Antigonish Mayor Laurie Boucher and Antigonish County Warden Owen McCarron say they are disappointed and shocked by the sudden change of position by the province towards a proposed consolidation of the two municipal units.
Antigonish County Warden Owen McCarron and Antigonish Town Mayor Laurie Boucher answer questions from media following the special council meetings to discuss Consolidation motions in October, 2022. (Ken Kingston photo)
Premier Tim Houston told the two leaders on Thursday government would not be moving forward with the Antigonish Consolidation Act.
McCarron says he was surprised by the abrupt change of position by province after the Premier attended a community meeting on consolidation hosted by the community group Let Antigonish Decide Tuesday evening.
Boucher and McCarron defended the process they took towards prosposed consolidation, using a similar model that was used by Windsor and West Hants for their merger several years ago. That model relied on consultation with the public, and Boucher believes the two units did that.
Boucher says while it’s disappointing consolidation will not move forward, the two municipalities will continue to work together.