Latest news with #DonnaReardon
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Saint John set to open homes for people who've been living in encampments
Twenty-eight tiny homes in Saint John's first "green zone," built for people now living in encampments, will be open to residents on Friday. The launch of the green zone on Egbert Street, a small side street off Thorne Avenue in east Saint John, has been a "long time coming," Mayor Donna Reardon said Monday. "We've got 28 buildings here we're going to move people into — it's something we've been waiting for, something that we've wanted to do," she said at a news briefing. A second site will open later this year, for a total of 56 tiny homes for people who have been living in encampments. Both sites are near the Atlantic Superstore and the Church of England Cemetery. The 12 Neighbours charity, creator of a similar development in Fredericton, will operate the green zones, which are intended to be transitional housing. The first Saint John site, a community to be called Neighbourly Homes, has two courtyards and 28 individual units. Every unit has a bed, locking doors, heat, lights and internet. Residents will have shared washrooms, laundry, kitchen and multi-purpose facilities. The community will also have some 24-hour-a-day services such as recovery aid for people struggling with addictions. Saint John first announced its plans for the green zones as a part of its Housing for All strategy launched in July 2024. The housing plan followed a public outcry and calls for action on homelessness after a deadly winter for some people living in encampments. The site was made possible through a $3.5 million funding agreement with the provincial and federal governments. "It's all very thoughtful the way it's been put together and it's a great step," Reardon said. "We need the housing, so this is it." A starting point for a growing problem Meanwhile, the city's and the province's homeless population as a whole has grown. The most recent numbers from the Human Development Council, a Saint John-based non-profit, show homelessness in the province grew to 1,529 from 493 between March 2021 and 2025. The group's data dashboard on homelessness shows there were 287 chronically homeless people in Saint John in June. That number was 159 in the same month last year and 142 in June 2023. WATCH | Get a glimpse of Neighbourly Homes: Early this year, the government of Premier Susan Holt pledged to reduce the homelessness population in the province to 621 between by 2029. "Some people said, 'Well, that's not very aggressive — and I say it's absolutely aggressive " said Marcel LeBrun, the founder of 12 Neighbours. "Because the train is going the other way and we're trying to stop the train and move it the [opposite] way. It's a huge challenge to reduce chronic homelessness. But this government's been really committed to it." LeBrun said he hopes the Saint John site and other housing affordability plans approved this year position the province as a leader. "There's no reason we can't actually be a national leader and even an international leader in reducing chronic homelessness," he said "We believe that housing is more than just shelter. It's just the beginning. It's the critical starting point. You need a house to be able to recover, to be able to heal, to be able to move forward. But it's just a starting point." Greg Cutler, the city's community development manager, said the site will have security cameras, foot patrols by Saint John police and vehicle patrols for safety within and surrounding the green zone. The city's Housing for All strategy also includes plans for red zones —- spaces that would prohibit encampments — details for which, Cutler said, are still being ironed out. "Those sites will be a buffer zone around particular spaces like schools, children centre splash pads, that kind of thing — that's what people can expect," he said. Other municipalities in the country has seen push-back, including legal challenges against efforts to tear down encampment sites. Edmonton, for example, saw an unsuccessful lawsuit against that city's efforts to dismantle encampments. Cutler said the green zone strategy in Saint John is an effort to have places for people to relocate once red zones are decided, and the city's lawyer and the province's Social Development Department are involved. "We're cautiously moving forward with that piece," he said.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Residents of Saint John's new transitional housing community to move in this week
A new green zone for the homeless has been given the green light in Saint John, N.B. Residents of a new transitional housing community in Saint John will begin to move in on Friday. The Neighbourly Homes community on Egbert Street features 27 individual sleeping units, as well as shared bathrooms, showers, laundry, and kitchen spaces. Each sleeping unit includes a small desk, a single bed, an electronic tablet, and a locking door which connects to an outside courtyard. A second Neighbourly Homes community will open later this year, nearby on Thorne Avenue. Both sites will also have around-the-clock staffing. The Egbert Street site is the first to operate inside a city designated 'green zone,' defined as municipally owned properties for transitional housing and wrap-around services. 'We wanted to have a site that was on a bus route,' says Saint John mayor Donna Reardon. 'We needed a site where we could bring in water and sewerage. We wanted a site that was accessible for walking, as well.' The project is receiving $3.5 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments. The 'green zone' sites in Saint John are managed by 12 Neighbours. 'We need all kinds of solutions, this is one part of it,' says Marcel LeBrun, president of 12 Neighbours. 'It's low-cost, rapid to deploy, and we can get people housed quickly. But then, we also need to invest in more permanent supportive housing, which is also happening.' 'This is a place where we want people to be on the move,' he adds. 'When you're here, your job is working on yourself, working on the next step.' For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CBC
9 hours ago
- General
- CBC
Saint John set to open homes for people who've been living in encampments
Twenty-eight tiny homes in Saint John's first "green zone," built for people now living in encampments, will be open to residents on Friday. The launch of the green zone on Egbert Street, a small side street off Thorne Avenue in east Saint John, has been a "long time coming," Mayor Donna Reardon said Monday. "We've got 28 buildings here we're going to move people into — it's something we've been waiting for, something that we've wanted to do," she said at a news briefing. A second site will open later this year, for a total of 56 tiny homes for people who have been living in encampments. Both sites are near the Atlantic Superstore and the Church of England Cemetery. The 12 Neighbours charity, creator of a similar development in Fredericton, will operate the green zones, which are intended to be transitional housing. The first Saint John site, a community to be called Neighbourly Homes, has two courtyards and 28 individual units. Every unit has a bed, locking doors, heat, lights and internet. Residents will have shared washrooms, laundry, kitchen and multi-purpose facilities. The community will also have some 24-hour-a-day services such as recovery aid for people struggling with addictions. Saint John first announced its plans for the green zones as a part of its Housing for All strategy launched in July 2024. The housing plan followed a public outcry and calls for action on homelessness after a deadly winter for some people living in encampments. The site was made possible through a $3.5 million funding agreement with the provincial and federal governments. "It's all very thoughtful the way it's been put together and it's a great step," Reardon said. "We need the housing, so this is it." A starting point for a growing problem Meanwhile, the city's and the province's homeless population as a whole has grown. The most recent numbers from the Human Development Council, a Saint John-based non-profit, show homelessness in the province grew to 1,529 from 493 between March 2021 and 2025. The group's data dashboard on homelessness shows there were 287 chronically homeless people in Saint John in June. That number was 159 in the same month last year and 142 in June 2023. WATCH | Get a glimpse of Neighbourly Homes: 12 Neighbours: Saint John edition 2 hours ago Early this year, the government of Premier Susan Holt pledged to reduce the homelessness population in the province to 621 between by 2029. "Some people said, 'Well, that's not very aggressive — and I say it's absolutely aggressive " said Marcel LeBrun, the founder of 12 Neighbours. "Because the train is going the other way and we're trying to stop the train and move it the [opposite] way. It's a huge challenge to reduce chronic homelessness. But this government's been really committed to it." LeBrun said he hopes the Saint John site and other housing affordability plans approved this year position the province as a leader. "There's no reason we can't actually be a national leader and even an international leader in reducing chronic homelessness," he said "We believe that housing is more than just shelter. It's just the beginning. It's the critical starting point. You need a house to be able to recover, to be able to heal, to be able to move forward. But it's just a starting point." Greg Cutler, the city's community development manager, said the site will have security cameras, foot patrols by Saint John police and vehicle patrols for safety within and surrounding the green zone. The city's Housing for All strategy also includes plans for red zones —- spaces that would prohibit encampments — details for which, Cutler said, are still being ironed out. "Those sites will be a buffer zone around particular spaces like schools, children centre splash pads, that kind of thing — that's what people can expect," he said. Other municipalities in the country has seen push-back, including legal challenges against efforts to tear down encampment sites. Edmonton, for example, saw an unsuccessful lawsuit against that city's efforts to dismantle encampments. Cutler said the green zone strategy in Saint John is an effort to have places for people to relocate once red zones are decided, and the city's lawyer and the province's Social Development Department are involved.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Saint John mayor ‘grateful' bridge closures will only happen at night or early morning
The underside of the Saint John Harbour bridge is pictured in Saint John, N.B., on July 8, 2025. (Avery MacRae/CTV Atlantic) It turns out the Saint John Harbour Bridge will only be closed at night or early morning as the span undergoes necessary refurbishing work over the coming months. The first bridge closure happened Thursday between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The City of Saint John issued a news release about the closure just before 5 p.m. The New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) previously said the intermittent closures would happen outside peak traffic hours and last about 20 minutes. They are expected to happen two to three times per month until early November. However, residents, business owners and the mayor had expressed concerns and frustrations over the intermittent closures, which were expected to happen during the daytime. Now, the city says DTI has decided the closures will happen between 6:30 p.m. and 7 a.m. 'to minimize the impact to motorists.' Mayor 'grateful' for change Mayor Donna Reardon says she's 'grateful' for the change in rescheduling. 'It's a lot better for us,' Reardon told CTV News in a phone interview Friday. 'It was upsetting for people because it's another big delay and we didn't know when the closures were going to be, we didn't have a timeframe for them.' Reardon says she's also grateful the province has listened and responded to her concerns. 'It certainly helps us as leaders in the city. We have no role in any of that, but we certainly hear when things aren't copacetic,' said Reardon. 'It's nice to see a response to concerns from the city. I do appreciate that.' Saint John Harbour Bridge The Saint John Harbour Bridge is seen in Saint John, N.B., on March 28, 2025. (Source: Avery MacRae/CTV News Atlantic) Mayor hopes for better communication However, the mayor says she's still waiting to see if the city will get the closure schedule in advance. She hopes the province will better communicate the closures well ahead of time, so the city can then notify residents. 'We need to know ahead of time so that we can get that information out,' she said. 'I think the public expectation of information has changed. It's not like it was five or 10 yeas ago. People have that instant information a lot of the time and with these things we need this instant information. 'Definitely more than 24 hours in advance because it's not effective if we're trying to get the information out.' The city says the intermittent closures are required to raise the bridge deck by using jacks and motorists should use the Reversing Falls Bridge during these times. This phase of the bridge work is expected to be completed by the end of the fall. Refurbishing project The bridge has been undergoing a phased refurbishing project since 2021. The project could cost as much as $31 million by the time it's finished in 2027 – up from the project's initial budget of more than $26 million. The federal and New Brunswick governments announced $15 million in funding for the project in February 2023. The provincial government says the construction project will extend the 1.3-kilometre structure's lifespan by 30 to 50 years. The Saint John Harbour Bridge first opened to traffic in August 1968. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
17-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Proposal to expand N.B. industrial park passes first and second reading at Saint John council
After multiple public hearings and feedback from dozens of residents, Saint John Council has voted to pass the first and second readings of a proposed expansion of an industrial park in Lorneville, N.B. The proposal, which would transform 1,500 acres of land into use for heavy industry at Spruce Lake Industrial Park, sparked controversy among many residents, who launched the 'Save Lorneville' initiative. Several people could be seen wearing that slogan on their shirts during the council meeting on the proposal Tuesday night. Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the first and second readings of the motion. 'Growth isn't easy, it's always difficult,' Mayor Donna Reardon said. 'We've got to move forward. Density is your saviour for any city. It's not that we make these decisions easily.' At previous public meetings about the proposal in the last month, dozens of people have expressed their opposition to the expansion, noting their concerns it would have on nearby wetlands and wildlife, as well as the potential impact of industrial activity on homes. 'You want economic growth, you want jobs, you want development, but at what cost?' Adam Wilkins, a Lorneville resident, previously told CTV News Atlantic. 'At the cost to health and safety, to residents, at the cost of the risk to the environment, and destruction of so many acres of mature forest and wetlands.' Spruce Lake Industrial Park general manager Ian MacKinnon previously said there was a potential for more than $2 billion in investment for the expansion. 'This is a once-in-a-generation industrial growth opportunity,' said MacKinnon. 'Time is of the essence; we have serious interest now.' -With files from CTV News Atlantic's Avery MacRae and Nick Moore More to come… For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
