you can only, and this is only once a month, but you can ask questions, but you can only ask questions of things that have come up during the council meeting. And so theoretically, the mayor has to interrupt you if you come in and bring up anything that’s of concern at that time, but was not brought up during a council meeting. So, yes, this is very restrictive and it doesn’t open the floor to having a council being informed at that time of something that may really be of importance to the community.

Carol Cooke: So would you advocate changing that slightly?

Sabine Dietz: I would. I would discuss with council and make sure that we reconsider this and we discuss it as council. And then we make a decision whether we direct the clerk to make certain changes.

Carol Cooke: Okay, great. Terry Jones, to recap slightly, is 15 minutes per month enough time to discuss things and only be confined to that one meeting? Would you try and change it? Please let us know.

Terry Jones: Most definitely. I think that that bylaw does have to be looked at. I think we need to communicate with our citizens, and we don’t have. Fifteen minutes could be two people. There could be 20 people that have questions. Now, can we run on for hours and be there till midnight every council meeting? No. Should we have 15 minutes at every meeting? Definitely, if we’re only allowed to speak about what takes place at that meeting. So, yes, I would definitely support and ask the council to support changing that bylaw, asking for the wording, making sure that it gives some open, honest communication from our citizens to us. We’re here because of them. They need to be allowed to have their voices heard.

Carol Cooke: Okay. Terry, thanks for that. And closing off this question, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, do you think that the public needs more time to ask questions at meetings?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Thank you, Carol. I believe with the open communication with the citizens of Tantramar and the council, many inquiries can be addressed with more information from outside of the council, outside of the official question period.

Carol Cooke: And can you elaborate on how the public would get those questions in?

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Well, if you have an open communication with your residents, you have this coming up. But the council meetings are conducted with a pre-approved agenda. And to address the issues of concern. Outside of the agenda, we risk losing structure of our meetings. However, a motion could be put forward that would allow council to vote on this topic. So say if the council wanted to put not only on the regular council meeting, but the community of the whole meeting, If they wanted to have a question period at the end of that, our two major meetings that we have per month is our regular council and our committee of the whole. So if council would like to bring a motion forward to have that changed, to have another, an open session at the end of that, maybe to discuss other things. But there again, we have to be very strict on because that could get off as Terry had said, we could be there until midnight answering questions that just everybody could pop in their head at the time. It’s got to be consistent and we’ve got to work on what we have on the agenda.

Carol Cooke: Okay. Thank you for that.

Terry Jones: There is nothing that says we can’t say if you’re coming and you have a question that you would like to bring forward, that that has to be presented and put on the agenda at the very end and keep that within the limit of 15 minutes. And then that would give other citizens who haven’t had a chance or thought of the question there could bring it up on another date. There’s the more communication, the more openness, the more transparency we have, but that having strict, or not strict, but having a time limit set and having the questions pre-approved not, not that we approve them but that we get them so that we can put them on the agenda will give us time to have documents or any other information that we need there.

Carol Cooke: Kind of in the same way that all three mayoralty candidates have had, you’ve had the questions in advance and I see what you’re saying. Sabine do you want to add in anything more just because everyone said some back and forth here.

Sabine Dietz: Yeah I think and I think you know structure, structure is fine and needed and absolutely otherwise I think council and council has sat very late when I was on council, is not comfortable. It’s too long, so I appreciate that. I think in a large community, municipality like Tantramar, there are two meetings per and I don’t think there have necessarily only been two meetings per month. There have been special meetings and that needs to be the case.

It is necessary and the issues and challenges that the municipality will have over the next four years are huge and I don’t think we can limit it. And for those issues, all of them, the community will have to play a really large role. So no, it is not, it is not, it is a question of balancing structure and limiting time and making sure that councillors are not dead on their feet at the end of the meeting with the community’s access to council meetings, councillors, and to open discussion.

And I just want to remind everybody that it is very clear from recent decisions or recent statements that council meetings need to be open. And I take that as also a statement about councils need to be open to discussing and debating with the community, not to the end of everything, but a good mayor will be able to manage with leadership to manage that kind of debate. It needs to happen, especially right now, especially during the four years that are coming.

Carol Cooke: Great. Thank you for that. Quick, go Debbie, quick.

Debbie Wiggins-Colwell: Yes, I agree with that. But like, say for instance, this week I had four meetings. I mean, one open and three behind closed doors. So it does. And our meeting on the regular council meeting, I got out of there at 10:45. So that is a long meeting.

Posted in Tantramar municipal election 2026, Town of Sackville, Town of Tantramar | Tagged Public question periods, Tantramar council procedures | Leave a comment

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.

Posted in CHMA-FM, Tantramar municipal election 2026, Town of Tantramar | Tagged municipal property taxation, Sackville economic development incentive program | Leave a comment

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.

Posted in CHMA-FM, Sackville Fire & Rescue, Tantramar municipal election 2026, Town of Tantramar | Tagged Montana Consulting Group, Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Law | 2 Comments

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.

Posted in CHMA-FM, Town of Tantramar | Tagged Mayoralty candidates radio forum, Tantramar municipal election 2026 | Leave a comment

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 Council Code of Conduct | 2 Comments

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