Atlantic Canadian Politics Thread

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

The Telegraph-Journal

NB Power should give Venezuela a call seeking fuel deal, says former premier


Shawn Graham dealt with the headache dubbed the ‘Orimulsion fiasco,’
one of the largest financial boondoggles in the province’s history

Adam Huras

Jan 06, 2026



It was the Graham government now over a decade and a half ago that dealt with the headache dubbed the ‘Orimulsion fiasco,’ where NB Power spent nearly $800 million to refurbish the Coleson Cove generating station to burn Venezuela's inexpensive tar-like bitumen fuel. PHOTO BY BRICE MCVICAR/BRUNSWICK NEWS

Former New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham says a failed multimillion-dollar fuel deal between Venezuela and NB Power is worth revisiting, if a U.S. pledge to take control of that country’s vast oil reserves and energy infrastructure comes to fruition.


It was the Graham government now over a decade and a half ago that dealt with the headache dubbed the ‘Orimulsion fiasco,’ where the province’s energy utility spent nearly $800 million to refurbish New Brunswick’s Coleson Cove generating station to burn Venezuela’s inexpensive tar-like bitumen fuel.

But it did so without a signed deal.

Venezuela’s state oil company then refused to supply the bitumen, resulting in one of the largest financial boondoggles in the province’s history.

But with the Venezuelan government and oil back in the headlines, Graham said it should resurface old headlines in New Brunswick over its soured history with the South America nation, but also a potential opportunity that could cut power rates.

“We spent $800 million to boast the most environmentally efficient scrubbers on the power generating station at Coleson Cove,” Graham said in an interview. “But that generating station is now used as a peaking power plant because it burns Bunker C, the most expensive fuel source there is.


“If New Brunswick can get access to that Venezuelan fuel source again it would allow us to use our peaking power plant much more efficiently at NB Power.”

Graham adds an important caveat: “We would have to get long-term contracts that would be honoured this time.”

The former premier said Coleson Cove is the province’s largest power plant, but remains “mainly dormant.”

“It’s a peaking power plant that’s more or less a stranded asset,” he said.

“If this policy change allows American investment that puts orimulsion into the global supply chain then definitely NB Power should be looking at that opportunity, although through a different lens this time to make sure we don’t get burned again.”

[mylesmalley]

That is a profoundly stupid idea.

[Taeolas]

We're having a hard enough time getting a NG Generator online.

Going back to a Bitumen generator is an absolute non-starter.

I get the feeling Graham is trying to salvage one of his biggest blunders to say "See? It wasn't as much of a bad idea as it seemed!"

And it's landing even worse now than it did back then.

[paperplane]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

We're having a hard enough time getting a NG Generator online.

Going back to a Bitumen generator is an absolute non-starter.

I get the feeling Graham is trying to salvage one of his biggest blunders to say "See? It wasn't as much of a bad idea as it seemed!"

And it's landing even worse now than it did back then.

My thoughts exactly!

People would know less about his blunder if he'd said nothing about this (in the guise of trying to feel better about it all), the only result of this will be the exact opposite of what his goal was, strategically dumb.

[mylesmalley]

Since we're digging up old hits, maybe he could resurrect Atcon to do some plant upgrades and then sell the half-finished project to Hydro Quebec when things go sideways!

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Since we're digging up old hits, maybe he could resurrect Atcon to do some plant upgrades and then sell the half-finished project to Hydro Quebec when things go sideways!

No need to resurrect Atcon. It lives on in Greenfield Construction. Under the capable leadership of CEO Carolyn Tozer (Robbie's daughter) it appears to be doing the same quality, value for money work Atcon was so famous for.



https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-bruns...-wharf-greenfield-construction-1.7568757

[bingun]

Saint John mayor running again in the May election

https://tj.news/saint-john-south/saint-john-mayor-running-again-in-the-may-election

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by bingun

Saint John mayor running again in the May election

https://tj.news/saint-john-south/saint-john-mayor-running-again-in-the-may-election

I assume she will outperform the Ivan Court and Norm McFarlane reelection attempts (15% and 17%, respectively).

Reardon in, Ogden basically in, and Blaine Harris the barber over west apparently is too. There's a huge opening for, to be polite, a better candidate.

Reddit thinks 2024 NB Liberal candidate David Alston might run, and I've heard 2024 NB PC candidate Paul Dempsey might too. There's always noise around [Greg/Mel] Norton but I think a lot of that is wishcasting from the business/legal communities here.

The only council candidate I'm aware of is a beard-and-tie-dye type, Andrew Miller, in Ward 3... who seems weirdly mad that we have a snow ban with some teeth in the South End. Four councillors are confirmed to be retiring, Lowe, Ogden, Harris, and Killen.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I assume she will outperform the Ivan Court and Norm McFarlane reelection attempts (15% and 17%, respectively).

Reardon in, Ogden basically in, and Blaine Harris the barber over west apparently is too. There's a huge opening for, to be polite, a better candidate.

Reddit thinks 2024 NB Liberal candidate David Alston might run, and I've heard 2024 NB PC candidate Paul Dempsey might too. There's always noise around [Greg/Mel] Norton but I think a lot of that is wishcasting from the business/legal communities here.

The only council candidate I'm aware of is a beard-and-tie-dye type, Andrew Miller, in Ward 3... who seems weirdly mad that we have a snow ban with some teeth in the South End. Four councillors are confirmed to be retiring, Lowe, Ogden, Harris, and Killen.

I think Barry Ogden is seriously foolish for throwing away the good gig he has as city councilor and run for mayor. I worry he could actually win the race too, as the field could be quite split. I think Ogden is actually a decent city councilor and I appreciate his pride and passion for Saint John, but I don’t think he’s suited for the role of mayor, and don’t think he’s the guy to get Susan Holt’s government to commit to big changes.

If there’s any credibility to Alston running, that would be pretty ideal for Saint John. Holt is still likely to be reelected at this point, given the state if the PCs, so having a mayor who was one of her highest profile candidates (that narrowly lost) would be a pretty ideal situation for Saint John. Paul Dempsey also narrowly lost his race for the PCs, and he seems to be cut from the more centrist cloth than Higgs and his acolytes. Still, I think Alston would be able to get way more done with Holt as premier than any of the other floated options, or confirmed candidates.

Above all else, Saint John needs a mayor that is a tenacious advocate for the city that will do all they can to lobby the province to deliver on tax reform, fund major projects, and a long term strategy for sustained and equitable growth and development across the entire Saint John Region. I doubt Holt will take up the banner of amalgamation anytime soon, but I remain hopeful she will support solutions to bring about much greater levels of cooperation and cooperation across the Saint John Region… as well as supporting solutions to bring about greater cooperation between the Saint John, Fredericton, and Moncton regions.

Anyways, I did see this on the Save Lorneville FB Group today:



I don’t think any other serious candidates will take such a hard line against expansion of the Spruce Lake Industrial Park and proposed Data Centres like this… and don’t see this being an effective strategy outside of Lorneville, so I very much doubt Blaine Harris has any hope in hell at winning.


As for other potential mayoral candidates, there must be many good options out there (if they can be persuaded to run) that haven’t been mentioned yet, but I assume most of these people would already make more than the mayor makes, and deals with much less BS than the average mayor of SJ has to deal with.

There’s council too… which is really more important than who becomes mayor when it comes to the nitty gritty of municipal affairs. Council could use far more talented and competent people than are currently serving.

I’d probably never vote for you running for provincial or federal office, Adam, but I could actually see myself voting for you on city council. Despite our many disagreements, I believe you care about this city and its future growth and development far more than the people on council today.

The selection of our “common” city councilors is quite a crap shoot, and often the most qualified and best suited people get passed over for very ignorant reasons like lack of name recognition, etc, since very few people actually follow municipal election, let alone watch the debates among candidates for council, or read up on their platforms and policy positions. Nonetheless, a really effective campaign can cut through all that and get high quality candidates elected… something we need a lot more of in Saint John.

Again, for the mayor, we need a mayor that will be an effective and tenacious advocate for Saint John that lobbies the provincial and even federal government to fully live up to their promises and more! Especially though, we need a mayor that will have influence with the Holt government. I’m not sold Mayor Reardon has much influence with the Holt government, but I definitely think Susan Holt would rather continue dealing with Mayor Reardon, than have to start dealing with Mayor Ogden.

I really hope Alston could be persuaded to run… as I think he would have far more influence with the Holt government than any of the currently announced or speculated candidates. Though surely, there are many other good candidates out there, if they can be persuaded to run…

[CharlotteCountyLogan]

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E7VNnG2hU/
Theres the Ogden for mayor announcement

[gtsoc]

Originally Posted by CharlotteCountyLogan

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E7VNnG2hU/
Theres the Ogden for mayor announcement

So far for Mayor we have:

1. Donna Reardon (She will win if no one else runs)
2. Barry Ogden (Not sure what he is thinking, but you can guarantee that the paint budget will be overspent)
3. Blaine Harris (Firmly against any development in Lorneville)

This isn't a good list.

[bingun]

If anyone locally has political/mayoral ambitions, this election definitely feels like an opportunity.

I think David Alston would be strong too, but we have no indication that he's considering it at this point. He may be waiting for the next provincial election or pursuing other ambitions.

[sailor734]

I agree that Reardon will win barring a serious, credible opponent.

The city is in much better shape in many ways than 10-20+ years ago so the groundswell of support for change isn't nearly as strong as it was in the Shirley McAlary/Norm MacFarlane/Ivan Court days. I think she can be beaten but it's not a forgone conclusion.

The mayor doesn't have a huge amount of power in our system so a reasonably competent council can carry a mediocre mayor.

[adamuptownsj]

Key phrase there being 'reasonably competent council'... which we've lacked. Maybe a third of the council would meet this standard.

Sure the city is in better fiscal health, the port is booming, and population is growing, but there's a lot of discontent. Commuter issues (road quality/bike lanes), public safety, police force leadership, etc.

I think Reardon and Ogden are both fishing in the same pond of voters (older and lower-info) with basically the same message of 'everything is more or less OK and everything not great was/is/will be really out of our control'. I don't know how well that will resonate.

There is a large pool of middle-income commuters or suburban new-build renters, who aren't at all thrilled with city hall and aren't particularly ideological, who would probably turn out for any competent-or-competent-seeming type not monomaniacally focused on the city center. This cycle, but not always, these voters seem aligned to the rather small 'business community' bloc which hasn't really had much clout since Mel Norton's term.

Then there's younger progressives, who don't seem to clearly align any of the three candidates running or any of the potential suburban ones mentioned above. Not sure if a mayoral candidate ends up filling this lane at all.

I guess what I'm getting at is, your average not-Reardon voter is very likely not-Ogden as well. There's a big gob of dissatisfied suburbanites, and a smaller set of left-progressive voters. It goes without saying that Blaine Harris doesn't scratch either itch.

[bingun]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Key phrase there being 'reasonably competent council'... which we've lacked. Maybe a third of the council would meet this standard.

Sure the city is in better fiscal health, the port is booming, and population is growing, but there's a lot of discontent. Commuter issues (road quality/bike lanes), public safety, police force leadership, etc.

I think Reardon and Ogden are both fishing in the same pond of voters (older and lower-info) with basically the same message of 'everything is more or less OK and everything not great was/is/will be really out of our control'. I don't know how well that will resonate.

There is a large pool of middle-income commuters or suburban new-build renters, who aren't at all thrilled with city hall and aren't particularly ideological, who would probably turn out for any competent-or-competent-seeming type not monomaniacally focused on the city center. This cycle, but not always, these voters seem aligned to the rather small 'business community' bloc which hasn't really had much clout since Mel Norton's term.

Then there's younger progressives, who don't seem to clearly align any of the three candidates running or any of the potential suburban ones mentioned above. Not sure if a mayoral candidate ends up filling this lane at all.

I guess what I'm getting at is, your average not-Reardon voter is very likely not-Ogden as well. There's a big gob of dissatisfied suburbanites, and a smaller set of left-progressive voters. It goes without saying that Blaine Harris doesn't scratch either itch.

I largely agree with your comments; there are some good thoughts there.

While Saint John has had to focus on restraint and careful fiscal management, the next election needs to focus on ambition and laser focus on seizing growth opportunities.

There are also two big factors at play during the next term for mayor and council.

The provincial liberals' property tax reform changes should hopefully be coming next year. Perhaps they'll drag it out a little longer, but I can't see this not happening unless another COVID-level event occurs. The city has been asking for this forever, and if they finally get something, even if it's not exactly what they want, they need to utilize any additional flexibility they acquire. There is also still several years of property valuation growth backlog to be applied due to the annual 10% cap and this year's freeze.

Secondly, the city's special pension payments are coming to an end. A lot of people have long forgotten about this, but my understanding is that by 2028 (I think), they will have finally cleared the deficit and no longer be liable for additional payments. This is $12M per year that will be freed up overnight, and it is critical that this is used wisely.

Garry Sullivan mentioned this in one of the final meetings of 2025: he wants them to stick to their plans rather than everyone vying for a slice of the pie. This is a huge sum that could make noticeable improvements in several service areas and contribute towards a more competitive mill rate. Just think what an extra $1M could do to sidewalk clearing, potholes, or parks and recreation.

Saint John approves pension reform

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-approves-pension-reform-1.1209252

The shared-risk pension plan will mean Saint John politicians must find $12 million every year to pay down the pension fund deficit, which now stands at $161 million.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

It’s incredibly important for the next mayor to be an effective and influential advocate for Saint John with both the provincial and federal governments.

The mayor needs to hold the Holt Government’s feet to the fire and push them to deliver on the comprehensive tax reforms they have promised.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Key phrase there being 'reasonably competent council'... which we've lacked. Maybe a third of the council would meet this standard.

Sure the city is in better fiscal health, the port is booming, and population is growing, but there's a lot of discontent. Commuter issues (road quality/bike lanes), public safety, police force leadership, etc.

I think Reardon and Ogden are both fishing in the same pond of voters (older and lower-info) with basically the same message of 'everything is more or less OK and everything not great was/is/will be really out of our control'. I don't know how well that will resonate.

There is a large pool of middle-income commuters or suburban new-build renters, who aren't at all thrilled with city hall and aren't particularly ideological, who would probably turn out for any competent-or-competent-seeming type not monomaniacally focused on the city center. This cycle, but not always, these voters seem aligned to the rather small 'business community' bloc which hasn't really had much clout since Mel Norton's term.

Then there's younger progressives, who don't seem to clearly align any of the three candidates running or any of the potential suburban ones mentioned above. Not sure if a mayoral candidate ends up filling this lane at all.

I guess what I'm getting at is, your average not-Reardon voter is very likely not-Ogden as well. There's a big gob of dissatisfied suburbanites, and a smaller set of left-progressive voters. It goes without saying that Blaine Harris doesn't scratch either itch.

Put me in that "big gob of dissatisfied suburbanites". Give me a reasonable, credible option and my vote won't be for Reardon (Ogden and Harris are pretty well irrelevant IMO.)

[bingun]

In the TJ today, they have an article on the municipal election candidates and confirm the three for mayor we already know.

Garry Sullivan said he would have considered running for mayor if Reardon had not, and he will run for councillor at large again. Gerry Lowe is undecided on whether he wants to run for council again. Harris/Killen are out, but we already knew that. No information yet on some of the others.

[gtsoc]

Eric Savoie will be running for Saint John Councillor in Ward 3:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584602725008

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by gtsoc

Eric Savoie will be running for Saint John Councillor in Ward 3:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584602725008

Would certainly be an upgrade to Gerry Lowe!