New BrunswickTension on Heron Bay council has led to the resignation of the mayor, Normand Pelletier, not long after he served a suspension for insulting three councillors over a proposed mine.Normand Pelletier tells residents in northern N.B. municipality he didn’t make decision lightly Victoria Walton · CBC News · Posted: Aug 18, 2025 5:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 18Normand Pelletier has quit as mayor of the northern New Brunswick municipality of Heron Bay. (Radio-Canada)Tension on Heron Bay council has led to the resignation of the mayor, Normand Pelletier, not long after he served a suspension for insulting three councillors over a proposed mine.Pelletier announced his resignation Monday on social media. In a page-long letter, Pelletier said the “decision was not made lightly,” and serving for the past 10 years as mayor of Dalhousie and then Heron Bay was one of his “greatest honours.”The new municipality was formed in 2023 with the amalgamation of Dalhousie and Charlo.But council nerves have been strained in recent months, especially because of a proposal to turn a quarry within municipal boundaries into an open pozzolan mine. Pozzolan is billed as a low-carbon alternative to cement.The mine is still in the environmental impact study phase, with the company behind it, EcoRock Dalhousie, holding monthly steering committee meetings to get feedback.Pelletier has told CBC News multiple times on the record that he was neither for nor against the proposed mine.WATCH | Pelletier resignation a surprise, says Denis McIntyre: Heron Bay council hopes to rebuild trust after mayor resignsNormand Pelletier resigned from his position as mayor of Heron Bay, formerly Dalhousie, after a 40-day suspension. But in May, he was suspended for 40 days after telling a business publication, the Logic, that three councillors who opposed the project “didn’t have a f–king clue what they were doing.”When he returned to the job in July, Pelletier said, he found that council had moved its chambers from the first floor of city hall to the second without consulting him.”This … has been the last drop that made the glass overflow,” he said in his resignation letter.Deputy mayor steps upDeputy Mayor Denis McIntyre now takes over Pelletier’s duties as mayor.”[It was] a bit of a surprise, but I kind of understand his decision and it’s an accumulation of things that happened,” McIntyre said.Deputy Mayor Denis McIntyre has taken on the mayor’s duties municipal elections in May 2026. (Charles-Étienne Drouin/Radio Canada)McIntyre will remain in the position until May 2026, when municipal elections will be held in Heron Bay and across the province.In the meantime, he said, he hopes to rebuild residents’ trust in council.”Communication is a big thing” McIntyre said. “We have a good council. We’re going to make sure that we work together and answer all the questions that the citizens wanted.”Residents reactNews of Pelletier’s departure from council travelled quickly on Monday morning and brought mixe reactions from residents.”I’m happy for him,” Chantelle Robichaud said. “I think at one point our lives, we have to decide where we want to place our priorities. Well wishes in his future endeavours and lots of quality time with his family, and let’s see what newness we can bring to our community.””If he wants to quit, let him quit,” said resident Robert Worster. “We’ll get somebody better to replace him.”David Guitard of Eel River Crossing said he wasn’t aware of the resignation but didn’t agree with what Pelletier had said about his colleagues.”That’s completely wrong to do in the first place,” he said. “I’ve got my own opinion about the open pit mine, but I wouldn’t call anybody down for anything.”Pelletier’s resignation letter suggests a last straw for him was that during his suspension, council relocated its chambers without consulting him. (Charles-Étienne Drouin/Radio Canada)Dalhousie resident Pauline Diotte, a vocal opponent of the mine, said it played a big role in the fallout on council.”We were quite happy with our little town, and then the mines came in and it destroyed us. It divided us,” said Diotte, who is a representative on the steering committee for the mine.Diotte said she personally has attended several council meetings and has seen how Pelletier treated some of his colleagues.”Normand had his own way of being at these meetings, being aggressive and wanting his way,” she said.But Diotte, who hopes to run for council in the next election, said there’s no bad blood, adding, “Normand was a good guy. It’s just not a good mayor, that’s all.”Charlo resident Carlos Doucet, who works for Levesque & McIntyre Electric Co. is also on the steering committee as a representative of the business community. He said he’s neutral on the mine question, and was disappointed to hear of Pelletier’s resignation.”I met Norm a couple of times. He’s a good individual, and I think he was doing some really good things for the region.”He had to let go because the pressure from the other side was coming into him, and he had too much, and he had to enjoy his life now. So I wish him all the best.”ABOUT THE AUTHORVictoria Walton is a reporter at CBC New Brunswick, and previously worked with CBC P.E.I. She is originally from Nova Scotia, and has a bachelor of journalism from the University of King’s College. You can reach her at victoria.walton@cbc.ca.With files from Charles-Étienne Drouin of Radio-Canada
Heron Bay mayor resigns after suspension for insulting councillors
