A funding issue is apparently behind the sudden and unexpected closure of the Nutrien Civic Centre in Sussex.
According to the centre’s executive director, the doors will close at 7 p.m. Saturday, and it’s unclear if, or when, they will open again.
Stefanie McFarlane posted a video on Facebook Thursday afternoon and explained how the civic centre generates revenue and where its funding comes from.
“Over 50 per cent comes from memberships, swimming lessons, day camps,” she said.
“The rest of our funding comes through our funding partner, which is the (Kings) Regional Service Commission.”
The Kings RSC includes Sussex, Kings Rural District, Butternut Valley and Valley Waters.
McFarlane said last year, all quarterly payments were received.
“There was a hiccup towards the end, and we were advised that there was a change,” she said.
According to McFarlane, the commission acts as a conduit for funding, with the member communities paying their shares to the commission, which would then send the funds to the civic centre.
In 2026, McFarlane said the full quarterly payment of $152,000 was received in February.
“Second quarter, we received it in two disbursements,” she said. “But it was little over $14,000 short. I’m not sure way.”
The third quarterly payment, which was to have been received in July, was only $25,000.
“So we are now in this position that we can’t meet payroll,” McFarlane said. “We can’t pay bills. We can’t stay open.”
She said she alerted the board of directors Wednesday night and the staff Thursday morning.
What it means, McFarlane said, is that when the civic centre closes its doors on Saturday evening, it could be closed permanently.
“Or until a solution is found,” she added.
McFarlane said the facility has about 40 employees, and they suddenly find themselves out of work.
“That means they are going to have to go on EI and hope that there is a position that sparks their joy left for them in this town,” McFarlane said.
As for members?
“It means there will be no AquaFit in the morning or chair yoga or RAW or Pilates or spin. There will be no walking track. There will be no gym,” she said.
Sussex mayor, local MLA react
In a statement Thursday afternoon, Sussex Mayor Marc Thorne said he was “deeply troubled” to find out the civic centre would be closing.
“This is extremely disappointing, but unfortunately, it is not an unforeseen situation,” Thorne said.
According to Thorne, he met with Local Government Minister Aaron Kennedy and others on April 16, 2025.
“At that meeting, I raised serious concerns about the failure of regional partners to meet their financial commitments for shared recreational services and specifically warned that Ministerial intervention would be necessary to ensure the Nutrien Civic Centre continued to receive the funding owed to it through its agreement with the Kings Regional Service Commission,” Thorne said.
He went on to say that while Butternut Valley had recently started making contributions, the financial commitments of both Butternut Valley and Valley Waters toward shared recreational services remain “largely unmet for a year and a half,” and almost $400,000 was owed to the Kings Regional Service Commission.
“Despite the Province having made fully aware of the seriousness of the situation throughout this period, effective intervention has not occurred,” Thorne said.
In her own social media post, MLA Tammy Scott-Wallace said she spoke to Minister Kennedy in May about what might be at risk and the financial struggles the civic centre board faced.
“He said his department was working toward a solution,” Scott-Wallace said. “That solution never came and the civic centre cannot pay its bills because partners who are mandated to its funding have not done their part.”
What happens next?
A visibly emotional McFarlane said knowing this was happening on her watch left her feeling like she had failed.
“I have failed the community,” she said. “I have failed the staff that have come to feel like family.”
But she said there were some positives following the announcement.
McFarlane said as soon as she notified staff, the co-ordinator of summer camps came to her office, gave her a hug, and said she and the three camp counsellors would volunteer their time for the next two weeks to ensure there was no disruption to the day camps.
She said she, along with the aquatics co-ordinator, would be the lifeguards on deck so the children still get their pool time.
McFarlane said the closure was necessary because it wasn’t possible to make payroll.
“I didn’t think it was fair to let staff work as volunteers,” she said.
“Come to find out most of the staff is willing to work as volunteers because they believe in this place as much as I do.”
In the political arena, both Thorne and Scott-Wallace had strong words about what should happen next.
Scott-Wallace said she contacted Kennedy again Thursday.
“(I) asked him, in my words, to stop this train wreck,” she said. “He assured me he is working with his department in Fredericton today to find a solution.”
Thorne said he’s asked the town’s administration to demand an immediate response from the Department of Local Government, outlining what actions it will take to make sure the outstanding financial commitments are honoured.
“I will also be following up directly with Minister Kennedy to voice my concerns about the lack of action since our April 2025 meeting and to insist that the Province take immediate steps to address this situation,” he said.
