Sheriff Andrews House and Anchorage Provincial Park on Grand Manan will operate this season despite intended cuts by the provincial government.
Both operators said the province is willing to work with them to maintain operations this summer.
“We’re in talks right now with the province and there’s a few options on the table,” said Garrett Travis, Anchorage’s park manager.
Travis said Anchorage is still working out an agreement, while Saint Andrews Acting Mayor Steve Neil said an agreement had been reached.
“It will be open and hopefully, operate as usual,” Neil said, speaking to The Courier, noting its future post-summer is uncertain. “The new incoming council is going to have to discuss [whether] the province is looking to transition out of it completely.”
The total budget for Sheriff Andrews House in 2026 was $48,456, with the town allocating about $34,565 as a provincial grant.
Anchorage will run whether the province continues to provide funding, Travis explained. He said it is looking at increasing rates to create a self-sustaining park.
“That’s definitely a good first step, you know, modestly increasing the rates and finding a good balance,” Travis said. “We’re not trying to make a killing down here, we’re a non-profit organization.”
Grand Manan Mayor, Bonnie Morse said the campground in Anchorage Park provides over 100 campsites and is vital for accommodation on the island.
“Just because we know it’s important to the Boys and Girls Club of Grand Manan Island, it’s important to the community, and we need to do whatever we can do to make sure that Anchorage stays part of Grand Manan,” Morse said.
The park is currently run by the club, which Travis said provides a space for youth to experience nature.
“Our focus is on youth in our community,” Travis said.
Difficult decisions from province
The budget cuts came amid a ballooning deficit expected to hit $1.39 billion.
Sheriff Andrews House and Anchorage Provincial Park were among a larger group of 10 historic tourism sites which had fewer than 5000 visitors last season.
Progressive Conservative MLA Mary Wilson, who is also the tourism critic, said the province’s claim of less than 5000 visitors is outrageous.
“They’re (government) looking for an excuse to shut down these tourism sites in New Brunswick, and it’s their (operators) livelihood,” said Wilson.
She said the government is causing damage to rural New Brunswick.
“They’re projecting a $6 billion dollar increase in our debt by the end of their mandate,” Wilson said. “So they’re just cutting and thrashing.”
Wilson raised concerns about Ministers Island that has yet to receive funding.
“Ministers Island is really suffering and hanging on [by] a thread,” said Wilson.
She said the government is looking into the heritage site’s funding, but she has not heard any positive news.
Last season, the island’s operator, Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island (VHEMI) brought their funding concerns to The Courier.
The operating grant in 2024 was $100,000, which had only increased by $67,000 since it opened in 2008.
John Kershaw told The Courier last summer that it was not enough, and criticized the government’s funding of Kings Landing in comparison, and so did Wilson.
“How much money goes to Kings Landing, [there’s a] big difference,” Wilson said.
Kings Landing received $3.639 million in funding in 2024 and had a higher, though comparable, number of visitors than Ministers Island, 35,275 compared with 23,937.
Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, Isabelle Thériault, said the goal was never to shut down the sites, but to transition them back to community operation.
She said they are discussing that option with all ten sites.
“We cannot operate this alone,” Thériault said, “We have 25 parks under us, and it’s hard for us to continue managing so many great things.”
According to Thériault, the province has a responsibility to preserve them by law.
The province bought the sites in the 1970s and 1980s and does not have a plan to sell them.
Thériault wouldn’t confirm any other cuts to tourism sites in the province, but said nothing further is expected for this fiscal year.
Thériault said the goal is for all ten sites to find a solution.
“We might not have agreements with them all at the same time, but we’re really trying to see what the possible and tangible solutions are for them to continue at this point,” Thériault said.
