Published March 1, 2022 @ 4 p.m.
At the Council meeting of February 28, 2022, the Naming Committee Members of Entity 51 were appointed.
Residents of Grand Bay-Westfield and the portion of the Local Service District (LSD) of Westfield West were invited to participate in the local decision-making process of naming Entity 51 by becoming a volunteer member on the Naming Committee. In addition to the Transition Committee members, the Committee includes three residents from Grand Bay-Westfield and two residents from the portion of the LSD.
The Town of Grand Bay-Westfield and the portion of the LSD thank everyone who submitted their names to be on this Committee.
A total of 27 applications were received, 20 from Grand Bay-Westfield residents and 7 from the portion of the LSD residents. The LSD Transition Committee members appointed the two LSD residents to serve on the Naming Committee.
Of the 20 Grand Bay-Westfield applications, subsequent emails were sent to the applicants with 12 responses received prior to the indicated deadline. During the open session of the Council meeting, Council discussed the applicants based on factors such as geography, generational history and their email responses.
Council acknowledged that the large number of qualified applicants made their final decision that much more difficult. “The challenge is we only have the three spots to fill, and we have all of these great perspectives that we would benefit from” – Mayor Brittany Merrifield, Town of Grand Bay-Westfield.
The Naming Committee of Entity 51 is comprised of:
Erika Kelly, Grand Bay-Westfield
Jon Taylor, Grand Bay-Westfield
Rob Wilson, Grand Bay-Westfield
Keri Burpee, LSD of Westfield West
Robert Donner, LSD of Westfield West
Mayor Brittany Merrifield, Grand Bay-Westfield (Transition Committee)
Deputy Mayor Erin M. Toole, Grand Bay-Westfield (Transition Committee)
Louis Gigou, LSD of Westfield West (Transition Committee)
Shelly Totton, LSD of Westfield West (Transition Committee)
With the Naming Committee established, they will meet and make recommendations on the next steps of naming process including:
Call for name submissions;
Deciding on top choices from names submitted;
Voting process on top choices from names submitted; and
Providing the final name recommendation.
The Council meeting of February 28, 2022 can be viewed here.
To stay informed with Entity 51 news and information, please visit www.entity51.ca
Background
In November 2021, the Province of New Brunswick released a White Paper on Local Governance Reform. As a result of the modernization of New Brunswick’s local governance system, the neighbouring communities of Grand Bay-Westfield and a portion (55%) of the Local Service District (LSD) of Westfield West will be amalgamated. Until a community name is determined, these two communities are known as Entity 51.
At a Special Council Meeting on February 17, 2022, Town Council and LSD Transition Committee Representatives approved the naming process for Entity 51. Residents of Grand Bay-Westfield and a portion of the LSD of Westfield West were invited to participate in the local decision-making process of naming Entity 51 by becoming a volunteer member on the Naming Committee. Naming a community is a very important decision; it is a part of ensuring Entity 51 is a welcoming community to live, grow and thrive. The Town of Grand Bay-Westfield and the portion of the LSD of Westfield West recognize the importance of being transparent and keeping residents informed throughout the local governance reform process.
Residents in both communities will have the opportunity to participate in the democratic decision-making process of naming Entity 51 once recommendations are made by the Naming Committee of Entity 51 in coming weeks.
