Edmundston affordable housing project relocated due to 1960s covenant

A 24‑unit affordable housing development for people with physical and cognitive disabilities, planned by the Quebec‑based non‑profit Logement HAN, was to be built on a city‑owned lot at 22nd Street and 39th Avenue in Edmundston, New Brunswick. A restrictive covenant dating from the 1960s, retained by the former school district, limits the land’s use to youth‑recreation activities. The Department of Education declined the city’s request to lift the clause, citing the need to preserve flexibility for potential school projects such as the nearby aging École Notre‑Dame.

Because of the covenant, the city approved a new site at the end of Paul‑Grondin Avenue in the Saint‑Jacques sector, a 90,000‑100,000 sq ft dog‑walking park that will be relocated near the Palladium. Mayor Eric Marquis said the new location offers a pleasant environment but acknowledged the trade‑off. City officials hope the province will eventually lift the covenant so the original site can be used for a future phase of the project.