
N.B. businesses feeling the pinch, says Premier Holt in weekly tariff update
Despite a bit of a reprieve from ever-changing tariffs, New Brunswick is remaining vigilant, said Premier Susan Holt in her weekly update on tariffs.
"And so our retaliatory tariff program is still in place and our support program is still in place," said Holt in the livestream event Thursday afternoon.
She said Opportunities New Brunswick has had "more than 100 conversations" with entrepreneurs in the province looking for financial support.
Holt said businesses are already feeling the pinch, including MQM Manufacturing in Tracadie-Sheila. She said she visited the plant, which "does huge steel fabrication projects like Yankee Stadium," last week.
"These tariffs are impacting them," said Holt.
Estimated loss of 2,100 jobs
She said the province's Finance and Treasury Board has calculated new projections of the impact of tariffs on New Brunswickers.
Based on those calculations, New Brunswick is expected to lose approximately 2,100 jobs in 2025 — 6,600 if the tariffs remain in place for the next four years of U.S. President Donald Trump's term.
If the current tariffs remain as is, the province's GDP is projected to drop 0.6 percentage points.
"So that's not enough to push New Brunswick into the technical definition of a recession, but that does represent about $3.5 billion worth of GDP out of our economy."
She encouraged people to continue to buy local and travel within the province "because that does make a difference."
"We would encourage you to explore all that New Brunswick has to offer," said Holt.
And to mark Tourism Week, she encouraged New Brunswickers to invite friends and family "to come and see us this summer."
Year-round ferry service?
Holt also said the province is still trying to get the seasonal ferry started early for Campobello Island residents, who have been particularly impacted by the tariffs, since their only access to the mainland is via a bridge to Lubec, Maine.
So as they work on the temporary solution for islanders, Holt said they're also exploring year-round ferry service.
"I've directed the folks at DTI to take that work seriously and to look at all of the options of how we can make sure that these New Brunswickers have access to their province on a reliable and regular basis permanently for the long term.
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CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Sisson tungsten mine one of several critical mineral projects eyed by N.B. government
Social Sharing The Sisson Mine project north of Fredericton appears to be back on the front burner thanks to a surge of interest in developing new sources of critical minerals and an infusion of cash from the U.S. government. At a first ministers' meeting this week, Prime Minister Mark Carney identified critical minerals as one of several sectors targeted for growth. Premier Susan Holt made specific mention of potential tungsten, indium and antimony mining projects in New Brunswick. According to Natural Resources Canada, critical minerals are materials considered essential to Canada's economic or national security, its position in global supply chains or its transition to a digital, sustainable and low-carbon economy. The province is working to identify its resources, determine the best way to develop them and ensure the needed infrastructure is in place, Holt said, adding she was happy to hear the federal government wants to be a partner. That followed an announcement by Northcliff Resources in early May that it was awarded $20.7 million from the U.S. Defence Department and a conditional $8.2 million from the Canada government to help develop tungsten production at the Sisson Mine project north of Fredericton. Tungsten is dense and resistant to heat, wear and corrosion. It's used in alloys for military applications, engines and turbines. The Sisson tungsten deposit is the largest in the world, according to David Lentz, head of the geology department at the University of New Brunswick. Northcliff obtained provincial environmental approvals in 2015 for an open pit mine on 12.5 square kilometres near Napadogan and Stanley, with conventional processing facilities, as well as a plant where tungsten concentrates would be made into ammonium paratungstate, a salt used to make other tungsten products. Estimates are that the project would cost more than $500 million to fully develop, employ about 300 people — more during construction — and operate for about 27 years. The federal government green-lit Sisson in 2017. But the company didn't have financing for the project and not much if anything has happened since. The company did not respond to inquiries in the last couple of weeks from CBC News and Radio-Canada. Tungsten prices slumped in 2015, and none has been mined in Canada or the United States since then, according to Natural Resources Canada. More recently, things have turned around. Both tungsten and molybdenum, also present at the Sisson site, play a key role in many defence and aerospace applications and are growing in importance for energy storage batteries and other green transition technologies, Northcliff said in a news release. "Tungsten carbides are an integral part of the tools that are used to shape metals, alloys, wood, composites, plastic, and ceramics and to power the oil and gas, mining and construction industries," the company said. Sisson could become a source of tungsten in the "near-term," according to Natural Resources Canada. With China producing about 80 per cent of the world's supply, Sisson would strengthen and diversify the supply chain, Andrew Ing, Northcliff's president and CEO. said in the release, and it would have North American standards for transparency, environmental protection and social licence. The new money from the U.S. and Canadian governments will be used for things like engineering and updated feasibility studies to satisfy conditions of environmental approvals and financing and to figure out whether to go ahead with construction, said Ing. The provincial government has also expressed support for the project. "Even if our neighbours haven't been the friendliest lately, I don't think we're uncomfortable selling a commodity used to make cell phones, to strengthen steel, at a fair price," New Brunswick Natural Resources Minister John Herron said, referring to poor trade relations with the U.S. Meanwhile, productive talks have taken place with First Nations, he said, stipulating there is no path forward without their participation. CBC inquiries to the Wolastoqey Nation, which represents six communities in New Brunswick, and to Sitansisk Chief Allan Polchies were not answered by publication time. Chiefs of the communities signed a deal in 2017 to get a share of future provincial royalties from the mine, but several later said they still opposed the project, as does traditional Chief Ron Tremblay of the Wolastoqey Grand Council, which concerns itself with matters outside First Nation communities. Tremblay said he sent a letter to the premier with concerns about Sisson about a month ago, but he was referred to the Wolastoqey Nation group. He maintains that he has standing, that the mine site is unceded territory and that proper consultation has not taken place, nor consent given. The council's first priority is to protect the Wolastoqey homeland, waterways and air for the next seven generations, said Tremblay. "There's no way we will support Sisson," he said. "It's a project that will damage the water and the land forever." Some members of the Wolastoqey community, including grandmothers, camped at the proposed mine site for an extended period, vowing to protect the Nashwaak watershed, which Tremblay said, includes salmon spawning grounds and forest land used for hunting and gathering. Northcliff went to court in 2023 to get injunctions against their obstruction of preparatory work. Discussions will have to take place with many stakeholders before mine development, said Herron, and environmentally responsible rules must be set. Northcliff was already granted an extension to begin construction of the mine by December by the provincial Department of Environment and Local Government. Herron said it is reasonable to expect another extension. Besides Sisson, the dormant Mount Pleasant mine, north of St. George, also has a significant amount of tungsten, according to the provincial Department of Natural Resources, and seven other tungsten projects are at various stages of exploration in the province. The department has identified potential sources of 21 other critical minerals. A global drilling company based in Moncton sees the greatest opportunities in more zinc, copper and nickel mining in the Bathurst area, where a lot was mined in the late 1900s, but not much exploration has happened recently. "Right now those prices are at close to record highs," said Denis Larocque of Major Drilling, who is "sure" there are more deposits nearby that could be mined. Mining practices have changed substantially in the last few decades in terms of safety equipment and procedures and environmental impact, said Larocque. In drilling, for example, his company's equipment now has a system to filter and recirculate water, reducing the amount needed by 90 per cent, he said. However, a federal auditor general report that came out just last year found a lack of information on the adverse effects of mining on the environment and a lack of engagement with Indigenous communities.


CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Liberals' first session wraps for summer with some work left to do
New Brunswick's Liberal government crossed the finish line of its first legislative session on Friday with some campaign promises kept and others incomplete. Premier Susan Holt was able to point to a cap on rent and a one-year freeze on assessed property values as examples of steps she took to make life more affordable. But a third promised affordability measure — the repeal of the cost-of-carbon adjustor that is adding eight cents to the price of a litre of gas this week — was put on hold for months and only passed this week with a last-minute change to delay its implementation. The Liberals also failed to introduce legislation to ban donations to provincial political parties from outside New Brunswick. "They make a promise, and then when they realize, 'Oh, maybe this isn't such a good idea,'" Progressive Conservative Opposition Leader Glen Savoie said. "They tend to just let it kind of die its own death." A spokesperson for Holt said the ban is being worked on in conjunction with Elections New Brunswick, along with other changes to toughen up political financing rules. "It remains a priority for our government to build trust and transparency," Katie Beers said in an email. WATCH | The Susan Holt Liberals' legislative record so far: What the Holt Liberals did, and didn't do, in the legislature 3 hours ago Duration 4:05 The Liberals made the promise after a controversy over then-PC premier Blaine Higgs's travel to Western Canada to raise money for his re-election campaign. A review by CBC News shows the PCs collected more than $275,000 in donations above $100 from people living outside New Brunswick — more than 21 per cent of the party's total in 2024. By comparison, the Liberals raised less than $34,000, about three per cent of their total. Liberals promised repeal of carbon adjustor In last year's campaign, the Liberals also promised the immediate repeal of the carbon adjustor, which requires the Energy and Utilities Board to pass the cost of federal clean fuel regulations from producers, through distributors and retailers, to consumers. That amount fluctuates weekly and was set at eight cents on Friday. The government put its bill on hold last fall after after fierce lobbying by distributors and retailers. They argued the carbon cost would land in their laps if it was no longer passed on to consumers. And because the EUB hasn't considered changes to the allowable profit margins in its gas-price regulation formula for years, the change might drive some them out of business, they said. This week, Energy Minister René Legacy amended the bill so that it could pass, but with implementation put off until after the EUB holds hearings about the margins and about how the adjustor is calculated. "Essentially, it allows the EUB to do the work they want with some hearings, to adjust the carbon tax adjustor [formula], and also to look at some of the problems that we're having" on margins, he said. But PC MLA Kris Austin said he doubted the Liberals will ever proclaim the bill into law. "I don't think we're going to see any significant changes in gas prices anytime soon," he said. The session also saw Education Minister Claire Johnson on the defensive for weeks over her department's budget allocations for seven district education councils that forced them to cut $43 million in spending. Johnson eventually invited the districts to submit new plans to "mitigate" the impact of the funding reduction and held out the possibility of extra money. "I'm very confident in the collaborative process that's been happening with the districts right now," Johnson said Friday. "We are analyzing what they're proposing to us now, and we're quite confident we're going to come up with a fair and equitable solution very soon." The government also repealed legislation adopted by the Higgs government that forced three public-sector bargaining units into the shared-risk pension regime that many other provincial employees have been part of for a decade. It adopted bills that it said would loosen internal trade barriers with other Canadian provinces, though there's a caveat to how quickly one of them will take effect. The bill to let New Brunswickers order out-of-province alcohol directly from producers to their homes would only apply to provinces that adopt the same rules. "We're going to open up with provinces that have reciprocity with us, so basically the same deal both ways," Public Safety Minister Robert Gauvin said in May during a debate on the bill. "It has to be win-win for everybody." The Liberals also left the door open to adopting legislation that Green Leader David Coon has had on his wish list for years: the creation of a right to a clean environment. The government sent Coon's bill to the legislature's law amendments committee — because, Liberals said, it would impact a long list of other provincial acts and regulations. In the past, Coon has described that committee as a "graveyard" for legislation that appears to be popular but that a government wants to stall or kill. But the Green leader said he's optimistic this time will be different. "I don't think this government wants to kill the right for people to have a healthy environment," he said. "I think they're interested in seeing how to make that happen in a way that they're comfortable with. So law amendments is a way forward, both for us and for them, perhaps." The committee could examine the bill in September and the full legislature could sit for a short time to pass it before proroguing and starting a new session with a new throne speech in October. Government House leader Marco LeBlanc said that decision would depend on how much work is needed on Coon's bill after the committee looks at it. Coon told reporters Friday he'd be willing to accept a weakened bill if it meant getting the concept written into law, allowing it to be toughened in the future.


CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
N.B. Official Opposition accuses premier of ignoring potential for ‘province building project'
Premier Susan Holt says New Brunswick is at the forefront of multiple 'nation building' energy projects following this week's First Ministers' meeting in Saskatoon, while interim Progressive Conservative Leader Glen Savoie says the governing Liberals are ignoring natural resource development within the province. 'She's interested in national building project. How about a province building project?' said Savoie about Holt during Friday's question period. Savoie said the Liberals and Holt have historically stood in the way of natural resource development in New Brunswick, mentioning pipelines and shale gas exploration. Holt responded to Savoie's comments during question period, saying the Progressive Conservatives weren't effective on developing natural resources while in power. 'He's said they always supported this development. But did they get it done? No,' said Holt. 'Our government is pragmatic. We're looking at what's in front of us and what opportunities will benefit New Brunswick.' Holt has heralded federal support for prioritizing the Eastern Energy Partnership as a success from the First Ministers' meeting. The partnership which would transmit hydro and wind power from Atlantic Canada and Quebec to Western Canada and New England. Holt also said there were positive conversations with Quebec Premier François Legault about extending a natural gas pipeline from Quebec City to New Brunswick. 'We have opportunities to take advantage of the resources that Canada has already developed and already unlocked for the benefit of our province as well,' said Holt. 'We're looking at what we can do tomorrow, where's the investment opportunity, what's going to benefit New Brunswickers, and how we can use our strengths to succeed nationally and internationally.' At the First Ministers' meeting, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith indicated she was focused on developing potential oil pipeline routes from her province to northern British Columbia and Hudson Bay to avoid any route through Quebec. Holt said she was interested in what role New Brunswick could play as an eastern market if a pipeline did go to Hudson Bay. 'With a $600-million deficit, you'd think she'd get on board and develop our resources here,' said Savoie, about Holt. 'They would rather pipe a pipeline in because of their NIMBY policies, their 'not in my backyard' policies, that say it's okay for Alberta to profit from its natural resource development but not New Brunswick.' Friday was the last day of the first session of the 61st Legislature. Legislature The New Brunswick legislature is pictured. (Source: Nick Moore/CTV News Atlantic) For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.