September to December
Energy debates, budget trade-offs, and community life shaped the final stretch of the year
The final months of 2025 marked a turning point across Tantramar, as issues that emerged earlier in the year deepened, decisions came due, and long-running questions followed the community into fall.
From September through December, CHMA reporting tracked how energy debates intensified, budgets tightened, services were tested, and cultural life continued, all while local journalism itself underwent significant change.
Listen to the story below:
A newsroom in transition
By the end of August, after more than five years reporting for CHMA under the Local Journalism Initiative, Erica Butler chose to move on to a new reporting role.
In October, longtime editor, mentor and CBC award-winning journalist Tori Weldon moved on from CHMA. Shortly after, Katie Tower, formerly of the Sackville Tribune-Post, joined the team as a part-time editor and mentor, helping guide coverage through a period of transition.
In December, CHMA said goodbye to local reporter Lara MacMillan.
By year’s end, local news coverage in Tantramar was being carried forward by a smaller team, working alongside CHMA’s operations staff. Out of that transition came new ways of covering the region, including the launch of a Local Briefs section on the CHMA FM news page aimed at expanding day-to-day coverage.
Summer questions that followed into fall
As fall began, little from the summer had wrapped up neatly. The questions raised in July did not cool off. They followed residents, councillors and organizers straight into September.
Energy questions were still live. Students returned, budgets came into focus, and council meetings shifted from discussion toward decision-making.
Concern intensified over NB Power gas plant
The proposed natural gas power plant in Centre Village continued to dominate public attention through the fall.
In October, representative and ProEnergy Canada president John MacIsaac appeared before Tantramar council to outline technical details and timelines for the project. The appearance marked a shift from broad policy debate to more detailed technical scrutiny.
Through the fall, the Protect the Chignecto Isthmus Coalition (PCIC) hosted multiple public information sessions. CHMA reported from those gatherings, where residents, scientists, policy experts and environmental advocates raised concerns about the plant’s location, emissions profile and long-term implications for the Isthmus and surrounding wetlands.
In December, NB Power spokesperson Brad Coady returned to council to answer extended questions about timelines, jurisdiction and the limits of municipal influence over the project. While council could not approve or reject the facility, meetings remained a focal point for public concern and accountability.
By year’s end, attention was also turning toward upcoming hearings at the Energy and Utilities Board, which will help determine how the project proceeds.
Tight but balanced books for 2026
Fall brought budget season. Council heard public input from more than a dozen community groups as it weighed priorities for the 2026 budget. Director of financial services Michael Beal appeared regularly before council, outlining the realities of a year when the budget would end up half of what municipal staff requested, and explaining that departments were required to prioritize and defer requests to future years.
Council approved a $1.84 million dollar capital budget for 2026, down from the previous year.
Among the decisions made was a $525,000 grant allocation toward the new Dorchester fire hall, a project facing delays and cost pressures beyond its original budget. Also approved was a sidewalk plow to clear Tantramar’s sidewalks, replacing a previous, now irreparable model.
Other approved projects leaned toward everyday infrastructure, including a new boat launch at Lilas Fawcett Park, flooring and mechanical upgrades at the Veterans Civic Centre, improvements to Sackville’s splash pad, and paving work on Woodlawn Road in Dorchester.
Services under pressure
Budget strain was visible in the services residents rely on daily, and the additional revenue, responsibilities and expenses of an amalgamated Tantramar. Water infrastructure demanded attention. Emergency services planning moved forward. Councillors raised concerns about staffing and long-term stability at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre, as well as the outsourcing of essential work to outside contractors.
Budget decisions translated into tax changes that varied across the region, with differing impacts in Sackville, Dorchester, and surrounding local service districts as municipal services expanded. LSDs saw a property tax increase of $.05 per $100 (a $100,000 home would see a property tax increase of $50 for 2026).
Despite a tight budget, council avoided cutting any social services, a point repeated as decisions were finalized.
A University town returns
September brought new energy as thousands of students returned to schools.
CHMA reported on student-led organizations shaping campus life at Mount Allison, with some clubs drawing more than a hundred signups at fall fairs. Later in the fall, the university was again ranked the top undergraduate university in Canada, underscoring a strong campus presence alongside limited student involvement in formal civic governance.
Culture, continuity and adaptation
Throughout the fall, cultural life in the region continued.
Greenslades announced a new season of live music, transforming a historic 1877 home into an intimate concert venue. Levee on the Lake marked its sixth year, evolving from pandemic-era, paddle-up shows into a four-day festival. The Academy of Classical Ballet held its December recital with around 100 students performing.
In the visual arts, Art Across the Marsh launched its 26th season across roughly 20 locations with more than 30 artists, as longtime organizer Rob Lyon stepped back. Port Elgin artists, including Karen MacGregor, exhibited Group of Four-inspired work at the Baie Verte Community Hall. The Sackville Art Association marked 90 years, while the Owens Art Gallery honoured the legacy of Mary McDonald.
The Sackville Film Society marked its 46th year under the leadership of Thaddeus Holownia, and Tidewater Books celebrated 30 years as the only independent bookstore between Fredericton and Halifax.
CHMA also reported on health care stories that unfolded more quietly but mattered deeply to residents. By year’s end, the station had aired the third part of a six-part interview on sexual health, consent and well-being with Mount Allison professor and Psychology Department Head Lisa Dawn Hamilton, with the remaining conversation set to continue in 2026.
A quarter century in
As December closed, the most continual story of the year remains unresolved. The fate of the proposed RIGS Centre Village NB power gas plant had not been decided. Pressures around energy, services and climate persist. Mount Allison upheld its strong reputation. Governance itself, including process, transparency, and trust, remained part of the ongoing conversation. The arts are well and alive in Tantramar, as Struts Gallery works to raise funds to renovate their historic building.
2025 did not end with answers. It ended with momentum.
As Tantramar moves into 2026, the work continues.
Tantramar in 2025: According to CHMA NEWS | PART I
Tantramar in 2025: According to CHMA NEWS | PART II
Tantramar in 2025: According to CHMA NEWS | PART III
Questions, comments, corrections? Email news@chmafm.com. For direct contact, clintondavis@chmafm.com
Clinton Davis is a community journalist and audio producer covering the people, events, and ideas shaping the Tantramar region.
