Rebranding and promoting the newly created Nackawic-Millville Rural Community has been a topic of discussion for council since the entity became a reality on Jan. 1.

Over several council sessions, the mayor and council outlined the required changes to signs, websites and promotional material to identify the expanded entity correctly. On several occasions, they stressed the immediate need for change but recognized the cost of implementation and the importance of provincial funding support.

On May 22, the Department of Local Government and Local Governance Reform announced the provincial government would invest $3.1 million to help restructured entities cover the costs associated with marketing and signage to promote their new entity names.

“This is a historic time for our province. We have reimagined New Brunswick for the future,” said Minister Daniel Allain noted during the announcement. “This investment will go a long way towards showcasing the unique features of our communities and support them as they promote themselves and their new names.”

Nackawic-Millville Mayor Tim Fox welcomed the funding announcement, which took place in his community Monday evening.

The announcement comes a year after the department announced the list of the proposed names for all 77 local governments and 12 rural districts, created through municipal reform effective Jan. 1 of this year.

Provincial officials said the government allocated the funding in the 2023-24 budget as part of the government’s commitment to investing in vibrant and sustainable communities.

“We have worked with communities and supported them from the start,” said Allain. “With this funding, communities will be able to showcase the diverse cultural, historical, and natural attractions and continue to build our reputation as a great destination in which to live, work, and do business.”

He said his department would provide information to local governments on how to access the funding.

“We just learned of some of the details of this funding,” Fox told the River Valley Sun. “We understand that it is an amount up to $50,000 per new municipality to be used for rebranding, website development, signage etc.”

Over several council meetings, Nackawic-Millville council discussed the need to change signs across the newly expanded rural community, including those on the town hall, which should reflect the community of Nackawic-Millville and not the “Town of Nackawic.”

Fox said council and staff must decide where changes and funding support are needed.

“Our council has had some preliminary discussions on signage and rebranding, and we are grateful for the funding that will help us along the way,” he said.

Jim Dumville, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, River Valley Sun