Despite residents' concerns over eligibility, Gaultois resettlement vote will continue

Newfoundland and Labrador's municipal and provincial affairs minister says the resettlement vote in the small outport of Gaultois is going ahead, even as residents express concerns about who can or can't vote.

Martine Blue, who moved to Gaultois 18 months ago and spends six months of the year there,wasn't a resident of the community when the resettlement process began.Thatmakes her ineligible to vote on resettlement or receive a $250,000 compensation package if residents vote in favour of leaving.

She says there are others in the community like her, dubbed non-resident residential property ownersby the policy.

"There's actually quite a significant population of non-resident residential property owners who have no say, who were given no information whatsoever," Blue saidMonday.

"For people who have stakes inthe town and the future of the town in that instance, I would have loved to have had a vote."

Gaultoisresidents have voted against resettlement twice before, when the threshold to resettle a communitywas 90 per cent voting in favour. That threshold has been lowered to 75 per cent, andMunicipal and Provincial Affairs MinisterKrista Lynn Howell says her department was approached in April 2022 to begin the process again.

"This is something that we wanted to support residents in knowing full well that this was a community-driven directive. That the relocation of a community is always a community-driven initiative," Howell saidWednesday.

However, the government'slegislation on resettlement votes has caused confusion among some residents.

According to the province's community relocation policy, a person is deemed a permanent resident and eligible to vote for resettlement if they are livingin the community full time for one year prior to the beginning of a relocation request in this case, before Apr.26, 2021.

Former residents eligible to vote

The designation of permanent resident alsoincludesresidents who have moved out of the community since April 26, 2022.

Resident Derek Huntwho says he did a personal head count to determine the town's currentpopulation of around 70 people believesthatcould skew the vote.

"Why are people who have already left the community and are living elsewhere still have the right in this resettlement process?" Hunt wrote in a letter toHowell."Because they have already left, minister, you know and I know that they are not going to turn down $250,000."

Blue said sheagrees with Hunt. Shewants changes from the government.

"It's very obvious how they would most likely vote, which could bias and skew the vote toward relocation. So I think that's a fundamental flaw with the policy itself that needs to be amended."

Howell defended the policy Wednesday, saying those deemed permanent residents at the beginning of the process are entitled to compensation and that people leave communities for many different reasons.

"At the time of the expression of interest, they were permanent residents. So it is their right as permanent residents to have a say in the community at that time. And if they have since left the community, I can't assume what their vote would be," Howell said.

"Right now, it's our intention just to support the community [in] whatever decision they make."

Hunt has asked the government to see a list of eligible voters,but Howell points out thatwould be a violation of privacy under access-to-information laws.

Hunt and Blue want government officials tocome to Gaultois to provide residents some clarity.

Howell says a meeting is unlikely, as she wouldn't want her presence in the community to sway people to vote one way or another.

In the meantime, Hunt is anxious about what the outcome will be.

"I'm really worried 'cause I want to stay where I'm to," Hunt said."I don't want to go."

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