• About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
The Brief
NB MEDIA CO-OP
Share a story
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Videos
  • NB debrief
  • Articles en français
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Videos
  • NB debrief
  • Articles en français
No Result
View All Result
NB MEDIA CO-OP
No Result
View All Result
Home New Brunswick

Moncton High court case goes ahead, Province admits it is wrong to impose school locations on municipalities

by Moncton Free Press Staff
June 27, 2012
Reading Time: 2min read
alisonmenard

alisonmenardMoncton – The backroom deal voted on by Moncton city council Monday afternoon demonstrates that even the Alward government itself believes that it is wrong to arbitrarily impose school locations on municipalities, as has been the case with the relocation of Moncton High School. Those decisions leave municipalities having to cover short and long term expenses that leave the province off the hook for the true costs of its decisions.

According to details provided at the council meeting, the province has promised the city that it will amend what it believes is an exemption from having to follow municipal zoning laws and follow the city’s municipal plan. The question of the legality of this behavior is core to the lawsuit that has been filed against the province over the relocation of Moncton High School.

“The province is essentially saying: We know it’s wrong – let us do it one more time, and then we’ll stop,” says Alison Ménard, the lawyer representing the Moncton-area citizens participating in the case. “But it is not up to the province or city council to determine whether this is legal. It is up to the courts. Our case will show that, because the proposed location lacks proper zoning and it is contrary to the municipal plan, the province is acting in violation of the Community Planning Act.”

The majority of the councillors at Monday’s vote again expressed dissatisfaction with the school location, with three voting against the deal. Most who explained their votes in favour of the province’s offer said they were concerned that the province would go ahead and build anyway, leaving the city to cover all infrastructure costs.

“Some councillors are evidently more concerned about covering the short term infrastructure costs than building a strong community for the future,” says Mark LeBlanc, one of the citizens participating in the lawsuit. “Chasing after money to help pay for infrastructure the city would not need without the school relocation is the definition of false economy. And it certainly does not change any of the negative impacts that relocating the school will have.”

Ménard expects to have a court date set by the Court of Queen’s Bench soon, and notes that if the court finds in her clients’ favour then the province will be forced to halt all work on the proposed school relocation.

“The Alward government claims to be the party of fiscal responsibility, yet we are now in a situation where they are trying to bribe us with our own money,” says LeBlanc of the offer to the city of Moncton. “But the real costs are going to be felt by generations of area families and taxpayers, if we are forced to deal with this terrible decision. It is the families and young people of the Moncton area, today and in the future, who are ultimately going to suffer if this relocation goes through.”

This article was originally published in the Moncton Free Press.

ShareTweetSend

Related Posts

New Brunswick

Past time to stop platforming the Fraser Institute. Canada can afford public health care.

August 15, 2022

Telegraph-Journal readers would be forgiven if they read last week’s paper and thought that public health care is unsustainable, costing...

Has the Sisson mine tanked?
Environment

Has the Sisson mine tanked?

August 15, 2022

A proposal to build an open-pit tungsten and molybdenum mine at Sisson Brook in the Upper Nashwaak Watershed has been...

Let’s get real about energy security, local gas supply, and energy transition
New Brunswick

Let’s get real about energy security, local gas supply, and energy transition

August 10, 2022

Premier Blaine Higgs is pushing a private-sector company, Repsol, to convert its Saint John LNG (liquefied natural gas) import terminal...

Irving’s appointment to head of Postmedia board not welcome news, says prof
Media

Irving’s appointment to head of Postmedia board not welcome news, says prof

August 9, 2022

Reports that the Irvings had given up their New Brunswick newspaper empire have suddenly proven premature with the appointment of...

Load More

Recommended

Past time to stop platforming the Fraser Institute. Canada can afford public health care.

3 hours ago
Has the Sisson mine tanked?

Has the Sisson mine tanked?

9 hours ago
Wolastoqiyik women stop smallmouth bass poisoning in Miramichi Lake for now [updated]

Letter: Use of poison in Miramichi Lake and watershed a ‘tremendous waste of time and money’

6 days ago
Let’s get real about energy security, local gas supply, and energy transition

Let’s get real about energy security, local gas supply, and energy transition

6 days ago
NB Media Co-op

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • Calendar
  • Archives

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • COVID-19
  • Videos
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Arts & Culture
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Politics
  • Rural

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In