Climate change poses a significant threat to our quality of life. In recent years, the impacts of climate change have become more and more apparent. As a coastal city, Saint John has been impacted by unpredictable weather, historic flooding, and rising sea levels.

Over the years, the City of Saint John has taken action to address our demands on energy infrastructure, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support sustainability efforts through active transportation, waste reduction, transit, green infrastructure and care of our green spaces.

Working within City operations and the community, the City has become a recognized leader across the country for environmental leadership and community collaboration.

Municipal Energy Efficiency Program (M.E.E.P.)

The City of Saint John has been an early adopter of implementing energy efficiency measures in relation to municipal and water facilities. The City was one of the first, and one of the few, Canadian municipalities in Atlantic Canada to embark on creating a Municipal Energy Efficiency Program (MEEP).

The following are a list of environmental and economic benefits as of 2017:

• Reduced energy cost by over $2.3 Million
• Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions by over 9400 tons of CO2 or 24%
• Reduce Energy consumption by approximately 8.6 Million KWH and
  35,000 GJ of Natural Gas and oil/propane or 30 %
• Received over $22 Million in Grants & Loans
• Implemented over 100 environmental initiatives

M.E.E.P. has been recognized regionally and nationally as best practice.

Rural properties in Saint John are especially prone to flooding. In the autumn months, Saint John’s location along the Saint John River and Bay of Fundy makes it vulnerable to ice storms, spring freshet flooding, and hurricanes. In the winter, frozen culverts can create problems with the natural flow of water. And in the spring, melting snow can be a major contributor to flooding. Localized flooding is the situation that is most common in Saint John but these are usually short term. 

What we do

Ditches and culverts in Saint John’s rural areas divert runoff and prevent roads and buildings from flooding. There are 21,027 metres of municipal ditches in Saint John’s rural areas. The City operates and maintains more than 2,640 culverts (2,100 driveway culverts and 500 cross culverts) and 1,054 culvert headwalls, most of them in the rural areas. Additionally, Saint John’s rural communities benefit from 9 stormwater facilities like wet ponds, dry ponds, oil and grit separators, and inlet control structures.

In some rural communities, stormwater ponds collect the runoff and hold it back long enough to allow pollutants to settle and be broken down by bacteria. Cleaner water is then released into nearby waterways.

The City of Saint John monitors water levels and weather conditions due to spring flooding from the Saint John River and runoff. We check roads and direct employees on when and where steaming, road repairs, or barricades and warning signs are required (but note that the city does NOT go onto private property to clean out or steam the culverts). Media releases keep local residents informed of road closures and dangerous areas, and in extreme conditions, daily updates on the city website also keep residents up to date.

Summer grading of gravel roads

The goal of summer gravel road maintenance is to keep gravel roads in a reasonable safe driving condition relative to recent weather conditions. The order in which roads are graded depends on traffic volumes, the structural conditions of the road, and the amount of gravel on the road. Repair of soft spots in gravel roads will be undertaken if funding is in place and when crews and materials are available. 

Roadway structures

City staff work to maintain roadway structures—including retaining walls, guide rails, municipal fences, medians, and roadway shoulders—that extend the road life and ensures the safety of the public. These efforts provide drivers and pedestrians with safe, functional roads, and maintain accessibility of these roads through all seasons.

You can help

Here’s what you can do to help reduce the risk of flooding on your property. 

Effective downspout drainage

Downspouts should be disconnected from the weeping tile and extend at least 1.8 metres (six feet) from your basement wall to drain away from the house toward a street or drainage swale. This ensures roof water doesn’t enter onto the weeping tile around your foundation.

Proper lot grading

Land should slope outward from the foundation of the house for a minimum of 1.8 metres (six feet). If the lot slopes toward the house, surface water will enter the weeping tile and overload the drainage system. Use impervious materials such as clay or a plastic drainage mat near the surface to limit the amount of surface water that finds its way to the weeping tile.

Rain Gardens

Install a rain garden to limit flows to the storm sewer or neighbouring properties. Rain gardens are planted depressions that are designed to absorb rainwater runoff from impervious areas like roofs, driveways, walkways, and compacted lawn areas. This reduces rain runoff by allowing stormwater to soak into the ground.

Swales

A swale is a wide shallow channel with gently sloping  side slopes. Provide swales along the back and/or side property boundaries to limit flows towards your house. The swales should be as large as possible to slow runoff.

Improved curbside garbage, recycling and compost collection services are now underway with the enhanced Waste Wise Program. 

An information sheet describing the program has been delivered with the new carts and totes and can also be found HERE.

Program Highlights:

• Curbside recycling:
  • All residents will receive two recycling totes. A blue recycling tote and lid for your paper/ boxboard /cardboard recyclables, and a green recycling tote for plastics and metals.  
  • There is no limit to the amount of recycling households can place at the curb. The colour of the container does not matter; however, contents must be properly sorted by paper and cardboard or plastics and metals. 
     
• Garbage bag limits:
  • One full city-issued garbage cart (approximately two large garbage bags)
  • For households that will not receive a garbage cart and will continue to receive bag collection (South-Central Peninsula, Old North End and Waterloo Village):
    • A limit of one bag per weekly pickup
       
• Garbage Bag Tags for excess garbage:
  • Bag tags are required when allowable garbage bag limits are reached and additional bags need to be used.
  • Bag tags can be purchased for $2 per tag at the City Hall Customer Service Centre and other locations across the city. Find a full list of vendors HERE or seen below.
  • Bag tags are available for purchase at locations across the City including City Hall.

*Residents may request bag tags to be mailed to them by contacting the Customer Service Centre at 658-4455. A minimum order of one full sheet (13 tags) and payment by credit card is required.

• Curbside compost will continue to be offered under the new program.
   
• The bulky items pick-up service will continue to be offered to all customers, by appointment, by contacting Customer Service at 658-4455.   

Urban bag tags

Residents who live in the South-Central Peninsula, Old North End and Waterloo Village areas of the city will be required to place an urban bag tag on their garbage bags prior to pickup.

Urban bag tags are mailed to residents living in those areas twice a year in January and July. 

Medical Waste Support Program

Do you or someone in your household have a medical condition that results in additional waste that cannot be recycled?

The City of Saint John’s Medical Waste Support program is designed to assist those who regularly need to dispose of extra garbage due to medical reasons.  For those who qualify, the program provides garbage tags for 52 additional bags tags per year at no cost.

To protect your privacy, all tags provided are standard City of Saint John Excess Garbage Bag Tags. Applications are accepted throughout the year and must be renewed annually.

How to apply and program details:

• Download and complete the (PDF). The form must be signed by a Physician or Nurse Practitioner before it is returned to the City as outlined in the application.
• Only paper copies of this form will be accepted.
• If you do not access to a printer, you can call 506-658-4455 and arrange to have a form mailed to you.
• Once received, the application will be reviewed for accuracy. Incomplete forms will be returned to the applicant.
• If there are multiple residents who live in the household requiring extra tags, a separate form must be filled out for each resident.
• If approved, 52 City of Saint John excess garbage bag tags will be mailed to the address provided.
• This program excludes personal protective equipment (PPE).

Applications must be renewed annually on the anniversary date of the applicant’s program approval by filling out a Medical Waste Support Renewal Form (PDF). The application renewal date will be provided in a letter that accompanies the tags. 

Please visit the "Related Documents" section of this page for application forms.

-------

We can all make improvements in the amount of waste we generate in our lives, and become more responsible for our waste. Waste Wise Saint John is an initiative that aims to help residents reduce waste through education, resources, and enforcement. 

Composting

Composting reduces landfill waste, thereby extending the life of the landfill. Plus, animals and birds will not be attracted to your garbage if there is no food product in it, which makes for cleaner properties and streetscapes. But did you know that it even makes economic sense to compost? The FRSC fee for compost is $40 per metric tonne, compared to the $108 per tonne of garbage. We save money and help save the planet when we compost.

For composting tips, please visit the Fundy Regional Service Commission website here.

Recycling

You can reduce household waste by nearly 50 per cent when you recycle!

Household electronics can be recycled at the Crane Mountain Landfill Hazardous Waste Depot and at other depot locations throughout the city. This is a free program.

For more recycling information including a blue bin map, visit Fundyrecycles.com.

Preventing a mess

You can help prevent garbage from making a mess of yards, sidewalks or streets. Secure your containers during inclement weather, and cover your garbage with an old blanket or tarp to prevent animal and bird interference—crews will leave your covering behind when they clear your street. Remember, you are responsible for your garbage and any loose refuse resulting from weather, animals, or otherwise.

If you’ve been injured or experienced property damage, and you feel the City of Saint John is responsible—for example, due to negligence in the maintenance of facilities, roads, trees, or sewers—you may consider filing a damage claim. 

Before filing a claim, you should contact your own insurance company. If your insurer feels the City is responsible, they will pursue the City for damages. All claims take time to investigate. In the meantime, it is your responsibility to repair your damaged property. Be sure to keep receipts in case your damage claim is successful.

Saint John’s Risk Management Division works with citizens, businesses, and property owners to determine the City’s liability as it applies to various claims. The City pays only when there is a legal obligation—for instance if the City was negligent in their operations. The City is not typically negligent if the damage is due to extreme weather, or sudden, unpreventable occurrences. For example, potholes are an unavoidable part of life in any city. Drivers have the duty to drive as per road conditions and some onus is on them in the event of hitting a road hazard. The City is liable for damage only if the City has failed to respond to the hazard in a reasonable time. If, after investigation, the City is found to be negligent, the amount paid is based on current value, not replacement cost, of damaged property. 

From October 13, 2023 to March 31, 2024, the City of Saint John offers free public skating at all three of our indoor rinks. For dates and times, please download the public skating schedule, which is located on the right side of this page under related documents.

If you’re looking for somewhere to skate in Saint John, whether for hockey or recreational skating, you’re in luck. Not only does your city have the facilities you need (three municipal arenas and one outdoor rink), but all public skating in Saint John is completely free! In addition to public skating, our arenas also offer free scheduled ice time for preschoolers and seniors.

Indoor skating arenas include:

Charles Gorman Arena, 80 University Ave.

Stewart Hurley Arena, 1500 Hickey Rd.

Peter Murray Arena, 711 Dever Rd.

Outdoor skating is available at Lily Lake in Rockwood Park as weather and conditions permit, from dawn until 10 p.m. Outdoor ice conditions are available by calling Customer Service at 658-4455.