Work finally starts on N.B.'s highway moose fence

New Brunswick has finally started to build the long-promised moose fencing along a twisty section of Highway 7 near Welsford, north of Saint John.

Welsford resident Kathy McCollum was visited by Transport Minister Denis Landry in October 2006, and told her work would begin by June 2007.

She had single-handedly lobbied the province to build the fence after her daughterwas injuredwhen her car hit a moose along a stretch of highway that has been the scene of many moose-car collisions.

Landry told her the project would include underpasses and overpasses so moose could cross the highway safely.

"I want to thank them very much. Like I say, it's a reality, and I think there's going to be a lot of people happy," McCollum said when she saw that work finally started on Tuesday.

The fence was part of an election promise by theLiberal government, to put up 300 kilometres of wildlife fencing on highways around the province by the end of 2008.

That's a promise that is far from being kept, but $11 million has been earmarked for it in this year's budget, and on Wednesday, Finance Minister Victor Boudreau defended the lack of progress.

"We are committed to building and installing more moose fencing. By the end of 2008, we will have met at least two thirds of the commitments we made under our charter of change," Boudreau said.

McCollum said she's confident the province will at least finish the dangerous stretch of Highway 7, which involves another 22 kilometres of fencing.

Crashes involving vehicles and moose have increased steadily across New Brunswick since 2002, in spite of a provincial government safety campaign warning drivers to slow down.

There areabout 300 moose-vehicle accidents in New Brunswick every year, manyof them fatal, andoccurring betweenMay and September.