No plans to privatize N.B.’s Murray Beach Provincial Park ‘really good news,’ users say

After plans to outsource operations sparked uproar, the New Brunswick government now says it will continue to operate Murray Beach Provincial Park.

“Murray Beach Provincial Park will continue to be operated by the department,” says Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture spokesperson Morgan Bell. “We do not have any plans to outsource Murray Beach at this time.”

People in Murray Corner and some seasonal residents voiced outrage after it came to light in 2019 that the province was seeking to go out to tender for a private entity to operate the park, though it would retain its provincial park status.

In July of 2019, the province said the move to the private sector would help realize $148,000 in annual savings.

Stephen Robb, a local resident, headed an action group that asked the province to continue operating the park.

Concerns were raised about job losses of seasonal employees as well as the creation of more sites on the existing land.

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Keith Watson, who just spent some time camping at the park, was happy to learn the province would maintain its role.

“It’s got all kinds of space between the trailers and we really like that about this campground and other provincial campgrounds as well,” Watson told Global News. “You know that if it’s privatized that they’re going to be looking to make more money and they’re going to be packing a lot more trailers into the area and so you’re going to have less space between them and less privacy.”

But aside from privacy, concerns were also raised about what more sites — and people camping at them — would mean for the water quality.

“I think the more campers we have on the shore, the more we have to worry that everyone is following strict procedures to not affect the water quality,” says Leola Langille, who has camped at Murray Beach for 14 years.

There have been four no-swimming advisories since the start of June at Murray Beach, according to the provincial park water quality monitoring website.

Langille says it’s “really good news” to hear the province will still be managing the park.

While the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture said in 2019 there would be no reversing of its plan to outsource management, there indeed was a reversal, but not necessarily due to opposition to the plan.

The aftermath of Hurricane Dorian left at least two coastal provincial parks with a huge cleanup task.

So, the province decided it would continue to look after the park in 2020, and confirmed again this week there are no plans for that to change.