A regional service commission (RSC) is an administrative entity in the province of

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. As the name implies, an RSC administers services on a regional level. RSCs are not incorporated municipal entities and lack direct taxation powers. A 2021 white paper recommended major reforms to New Brunswick's local governance system that took effect in 2023, with increased RSC responsibilities and some boundary adjustments.

Functions

RSCs were originally required to provide regional planning, local planning in local service districts (LSD) and participating local governments, solid waste management, policing collaboration, emergency measures planning, and facilitating cost-sharing agreements between member governance units. The 2023 local governance reforms added economic development, community development, tourism promotion, regional transportation, cost-sharing on recreation infrastructure, and public safety committees to the mandates of RSCs.

History

Before the creation of RSCs, regional planning and waste management were managed by two systems of planning commissions and solid waste commissions; these sets of commissions divided the province in different ways.

Finn Report

The concept of a regional administrative body that replaced existing regional commissions in a unified body was proposed by the Finn Report in 2008 as part of a sweeping reform of the province's local governance bodies. Twelve RSCs would administer services in 53 municipalities with boundaries based on communities of interest rather than existing municipal and LSD boundaries. The Graham government shelved the Finn Report shortly after it was released, with Graham telling reporters it would be a mistake to implement the changes during the

2008 financial crisis The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...

Creation

RSCs were created by the Alward government in 2012, taking effect on 1 January 2013. The initial boards consisted of mayors of the member municipalities and rural communities and LSD representatives appointed by the provincial government. Instead of using the RSC boundaries proposed by Finn, the Alward government based RSC boundaries on existing governance units. The period between announcement and implementation allowed for municipalities and LSDs to request transfer to another RSC; Belledune, Saint-Quentin, and Hampton all took advantage of this policy to successfully lobby for a change in which RSC they would belong to.

2023 changes

All local service districts were dissolved, with all areas not within a municipality formed rural districts. Minor boundary changes were common; Hampton was moved from the Kings RSC to Fundy.

Board

Each RSC is governed by a board consisting of all mayors within the RSC and chair of the advisory board of the RSC's rural district.

Official languages

The ''Official Languages Act'' (OLA) applies to all RSCs with a 20% linguistic minority, a city, or a municipality with a 20% linguistic minority. As of 2017 eight RSCs are subject to the OLA.

List of regional service commissions

The twelve RSCs were originally given only numbers, counting roughly clockwise from the northwestern corner of the province; the original order is retained here. Most adopted more descriptive names within two years of their creation. Municipality types: (C) city, (T) town, (VL) village, (RC) rural community, (RM) regional municipality

Northwest Regional Service Commission

The NWRSC serves primarily francophone communities in the northwestern corner of the province, including all of Madawaska County, western Restigouche County, and northern Victoria County. *

Edmundston Edmundston () is a city in Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada. Established in 1850, it had a population of 16,437 as of 2021. On January 1, 2023, Edmundston amalgamated with the village of Rivière-Verte, New Brunswick, Rivière-Verte and ...

Restigouche Regional Service Commission

The RRSC serves most of Restigouche County and is the smallest RSC. * Bois-Joli (VL) * Campbellton (C) * Heron Bay (T) * Kedgwick (RC) * Restigouche Rural District

Chaleur Regional Service Commission

The CRSC serves western and central Gloucester County and the eastern edge of Restigouche County. * Bathurst (C) * Belle-Baie (T) * Belledune (VL) * Chaleur Rural District

Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission

Serves eastern Gloucester County and Neguac, which forms an exclave surrounded by the Greater Miramichi RSC. * Caraquet (T) * Hautes-Terres (T) * Île-de-Lamèque (T) * Neguac (VL) * Rivière-du-Nord (T) * Shippagan (T) * Tracadie (RM) * Acadian Peninsula Rural District

Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission

Serves most of Northumberland County plus the rural community of Upper Miramichi. *

Alnwick Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish border, inland from the North Sea ...

(RC) * Doaktown (VL) * Miramichi River Valley (RC) * Miramichi (C) * Upper Miramichi (RC) * Greater Miramichi Rural District

Kent Regional Service Commission

Serves Kent County and Rogersville Parish in Northumberland County. * Beaurivage (T) * Beausoleil (RC) * Champdoré (T) * Five Rivers (VL) * Grand-Bouctouche (T) * Nouvelle-Arcadie (VL) * Kent Rural District

Southeast Regional Service Commission

Serves

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

and Albert Counties. * Cap-Acadie (T) *

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Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. Th ...

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

(T) * Shediac (T) * Strait Shores (RC) * Tantramar (T) * Three Rivers (VL) * Southeast Rural District

Kings Regional Service Commission

Serves eastern Kings County plus three LSDs in Queens County. Kept its original name until the local governance reform. * Butternut Valley (RC) *

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

(T) * Valley Waters (VL) * Kings Rural District

Fundy Regional Service Commission

Serves

Saint John County Saint John County (2021 population: 76,558) is located in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The city of Saint John dominates the county. Elsewhere in the county, tourism is focused around the Bay of Fundy. Census subdivisions Communities Th ...

, western Kings County, and southwestern Queens County. * Fundy-St. Martins (VL) * Grand Bay-Westfield (T) * Hampton (T) * Quispamsis (T) * Rothesay (T) * Saint John (C) * Fundy Rural District

Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission

Serves most of Charlotte County plus Manners Sutton and McAdam Parishes in York County. * Campobello Island (RC) * Eastern Charlotte (RC) * Fundy Shores (RC) * Grand Manan (VL) * McAdam (VL) * Saint Andrews (T) * St. Stephen (T) * Southwest Rural District

Capital Region Service Commission

Serves Sunbury County, most of York County, most of Queens County, and Clarendon Parish in Charlotte County. Kept its original name until shortly before the local governance reform. * Arcadia (VL) * Central York (RC) *

Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...

Hanwell Hanwell () is a town in the London Borough of Ealing. It is about west of Ealing Broadway and had a population of 28,768 as of 2011. It is the westernmost location of the London post town. Hanwell is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. St ...

(RC) * Harvey (RC) *

Nackawic-Millville Nackawic-Millville is a rural community in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. It was formed through the 2023 New Brunswick local governance reforms. History Nackawic-Millville was incorporated on January 1, 2023 via the amalgamation of ...

(RC) * Nashwaak (RC) * New Maryland (VL) * Oromocto (T) * Sunbury-York South (RC) * Tracy (VL) * Capital Region Rural District

Western Valley Regional Service Commission

Serves Carleton County, most of Victoria County, and

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

and North Lake Parishes in York County. * Carleton North (T) * Hartland (T) * Lakeland Ridges (VL) * Southern Victoria (VL) * Tobique Valley (VL) *

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(T) * Western Valley Rural District

References

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External links