Nova Scotia·NewThe former chief of the defunct Joggins volunteer fire department is once again facing charges in connection to an alleged assault. RCMP confirmed the charges shortly after the Municipality of Cumberland council voted unanimously in favour of a staff recommendation to revoke the Joggins department registration on Wednesday. RCMP confirmed the charges shortly after Cumberland councillors voted to close the fire department Luke Ettinger · CBC News · Posted: Nov 27, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Cumberland councillors voted unanimously Wednesday in favour of a recommendation to revoke the Joggins Volunteer Fire Department registration. (Luke Ettinger/CBC)The former chief of the defunct Joggins volunteer fire department is once again facing charges connected to an alleged assault in early October.Christopher St. Peter was charged Tuesday with assault, possession of a prohibited weapon, assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose, according to a statement from RCMP. St. Peter appeared in Amherst provincial court on Monday facing similar charges, originally laid in late October. However, the Crown said it didn’t have enough information to proceed and withdrew the charges. However, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service told CBC News the Crown received new information from police later that day.St. Peter is set to appear in court on Dec. 1. His younger brother, Dylan St. Peter, is also expected to deliver a plea on charges related to the same incident.Dylan St. Peter is also set to go to trial in January in a separate case after pleading not guilty earlier this year to charges of sexual interference and sexual assault with a person under 16.RCMP confirmed the charges against Christopher St. Peter on Wednesday, shortly after Municipality of Cumberland council voted in favour of a staff recommendation to revoke the Joggins fire department’s registration. Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy said the criminal charges were just one factor in the municipality’s decision. “The courts will decide the outcome of that, but that was the last thing in a long list of items that accumulated over the last number of months,” said Gilroy.A staff presentation last week included concerns about members being under the influence of cannabis while on duty and a female member taking two infants to an emergency scene. There were also concerns about firefighter conduct at three separate incidents, and the department’s ability to manage its finances. On top of personnel issues, an engineering report this year found the building was not suitable for a fire hall.The fire district is now being covered by the River Hebert Volunteer Fire Department, about five kilometres away. That department is also in need of a new building which is estimated to cost $3 million.“At the end of the day here, regardless of all the other things that have gone on, this has to be the thought on the business side of it,” Gilroy said. “You know, what makes the most sense for the taxpayers and for the people.”MORE TOP STORIESABOUT THE AUTHORLuke Ettinger is a reporter with CBC Nova Scotia based in Truro. Reach him at luke.ettinger@cbc.ca.
Former Joggins fire chief charged for a second time in connection with alleged assault
