Premier Susan Holt says the government is committed to delivering a collaborative care clinic in St. Stephen, despite allegations from the Progressive Conservative opposition that she threatened to take the project away from the community.
Saint Croix MLA Kathy Bockus made a statement in the Legislative Assembly on June 11 questioning the progress of the new clinic on King Street.
“Don’t get me started on the clinics the government says it has opened. The one in St. Stephen may have been announced but it isn’t scheduled to open until January of next year, maybe,” she said, reading a statement in the house.
During the members’ statements on June 11, opposition MLAs alleged Holt responded to Bockus’ remarks by saying: “How would you like to lose it?”
Interim Progressive Conservative leader Glen Savoie immediately questioned Holt on her statement, which cannot be heard on the audio.
Savoie confirmed to The Courier what he heard on Thursday. Two of his colleagues — Sussex-Three Rivers MLA Tammy Scott Wallace and Carleton-Victoria MLA Margaret Johnson — also said they heard Holt threaten the clinic.
Opened more than a year ago
The St. Stephen collaborative care clinic was one of the first 10 promised to be opened by the Holt government within the first 18 months of its mandate. A temporary clinic opened inside the Charlotte County Hospital in February 2025, but has been constrained by space.
Between February and November, it had taken 310 patients off the waitlist. Since November, the clinic has attached an additional 733 patients.
HHN said a little more than 2,700 patients remain unattached.
In November 2025, the government officially announced the clinic but did not say exactly where it would be located. Holt did promise it would be open by the spring.
Then in January 2026, the location was announced as 210 King Street — the former Sobeys building in the Charlotte Mall.
In March, Bockus said Horizon Health Network (HHN) CEO Margaret Melanson told her the new clinic would not begin seeing patients until January 2027.
“I’m told by Horizon CEO Margaret Melanson that the first patient day for the new clinic, to be opened at the old Sobeys store, is expected to be in mid-January 2027,” she said in a post on Facebook back in March. “Melanson graciously shared with me the timeline she received from her team. I thank her for the clarity she provided.”
Holt confirmed to reporters in Saint Andrews in March 2026 she was expecting the renovations to move quicker than officially anticipated.
Question Period
Savoie immediately questioned Holt’s alleged remarks during Question Period (QP).
“I’m going to start with the Premier (who) just threatened that member to take away her collaborative care clinic, will she stand up and admit to that?” he asked.
Holt said she was surprised to hear dissatisfaction by Bockus.
“We have a very long list of communities who are looking to get access to those new doctors we’re bringing in through the practice ready assessment program, to the nurses that are being attracted here, and to the recruitment success we’ve had,” she said in response to questions. “So if the member opposite is not interested in seeing the clinic supported, we have a lot of people in this house who would love to see those physicians and resources brought to their communities.”
Savoie said Holt’s response to his question was shameful. The following day during Question Period, he would call her vengeful when asking about the alleged threat she made the day prior.
Holt said the government is committed to delivering the clinic.
“We have plans in place for the renovations,” she said during QP on June 12. “The work is mapped out to get that space ready to go. It’s going to be a brand-new clinic with new health care professionals recruited to the area.”
The Courier requested an interview with Holt but one was not provided. The newspaper requested confirmation of whether Holt made the alleged remark but was directed to the Question Period transcript.
Bockus told The Courier she was disappointed by Holt’s reaction. She took to social media to criticize the premier.
“My colleagues and I all heard the premier’s remark as she made sure to speak loud enough so everyone in the chamber could hear her threat,” the post said. “In fairness to the premier, she was already having a rough day, after learning her popularity had plummeted in a recent Angus Reid poll. I suppose she was especially thin-skinned today, but it does not excuse her threat against the health care of the people of St. Croix.”
Municipal District of St. Stephen (MDSS) Mayor Steve Backman said Holt’s reaction left him feeling guarded.
“I’m hoping it is a heat of the moment comment,” he said in an interview. “I mean, people here deserve health care and they deserve access to health care. We really want to see that clinic come forward.”
Backman has worked to raise millions for the Charlotte County Hospital Foundation — which has secured many much-needed pieces of medical equipment, including a CT scanner.
“We have our hospital foundation here, which is raising huge amounts of money to support health care,” he said. “We hope that it doesn’t go unrecognized and she appreciates the efforts the people put in this community to make health care a viable option. I think the province owes us some respect on that matter.”
Brigitte Carter, the director of primary care for HHN in the Saint John area, said planning for the new wellness centre is well underway and progressing on schedule.
“The conceptual design phase has been completed, and the final layout has been approved, which sets the stage for construction to move forward,” she said in a statement. “Construction is targeted for completion in January 2027, and we remain on track to meet that timeline.”
