Municipal Election 2026: Loretta Elderkin, Incumbent Candidate for Ward 2

Join us for a special series of CAC: In Conversation, covering the 2026 Municipal Election in the Fundy Albert Region. 

In this conversation, we chat with Loretta Elderkin, Incumbent Candidate for the position of Councillor of Ward 2.  

All candidates were given a list of potential questions at least 24 hours in advance of their interview and were asked the same questions. We have completed light editing for clarity, length, and sound quality. All views and opinions represented in the interviews are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Connecting Albert County. 

Connecting Albert County thanks our presenting sponsor, the Bennett & Albert County Healthcare Foundation.

For more information on Connecting Albert County, please go to our website or find us on Facebook or Instagram.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello, and welcome to Connecting Albert County in Conversation series. This is part of our special edition covering the 2026 municipal elections. As always, I'm Melody Land, Coordinator of CAC, and today I'm here with Loretta Elderkin. She's the present counselor for Ward II in Fund Day Albert and is re-offering in this election. Hello, Loretta, and thank you for spending some time with me this morning.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Good morning.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Thank you for having me. So, as part of our um goal with CAC, is to help people get engaged in the community, uh, connect one another, and uh, of course, engage with the local election and understand the one so they'll get out and vote, but also so they know who they're voting for and why we have started this series and appreciate you being able to um help us do that by spending the time with us and us getting to know you. Um so we can can you tell us a little bit about yourself as we get underway with this interview?

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Sure. Um I currently, currently and have for some time lived in Riverside Albert. That's where um I've raised my children. Um a little bit of past about me, um, believe it or not, I went to school and we're in Elma Consolidated. Um, my husband went and my children went to Riverside Consolidated, and we all went to Caledonia. So we've kind of touched base on all the uh a little bit of a little bit of everything throughout the community. Um I work full-time at a nursing home um as a business coordinator um within the town of Riverview. Um, been there for 16 years. Um, love the seniors. Um, so it's kind of been a passion of mine, very connected to the community. Um, I've been very active over the years. Um as your kids go through different sports and school things. Um, I've always taken an active part in such things as minor hockey boards and PSSC, those type of things. I I think it's important to stay connected. Uh I'm a firm believer that you know you can't really complain a lot if you don't want to get involved and help move things forward. Um I was a counselor in the former village of Riverside Albert, and as you know, I have served as a counselor in um ward two for this amalgamation process.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

So, how would you describe your leadership style?

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Well, I think my leadership style is actually um that's a tough one. Um, I want to say I'm patient, I'm fair, I'm a good listener. I think it's important to listen to both sides um before any decision is made. And I think it's also important that once a conflict has been resolved, you need to move on. You can't carry it if it's it's resolved and done, and you just need to move on and leave it behind.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Right. So speaking of conflict, I know that through the amalgamation process and also um counsel in general, anytime you get a group of people together, regardless of what the room is, there is going to be conflict because people have differences of opinions and that sort of thing. And conflict can be a positive thing. How do you handle and navigate conflict?

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Um, like I mentioned, very much conflict. You have to be, you have to be transparent with one another up front. Um, and you have to listen, you have to speak your voice. And and as I mentioned at the end of it, you have to move on. Once a decision has been made, whether you've been swayed or you've swayed people, you need that's the end. It's it's been dealt with and we need to move on.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Okay. So why did you decide to run in this particular municipal election?

SPEAKER_01 3:57

For me, it it was a tough decision. Um, I'm not gonna lie. Um I'm passionate about my community. Um, and I've already put a lot of work into this for the last three and a half years. So um I think for me it's important to uh to continue on with the job that's already been started. And you know, it it is the that's that's why.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

Right. So how have you prepared to run so far in this election? What have you been up to as you've been preparing and um starting in your your race, I guess, to become the board to counselors?

SPEAKER_01 4:39

You know, this yeah, uh this is the first time they've recommended, you know, that we have a separate, you know, candidate counselor with uh Facebook page. Um in the past, I haven't done that. Um, but as I grow throughout this process, I can see the importance of keeping it separate from from your personal um, you know, Facebook page. So I I have initiated that. I'm working on some stuff with you, obviously, and um most importantly, I've reached out to a lot of my constituents. That's that's key. Um, you know, like I said, I've been kicking around a long time. So I did a lot of phone conversations and touch bases with them.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

And I know we're early in this process, but have you developed a platform? And if not something specific at this stage, what do you see are the most pressing issues you'd like to address?

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Well, I I can't say that I necessarily have have a platform. Um I think from my point of view in municipal politics is that it's very hard to have a platform when you're one of seven people to have a vote. There are some things that I am passionate about, um, which I, you know, I I have in my mind there's probably three things that I am passionate about. And one is to maintain good um water systems, you know, within our former villages, you know, in Hillsborough, um, Elma, and Riverside Albert. I think that it is key that we keep a close eye on those. And we also have to make sure that it is still going to be affordable for those that have to pay into it. So, as you know, it's user-based. Um, so with the price of things today, um, I think it's key that we keep an eye, a close eye on the expenditures and what the revenue is we have coming in so for the future, so that we can have it uh really stay affordable. Um I'm a big supporter of the volunteers that we have in our area and of the different nonprofit places we have throughout Fundy Albert. Um, and they're key. They're they're like, and I I've said this publicly before, we sit at the table and we make decisions, but they're helping us thrive. And um, I think it's important to work work alongside with that. And I think we're we've started that, we've got some good stuff going on, and we need to continue that. And that kind of ties into recognizing our assets in Fundy Albert, and we really need to tap into those.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

One question that has come up for community members is time and how serving your community through municipal government can be so time consuming. Um, multiple meetings per month, various times of the day and evening, as well as community events, boards, other projects, you know, the drill. Can you speak to any concerns that voters might have about how you will manage your time and how available you will be to serve serve your constituents?

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Um, no, I think um for me, I've somewhat proven myself in this last term that I have been committed, dedicated. You're always making adjustments, you're making a lot of sacrifices. Um, whether you've missed a whole family function or just a part of one, um, it is a big commitment. And um I think anybody coming into municipality politics needs to know it is a commitment.

SPEAKER_00 8:20

Earlier this year, there was a lot of discussion in the public, media, and that sort of thing around mandatory training for municipal counselors, availability of said training, so on and so forth. Um, are you for or against required training? And have you done any training thus far?

SPEAKER_01 8:38

I certainly have done some training and I am totally for it. Um, you know, training takes out a lot of the what ifs, um, very clear training. Um, you know, it's very good, a good code of conduct. Um, all those things is very important, especially if you're new to municipal politics. I'm not new, but I don't know anything. So each, I mean, I know I shouldn't say I don't know anything. I do, I'm still learning. And that's the thing is that you can take training, you know, again this time as opposed to last time. There's probably something new because of your experience now that you're going to pick up on that you're still growing on.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

Speaking of training, it is related to um policy and procedure. You mentioned codes of conduct. The New Brunswick Local Governance Act is the primary legislation governing municipalities, rural communities, and regional districts. It had some major reforms in January of 2023 when the amalgamation happened, and some key updates around service delivery, local governance commissions, restructuring, etc. Um, can you share with us your level of familiarity with the New Brunswick Local Governance Act?

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Um, yeah, I am familiar with the New Brunswick Local Governance Act. It's one of those things that uh, you know, sometimes when you're thinking about something or something comes up, you tap into the act itself to see what it says. Um, I think this is one of the things that we really depend on our clerk for the guidance and support when it comes to the act.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

In the area of transparency and conflicts of interest, there have been many public conversations around concerns in regards to transparency of local council and perceived conflicts of interest that have occurred around decision making of counselors. First, what's your response to this concern and how has it impacted um how things are done in local governance?

SPEAKER_01 10:40

Well, first of all, for me, there is a process to follow. If if if the constituent feels that there is a conflict within our um council, you know, there is a process to file. And and you know, they have to do their share as well, right? Um, so I think it's important to follow the to um to follow the process. As a counselor, totally. Uh, you know, we should that's part of our job is you know, kind of come clean at the beginning to say, I'm stepping away from this one, and is to learn what what you know, not everything I feel may be a conflict, but do your homework to find out if it is a conflict or not before the discussion begins.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Okay. And that actually semi-answers or mostly answers. The next question I have would be how you hold yourself transparent and avoid conflicts of interest. So it sounds like you've had that experience in the past.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

Yeah. Do your homework and you know, ask questions. If you if you're not feeling that's why you have a mayor, that's why you have a clerk, is to say, this is on the agenda, this is where I'm at. Tell me, do you think this is a conflict or what? So I think it's important to do those things. Super.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Thank you. Moving into some particular files that the municipality either holds or has a relationship to in the community. Um, the first one being nature and environmental concerns. So the village of Funde Albert has a lot of resources, but perhaps the most obvious is our connection to our natural environment. It is so profound that it's highlighted in our tagline, friendly by nature. We are part of the UNESCO Funded Biosphere Region, a huge and globally significant designation. How do you see the municipality's role in maintaining, managing, and utilizing our natural resources?

SPEAKER_01 12:39

Well, that's a deep question. Um I think for me, um, you know, we we have systems in place now to to make like we have systems in place right now to help with this. We have to maintain our trail system, you know, we have to utilize the programs that are already out there, which are if it's recycling, if it's, you know, um the municipality puts out, those are important things. And I think I think a lot of it for me, including myself, is education. I think we need to educate ourselves as counselors, and we need to educate our our residents um to say this is what's out there that can help us. And and we're doing this because we are very fortunate to live where we are, and it's our job to help preserve what we have.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Specific question that has come through is about the spraying of our region's forest with glycophates. Um, for against, or do you have an opinion on that?

SPEAKER_01 13:53

Speaking of conflicts, um, this one's a little personal for me. My view is less chemicals are are always better. There's a lot of science to this question, um, which makes it much more complicated for the general public and myself to understand. There really needs to be more collaboration between private and government agencies to help protect our residents, our wildlife, our streams, and our rivers. That's important. And again, it's the education. On a personal note, I can say my family has been actively engaged with the ongoing research that's that's happening.

unknown 14:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

Thank you very much for your response to that question. Um, I appreciate the the nuances that happen in life when it comes to things like this. Moving into the moving into the file of how there is always a lot of discussion around the challenges of living. Um, it has a huge impact on the residents of our village or very well problem in our region. So some statistics suggest that a significant, high significant number of our residents are within two paychecks of risk of homelessness or displacement. There is an increased use of food banks and other food security resources, and that just kind of touches the tip of the iceberg. How have you or how will you use the full range of your municipalities' tools and resources to increase access to things like affordable housing, to reduce or eliminate homelessness, increase food security, or in general have a positive effect in the area of poverty reduction?

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Well, again, it's not really a one counselor project. It's it's the municipalities, the it's the municipalities' um responsibility as a whole. Um, it's very clear we have some good services, local services that are already working well for us now, and we need to support them. We need to maintain them, we need to support them. And if there's another need that comes up, we need to listen. You know, we're not going to be able to solve every problem that comes our way, but we need to listen, we need to act, and we need to contact the people that you know, the people that we need to contact to get things moving.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Moving into the area of economic development, what do you see as the municipal council's role in regards to economic development?

SPEAKER_01 16:33

For me personally, um I would like to see us continue to grow and working with the residents and the council to have fundy Albert as a whole, not silos. Um, and I'm a firm believer that if if there's success there, if one area is one area or one service is doing well, there the benefits are going to trickle through all fundy, Albert. And I think, you know, we have some big landmarks that we can utilize. Um, but that that is key for me is it is you know, is to support each other and um try to become a little more whole and that everybody succeeds.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Okay. Do you think there are any specific ways or some of the best practice ways to grow the community?

SPEAKER_01 17:33

I think a lot of easy, you know, amalgamation hasn't been easy and uh it's not over. It's not done. Um so my hope is we got some of the difficulty part out, and now we can see the the fundy Albert municipality move forward and grow.

SPEAKER_00 17:51

Moving into the arts and culture and history file, do you think that these things add value to the municipality?

SPEAKER_01 18:01

Oh, absolutely. Well, as a long-term resident and you know, and a working counselor, you know, the the amount of talent and knowledge of various arts we have in Fundy Albert is actually amazing. Um we have a lot to offer, and the natural area and the history that we have of Fundy Albert to me often inspires art. Um whether it's you know, plays, photos, you know, places that are opening up based on the history that was there. I mean, that that all helps. That's part of what we do.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Right. So, how do you see the municipality or what are ways the municipality can engage with this history, arts, culture file through things like strategic planning, policy, investment, programming, so on and so forth?

SPEAKER_01 18:59

Uh, that's a very good question. And I think that's one of the things we're working on right now because a lot of these are some of them are non-for-profits that we have currently, some are for-profit throughout the community. Um, so it's finding that balance. We have a limited budget. The budget from the provincial government seems to be changing on a regular basis. So we have to find that that balance that you know we can contribute. And it doesn't always have to be financially, there's other ways that we can contribute. Um, I think we need to promote them, we need to support them as well.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Okay, thank you. And then the last um file, I guess, we would be discussing is infrastructure, especially this time of year. We know roads are always a concern for residents, but roads are one element of a wide range of types of infrastructure that are included in Funde Albert. How have you or how will you utilize the full range of the municipality's tools and resources in managing, maintaining, or improving important municipal infrastructure or potentially developing new projects?

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Um our infrastructure, you know, throughout all of Fundy Albert is a lot. Um, some of it newer, some of it not so newer. So they do have to be maintained. I think moving forward, um, you know, we're approaching now our first term. And so the second term is gonna be maybe some tough decisions, you know. We really need to look at what our infrastructure is, um, how much it's being used, what the cost is of keeping it, um, and what how can we move forward, whether it's, you know, we're gonna have some tough decisions moving forward to make on our infrastructure because we need to maintain it. And it is on the backs of the taxpayers to maintain this infrastructure. So I know we struggled a bit because the former villages are used to paying for infrastructure, but the LSD areas aren't. So this is a new process to them and not something they may or may not use, but it's there, it belongs to Fundy Albert, and so it makes it it's it's for everyone.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

So we have mentioned a bit about amalgamation, and it is kind of under this infrastructure part because with the amalgamation, like you just mentioned, the individual villages were used to looking after infrastructure. Um, and there have been a variety of individual feelings on amalgamation. But regardless of those, we do have to live with the consequences. So, how do you approach challenges related to this experience? And how are you prepared to serve the greater community of Funday Albert?

SPEAKER_01 21:53

For me as a counselor for the last three and a half years, I think I've done that. One of the biggest lessons for me coming into fundy albert you know you're elected to represent represent your ward which is my job to represent my ward but at the end of the day the bat the majority of the decisions you're making is affects all of fundy albert and I think it's clear for anybody coming in you know I'm not just here to rah rah Riverside Albert you know Albert Mines and Hobo Kate you know I represent them and I speak on their behalf but we all need to be here for the greater good of Fundy Albert in order to move forward.

SPEAKER_00 22:40

Is there anything we haven't covered as we wrap up that you would want municipal residents to know about you and your bid in this election well um not really I think we pretty well covered everything um I'm looking forward to the possibility of representing War II again for for an additional four year term.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

The like I mentioned before the amalgamation process I believe that started three and a half years ago um is not done. There's still work to be done to move forward and um for me I can say I'm open to change. I ground it in tradition and I balance myself out with community and uh I'm friendly by nature.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

What a great place to wrap up this conversation. Thank you again Loretta for spending time with us as we endeavor to connect our community together and educate folks so that they know who and what they're voting for on election day and hopefully get lots of people out to the polls. So I do thank you again and appreciate you spending your time with us.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

Thank you Melody.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

And if you would like to know more about elections or the process or anything else to do with Connecting Albert County don't hesitate to reach out to us on our website or via email info at connectingalbert county dot org and let us know.