Southeastern N.B. land that might have become trailer park now protected

A large section of land in Grande-Digue, a small community north of Shediac, might have become a trailer park if not for a provincial conservation group's intervention, according to a local steward.

Instead, the Grande-Digue Nature Preserve will see three new trails added to its network — bringing its total area to about 150 hectares. 

The preserve sits on several plots of private land, according to Jean-Claude Gagnon, president of Sentier Pluriel de Grande-Digue. 

Two years ago, the owner of a property that is "central to all" of the nature preserve trails told him they wanted to sell the land within six months. They gave Gagnon, who runs the volunteer trail-maintenance group, the chance to put in the first bid.

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Jean-Claude Gagnon of Sentier Pluriel de Grande-Digue says the protected area might have become a trailer park if the Nature Trust of New Brunswick hadn’t bought two parcels of land to add to the preserve.

"They were approached also with a person that wanted to develop a trailer park," Gagnon told CBC News. 

"So we approached Nature Trust and said, 'Do we have a good deal for you! But we need to do it quickly.'"

After performing an evaluation of the land's ecological value, the group opted to purchase it — along with another nearby plot.

In a news release, Nature Trust N.B. said the Grande-Digue Nature Preserve is home to threatened species, such as the eastern wood-peewee, a small flycatcher.

The preserve, which opened in March 2023, serves as recreational space for local hikers and cross-country skiers, Gagnon said. 

It's also located in a growing region — just outside of Moncton — which saw the fastest annual growth in 2023 of any census metropolitan area in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. 

Alongside that growth will come a need for more housing, making conservation in the area an urgent priority, said Gagnon.

"Property now — the land is still relatively cheap here. We have large tract of lands, I mean, the property was 150 acres [60.7 hectares], so you don't have to buy from 10 different landowners, much easier," he said. 

"So it's time now ... to protect tracts of lands for the future generation. I can tell you if you wait 10, 15 years, that will not be possible anymore."