THE IRVINGS WINS AGAIN!!!! SURPRISE....SURPRISE....SURPRISE.....REVOLUTION TIME????

irving3, originally uploaded by Oldmaison.

Of course, we the public are not allow to write letters against this issue!

Where's the final report from the Senate on the monopoly of newspapers in New Brunswick>????

NB Telegraph-Journal | Saint John
As published on page B1/B2 on May 16, 2006

City gets OK to expropriate Red Head land
Portions of six properties will be used for new road to LNG terminal


By John Chilibeck
Telegraph-Journal

Six property owners in Red Head have lost their land battle with the city.

The province's expropriation hearings officer, John Larlee, has ruled the city has a legitimate reason to take portions of their property for a new road and can proceed to do so. The city's planning department will make a recommendation to common council to take over the land, allowing the city politicians to pass a resolution at their public meeting next Tuesday.

The expropriations would then be filed with the land registries office, which gives the landowners 30 days before their property has to be turned over.

Winnifred Trecartin, a senior citizen who tried to stop the city from dividing her land, initially said she would rather not comment when contacted by a reporter. But then she let go of her frustration.

"I knew this would happen but I'm sick and tired of it all. For the last three years, it seems like someone has been knocking on my door, trying to expropriate. It just makes me want to close my door and tell them to leave me alone."

She said Irving Oil recently tried to expropriate her land for an Orimulsion pipeline. Then the city informed her of the road project. Now Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline wants to put an easement through the back of her 98-acre property for a natural gas pipeline. She says she'll never use the new road.

"It's the principle of the thing. I was always taught to be more caring, which these people are not."

The earliest roadwork could start is late June.

Irving Oil, which is working with the city on the project, had hoped to start construction on the eight-kilometre strip this spring, but will be forced to wait until the end of June. Company spokeswoman Jennifer Parker says Irving officials are confident they can get the road finished by the fall.

"We understand that expropriations are never anyone's first choice. We remain committed to building a road that residents and the city can be proud of."

Mayor Norm McFarlane says he does not want to speak on the expropriation resolution until council has had a chance to look at it. Common council has already unanimously passed a motion giving city staff permission to get expropriations underway, meaning they'll probably finish the deal Tuesday.

The mayor thinks the new road is long overdue.

"Oh for sure I think it's a great idea. The citizens of Saint John get a new $10-million road at little cost to taxpayers - I think that's great. We've wanted a highway to provide secondary access to people out that way for years."

Under the deal, Irving Oil will pay $8 million to build the road to the site of its future liquefied natural gas terminal at Mispec Point and a connector road through the Debly subdivision to Red Head Road.

The city will spend $2 million upgrading Old Black River Road near the entrance of the still unnamed roadway.

"It makes us late, yes, but it still allows us to do a substantial amount of work this year," said city planning commissioner Jim Baird, when asked about the decision Monday. "We had hoped to be operating by now, but what can you do?"

Mr. Baird said the plan is to build a two-lane rural undivided arterial road, basically a narrow highway with gravel shoulders similar to the King William Road in Lorneville. He says Irving Oil needs to seek a number of environmental permits and roadwork depends on good weather. The most important permits are for two streams - Beyea and Bean brooks - that will flow through big culverts under the new roadway.

Timing is crucial on the project because Irving Oil and its partner Repsol want to use the road for heavy construction machinery. The $750-million LNG terminal is scheduled to open in November 2008.