Prime minister speaks against proposed New Brunswick toll at Nova Scotia border

New Brunswick’s proposal to implement a toll near the Nova Scotia border is getting pushback from many levels of government.

There’s been plenty of reaction since New Brunswick’s Liberal government proposed putting a toll at the Nova Scotia border more than a month ago and Prime Minister Mark Carney has made it clear he’s not on board.

“It’s been the position of this government to remove interprovincial trade barriers. No, I’m not happy,” Carney said.

Despite that criticism, the province is signalling it plans to move ahead.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has defended the idea, pointing to infrastructure costs and what neighbouring provinces already charge.

“We see what we have to pay in P.E.I., what we have to pay in Nova Scotia. And we look at the infrastructure deficit that we’re facing and we think that the people who use our roads should contribute towards their maintenance and development,” Holt said.

New Brunswick Green Party MLA for Tantramar Megan Mitton says it’s significant to see the prime minister weigh in on what is typically a provincial matter.

She says the stakes are high for communities that rely on cross-border movement every day.

“A lot of people cross the Nova Scotia–New Brunswick border on a daily basis to commute to work, to see family… I’m really worried about the impact on our community and on our local economy,” she said.

For businesses near the border, the concern is immediate.

Tom Trueman, owner of Truman’s Blueberry Farms in Aulac, N.B., says a toll could drive away customers from Nova Scotia and make it harder to keep staff.

“If they just completely stop coming… that would be catastrophic,” said Trueman. “There certainly will be some that wouldn’t come, but it’s going to mean that they’ve got less money in their budget to spend.”

Trueman says about 35 per cent of his business comes from Nova Scotia, and more than 60 employees commute from across the border.

“That toll will affect who we can hire… it just makes it impossible for them to justify the trip across the border to work,” he said.

He says his family has been in the area since the 1700s, before there were provincial borders. He’s worried the proposal could make southeastern New Brunswick a less attractive place to do business.

Across the border, some are suggesting there may be other options.

Amherst Mayor Rob Small says a toll doesn’t necessarily have to be placed at the main crossing.

“Maybe not the only route into New Brunswick. A toll could be a different route or a different section of highway,” Small said.

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