Economy, relationship strained between Campbellton, N.B. region, neighbouring Quebec communities – Globalnews.ca

Listuguj First Nation and Pointe-à-la-Croix officials on the Quebec side of the Restigouche River are echoing concerns raised by municipal representatives and businesses in the Campbellton, N.B. region about the relationship between the communities separated by a provincial border and the J.C. Van Horne Bridge.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Restigouche Regional Service Commission is calling for a regional “bubble” for residents living in Campbellton, on the Listuguj First Nation and in the community of Pointe-à-la-Croix.

Effectively, if this happened, it would allow people in the region access to each community on opposing sides of the Restigouche River, removing the self-isolation requirement.

Some people living in Listuguj work in Campbellton, and vice-versa, while others access grocery stores, medical appointments and pharmacies in the Campbellton area, says Chief Darcy Gray.

And approximately 120 high school students from the First Nation also attend Sugarloaf Senior High School, he says. That is due to a lack of access to those amenities in the immediate area in Quebec.

While Listuguj residents are allowed to enter New Brunswick for essentials, according to the provincial government, Gray says due to the inconsistencies and challenges at the border, people in his community are going to other Quebec communities including Carleton and Rimouski.

“Rather than deal with any of the anxiety or the questions, or justifying what you need and why and why it’s essential to you? No thanks, we’ll go somewhere else,” he says. “That seems to be the mindset that’s growing.”

“[There are] really interesting dynamics that usually maybe happen between municipalities or towns or subdivisions, but not inter-provincially,” he tells Global News.

“We shop there, we buy our cars there, we get our building supplies… Most commercial activity that we do is on the Campbellton side of the river.”

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Gray says they’re actively pursuing how to grow as a community and become more self-sufficient in that province.

“We’ve actually made that commitment, that decision, to move away from using New Brunswick vendors and start building up relationships with vendors on the Quebec side because it’s just too problematic,” he says.

And those tightened border restrictions as a result of COVID-19 have put a strain on the relationships between the communities — and as a result, the economy, local government officials say.

“Certainly, there’s some hard feelings now, in the community on the other side,” says Brad Mann, who is the local service district chair of the Restigouche Regional Service Commission, representing about a dozen communities in the area.

“That’s natural whenever you take services away from somebody. But I think [the bridge] needs to be opened up before it gets more damaging.”

“With the economy today and the welfare of our people, we can’t afford not to be working together,” he says.

Mann suggests monitoring a regional bubble wouldn’t be overly difficult since the checkpoint is already in place.

“Very easy to do, show their driver’s license, registration from their automobiles,” he says. “[The] checkpoint is already there, so put them in our bubble. That’s where they should’ve been from the get-go.”

The owner of a women’s boutique agrees, saying a regional bubble should’ve been implemented since the start of the pandemic.

“But the problem is bigger now; they’re changing their shopping habits and that’s the thing that will really affect Campbellton,” says Alexa Elias, the owner of LEX Boutique. “They’re getting their shopping done in Amqui and Mont Joli, I’m hearing this a lot.”

Elias is concerned about the impacts the provincial border situation will have on a region that Chief Gray says has come a long way in recent years.

“They have to start repairing their relationships real quick, especially with Listuguj,” Elias says, “because they faced mistreatment when they were coming in for their essentials and people have been making vicious comments.”

“What I want [is] economic change so the city doesn’t die from this pandemic.”

Meanwhile, Pascal Bujold, the mayor of Pointe à la Croix who owns a small business there, says he tabled the regional bubble idea to the New Brunswick government “weeks and weeks now” but hasn’t received a response.

He says he’ll still continue shopping in Restigouche County when permitted, but some people won’t feel the same.

“My citizens tell me it’s going to leave scars. Obviously people are frustrated, they’re hurt, they’re mad,” he says. “On the other side, we have to address the situation.”

He says even if the bridge re-opened soon, there are concerns about another wave of the virus closing it again.

Global News sent an email to New Brunswick’s COVID-19 media communications department Friday morning asking if they received regional bubble requests and if/when that could happen. A response from a provincial spokesperson early Friday evening says they’re working on the request.

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