It's time to ‘fix our roads'
Millville-area residents demonstrate their frustration with government's lack of attention to Route 104
Enough is enough, say residents of Millville and surrounding York County communities.
After more than two decades of travelling over what they describe as roads in "desperate disrepair," they set out Saturday to deliver a message to the provincial government.
At six sites along Highway 104, which runs through the Village of Millville, more than 70 local residents set up demonstrations. Three words on dozens of signs clearly communicated their demands.
"Fix Our Roads," the signs read.
At one of the six stations, a demonstrator used coloured chalk to circle the dozens of potholes which scarred a short few-metre stretch of Highway 104. Travellers approaching from either end of the demonstrators could see that familiar three-word refrain – "Fix Our Roads" – written in chalk over the rough highway surface.
Retired RCMP officer Peter Clay, one of the protest organizers, said the condition of a 10-kilometre stretch of Highway 104, from the intersection of Route 610 to Route 585, showcases a shameful lack of attention from successive N.B. governments.
"It's a danger, a disaster and quite frankly an embarrassment, not only to this province, but to the many professional staff at DoT (Department of Transportation); but, of course, over the years they've had to follow the politicians' priorities," Clay said.
For some reason, he added, for more than 30 years the residents of Millville, Hainesville, Temperance Vale, Maple Ridge and Nortandale – who regularly used the pothole-filled stretch of Route 104 – seemed permanently placed at the bottom of the politicians' priority lists.
As he stood at one of the half dozen demonstration sites Saturday morning, Clay said he has been talking to long-time residents trying to ascertain the last time that stretch of highway underwent more than a simple patch job. He discovered the last major construction occurred 36 years ago, in 1972, when the highway was paved.
Three and a half decades of deterioration is now clearly visible in the form of broken pavement, potholes, washouts and failed asphalt patch efforts. The problem extends beyond inconvenience and potential vehicle damage, stressed Clay.
"Why there hasn't been a major accident, I don't know," he said.
That view was echoed by many of the area residents manning the six demonstration stations.
"Driving through here you have to avoid major craters in the road, wildlife appearing from the side of the road and oncoming traffic as you try to steer around a huge hole," said one demonstrator.
Life-long Millville-area resident Roger McGuigan explained the community's frustration as it once again misses out on increasing road-repair dollars.
"They're spending twice as much," McGuigan said, "but nothing for here."
Even if they can't undertake a major upgrade immediately, he said, the government could at least show it plans to do something in the future.
"What's frustrating is they won't tell us what their plans are," he said. "We'd be happy even if they said it will done in five years."
McGuigan believes political choices have continually left the Millville region on the outside of the decision-making process.
"We're always on the wrong side," he said. "Our MLAs are always in opposition."
And it was the opposition MLAs – including York North MLA Kirk MacDonald and Woodstock MLA David Alward – who showed up Saturday to offer their support to demonstrators. Accompanied by Tobique-Mactaquac MP Mike Allen, MacDonald delivered coffee to the demonstrators with stops at all six stations.
MacDonald said he hopes the demonstrations bring greater public awareness to the issue. He added he believes N.B. Transportation Minister Denis Landry understands the frustration of local residents. Last fall, he said, the minister travelled over the road then later met with village representatives, including Coun. Bill Blaney.
Alward, who travelled to Saturday's demonstration along Route 585 from Woodstock, said the problem with rural roads in the area extends beyond that stretch of Highway 104. He noted Route 585, as well as Route 550, which extends out from Connell Road in Woodstock, are also in dire need of major repairs.
The Woodstock MLA said the asset management system introduced by the Graham government is supposed to streamline work on rural roads, but he has yet to see how it works. He said requests for a presentation on the system have so far been ignored by government.
While the demonstrators appeared to appreciate the attention of the opposition members, one visitor took issue with MacDonald's appearance at the site. A visibly angered man – later identified as Brian Miles, father of Fredericton-Silverwood MLA Rick Miles – approached MacDonald asking why he didn't do anything to improve the road when his party was in power.
When MacDonald responded he did not represent the Millville area in the last government, Miles countered that MacDonald still sat in government. The Tory MLA said the PC government did major work at others points in the riding.
"That's not what we're talking about," Miles said. "We're talking about this road, and you did nothing."
After Miles left, Alward and MacDonald both cited Liberal election promises to repair rural roads. Alward said that was just one of a litany of failed Liberal campaign promises.
"The current government is not doing anything of what they said in the campaign," said Alward.
MLAs listed a series of issues where, they claim, the Liberals misled the voters. They noted the Grits' promise to support silviculture programs turned into deep cuts. They cited cancellation of home-heating rebates; the transfer of Crown wood allocations away from communities; and tax increases as examples of Liberals' failure to live up to campaign promises.
For most of the residents holding picket signs Saturday, politics is not the issue. They want government promises, dating back 20 years to Premier Frank McKenna, fulfilled.
During a pubic meeting in Millville last Tuesday, Clay used the words of Premier Shawn Graham as a sign of hope for the community.
"Premier Graham grew up in rural New Brunswick and knows what it's like to live in an area ignored by government. When he said on December 7, 2007, that his government's new road asset management system – to quote – ‘takes the politics out of paving' – we knew this would be good news for the long-suffering taxpayers of our area."
Although identified as a priority in 1998, Clay said, the road has not seen any work. The need has only increased since then, he added.
"It's got to be a top priority in this new asset management system," he said.
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