Last month, I had the opportunity to meet with many constituents in Cape Tormentine and Dorchester to discuss many of the key issues facing our region.
Transportation and Infrastructure
A main concern discussed during the town hall meetings was the poor maintenance of infrastructure in this region, particularly Route 955. The safety concerns of these roads, and the impact that the poor maintenance is having on local businesses and the community at large is unacceptable. Advocating for the upkeep of our rural roads is a key part of my work, and I want to reiterate what I have said in the Legislature: the failure to maintain these roads is unacceptable, and needs to change. Minister Chiasson has said that repairs to Route 955 are in The Road Ahead Plan for the 2026/2027 fiscal year but I am still pushing for work to be done in 2025.
Some people were wondering ways to make their voices heard: transportnb@gnb.ca or call 1-833-384-4111. A ticket is created for every complaint and is supposed to be followed up in 3-5 business days (weather depending). If you want to reach out to the Minister directly:
- Minister Chuck Chiasson: Chuck.Chiasson@gnb.ca
- Deputy Minister Kelly Cain: Kelly.Cain@gnb.ca
The Wheaton Covered Bridge was another topic of discussion. I have been actively working on finding a solution that will allow people to cross the river, especially farmers, locals and emergency responders, and preserve the heritage of the bridge. I have been listening to local stakeholders to hear their input on what needs to happen and met with the Minister of DTI, Chuck Chiasson this month to work on moving this forward.
Healthcare
Access to healthcare continues to be a top priority for me and for our community. Currently, the Tantramar Primary Healthcare clinic serves 1,650 patients. Recently, Premier Susan Holt was in Tantramar to share an update that Horizon intends to add 1,000 patients to our primary care clinic by the end of 2025. They also committed to connecting everyone on the waitlist in the Tantramar region to this clinic by April 2026. This is the commitment we need to help solve this healthcare crisis, but these are big promises. As I told Premier Holt, I will hold them to this promise, because everyone in our community must have access to primary healthcare.
Thank you to all of the community members who have stood up for our community on this front, including everyone who has worked with the Rural Health Action Group, the staff at Horizon and the clinic staff, for making this clinic a reality since 2023, that is finally ready to take on more and more patients.
In addition to the need to expand access to primary care for everyone in our community, I continue to push for our ER to return to 24/7 service.
Of course, discussions about healthcare would be incomplete if I didn’t acknowledge the neurodegenerative disease of unknown cause. I have been an outspoken advocate for the need for further research, with a role for the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR).