Community members pleading for N.B. not to privatize Murray Beach Provincial Park

Community members in southeast New Brunswick are pleading for the province not to privatize operations of Murray Beach Provincial Park.

On Saturday they held a rally to send that message loud and clear.

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Protesters told Global News they have a number of concerns about the proposed privatization: that jobs will be lost or wages reduced to minimum wage and that maintenance will be sacrificed for the bottom line.

“The major concerns are the loss of the 10 seasonal jobs here to minimum-wage jobs,” said Stephen Robb, a member of the Murray Beach Action group.

“We’re concerned about the beach water quality. The sewage lagoon is 60 years old and it’s leaching onto the beach and into the nearby creek.”

The province says the park would continue to have provincial park status and therefore have to follow the Parks Act.

WATCH: Rural community concerned as New Brunswick looks to privatize Murray Beach Provincial Park

1:57 Rural community concerned as New Brunswick looks to privatize Murray Beach Provincial Park

However, it does plan to contract out the operation of the park. The province is expected to issue a request for proposals in the fall.

The Murray Beach Action Group says it has a meeting scheduled with Robert Gauvin, the province’s tourism minister, to discuss its concerns later this month.