{"id":18337,"date":"2021-11-26T12:04:07","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T16:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/?p=18337"},"modified":"2021-11-26T12:08:23","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T16:08:23","slug":"were-all-in-this-together-now-dorchester-mayor-on-proposed-amalgamation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/were-all-in-this-together-now-dorchester-mayor-on-proposed-amalgamation\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWe’re all in this together now\u201d: Dorchester mayor on proposed amalgamation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Debbie Wiggins-Colwell speaking at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Dorchester, November 11, 2021. Photo: Karen Crawford<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dorchester mayor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell is not all that worried about loss of identity for her community of Dorchester in the wake of proposed amalgamation with neighbouring Sackville, Point de Bute and surrounding areas. But she does have other concerns, mostly about unknowns in the process that is slated to begin in the new year, after local government minister Daniel Allain gets his proposed plan <\/a>through the provincial legislature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wiggins-Colwell says she was expecting big changes from the local governance reform plan, but the merger of Sackville and Dorchester surprised her. \u201cWe thought maybe some local service district would be included, but then all of a sudden here we are\u2014Dorchester, Sackville and Point de Bute. We’re all in this together now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dorchester village council met on Tuesday night to discuss the alamagamation announcement, and concerns were expressed about community identity and the future of the local fire department. \u201cUntil we get our transition team in at the first of the year, we don’t know how this is going to look,\u201d says Wiggins-Colwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newly elected in May of this year, Wiggins-Colwell\u2019s mayoral term will be cut short by the amalgamation, along with the rest of Dorchester and Sackville councils. She says she is interested in running again to represent Dorchester. \u201cI will certainly seek a seat on the new council, however it will work,\u201d says Wiggins-Colwell. She is expecting some sort of ward system to be incorporated into the new council, to replace the at-large representatives now in place in Dorchester and Sackville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The structure of the new council will be determined by a transition team appointment by the provincial government, who will be mandated to consult with current councils and staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wiggins-Colwell says the makeup of the new council is important for Dorchester. \u201cWe have to have good representation,\u201d she says. \u201cWhether it would be one person or two people, we\u2019re not sure how that’s going to look.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parts of the plan, such as the increased role of the Southeast Regional Service Commission, could have advantages for the region, says Wiggins-Colwell. She mentions the potential of collaborating on tourism development along route 106 in particular. \u201cI can see that being a plus for our communities,\u201d says Wiggins-Colwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the big unknowns in the plan announced so far is the future of the now separate fire departments in Dorchester, Sackville and Point de Bute, all of which are managed through separate budgets. The provincial reform plan says very little about the future of those fire departments specifically, though it does describe the creation of a public safety committee at the regional service commission level, tasked to \u201cencourage further collaboration on specialized services and asset management.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Southeast Regional Service Commission covers a wide territory with Moncton at the centre, and circling around to Cape Tormentine, Shediac, Peticodiac, and Alma. At the last meeting of the commission, 15 mayors attended, as well as representatives from four of 24 local service districts. After amalgamation, there will be 12 municipalities and one rural district represented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan says that while there were suggestions for fire protection to fall under the control of regional service commissions, \u201cthe provincial government has determined it is not the time for this level of change without the various fire services being involved in such an initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while Sackville, Dorchester and Point de Bute fire department won\u2019t be taken over by the Southeast Regional Service Commission, they will move to being operated by one municipal entity instead of three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suspect there will be some restructuring,\u201d says Wiggins-Colwell, and that is concerning for her. \u201cOur fire department is a super-dedicated group of men and women, so inclusive. They\u2019ve been at the heart and soul of our community for many, many years. And they all get along so well. I just worry about how that’s going to evolve, how that’s going to change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of naming the new municipality, Wiggins-Colwell \u201cTantramar Regional\u201d as a viable option. She is confident that the distinct names of the existing communities will persevere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll still always be Dorchester, we\u2019ll still always be Sackville, Point de Bute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn Dorchester we’re very proud of our heritage. We’re a small village, but a very active village, and we don’t want to lose that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sackville, Dorchester and surrounding LSDs to form “entity 40”<\/a><\/blockquote>