Trail in Pointe-du-Chene causing dust up

Some Point-du-Chêne residents are raising concerns over a new trail that connects Shediac to Parlee Beach, saying they were not properly consulted before the work began.

The biking and walking trail is being built on private property. The land administrator says the trail has the required environmental permits, but neighbours are still skeptical.

"I do not want it. I do not like it ... It's an environment issue right now and I'm not for it and I never will be," said Linda Holmstrom-Martin, who has been living in Pointe-du-Chêne for forty years.

It's an environment issue right now and I'm not for it and I never will be.- Linda Holmstrom-Martin, 40-year Pointe-du-Chêne resident

Arthur Melanson also lives in the neighbourhood, he says he's concerned about runoff into an estuary beside the trail, but he says his biggest concern is flooding.

"The fact that they're going to have to put in some fill in, and the fill in is going to stop the storm surge from going in the particular area that it's now going into," said Melanson. "It'll end up going where the homes are, causing flooding to the people that are there."

Land owned by church

The trail is being built on land owned by the Anglican Parish of Shediac. The parish held a public meeting about the trail on October 6th. Melanson and Holmstrom-Martin were both there. 

"When we were at the meeting it was not to ask questions or anything, it was to tell us what they were going to be doing," said Melanson.  

Bill Murray, the parish's land administrator was at the meeting, and he says the project has the proper permits from the Department of Environment.

Murray is deferring all other comments to Jim Scott, a landscape architect with Trace Planning and Design in Moncton.

Trace has been hired by the parish to design and build the trail. CBC requested an interview with Scott, but he did not respond.

Shediac's mayor, Jacques LeBlanc, says the town was consulted and members of council were at the meeting. He says there are no issues with the trail at this point.

"This is on private property, so they can do whatever they want," said LeBlanc.

Linda Holmstrom-Martin says there is an existing trail metres away from the new one.

She says she thinks the old trail will be put out of use and make room for a controversial mega-campground partly owned by Liberal MLA Victor Boudreau.

Holmstrom-Martin says the changes are coming too fast ahead of the campground project. 

"They're not really telling anything us anything right now,"