Keeping our senior citizens safe

The Shediac Fire Department and the town of Shediac want to make sure that all our seniors are taken care of in the event of a major crisis or disaster.

The Registry will provide the fire department with the necessary information to contact seniors in the event of a disaster or major crisis.

Red Dots Association Discussion notes with Elizabeth May and Jean Bourgeois

Pointe du Chene Community Centre

October 15, 2024. 4:30 pm

Attendance:
Red Dots members: Tim Borlase, Trudy Bridges, Angele Wilson (Photographer), Kristin Gauvin, Helen Wedge, Don LeBlanc, Janet LeBlanc, Janet Coates, Paul Jones, Gus Mardly, Kathy Stratton, John Filliter, Harry McInroy, Jean Short, Helen Wedge (Recorder)

Discussion opened with introductions of attendees. Jean Bourgeois, local candidate for Green Party, introduced Elizabeth May and provided a brief background of her accomplishments as National Leader of the Green Party. Mr. Bourgeois also provided Ms. May with an overview of the climate change issues, particularly flooding, of the Pointe du Chene area. He also spoke about the difficulties that the Red Dots have been experiencing in regards to the Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP) that they developed and finalized in March , 2024. The Town of Shediac has adopted the plan “in principle “but there has been no real progress in implementing that plan to date. Harry McInroy made a correction to this statement by informing the group that the Town Fire Department has produced and are circulating a registry for seniors that will identify where they live and what needs they might have in event of an emergency or disaster. This was one of the actions recommended in the CCAP.
Tim Borlase gave a brief description of the origin of the name chosen for our association, Red Dots, and the projects undertaken to date. He also emphasized that more work needs to be done by local and provincial governments to mitigate effects of flooding in the area and this will require sizeable amounts of funding from all levels of government. There is no storm water infrastructure or storm water management plan for the Pointe du Chene area.
Elizabeth May responded by acknowledging our problems and frustration with the ongoing situation. She feels that big companies are not doing their part in reducing carbon emissions that are driving the climate changes and consequent disasters such as wild fires, drought, land erosion and flooding. Lines of communication before, during and after disasters need to be in every Emergency Response Plan. These plans can not be totally generic as each area suffers a different impact. She encouraged our group to keep actively pushing for our particular needs such as Emergency Preparedness Planning. She went on to strongly encourage us to pursue funding through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF), a program sponsored by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Elizabeth offered some suggestions on what has worked in situations in British Columbia that have needed to determine effective decision – making. What seems to have worked is small representative groups which contain one representative who stands for each jurisdiction (for example a fed, prov, municipal rep, a citizen, a member of an Indigenous group, a youth, a new Canadian). After a discussion the group reports back its recommendation and the recommendation is shared with the public and the individual groups involved.
A short question period followed. Main concerns were related to getting funding for some concrete projects that could be undertaken now. Again Ms. May advised applying for funds through the GMF. She also discussed the creation of the Green Party’s Climate Change and the fact that it is presently being revisited.
Session ended ~4:40 . Tim thanked Ms. May and Mr. Bourgeois for their invitation to meet with our association. Ms. May welcomed any future communication from the association and was thankful to have met with the Red Dots.

Please Note:  RDASB is not affiliated with any political party, we welcome all who express interest in the affects of climate change on our community.

It is an ‘essential step,’ Bill Ross of the Red Dot Assocation in Shediac says of timely testing

Ben Ford · CBC News · Posted: Jul 13, 2024 6:00 AM ADT | Last Updated: July 13

A trial water-testing program at Parlee Beach is producing same-day results — they’re just not provided to anyone thinking of a swim.

It’s frustrating that swimmers don’t have access to same-day data about water quality at Parlee Beach, said Bill Ross, a resident of Shediac and a member of the Red Dot Association of Shediac Bay, which has followed water problems in the area.

“It’s important that we have a test result in a timely manner,” he said.

In a phone conversation, Ross said he was aware a pilot project involving same-day water testing was in progress, but unaware of any details, including data collection.

The beach on the Northumberland Strait has had a long and rocky history of water-quality problems, with fecal counts some years that exceeded limits and forced the provincial park to warn swimmers away for days at a time.

So far this year, the beach has posted three No Swimming advisories, two in June, and the most recent on Friday. In each case, the advisory was based on samples taken for testing the day before.

The test results shared with the public are culture-based and take 24 hours, from sampling to being posted at the beach or online, the Environment Department says.

WATCH | ‘I’m hopeful,’ says Bill Ross of the Red Dot Association: 

Beachgoers aren’t getting results of same-day testing at Parlee Beach

Parlee Beach is in its second year of testing a new water-quality monitoring system to reduce the time from sample to result from 24 hours to just over three hours. But the public isn’t reaping the benefits.

The pilot project that began at Parlee last summer uses a different kind of test, called a qPCR test, which stands for quantitative polymerase chain reaction, said Clarissa Andersen, spokesperson for the Environment Department.

These results can be available in a little over three hours, said Jeremy Duguay, an applications scientist at LuminUltra, a biological diagnostic testing company with headquarters in Fredericton.

The qPCR  method works by using DNA technology, Duguay said.

It “allows you to select an organism based on a unique DNA signature,” he said. From this, a lab can to quantify how much of a particular organism is present in a sample.

When asked what the Environment Department’s concerns are about making the pilot’s daily test results available to the public, Andersen directed a reporter to a website where the results of the culture-based tests are posted.

The culture method is used by some beaches across the country, she said.

Andersen said the pilot project will continue this summer, but no decision has been made about whether to use it after that.

For the Red Dot Association, which has been tracking the water quality issues at Parlee Beach since 2014, the new testing method is an ‘essential step.”

“So I’m hopeful,” Ross said.

Beaches in North America have been struggling with the 24-hour delay in water results “for a long time,” said Gregary Ford of the Swim Drink Fish organization, a group that helps educate people on the importance of clean water for swimming, drinking and fishing.

If regularly used, the qPCR technology can help officials understand the source of pollution in specific waters, and  “do something about it,” Ford said.

In a news release earlier this month, the Department of Tourism announced that $4 million would be spent on work at Parlee Beach Provincial Park.

• The secret history of Parlee Beach water testing

• Water quality testing protocol expanded to 8 provincial park beaches

The work includes a new storm water collection system, “which will direct runoff to a pumping facility where it will be treated with cartridge filters and undergo UV disinfection.”

The announcement from Tourism Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace didn’t mention the new water-testing technology.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ben Ford

Journalist

Ben Ford is a reporter at CBC. He can be reached at benjamin.ford@cbc.ca

Work underway to improve Parlee Beach water quality

Province sets aside $4.4 million for project

Author of the article:  Barbara Simpson

READ MORE

Pointe du Chene Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP)

The final draft of the CCAP was completed by CBCL on March 1, 2024 and was presented to the Shediac Town Council at the March 18, 2024 council meeting.

Link to Pointe du Chene CCAP final report:

2024 Pointe-du-Chêne CCAP_Final Report (4)

January 24th, 2024

Public Consulation Meeting – Shediac Hotel

NBEN Presentation – Assessing coastal flood and erosion risks in relation to climate change and future sea level rise.

Presenters:

Dominic Berube, Morphologist, NB Natural Resources and Energy Development

Meher Chelbi, Geometics Specialist, 2 Pixel Geometics Ltd

Destructive storms like Hurricane Fiona could happen annually by 2100, climate modelling shows

Pointe-du-Chêne Climate Change Adaptation Plan: Progress Update

CBCL is currently supporting The Red Dot Association in development of a Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP) for Pointe-du-Chêne. Climate throughout New Brunswick has notably changed over the past several decades, including warmer, wetter, and stormier conditions, which have had significant impacts on the community and its residents. The goal of the CCAP is to identify areas within the community that are at the highest risk from climate change impacts, including infrastructure assets, people, and the environment, and develop adaptation recommendations that aim to reduce associated risk.

To date, CBCL has completed the following tasks related to the CCAP development:

• Reviewed technical documents and previous relevant assessments to gather insight on existing conditions of infrastructure, the environment, and asset management within the community.
• Hosted a public engagement session on December 5^th, 2024, to hear from residents, property owners, and community representatives on key issues that have impacted them in the past, or potential future impacts that may be of concern.
• Liaised with members from the provincial government to understand ongoing and future planned work at Parlee Beach.
• Engaged with representatives from key community organizations, such as the Greater Shediac Sewerage Commission, the Shediac Bay Watershed Association, and the Pointe-du- Chêne wharf to understand ongoing work and future planned projects in the community.

As the project progresses, recommendations will be developed for key risks identified, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Coastal erosion and flooding impacts to the natural and built environment from extreme water levels and hurricanes.
• Surface water management during and following heavy precipitation events.
• Water quality issues and management of municipal wastewater.
• Emergency response planning and management during extreme events.
• Education and engagement with residents and property owners to support further understanding of impacts and individual actions that can be taken towards adaptation.
• Communication and collaboration with relevant organizations to support a holistic approach to climate change adaptation.

Recommendations will be developed in the coming weeks and delivered to the Red Dot Association and the project’s Steering Committee in early February for discussion, comment, and approval. Feedback will be incorporated into a final CCAP report, which has a planned delivery date of March 1^st, 2024.

Once the CCAP document is finalized by CBCL, the Red Dot Association, and the Steering Committee, the document will be put forward to the Shediac Town Council for final review and acceptance. This is intended to occur at the Town Council’s monthly meeting.

If you have any questions or additional information to contribute regarding the Climate Change Adaptation Plan, please contact the Red Dot Association through the contact information provided on the website.

Climate Change Adaptation Plan Public Meeting Minutes

PdC Community Centre

Meeting Minutes

Taken By: Lindsay Allen Date: December 5, 2023 Minutes of: Public Engagement Meeting
Attending: CBCL: Lindsay Bolton, Lindsay Allen, Red Dot Association Project Team: Arthur Melanson,
Tim Borlase, Bill Ross, Helen Wedge, Angele Wilson, Other: Members of the general public.
Copies to: New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund

The following meeting minutes provide a summary of the topics discussed at the Public Engagement
session for the Pointe-du-Chêne Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The meeting was held on December
5th at the Pointe-du-Chêne Community Centre. There was also a virtual option for members of the
public to attend the session via an online Zoom meeting.

1. Introduction
• Introduction led by Arthur Melanson who introduced himself and the Red Dot Association
• Overview of CBCL’s corporate profile and experience with climate change, coastal engineering, and
other relevant disciplines.
• Introduction of Lindsay Bolton (LB) – CBCL meeting lead (in person).
• Introduction of Lindsay Allen (LA) – CBCL meeting support (online).
2. Climate Change Adaptation Plan – General Overview
• CBCL reviewed the CCAP purpose and objectives, including the intent to develop a document that
provides an overview of how climate is changing and the reasons, and the intent to develop a document
that highlights key impacts, risks, and actionable items to mitigate risks.
• Brief overview of project steps, highlighting the importance of public engagement and this meeting.
Residents/property owners on the ground who are experiencing the impacts can provide valuable input
into what topics should be addressed in the CCAP.
• CBCL provided a list of assets that would be included in the assessment and discussed throughout the
meeting including the following: coastal environment, coastal infrastructure, private property and
development practices, transportation, sanitary infrastructure, stormwater management, energy
services, emergency services.
3. Overview of Climate Change Projections for Pointe-du-Chêne
• CBCL provided an overview of climate change projections for key climate parameters that have been
investigated for the assessment.
• CBCL explained the concepts of annual exceedance probability and return period to provide context to
participants prior to reviewing climate parameters.

o Annual Exceedance Probability: The probability that a given event (e.g., extreme rainfall) would occur
in any given year.
o Return Periods: The estimated average frequency between the occurrence of extreme events.
• Review of coastal projections
o Parameters included: 1 in 5-year event, 1 in 25-year event, 1 in 100-year event, Hurricanes.
o Projections for all parameters are noted in be increasing.
o GovNB Flood Maps were shown on screen and summarized for participants to provide context to what
these extreme water level events look like currently, and in the future.
• Review of precipitation projections
o Parameters included: 1 in 10-year (24hr), 1 In 100-year (24hr), number of days with snowfall >10cm,
ice accretion (1 in 20-year freezing rain),
o Projections are noted to be increasing for rainfall events. I.e., events are becoming more frequent, and
more intense.
o Projections for snowfall and ice accretion were noted to be decreasing in frequency.
• Review of temperature projections
o Projections included: Days above 30 degrees Celsius, number of annual freeze-thaw cycles
o Projections for days above 30 degrees are noted to be increasing
o Projections for freeze-thaw cycles are noted to be staying relatively consistent, however seasonally we
will see changes, i.e. more freeze thaw during winter, but less in total throughout the year.
• Review of extreme events projections
o Projections included: wildfire, lightning, drought.
4. Discussion on Historical and Potential Future Impacts from Climate Change
• CBCL briefly presented findings on high and moderate risks that have been identified through review
of background documents. Explained that in the rest of the meeting, each of these risks would be
discussed with the group to gather feedback on the public’s experiences during the relevant climate
conditions.
• Discussion on each topic is summarized in separate items below:
4.1 Emergency Response and Transportation Assets
• CBCL initiated discussion on existing emergency response practices in community, noting that it is a
potentially high-risk item due to minimal access routes, extreme flooding potential, and uncertainties
around office emergency response plans.
• Emergency Access:

o Public noted that there are two main access points used for emergency management organizations
(EMO), however, felt that we should be assessing all potential key access points (3 or 4 total) to make
sure those access points are adequate to maintain points of access to community in extreme flooding
event
o Parlee beach road in winter is closed: from provinces point of view, it’s not a true access road so it
isn’t maintained in the winter.
o Mentioned that a lot of cars are going down to shoreline during possible emergencies (e.g., storm
surge events) which can cause blockage for emergency vehicles.
o During last event (hurricane Fiona), there were also a lot of downed trees which caused major access
issues for emergency vehicles. Trees stayed there for more than 6-7 days. It’s not just the flooding that is
creating problems, it’s all the aftermath. Felt that community needed a cleanup protocol following
extreme events.
• Emergency Shelter/Warming Location:
o PDC community center is a warming center during an extreme event.
o Enough fuel to run for three days, full kitchen, 30 beds, Wi-Fi.
o Noted that generator is at ground level so potentially in flood zone in the future.
o Community is developing a plan on when to open it, i.e. what temperatures are extreme enough?
o CBCL question: Does everyone know where to go? Is communication adequate? Public Response:
Since Fiona they have been talking about it more. They put sign outside but could do more on
communication.
• Many people don’t know that Shediac has a fantastic senior registration program (medical conditions,
location, pets, etc.). The town has all this information on file. Shediac fire department is responsible for
this.
o If residents in PDC want to register with this system they can, but eventually they may need to do a
door-to-door system to get people to add themselves to the database.
• Noted there are no fire hydrants in PDC.
4.2 Private Infrastructure
• Groundwater Supply:
o Residents are on private wells. Wells were contaminated after Fiona. The wells were shocked and re-
tested, and back into service within a couple of days.
o Many people raised their wells recently to avoid contamination (so that top of well isn’t underwater,
capping system improved)
o Is using well water long term the solution? Should there be a municipal system?

o Shallow wells are much more susceptible than deep wells (21 ft vs 130 ft). For shallow wells in
cottages, residents wonder if there could there be a municipal plan to encourage all owners to have
their current well pipes renovated with new caps, etc.
o Debating cost benefit of municipal drinking water source vs. residential. Municipal source would be
the same aquifer, but source would be at a higher elevation outside the flood plain. It would also be
treated.
o Noted that not everyone would want to go on municipal water because they have already paid for
their wells.
o Noted that there has been discussion on putting line down Parlee Beach Road for firefighting services.
This is in very early stages of discussion.
• Education:
o A lot of landscapers/contractors who come in after an event aren’t educated on what they should be
doing to mitigate risk moving forward. Residents feel there needs to be more education to those
contractors about building back better.
o If someone was going to raise their property to protect from rising sea level, it would be more
advantageous to get advice on that because it could cause more problems than it fixes. Noted that
residents are not sure who to turn to for that information. Province, engineer, etc.? Residences would
like information on whether it’s practical to raise some of that infrastructure.
o Noted that the residents would also benefit from guidance on well water protection.
• Debris following emergency events:
o A lot of debris gets scattered during events. Fishing gear, garbage cans, hydraulic oil containers etc.
got washed off wharf, scattered on to private properties. No one came after Fiona to get their stuff from
properties. Seems property owners are on their own. Insurance doesn’t typically cover overland flooding
so residents are on their own.
o It was noted that town did set up big containers in PDC to collect debris after storm. Available for
people to drop garbage and debris from their properties.
o Oftentimes things from one property get moved to others or in some cases they are in “no man's
land”. Public questions who is responsible for its removal.
4.3. Sanitary Infrastructure
• Most people in town are connected to municipal sewer collection system, not on private septic tanks.
• Noted that a lot of sewer infrastructure in the community is old (50+years). Public has questions on
whether movement/displacement of sanitary pipes during storm could be occurring and leaching
contaminants.
• In PDC there is a program where they are replacing/lining existing sewer pipes. Liner is flexible. Good
way to upgrade systems/protect them with minimal disruption. Reason is that they are trying to prevent
as much inflow of stormwater into the sanitary system as possible.

• Stormwater was previously entering sewer causing overflow problems, but it is more watertight now.
• Noted that sanitary system at Parlee Beach was replaced/upgraded. It is all sealed without any
connection (manhole covers sealed, etc.). System was also increased in size/capacity.
4.4. Stormwater Infrastructure
• Public noted that stormwater throughout the community is not managed well.
• Not a lot of ditches in the community and they are not well maintained. Ditches aren’t well connected
and are full of sediment. People will also fill them in to get more yard, as roads in community are
generally private.
• Roads are narrow, therefore they automatically become ditches in some cases (i.e., water pools on
road). Nowhere for water to go.
• A lot of the problem is many of the roads are private therefore municipality cannot police what
happens with many ditches.
• Residents noted that they feel if there is a private road there should be a quality that has to be
maintained. Or province should be responsible. Major health and safety issue – don’t want to wait until
after an accident to do something.
• In the spring the roads become very muddy because of drainage issues. Noted that there are
additional emergency response issues related to ambulances getting stuck.
4.5. Coastal Environment and Infrastructure
• Environment:
o Public noted that there is a lot of erosion, and there is typically no cleanup or maintenance done
outside Parlee Beach provincial line.
o Belliveau beach does not have a nourishment program. This property is private and therefore left to
residents/community groups. Noted that there are many tourists who will move from Parlee Beach to
Belliveau Beach where the beach is not maintained. Understood that this area is not responsibility of
province, but it’s the same coastline and replenishment/nourishment should be occurring.
o With respect to beach replenishment, it seems that there has to be a more permanent solution so that
they are not every year spending money to take sand from flats/tidal creek inlet to beach and wait for it
to cut off tidal creek again the next year. Every year the sand moves west down to the inlet of the tidal
creek. Residents do not feel that dredging every year is a permanent solution.
o Public noted that the tidal creek lagoon has degraded over the last many years, especially after
hurricane or other extreme weather events. As the Park knows, the creek needs to be dredged, but the
end lagoon also needs to be protected and even restored as flooding from the lagoon seems to be a
major problem.
• Infrastructure:

o Noted that new homes have been built on raised properties in Belliveau Beach area with armor stone
frontage. During the last storm, these properties were not affected, but lower elevation properties were
impacted in ways they never were before. Resident’s questions whether a type of building code about
development at higher elevations could potentially increasing risk to residents at adjacent, lower
properties.
o CBCL question: Who invests/monitors erosion and armour stone around community? Response: For
people that live on the water there isn’t enough information to know what to do/best way to monitor.
Not enough information for homeowners to do the right thing.
o Residents noted that communities are not linking their CCAPs together, which is a concern because
the environment and risk does not stop at the town boundaries.
o Representative from PDC wharf noted that breakwater is so porous that sand migrates through it,
narrow harbor entrance is an issue. Four times the armor stone has been put along access road. Taking a
long time with permitting requirements today. Breakwater will start next fall (don’t want to do it in the
summer to disrupt tourism). Will cost about 10 million dollars to make the infrastructure more resilient.
4.6. Energy Services
• Public noted that quite a few people in the town have backup generators, however seniors in the
community sometimes struggle to get them operating and need support.
• Members of the public reiterated that emergency warming shelter exists with substantial emergency
power supply.
• Noted that the community ran out of gas during the last storm trying to keep generators running
during extended power outages, or that some gas stations did not have backup power to service
customers.
4.7. Other
• Some residents noted that since amalgamation, it is unclear who is responsible for communicating
important messages to residents. Previously the responsibility of the PDC Local Service District.
• Noted that residents would like to see update on Parlee Beach Park Tidal Creek Dredging Plan.

In communication with the Department of Tourism (Rob Lemmon and Martin MacMullen), RDASP learned that the Department has several capital projects designed to improve water quality and surface water contamination.  These projects are to be completed in conjunction with the EIA prepared by Englobe in 2022.  They will address surface water that comes from Parlee Beach Provincial Park into the lagoon and will affect both pipes originating from the beach proper and the parking lots surrounding the beach. Also include one pipe that originates in the village of Pointe-du-Chêne.  Bioswales (cattails) will be built around the lagoon.

A new lift station with a UV system to purify the water entering the lagoon in the creek will be constructed late fall. When it is completed, it will have a data collection feature. Tenders are going to be sent out early November. This system will be placed on the southwest side of the culvert of the exit road from the beach.

Money will come from the Environmental Trust Fund (Climate Change Fund) in this fiscal year.

Dredging of the creek will only occur next fall (2024) after the new lift station has been purifying the water through next summer season with three catch basins.  The dredging may coincide with the beach nourishment program.

Following the dredging, the tidal creek will have winter and spring of 2025 to clear out the remaining contaminated water into the bay.

For this project, no additional EIA is required.  It is anticipated that this work may also improve water quality at Parlee Beach.

In August when E.coli and enterococcus levels reached more than 10 times the acceptable Canadian Water Guidelines rates at Parlee Beach, 9 concerned citizens from PDC and Brulé Ouest wrote to the Ministers of Health, Tourism, and Environment. These letters were substantial and all looked at different aspects of water quality including why was it happening, was it being impacted by the GSSC upgrade, why were some people having to go to hospital with infections, why was the Province not drawing attention of this high rates to advise people to not swim on their website etc . Three months later there have been responses from Minister Crossman who says that there may be a qPCR pilot testing program introduced and the rest of the letters have been the arguments that have been used numerous times before. The Ministries of Health and Tourism have not yet responded.