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Support for opening the gates increasing in Riverview

(Moncton - February 7, 2001) - As the Special Advisor to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Eugene Niles, prepares to deliver his final report on the future of the causeway this week, a survey just released by Corporate Research Associates (CRA) is suggesting that support in favour of permanently opening the gates is strong in the Greater Moncton area, and gaining momentum in Riverview.

Corporate Research Associates (CRA) conducted a Moncton Metro Quarterly Survey for the 1st Quarter of 2001 between Thursday February 1st and Monday February 5th. The survey was completed with a randomly selected representative sample of 402 Greater Moncton area residents, 18 years of age and older. A sample of this size provides for overall results to be accurate within plus or minus 4.9%, in 95 out of 100 samples.

On the question - Should the causeway gates be permanently opened or shut? - 59% favoured them opened, 21% preferred to have them shut, while the remainder answered they didn't know or didn't care. These results show continued support in favour of permanently opening the gates compared with a 3rd Quarter of 2000 survey done by CRA, which showed 58% in favour and 22% preferring them shut.

Other highlights of this 1st Quarter 2001 Survey conducted by CRA:

Support for permanently opening the gates remains consistently very strong in Dieppe: 85% favour opening the gates, 2% prefer keeping the gates shut (effectively no opposition)

Support for permanently opening the gates remains consistently strong in Moncton: 55% favour them opened, 20% prefer keeping the gates shut (one in five)

Support for permanently opening the gates appears to be increasing in Riverview: 51% favour them opened permanently, 36% prefer keeping them shut

The main difference between the February 2001 and the August 2000 survey (the last time the question was asked) is the fact that support in favour of permanently opening the gates appears to be increasing in Riverview, while opposition to such a move appears to be decreasing amongst Riverview residents.

According to Heather Shuve, Vice-President of Corporate Research Associates, "the results of this last survey suggest that overall support for permanently opening the gates remains consistently strong in the Greater Moncton area, while sentiment appears to be shifting in favour of opening the gates in Riverview".

Daniel LeBlanc, Executive Director of the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper, was pleased with the results of the CRA survey: "As we suspected, there is strong support in Dieppe, Moncton and Riverview for a resolution to the gates issue and the restoration of the Petitcodiac River."

"Support outside of Moncton is also very strong in favour of restoring the river, added LeBlanc, with elected councils from Salisbury, Petitcodiac, Elgin, Memramcook, Dorchester and Fort Folly having adopted in the last year resolutions calling on governments to restore full tidal flow to the Petitcodiac River. In other words, a good proportion of the people in this region have made up their minds on this issue; to them, restoring the river is the right solution for the future."