Fredericton buys island to keep it free for public recreation

Fredericton residents can now boast about collectively owning an island.

City councillors agreed this week to buy Ross Island in the St. John River for $65,000.

The island is in the part of the St. John Riverbetween the Garden Creek neighbourhood on the south side, and the intersection of Sunset Drive and Route 105 on the north side.

The citypurchased it for the chance it presentedto preserve a piece of wetland, while ensuringpublic access to an area that's grown in popularity for recreational water sports, said Coun. Jason Lejeune, chair of the city's economic vitality committee.

"It's a long-standing policy in the city's municipal plan to acquire riverfront, waterfront properties when possible for a couple of reasons," Lejeune said.

"Particularly with the Ross Island purchase, of course there's a significant waterfront. It's an island, so everything around the island is waterfront, but more so, there's a significant wetland habitat on that island."

Lejeune said the city in previous years has purchasedlandalong the Nashwaak River and in the area around Sunset Drive for similar reasons.

Preventing a 'privatized waterfront'

The city's purchasewas also motivated by a desire to offermore recreational opportunities to residents,Lejeune said.

"It's really important that we don't end up with a privatized waterfront," he said.

Lejeune saidFredericton has the St. John River running through the middle of it, but access to it by the public can be "a challenge" for some.

WATCH | Fredericton scoops up Ross Island for residents' enjoyment:

City buys island for room to play

12 months ago

Duration 0:47

The City of Fredericton has purchased the 36-acre Ross Island in the St. John River as part of its ambition to conserve ecologically sensitive areas, and promote public access to waterfront property.

"We think the public should be able to enjoy the river," he said.

"If you're out on the river in a small craft ... Ross Island, because of its geography, is a place that people do go to already, and we want to make sure that they're able to go to itover the long term."

'Some of the best' farming land

The City of Fredericton bought the island from brothers Ben, Gordon, John and Ralph Waugh.

Ben Waugh said the island had been in the family for at least three generations, likely starting with the purchase by his grandfather, Benjamin Waugh.

He said the island was a sort of extension of the farm the family once operated on Carlisle Road in Douglas.

Thanks to the annual spring thaw that would flood the island, the soil on it was rich in nutrients, and in earlier days, Ross Island was used to grow hay, Waugh said.

In later days, cattlewereferried across to it in the summer to graze.

"In the day, the islands really were some of the best land they had as far as you know, it was fertile, very fertile soil that was free of rocks," Waugh said.

Waugh said the family farm is no longer in operation, and it's been about 20 years since Ross Island was used for any agricultural purposes.

This gives the city a chance to set up, you know, a properplace for people to stop.- Ben Waugh, former co-owner of Ross Island

He said for the past six years, he and his brothers had been renting the island to the owners of Second Nature Outdoors, which offers kayak and canoe rentals and tours on the St. John River.

He said he and his brothers later found out about the city's ambitions toacquirewaterfront property, and began discussions about selling it.

"I think it's a great idea because if you stop and think about it, all of those islands from Clements and Jewett clear to Mactaquac, they're all privately owned, so people going out, you know, canoeing, kayaking, boating or whatever and stopping, they're actually trespassing on private property," he said.

"So this gives the city a chance to set up, you know, a properplace for people to stop."

Lejeune said there are currently no specific plans to offer amenities or programs on the island, but said he expects the city will allow the public free access to it in the interim.

Fredericton spokesperson Shasta Stairs saidin a followup email that Ross Island is the first full island the city has acquired.

She said the city acquired three hectares, or almost 7 acres, onNevers Island in December 2014.