Hôtel Shediac files for bankruptcy

Hôtel Shediac, a five-star hotel in downtown Shediac, has declared bankruptcy.

The first meeting of creditors will be held on Nov. 9, according to the notice.

Owner Francis Brun could not immediately be reached for comment.

But property records show the 60-room hotel has been in financial difficulty for years, with a number of liens from contractors and judgments against it, including one last fall by the Canada Revenue Agency worth $521,330.71.

Brun's construction company, Francis Construction, filed for bankruptcy about eight years ago, not long after the hotel opened. It owed more than $7 million, the trustee handling that bankruptcy said at the time.

Hotel general manager Nadine Robichaud said she couldn't provide any information about the financial situation, directing inquiries back to Brun.

But she confirmed the hotel is now in the hands of trustees.

Robichaud, who has worked at the hotel since it opened, said it's been difficult for the roughly 45 full-time and part-time employees since the bankruptcy took effect on Oct. 23.

"It's a very tough situation to be in," she said.

"Everybody's pulling together and, you know, working through it to make sure that we can make this as seamless as possible for our guests," she said.

"We're just trying to reassure everybody that we are still open."

The hotel has received "a few" panicked calls from people with bookings, said Robichaud. It has several events booked well into 2025, including hockey tournaments, Christmas parties, conferences and weddings, she said.

No one has cancelled yet, Robichaud said. "Once we, you know, we can reassure them that we are still in full operation and everything is moving forward, you know, everybody's been very accepting."

Staff are hopeful a new owner will take over and it will be business as usual, she said.