Since January 2023, as part of the RSCs’ expanded responsibilities stemming from the local governance reform, this new service is tasked with the following:
Social inclusion, poverty reduction, food security and community development;
Affordable housing;
Infrastructure planning (sports, recreation and culture;
Public safety;
Regional transportation.
The mission of the Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission’s (APRSC) Community Development Service is to collaborate with communities and sector stakeholders to encourage actions leading to the maintenance and improvement of the quality of life of the Acadian Peninsula’s residents.
Sports, recreational and cultural facilities
The mandate for planning sports, recreational and cultural facilities is both strategic and of major importance for our region. Thorough and concerted planning is necessary to help maintain the quality of life of everyone, ensure the sound and fair management of public funds, provide quality services to the citizens of the Acadian Peninsula and equip the APRSC with tools that serve as economic levers.
Accordingly, the APRSC must create a unifying forum for discussion aimed at strengthening the planning of large-scale projects and cost-sharing of the main sports, recreational and cultural facilities and infrastructure to improve their viability and accessibility and contribute in a concerted way to our region’s development.
Regional transportation
The mandate of the Regional Transportation Service is to establish a vision, strategy and integrated regional transportation plan based on the communities’ travel needs.
In response to a growing need in the rural regions and as mandated to the RSCs as part of the local governance reform, this service will offer:
Greater mobility to our region’s citizens by enabling them to travel from one end of the Acadian Peninsula to the other while maintaining access to the Chaleur and Miramichi regions;
An affordable, safe and reliable way to travel to work, school, appointments or shopping, whether for economic reasons or environmental concerns.
Established by the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation of New Brunswick (ESIC), the Community Inclusion Network - Acadian Peninsula (CIN-AP) was integrated into our organization during fiscal 2022. Since then, it has become firmly rooted in the community, greatly facilitating the implementation of this new service offered by the APRSC.
Fresh 4 Less
The Fresh 4 Less initiative was born five years ago. Our Community Inclusion Network (CIN), in partnership with the CRCC, plays a major role in this initiative, which enables people from all backgrounds to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at a reduced cost, thereby promoting the health and well-being of our population. Fresh 4 Less falls directly within the food security component of our objectives. This winning initiative, which is constantly growing in popularity and relies on many volunteers, is held on the first Monday of each month at Caraquet, the first Wednesday of each month at Lamèque, and the first Friday of each month at Tracadie. It is an opportunity for citizens to make a donation or to pick up a basket of fruit and vegetables for the modest amount of $15.
Planet Youth
The Planet Youth Guidance Program is based on the Icelandic Prevention Model, which has proven to be effective in reducing substance use in Iceland for over 20 years. Planet Youth is an evidence and community-based prevention model designed to have a long-term impact in communities by reducing youth substance use.
New Brunswick has committed to implementing Planet Youth as a five-year pilot project in four initial locations: the Acadian Peninsula, Woodstock, Saint John and Kent County.
This winning initiative, which is constantly growing in popularity and relies on many volunteers, is held on the first Monday of each month at Caraquet, the first Wednesday of each month at Lamèque, and the first Friday of each month at Tracadie. It is an opportunity for citizens to make a donation or to pick up a basket of fruit and vegetables for the modest amount of $15.
Community involvement and representation
The success of the Community Development Service depends in large part on the relationships forged within communities. Since community involvement is essential to the achievement of our objectives and mandate, the Service actively participates in the following community events or is represented in the organizations involved:
Wellness Movement (Board of Directors, Wellness Day, Colour Run)
Welcoming Committee for the Integration and Settlement of New Arrivals to the Acadian Peninsula (CAIENA-PA)
The Link Program provincial committee
Board of Directors of the Centre de bénévolat de la Péninsule acadienne
Board of Directors of the Centre de ressources familiales de la Péninsule acadienne
Early Childhood Development
Fondation communautaire de la Péninsule acadienne
Fondation des petits déjeuners de la Péninsule acadienne
GNB: Housing Summit
Ability NB organizations, Accessible NB, Community Adult Learning Program (CALP) team
Mouvement Acadien des Communautés en Santé du Nouveau-Brunswick (MACS-NB)
Projet de Cuisine collective de la Péninsule acadienne
Vitalité Health Network: Harm Reduction
Round table: Public Health
In collaboration with the RSCAP’s Finance Department: service offer for fund management of the Youth Planet and Community Capacity and Resiliency initiatives
Public safety
Established at the start of 2023, the mission of the public safety section of the Community Development Service is to collaborate with stakeholders to encourage actions leading to improvements of the safety of the Acadian Peninsula’s residents.
Affordable housing is an issue that involves many people from various sectors who all have different responsibilities and interests. In the absence of an existing forum, the RSCs can serve as a platform for collaboration between the key partners (municipalities, land use planners, NGOs specializing in housing, and others) to exchange ideas, develop strategic plans and make decisions regarding the way to increase the number of affordable dwellings in their region. Such a collaborative forum could also serve as an intermediary between local and provincial partners to define all the objectives and challenges facing their region and to find joint solutions. High-density zoning, short-term rentals, minimum parking requirements, and the offer of new dwellings are just a few examples of issues that could be studied collectively.
