The provincial Economic Development minister has responded in kind to Mayor Mel Norton criticizing the provincial government for not making a decision yet on funding for the renovations at the City Market by saying the federal funding for modernising the port, which was announced when the Conservatives were still in charge, was never a done deal.
“People of Saint John were misled by Mayor Norton and his Tory friends last summer,” MLA Rick Doucet says, “and if you go back and read the fine print of the announcement all that was announced was funding consideration and that consideration was not completed before the change of government and due diligence is still underway.”
While saying there’s cause for concern, Doucet adds a lot of work is being done behind the scenes to get approval of the funding. The cost of the seven-year $205-million project would be split three ways and involves major work at the Port’s west side cargo handling piers and facilities as well as dredging of the main channel.
Doucet says the announcement was made before it was fully approved in order to score political points.
Following the announcement from the federal government last July, the province made a funding annoucement for the port.
