pc candidate claude bourgeois clarifies cheticamp debate comments after concerns over seasonal workers and cell service
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pc candidate claude bourgeois says comments made during june 15 debate were intended to highlight seasonal pressures on cellular infrastructure.
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progressive conservative candidate claude bourgeois is clarifying remarks he made during a june 15 byelection debate after some residents raised concerns about comments linking seasonal workers to ongoing cell service challenges in the region.
bourgeois is running in the newly formed constituency of cheticamp-margarees-pleasant bay, along with the liberal’s denis cormier, new democrat trevor poirier, and nik boisvert, who is running for the green party. the byelection is tuesday.
during a discussion regarding cellular infrastructure, bourgeois said, “we have 100 mexicans arriving here with phones in the spring, and there’s a lot more phones in chéticamp.”
the comment prompted discussions online, with some residents arguing that he appeared to be explaining increased demand on the system rather than addressing why cell service remains an issue.
christa dorey, a resident who attended the debate, said her concerns were with the reference to seasonal workers and what she viewed as a failure to address the underlying infrastructure issue.
“when i said he blamed ‘100 mexicans’ in addition to fishermen, children, the rest of the people who live here, i just thought that it was crazy that somehow he needs to explain why there is strain instead of explaining why the pc party haven’t fixed it for us yet,” dorey wrote in the facebook group community bulletin from cheticamp following the debate.
“it’s a serious safety concern with all the increase in population and workers.”
the boundaries of the new protected riding of chéticamp-margarees-pleasant bay. a byelection for the new riding is set for tuesday.
elections nova scotia
in an interview, dorey said she felt bourgeois spent more time discussing increased demand on the network rather than outlining how service would be improved.
“i think both things are huge issues. i think it was both. it was the combination that was so absurd,” she said.
“i don’t think that it was an appropriate thing to say because it is completely irrelevant to the actual question and problem.”
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while critical of the remarks, dorey said she does not believe bourgeois was necessarily criticizing foreign workers directly.
“i don’t think he was criticizing them specifically, but the way that he referred to them was inappropriate in the context of the situation and what we’re trying to actually resolve.”
bourgeois clarifies debate remarks
when asked about the remarks, bourgeois said his comments were intended to highlight the increased demand placed on existing infrastructure, not to criticize foreign workers.
“the pc government has made major investments to improve cell service, not just in the communities in chéticamp-margarees-pleasant bay but across the province,” bourgeois wrote in a statement provided to the chronicle herald.
“during the debate on june 15, i mentioned that seasonal increases to the number of tourists and workers put a strain on the existing system’s capacity,” he said.
“of course, i’m happy to have more workers and tourists coming through our communities and appreciate investments the government is making to improve cell service to address added demands on the systems.”
dorey said this explanation was not clearly communicated during the debate.
“i think that it wasn’t clear to an anglophone who hadn’t understood the prior statement, and i think that that’s been a problem at the debates, that things weren’t clearly stated in english and french,” she said.
“i think the tone and delivery did not say what he was maybe trying to say because that’s not how it was interpreted.”
response from the opposition
the comments also received criticism from opponents in the race.
in a response to the chronicle herald, ndp candidate trevor poirier wrote that residents are looking for solutions to longstanding infrastructure concerns.
trevor poirier, a long-term care worker from chéticamp, been nominated as an ndp candidate for the riding’s upcoming byelection.
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“under the houston government it’s only gotten harder to get a good cellphone signal in a lot of this riding,” he said. “blaming newcomers for frustrations with infrastructure that the government has refused to address is harmful and irresponsible.”
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he added that “residents in chéticamp-margarees-pleasant bay don’t need people pointing fingers at other communities; they need their government to fix the cell connection issues so we can live and work safely.”
liberal candidate denis cormier echoed that the focus should remain on infrastructure improvements as opposed to specific groups of people.
denis cormier is the liberal candidate for tuesday’s byelection in the new constituency of cheticamp-margarees-pleasant bay.
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“cell service is a real issue in our communities, but newcomers and tourists should not be blamed for a problem created by government inaction,” cormier wrote.
“the reality is that the houston government has failed to build a single new cell tower in five years, while many residents have told me service has gotten worse. reliable cell coverage is essential for public safety, local businesses, and staying connected, and it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure the infrastructure keeps pace with demand rather than scapegoating the people who help support our communities and economy.”
a long-running concern
cellular service has been a longstanding issue in rural parts of the province, with concerns raised by residents regarding dropped calls and unreliable coverage.
the issue surfaced multiple times in the debate, where candidates discussed labour shortages, tourism infrastructure and public services in the new riding. all three candidates pointed to cellular service as an area requiring further investment.
reason behind the byelection
the new riding was created as a result of a nova scotia supreme court decision in 2024 that stated the nova scotia electoral boundaries commission had failed to justify why cheticamp should not have protected status in the provincial legislature.
the court said the decision to not have an exceptional electoral district for the chéticamp region contravened the charter of rights and freedoms.
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the legislative assembly currently has protected seats to recognize the traditional acadian districts of argyle, clare and richmond, as well as the historic african nova scotian district of preston.
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