New Brunswick Smart Energy Communities Accelerator Pilot Program

Located in western New Brunswick, the Town of Florenceville-Bristol is located on the Saint John River and is part of Carleton County. With a population of 1,604 as of the 2016 census, Florenceville-Bristol is a rural community that has a rich agriculture heritage. The Town hosts corporate headquarters of McCain Foods, the largest producer of French fries in the world and for that reason, the Town is known as “The French Fry Capital of the World”.

Florenceville-Bristol has an average temperature of 11.5 degrees Celsius and reaches record lows of -37.8 degrees Celsius in winter months and 35.0 degrees Celsius in summer months. Florenceville-Bristol receives approximately 1,100mm of precipitation per year and experiences all 4 seasons. During spring months, flooding can occur along the Saint John River in low laying areas.

The Town aims to reduce their corporate greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2027 from 2017 levels and their community greenhouse gas emission 10% by 2027 from 2017 levels. This will be done through a number of actions such as building retrofits, streetlight LED light bulb conversion and water conservation. Overall, the Town of Florenceville-Bristol is taking the correct steps to decrease their greenhouse gas emission, costs and increase the health of all its citizens.

The Town of Oromocto is located in the Greater Fredericton Area of New Brunswick. The population within the town boundaries is 9,223 residents, based on the 2016 census. Oromocto is known as the knowledge industry of New Brunswick and major employers include the Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, one of the largest military training centres in the Commonwealth. Oromocto is also home to the Oromocto First Nation.

The Village of Perth-Andover was formed in 1967 from the amalgamation of the two former communities of Perth and Andover, both located on opposite sides of the Saint John River. It is located in Victoria County, in western New Brunswick and is in close proximity to Tobique First Nation. The Village has a population of approximately 1,590 and is a service centre for the community and surrounding area within a 30 km radius in southern Victoria County, which expands its services to 4,000 people. The community is located in close proximity to the Trans Canada Highway, which has allowed it to develop an Industrial Park. It is also 10 km from the US border.

Sussex is a town in Kings County with a population of 4,282 (2016). Sussex is located in south-central New Brunswick, between the province’s three largest cities, Saint John, Moncton, and Fredericton. As the heart of Kings County with its 16 covered bridges, Sussex is known as the Covered Bridge Capital of Atlantic Canada.
Today, Sussex is primarily a regional service centre for the surrounding agricultural communities of the upper Kennebecasis River valley. The town is a highway service centre on Route 1, the primary highway between Moncton and Saint John, as well as being the most heavily travelled route in the Maritimes to the United States.
Since 2003, natural gas has been available from the McCully field near Sussex. The potential local natural gas supply and the energy opportunities resulting from the recently closed Potash Company of Canada mine both support the goals of the town’s Community Energy Plan and its economic development objectives.

The Town of Saint Andrews is a town located in Charlotte County along Passamaquoddy Bay in New Brunswick. It has a population of 1,786 residents. The Town’s Historic District is a National Historic Site of Canada as it has retained much of its 18th-century character. The Town is also referred to as St. Andrews-by-the-Sea and is known to the Passamaquoddy First Peoples as Qua-nos-cumcook.

Sitansisk is one of six communities that make up the Wolastoqiyik Nation. Sitansisk is a vital part of New Brunswick’s Capital City of Fredericton and is located next to the Wolastoq (also known as the Saint John River) on approximately 125.8 plus one hectares of land; a mere fraction of the Wolastoqiyik traditional unceded ancestral territory. Sitansisk is an urban community governed by a Chief and Council and is the largest employer on the North side of the City and has a population of 1987 members: with half living on and half living off the community.  Sitansisk is in the process of completing a community greenhouse gas emissions inventory but does not have a community energy plan. Participation in the NB SECA Program will allow the community to both develop and lay the groundwork for community energy plan implementation.

The Town of St. Stephen is located in Charlotte County along the St. Croix River, and has a population of 4,415 residents. It is within close proximity to the U.S. border as well as Saint John and Fredericton. The Town is also known as Canada’s Chocolate Town due to its chocolate heritage from the Ganong Brothers who started a grocery store in 1873 that eventually became a chocolate corporation.