Fundy Trail Parkway prepares for handover to province

In one week, the Fundy Trail Parkway will no longer be run as a non-profit when the New Brunswick government takes over and it becomes a provincial responsibility. And there’s no word yet on how many employees have chosen to re-apply for their jobs.

Trail authority president Andrew Dixon admits that the preparations leading up to handover have been more work than first anticipated, because there’s a lot to bring provincial employees up-to-speed on.

About 45 people are employed full or part time during peak season, working in operations, maintenance, the cookhouse, interpretive centre and the kiosk.

“It’s the transfer of knowledge, operational knowledge, business contacts, how things are done, that was kind of the key,” Dixon said.

The New Brunswick government announced in the summer it would be taking over the scenic route on Dec. 12. The parkway stretches more than 30 kilometres along the Bay of Fundy coastline in southern New Brunswick. Thousands of people, drive, bike and hike the through the area each year.

Dixon said he’s been trying to make sure that his staff can re-apply for their jobs with the province and remain with the parkway after the change.

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“These are the folks that, by-and-large, know how to run the parkway and what to do and all of the individual jobs, and there’s dozens of people employed at the parkway,” he said.

A spokesperson for the provincial Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture did not make the minister available for an interview with CBC News as requested, but sent an email with a statement.

The statement said the province is working “collaboratively” with the Fundy Trail Development Authority on the transfer, and that the authority has been “exceptional” in the collaboration, making for an easy transition.

The spokesperson said any existing employees would have to re-apply for jobs and that the department continues to “encourage all former employees to apply and return to the park,” but did not say how many of the parkway’s employees would remain, when asked directly.

When Dixon was asked how many of his employees would re-apply for their jobs with the province, he couldn’t give an exact number but said he thought it would be a “significant” percentage.

In the lead-up, Dixon said he toured the park with a representative from the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture and they spoke with employees to hear their concerns and questions.

“I think … staff are feeling how one would expect: it is a period of change and uncertainty,” he said.

Dixon said some staff members have been in the park for its full 25-year existence, and he said he’s sure that a good number of employees will get to stay.

“Everybody has keyed in on one fact: we’re all trying to do what’s best for the parkway for the next 23, 50, 100 years for the longevity of the parkway,” Dixon said.

“So we’re ready, we’re ready for this next big phase.”

Neighbouring village ready for the change

Nowhere is as tied to the Fundy Trail Parkway identity as the town of St. Martins. When the trail closes for the winter season, the tourist destination town also tends to mostly shut down.

“The village of St. Martins is one of the bookends to the Fundy Trail Parkway currently, so we’re really excited to see the province take it over,” said Jordan Jamison.

Jamison is the owner and operator of a local tourism business, Bay of Fundy Adventures, as well as president of the local chamber of commerce.

Jamison said he’s hoping to see a boost in tourism once the province is at the helm.

“I certainly know people 40 minutes from the park in Saint John who have no idea that it exists, or just how beautiful it is or just how lucky we are to have it in our region,” he said.

“I hope when it turns into a provincial park, that outreach is able to be boosted and more people realize what they have in their own backyard.”

But on top of more name recognition, Jamison also wants to see continued improvements to the park, such as possibly staying open throughout the winter, which he said would have a major impact on the economy of St. Martins and Alma, which sits at the entrance to Fundy National Park..

In 2021, the Fundy Trail Parkway saw a major upgrade as an easterly connector road was completed, which allowed visitors to drive right from the parkway into Fundy National Park, Alma and then onto the Hopewell Rocks.

Jamison said many locals visit the park almost daily, “so there is some sense of personal ownership of it … they love it that much.”

But overall, he is hopeful that this new chapter for the parkway will only be a continuation of the growth for the area.

“We’re just really lucky to be living and working in this area at the moment,” he said, adding that it’s becoming an internationally renowned place for visitors.