Section of Officers' Square to be developed with First Nation input

A section of Officers' Square won't be renovated without the City of Fredericton first receiving input from First Nations stakeholders, according to a new plan approved by councillors.

Councillors, at a regular meeting on Monday night, voted in favour of a new plan for the development of Officers' Square, which involves leaving a southwestern section of the downtown park undeveloped pending consultations with the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick.

Speaking before councillors, Sean Lee, assistant director of engineering and operations for the city, said staff put together the new plan after an archeological dig in 2020 found First Nations artifacts at the site dating as far back as 3,000 years, when the southern bank of the St. John River — also known as the Wolastoq River — extended to that corner of the park.

Lee said the archeological assessment also found artifacts dating back to when Acadian settlers occupied that area.

"That is purposely left as a purple shaded area because that's where we're going to be working with the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick to look at how that space can be be filled out and adjusted," said Lee, referring to a diagram showing the new plan.

"There is some work that we need to do there, but again, it's a bit of a blank slate because we don't want to advance that until we have a chance to really have more in-depth discussions."

The previous plan would have seen a cafe and seating area, as well as a small stage constructed in that part of the park.

The new plan also results in a redesign of the skating track, and Lee said that in response to the public's concerns, the skating track would use cooled brine to keep the ice surface frozen, instead of chemicals.

The rink is planned to be a walkway during the warmer seasons and a skating rink from about December to March.

Other additions, such as a children's play area and a performing stage, remain part of the plan, and metal ornamental fencing that replicates the original fence will be installed on the perimeter wall on the eastern and southern edges of the park.

Lee said the province's Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture has already given the city the necessary heritage permits to go ahead with the plan.

The project, which was originally supposed to cost $8.9 million, is now expected to cost about $10.4 million due to inflation, COVID-19's impact on material costs, unexpected archeological assessment and mitigation costs, and redesign of the site.

Lee said the city anticipates to spend about $270,000 annually on operating costs on the park, with the project anticipated to be completed in 2023.

Council votes 8 - 4 on plan

The proposed new plan drew opposition from some councillors, who questioned whether the public had enough time to provide input on it, and criticized the installation of the skating track and the associated operating costs that would come with it.

Even before a vote on the original motion to approve the plan could be held, Coun. Margo Sheppard put forward a new motion to defer the decision to the Nov. 22 council meeting to allow time for public feedback. That motion was voted down by council.

Speaking ahead of the vote, Sheppard said she felt the city had not meaningfully addressed concerns of citizens since the city held a consultation session in June 2018 over the removal of trees as part of the plan.

Fredericton council originally approved the plan to renovate Officers' Square in 2017, however, the project received a wave of public backlash in 2018 when the city revealed it involved cutting down 19 trees in the park, and the demolition of a stone wall.

The project has since commenced. The city cut down 11 trees instead, and has modified designs to accommodate the others it planned to remove.

"So resulting from the 2018 June meeting was the relocation of the corner entrance and saving of some mature trees, and that was great," Sheppard said.

"But what no one at the city was apparently willing to acknowledge at the time or thereafter was that not all the concerns had been resolved, not by a long shot," she said, adding that other concerns remain about the installation of the skating track and the purchase and use of a Zamboni to maintain it.

Other councillors, meanwhile, spoke in favour of the plans and the need to approve them in the interest of avoiding further cost increases.

"I think it's time to move forward," said Coun. Bruce Grandy.

"This is a large number of years and, you know, when we talk about costs, look at building materials this year because of COVID... As you defer construction projects, they get more expensive.

"If we keep booting this down the road, the costs are just going to keep escalating and escalating and escalating."

Councillors Cassandra Blackmore, Jason LeJeune, Ruth Breen and Sheppard voted against the motion, while Kevin Darrah, Greg Ericson, Steven Hicks, Henri Mallet, Eric Megarity, Mark Peters, Jocelyn Pike and Grandy voted in favour of it.