Fredericton councillors vote to buy former home of Clinic 554

The property that once housed the Morgentaler Clinic and then Clinic 554 will be acquired by the City of Fredericton next month. 

Councillors voted Monday evening in favour of a motion to purchase 554 Brunswick Street from 722336 N.B. Inc. for $475,000. The sale will close Feb. 28.

Deputy Mayor Jocelyn Pike said the reasoning for buying the building was simple: it was for sale. 

"It's in a part of the city that's developing rapidly … we routinely buy properties all of the time and it was a good deal," said Pike.  

The property at 554 Brunswick Street is in the city's downtown core near the justice building, performing arts centre and George Street Middle School. It was listed for sale in the fall of 2024 with an asking price of $574,900. 

The building has been at the centre of the fight for abortion access in New Brunswick for nearly 30 years. 

It first housed the Morgentaler Clinic, which opened in 1994 to provide surgical abortions. In 2015, it was reopened as Clinic 554. 

That clinic faced years of financial pressure incurred from providing pro bono abortion procedures to women who couldn't afford to pay for them out of pocket. The clinic officially closed last year.  

Pike said there aren't any plans for the building yet. 

"We'll see how the area develops, but that area is going to develop rapidly over the next four or five years so with us holding that property … it's going to be good for us," she said.

Pike said the building might be used for municipal office space as city staff are "outgrowing city hall." 

When asked if the city will be taking into consideration that this building once housed Clinic 554, she said "not at all," and that it would be up to the provincial government to open a clinic in the city.