This guide encourages the citizens of New Brunswick to engage with candidates in the upcoming May 2026 municipal elections. As you prepare to vote, you’ll find resources here to speak with candidates at the door or online; to guide questions during debates; and to ensure that the arts, culture, and heritage responsibilities of municipalities are addressed as citizens prepare to vote.

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The Case for Arts & Culture

Why It Matters

Arts and culture are at the heart of our communities. The social and economic impacts of this sector are essential to a healthy, thriving New Brunswick.

In cities, towns, and small communities across this province, arts and culture make an impact!

• 💰 Economic Impact: A significant driver of tourism, supportive of local businesses, and a job creator, the arts fuel countless cultural experiences in communities large and small. From the performing arts through theatre, music, dance, to visual arts and cultural experiences through galleries, museums, festivals, and community celebrations.
• 🏠 Resident Retention: A vibrant cultural scene is a primary factor for young families and professionals deciding where to live and work.
• 🤲🏽Civic Cohesion: Shared cultural experiences foster a sense of belonging, inclusion, and reconciliation, especially vital in our newly reorganized regional entities.

The Numbers

📈 In 2022, New Brunswick’s arts and culture sector contributed $1.17 billion to the provincial GDP. (For comparison: agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting combined contributed 1.44 billion in the same period.)

The arts and culture sector also employed over 11,000 people. This accounts for 2.7% of all workers in New Brunswick, well below the national average of 4.4%.

There is much room to grow this sector, and every level of government, including municipal, has a role to play in tapping into this economic strength. 

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What Municipalities Can Do

🗣️ Candidates should not only be aware of the impact arts and culture plays in communities but also be able to speak to their importance, and incorporate arts and culture based plans in their platforms.

We encourage candidates to move beyond passive support to active stewardship. Creative city plans and public art policies can guide the long-term policy, investment, and infrastructure of the arts in your community. 

Cities such as Fredericton and Salisbury have enacted plans to integrate murals, theatres, public art, and more. Municipalities can and do incorporate arts and culture into the fabric of town planning, resulting in the creation of spaces such as the Charlotte Street Arts Centre in Fredericton and the Aberdeen Centre in Moncton. Repurposing and revitalizing community spaces such as these can draw tourists, create affordable and free arts access for communities, and change the vibrancy and experience of municipalities for the better.

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Questions for Candidates

At the Doorstep:

🤝 Keep questions conversational and locally focused. 

Be polite, and ask to speak directly to the candidate if you are addressed by a volunteer: 

• “What is your connection to arts and culture?”
• “What was the last arts event you attended?”
• “Do you know any artists or culture workers living and working in our ward?”
• “How do you view our local arts scene?”
• “What role do you believe councillors play in supporting and developing the arts?”
• “What is your plan to ensure arts programming is accessible to residents outside the downtown core?”
• “As a councillor, how will you use arts and culture to help our growing community feel like a welcoming, unique place?”

In Debates

Frame these as economic and development priorities.

• “How do you plan to integrate the arts into our municipality’s formal Economic Development Strategy to attract business and tourism?”
• “Do you support ‘Percent for Art’ policies, dedicating 1% of capital project budgets to public art, to enhance our infrastructure?”
• “How will you ensure municipal funding reflects our community’s diversity?”

The “Show Me” Follow-up

If a candidate is vague, encourage them to be more specific: 

“That’s great to hear. Could you give me one specific example of a cultural initiative or project you would champion in your first year in office?”

Tips for Engagement

• Know Your Candidate: Use the Elections NB website to find your ward’s candidates.
• Personalize It: Name a local arts and culture centre, event, or activity that matters to you. Ask the candidate if they are familiar, or what they support in the region.
• Social Media: Tag candidates in photos of local art, murals, or festivals, asking: “How will you help support this kind of community asset?”

Resources & References

Elections NB: For voting locations, candidate lists, and key dates.

Radio Canada: Municipal Elections 2026 Portal

GNB Culture & Heritage: For resources on creating municipal cultural policies.

Candidate Guides, Debates, and Forums:

• Caraquet: Mayoral debate
• Edmundston: Mayoral debate
• Fredericton: Interview with mayoral candidates
• Fredericton: forum at Noël Kinsella Auditorium at St. Thomas University
• Miramichi: Meet the candidates forum
• Miramichi: Voter Guide
• Moncton: Interview with mayoral candidates
• Moncton: Voter Guide
• Saint John: Interview with mayoral candidates
• Saint John and surrounding area Voter Guide
• Saint John: forum at the Imperial Theatre
• Saint John: forum at NBCC Saint John
• St Andrews: Meet the Mayoral Candidates Forum
• St. Stephen: Interview with mayoral candidates
• Tantramar: forum at Church by the Lake
• Woodstock: meet the candidates at the AYR Motor Centre

✳️ Email info@artslinknb.com if you have a forum, debate, meet the candidate event, or interview to add.