Ward 1

I hope everyone will vote on or before May 11th. It's easier than you think. You can find everything on the Elections NB website , but here are some important dates and information for you. In Ward 1, y ou can vote between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., on Monday, 11 May 2026 , at  Douglas Baptist Church . You can vote in the Advance polls between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., on Saturday, 2 May 2026 , or Monday, 4 May 2026 , at  Nashwaaksis Baptist Church . You can now vote in person at the returning office at 25 Alison Blvd. until election day (May 11).  (Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., or Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) Fredericton Wards Map Find your polling station Vote by mail If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to assist you, or call Elections New Brunswick at 1-888-858-8683. Here's where you can find me leading up to the election if you want to talk:  Wednesday, April 29 5:30 – 6:30 – Kent Street Playground Friday, May 1 12:00 – 1:00 – Royal ...

Today was a great day. I put up a few signs and visited some residents in Ward 1. So far what I'm hearing is that people in the amalgamated Douglas do not feel like anyone is listening to their needs and concerns. That's why I'm here. I am officially a candidate for Ward 1, and I look forward to meeting and chatting with more of you over the next few weeks. You can always reach out to me by email: heatheroconnellward1@gmail.com or on my Facebook page: Heather for Ward 1

I’ll be walking around your neighbourhoods this week, and I hope to have some good conversations. If I miss you, I’ll leave a bookmark at your door with my contact information. Who am I? I grew up in Douglas, and have lived in Fredericton for 52 of my 54 years. I’ve been with my husband for 26 years, and we have 5 kids and 2 grandkids (with another due any day!) I was a school teacher for 24 years. Then a stay-at-home mom. I was also a stay-at-home Grammy to my two grandsons for three years. My youngest graduated from high school last year. Throughout my life I have been a voracious reader and writer. I am a member of book clubs and writing groups. I read and review books on Bookstagram @jeatherhanereads and Goodreads. Last year I created a writing contest for unpublished writers, the Julia Stewart Memorial Short Story Contest , in memory of a good friend. Through it all, I have lived in Fredericton. I moved back to Douglas last year to retire, but something is calling me to r...

I will represent the needs and interests of the community. This means Ward 1 specifically, and the entire city collectively. I believe: Everyone deserves the right to live and enjoy their life, to have an affordable place to live and enough food to eat, to choose how they spend the money they earn, and to spend their time doing what they choose as long as it is not hurting others. If Council decisions are going to infringe on any of this, then I think it deserves thorough and transparent communication, consultation, and debate. We shouldn’t be surprised to find out that something has been enacted that affects our quality of life. We might not be happy about every decision, but we should at least understand the process and know who is accountable. As a City Councillor, I want to govern in a way that improves the lives of the people in our community. It’s worth the time and effort to be fully informed and to have hard discussions.

In the past five years: ~ The General Fund budget for the City of Fredericton has increased from $125.1 million to $184.8 million, or about 47%. ~ Property taxes collected by the city have increased from 110.6 million to 160.2 million or about 45%. ~ In 2023, when areas were amalgamated into the city, the property tax the city received increased by 23%. ~ Budgets in different departments have multiplied drastically. Just as an example: o    Composting increased by 435% o    By-law enforcement by 333% o    Leisure and Recreation increased by 267% o    Heritage increased by 137% When the tax base increases, that is a chance for the city to decrease the tax rate . A budget that is increasing at these rates is not indicative of a city that is facing budgetary pressures. It means that difficult budgetary decisions don’t have to be made. I don’t believe any budget needs to increase at the rate ours has. Things are being done backwards. Re...

I sat in on the Economic Prosperity and Growth Planning Committee meeting today, where the committee voted to delay the new proposed Heritage by-law until more public consultation is held. It’s always good news when Council takes the concerns of the public seriously. This issue directly affects housing affordability and property rights, so those affected deserve to have a voice.   How can City Council be accountable and transparent? -         Discuss public matters in public -         Make decisions about public matters in public -         Communicate effectively to the public what is being decided, where and when -         Don’t make decisions before engaging the public -         Budget responsibly and openly -         Don’t hand off accountability to consu...

  What does meaningful public engagement look like? - Engage stakeholders early in the process. It is not productive to make a plan and then only consider feedback that fits with that plan. - Have a clear, consistent method of engaging the public. Let them know where they can find information on initiatives. - Post the information from all stages of engagement. Don’t leave things out because they don’t fit with the plan. - Communicate how public feedback is used. - Be clear and honest about the process and the impact it will have on the community.

I think it’s great that the City is working on the safety and well-being of our community. I do have some questions and comments about this process: How much is this costing taxpayers? This plan is mainly focused on the business core. I know that there are problems in the outlying areas of the city, such as the newly amalgamated Douglas. And adding more CSSU presence in the downtown and Main Street core will just push problems to other areas of the city. (This must be what happened during Harvest, because homelessness and addiction was not as much in evidence downtown during that week.) In 2022 there were two open house meetings for community feedback (one on the Northside and one on the Southside). We know that about 120 people went to both meetings. The strategies recommended in the task force report do not address the concerns raised by the public at these meetings. There were two meetings held again this past December. This time the feedback from the public has not been shared, and...

Hello, Ward 1, I’m seeking the nomination for City Council in your neighbourhood. I spent the first 26 years of my life in this neighbourhood, and it is truly my home. After 26 years living in downtown Fredericton, I’m so happy to be back. I don’t have an agenda and I don’t want to just pay lip service to the issues that are important to you. I think it’s time to disrupt the status quo at City Hall. I’m for transparent government. I’m for the rights of taxpayers. I’m for lower taxes. And I think it’s achievable. Let’s talk about it. Contact me at HeatherOConnellWard1@gmail.com :) Heather 1993 – 2017 Teacher 2017 – 2021 Stay at home Mom 2021 – 2024 Stay at home Grammy 2020 – present Book reviewer on Bookstagram @jeatherhanereads 2025 – present organizer and sponsor of Julia Stewart Memorial Short Story Contest