Saint John’s Mayor On State Of The Province

The mayor of Saint John says the State of the Province address earlier this week included a number of positives for the region.

Premier Blaine Higgs announced $20 million for Saint John-based ARC Clean Energy to help develop small modular reactors (SMRs).

Mayor Don Darling described the multimillion-dollar investment as good news for the Port City and the entire region.

“That means more jobs, more investment, more innovation and tremendous potential here not only Saint John but all of New Brunswick for an impact across the globe,” said Darling.

ARC Clean Energy, formerly known as ARC Nuclear, is part of the province’s nuclear research cluster which is working on research and development of SMRs.

The province’s long-term vision is to build a commercial demonstration SMR plant at Point Lepreau, which it says would create thousands of construction jobs.

Meanwhile, Darling said he was waiting with baited breath for details about the province’s plans for municipal reform in the speech.

While the topic was only touched on briefly, the mayor said he knows the issue is a top priority for the Higgs government.

“The premier has made firm commitments on municipal reforms, namely taxation reform and regional equitable cost-sharing,” said Darling. “I think what we’re seeing is this premier and his government keep their word.”

The province launched the local governance reform process in January, which is expected to take place over the coming months.

Darling said municipal reform will unlock the potential of Greater Saint John, which plays a vital role in the province’s sustainability.

“That’s what I was looking for, full stop. That’s what’s most important,” he said. “Certainly the premier did recognize we are concerned about some of the impacts on small business, on businesses of all sizes, economic recovery through COVID, but also some of the impacts on things like affordable housing and affordability.

Higgs announced a 90-day review of the province’s rental situation, which includes evaluating the market, vacancy rates, rental fees and trends, along with the overall impact of COVID-19.

“I think there’s a lot of people that were pleased to hear that, we just need to find balanced solutions as we move forward,” said Darling.