Minister of Local Government Daniel Allain visited the Sackville area on Monday and toured several locations with Tantramar mayoral candidate Shawn Mesheau.
A spokesperson for the department didn’t say if the Minister visited with other mayoral candidates or any other officials while in town.
Social media posts on the Shawn Mesheau – Candidate for Mayor Facebook page say Allain “delivered word of funding to make trail improvements to two bridges on the grand trail,” specifically the Tantramar River Bridge and Clarken Brook Bridge. The province had already announced in July that $280,000 in funding would come from the Canada Community-Building Fund (formerly known as the Gas Tax Fund) for the two trail bridge projects.
Department of Local Government spokesperson Anne Mooers said via email that Minister Allain, “often gets requests to view progress or completion of projects and is pleased to meet with the groups spearheading these wonderful initiatives when time allows.” According to the July 22 funding announcement by the province, the two bridge projects are being overseen by the Department of Natural Resources.
Mooers did not answer CHMA’s question about whether Allain had given consideration to the possibility that his visit with a mayoral candidate during an election campaign could be perceived as expressing political support for that candidate.
