• New Brunswick’s surplus power sales to U.S. could close Irving Paper, firm warns

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-30 15:32:23.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Industry, Economy, Governance]

  J.D. Irving Ltd. executive Mark Mosher warned that a policy change by New Brunswick's Crown-owned electric utility, NB Power, could force the closure of the Irving Paper mill and increase operational costs by an estimated $10 million annually. The policy shift allows NB Power to sell its excess surplus electricity to out-of-province and U.S. buyers at market rates first, forcing in-province industrial clients to rely on more expensive excess power. Energy Minister Rene Legacy stated that the provincial Liberal government will not intervene or reverse the regulatory decision, leaving the matter to be reviewed through an application submitted by J.D. Irving Ltd. to the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board.

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• New Brunswick introduces legislation to crack down on copper wire theft

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-28 15:32:10.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Public Safety, Justice, Infrastructure, Governance]

  Premier Susan Holt’s Liberal government in New Brunswick has introduced legislation to amend the Salvage Dealers Licensing Act aimed at cracking down on copper wire theft. The proposed changes restrict the sale of copper wire exclusively to licensed salvage dealers and individuals lawfully entitled to possess and dispose of it. Sellers are now required to provide photo identification, and a mandatory 48-hour buffer on payments has been established. The provincial government acted in response to rising incidents reported by telecommunications and electricity companies regarding infrastructure thefts causing service outages.

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• Health care, affordability and the economy are the priorities in N.B. throne speech

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-20 16:31:56.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Healthcare, Affordability, Economy, Housing, Governance]

  The New Brunswick government's throne speech, read by Lt.-Gov. Louise Imbeault in Fredericton, outlines priorities centered on health care, affordability, and economic growth for the coming year. Premier Susan Holt's government announced that the opening of 30 new collaborative care clinics is ahead of schedule for completion by the end of 2027, alongside plans to name a mental health advocate and launch a health and long-term care workforce strategy. Additionally, the province is creating a trade diversification plan to target high-potential export markets outside the United States and is committing increased funding toward new housing infrastructure.

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• Daniel Allain new leader of New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservatives

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-17 21:10:45.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Governance]

  Daniel Allain has been elected as the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick during a leadership convention in Fredericton, capturing more than half of the party votes. Allain, who previously served as a Cabinet minister and a Dieppe city councillor, defeated the only other candidate, Don Monahan. Because Allain does not currently hold a seat in the provincial legislature, the Progressive Conservatives have been led by interim leader Glen Savoie since former premier Blaine Higgs stepped down following the party's defeat in the 2024 provincial election.

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• N.B. public advocate pitches non-profit co-ordination unit to fix social services

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-06 16:39:34.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Social Services, Governance]

  New Brunswick public advocate Kelly Lamrock has released a 50-page report proposing the establishment of a Non-Profit Opportunities Unit to bridge gaps between provincial social services and non-governmental organizations. The proposed unit aims to streamline grant applications, shift the Department of Social Development away from a rigid rules-based approach, and track human quality-of-life outcomes rather than checklist compliance. Additionally, the framework introduces social entrepreneurship contracts designed to achieve government cost savings through preventative investments in at-risk populations, such as youth recovery and addiction programs.

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• N.B. government lacks evidence collaborative-care clinics reach those in need: report

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-29 19:09:36.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Healthcare, Governance]

  An audit conducted by New Brunswick Auditor General Paul Martin revealed that the provincial Department of Health lacks evidence to show whether its collaborative-care clinics are effectively reaching patients in areas of highest need. The audit examined 14 clinics announced between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, finding that the government did not conduct a provincial community needs assessment prior to expansion, and that primary care wait-list data was inaccurate and unreliable. Despite these oversight gaps and the inability to determine if the clinics reduced the provincial wait-list, Premier Susan Holt's government opened its 19th collaborative-care clinic in Moncton as part of a commitment to establish at least 30 teams across the province by 2028.

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• Time to end the time change? P.E.I.'s premier wants to hear your thoughts about it

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-28 09:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Governance, Transportation]

  Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz has initiated discussions with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick counterparts regarding the potential elimination of the biannual time change, conditioned on a unified tri-provincial approach across the Maritimes. The provincial government intends to survey residents to gauge public opinion following a decision by Canada's western provinces and territories to adopt permanent daylight time. Stakeholders, including the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation, have raised safety concerns regarding potential darker morning school bus pick-up times under permanent daylight time models.

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• Could a single Maritime power grid make electricity more reliable?

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-27 09:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Energy, Infrastructure, Governance]

  The premiers of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding in July to explore a regional road map for electricity transmission and the creation of a Maritime-wide Independent System Operator (ISO). The proposed non-profit entity would operate at arm's length from provincial governments and private utilities such as Nova Scotia Power, N.B. Power, and Maritime Electric to optimize cross-border resource sharing, renewable energy integration, and grid reliability by 2050. This regional cooperation follows Nova Scotia's establishment of its own provincial ISO last year and is supported by federal funding initiatives aimed at constructing new underwater transmission cables between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

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• Official languages commissioner to intervene in N.B. French courthouse closure case

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-21 20:49:18.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Justice, Governance]

  New Brunswick Official Languages Commissioner Kelly Burke is intervening in an ongoing Supreme Court of Canada case regarding the provincial government's 2022 reorganization of court services in the Bathurst region. The restructuring involved closing the Caraquet courthouse and designating the Tracadie courthouse as a satellite court, a decision challenged by a group of Acadian Peninsula mayors over language rights infringements. Burke stated her intervention aims to safeguard official language minority communities and influence broader language rights jurisprudence across Canada.

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• New Brunswick tries new approach after disappointing results under 10-year education plan

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-15 21:48:03.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Education, Governance, Social Services]

  The Government of New Brunswick, under Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Claire Johnson, has launched a new long-term education strategy aimed at reversing declining student performance following a decade of failing outcomes. Recent 2025 testing data showed New Brunswick ranking last among Canadian provinces in reading, math, and science, with performance dropping roughly 35 points below the national average, alongside an Auditor General report showing missed literacy targets from 2022 to 2025. The new plan introduces three-year review cycles with annual targets focused on foundational literacy and numeracy, student well-being, nutritional support through subsidized breakfast and lunch programs, and a provincial cellphone ban in classrooms.

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• New Brunswick lawmaker Megan Mitton announces bid to lead provincial Green Party

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-09 15:16:18.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Governance]

  New Brunswick Green Party legislator Megan Mitton has announced her candidacy to lead the provincial opposition party following the resignation of former leader David Coon. Mitton, a three-term member of the legislature, has submitted her application to the party's leadership race committee ahead of the September 12 application deadline. She currently stands as the only registered candidate to step forward for the leadership contest.

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• N.B. and N.S. gaming Crown corps fined for lax money laundering reports

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-03 15:54:15.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, National, Public Safety, Finance, Governance]

  The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (Fintrac) has fined the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation nearly $400,000 and the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation almost $232,000 for failing to submit suspicious transaction reports regarding potential money laundering or terrorist activity financing. Fintrac's acting director and CEO Stéphane Sirard noted that both organizations failed in their legal obligations under federal anti-money laundering frameworks. Additionally, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation was cited for failing to develop up-to-date written compliance policies and failing to document the specific risks of money laundering or terrorist activity financing offenses.

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