Fredericton drafts wish list for next provincial government ahead of fall election

As New Brunswick's political parties gear up for an election this fall, the City of Fredericton is making it known which issues it wants help with from the next provincial government.

Councillors voted Monday night to write to the leaders of the province's political parties outlining the city's priorities — including money for a new pool and more affordable housing — and inviting the leaders to present their positions publicly at city hall.

"We are asking the provincial parties to send representatives to come and speak to council and the reason for that is a lot of our wishes or desires or wants are aligned," said Deputy Mayor Jocelyn Pike, who was filling in Monday for Mayor Kate Rogers.

"So we can't do a lot on our own without the help of the province. Like for example, homelessness. It's a two-prong process, so we need help from the province."

New Brunswickers are set to head to the polls no later than Oct. 21 for an election, six years after the Progressive Conservatives under Blaine Higgs first took office.

Following a redrawing of the electoral boundaries map, this year's election will see contests for a total of five ridings that include voters living within Fredericton city limits.

New swimming pool

Fredericton's swimming community has for years asked the city to build a new competitive swimming pool that would replace the aging Sir Max Aitken Pool at the University of New Brunswick.

So far, the province has chipped in $423,405 of $1.2 million aimed at putting together preliminary designs for the pool.

However, no further funding commitments from either the province or Ottawa have been announced for the project, which could cost an estimated $40 million.

"We want a pool for our residents," Pike said. "We need help, we need the province or we need someone to step up and help us with that asset."

Affordable housing

Homelessness and the need for affordable housing have worsened in Fredericton in recent years and pushed the city to take action aimed at getting more housing built.

The city recently received $10 million through Ottawa's Housing Accelerator Fund, but Pike said Fredericton could still benefit from more provincial help to build more homes.

"The province has a role to play as well in subsidized housing," she said.

"So we need to see them, you know, move that program along a lot further."

Another priority is to see a new school built as part of the redevelopment of the New Brunswick Exhibition Grounds, which Pike described as a "huge opportunity" to have affordable housing downtown.

A Fredericton staff report about the letter to political parties also mentions the city's desire for support building a new field house, and with the transition of its buildings and vehicle fleet to greener alternatives.

Pike said no one party seems particularly aligned with Fredericton's priorities, adding the city wants to give each of them "an equal opportunity" to address councillors.

"We haven't really engaged with any party per se a lot, other than the party that's in power," she said.

"So that's why we wanted to invite them and talk to everybody, and hear what everyone had to say."