After a unanimous vote by Tantramar council Tuesday night, town staff will be seeking permission from the New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) for ATVs to be permitted on about 5.5 kilometres of roadway in Sackville and Dorchester.
A few councillors brought up concerns with safety and traffic, but Mayor Andrew Black assured them that permission from the province was just the first step in the process to allow ATVs and quads on portions of the following streets:
- Main Street, Sackville (route 940)
- Bridge Street, Sackville (route 106)
- Cherry Burton Road, Dorchester
- Woodlawn Road, Dorchester
- Route 106 between Woodlawn and Cherry Burton, Dorchester
“We could get permission for these,” said Black, “but then all of the other work that would have to be involved in doing this will then follow… public safety, maybe traffic analysis, bylaw changes. Some of that might… involve some sort of public public consultation, potentially.”
The motion was an initiative of Councillor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, who gave notice in December that she would bring the issue forward this month. Wiggins-Colwell’s motion follows up on a June request from Quad NB president Jacques Ouellette who asked council to support expanded street access for his members. Wiggins-Colwell’s motion includes the same Sackville streets requested by Ouellette in June, but a different route in Dorchester. Ouellette asked for ATVs to be granted access to the Gitpu Gas Station on Cherry Burton Road via Buck Road and Lower Fairfield, but Wiggins-Colwell put forward a route that would take ATV drivers through Dorchester’s village square and along route 106.
“It’s about accessing the the Gitpu gas station in Dorchester and to be able to come down through to the centre of the village, to access the Village Square Take-out and the Thirsty Whippet when it opens up,” Wiggins-Colwell told CHMA in December. The councillor is also co-owner of a new seasonal shop in the village centre called the Peep and Keep Ecotique, which is now closed for the winter.
Councillor Josh Goguen and Deputy Mayor Greg Martin both raised concerns about potential traffic impacts. “We’d have to get an opinion from our RCMP members as to how they feel it would affect traffic,” said Martin, “how it would affect busy crosswalks, especially through the university area.” Martin said he hears “on a daily basis from our citizens about congestion on Main Street.”
Goguen specifically mentioned the King and Main intersection, where a driver failed to stop, and struck and seriously injured a young man crossing in the crosswalk in late 2022.
Sackville RCMP Sergeant Eric Hanson told CHMA by email that he was, “concerned that increased off road vehicle traffic in the proposed areas, especially those that have significant pedestrian traffic, could create a public safety concern for Tantramar.”
Hanson said that in 2023, Sackville RCMP responded to 13 complaints regarding ATVs speeding or driving recklessly in Tantramar. Four of those complaints were regarding activities in the proposed expanded areas along Main and Bridge Street in Sackville, and the other nine took place outside areas where ATVs are currently or proposed to be permitted.
Councillor Bruce Phinney said he was in favour of the expanded street access for ATVs, and told council he felt the question was similar to a request in 2021, which asked then-Sackville town council to remove a ban on skateboards on town streets.
At the time, Phinney and fellow councillors Matt Estabrooks and Mike Tower voted against lifting the skateboard ban, largely due to safety concerns. But the bylaw changes passed anyway.
Phinney said in this case he supported the expansion for ATVs due to potential local economic benefits if ATV drivers are given easier access to downtown Sackville, Dorchester village square and the Gitpu Gas Station.
CAO Jennifer Borne told CHMA after the meeting that staff would now approach the province with the list of streets proposed, and ask for permission before proceeding further.
Of the streets in questions, the province is responsible for the Cherry Burton Road and Route 106 outside of former Dorchester village boundaries, and Tantramar manages the rest.
In an email to CHMA, DTI spokesperson Tyler McLean directed questions about municipal streets to municipal authorities. In terms of provincial roads, McLean said a provincial ATV federation could apply for a highway usage permit through the department, and applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Borne said once staff get an answer from the province, they will report back to council.
