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Quispamsis

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Housing, service delivery top priorities for Quispamsis mayor elect

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With municipal elections being decided Monday, Quispamsis mayor‑elect Mary Schryer is outlining her plans for the upcoming term.

Once sworn in, Schryer said she will use Quispamsis’s strategic plan as a “guiding light” during her term and will focus on improving service delivery and adding commercial and housing opportunities that allow for growth while maintaining the town’s small‑town character.

Schryer explained that as the town has seen eight per cent growth over the past five years, she wants to work with both new and existing residents to manage that growth in a way that better serves the community.

“When we have new residents and our existing residents, how do we manage that growth together to make sure that the characteristics of the town remain the same, but also becomes more inviting and more inclusive community,” she said.

Schryer added she would like to focus on better aligning resources, infrastructure and partnerships to achieve projects in Quispamsis, which she said is “crucial” to getting the best results for the town.

Other top priorities for Schryer include work on water infrastructure and ensuring the town is opening opportunities for new housing and commercial ventures.

“Our main objective right now is that we are looking at housing,” she said. “Where we were able to expand housing for seniors and some affordable housing, we’d like to see that happen and work with our developers as to how that might come about.”

Before being elected mayor, Schryer served as Quispamsis deputy mayor under Mayor Libby O’Hara. Prior to that, Schryer was elected as the town’s MLA in 2006, following a seven‑year tenure on council.

Schryer said she decided to run for mayor because she believed the town was going in the “right direction” and wanted to maintain that momentum.

“I wanted to see some stability for that direction to continue,” she said.

Schryer added she plans to be a mayor who is open and accessible to residents’ concerns, a quality she said she admired in her predecessor.

All councillors from the previous term reoffered in the election, and a total of 12 candidates are running for seven council positions.

The incumbent candidates are councillors Mike Biggar, Noah Donovan, Kerrie Luck, Kirk Miller, Emil T. Olsen and Beth Thompson.

The new candidates are Jeffery Cawley, Jen Kelly‑Barnett, Steve Roberts, Jonathan Standring and Eddie Van Dam.

As of 8:55 p.m., all the incumbent candidates have been reelected. But a new face has joined the team. Doug McDonald is now Quispamsis’ seventh councillor, winning the race with a total of 1432 votes.

According to McDonald’s campaing platform, he is an accountant with more than 40 years of experience in helping small businesses with income tax and financial planning.

For the past 12 years, he has served as Rothesay’s treasurer, which has given him “hands-on experience” with municipal budgets, infrastructure planning, and “the financial decisions to shape a community.”

A man with a hat and a megaphone

Quispamsis enacts noise, nuisance bylaw

A new noise and nuisance bylaw is now in effect in Quispamsis.

Council voted in favour of the new bylaw after some suggested adjustments from an earlier meeting.

The new law is being put in place to reduce, control and prevent activities that cause excess noise or nuisance in the town.

It includes exemptions for things like construction work, festivals and farming equipment.

It also includes a section specifically related to fireworks, including age restrictions, and rules that ban setting off commercial fireworks on someone else’s property.

A first violation won’t result in any fines, while a second violation will lead to a $250 fine and a third means $500.

Additionally, three bylaw violations for excessive within a consecutive 12-month period will mean a $1,500 fine.

Highway 1 Tanker crash April 8 2026

UPDATE: Highway 1 eastbound lane reopens after truck crash

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Traffic is flowing again eastbound on Highway 1 between Quispamsis and Hampton.

The New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization says one eastbound lane reopened on Wednesday night.

Motorists are advised to slow down and use caution as crews continue their cleanup after a large fuel spill last week.

A tanker truck rolled over, closing the highway in both directions for several days.

An estimated 36,000 litres of fuel spilled near kilometre marker 153, outside Hampton.

The highway in both directions was closed for several days after the crash on April 8.

The westbound lanes reopened on Friday.

Natural Resources Minister and Hampton-area MLA John Herron visited the site on Monday.

construction machine, caterpillar, bulldozer, commercial vehicle, work, road, construction site, road construction, construction work, working machine, earthwork, tracked vehicle, construction vehicle, bulldozer, bulldozer, bulldozer, bulldozer, bulldozer, road construction, road construction

Quispamsis talks access between Millennium Drive and Highway 1

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The Town of Quispamsis is looking at adding an access point between the town and Highway 1.

Councillors were briefed on an early engineering review about ramps between Millennium Drive and the highway.

According to the report, any off-ramp from the westbound lanes of Highway 1 on to Millennium Drive can’t be built due to insufficient sight distances, exit speeds and space.

“An on-ramp onto Highway 1 is possible, provided it aligns with Cedar Ridge (Boulevard)” chief administrative officer Ian Watson said.

In previous discussions, council had suggested three locations for any kind of ramp: Cedar Ridge Boulevard, Hazelton Drive and Donlyn Drive.

The report stated that due to a provincial weigh station along Highway 1, only Cedar Ridge would have enough distance for an on-ramp.

Engineering and works director Gary Losier said some work would be required to make a ramp work.

“The intersection itself probably would be more suited to a roundabout than a controlled-stop intersection of just a signalized intersection,” Losier said.

Adding a ramp at Cedar Ridge could also lead to additional traffic coming up through the neighbourhood to get to the new highway access.

Losier said potential side-effects would have to be investigated.

Mayor Libby O’Hara said council should be cautious however they choose to move forward with this kind of project.

“They can become very costly financially and they can become very time-consuming for our staff who are already dedicated now to the work that we’ve budgeted for in 2026,” O’Hara said.

Coun. Emil Olsen, who raised the idea initially, said he’s seen a significant increase in traffic over the last year.

“We had a lot of growth in both Rothesay and Quispamsis and there’s a bottleneck going up Campbell Drive,” Olsen said.

“I thought that if we had means of egress further down Millennium Drive, it would reduce significantly the bottleneck.”

Council voted to direct staff to investigate further with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and to engage with the Town of Rothesay about the possibility of any cost-sharing with whatever project moves forward.

Quispamsis Town Hall

Quispamsis gets $2M for water infrastructure from new federal fund

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A new federal funding program has been launched and the Town of Quispamsis is one of the first beneficiaries.

Prime Minister Mark Carney officially launched the Build Communities Strong Fund, an initiative announced in the 2025 federal budget.

Secretary of State for the Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions and Saint John-Kennebecasis MP Wayne Long was in Quispamsis for a local announcement about the fund.

“We are launching this fund at a time when communities across Canada are facing rising costs to improve and expand critical infrastructure to keep pace with an active, growing population,” Long said at Quispamsis Town Hall.

The fund will provide $51 billion over 10 years through three major streams.

Across the country, 13 projects were announced, including a $2-million investment in an expansion of the water distribution system in Quispamsis to provide drinking water.

“The project will enable the development of up to 1,055 housing units across eight development areas,” Long said.

He said it will involve extending the water main network by 1.5 kilometres along Hampton Road.

“This water distribution system will meet the demands of projected population growth, which you know is coming, while supporting future commercial and higher-density residential development,” Long said.

Quispamsis Mayor Libby O’Hara said it’s important for the town to work on building relationships at the provincial, national and even international levels.

“We cannot sit back with walls around our community,” O’Hara said.

O’Hara said the funding will allow the town to pay for badly needed infrastructure a municipality can’t pay for on its own.

“This funding will assist in rejuvenating the central core of Quispamsis,” she said.

“We want to be leaders in thoughtful growth that will attract businesses, economic development and tourism opportunities,” the mayor said.

“We want people to live and work here in Quispamsis.”

Quispamsis Town Hall

Quispamsis looks at rezoning former Brunswick Nurseries property

Brunswick Nurseries closed its doors for good in 2025.

Now, the Town of Quispamsis is considering rezoning the properties that made up the garden centre.

The site, on Model Farm Road in the eastern part of the town, had previously been zoned Neighbourhood Commercial in recognition of the commercial use of the land.

But according to a report from municipal staff, that designation does not list a nursery as “a permitted or secondary use under Neighbourhood Commercial Zones.”

The rezoning process, started by the Town, would rezone the area to Rural.

That process was started before the new owner of the land registered an approved subdivision to create three lots.

The new owner wants the rezoning to Rural to support residential development.

But there are some concerns from neighbours in the area.

Kathryn Jankowski lives across the road with her husband.

She came to council to express concerns about water runoff, an issue she said already causes some problems on her property.

“In the last year we’ve noticed a lot more water coming down our driveway instead of in the intended waterways on either side of the property,” she said.

“We’ve also noticed that water not only seeps over the driveway but under the driveway and it’s causing some erosion in our asphalt. Our driveway is really long and steep, so I can’t imagine it’s going to cost us to fix that.”

She also expressed some concerns about well water in the area, particularly after the dry summer in 2025, and whether existing wells on the property may be tapped for any development.

Jankowski said she wanted to be sure council was aware of these issues before any development proceeds.

Planning and Development Services Manager Dwight Colbourne said the town’s engineering department is looking into the concerns.

He said the overall development plan for these properties is simply residential development.

“So single-family residential development that would require obviously submissions of building permits to the municipality,” he said.

“At this stage in terms of when those developments will happen, basically it comes to a point of when they’re purchased and then obviously the timeline for development. So at this stage there have been no formal applications come forward in terms of specific developments of these properties.”

Colbourne said the concerns Jankowski raised would be considered in any development.

Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department Ladder Truck

One person hospitalized after bedroom fire in Quispamsis

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A structural fire in Quispamsis resulted in one person being taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

According to Karen Trecartin, Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department division chief of fire prevention, crews were dispatched before 8 a.m. this morning after a report of a bedroom fire in a residence at Walnut Lane.

Trecartin said the crews were able to “knock down” the fire quickly, to minimize structural damage in the home.

According to Trecartin, there was only one occupant inside of the residence at the time of the incident, who was sent to the hospital due to smoke inhalation.

Trecartin added that the crews were able to contain the fire in the bedroom, however the rest of the house sustained smoke damage.

snow covers cars parked on road side

Storm closures and cancellations for Greater Saint John

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

The City of Saint John has announced that tonight’s Saint John’s Common Council meeting will be held virtually due to weather. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m.

NBCC Saint John Campus is closing at 3:30 p.m. due to inclement weather.

Quispamsis Town Hall, Quispamsis Memorial Arena and the Q-plex will all be closing at 3:30 p.m. due to extreme weather conditions. Essential operations, including snow removal, will remain active. All facilities are expected to reopen at their regularly scheduled times on Feb. 24.

Saint John Transit will be suspending buses at 6 p.m. for the remainder of the day.

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

The New Brunswick RCMP have put out a traffic advisory for Route 1 from St. Stephen to Petitcodiac. Travel is not recommended.

Due to inclement weather, McAllister Place will be closing at 5 p.m.

Due to weather conditions, the Rothesay Common will close early at 5 p.m.

More to come.

Deputy Mayor Mary Schryer

Mary Schryer announces run for Quispamsis mayor

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The first candidate to be the next mayor of Quispamsis has stepped forward.

Deputy Mayor Mary Schryer announced Tuesday night she will be running for the top job during the municipal elections on May 11.

Incumbent Mayor Libby O’Hara announced last week she would not seek another term.

Schryer is in her second stint as a member of Quispamsis council, having served from 1999 to 2006.

She followed that with a brief foray into provincial politics, serving as MLA for Quispamsis from 2006 to 2010. She held several roles in Shawn Graham’s cabinet during that time.

Schryer has also served as an elected director on the Horizon Health Network board.

“I returned to municipal government, my true calling, and have served as deputy mayor for the past five years working closely with council and staff to help advance key planning initiatives during a period of significant growth for our community,” she said in an emailed statement.

Schryer said the next term of Quispamsis council will be about moving from planning to action.

“It’s about turning the work we’ve done into real outcomes,” she said, referring to supporting housing needs, investing in infrastructure and recreation and continuing to build the community.

Brian Rignanesi

KV Food Basket gets provincial investment for growth

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The Kennebecasis Valley Food Basket has been expanded and upgraded to meet demand in the region.

And the organization got a big boost Monday as the provincial government announced a major investment in the project.

Local Government Minister and Quispamsis MLA Aaron Kennedy announced the province would invest up to $370,000 for the modernization.

“By investing in this expansion, we are helping ensure people in the Kennebecasis Valley have access to safe, reliable and respectful food services and that this organization can continue meeting growing community needs,” Kennedy said.

Food Basket board chair Brian Rignanesi said the expansion project was a big step for the organization.

“We went from about a 300-square-foot building to about an 800-square-foot building and we’re still full,” he said.

Rignanesi said usage numbers have been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were previously dealing with about 20 to 25 families a week,” he said. “Now we’re most weeks (dealing with) 40 families, some weeks 50 families.”

But no matter the numbers and even before expansion, Rignanesi said space limitations haven’t kept the Food Basket from doing good work.

“Never,” he stressed. “Anybody that’s hungry gets to eat.”

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