Why Was Saint John Not Included In Amalgamations, MLA Asks

A Liberal MLA is questioning why Saint John did not see any restructuring as part of the province’s local governance reforms.

The reforms will see the number of local government entities in the province slashed from 340 to 90.

Several municipalities will be merged into larger local governments while other communities will be expanded to include parts of surrounding local services districts.

But a number of municipalities — including Saint John, Quispamsis and Rothesay — will not see any changes to their boundaries.

“The minister of municipal reform forced amalgamation everywhere else in the province and it was Saint John that needed it the most,” said local governance critic Keith Chiasson during question period on Thursday.

Chiasson, who represents Tracadie-Sheila, said the city is challenged to provide services over such a large geographic area, and the premier had a chance to fix that through the reform.

“The communities of Quispamsis and Rothesay are closely tied to Saint John and many community members work in the city and use its facilities,” he said. “There would be tremendous opportunities for efficiencies and a new amalgamated community would be a sustainable one.”

Chiasson said bringing the communities together as one would also address the city’s fiscal challenges.

Premier Blaine Higgs pointed to the collaboration that’s been done in Greater Saint John in recent years.

That includes the creation of a new regional economic development agency, Envision Saint John, which the province committed up to $10 million toward.

“That’s just a springboard of what we’re going to see going forward where we have all aspects of what goes on in that region being supported by the outlying areas, but doing so in a cooperative, listening format where we recognize the very hands that feed us in the Saint John region are supported by the outlying communities in a willing and participatory way where they also have a voice in there,” said Higgs.