News from Groups

MONCTON, APRIL10, 2011 – One year after the opening of the causeway gates on April 14,
2010, the federal government still has to confirm its intentions in regards to the Petitcodiac River
Restoration Project. In the context of the federal elections, Petitcodiac Riverkeeper sent a
questionnaire to each regional candidate to know their positions.

The Petitcodiac River causeway was declared illegal in March 2001 by former federal Minister
of Fisheries and Oceans, Herb Dhaliwal, following the tabling of the Niles Report. This
triggered a comprehensive joint federal-provincial environmental impact assessment in 2002,
completed in 2006, which recommended the construction of a partial bridge to restore the river’s
ecosystem and allow fish passage to comply with the Federal Fisheries Act. The federalprovincial
agreement of 2002 stipulated that the federal and provincial governments would share
the costs of the Petitcodiac River Restoration Project equally.

“The Petitcodiac River Restoration Project, valued at approximately $70 million in total, was
initiated in July 2008 and comprises of three phases: the last phase, the construction of a partial
bridge, should normally be completed in 2013 or 2014. Our federal representatives’ must
commit to do their share” insists Marco Morency, the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper.

The organisation sent the short questionnaire to all candidates of riding covering the Petitcodiac
watershed. The results will be released publicly in the coming weeks. In the last
elections, almost all applicants argued that the federal government should contribute at least 50%
towards the cost of the restoration project.