Non-profits, museums concerned about future as N.B. government looks for savings

Many New Brunswick museums and non-profits are concerned about the ongoing budget talks.

New Brunswick’s Finance minister will release the province’s third-quarter financial results Tuesday – an update that’s more anticipated than usual.

The last update in November had the provincial deficit at almost $835 million, and the opposition Progressive Conservatives believe it’s now more than $1 billion.

Two weeks ago, the Susan Holt government released 12 options to both save and make more money to combat the rising debt.

The options include:

• tolls on non-New Brunswick vehicles
• increasing some permits and fees
• “tightening” the collection of money owed to the province, like student loans
• better enforcing the 10-to-30 per cent of lobster landings that are currently going unreported, for tax revenues
• reducing the civil service
• selling or closing assets

They asked for New Brunswickers’ input by Friday.

But 19 days isn’t long enough, says Janet Clouston, the vice-president of communications and advocacy at Association Heritage New Brunswick, who’s worried how the provincial government is approaching this budget exercise.

One of the questions in the survey asks if the individual would “agree with reducing some functions of government, such as those listed below, if it means having more money to invest in priorities like healthcare and education?”

It gives three options, including:

• closing or transferring smaller tourism or heritage sites to private or non-profit operators
• ending or reducing grant programs for non-profit, community organizations or educational/learning institutions.
• ending or reducing grants and subsidies for business development and expansions.

“It sets up the question about heritage in a way that makes people think they have to choose between health care and heritage or health care and museums. You know, what’s more important? Hospital beds or funding heritage?” Clouston asks. “And that’s a very unfair way of asking a question.”

The Association has created the ‘Save Our Museums’ campaign in response, advocating for the importance of preserving more than 100 of the province’s museums.

According to 2025-26 budget estimates, the archeology and heritage branch of the Department of Tourism had $16.46 million budgeted. The department also released a tourism strategy in the fall, hoping to increase tourism revenues by $1 billion by 2031 – to $3.7 billion.

In the Department of Tourism’s annual report from 2024-25, it stated 118 students were hired at 69 institutions through the province’s community museums summer employment program.

“Museums held in the public trust are donated by family members and local residents, and they’re on displays, and they’re part of our exhibits. And those are just precious community memories that are held and held and supported by people who run museums in the province. And that’s at risk. all those memories could be lost,” she said.

Most are not-for-profits, Clouston said.

Other organizations are worried, too.

The New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners sent out an email to its members, asking for their support when answering the provincial government’s survey.

“As a non-profit, the NBFWO understands the challenges very well. Reducing or ending grant programs would undermine this work at a time when it is more important than ever,” the email reads.

The consultation period ends Friday, about one month before the budget will be tabled on March 17.

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