PCs are 'undecided' on Petitcodiac River

The Progressive Conservative government is reconsidering the plan to restore the Petitcodiac River, according to a cabinet minister.

The former Liberal government opened the causeway gates in April after decades of debate. The contentious move was greeted by last-minute lawsuits and continued hostility by local property owners and fishing groups.

Riverview MLA Bruce Fitch, the province's local government minister, said on Thursday that the Progressive Conservatives are now reviewing the project and many MLAs are "undecided" on the file.

"The caucus has been meeting with [the Department of] Supply and Services to get a full understanding, because there's some of us who are very close, very passionate about it, and there's others, 42 MLAs now, who want to understand the full impact of what's going on there," Fitch said.

Earlier this week, Albert Tory MLA Wayne Steeves criticized the Petitcodiac River project.

'This was one of the world's worst environmental disasters and we have received praise from around the world for this cleanup.' Liberal MLA Chris Collins

The next phase would be a new four-lane bridge, which is estimated to cost $68 million, between the two communities to replace the causeway. The construction of the bridge was originally expected to start next year.

In 2008, the New Brunswick government committed $20 million to the first stage of a restoration project for the 3,000 square-kilometre watershed.

The causeway was built in 1968 between Moncton and Riverview.

While the causeway gates are closed now because of the ice expected during the winter, a provincial government spokesperson said the gates will reopen as planned in the spring.

Move forward with restoration

Moncton Liberal MLA Chris Collins said at long as the gates exist there's a chance they could be closed.

He said he won't be reassured until a new bridge is under construction.

"We should be moving forward on this and looking to the future of restoration," Collins said.

"This was one of the world's worst environmental disasters and we have received praise from around the world for this cleanup."

In 2003, the river was ranked second on a list prepared by B.C. environmentalists of the most endangered rivers in Canada.

The Liberals used the Petitcodiac River restoration project as an issue to attack the Tories with during the election campaign.

AMEC Earth and Environmental, a firm overseeing the river restoration, has been monitoring the impact of opening the causeway gates.

The firm has already said the Petitcodiac is changing faster than expected as the Petitcodiac's famous tidal bore is growing and the river banks are widening.