Dorchester goes off-road with new Argo
Members of the Dorchester Fire Department have completed training on a new piece of equipment: a 2022 Argo Aurora 850 was purchased this year with funds from the Dorchester Fire Fighters Association and the Village of Dorchester. The vehicle cost nearly $36,000 plus taxes and fees, and will be used for off-road operations, including marsh grass fires.
“We mainly bought it for off-road rescue,” says Dorchester Fire chief Greg Partridge. Partridge says the vehicle can take firefighters into the woods or the marsh, and can hold a stretcher to transport a patient, if need be. A trailer can be attached to transport a pump to difficult-to-reach fire locations. Partridge says the Argo will be able to move firefighters to such areas much faster than on foot.
Where firefighters would previously have had to lug in gear, the Argo will be able to save time and effort. And time can make a big difference in fighting a fire, says Partridge. Using the Argo, “you can get ahead of the fire and slow it down or turn it in a different direction,” says Partridge.
Partridge says the Argo seemed like a good choice for Dorchester Fire because other area fire departments do not already have one. Fire departments rely on mutual aid agreements, meaning each department can call in help and equipment from neighbouring departments.
“The departments around us have different pieces of equipment,” says Partridge, “and no one has one of these.… Continue
Every Child Matters bear and sacred fire offer an opportunity to honour, understand, and pray
Friday is National Truth and Reconciliation Day, also known as Orange Shirt Day. Public schools, Mount Allison University, and all government offices will be closed to mark the day.
At Fort Folly First Nation, knowledge keeper & Mi’kmaq cultural coordinator Nicole Porter has put together an opportunity for area residents to learn about Truth and Reconciliation, and to honour the Indigenous children who suffered and even died in Canada’s residential schools.
Porter says she has long admired the hay bale bears put together by Matt Beal, of High Tide Homestead and Cattle Company. Porter says she thought to herself, “wouldn’t it be nice if we could have something like that, a big teddy bear, to honour the children that went to residential school, but they never made it home?”
Porter approached Beal, and the result is sitting near the Gitpu Gas Station at Cherry Burton Road and the 106: the Every Child Matters Bear.
Hear Nicole Porter talking about the bear on CHMA’s Tantramar Report:
About three large bales tall, the bear is wearing an orange shirt with the words “Every Child Matters” written on the front. Porter says the bear is an opportunity honour and cherish the children lost to the residential school system, and to raise awareness of a history that is still being learned and understood by Canadians.… Continue
COVID-19 is back at Dorchester Penitentiary with 7 cases this week
There are seven active cases of COVID-19 at the Dorchester Penitentiary according to Correctional Services Canada (CSC). That’s an increase of five new cases since reporting on Tuesday. The cases are all in inmates in the medium security section of the penitentiary.
In a news released CSC states, “we are closely monitoring the situation, and measures are in place to minimize spread of the virus within the institution.” CSC calls the outbreak an “evolving situation”, and says infection prevention and control measures are being used, including provision of PPE and enhanced cleaning. Staff are being provided with PPE including medical masks, respirators, and face shields, and inmates are being provided with medical masks.
CSC says vaccinations are being offered to inmates, and currently 84% of the incarcerated population have had two shots, and 57.4% have had a booster. That’s slightly above the national rate. Across Canada, about 56% of eligible people have received a booster dose.
COVID-19 testing is also being offered, with employees required to attest to a negative rapid test result.
There have been 206 positive cases to date in medium security at the prison, and 58 in minimum security.… Continue