Gallery expansion discussed at Jan. 13 council meeting
The Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery (ALMAG) wants to expand.
At the Jan. 13 meeting of the District of Carleton North (DCN) Council, Jennifer Stead, Executive Artistic Director and Curator for ALMAG, requested the council’s support for the gallery’s application for funding.
The board will apply for federal and provincial funding, seek private funding and donations, and also conduct a community fundraising campaign.
“These are early days,” ALMAG Board Vice-Chair Elspeth Hagan told the River Valley Sun. “We’re still in the planning stages.”
The gallery has plans for a $2 million renovation that would see a new, accessible entrance with an elevator, additional exhibition space, and new office space. Aside from improving the facility, Stead stressed the renovation would also increase the art gallery’s visibility by “getting us out of the basement.”
Stead told the council that the renovation would allow the library and art gallery to operate independently.
To apply for federal and provincial funding, the board requires ‘support in principle’ from the municipality.
Mayor Andrew Harvey told Stead the council would need more time to review the proposal before deciding whether to support the grant application.
“ALMAG is very excited about the potential of increased space and a street-level presence to bring engaging art experiences to the community,” said Hagan. “We’re looking forward to taking further steps towards realizing our vision.”
Library needs analysis
In a letter to the council, the board of the Andrew & Laura McCain Library thanked the municipality for its support of their accessibility improvements, and then expressed concerns about the library’s capacity since amalgamation, now that it serves a larger catchment area.
In their correspondence, the board said it recently completed a needs analysis of its services. The study found that the Florenceville-Bristol library doesn’t meet the community’s needs, based on the New Brunswick Library’s policy for services to the population.
To meet future demand and policy guidelines, the library needs greater square footage, space for more books, more computers, more seating and quiet spaces, more study rooms, more parking, and additional multipurpose room space. Citing the recent increase in genealogy and local history, the library also requires more shelving space to accommodate those specific genres.
In their letter, the board noted recent cutbacks in school library staff, which put more pressure on local libraries to adequately support school programming. Currently, the library’s existing space and library hours make it difficult to support students. The board hopes to meet with the municipality to discuss how these needs can be met.
Purchase of surplus property
The District of Carleton North has been offered property in Bath.
Deputy Mayor Karen Hargrove read a letter from Erin Black, Manager of Property Services for the Government of New Brunswick. In it, she offered the district the opportunity to purchase 392 Main Street. The government has deemed the vacant lot surplus. The land is 168 m² and is valued at $8,000. The property is being offered DCN for the estimated value plus HST, registration fees, and survey costs.
“That’s the second piece of the puzzle that we started trying to put together a year or so ago,” said Councillor Scott Oakes. The lot is adjacent to land the district purchased in 2024.
Oakes said the purchase will allow the municipality to issue a ‘request for proposals’ to developers. The two properties, combined, would allow for the development of five attached units.
“It’s got a lot of positives for development. It’s right in between the road and the NB trail, right on the river,” said Mayor Harvey, adding that this development is part of their revitalization plan for downtown Bath.
Money was already set aside in the 2026 budget for the purchase. Council passed a motion to purchase the land.
MACC to provide more active support for new Canadians in DCN
At the Jan. 13 meeting, a Multicultural Association of Carleton County (MACC) coordinator acknowledged the increase in newcomers to the region and shared her organization’s plans.
Mary O’Leary is a Community Involvement and Volunteer Coordinator for MACC. She told the council that with the increase in immigrants since last summer, MACC will be coordinating more staff visits to the region, so they can be there for those who “want to connect.”
O’Leary said her organization serves almost 900 clients and has approximately 85 members. Membership is open to anyone, at a cost of $20 per family per year.
“We hope to have more community members join,” said O’Leary. “It helps us offer a stronger community welcome.”
She also explained the benefits of joining the association, including participation in MACC-sponsored events, such as their acclaimed annual harvest supper.
May council meeting cancelled due to municipal election
There will be no DCN council meeting on Tuesday, May 12.
Councillor Angel Connor said the council wanted to “provide clear advanced notice to residents and stakeholders” that, since the 2026 Municipal Election will take place on Monday, May 11, the next council meeting would occur after the results are officially declared.
Final results are usually made official the day after the election, which will be May 13. The municipality will announce the new date sometime after the results are confirmed.
