Vogue Cinema on course for tax sale in January, with nearly $70k in taxes owed
The Vogue Cinema is headed for tax sale this January, unless owner Jeff Coates can make good on nearly $70,000 in back taxes owed to the provincial government.
The provincial Finance and Treasury Board posted an Expression of Interest on the property at 9 Bridge Street in an attempt to contact Coates.
A tax certificate from the board shows that Coates’ numbered company owes $69,236.37 in unpaid taxes as of this month. The 2024 tax levy on the property was $7,509.79.
At tax sale, the bidding on the building will start with the amount owing to the province. The earliest the theatre could go up for sale would be January 2025. Before that, the property will continue to accrue taxes and fees, meaning the minimum bid could be closer to $78,000 by the time it goes up for sale.
But any liens on the property will be dissolved by the tax sale. That means that more than $65,000 in debt owed to the Canada Revenue Agency could disappear. The debt was registered against the property in 2022, and dates back to money owed as of 2017, according to registration documents available through Service New Brunswick.
Coates’ numbered company is also the subject of a bankruptcy filing by the Westmoreland Albert Community Business Development Corporation, who say Coates owes them about $76,000.
On June 4, the Court of King’s Bench ruled the company bankrupt, after a hearing where Coates did not appear.… Continue
Blind Forest Books gears up to make a move to Main Street before spring eviction
Operating Blind Forest Books on York Street in Sackville has been a dream come true for Miriam Lapp. The young tarot reader and bookseller bought the used book shop with her partner Stephen in 2017, years after having discovered its former incarnation, Rags of Time, as a “spiritual refuge” in her childhood.
But this fall, after twenty years on York Street, the shelves and stacks of books will be lugged down to a new, bigger location at 69 Main Street.
CHMA stopped in to Blind Forest Books on York Street to find out more about Lapp’s plans:
“It’s an awesome location, right next to the grocery store,” says Lapp, “even more central than we are now, if that was possible.” Lapp says the larger space behind Hedy’s Hair Care and Wild Carnivore Pet Supplies will mean higher costs, but will also allow her a dedicated space for tarot readings, and more rooms for bookshelves to peruse.
“We’re working hard to drum up the money,” says Lapp. “Could be that we’ll have to take out a loan, but I’m also finding other ways.” Lapp will offering Tarot and astrology courses, and she will be teaching yoga classes at Atlantic Yoga Therapy on Haworth Heights. https://www.atlanticyogatherapy.com
As excited as she is for the new space, Lapp is also sad to say goodbye to the York Street shop.… Continue
New owners for former Pizza Delight in Sackville
The former Pizza Delight property on Mallard Drive in Sackville has been sold.
A new numbered company (752259 NB Inc.) bought the property, and according to Service New Brunswick’s property online service, paid $645,000 for the building and land. That’s $95,000 more than was paid two years ago, in the summer of 2022.
The directors of the new company are Surendra Prasad Semwal of Stratford, PEI and Preetpal Sohi of McLeod Hill, just outside of Fredericton. They registered their New Brunswick company in January 2024, and also operate a New Brunswick company called Namaste FGC, which is opening a bar and grill at the Fredericton Golf Club.
According to the website NamasteBistro.ca, the pair also run restaurants in Miramichi and Charlottetown, under the names Namaste Miramichi and Taste of India.
CHMA has reached out to the new owners to learn about their plans for their Sackville property.
The property at 24 Mallard Drive includes the former Pizza Delight building, and a triangular lot that stretches down to the parking lot at the Sackville Visitor Information Centre.
Since the property last changed hands, Tantramar council has voted twice to expand the possibilities for the property.
In 2023, council voted to allow drive-thru restaurants in Sackville’s highway-commercial zone, and this year they approved starting the process to get rid of a development agreement on the property, which limits possible development to a single restaurant.… Continue
Sackville’s ‘dye power’ increases with new retail space for Gobsmacked Yarn
Gobsmacked Yarn is the newest addition to downtown Sackville’s commercial landscape.
Owner Marit Munson has been dyeing yarn since 2012, and when she outgrew her space at home, decided to expand into a space that allowed for both her studio and a retail shop. Gobsmacked Yarn opens officially this Saturday, in a space on Ford Lane, in the rear of the Goya’s Pizza building in downtown Sackville.
CHMA dropped by the new location to speak with Munson:
The grand opening of the Gobsmacked Yarn shop coincides with Worldwide Knit in Public Day, and to celebrate, Munson is collaborating with another Sackville dyer, Megan Ingman of Lichen and Lace, for a ‘mini yarn crawl’ between the two studios.
“The dye power here in Sackville is pretty incredible,” says Munson. “Lichen and Lace is a business that’s known worldwide, and then there’s a bunch of artists in town who also have really amazing practices with natural dyes and all kinds of neat things going on.”
Munson works with and carries both treated ‘superwash’ yarns, as well as what she calls ‘farm yarns’, which are sourced from sheep farms in Nova Scotia and Ontario.
“People are really rediscovering wool,” says Munson. “I think because it’s a natural material, it’s warm, it absorbs a lot of water. It keeps you warm in the winter, and it actually keeps you a bit cool in the summertime as well, which is fantastic… And when you’re done with it, it will biodegrade and go back into the soil in a way that modern synthetics absolutely don’t.”… Continue
After ten years in business, Cranewood on Main has found its stride
It’s been about 10 years since Malcolm Fisher and his partner Debbie took over Cranewood, the 187-year-old Georgian style house on Main Street in Sackville, which for decades served as the official residence for the president of Mount Allison University. These days, the heritage building is home to Cranewood on Main, a popular cafe, bakery, and sometimes fine dining spot.
“It’s been interesting because the direction has changed over those years,” says Fisher. “But I believe we found our true place in the community, and this is what we’re building on from here on.”
Over the past year, the building has seen some significant renovation, including replaced doors and windows, and major changes in the kitchen. There’s a new, efficient walk-in fridge and walk-in freezer, and a large ventilation hood system that will allow for use of gas ranges. The floor has also been levelled out to make for a more streamlined workspace and accommodate new equipment. Plans also include an expansion of the seating area on the upper floor, where Bee Boutique was formerly located. It’s all working towards “more Cranewood” as manager Malcolm Campbell describes it.
That means additional seating, and also possibly expanded service. In 2021, Chef Kim Martin partnered with Cranewood to offer fine dining pop-ups in the cafe, after it closed for regular operations at 4pm.… Continue
New owner of Uncle Larry’s hopes to bring more live music and events to downtown Sackville bar
Uncle Larry’s Bar on Main Street in Sackville has seen some changes in the past few months, ever since new owner Matthew Bugley took over in May.
CHMA stopped by to hear about Bugley’s plan for the Main Street drinking establishment:
More live music and events are in the future for Uncle Larry’s Bar, says Bugley. “I’m looking for something that we can kind of make our own,” he says. “And I really want to focus on more live music… Everybody seems to enjoy it.”
Bugley has been working with a DJ group out of Moncton, and also local musician Kevin Christopher to host open mic nights. Bugley says he is “definitely open to suggestions on what we should do for theme nights, or any suggestions at all whatsoever.”
Bugley has refreshed the interior with some new equipment and a new paint job. The old pool table is gone, with space going to more seating when new furniture arrives. “We’re looking forward to making new renovations moving forward as well,” says Bugley. A name change is even a possibility, says Bugley and he’s open to ideas. “The overall atmosphere we’re looking for is friendly, fun, clean, and good spot just to hang out,” says Bugley.
Bugley is an Amherst resident who returned to the east coast a few years ago after working for a decade out west, and deciding to stay home to see his young son grow up.… Continue
Former Mel’s Tea Room begins transformation to something new
For months the new owners of the Mel’s Tea Room building on Bridge Street in Sackville have been renovating the interior of the building, tearing out the iconic diner’s booths and counter, and walling off a section on the back left side of the space. But this week, the changes reached the exterior of the building. On Wednesday, the scripted lettering reading ’Mel’s’ on the green glass tiles above the front windows was removed.
The fate of the neon “Mel’s Tea Room” sign overhanging the Bridge Street sidewalk remains uncertain.
Mel’s Tea Room has been empty since last summer, when John Ernst and Tyler Gay bought the building, and restaurant operators Dave and Wendy Epworth tried in vain to sell off the business. For a brief period, Wild Carnivore Pet Store had plans to take over the space, but that fell through this summer. (Instead Sarah Honea and Diego Mora opened up their store up the road at 95A Bridge Street.)
A new tenant took over the space in August. Paul Sungchul An, owner of Song’s Chopsticks, is renovating the space in hopes of opening a Korean fried chicken restaurant. Sunchul An says he’s not quite ready to share his plans for the new restaurant, but will be able to share details by the end of August. He says the neon Mel’s sign will stay in place for the time being.… Continue
Dorchester’s Peep and Keep aims to create ‘old time sense of community’
The village of Dorchester is coming alive this weekend with its second festival of the summer, the Sandpiper Festival, running from Friday to Sunday with events at the Dorchester Veterans Community Centre (DVCC), the library, the Greater Dorchester Moving Forward Co-op, Palmers Pond, and of course, the Village Square. (Tonight’s concert in the square has been moved to the DVCC due to weather. The full schedule is available as a pdf here.)
It’s no coincidence that this weekend also marks the grand opening of Dorchester’s latest new business, the Peep and Keep Ecotique. Sandpipers—and their nearby migratory habitat on the mudflats off Dorchester Cape—feature prominently in the concept of the new shop, co-owned by longtime residents Kara Becker and Debbie Wiggins-Colwell.
The shop is dedicated in equal parts to environmental sustainability and cultural heritage, hence the “Peep and Keep” moniker. Becker says the pair wanted to “create that old time sense of community in Dorchester,” and also “celebrate our place in the Fundy biosphere.”
The shop provides information and support for the Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Reserve and Interpretive Centre, says Becker. As part of the Sandpiper Festival, this Saturday afternoon at 2pm, staff from the Nature Conservancy of Canada will make a presentation on sandpipers and shore birds at the Peep and Keep. That will be followed by a “mix and mingle” on the upper floors of the Bell Inn. “Folks can just get together and chat about everything that’s going on in the community,” says Becker.… Continue
Renovated and expanded Bagtown set to reopen on May 6
Renovations have taken a little longer than originally predicted, but Sackville’s Bagtown Brewery has announced it will reopen on May 6 in an expanded space at its Main Street location.
CHMA stopped by Bagtown to hear the news from owner Anthony Maddelena:
Maddelena is calling May 6 a ‘soft’ reopening, as the full concept of the new space won’t be in place. A mystery partner is in line to take over the kitchen and start offering food, but Maddelena is holding out on details except to say, “burgers and tacos” might be on offer.
For the soft reopening, Maddelena says he will have “a good handful of Bagtown beers back on tap,” along with some guest taps. Bagtown’s ‘To Go’ fridge will also be stocked with Bagtown products and “lots of new things from around the province.”
It will take some time to get fully stocked on beers as Maddelena turns his attention from construction and renovations back to brewing in May. He says there will be some new drinks rolling out, including beers, ciders, and some new non-alcoholic beverages.
The Bagtown patio should be upacked and ready for seating on May 6, says Maddelena. “Will they have a nice crisp, fresh coat of paint on them yet? Probably not,” he laughs. “That’ll be maybe a week or two later.”… Continue
‘This is the end’: Liquidating Mel’s Tea Room a ‘gut-wrenching’ process
Mel’s Tea Room is facing permanent closure.
“We’re in the process of removing our belongings and the assets of Mel’s,” says co-owner Dave Epworth. “We could not sell the business as it was, which is totally understandable given the times. We’re going to liquidate what we can and try and keep our heads above water somewhat, on the personal side of things.”
Mel’s has been closed since February, when a leaky roof led to a ceiling collapse in the kitchen. Dave and his partner Wendy Epworth purchased the iconic Sackville diner in 2018, and had plans to work up to buying the building from then-owner Ken Mikalauskas. But the couple were unable to get financing on short notice this summer when Mikalauskas decided to sell the building instead of fixing the leaking roof.
In August, new owners John Ernst and Tyler Gay took over, and gave the Epworths two months to either re-open or sell the business. That time expired on September 30, and now the couple has until October 11 to recover what they can from building.
Click below to listen to the full interview with Dave and Wendy Epworth, conducted at Mel’s on October 4, 2022.
‘It wasn’t for lack of caring’
“It’s devastating,” says Wendy Epworth, “not only to our family, but I know to the entire town.”
“We’re sorry.… Continue