Monday on TR: Dietz on new climate report; Indu Varma on Sackville’s newest public art project; nurses ratify agreement
Listen to Tantramar Report for the following stories:
New federal report on climate change in Atlantic Canada
You may know Sabine Dietz from her role as a councillor with the town of Sackville. Elected this past May, the Sackville biologist and environmental educator is an active council member, always ready with questions about Sackville’s spending and policies. Shortly after her election, Dietz took on another big portfolio, leading ClimAtlantic, a new regional hub for climate services, funded for the next three years by the federal government. CLIMAtlantic itself came out of another project Dietz was working on, a report looking at the risks and responses to climate change in Atlantic Canada. That report was released last week, and so Tantramar Report called up Dietz to find out more.
Local artist Indu Varma brings a new Canada Council funded public art piece to Sackville
By next December, Sackville will have a new piece of public art, courtesy of local artist Indu Varma and the Canada Council. Varma presented her concept to Sackville town council in early December and recently received approval to go ahead with the ceramics project which will depict Sackville’s history in a tile mosaic in the shape of a ship. Tantramar Report spoke with Varma to hear about her inspiration and the plans for the project.
Rapid test kit pick up tomorrow in Sackville
Packs of COVID-19 rapid tests are available for pick up in Sackville on Tuesday at the Tantramar Civic Centre parking lot off Main Street.… Continue
7 confirmed, 2 presumptive cases at Mt A, as school announces online classes in January
Just over a week ago, Mount Allison University was discussing plans to return to full capacity in its classrooms for 2022. But with new cases on campus, as well as the arrival of Omicron in New Brunswick, those plans have changed.
Late Friday afternoon, University president Jean-Paul Boudreau announced to students and staff that the school would move classes online for at least the first two weeks of the January term.
On Saturday morning, another missive from the university went out, updating the case count at the school. There are currently nine cases, seven confirmed and two presumptive cases from those who tested positive with a rapid test, and are awaiting confirmation via lab PCR testing.
The university says that anyone potentially exposed to the virus in a class or exam will be contacted directly by the school as soon as possible. But it also advises students who have been on campus in the past two weeks to implement regular rapid test screening, and to avoid facilities with vulnerable populations.
In addition to the move to online classes until at least January 24, Mount Allison is also ramping up mask requirements for 2022, requiring them to be worn inside and outside on campus, with exceptions only for eating and drinking.
The university’s residences will still be open on January 3 for the return of students, but the school is advising those who can to remain home as long as possible. Online classes will begin January 10 and run till at least January 24.… Continue
Wednesday on TR: Mt A reports 5th case; a look at proposed new pedway project; the case for reviving NB Trails Association
Listen to Tantramar Report for the following stories:
Mt A reports five cases and cancels in person exams
Mount Allison University is reporting another case of COVID-19 in its off campus community, making five active cases currently at the school. In response to the recent cases and the arrival of the Omicron variant in New Brunswick, Mount A is making major changes to operations, including cancelling all in person exams scheduled for the rest of the week. Students planning to travel home for the break are being asked to do so as soon as possible. The library will move to online service, and the athletic centre and Owens Art Gallery are closed. Access to campus is being restricted to staff, students and faculty only. More at the web story here.
The latest on a $2 million pedway proposal
At Monday’s Sackville town council meeting, CAO Jamie Burke told councillors that town staff had already reached out to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure regarding the recently revived proposal for a pedway over the Transcanada highway where it bisects the Transcanada Trail. Burke said the town’s plan is to consult the provincial department, and then come back to council for a formal endorsement of the project if necessary. Last week, the Sackville Footbridge Working Group told council they had secured a $1 million anonymous donation to go towards the construction of the pedway, about 50% of the projected cost.
Interview with former head of NB Trails Association, Jane McCulloch
Tantramar Report speaks with Jane McCulloch, the former executive director of NB Trails and national director of trails for the Trans Canada Trail, now working as a private consultant.… Continue
And along came Omicron…
Omicron has come to New Brunswick.
In a news conference Monday afternoon, Chief Medical Officer Jennifer Russell announced three cases of the latest variant of concern in the province, with another four connected cases presumed to be Omicron. Two of the confirmed cases are in Zone 7, the Miramichi region, and one case is in Zone 1, the Moncton region. Public Health says all cases are connected to the current outbreak in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
In response, the province is putting in place additional public health measures starting this Friday, including closing K to 6 schools a week early, for an extended Christmas break.
Premier Blaine Higgs also said that households would return to a “Steady 20” limit on contacts, in addition to the 20 person limit on gatherings. Starting Friday, businesses will also see some changes, with capacities reduced by 50% at cinemas and entertainment centres, and increased 2-metre distancing requirements in restaurants, spas, and gyms.
The measures are similar to those being put in place in Nova Scotia, where 40 cases of Omicron have now been identified, and daily case numbers have recently spiked.
Omicron has been found to be about 30% more transmissible than the Delta variant, which is the dominant strain in New Brunswick right now, said Dr. Russell. “It’s a numbers game. Cases double approximately every two days.… Continue
Vaccination update: kids and adults clinics in Sackville this weekend
About 140 kids got their first COVID-19 vaccine shot at a clinic in Sackville on December 5. Another pediatric clinic is slated for this Saturday, December 11 at the Sackville Visitor Information Centre, and a clinic on December 17 will also administer kids vaccines.
There’s about 750 kids in the five to 11 age range in the Sackville area, and in addition to those getting vaccinated in Sackville, appointments are also available at clinics in Moncton. The province said Wednesday that a total of 10,544 first doses of the pediatric vaccine have been administered since appointments opened on Friday, November 26.
Another weekend clinic originally slated for kids vaccines has been switched to administering adult vaccines. Anyone 12 and over looking for first or second doses, or those over 50 looking for booster shots, can book an appointment for this Sunday, December 12, also at the Sackville Visitor Information Centre. Appointments for the 12-and-over vaccine are also available through the Corner Drug Store by registering on their website, but the pharmacy is not administering pediatric vaccines.
As of Monday, the province opened up booster shot eligibility to anyone 50 and over who had their second shot more than 6 months ago. In a release yesterday, the province said anyone who would become eligible at some point in December could book an appointment immediately.… Continue
Wednesday on TR: Hospital rally today; Higham on Horizon’s response to frustration in Sackville
Listen to Tantramar Report for the following stories:
Hospital rally Wednesday at 11:30am
Sackville and area residents are rallying today at 11:30am at the Sackville Memorial Hospital. The Rural Health Action Group is asking people to come protest the recent service closures at the hospital and call for action on the crisis. Guest speakers will be presenting at the rally. Masks are mandatory and parking is available just down the street at Main Street Baptist church and Moneris.
Interview: John Higham on hospital cuts, Rural Health Action Group and and Horizon’s response
On Tantramar Report we talk with John Higham, former Sackville mayor and co-chair of the Rural Health Action Group. Higham talks about the group’s work, his reaction to comments from Horizon Health CEO John Dornan at Monday’s town council meeting, and the path forward for the Sackville hospital.
Also on Tantramar Report, we look at what Horizon officials had to say at Sackville town council on Monday.
Horizon issues call to nurses to come work in Sackville
After promising action on recruitment at Monday’s Sackville town council meeting, Horizon CEO John Dornan issued a statement on Tuesday, addressed to “current and future New Brunswick nurses.” In the statement, Dornan pitches Sackville as a “friendly, welcoming and progressive community” and offers nurses financial incentives for certain eligible positions, including a one-time incentive of $10,000 in exchange for an agreement to work for three years.… Continue
Tantramar Report: Kayak rentals coming to Silver Lake, walk-in vaccine clinic today, Higgs questioned about vaccine passports
The Town of Sackville put out another call for the unfilled Climate Change Coordinator position with EOS Eco-Energy. Amanda Marlin, the executive director of EOS, says that they didn’t find a candidate in the first round. The education requirements have been toned down from a masters degree to a bachelor’s with some experience, and an age demographic has been added. Those under 30 are encouraged to apply, since additional funding will be accessible to candidates of that age, but Marlin says that those over 30 should not be discouraged from applying. The position is only six months, and will serve as a coordinator of environmental projects between EOS and the Town of Sackville. Those interested should apply by September 12th.
The ParticiPACTION votes are in, and Matt Pryde of town recreation is excited to get to work on setting up kayak, canoe, and paddleboard rentals on Silver Lake. Of the four options, the kayak rentals were far and away the most popular, receiving over half of the votes. Pryde is optimistic that residents, and tourists, will be able to paddle on the lake starting next summer.
Premier Blaine Higgs and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell held a COVID-19 briefing yesterday, where they simultaneously congratulated 75% of eligible New Brunswickers who have been double-vaxxed and urged the other 25% to get the shot sooner rather than later. Reporters asked the two multiple times about the possibility of implementing vaccine passports in the province, which Premier Blaine Higgs did not commit one way or the other.… Continue
Tantramar Report: Fort Folly Habitat Recovery cleans up Johnson’s Creek, 14 cases of community transmission, Struts to pay artist to build Fall Fair float
Tomorrow night is movie night at Dorchester School, where they will be screening Tim Burton’s “Big Fish” for free. The only thing you have to bring is a lawn chair, there will be free popcorn and bug spray available for movie-goers. The show starts at 8PM behind the school.
Someone has defaced a campaign sign for federal Liberal candidate Dominic Leblanc on Main Street near the on ramp to highway 2. The large campaign sign has been spray painted with a swastika, or an attempt at one (it was backwards), and a message reading “COVID Nazi”. The hyperbolic historical comparison is not the first on Sackville streets. Posters have appeared recently in town comparing Mount Allison’s mandatory vaccination or testing policy to racial segregation policies once the norm in parts of the US and Canada. Dominic Leblanc posted a response to the vandalism on social media Tuesday, calling it “despicable”, and a “display of hate and intolerance”. The sign has since been replaced.
Struts Gallery is looking for an artist to design and build a float for Sackville’s Fall Fair. The artist will be given creative liberty to build a moving sculpture or performance of sorts, with funds to cover their time and supplies. Struts will provide a trailer to pull the masterpiece. Float proposals are due by this Monday, August 30th.
14 recent cases of COVID-19 have been categorized as “community transmission,” 13 of which are in Zone 1 (Moncton).… Continue
Tantramar Report: EV rebate’s impact on local dealers, CUPE march for frontline workers, and AWI nature school registration open
On Thursday’s Tantramar Report:
Erica Butler called up Tina Amador, the general manager of Atlantic KIA in Amherst, to see how the new EV rebate program might affect local car dealers. Amador says that while EVs are not yet available in Sackville or Amherst, they are in Moncton, and some of her staff have started the process of getting trained to sell and service electric vehicles.
There is a Pfizer clinic at the Tantramar Civic Centre today between 9 and 5 today, but Charles Beaver says those slots are all booked up. If you register with the Corner Drug Store online, you might be able to get in as soon as September 2nd.
CUPE is organizing a march in solidarity with frontline workers in Sackville, after local advocates insisted Sackville be included. Sackville was originally excluded from the marching plans, according to local volunteer Judith Weiss, because of its low population. The march begins at 10 AM at the local hospital, and ends at the bandstand in the Bill Johnstone Memorial Park. Anyone interested in participating in a Sackville walk with CUPE on behalf of frontline workers can show up on Saturday. Look out for a Facebook event published by Alana Best, of CUPE local 720-1, for more details.
And registration is open for the Atlantic Wildlife Institute’s forest school program. The year-round part-time enrichment program will continue to offer outdoors-based learning, and this year they are offering a Wilderness Skills program, and Creative Arts and Music program. … Continue
Tantramar Report: Three Beausejour candidates named so far, Pfizer walk-in clinic, and a visit to a micro press
Wednesday on Tantramar Report:
Keagan Hawthorne lets us witness the printing of broadsides, which will be sold to raise funds for the Tantramar Literary Society. The broadsides are being printed on Hawthorne’s micropress, a large and heavy mechanical device that uses a hand crank to roll paper across inked letters, which he affectionately refers to as “The Beast.”
There is a Pfizer walk-in vaccine clinic today at the Guardian Corner Drug Store (between 10AM and 6:30PM), and more kids will be permitted to get the jab since the government now allows 11-year-olds who will turn 12 this year to be vaccinated. Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy says the decision was made to “help support healthy and safe schools” with the first day of classes just around the corner. This represents 2,832 more young people who can now get the shot. Since the province bases its vaccination rates on the percent of eligible New Brunswickers, it may appear that the vaccine rate is lower from here on out since the number of eligible people increased. Also, unexpectedly, the province realized during a routine review that over 8,000 vaccinations were not recorded, of which around 7,800 were second doses.
And the Conservatives and the People’s Party have announced who from their parties will run against incumbent Beausejour rep Dominic LeBlanc, but there is no word from either the Green or NDP party. So far, Beausejour constituents can choose between the incumbent candidate for the Liberal party, Dominic LeBlanc, Shelly Mitchell from the Conservatives, or Jack Minor from the People’s Party.… Continue