2 Musgrave Harbour councillors and town manager resign, citing stress, turmoil

Musgrave Harbour is down two councillors and a town employee this week, following three resignations announced at a public meeting.

Town manager/clerk Cassandra Mouland and counciillors Janine Chaulk and Brandon Pardy have all stepped down from their positions with the town on Newfoundland's northeast coast.

"It's not about me wanting to leave," said Mouland. "It's about feeling like I need to leave — for myself and for my family."

For the past few months, council members have been dealing with inner turmoil related to a policy, adopted in December, that requires all council members to be vaccinated to attend meetings.

At the time, three councillors were unvaccinated. Two of the three complied, but Coun. Grant Abbott refused, and has not been permitted to attend public meetings since.

Abbott took his fight to social media and has been vocal in his opposition to council. He told CBC News he believes council is trying to force him out of his position.

While the issue with the vaccination pass is the latest conflict within council, Mouland says it's been difficult for a long time. She says the stress has led her to resign, and she has accepted a job at another community.

"I love working hard for my town but I feel because of this situation, my work production here and the things I'm doing here [are] not getting done. I also feel like the behaviour and the obsession that Coun. Abbott has with the town, and the things that he's doing with the town won't stop until I leave, so I feel like I'm being pushed out to resign."

The tension between Abbott and others around the council table was heightened earlier this winter when Abbott started recording public meetings and posting them on social media without the prior knowledge of council. 

"I feel like I'm almost being pushed out to resign and as much as I want to be here to support the new council.… I just feel the need to resign for myself and my own health," Mouland said.

Personal health was also cited in the resignation letters of councillors Pardy and Chaulk.

They wouldn't do interviews, but Deputy Mayor Jason Chaulk says he's convinced they would still be on council if it weren't for the current conflict.

"They did not want to vacate their seats, but with the ongoing issues and the Facebook posts and all this kind of stuff, that just didn't work and it was affecting their home life tremendously," he said.

"[This week's meeting] was more like a funeral than a council meeting because everybody was very emotional because this new council had come together and formed a lot of new friendships."