A New Report Highlights Priorities for the Future of Restigouche

Entitled Restigouche Region at a Crossroads: Lessons from the Past, Solutions for the Future, the report outlines the consequences of demographic decline, deindustrialization, and inequitable municipal funding, while highlighting new opportunities to be seized.

• Demographic Evolution: Restigouche County lost nearly a quarter of its population between 1981 and 2021. However, for the first time in decades, the population is growing again—mainly due to immigration.

• Economic Challenges: The collapse of the manufacturing sector, once the backbone of the local economy, combined with reduced public sector employment, has weakened Restigouche further compared to Bathurst and Miramichi.

• Municipal Financial Pressures: Unconditional grants, which represented 29% of municipal revenues in 1991, have fallen to less than 5% today, leaving towns in Restigouche with among the heaviest tax burdens in New Brunswick.

The report identifies three areas requiring intervention:

1. International Newcomers – The provincial government, together with its federal counterpart, must do everything possible to ensure a fair distribution international newcomers across New Brunswick, a distribution that takes into account the demographic reality—and therefore the labour needs—of its various regions, including Restigouche County.

To achieve this, governments must not only ensure that their newcomer selection procedures reflect this objective but also offer financial incentives to promote recruitment and retention in regions like Restigouche County.

2. Equity in Public Sector Employment – The allocation of public sector employment raises interregional equity issues, both in terms of efforts to support the Restigouche economy and ensuring the viability of public services in the county. This matter needs to be investigated by the provincial government, in conjunction with local and federal authorities. This is necessary to establish a remedial plan with concrete objectives and timelines.

3. Municipal Funding Reform – The provincial government must commit to reviewing the issue of municipal financing in New Brunswick so that it lives up to the ideal of fairness that was at the heart of the Equal Opportunity for All program. For such a reform to be successful, it should ideally be based on the following three basic principles:

• Ensure stable and predictable funding, allowing for rational long-term planning.

• Ensure that municipalities have access to adequate funding to provide reasonably comparable services at reasonably comparable tax levels, while recognizing that municipalities provide services that differ depending on their roles in the regional ecosystem.

• Treat residents fairly, meaning that taxpayers with similar financial circumstances within and between municipalities should bear similar tax burdens.

“Few places in New Brunswick have been hit harder than Restigouche over the past four decades, yet in recent years it has begun to grow again. Turning that fragile momentum into lasting renewal will require a cohesive plan with federal and provincial partners—welcoming newcomers, strengthening public services and employment, and giving local governments the tools and funding to support the region's prosperity. This can be done not by granting special favours to Restigouche but rather placing it on an equal footing with other regions across the province facing similar challenges,” said Richard Saillant.

Brad Mann, President of the RRSC, added: “Our region has shown resilience over the past decades. This analysis provides us with a roadmap to ensure growth, equity, and opportunities for the next generation of Restigouche residents.”

The RRSC has presented the report to community stakeholders and will engage with provincial and federal partners to promote concrete measures in line with the recommendations.

The full report, Restigouche Region at a Crossroads, is available on the following link : Restigouche Region at a Crossroads

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For more information, please contact:

Jessy Akerley, Corporate Communications Officer

Email: communications@commissionrestigouche.ca

Telephone : (506) 248-8091