Former Owner Of Abbey Cafe, Isaac’s Way Now Fredericton City Councillor
FREDERICTON— Jason LeJeune, the newly elected councillor in Ward 11, has roots in the Fredericton business community.
“My business career has always been at the ground level,” said LeJeune. “With service retail, food and beverage, and entrepreneurship in small communities dating back to my time with Irving Oil.”
LeJeune has a background in economics and worked in middle management for Irving Oil before entering the restaurant business. He bought the Abbey Cafe and Isaac’s Way planning to stay for 10 years but ended up staying 18.
“I’m from small-town New Brunswick,” said LeJeune. “I was raised in that kind of environment where the restaurant was a bit of a hub of the community and it meant more than a place to go and eat. I thought of it as a place that could be more in terms of giving back to the community.”
He started a succession plan with a small group of employees with the idea of turning the company over to them at some point in the future. In December of 2018, he sold the Abbey Cafe and Isacc’s Way to those employees.
“I’ve always been an entrepreneur in my life but never much of a capitalist,” said LeJeune. “I thought it was time for the people who were actually doing the work to reap the rewards of their hard work instead of the owner reaping the rewards.”
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LeJeune said he will bring financial diligence and understanding to Fredericton’s City Council.
“I’m sure that it exists with new councillors and with returning councillors,” said LeJeune. “But having spent a lifetime in balancing budgets and controlling expenses and increasing revenues, I think [I can balance] that with some of my interests around socioeconomic difficulties in the community surrounding poverty and homelessness and affordable housing. I think I bring a unique lens to that where I can see how the two marry well to benefit the community.”
Earlier this year, Jason LeJeune was also the lead on the City Motel Project. His involvement with the affordable housing initiative wrapped up in March with his decision to run for council.
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LeJeune has sat on the board of the Chamber of Commerce and has been the president of Downtown Fredericton Incorporated. He said that he is very much in lockstep with what the business community issues and challenges are.
“One of the things that I’m really interested in exploring is what the municipal role can be moving forward in helping our local businesses survive, thrive, and transition out of the current pandemic.”
Rachel Smith is a summer intern for Huddle. Send her story suggestions: [email protected].