Future of two N.B. historic sites in the air over lack of provincial funding
According to Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island (VHEMI) board chair John Kershaw, it's an ominous sign of what could be on the horizon for the island.
'We've been lobbying for additional funds for a number of years,' says Kershaw. 'The board has decided that in the absence of getting the additional money we need, we're going to have to relinquish the lease that we have with the province and eventually dissolve the organization itself.'
While the island itself is owned by the province, VHEMI is in the midst of a 25-year lease which began in 2008 to operate the heritage site. Since the 2020-2021operating season, New Brunswick's Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture has provided a $100,000 operating grant to the island operators.
Kershaw says they are lobbying for a boost to a $500,000 grant. He says other historical sites like King's Landing, which Kershaw says has a comparable number of visitors, gets $3.7 million yearly from the province.
'That money would be used to invest in new attractions,' says Kershaw. 'Right now, part of our challenge is that people come to the island, see the buildings, and then why would they come back?'
While Kershaw points out some events that bring in both locals and tourists annually, he says the island can't just be a property people visit once.
The board chair also notes the unique challenge of sporadic operating hours caused by the Bay of Fundy tides. The island is only accessible by foot or car during low tide when the seabed road is exposed.
'In comparison to the other venues we have, we can operate about 40 per cent of the time,' Kershaw says.
The Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture failed to acknowledge CTV Atlantic's request for an interview, but it did send an emailed statement.
'The Department will continue to work with VHEMI through any and all decision making process on their continued stewardship of Minister's Island and to ensure the continued conservation of Ministers Island as a meaningful place for New Brunswickers,' the statement reads.
Barn doors closed for 2025
While the future for Ministers Island remains shrouded in the Bay of Fundy fog, the barn doors have closed for another historic site in the province.
Earlier this week, the Highland Society of New Brunswick at Miramichi announced the MacDonald Farm Provincial Heritage Site would not be operating this year due to 'inadequate funding support' from the province.
'What's going to happen to these important heritage sites for the province?' questions Dawn MacDonald, president of the Highland Society of New Brunswick at Miramichi. 'It's a huge question that people have on their minds.'
MacDonald Farm
The MacDonald Farm Provincial Heritage Place will not be open this summer. (Source: Facebook/MacDonald Farm Provincial Heritage Place)
Since 2012, the Highland Society has rented the farm with a provincial grant that was provided annually.
MacDonald says each year they had been given $60,000 to cover costs, which include paying staff, general maintenance, caring for the animals and more. Last year the two sides agreed to a grant of $100,000 for the year.
In March, MacDonald says she reached out to the province in March to arrange a meeting to shore up this year's grant, but she didn't receive a meeting date until the end of May. By that point she says it was too late to start arranging plans for the tourist season.
The decision was then made to end the partnership with the province and return the keys to them.
'The grass has grown up, the buildings are sitting idle, there's no animals there, there's no children running around enjoying the site,' MacDonald says. 'It's just abandoned now.'
MacDonald says the decision is even more disappointing considering the geo-political climate with many Canadians electing to take there summer vacations within the country.
'It's sad to know that people are driving by, seeing the sign that we have at the road that says closed due to inadequate funding support,' MacDonald says.
The Department of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture told CTV News over email they respect the society's decision to cease operations at historic site. They say they will now review and determine a path forward for MacDonald Farm.
For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
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Michael Van Tomme became a homeowner in Moosomin in his late 40s – a milestone that came relatively late in life but marked a significant step toward establishing roots in Canada. Originally from the Philippines, Mr. Van Tomme moved to Canada in 2020 with his four kids to join his wife, 46, who had arrived two years earlier for work. In 2022, they purchased a three-bedroom detached house for $250,000, making a 5-per-cent down payment. With renovations, they were able to add two extra bedrooms in the basement. For the Van Tommes, moving to Moosomin wasn't just about affordability, it was about a fresh start and building a future. 'The reason why we came here is really for our kids ... There's more opportunity for our kids here in Canada, especially with free education,' the car sales consultant said. The couple's decision to buy a house was driven by a desire to build equity and create a permanent home for their family – something that felt even more important after leaving behind their place in Manila and starting over. Mr. Van Tomme acknowledges that renting might have been cheaper, but he values the long-term benefits of homeownership. 'If you like to build equity, and you like to build your roots in the community… It's more of a permanent situation,' he said. Moosomin, a town of 2,700 near the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, is a growing hub for newcomers, including a Filipino population about 300 strong. The Van Tommes are heavily involved in the community and drawn to Moosomin's slower pace of life, low crime rate and tight-knit feel. 'We like it here,' Mr. Van Tomme said. His experience reflects a broader trend among immigrants in Canada, who tend to place a higher value on homeownership than other Canadians. Statistics Canada indicates that immigrants are more likely to devote a greater share of their income to buying a home. As Mr. Van Tomme looks toward retirement, he remains optimistic. He plans to pay off the mortgage sooner than scheduled and considers options such as downsizing or renting the property after his kids find their own paths. Takeaway: For many immigrants, homeownership in Canada is less about financial convenience and more about building roots, stability and a better future for their families. Nitin Madhvani works in sales at a tech company and his wife works in hospitality. In 2021, the couple was renting a condo in downtown Toronto when they found out they were expecting twins. 'We just immediately needed more space,' Mr. Madhvani said. To accommodate their growing family, they temporarily moved in with his wife's parents. Mr. Madhvani spent hours walking around the neighbourhood, looking at homes for sale. 'It became clear that proximity to the grandparents was going to be a huge game changer,' he said. After a month of searching, they found a home they could afford and bought it by summer, 2022. The house was just five minutes away from his in-laws, making it an ideal choice. Mr. Madhvani describes their $1.2-million home as a 'cookie-cutter' build 'put together with duct tape.' The house has four bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms and a one-car garage. Although Mr. Madhvani and his wife have decent incomes, the financial strain of homeownership is significant. The mortgage, along with the cost of daycare for their twins, has put pressure on their monthly cash flow. 'None of it really just feels good,' Mr. Madhvani said. 'I worry about ... being able to keep up with that standard of living that my parents were able to provide for us.' Mr. Madhvani isn't too concerned about retirement, an outlook that differs from the traditional path his parents followed. His parents, both immigrants, worked long careers and retired in their early 60s, a familiar story for first-generation Canadians. 'I don't see that path being available to me,' Mr. Madhvani said. He's noticed many retirees moving abroad, taking their savings to lower-cost countries, and wonders if that might be their reality some day. The pressures of balancing work, the costs of homeownership and a growing family have made Mr. Madhvani question whether buying was the right path. He often wonders, too, if they could be living a better life in places such as Dubai, where they could afford a nanny, or outside Atlanta, where they also have family and could get a larger home for a fraction of the cost. 'Could we be better off elsewhere if we're willing to do what our parents did, which was like, pick up and go?' But for now, they are making it work, and enjoying the perks of being close to his wife's family. Takeaway: Buying later in life with solid careers and incomes can still make you question whether following the traditional path is worth it. In 2021, just shy of 50, Caroline Nadeau bought her own home – a two-bedroom condo in a six-unit townhouse-style building in Montreal – for $335,000. She put down $65,000 with help from her RRSP. It was a milestone she once thought might never happen. When she separated from her husband in 2009 after 20 years together, Ms. Nadeau found herself starting over in every sense. At the time, the couple lived in Toronto and owned a house in which they were raising two daughters. But when the relationship ended, so did that stability. 'I started literally from scratch, going from that environment to living on my own,' she said. They sold the house and split the equity evenly. Ms. Nadeau walked away with $18,000. During the breakup, she was on a hiatus from her career in the insurance sector, teaching French and earning under $10,000 a year. She chose not to pursue spousal support to prove to herself that she could make it on her own. She rented for the next decade, scraping by and rebuilding her life. 'There were times I didn't know how I was going to feed them,' she said. 'Cash flow became a very, very big problem, especially with the girls.' After the separation, Ms. Nadeau lost her credit rating and turned to payday loans to get by. She borrowed small amounts and paid them back quickly to rebuild her credit and put whatever she could into investments. By 2017, she'd returned to her corporate job and moved to Montreal for a promotion. Though she didn't expect to stay, a new relationship kept her in Quebec. Ms. Nadeau also wanted to build financial resilience. 'That path was real estate, and the fact that I was in Montreal, as opposed to Toronto, was a perfect way to get into the market.' She describes her mortgage as manageable and less than what rent would cost, so she's not in a rush to clear it. Her plan is to rent out her condo soon and move in with her current partner. When retirement comes, she might sell. Looking back, she felt she 'had the discipline of a soldier.' When her parents gave her small amounts of cash for Christmas, she'd buy an exchange-traded fund. Today, Ms. Nadeau is on track to max out her tax-free savings account. Her advice to others? 'Even if you buy later in life… at least you get your feet in.' Takeaway: It is always possible to start over.
