NB STORIES

CUPE NB Contract Talks Stall After Province Offers One Per Cent Raise Over Five Years

CUPE Local 1251 criticizes a five-year, one per cent wage offer from New Brunswick negotiators as talks stall and an urgent union summit is called.

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1 month ago

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Province Proposes One Per Cent Raise Over Five Years

An initial contract proposal from the Department of Finance and Treasury Board offered Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1251 a one per cent wage increase spread across five years. Under the terms outlined in a Sept. 12 CUPE NB memo, unionized workers would receive zero pay increases in the first two years, followed by 0.25 per cent in the third, 0.25 per cent in the fourth, and 0.50 per cent in the fifth year.

Talks Disrupted as Union Calls Emergency Summit

Bargaining sessions were scheduled to continue on Tuesday, but CUPE Local 1251 president Chris Curran stated provincial negotiators failed to attend. Curran declined to expand on the circumstances surrounding the absence. In response to the development, CUPE NB has scheduled an urgent provincial bargaining summit for Sept. 28 and 29 to determine next steps and coordinate strategy across its teams.

Union Leadership Expresses Shock Over Initial Offer

CUPE New Brunswick president Iris Lloyd described the presentation of wage zeros as a shock, noting that the former Progressive Conservative administration under Blaine Higgs had not presented initial offers containing zero per cent increases to CUPE employees during its tenure. Curran added that government representatives cited New Brunswick’s current fiscal condition during negotiations. The province projected a $1.66-billion deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year in its August first-quarter update.

Broader Bargaining Context Across the Public Sector

CUPE Local 1251 represents institutional care and public safety staff, including custodial employees, laundry workers, human service counsellors, and correctional staff. Three additional groups—Locals 1418, 1840, and 1190, which encompass social workers, court stenographers, general labor trades, and clinical psychologists—are set to begin bargaining shortly. Previous four-year deals signed with the Holt government provided these locals with a $5-an-hour wage boost over four years. Recently, the province concluded separate agreements with educators and nurses, securing salary increases of 14.5 per cent over five years and 12.5 per cent over four years, respectively.

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NB STORIES

A Conservative Organizer Aims to Launch a New Centre-Right Movement in New Brunswick

A New Brunswick conservative volunteer is working to establish a new centre-right party following Daniel Allain’s PC leadership convention victory.

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16 hours ago

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October 22, 2026

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Organizers Pursue Registration for New Provincial Movement

Efforts are underway to establish a new centre-right political organization called The New Brunswick Party. Organizer Jason Purdy, a longtime conservative volunteer, announced the initiative following the election of Daniel Allain as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.

Elections NB spokesperson Paul Harpelle confirmed staff have answered inquiries regarding a potential new party, though no official registration documents have been submitted yet. Purdy indicated he intends to complete the necessary filings within roughly a month.

Targeting Strategic Byelections and Rural Voters

The movement’s immediate strategy involves running a candidate in an eventual legislative byelection required for Allain to win a seat. Purdy noted that the goal is either to secure the seat outright or split the vote to cause a loss, thereby prompting the Progressive Conservatives to re-evaluate their leadership. He specifically mentioned rural Anglophone voters as a primary focus for support.

Purdy’s proposed platform emphasizes fiscal accountability, responsible government, support for public healthcare alongside private options, legal abortion access, and parental rights in education. He criticized Allain’s platform as socially progressive and overly costly.

Party Leadership Distances Itself From Initiative

Progressive Conservative figures have publicly rejected the proposed breakaway effort. Allain expressed confidence in his party’s position, pointing to over 4,000 members who participated in the recent leadership vote, and stated he is not concerned about losing votes to a new group.

Other prominent party members have similarly maintained their alignment. Don Monahan stated he is 100 per cent committed to the party under Allain’s leadership and declined involvement. Progressive Conservative MLA Kris Austin confirmed Purdy remains a local riding director for now, but noted that Purdy cannot retain a director position on a PC board while building a competing political party.

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NB STORIES

Why Calls for Mandatory Training for New Municipal Leaders Are Growing in New Brunswick

New Brunswick’s Local Governance Commission calls for mandatory training and free legal advice to support municipal leaders and avoid council conflicts.

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4 days ago

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October 19, 2026

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Province Facing Calls for Mandatory Local Governance Training

New Brunswick’s Local Governance Commission has reiterated its demand for mandatory training for local elected officials in its latest annual report. The provincial government previously declined to implement a mandatory system, choosing instead to organize an optional two-day event in Saint John this past June.

The commission warned that the current voluntary approach fails to guarantee equal and consistent access to crucial information for all municipal leaders. It noted that standardized instruction could help prevent conflicts that have historically caused councils to disband or fall under provincial supervision.

Accessibility and Travel Costs Present Barriers for Smaller Communities

Attending in-person sessions poses significant financial and logistical challenges for resource-strapped towns. “We have communities that can’t afford lawn mowers or snow blowers,” said Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick president Brittany Merrifield, “and so it would be a real stretch for them to send an entire council to another municipality to stay for two or three days.”

Scheduling conflicts also kept some local leaders away. Grand Bay-Westfield’s mayor and six councillors were unable to attend the provincial training because it overlapped with their own pre-planned orientation. Merrifield explained, “[The province] booked their training the same weekend… We chose to attend our own because it had already been set up and we’d expended some resources to make sure that it was going to happen.”

Municipalities Seek Direct Legal and Technical Support

Provincial spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane reported that roughly 550 staff members and elected representatives attended the Saint John event. He stated that the department is reviewing the commission’s recommendations, remains open to offering guidance on request, and is scheduling additional training sessions for the fall.

Beyond formal instruction, advisory groups are pushing for free, specialized provincial assistance to interpret complex legislation like the Local Governance Act and the Regional Services Delivery Act. Dan Murphy, executive director of the municipal union, revealed that inquiries from local governments seeking advice rose by approximately 40 per cent over the past year. While experienced colleagues currently offer informal mentoring, Murphy emphasized that officials need direct support “from the people who own the legislation.”

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Why the Surge in Striped Bass Has Miramichi Salmon Anglers Turning to Federal Court

Miramichi salmon anglers are suing the federal government to reopen a commercial striped bass fishery, citing severe Atlantic salmon predatation.

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4 days ago

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October 19, 2026

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Legal Battle Brews Over Miramichi River Ecosystem

A group of five anglers has filed a federal court lawsuit against the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, seeking to force the reopening of a commercial striped bass fishery to protect the Miramichi River’s declining Atlantic salmon. The group, which includes American camp owner Bradford Burns and angler Alex Mills, contends that an overpopulated striped bass stock is destroying the wild salmon population by preying on juvenile smolts during their spring migration to the ocean.

Federal figures show the striped bass population now exceeds 500,000, with some estimates running much higher. In contrast, adult Atlantic salmon returns on the Miramichi fell below 5,000 in 2025. Anglers argue the imbalance began after Ottawa closed the commercial bass fishery in 1996 to address collapsing bass stocks, leading to unchecked growth that has threatened the region’s historical recreational salmon industry.

Disputed Impact on Salmon Declines

DFO scientists maintain that the exact role of striped bass in salmon losses remains unclear, emphasizing that wild salmon returns are dropping globally due to broader environmental factors. DFO biologist Cindy Breau pointed to rising river temperatures caused by climate change, potential shifting ocean food chains, and tracking tags attached to young smolts as potential contributing stresses. Anglers, however, reject these explanations, pointing out that fewer than 10 percent of migrating smolts on the Miramichi reach the ocean, compared to 80 percent in neighboring rivers lacking massive bass populations.

To mitigate the predation, conservation groups including the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Miramichi Salmon Association, and the Mi’kmaw agency Anqotum Resource Management have initiated an emergency project. Teams capture juvenile smolts upriver, tag them, and transport them downriver in tanks by truck past the dense bass concentrations. While biologists involved call it a necessary temporary measure, local outfitters acknowledge it cannot fully solve the larger population imbalance.

Tourism Conflict and Local Pivot

While salmon outfitters and guides face declining business, the boom in striped bass has created a thriving local tourism draw downriver. The annual Miramichi Striper Cup, launched in 2015, draws hundreds of competitive anglers to the city every May. The catch-and-release tournament generates substantial economic activity, though organizers and visiting anglers actively lobby against re-establishing a commercial harvest.

In response to diminishing salmon runs, historic operations along the watershed have been forced to adapt. Karl Wilson, whose family’s sporting camp dates back to 1855, noted that his business has pivoted to offering recreational tubing, corporate retreats, weddings, and bass fishing as salmon numbers remain at critical lows. Meanwhile, members of the House of Commons fisheries committee continue hearings on Atlantic salmon conservation, with regional leaders pressing Ottawa to strike a functional balance between both native species.

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