Development of Fredericton's Exhibition Grounds underway with new committee

Housing development plans for Fredericton's Exhibition Grounds are forging on with a new committee overseeing the plan.

Five councillors and five board members of the exhibition will be deciding how the historic property moves forward.

Mayor Kate Rogers said they're committed to making 20 per cent of the housing developed on the property affordable -- with one caveat.

"Really, to make that possible, we need the federal government there providing funds,” Rogers said.

“We need the provincial government providing programs particularly in subsidization,” Rogers said.

Housing advocates in the capital are concerned that they'll be relying on the national housing strategy to subsidize affordable units.

"What they're hoping for I believe is federal funding through national housing strategy,” said Matthew Hayes, with NB Coalition for Tenants Rights.

“That funding has been reported by several housing experts as being completely inadequate,” Hayes said.

The community also has concerns with the project.

According to a statement from Calvin Thompson, the city of Fredericton's manager of First Nation relations:

"The NBEX engagement process was initiated in 2021 with the Wolastoqey Nation In New Brunswick (WNNB). As the plan develops, engagement with Wolastoqey Nation will continue and evolve."

But Wolastoqey Grand Chief Ron Tremblay said that consultation alone is not enough.

"It's heartbreaking,” said Tremblay.

“Knowing the fact that we've tried to push forward with the truth and reconciliation calls to action, dealing with the lands and especially us getting some land back, that was stolen from us,” Tremblay said.

"The priorities for Indigenous people, we recognize that our calls for housing justice are taking place in a colonial context,” Hayes said.

“We want to try to make sure we are mitigating that as much as we can,” he said.

No timeline for development of the land has been announced, neither has a first meeting date for the new committee overseeing the future of the project.

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