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Shediac gives campground 3 more years to get underway

A controversial proposed campground in Shediac has been given three more years to start construction despite opposition from some people in the community.

Shediac council voted unanimously Monday to pass a bylaw granting the extension to the 110-site campground planned on woodland between Main Street, Pointe-du-Chêne Road and Parlee Beach Road.

The approval was required as the project has yet to receive environmental approval from the province.

"I hope that with the requested extension, environmental experts will be able to further study the impacts of this project and impose mandatory and necessary conditions," Coun. Paul Boudreau said in French during the meeting Monday evening.

Councillors previously heard objections from residents at a packed public hearing in June.

Several residents attended Monday's meeting wearing Red Dot Association shirts and shouted "we will save our shores" following the council vote. The group has opposed the campground plans, citing environmental, traffic and other concerns.

"It was expected that they would push the project again, but we wanted to present our opposition," Shediac resident Nicole Tremblay told Radio-Canada. "It has changed so much since the original project."

Radio-Canada
Radio-Canada

The campground is proposed on land owned by the Anglican Parish of Shediac. Camping Shediac Ltd. would develop the campground. The plans have been controversial since first proposed five years ago. The campground was originally expected to include more than 700 recreational vehicle campsites.

Town council approved rezoning the property to allow the campground in 2014 but set a deadline for construction to begin. An extension to that deadline was previously granted in 2016.

The plans have been scaled back twice this year to deal with concerns raised as part of an ongoing environmental impact assessment by the province.