Province buys 4 properties near the Petitcodiac River

The New Brunswick government has purchased four residential properties west of the Petitcodiac River causeway over fears of future flooding and erosion.

The properties were located on the former head pond, which was drained after the provincial government opened the causeway gates in 2010.

The provincial government evaluated more than 700 different pieces of property around the Petitcodiac River for the potential risk of flooding.

Only four of those 700 properties were considered to be at risk of flooding, according to the provincial government.

A buy-out option was mutually selected by the owners and the provincial government.

The provincial government will not say how much in taxpayer dollars was paid to buy the private properties because of privacy rules.

The four residences will be removed in the spring or summer of 2013.

This isnt the first time the provincial government has been forced to address erosion concerns prompted by the opening of the causeway gates.

The Department of Supply and Services began reinforcing the banks of the Petitcodiac River after roughly 100 metres of shorefront has eroded.

The decision to open the causeway gates was extremely controversial. The causeway was built in 1968 between Moncton and Riverview and the gates were opened in April 2010.