Wildfire resiliency, capital renewal plan questions, and arena usage
At the Dec. 15 meeting of the Nackawic-Millville council, residents were encouraged to complete a survey on wildfire resiliency planning. The survey is available on the Nackawic-Millville Rural Community Facebook page and on the municipal website.
CAO Kathryn Clark said they will continue to promote it and will also have paper copies available for completion at the municipal office. The survey needs to be completed by mid-January 2026. The responses will inform the planning process for the Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan.
Capital Renewal Plan formula
The Capital Renewal Plan is a provincial program to provide funding for municipal infrastructure. After submitting a four-year project plan, the municipalities receive money based on a distribution formula.
Mayor Tim Fox said the formula is based on net asset value and is unrelated to replacement value. He believes the formula needs to be changed. He is drafting a letter to Minister Kennedy, the Minister of Local Government, requesting that he reconsider how the amount each municipality receives is calculated.
Fox feels that the current formula does not reflect the costs of maintaining and replacing assets. In 2026, the municipality of Nackawic-Millville will receive $107,000 (based on the 2024 town’s audit). Councillor Robert Simpson, who has decades of municipal experience, agreed with Fox.
Arena usage increase
A November report from the Director of Recreation said the arena is poised for another great season. For example, the recreation staff are getting new one-time ice rentals from multiple users. Mayor Tim Fox said usage appears to be up, as the parking lot is consistently busy. CAO Kathryn Clark said that there is still ice time available on Sundays.
