{"id":20428,"date":"2022-03-02T10:12:49","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T14:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/?p=20428"},"modified":"2022-03-02T13:50:21","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T17:50:21","slug":"residents-call-for-consultation-on-amalgamation-second-protest-planned-for-wednesday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/residents-call-for-consultation-on-amalgamation-second-protest-planned-for-wednesday\/","title":{"rendered":"Residents call for consultation on amalgamation, second protest planned for Wednesday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Just shy of a dozen Sackville residents gathered to call for more consultation on amalgamation Tuesday. A second protest is planned for Wednesday. Photo: Erica Butler<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Just shy of a dozen Sackvillians gathered in front of town hall on Tuesday to express their frustration with the amalgamation process that will see the town of Sackville and village of Dorchester dissolved and a new Entity 40 created to take their place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resident Elaine Smith had a clear message she wanted to send to the province. \u201cThe last rally I spoke at was the hospital rally, and I told the province to stop messing with the hospital,\u201d said Smith. \u201cSo I’m telling them the same thing. Stop messing with our town and leave us the way we are right now, or at least give us time to consider the options.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sackville resident Elaine Smith in front of town hall on March 1, 2022.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

More time and opportunity for consultation were common requests from the residents out on Tuesday. Protest organizer Carol Cooke pointed to a sign calling on Premier Higgs to \u201cconsult with the people!\u201d saying she hoped that would be the theme for the protest, which will continue Wednesday at noon at town hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooke said she was \u201cthrilled at the turnout,\u201d for the protest. \u201cI really thought I’d be wandering around by myself. But we’ve got people here who’ve supported the hospital and done so much for this town, and they really care,\u201d said Cooke. \u201cAnd I’m hoping and thinking there’ll be more people tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Protest organizer Carol Cooke (right) and her partner Michael Cumming in front of town hall on March 1, 2022.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Resident Sabine Bessier said she\u2019s hoping Minister Daniel Allain will consider a pause in the process to make room for conversations and education. \u201cIt just seems very rushed, very sudden, not really involving people in discussions that perhaps should be happening,\u201d said Bessier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere would be so much to gain from having community input,\u201d said Jeska Grue, who also has concerns about representation on the new council. \u201cPopulation wise, where you have 50% representation for 68% of the municipality,\u201d said Grue. \u201cI don’t know how that’s really going to function in the long term. People go underrepresented.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hear voices from the protest here:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister Daniel Allain was interviewed Tuesday morning on CBC Moncton\u2019s Information Morning<\/a>, and he was asked about the need for the rushed process. Allain acknowledged the province\u2019s tight timeline, and told host Jonna Brewer that, \u201cwe want to be poised to make sure that we don’t lose services, because that’s why we’re doing this.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allain also indicated staffing crises in a variety of industries were impacting the decision to move forward quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not clear what services Allain feels are in danger of being lost, and CHMA has reached out to the department of local government for clarification. It\u2019s also not clear how worker shortages impact or will be remedied by the province\u2019s plan to dissolve local governments and establish new entities to take their place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’ve been asking for restructuring for a long time,\u201d Allain told Brewer. \u201cIt’s time to do it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The advisory committee appointed to help design the new council for Entity 40 will meet again on Thursday to finalize boundaries for wards to be used for electing the new council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a meeting last week, a majority of Sackville town councillors expressed their support for leaving the entire former town of Sackville intact, to operate as a single ward that will elect four representatives, but its not clear what decision provincial facilitator Chad Peters on that issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out CHMA’s coverage of local governance reform and amalgamation here:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amalgamation<\/a><\/blockquote>