'Baie-Jolie sur mer' is out, northern community submits newer new name

After a not-so-favourable reception, an amalgamated community has decided to change its proposed new name.

The new entity, made up of Beresford, Nigadoo, Petit-Rocher,Pointe-Verte and neighbouring local service districts will be called Belle-Baie, if the name is approved by the province.

The new new name was chosen after residents spoke out against the original name chosen by the transition committee, Baie-Jolie sur mer, calling it redundant and too long.

Maxime Lejeune, mayor of Pointe-Verte, said the committee made a mistake by choosingthe first name, and they're happy with the one they submitted to the province for approval.

"We went back to the drawing table," Lejeune said. "Ninety per cent of all comments made were really respectful."

The name would be used for administrative purposes by the new municipal council and in tourism advertisements.

But according to the province's rules, current addresses won't be changed.

Belle-Baie was one of the strong contenders from the 70 suggestions received by the committee, Lejeune said.

Sharing proposed name helped guide committee

Not everyone is sharing their proposed names, for better or for worse.

Lejeune said the name went out publicly because of a "slip." The committee was not supposed to reveal its proposed name until the deadline to submit it to the province on May 16, he said. Last week, the Baie-Jolie sur mer namewent out, and the response guided the committee to change the submission before it was too late.

Lejeune said this was a silver lining.

"The slip happened, and that name went out there and we realized that we made a mistake," he said. "This shows the population of the new entity that we've listened to them and taken their comments into consideration for a new name."

Other communities, like Woodstock, which is amalgamating with two surrounding local service districts and parts of four others, is keeping the cards close to the chest. Mayor Arthur Slippsaid he would not reveal the name because the province has not approved or rejected it yet.

Vicky Lutes, a Local Government and Local Governance Reform Department spokesperson, said the province will be "better positioned" to share a list of the proposed new names in the next few days.

Choosing the new name is one step in the province-mandated amalgamation of municipalities and LSDs, with the goal to reduce municipal entities from 340 to fewer than 100.