Contact: info@reddotshediacbay.org

Our Accomplishments

Red Dot Association

The Association was founded in 2014 and incorporated on December 14, 2016. Our Red Dot mission is to ensure the future viability of our coastal areas in terms of economic and community growth through... Read More

advances in environmental protection. Since its inception, members of RED DOT have spent countless hours attending meetings and conferences and reading hundreds of documents to understand the complexities of environmental issues. As a result, we have concluded that current legislation and myriad policies and guidelines do not provide adequate protection for coastal areas and wetlands. As of the end of 2023, the Red Dot Association has over 2000 supporters of which over 500 are property owners or lessors in Pointe-du-Chêne.


Red Dot Involvement in the Shediac Bay Watershed Association (SBWA)

In the summer of 2014, Red Dot members joined the Board of the Shediac Bay Watershed Association (SBWA) and raised the issue about contamination at Parlee Beach. A water quality committee... Read More

was formed with one of our members as the lead. The lead member prepared a draft briefing note for the Minister of Health with all the lab test results that had been received from the Department of Health through Access to Information Act requests. The briefing note included a cover email that mentioned the issue of fecal contamination had been investigated almost 20 years before and was the reason SBWA was formed. The lead member recommended that the Watershed Association undertake DNA samples of the water for analysis. The samples clearly indicated that there was human fecal matter contaminating the water. Red Dot continues to monitor water quality at Parlee Beach and Shediac Bay.


Mega Campground

In February 2014, a presentation was made to Town Council of Shediac proposing a 750-site campground. Red Dots attended town council meetings regarding land annexed from the... Read More

Anglican Parish to the Town of Shediac and the by-law containing 14 conditions regarding the campground development. In 2017 through the efforts of the Red Dots, the property was delineated by the Department of the Environment to show more wetlands than anticipated. In June 2019, the campground plan was reduced to 111 sites. The original condition to start development in 2 years was extended 3 times to 2021. In 2017, a GNB minister who was a proponent of the campground recused himself from the project. In 2015, an illegal trail was built on Park wetlands and was properly relocated in June 2018. In 2020, the Red Dot Association wrote a detailed comprehensive plan for an ecological park to replace any plans of a future trailer park proposed by the Anglican Parish of Shediac. Because of continued involvement by the Red Dots and concerns raised about environmental issues by residents, the Anglican Parish changed their priorities to a more environmentally friendly plan. As of today, we are not aware of any proposed development for this property.


Education at the market

During the summers of 2014-2017, RED DOTs opened and operated a booth at the Sunday Farmers’ Market in Shediac in order to inform locals and tourists about the threat to the wetlands and the need... Read More

to protect them from development that would be harmful to the surrounding community of Pointe-du-Chêne. Red Dot produced signs saying “No Mega Campground Here” which were prominently displayed on residential properties. Each week we received enthusiastic support and collected over 800 signatures on a petition to protect the wetlands along the Northumberland Strait.


Open Letter to Anglican Church

Several members of the Red Dot Executive visited the Anglican Parish of Shediac, attended the services and met with members of the vestry. In an effort to make Anglican congregations... Read More

understand the importance of stewardship and protecting the environment, Red Dot sent letters and announcements to the Bishop of Fredericton and all Anglican parishes in New Brunswick.


Appeals through the Community Act directed at Premier and Environment Minister

Following concerns about amendments to municipal bylaws and the Shediac Municipal Development Plan, a Public Hearing was held in Shediac concerning Victor Boudreau’s campground... Read More

development and by-law amendments to enable the development. No consideration was given by Members of Council to any of the public concerns raised at the hearing. The amendments were passed without discussion or contemplation of the interests or concerns of more than 2000 Shediac and Point du Chéne residents. Residents of Shediac-Point du Chéne appealed the Council’s decision to the New Brunswick Assessment and Planning Appeal Board. Acting Chairman, Robert M. Boudreau responded that the Board had no jurisdiction to hear our appeal and that any appeal should be directed to the Court of Queen’s Bench or the next municipal election.

Red Dots sent a letter to then Premier Brian Gallant regarding public outcry over changes to municipal bylaws and the Shediac Municipal Development Plan that allows the campground to go forward, and conflict of interest by government officials. A letter was also sent to Hon. Brian Kenny, Minister of Environment & Local Government, who replied that he had no authority to intervene in the matter. All issues raised by Red Dot and the public were disregarded at all levels of government.


Parlee Beach Water Quality Initiative

Red Dot actively communicated with the Department of Environment and Local Government to address water quality issues that were first reported to Shediac administration in... Read More

2016. This resulted in the replacement of a decades-old water testing protocol designed to minimize the negative impacts of poor water quality on tourism. As of June 2018, the Canadian Recreational Water Quality Guidelines govern water quality testing at all provincial parks. Red Dots continue to monitor progress on the 14 recommendations presented in the April 2018 Parlee Beach Water Quality Report. The Red Dot Association continues to lobby for qPCR water quality testing over the present system which posts results 24 hours after the samples are taken.


Seeking transparency

In 2016 Red Dots sent an extensive document to Premier Gallant containing data about the water quality at Parlee Beach and made a series of recommendations. We were successful in... Read More

using the government records to show that the concerns were valid and that the problems needed to be resolved. The Press were copied on the letter and they became involved with the CBC launching their own investigation. Red Dot members responded to numerous media requests for interviews.


Tidal creek identified as major source of contamination

Dept of Environment questioned where this issue stands following the Rouselle Report. Out of these reports came an EIA study of the state of the Tidal Creek and its lack of flushing.... Read More

A continued request for the status of this report was responded to by the Red Dots page by page. In 2023, the Department of Tourism announced a new lift station that will remove contaminated surface water before dredging the creek in 2024.


Informing through social media

In 2016 Red Dots started a Facebook Page titled “I Love Parlee Beach” to raise issues about the water quality at Parlee Beach and to keep people informed with how these issues were being... Read More

resolved. The media joined the Facebook page and follow the discussions. Throughout 2015-2023 Red Dots keep their now 1000 concerned followers informed through a bi-monthly newsletter. We encouraged people to write to the government and local newspapers.


Dog Waste Initiative

In response to the water quality issues at Parlee and surrounding beaches, the Red Dots suggested addressing the issue of dog waste littering the beaches and nearby trails. To that end, a... Read More

dog waste station prototype was designed in 2017. A request was sent to the Department of Health and the proposal was approved and funding granted.


Upgrade of Parlee Beach Sewerage System

Through the Access to Information Act, RED DOT became aware that the sewage lines were not functionally properly. RED DOT filed a formal complaint with the RCMP indicating... Read More

where provincial guidelines and statements in regulations were not being followed. Replacement of these pipes, and the removal of the park’s lift station, began in the spring of 2018 and was completed for the 2019 season.


Peaceful Demonstration

Another approach employed by the RED DOT Association to bring awareness to our concerns to sustain healthy wetlands and correct the problems related to the poor water quality at... Read More

Parlee Beach was a demonstration march in July 2017. Approximately 250 concerned citizens marched the entire length of Main Street in Shediac culminating at Town Hall where speeches were presented to illustrate how important the issues are and to call upon politicians to get involved. Extensive media coverage of this event helped to further educate the public about the serious environmental impact of the loss of the valuable wetlands. Poor water quality was highlighted as a public health problem.


Organizing a Conference

Red Dot Association, with the support of NBEN, was the lead organizer of the SWWAT Atlantic Conference on Coastal Protection and Restoration held April 23 and 24, 2018 with ... Read More

keynote speakers including Autumn Peltier, an Indigenous youth spokesperson. The objective of the conference was to increase public awareness of the importance of watershed lands and the role of wetlands in absorbing storm surges. There were 160 participants in attendance at the conference.


Who is SWWAT?

SWWAT is a community of seasonal and full-time residents who treasure the shoreline and its beautiful waterscapes from Shediac to Murray Beach. The goal of SWWAT is to inform ... Read More

government, and to encourage them to act now to correct current problems and prevent future ones. SWWAT is asking for a moratorium on commercial coastal development until the multiple sources of contamination are determined and corrected.


Beth McLaughlin Environmental Journalism Award October 14, 2018

Honourable mention was awarded to Red Dots for the substantial citizen activism involved in writing scores of letters-to-the-editors, giving interviews to reporters, filing multiple ... Read More

Access to Information Act requests and communicating directly with the provincial politicians responsible for protecting our environment and health.


Hosting a "Meet the Candidates Night" for the Provincial Election

Candidates for the upcoming Provincial elections were extend an invitation to participate in the Shediac-Beaubassin all-candidates’ discussion and debate on Thursday August 30, 2018.... Read More

The subject of discussion was SWWAT’s Report and Recommendations concerning coastal wetlands. The recommendations were generated by the 160 plus delegates who attended the April 23, 2018 SWWAT Atlantic Conference Protection and Restoration of Coastal Wetlands held at the Multi-purpose Centre in Shediac. One of the 4 questions Candidates were asked to answer was,” If elected, what would be your priorities for preserving the environment in the face of sea level rise, climate change, increased tourism and coastline development? PC Marcel Doiron, NDP Lisa Potvin and Greta Doucet representing the Green Party attended the meeting.


Public Education and Awareness

Public education and awareness are cornerstones of the work accomplished to date by Red Dot and its affiliates. Listening, learning, and sharing accurate science-based information was... Read More

part of many conversations. And most notably, several presentations were organized and delivered over the four-year period since the inception of the Red Dot Association and later its affiliate SWWAT (Save our Waters, Wetlands and Tourism). T-shirts displaying “Save our Shores” were worn by residents.


Dialogue with our Future Generation

With our responsibilities toward the next generation in mind, Red Dot also reached out to the local Shediac high school, Polyvalente Louis J. Robichaud, to engage the students in... Read More

a dialogue on the importance of our water resources. A formidable speaker, Autumn Peltier, who was also our conference keynote speaker at the Atlantic Conference on Coastal Conservation and Restoration on April 23-24, 2018, agreed to present her story and her quest to the students and their teachers.


Acquiring the PDC Lighthouses

Shortly after major renovations to both buildings, the Canadian Coast Guard determined the 2 lighthouses were not needed for navigational purposes. Red Dot Association immediately ... Read More

began discussions with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to acquire the lighthouses and submitted a business plan in 2022. We continue to get updates on the First Nations consultation process and are awaiting the decision on our plan.


Shediac exempt from their own By-Law at Rotary Park

On June 23, 2020, the Red Dot Association sent a letter to Mayor Caissie to raise concern about the Town’s plan to exempt Rotary Park from the SLR zone. It referred specifically to ... Read More

amendments to P14-36-6P of the town’s Municipal Development Plan by-law and Z14-44-31Z of the town’s Zoning by-law. This would allow buildings in the sea level rise zone to be moved without adhering to the requirement to be elevated to 4.3 metres. These amendments are contrary to all evidence of climate change and sea level rise including the province’s policy concerning coastal flooding, the towns own by-laws, recommendations of Regional Service Commission 7, and the Town of Shediac’s Planning Advisory Board (PRAC). On June 29, 2020, Bill Beliveau made a presentation to town council expressing his concerns and stated, “Council wants to exempt the Town of Shediac from its own by-law. Hypocrisy is clear in the message conveyed, “Do as I say not as I do”. Despite the Red Dots and public expressed concerns, Shediac continued the project with the exemptions.


Establishment of Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan

The Government of New Brunswick is committed to the protection of water quality. In recent years, water quality at Parlee Beach has been an area of concern for residents and visitors.... Read More

Of the 14 recommendations presented to government by the Steering Committee in its final report in 2018, the development of a Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan (WMP) was identified as an important next step in addressing water quality concerns in the Shediac Bay Watershed. A sample of the many actions and solutions were water quality and stormwater management, education and awareness, land development, regulations, compliance and enforcement, and wetlands, buffers and riparian zone management.


Response to Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan

In August 2020, executive members of the Red Dot Association of Shediac Bay and Save Wetlands, Waters and Tourism Group (SWWAT) send a letter to the Department of Environment ... Read More

and Local Government requesting answers to 15 questions in the following 5 categories regarding the Water Management Plan (WMP): What is the intent and scope of the Management Plan, How will the end result differ from many other studies/reports, Public participation, Provincial responsibility, and our Association’s involvement.


Proposal for the Conservation of PDC Wetland

This proposal is derived from the working relationship begun between the Anglican Parish of Shediac and the Red Dot Association of Shediac Bay. Knowing that one of the key pillars of... Read More

the Anglican church is stewardship of the earth, the Red Dot Association submitted this proposal.

Main Objectives:

  • Maintain flora and fauna.
  • Minimize contamination from water run-off.
  • Reduce threats to personal safety by storm surges.
  • Protect coastal and inland areas from storm surges.
  • Minimize expenditures (storm damage repair, and control of coastal erosion)
  • Offer a year-round eco-tourism experience.
  • Wetlands play an essential role in water management. They are water towers, flood-control reservoirs and filtration plants. Wetlands are also critical in stopping the current crisis of wildlife extinction. Marshes, swamps and bogs provide habitat for hundreds of Canada’s species at risk like the Eastern Pe-wee. We need to ensure that in Canada’s new pledge to protect 30 percent of our lands and inland waters by 2030 that important wetlands such as this one are among them. While protecting biodiversity, an eco-park will help these two communities to adapt to a changing climate. It will signal a changing relationship between us and the natural world. This area was identified as a unique feature of the environment in 2017.

Climate Action letters to like-minded environmental groups

The associations SWWAT (Save Wetlands, Water and Tourism) and the Red Dot Association of Shediac Bay wrote to like-minded associations whose mandate includes conservation,... Read More

environmental concerns and eco-tourism along the coast from Kouchibouguac to Murray Beach. If there was enough interest, we would have applied for a joint project grant called the Community-based climate action request for proposals at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The objective of this request for proposals was to support projects that would develop knowledge, tools and/or skills that engage communities in climate action. The types of support, outreach and resources provided through Community-based climate action projects included workshops, networking, training, virtual platforms, climate awareness activities – including those related to Indigenous Knowledge and more. These activities would enable communities to act on climate change. The CAF was contributing up to $15 million over five years to support Community-based climate action projects. In partnership with Save Wetlands, Waters and Tourism (SWWAT), the Red Dot Association applied for funding to begin the creation of a network of trails along our coastline but unfortunately our application for funds was not approved.


Parlee Beach Water Quality Update

The Red Dot Association was able to attend the public session related to the EIA of the GSSC Wastewater Treatment Facility Up-Grade. One of the reasons we were there was because... Read More

we hoped that there would be some commentary on the documents that the public had provided. Unfortunately, these were not referred to. One of our most significant recommendations had been concerning Parlee Beach. Red Dot sent a letter to Crystale Harty, Department of Environment and Local Government to state our continued concerns about water quality at Parlee Beach.

The draft plan for the Shediac Bay Watershed states that it will implement actions to help protect and improve water quality in the Shediac Bay Watershed. This will in turn help maintain good water quality at Parlee Beach. The GSSC is not studying the impacts of the diffusing of treated sewage on the water quality of Parlee Beach, and the SBWA has no projects related to Parlee Beach. We understood that diminished water quality at Parlee Beach was the reason the Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan was initiated and one of the principal reasons the Greater Shediac Sewage Commission’s Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade is occurring.


Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan

In April 2021, the Red Dot Association developed a Power Point presentation that identified the following concerns with the proposed upgrade to the Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF):... Read More
  • Lack of Compliance with Sector Guidelines for Wastewater Treatment
  • Low Standard for Effluent Quality
  • No Design for Outfall Pipe and Diffuser System
  • Failure to Address the GSSC Collection System
  • Planned Bypass of Untreated Sewage
  • Insufficient Attention to Climate Change
  • No Maintenance Plan
  • Failure to Address Parlee Beach as a Unique Feature of the Environment

Each concern was reviewed in detail in the presentation. Additionally, Red Dot send 4 letters to the Greater Shediac Sewerage Commission with many additional questions and concerns about the project EIA and the lack of or insufficient responses to our concerns. Red Dot continues to be engaged in the progress of this project.


Orange Floating Experiment

Red Dot Association continues to have concerns that discharge from the GSSC water treatment plant is migrating westward and causing poor water quality event at Parlee Beach.... Read More

On July 13 and 23, 2021, oranges were marked for identification and thrown into the strait at 9 different locations. Although some oranges were lost to tides and winds, all of the oranges that were recovered over the two-day period had moved in a westerly direction.


Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP)

Pointe du Chêne is one of the few communities along the eastern coast that does not have a Climate Change Adaptation Plans. Although they had been heavily impacted by 4 major storms... Read More

in the past 20 years, they did not quality for ETF funding as a Local Service District. The Red Dot Association decided to develop and submit to the Environmental Trust Fund a business plan to develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the community of Pointe du Chêne.


Brulé Campground (Shediac Camping Resort) Proposal

Red Dot Association joined the West Brule Community Association to oppose the development of a 230 site campground in West Brule adjacent to Parlee Beach. The landowner ... Read More

illegally dumped 10,000 loads of fill on the site in 2003, destroying regulated wetland and 3 acres of Provincially Significant Wetland. Despite a Ministerial order, the wetland was never restored. The development was stalled in 2016 because the sightlines at the intersection of Rt.133 did not meet DTI regulations. However, in 2022-2023 DTI considered implementing less restrictive safety standards. After much pushback by our associations and public outcry about environmental issues, the development was put on hold because of the existing unsafe sightlines at the intersection. There was never a 2 for 1 wetland compensation or restoration for the Provincially Significant Wetland.


Dog Waste initiative Update

17 waste containers are now distributed throughout Shediac, Point du Chene, Cape Acadie, Barachois, Robichaud and Cormier Village. The program continues to be funded by ETF... Read More

and is administered by the Red Dots.

The dog waste project has completed its 6th year and once again has proven to be effective and appreciated. The usage of these stations has increased each year due to their popularity and convenience. Clean trails and beach areas are what people want and expect. The stations collected approximately 6,000 lbs over the summer.


Climate Change Adaptation Plan

Red Dot was advised that funding was approved by ETF. A Steering Committee of community stakeholders was elected and voted to retain the engineering firm CBCL as consultants to ... Read More

research and draft the CCAP. We conducted a successful public consultation meeting to discuss results of a survey of 119 residents and concerned citizens and an update of the status of the project. Completion of the adaptation plan will be March 2024 following presentation to Shediac Town Council for adoption.


EIA on Tidal Creek and the channel assessment study update

Two Red Dot board members and a member from the Shediac Board Association were among the invited attendees by THC to a meeting to review capital projects to improve water quality ... Read More

and surface water contamination in the Tidal Creek. These projects are to be completed in conjunction with the EIA prepared by Englobe in 2022 and will address surface water that comes into the lagoon from Parlee Beach Provincial Park, parking lots and the community. Bioswales (cattails) will be built around the lagoon. Tenders were to go out in early November to build a new lift station with a UV system to purify the water entering the lagoon. Dredging of the creek will only occur next fall (2024) after this lift station has been purifying the water through next summer season with three catch basins. The dredging may coincide with beach replenishment. Following the dredging, the tidal creek will have winter and spring of 2025 to clear out the remaining contaminating water into the bay.


GSSC Wastewater Treatment Facility Update

A meeting was held on June 2, 2023 at the GSSC facility to update the current status of the waste water treatment plant upgrade and general discussion. Joey Frenette made a... Read More

presentation on the history of the GSSC and an update of the project. He stated that they provide service to 93% of the amalgamated town of Shediac. Chris explained that the project was delayed because of the high price of fuel and the delay in getting federal funding for the next phase. The original cost estimate of $32M is now expected to be $50M. When asked if the new plant would have sufficient capacity to meet the extensive development in the GSSC service district, Joey, Chris and Harry explained that capacity is not the issue, but sewage collection is a problem because of undersized piping in areas of new development. There was a lot of discussion about the proposed location of the outfall pipe. Although the location has been deemed to meet minimum requirements, there are concerns that meeting minimum requirements is not appropriate for a location adjacent to public beaches.

There are concerns that discharge from the GSSC treatment plant could be causing Parlee Beach water quality issue. Chris stated a Parlee Beach water quality study that he was involved with identified no sources of contamination. Harry stated that the public doesn’t appreciate the quality of water released from their facility, best in the province, while there are many other sources of contamination. Michael Chadwick stated that every day, many bags of nutrients get deposited in the water at Cap Brule from the treatment plant, resulting in an infestation of algae on the ocean floor hundreds of meters wide from Parlee Beach to Cap Bimet. Nutrient removal is expensive but should be considered in the GSSC upgrade in order to protect our beaches and coastal waters. Jolyne stated there are many sources of contamination finding ways into the Bay, and people generally don’t think about water run-off as causing contamination.

There were comments that residents don’t feel they are getting regular communication regarding the project or results of studies and reviews as well as responses to public inquiries or recommendations. Joey stated that all new and relevant information is being posted on the GSSC website for public review. Tim stated that the Red Dot Association entered the EIA process on the enhancement of the GSSC facility with an understanding that we could build relationships with the GSSC committee, Dept. of Environment, the Federal Government, and the project management company Englobe. From our standpoint, this has not happened. John Filliter, Past President, CBCA, requested that GSSC notify immediately the Cap Brule Community Association of any overflow event of the Lift Station (#12) which empties on the Cap Brule beach. Bill Vance, President, CBCA, confirmed this information can be received by him and quickly reported to the residents. Don LeBlanc suggested that any Lift Station overflows be reported promptly to the residents/tourists via media and social media.


Parlee Beach Water Quality Issues 2023

Many residents and tourists in Pointe-du-Chêne and Cap Brulé experienced significant water quality issues, often 20 - 30 times higher than the Canadian Recreational Water ... Read More

Quality Guidelines allow. This resulted in 23 no swimming advisories with 16 occurring in August and early September. The following results were recorded one day during this period:

2023.09.01 E-coli counts 4514.2 613 2143 12997 9804 11199 CFU/100 ml
Enterococcus 1033.1 160 479 4884 1467 2143 MPN/100 ml

Families unknowingly swam in this severely contaminated water because the test results were not posted until the next day. This delay of test results provides no protection for swimmers and that is why the Red Dots have been pushing for qPCR testing for Parlee Beach. Given the total results for the summer, if the Blue Flag testing protocol didn’t allow choosing which results could be used, Parlee Beach would no longer meet the standard of a Blue Flag beach.

At least nine letters were written to the Minister of Health, Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Tourism and their Assistant Deputy Ministers. The letters came from different people and included quotes from government documents, graphs of the contamination levels, the importance of qPRC testing and personal anecdotes from people who had become seriously ill a day after they had been swimming. Minister Crossman replied to several of these letters, but his responses did not address these questions. There was no response from the Minister of Health.


Pointe du Chene CCAP document completed by CBCL on March 1, 2024

The final draft of the Pointe du Chene Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP) was completed by CBCL on March 1, 2024... Read More

Link to Pointe du Chene CCAP final report:

2024 Pointe-du-Chêne CCAP_Final Report (4)


CCAP was presented to the Shediac Town Council at the March 18, 2024 council meeting.

The presentation of the Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Pointe-du-Chêne was delivered by CBCL engineers  -Lindsay Bolton and Lindsay Allen... Read More
Click link to see Summary Presentation.
As a result of the presentation Harry McInroy, Town Counsellor for Pointe du Chene, introduced the following motion. This motion was passed unanimously by the Shediac Town Council.

 

Pointe du Chene Climate Change Adaptation Plan

Motion to Council – Harry McInroy, Town Counsellor for Pointe du Chene

Presentation to Shediac Town Council March 18th 2024

I wish to acknowledge the ongoing vigilance of The Red Dot Association in its mission to improve and protect the environment.

My thanks to that organization for spearheading this important process on behalf of the Community of Pointe du Chene, and The Town of Shediac. I also express my appreciation to all who participated in the development of the Plan presented this evening.

With that, I move that the “Pointe du Chene Climate Change Adaptation Plan” presented by CBCL on behalf of the Red Dot Association, be referred to staff for review and recommendations, leading to the adoption of the Plan by Town Council in a timely manner.

Harry McInroy, Counsellor for Pointe du Chene on the Shediac Town Council

Passed unanimously


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