At the recent town council meeting in St. Andrews, Mayor Brad Henderson and council members deliberated on various issues, from infrastructure projects to cultural inclusivity initiatives.

A significant discussion focused on parking concerns related to a proposed retail fishmonger at 232 Bayview Drive. The applicant, Charlie Bartlett, is proposing a retail fishmonger in the existing barn on site. 

Mayor Henderson emphasized the necessity of adequate parking to manage potential traffic influx, while Councillor Kurt Gumuchel highlighted the historical importance and unique service a dedicated fishmonger would provide to residents.

Councillor Bennett argued that the town does have multiple locations that already sell fish. "I do want to point out that, in the package prepared for us by Senior Alexander Planner Gopen, he did acknowledge that there's no fishmonger in the area and that it's over a half an hour to the nearest one," argued Bennett. "However, I do believe that he overlooked in our downtown core that we do have one business that sells fish for a living, and it's not a half an hour's drive. It's down on Water Street. Actually, we have two businesses downtown that sell fish. We have a grocery store that has a pretty decent selection of fish, and then we also have The Spice Box."

Mayor Henderson countered that while there are locations that sell fish, there is currently no fishmonger in town. 

"Point noted that there are other locations as well that do sell fish," said Henderson. "But I think primarily for seafood only, I don't think there's the equivalent that you see in some other communities. But I hear your point. There are options available in the community that obviously could be somewhat competitive."

Councillor Annette Harland echoed Mayor Henderson's perspective. "I would also acknowledge that we haven't had a fishmonger in this town for a number of years," said Councillor Harland. "So Ali Spear had one. She operated a stand-alone fish shop for a couple of years. And before that, I think it was Cottage Craft."

Council set Monday, May 6th, 2024 as the date for a public presentation from Charlie Bartlett about his proposed fishmonger business. 

Also in the meeting, Councillor Marc Blanchard advocated for expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, emphasizing sustainability goals and accommodating the needs of visitors and residents with electric vehicles. 

Finally, the council addressed service provision concerns, such as managing brush and tree branch pickup, and balancing service delivery with administrative responsibilities. Discussions on improving recreational infrastructure and sustainable energy planning included trail expansion projects and updated Community Energy Plan documents to now include Bayside and Chamcook.