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Charlotte County

St Stephen Clinic Premier Holt March 30

Holt eyes faster timeline as clinic opening set for 2027

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By Nathalie Sturgeon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The St. Croix Courier

The new collaborative care clinic on King Street in St. Stephen won’t be open to the public until January 2027, despite earlier promises from the Holt government.

Saint Croix Progressive Conservative MLA Kathy Bockus said Horizon Health Network (HHN) president and CEO Margaret Melanson confirmed the timeline to her.

“I’m told by Horizon CEO Margaret Melanson that the first patient day for the new clinic, to be opened at the old Sobeys store, is expected to be in mid-January 2027,” she said in a post on Facebook. “Melanson graciously shared with me the timeline she received from her team. I thank her for the clarity she provided.”

The clinic is currently located on the third floor of the Charlotte County Hospital (CCH) and is limited in space. It began taking patients in February 2024, but has only accepted 310 patients from the list of those without a primary care provider.

It was one of 10 clinics promised to be operating within the first 18 months of the Liberal government’s mandate.

St. Stephen Family Health Team will operate out of 120 King Street.

According to HHN, as cited in Bockus’ post, the offer to lease was signed in December 2025. Architectural work, renderings and floor plans continued in the following weeks.

Finalized floor plans are anticipated to be ready in mid-April. Construction is expected to begin in late June or early July, ending in the fall. The first day for patients would be in January 2027.

In November, Holt said it would have people in the clinic “before the snow melts.”

“We’re looking for those to be rapid renovations,” Holt said during a press conference in November.

Last month during an announcement at the Fundy Health Centre for its collaborative care clinic, she reiterated that her promise was to have people in before the snow melts.

“We’re tracking that closely to make sure that they can get into that space and get new patients added as quickly as possible,” Holt said, speaking with reporters in February.

Inside the space at CCH, Dr. Wael Sabre is continuing to onboard patients successfully, Bockus’ post said.

“An additional practice-ready assessment candidate has been earmarked for St. Stephen,” it said. “Two upcoming physician graduates were hosted on site to meet the care team and members of the town’s physician recruitment committee.”

Bockus’ post said the clinic is operating at capacity and that space constraints remain.

Premier Susan Holt, who was in Saint Andrews Monday to announce Charlotte County’s third collaborative care clinic, said she is still looking for things to be done faster than the timeline presented by HHN.

“I am hoping that we can go more quickly,” she said. “I have said a number of times I’m impatient, and New Brunswickers are impatient, waiting to get access to care.”

She said there are significant physical changes that need to be made to the building, which was a grocery store.

Health Minister Dr. John Dornan said clinicians are already onboarding more patients, but it means they will be working in cramped quarters for a little while.

“We’ll grow much more rapidly in January, but be taking patients long before that,” he said.

St Stephen Light House_Municipal District of St Stephen_Facebook Page

St. Stephen Visitor and Event Guide submissions needed

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The municipal district of St. Stephen is looking for information to include about activities, events, and recommended local destinations for this year’s visitor and event guide.

The booklet will be distributed to Visitor Information Centres across New Brunswick, marking an opportunity to promote local businesses and events to both visitors and locals of St. Stephen.

Local businesses may be listed in one of these categories:

  • Where to eat and drink
  • Where to stay
  • Where to stop

If you have an event scheduled in the community, they may be included as long as they are open to the public, either free or ticketed.

Those interested in adding to the 2026 guide should send information to michelle.martin@chocolatetown.ca by March 15, 2026.

Total eclipse

Total lunar eclipse to put on a show for New Brunswick

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Early Tuesday, March 3, starting at 5:50 a.m., a total lunar eclipse. It will remain visible until roughly 7:00 a.m., when the moon will set before the eclipse reaches totality.

The moon will move into the Earth’s shadow and will turn a beautiful orange colour, which will take roughly three and a half hours. However, according to Gary Boyle, otherwise known as The Backyard Astronomer, the full show will not be seen in the Atlantic region of Canada.

“Anytime there is a total or partial lunar eclipse, half the Earth will see it. Where you are situated determines if you’re going to see part of it or none of it,” said Boyle.

According to the backyard astronomer, people in Africa, for example, will not be able to see this lunar eclipse.

“[Canadians] will get to see some of it from the Atlantic provinces. As you move further west, there’s more and more chance to see the whole eclipse. British Columbia will see the entire show,” he said.

Astronomer Gary Boyle (Submitted: Gary Boyle)

This moon is specially named for March; the Worm Moon. According to Boyle, there is a full moon name given for every month, such as April’s Pink Moon and May’s Flower Moon, which are soon approaching. Full moons occur every 29.5 days.

“A lunar eclipse is very safe to look at. It’s just the full Worm moon for March moving into the earth’s shadow. No sun is involved, so you will not have any kind of eye damage,” explained Boyle.

Boyle says that if anyone plans to photograph the event, to try to get a nice western horizon.

“The moon will be setting eclipsed, and it’ll be dark as it’s setting, and with the atmosphere of the Earth, even darker. So, try to get a good western horizon away from trees or mountains if you want to. It’s just a wonderful event.”

“You are getting up for work and school anyway, so you might as well take a gander at it,” he said.

A lunar eclipse typically occurs twice a year and usually follows a solar eclipse, which occurred back on Feb. 17.

“Two weeks before we have a solar eclipse, which we had back in February, but only the penguins in Antarctica saw that one,” Boyle noted.

The next lunar eclipse will occur on Aug. 27, but it will not be a total lunar eclipse, as it will only be about 96 percent coverage.

snow covers cars parked on road side

Storm closures and cancellations for Charlotte County

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Snowstorms hitting New Brunswick have caused closures and cancellations in the area.

in St. Stephen, the Garcelon Civic Center is closing early today at 5 p.m. and will have a delayed opening tomorrow at 10 a.m. due to the incoming winter storm.

NBCC St. Andrews Campus is closing at 3:00 p.m. today due to inclement weather and poor road conditions.

The W. C. O’Neill Arena Complex in St. Andrews will remain closed for the day due to the weather conditions.

The ferry out of Wallace Cove running to Grand Manan has been suspended due to weather.

New Brunswick RCMP have put out a traffic advisory that travel is not recommended on Route 1 from kilometre marker 1 near St. Stephen to kilometre marker 239 near Petitcodiac East.

The Garcelon Civic Centre and Municipal office is closed tonight and will not reopen until 10 am on Tuesday.

Independent Grocer in St. George closed at 3 p.m. today.

More to come.

Clare Johnson Charlotte County french school Feb 11 2026

No decision on Charlotte County Francophone school location

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By Nathalie Sturgeon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Courier

Education Minister Claire Johnson says the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) is still reviewing where rightsholders are located and what land is available for a Francophone school in Charlotte County.

In December 2024, the Liberal government announced plans for two schools for southwest New Brunswick, including one in Charlotte County and Kings County. 

It set aside $14 million for the provincewide ventilation program. The funding also allocated $2 million for a universal washroom program and $163.1 million for ongoing construction projects, equipment, improvements, repairs, and the dust collector program to ensure schools remain safe for students and staff.

Francophone Sud took legal action against the government over a lack of investment in the education sector in southwestern New Brunswick. 

“The investments [are] needed to expand and renovate our existing schools and build new ones,” said a news release translated from French back in September 2024. 

“After years of delays in crucial investments in school infrastructure, which are necessary to meet the rapid population growth of our district, our demands are met with a lack of action from the current government.”

Johnson said Statistics Canada added a question about rights holders in 2021. 

“So that means for the first time, they were able to identify who had rights to a French education,” she said speaking with The Courier. “That was an area [Charlotte County] that was targeted.” 

According to Statistics Canada, which is expected to collect data in May 2026, 2,390 identified as French without specifying a connection, in 2021.

Another 195 identified as French Canadian and 30 as Quebecois, while 570 identified as Acadian. 

The statistics also included several other cultural identities that speak French. Additionally, children eligible for education in the minority official language is 255, which is about 17 per cent of Census respondents from 2003 or later.

The number of children eligible for instruction in the minority official language in Charlotte County is 200, but only 55 of eligible children who have been instructed in the minority official language at the primary or secondary level, between 2003 and 2015. 

An examination of 2,372 surveyed individuals, in 2013, who were exclusively English was reviewed by Marc-Andre Bouchard and Sylvia Kasparian at the University of New Brunswick in 2019. 

“We’re studying to find out where specifically in that area the interests are, where the rights holders are, and where land is available, and all of those different things will guide our decision making,” she said. “No decision has been made yet.” 

In June 2025, Eastern Charlotte council wrote to Johnson and EECD to ask whether the school could be placed in St. George. 

“Eastern Charlotte is geographically central in Charlotte County and the community of St. George is situated along (Route) 1,” the letter reads. “In addition, St. George municipal water and wastewater services could service a new school.” 

The council’s letter also identified Pennfield as an ideal location but noted it is not serviced by the municipality. 

The council asked the minister to meet with members to discuss the proposed location. The municipality confirmed there has been communication between it and the province on the proposed school. 

“If a location is yet to be determined, we offer Eastern Charlotte as the most beneficial location to support a Francophone school in this region,” the letter went on to say. 

The Municipal District of St. Stephen (MDSS) told The Courier that it requested a call with those involved in the Francophone school project which is expected to take place later this week. 

The Town of Saint Andrews has not been in touch with EECD regarding the school and its council has not requested any communication.

Fire flames close view background

Fatal fire in Eastern Charlotte

One person is dead after a fire in the Second Falls area.

On the morning of December 27, the Eastern Charlotte Fire Rescue responded to reports of a camper trailer on fire and someone possibly trapped inside.

There were no hydrants in the area, and a water shuttle operation had to be established.

Three engines and ten firefighters were on scene. Two engines from the Bonny River/Second Falls station and one engine from the St. George station.

Firefighters managed to knock down the blaze within 15 minutes

Moments later, the individual was located inside.

The cause is still under investigation.

LJI Charlotte County hospital Nov 26 2025

N.B. government announces St. Stephen collaborative care clinic

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By Nathalie Sturgeon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Courier

Dr. Wael Saber will tell you that patients visiting the access clinic at the Charlotte County Wellness Centre – a clinic specifically designed to divert patients from the emergency room – have pleaded with him full-time.

Saber is the only physician working out of the new clinic, on the third floor of the Charlotte County Hospital (CCH). There are also three nurse practitioners, two registered nurses, two licensed practical nurses, one respiratory therapist, and one social worker.​

“Since I’ve come to the community, it was obvious that the community is in great need of doctors,” he said, speaking with reporters. “I have been facing a lot of patients who have never seen a doctor for years and years, and that [is] a challenging situation.”

The clinic opened in February, according to the Department of Health, and has since taken 310 patients off the primary care waitlist. Saber said space is the clinic’s biggest issue.

“I’m trying my best to make these things work for them; however, as we know, space [is] a big challenge,” he said. “I have a lot of colleagues who are still waiting to join, to come to the community, they are willing to come and help, but the space is a big challenge.”

He said he came in June, and he’s been waiting for things to improve, but nothing has changed.

“Today’s announcement kind of gives us hope that things are on track,” he said. “I’m still facing a lot of patients who I see [in] the access clinic, who are begging me to be their family doctor.”

Premier Susan Holt said the limited space means more people can’t come off the list.

“So this investment means new space that will have room for more patients and investment in more practitioners, so that we can take more patients off the list, because that is the goal to get everybody attached as quickly as we can,” she said. “And we can’t do it here. This is not the ideal place.”

​St. Stephen marks the ninth collaborative care clinic to be undertaken by the Holt government. It has committed to 30 throughout the next several years, and 10 within the first 18 months of the mandate.

Holt was asked on Tuesday when the clinic could open, but could only say it would be early 2026.

“We’ll get the lease signed, we’ll get it renovated, and we’ll have people in before the snow melts,” Holt said.

When asked why announce it before the clinic was ready, Holt said it is to reassure the public.

“I think folks are asking us: you’ve forgotten about us, you’re not doing anything, it’s not going to happen,” she said. “The ninth collaborative clinic is in St. Stephen.”

Holt said it would not open before the end of the year in its new location.

In total, the government announced $3.6 million dollars for the property it intends to lease, which has not been disclosed, and further recruitment efforts.

The municipal council in St. Stephen has also made efforts to recruit and retain healthcare providers. It has also helped the province procure a new property.  Deputy Mayor Ghislaine Wheaton and Coun. Emily Rodas is part of the Community Health Committee.

“We have a municipal incentive that the council developed. It’s $125,000 over five years, which is huge,” Rodas said, speaking with The Courier.

​She explained that it has been challenging to not have a better understanding of where the clinic might end up, especially when trying to recruit primary care providers. Both Rodas and Wheaton have spent time with the Saber family, helping them learn about the school district and various community programming.

“This is one small step in the right direction,” she said.