Ward 4 Councillor Kristen LeBlanc
The strengths and weaknesses of the municipal ward system were on full display Tuesday as Ward 4 Councillor Kristen LeBlanc tried to persuade her council colleagues to take the first steps toward establishing a community building in her ward, which includes Midgic, Cookville and Upper Sackville.
“Unfortunately, Ward 4 is one of the only wards within the municipality of Tantramar without an active community hall or a fire hall,” LeBlanc told council.
Her motion said that a dedicated municipal building could support activities for young people, provide a place for community gatherings or events and serve as an emergency warming and cooling centre when the power is out for extended periods.
It could also house an automated external defibrillator (AED) to revive people whose hearts suddenly stop beating.
LeBlanc pointed out that for many residents of Ward 4, the round trip to municipal facilities and events in other wards is roughly 30 kilometres.
“They either have to have a car, they have to have a tank of gas and funds to get there, the parents have to be available to drive their children to these activities and unfortunately, they’re not all the time,” she said.
“I’m not asking council to approve construction or commit funding today,” LeBlanc added as she called for municipal staff to investigate various options including town ownership of such a building or partnerships with community organizations.
Her motion also called on staff to investigate provincial and federal grants for a Ward 4 building that would fit with Tantramar’s long-term strategic plan and that could be included in the 2027 or 2028 capital budgets “subject to available funding and council approval.”
Reluctant colleagues
Ward 1 Councillor Alyssa Greene
“I think we’re putting the cart before the horse a little bit here,” said Councillor Alyssa Greene who represents Ward 1 where municipal facilities already include the Dorchester Community Veterans Centre.
Greene said the town needs to study populations in every ward and take an inventory of available facilities.
She mentioned existing churches in Ward 4 and the Music Barn as possible community spaces.
“I don’t really necessarily think that the municipality has prepared the information yet for us to make a decision on this,” Greene said.
Councillor LeBlanc responded that it’s not always easy to arrange to get access to church-run facilities and that churches are not always the best places for municipal events such as bingo nights.
“It would be nice to be able to see an active building where we can actually host events,” LeBlanc said later.
Ward 3 Councillor Tori Weldon
Councillor Tori Weldon, who represents Ward 3 in Sackville with multiple town facilities including the Civic Centre and Bill Johnstone Park, expressed concern that LeBlanc’s motion directed staff “to recognize the development of a community building within Ward 4 as a strategic priority and incorporate it into the municipality’s strategic recreation and long-term capital planning.”
“It’s just a language thing,” Weldon said, adding that it would be better to direct staff “to look into” a community building in Ward 4 “as opposed to telling them to definitely do it.”
Councillor LeBlanc agreed to modify her motion so that it would say that any action would be “subject to staff findings and council discretion.”
Councillor Haidee Robertson, who also represents Sackville, wondered if LeBlanc had looked into rental facilities, such as the Music Barn, that already exist in Ward 4.
“I think they also appreciate any sort of income they can get from rentals,” Robertson said, adding that staff could investigate the cost of renting existing facilities.
“I’m not quite sure how much it would cost to rent the Music Barn for an occasion, but it’s worth looking into,” LeBlanc said.
More agreeable colleagues
Councillor Allison Butcher and Deputy Mayor Josh Goguen, who also represent Sackville, welcomed LeBlanc’s motion.
Ward 3 Councillor Allison Butcher
“One of the challenges we have as a municipality of Tantramar is that we’ve doubled in population since amalgamation, but we have become 10 times bigger,” Butcher said.
“I think that moving forward, as we go, we need to do an inventory of each ward and make sure that we have spaces and places for the members of the communities that live in those smaller communities within our larger community,” she added.
“I think that’s part of how we become a community all together, which we’re all working forward towards now.”
“I see where the value is in bringing community spaces in different areas,” said Deputy Mayor Josh Goguen.
“It definitely would be nice to see something out in that area,” he added. “I’m happy to support this.”
Councillor LeBlanc’s amended motion directing staff to investigate the possibilities for a community building in her ward passed by a vote of 6 to 3.
Ayes: Mayor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, Deputy Mayor Josh Goguen, Councillors Allison Butcher, Tori Weldon, Kristen LeBlanc, Wayne Wells.
Nays: Councillors Haidee Robertson, Barry Hicks, Alyssa Greene.
2026-10-22 – OPEN LETTER TO COUNCIL – regarding potential event venues in Ward 4.
At the last Council meeting, there was discussion about building a new event facility in Ward 4. Mention was made of 4 existing facilities currently in Ward 4, which for various reasons were deemed unsuitable for community events. They included the Upper Sackville Music Barn, Mount View Church Hall, the Midgic Church, and the Middle Sackville Church. It was suggested that churches should only be used for church purposes, and it was inferred that gaining access to those facilities was difficult to arrange.
There is another facility located in Ward 4 which was omitted. The historic Upper Sackville Church and Hall, built in 1883, located near the intersection of Pond Shore Rd and Mount View Rd, is used on a fairly regular basis for church and non-church functions, including being the regular meeting place for a local group of ‘witches’.
I personally have made use of that facility 3 times over the past year. In October 2025 we held a reunion for students of the former Upper Sackville School, which included displays and a pot-luck lunch. This past March we organized a book launch celebrating the History of Upper Sackville, including guest speakers from Mount Allison University and Tantramar Heritage Trust, and in August we utilized the facility again as a pickup depot for copies of the second printing of the Upper Sackville book.
The Upper Sackville Church Hall will accommodate medium sized groups, and the sanctuary will seat many more. Amenities include a full kitchen, washroom, and modern sound system. Inquiries and arrangements are easily made by contacting several of the church members, or through the Sackville United Church.
Regarding the other facilities mentioned at the meeting, the Middle Sackville Baptist Church is located on the border between Wards 3 and 4. Their facilities include a substantial vestry and several smaller meeting rooms, plus a large multi-purpose gymnasium.
The vestry and gym, and at least one of the smaller meeting rooms, are regularly rented out for various club meetings, wedding receptions, birthday parties, family reunions, duplicate Bridge games, a quilting group, a weekly art group, election campaign events, polling station for elections, and much more.
Their rental fees are reasonable, they have modern kitchen facilities, multiple washrooms, and everything is meticulously maintained. The Church office is staffed full-time during the week, so it is very easy to obtain information about availability and rental rates, either by phone or by email.
It seems clear, from current usage patterns, that churches are regularly used for non-church activities.
Another possible venue in Ward 4 is the Atlantic Wildlife Institute in Cookville. It has a large building called the Wildlife Learning Centre, where they host information and training sessions for groups of students etc. The building has kitchen and washroom facilities, and could potentially provide another venue for community events. Their contact information is readily available on their website.
There is one more potential venue to consider, near the border between Wards 3 and 4. On Church St, near the Campbell Carriage Factory Museum, there is a large red barn which was recently purchased by a young entrepreneur who plans to convert it into a venue for public gatherings. While still in the early stages, it should be included as part of an overall study of potential venues.
One important question to consider is whether the local citizens would agree to have their tax dollars spent on building a new facility which would in effect be direct competition for existing locations trying to earn enough from rental income to help maintain their premises.
Respectfully submitted for information purposes,
Sharon Hicks
Duly noted Sharon Hicks… a lovely old church in our region.. worth preserving.. and worth using for gatherings… Upper Sackville United Church | Heritage Guide
heritageguide.ca/upper-sackville-united-church-sackville-new-brunswick