Shep the bird statue returns to Dorchester, N.B., but not without controversy

The return of Shep was a welcome sight for lots of folks in the village of Dorchester, N.B., but some are questioning how she got there.

The new semipalmated sandpiper sculpture, named after the nearby Shepody Bay, was installed by locals on Saturday.

An earlier, wooden-version was rotting and removed three years ago, and village council had been trying to get a replacement ever since.

When Dorchester amalgamated with the Town of Sackville on Jan. 1, replacing Shep didn't seem like much of a priority.

The new, more durable bird was commissioned for the village, but paid for with private money.

Former mayor and current Tantramar councillor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell said the whole process of getting a new sculpture had to go back to square one again and that was a concern to some members of the community.

The sculpture cost $9,300, but Wiggins-Colwell won't say who paid for it.

"The community response was just unbelievable. We could have paid for it four times over," said Wiggins-Colwell.

Tantramar Mayor Andrew Black told the Canadian Press council did not commission the work, nor request or approve the installation on land owned by the new municipality.

"So, it's a little glitch that has to be cleared up with council," said Wiggins-Colwell.

It's more than a little glitch to Bill Steele.

The Dorchester Jail owner thinks having Shep in the village square is great, but he questions the whole process.

"I'm asking a lot of questions. I'm holding the government accountable," said Steele. "How did this get restored? Who funded it? Is this now a privately paid thing that somebody still owns? That's the problem. We need transparency behind these things. What happened with this? How did it get here? It's great that it's back. Lots of people have been stopping, but the process behind it, I have a problem with."

Steele says there's a procurement process that must be followed.

"You can't go out on your own and do your own thing with assets," said Steele. "You can't really just do whatever you want. You have to follow the rules."

Dorchester resident Aaron Slight brought his family to take pictures.

He doesn't understand why there's so much controversy swirling around Shep.

"I mean, we don't have a lot anymore and we're getting less all of the time, so having something like this is very important to us," said Slight. "It should be here and it should not be taken away."

The sculpture is the work of New Brunswick artist Robin Hanson.

Volunteers transported Shep to Dorchester on Saturday, much to the delight of Wiggins-Colwell who called Shep a big boost for the village's economy.

"Tourism is a big thing in these small villages where people would just as soon stay on the highway and maybe go through to Halifax," she said.

Wiggins-Colwell was asked if Shep is a symbol of the village.

"It certainly is. As the lobster is to Shediac," she said.

The Shep situation is expected to be discussed by Tantramar council in Sackville on Tuesday.