Belle-Baie, April 28, 2026 - Following remarks made by Mayor Guitard at the most recent public meeting in Belle-Baie, held on April 21, the Executive Committee of the Chaleur RSC (CRSC) deems it necessary, once again, to set the record straight regarding certain inaccurate statements made on that occasion.
Before addressing the facts, the Board wishes to express its weariness at the constant need to defend itself against a municipality that appears to prioritize political considerations at the expense of its citizens’ well-being.
We are aware that these remarks are combative and reflect an unfortunate situation between a municipality and a RSC. However, as a provincial organization whose sole mission is to provide regional services for the benefit of the entire population, we cannot remain silent in the face of actions by a member municipality that run counter to this mandate and favor a closed-door approach rather than constructive collaboration.
The dispute with Belle-Baie, which has persisted for several years, could, at first glance, be perceived as a simple disagreement between two organizations, each defending its own point of view. In this type of situation, it is often acknowledged that the truth lies somewhere between the two positions. However, in this case, the facts are based on verifiable evidence: official documents, correspondence, and public records. This is therefore not a matter of differing interpretations, but rather a clear distinction between established facts and a municipality’s inaccurate statements.
To avoid any accusations of defamation, we invite the media and the public to verify all information provided by the CRSC by filing freedom of information requests. In this regard, the assertions raised in this document have been established through a rigorous process based solely on tangible evidence.
All of the following information was taken from the twenty-minute speech delivered by Mr. Daniel Guitard, mayor of Belle-Baie, on April 21, 2026. This video is public and available on the municipality’s official YouTube page. In the event of inadvertent deletion, a copy of this video can also be sent to you by the CRSC.
TRANSPARENCY
Allegation
Misinformation is circulating on social media, particularly since the start of the election period. It is suggested that certain information comes from external sources and does not originate from the municipality, which claims to act in the best interests of citizens.
Fact
The information in circulation does indeed come from the CRSC following access-to-information requests submitted by citizens. It is based on official documents and email exchanges, disclosed legally and transparently in accordance with the Access to Information Act.
Rather than questioning this transparency, the municipality of Belle-Baie should encourage it, since it itself claims to adhere to this principle in its dealings with its citizens. The CRSC reiterates its commitment to the truth and invites anyone interested to exercise their right to access information in order to verify the facts.
Allegation (1st complaint)
The City of Belle-Baie filed an ethics complaint with the CRSC on December 19, 2024, as permitted by law. This complaint was to be reviewed by the CRSC’s board of directors and was not handled properly. The CRSC explained to the municipality that they had conducted a thorough investigation, yet none of the individuals involved in Belle-Baie were contacted.
Fact
Belle-Baie’s complaint was received by the CRSC in the form of a letter on December 24, 2024. The Board of Directors met in closed session between Christmas and New Year’s Day to review and analyze it. Following this meeting, the Board determined that mediation was the best course of action. It should be noted that this complaint was general in nature, without specifics details regarding dates, particular actions, cases, etc.
The CRSC therefore sent a letter to Belle-Baie proposing a mediation meeting to obtain further details in order to resolve the conflict. However, this proposal remained unanswered.
In conjunction with this complaint, the CEO of the CRSC received a formal notice from Mr. Paolo Fongémie—not in his capacity as CEO, but in his personal capacity—regarding a rezoning request for which the CRSC’s expert opinion had been rejected by the council. *Meeting of November 5, 2024
Allegation (2nd complaint)
Belle-Baie asserts that other ethical violations occurred during the winter of 2025. According to the municipality, a second complaint was filed by its attorneys and was ignored by the CRSC, prompting them to bring the matter before the Local Governance Commission. It maintains that this complaint is based on a comprehensive file of approximately 200 pages, including affidavits from council members and developers, meeting minutes, video recordings, and various supporting documents.
Fact
The CRSC received this complaint on November 23, 2025. It was deemed inadmissible due to a conflict of interest involving the majority of the board members, thereby preventing the quorum required for its consideration from being met.
As of early January 2026, in the interest of transparency and compliance, the CRSC consulted the Local Governance Commission. The Commission confirmed that the complaint had to be submitted directly by the Municipality of Belle-Baie to the Commission. The CRSC therefore communicated this information to Belle-Baie. To date, the CRSC has not received any confirmation that the complaint has been formally submitted to the Commission, as recommended. To be honest, the CRSC eagerly anticipates the commencement of this investigation.
Allegation
The mayor explained that in recent years, he had occasionally spoken out to correct certain misinformation on social media, but generally, Belle-Baie has always chosen to remain discreet and professional, and that neither employees nor members of its council have ever publicly criticized a partner or a neighboring municipality, with the exception of the provincial government.
Fact
The mayor is likely referring here to a video of Bathurst Mayor Kim Chamberlain, who had reacted to the mayor’s comments in several interviews, including one on CKLE where he discussed public transit and stated that “the CRSC lacks transparency” and “CRSC employees are not doing their jobs.” This radio interview is available in the CKLE station archives.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Allegation
The CRSC allegedly lacked transparency regarding the public transit file.
Fact
On October 16, 2024, the CRSC convened the municipalities at the Denis-Richard Hall to present the public transit file. A detailed presentation was delivered, including a full breakdown of costs. Four elected representatives from Belle-Baie were present, including the two members of the Board of Directors, Councillor Charles Doucet and Mayor Daniel Guitard. During this meeting, no questions were raised and no objections were expressed by Belle-Baie’s representatives regarding the information presented.
On November 5, 2024, during the presentation of the CRSC budget to the municipal council of Belle-Baie, the municipality informed the public for the first time, as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the CRSC, of its intention to modify the cost-sharing formula for public transit services and that it would submit a resolution to amend the formula at the next regular meeting of the CRSC Board of Directors.
The CEO clarified at the time that this was a possible scenario. It should be noted that the mandatory 45-day period for budget approval had already elapsed. It was therefore the responsibility of the City of Belle-Baie to promptly contact the City of Bathurst to negotiate this change within their respective budgets, as the CRSC Board meeting was scheduled to take place in two weeks.
However, it was not until November 20, 2024, during the budget vote—including the resolution related to the public transit project—that Councillor Charles Doucet officially proposed, on behalf of Belle-Baie, to modify the cost-sharing formula. At that time, Belle-Baie had not undertaken any prior steps with the City of Bathurst to inform it of this intention, instead choosing to publicly announce the proposal that same evening.
This late intervention caused significant dissatisfaction among those present, particularly on the part of the City of Bathurst, which would have been forced, at the last minute, to revise an entire budget exercise.
Allegation
The initial proposal asked Belle-Baie to cover approximately 50% of the costs for just five stops within its territory, which is said to have prompted the council’s refusal.
Fact
The initial proposal covered the entire territory of Belle-Baie. At the municipality’s request, the scope of the service was reduced to limit costs. In response, the CRSC presented a revised plan with 10 stops, in which Belle-Baie’s contribution amounted to 44% of the costs.
Allegation
After Belle-Baie’s refusal, the model was reportedly changed to FlexGo without the municipality—despite having been initially involved in the committee—being consulted thereafter.
Fact
In December 2024, Belle-Baie voted against the 2025 budget, which included public transit. Although the municipality sat on the working committee, no funds had been allocated for the service’s rollout.
Belle-Baie was therefore not involved in the subsequent steps, just as Belledune and the Chaleur Rural District, which had also not allocated financial resources to the project.
Allegation
Belle-Baie asserts that it did not withdraw from the public transit project, but rather took a break to consult its residents, conduct a study, identify funding sources, and eventually submit a new proposal.
Fact
A comprehensive feasibility study has already been conducted by the firm Vecteur5 regarding the establishment of a region-wide public transit service. This study included a deployment model, an implementation plan, and a detailed proposal for the number of stops in each member community.
Subsequently, by drawing on the experiences of other RSCs and collaborating with neighboring regions, a more advantageous development opportunity arose. This process unfolded organically and progressively, leading to the development of the FlexGo model. It should be noted that this new opportunity arose in late summer 2025. This model was then presented to the City of Bathurst and to CRSC board members as soon as regular meetings resumed in the fall of 2025.
The CRSC is constantly seeking the best solutions to optimize the services offered to the public. To date, the FlexGo model has proven to be the most cost-effective option among those studied by various RSCs since 2022. Furthermore, the results observed in Bathurst clearly demonstrate the relevance and effectiveness of this approach, calling into question the need to invest time and resources in new, similar studies.
PLANNING
Allegation
A CRSC administrator allegedly attempted to influence members of the Belle-Baie municipal council prior to a decision being made.
Fact
A formal request had been submitted to the municipality to hold a closed-door meeting with the CRSC planner who was on staff at the time. The purpose was to present in detail certain irregularities identified in a rezoning project. The urban planner’s expertise was essential to explain the elements related to urban planning violations, a role that does not fall under the purview of the Belle-Baie municipal administration and its employees.
Three email requests were sent to the municipality regarding this matter and remained unanswered. It turned out that the municipality decided to hold this closed-door meeting without the urban planner present, as requested by the CRSC.
In the interest of transparency, certain municipal councillors were therefore contacted to explore the possibility of holding a second closed-door session in which the CRSC urban planner would be present. This unusual step was prompted by the municipality’s refusal to consider the recommendations of the appointed and certified urban planner responsible for all land-use planning matters in Belle-Baie.
The objective was by no means to influence, but rather to provide essential information to enable informed decision-making. To this day, the CRSC remains perplexed by the municipality’s refusal to hear the CRSC on a matter that falls within its area of expertise. (Nov. 5th, 2024, Belle-Baie’s public meeting video – 39 min, 59 sec.)
The municipality is required to have an officially designated urban planner for its land-use planning matters, but unfortunately, no legal mechanism seems to compel to heed the recommendations of this expert in the field.
Allegation
Belle-Baie, Belledune, and the Chaleur Rural District have a combined population of approximately 20,000 residents and contribute nearly $1.9 million, more than double that of some other municipalities in New Brunswick. Detailed explanations to break down the costs were requested from the CRSC, but no satisfactory answers were provided.
Fact
For the year 2026, the combined contributions from Belle-Baie, Belledune, and the Chaleur Rural District total $923,530. This increase is temporary and is due to a transition period related to the retirement of two employees. Under normal circumstances, the cost of the service is closer to $740,000.
Comparisons were made with other municipalities. For example, the town of Woodstock, which has a population comparable to that of Belle-Baie (approximately 10,000 residents), spends $342,000 on its service, or about $34.20 per resident. For its part, Belle-Baie, with a population of 14,335, contributes $484,496, which amounts to approximately $33.80 per resident. Audits conducted with other regional service commissions show that these costs are quite competitive.
Furthermore, if Belle-Baie were to establish its own urban planning department, estimates (already shared with the municipality) indicate that the costs would amount to at least $750,000 for Belle-Baie alone, or $56.32 per capita. It should be noted that such a decision would also result in a significant increase in costs for Belledune and the Chaleur Rural District.
These factors clearly illustrate the benefits of a regional service in significantly reducing costs.
SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE
Allegation
The mayor of Belle-Baie states that the municipality previously contributed approximately $400,000 to the K.-C. Irving Regional Centre, an infrastructure he considers underutilized by Belle-Baie residents. He also maintains that the intervention of Councillor Charles Doucet and Executive Director Paolo Fongémie made it possible to reduce this contribution to $145,000, thereby generating savings of over $1 million over three years for the municipality.
Fact
The contribution initially requested from Belle-Baie for the K.-C. Irving Regional Centre was not $400,000, but rather approximately $247,000. Furthermore, the cost-sharing formula had been modified, with the agreement of the City of Bathurst, to take into account the tax base rather than the population. This modification resulted in Bathurst agreeing to assume a larger share of the expenses, out of a concern for fairness toward Belle-Baie.
It is true that adjustments were made to Belle-Baie’s contribution following a mediation process. However, these adjustments would have resulted in savings of approximately $300,000 over a three-year period, not $1 million as has been publicly claimed.
Furthermore, the use of the conditional tense is important, since Belle-Baie ultimately refused to pay its regional contribution for this infrastructure. This decision had a direct consequence: the Ministry of Local Government is requiring the municipality to reimburse $205,245 (including interest) to the CRSC, as this contribution was not budgeted in accordance with legal requirements.
Finally, the claim that the K.-C. Irving Regional Centre is comparable to a local arena and rarely used by Belle-Baie residents does not reflect reality. In fact, it is inaccurate to claim that Belle-Baie residents do not use this facility, whether to attend Chaleur Lightning games (and previously Titan games), graduation ceremonies, major shows, or the various regional events held there.
In a study conducted by the Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick (AFMNB), the K.C. Irving Regional Centre was identified as unique facility of its kind due to its capacity to accommodate 4,400 spectators for various regional events.
It is also important to recall the fundamental principle of shared infrastructure in a regional context: such facilities allow the costs of major equipment to be shared among several communities, while ensuring equitable access to quality facilities for the entire population.
CONCLUSION
The CRSC has never sought to foster a confrontational atmosphere with the City of Belle-Baie. That is neither its role nor its mission. A regional services commission aims to bring people together, optimize resources, and provide effective services for the benefit of the entire population.
However, we believe there comes a time when silence is no longer an option. Several stakeholders have suggested that we let the situation resolve itself. Yet, when inaccurate information is repeated publicly, distorts the understanding of complex issues, and calls into question the credibility and work of an organization and its employees, it becomes necessary to set the record straight.
We wish to clarify that the purpose of this text is not to intimidate the City of Belle-Baie. Like the City, we oppose all forms of intimidation. However, unlike the City, we believe that actions must follow words…
Here is a text message sent by Mr. Paolo Fongémie, City Manager of Belle-Baie, to the president of the RSC, following the release of information legally obtained by citizens through access-to-information requests:
“Mike… the RSC must not interfere in the Belle-Baie elections. Thomas (the CRSC’s Director of Communications) is pissing in certain candidates’ ears with lies. As president, grow a pair!!!!!”
Transparency is not limited to public statements. It relies on the ability to make information accessible and verifiable.
The CRSC will continue to respond to access-to-information requests, act in the best interests of all citizens in the region, and, above all, do what it has always done: let the facts speak for themselves.
Michael Willett - Chairman
