Only 2 investors left in controversial Shediac mega-campground project

A proposed campground of up to 750 sites in Pointe-du-Chnehas lost five of its original seven investors, says the former lead developer of the project.

MichelBoudreau, who foundedShediacCamping Ltd. with a longtime friend, Liberal cabinet minister VictorBoudreau, says he pulled out of the controversial project a few weeks ago.

Boudreau, the regional sheriff for Moncton, said he made the decision after the health ministerannounced he was walking away from his 20 per cent share in the megacampground after months of controversy surrounding his involvement.

Michel Boudreau admits he is leaving because the negative attention got to him.

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The project was approved by Shediac town council in 2014 but is opposed by some residents, who argue it would put further stress on coastal development and nearby Parlee Beach, which has been plagued by poor water quality.

''There's a lot of things that were said and done, and accusations that were just not true, and just not valid,'' said Michel Boudreau.

''This was supposed to be a fun project when we started it years ago.''

He said the idea for the campground was born around a campfire in 2013, during a conversation between him and Victor Boudreau, who wasthen leader of the opposition.

He said he and the minister are friends from high school and avid campers, having owned trailers since their "children were in diapers."

The campsite was to be a retirement project, he explained.

The project stalled for two years after its approval, because of a legal battle involving the Anglican Parish of Shediac, the landowner, which signed anon-compete clause in the lease of another piece of land for nearby 340-site Oceanic Campground.

The dispute was settled out of court at the end of last summer, paving the way for construction and leadingto louder calls from opponents to halt the project.

Boudreau said he became discouraged in recent weeks.

"Life's too short for this, I'm out," he remembered thinking after a discussion with his wife. "I just don't need any of this."

Boudreau said his lawyer began the divestment process for his stake in the company about two to three weeks ago.

Local plumber takes over

There are two investors left in the project, according to Michel Boudreau, with a third one considering signing on if it goes through.

He said Luc LeBlanc, owner of Modern Plumbing Inc., will take over as the director of Shediac Camping Ltd.

LeBlanc, who was representing the company at an open house in Shediac on the weekend, is now the only public face of the project.

The other partner remains silent.

The campsite, which some say would be the largest in the Maritimes, with at least 650 sites, would require an estimated two years of construction and would not open before 2019.

Church role explained

Michel Boudreau said part of Shediac Camping's deal with the Anglican Parish of Shediac involved the church having to fulfilcertain conditions before it could rent its land to the campground developers.

"It just made business sense," said Boudreau, who said he acted on a lawyer's advice.

Boudreau explained that's how the church came to be listed as the project's proponent on the environmental impact assessment.

The church recently came under scrutiny for its involvement in the controversial project, with local residents filing a complaint to the Canada Revenue Agency asking to investigate whether the parish acted beyond the scope of a charitable organization.

The project's environmental assessment, which was submitted to the province in May, is still under review.

The Department of Environment has indicated it still has some questions for the developers before the environment minister ultimately decides whether construction can go ahead.