Swearing In Ceremony Held for Bayside and Chamcook Councillors

On December 2022, the Municipality of Saint Andrews swore in three new councillors: Councillors for Ward of Chamcook, Mark Bennett and Annette Harland, and Councillor for Ward of Bayside, Darrell Weare. These three councillors will join the current Saint Andrews Council in January 2023 when Bayside and Chamcook amalgamate with Saint Andrews to form the Municipality of Saint Andrews.

"I'd like to recognize that just like with the councillors on our current council, there was an election," said Saint Andrews Mayor Brad Henderson while addressing the new members of council joining his current council. "It was great to see democracy in action in the fact that the people of Bayside and Chamcook went to the polls and elected you. With everything that's happening around reform, that was a first 'check the box' that was vital. I want to congratulate you all. Some of you knocked on a lot of doors and did a lot of work, and I want to congratulate you for that. I know it's not easy."

The province recently unveiled an ambitious reform plan for province-wide amalgamation of various municipalities in 2021. In November 2022, New Brunswickers affected by amalgamation went to the polls. While some communities like neighbouring St. Stephen elected entirely new councils, Saint Andrews' population grew by less than 50 per cent under local governance reform and therefore there was only a byelection that saw residents of Bayside and Chamcook going to the polls to elect representatives to join the current council of Saint Andrews to form the newly-established local government now known as the Municipality of Saint Andrews.
 
"If you look at Saint Andrews and where the boundaries now are, it is a big change," said Mayor Henderson. "It is going to be up to us to make it a success."