Moncton scrapyard neighbours 'over the moon' about licence not being renewed
AIM says it's 'disappointed' and weighing options on how to move forward
About a year ago, JoAnn McCarthy stood in her backyard in the Lewisville area, trying to talk over the loud banging of heavy metals being dropped into truck beds in the distance.
As she stands in the same spot today, it's much quieter.
"To be able to hear the leaves rustle and the birds singing ... it's just wonderful."
For the first time in more than two years, McCarthy said she didn't wake up to noise and vibrations coming from work being done at the American Iron & Metal scrapyard, less than 200 metres behind her home.
The company, also known as AIM, has been the source of controversy and complaints since it bought the Toombs Street site in 2023.
The province recently confirmed it will not renew a salvage dealer licence the company needs to operate. The licence expired on June 30.
The decision brought a sense of long-awaited relief to nearby residents who have fought to have the site shut down.
"I'm still having a bit of trouble believing it but [I'm] over the moon," said McCarthy, who has lived on Palisade Drive for decades.
In the past, McCarthy told CBC she has felt the foundation of her home shake beneath her due to vibrations she believes come from the site.
Minister Robert Gauvin wrote in a letter to the company that it was not in the public interest to issue the licence, adding that the site is within 300 metres of a public playground, public park or school.
A lawyer representing AIM said in an email to CBC that the company is "disappointed" with Gauvin's decision.
"As a result, AIM is now forced to consider its options moving forward," Romain Viel, wrote Tuesday.
Residents thought there was 'no end in sight'
McCarthy has been part of a two-year battle to have the AIM site relocated away from their homes.
Some residents have held protests, others have gathered hundreds of signatures for a petition. McCarthy said she emailed local government officials thousands of times.
"All that work came to this," McCarthy said. "It makes me feel fantastic."
One of the people McCarthy has spoken to often is Moncton East MLA Alexandre Cédric Doucet.
"Many months ago, I was knocking on doors, making some calls, and this was probably the Number 1 local priority I was hearing. So I'm very happy," Doucet said.
"I don't have a problem with the company and their operations, I just raised some concerns and the residents raised it as well in the operation of the company where it is right now."
John Cormier, who has lived on a street connected to McCarthy's for 47 years, said he had a big smile on his face when he found out AIM's licence would not be renewed. He ;said he walked over to several of his neighbours to fill them in.
"It's such a big sigh of relief ... it was [a] tough fight," said Cormier, who has been retired for 14 years. "We always thought there was no end in sight but this here ... is like a big weight off my shoulders."
Cormier said repetitive banging coming from the site used to overpower the sound of his television as he and his wife watched their favourite shows each morning. The banging even scared them as they read on the back patio, he said.
"I'm 72. I don't know how many more years we've got to go but at least the last few years in our lives, we'll be able to enjoy. It would be a peaceful life."
McCarthy, on the other hand, is more skeptical that the decision will bring real change.
'Waiting for the other shoe to drop'
According to the department's email to Radio-Canada, the company has three months to file for a judicial review in court, effectively challenging the province's decision. It's unclear whether the company needs to cease operations until that happens.
While thankful for the province's decision, McCarthy said that's why she isn't entirely convinced that the silence will last.
"It's not over," she said. "We have to get the city moving. They have an election next year ... so we've got to get it so that it's absolutely gone."
McCarthy said she wants the city to remove a grandfather clause she said stands in the way of having the area rezoned. Ultimately, she said her community wants to see the land used for residential development or a green space.
"It's time for the city to step up and make its citizens happy," she said.
Cormier, who said he and his wife are basking in the peace and quiet for now, is not giving up hope.
"I'll fight until my last breath."
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