Tag: matt pryde

New parking lot coming to Walker Road trailhead

The town of Tantramar will be cutting trees near a Walker Road trailhead to make way for a parking lot later this year. Photo: Erica Butler

Hikers and skiers on the Tantramar Outdoor Club trails off Walker Road might have been surprised to see tree cutting happening on the site this week near the trail head.

CHMA called up TOC co-president Karin Aurell Wednesday afternoon to find out more about what’s going on:

The cutting is part of a plan years in the works, says Aurell, to build a parking lot near the trailhead to help reduce on road parking congestion and improve traffic safety at the busy spot.

“It is probably a little bit shocking for people who show up there who don’t already know what’s going on,” said Aurell on Wednesday. “So apologies for that.”

The future exit of the parking lot on Walker Road, with current capacity for 3-4 cars. Photo: Erica Butler

“We’ve been talking for several years about the fact that the parking area by the Crooked Tree Trail is dangerous,” said Aurell, “with a mix of lots and lots of cars parking, people running around, dogs running around, and big dump trucks coming from the quarries.”

The town of Tantramar agrees. Active Living Director Matt Pryde told CHMA in January, “it’s been a safety issue for quite a few years now with larger trucks going through there and cars parked all along the street.” This year, the town has plans to remedy the situation with a parking lot.… Continue

“Now is not the time”: Sackville cancels 2021 Canada Day activities

The New Brunswick, Canadian, and Míkmaq Grand Council Flag are flying at half mast at town hall until further notice. The town says they lowered the flags, following the discovery of 751 unmarked graves at the former Marieval Residential School in Saskatchewan. Photo: Erica Butler

The town of Sackville has cancelled planned activities for Canada Day. The announcement was made over social media on Friday morning, in light of recent findings at former residential schools in western Canada.

CHMA spoke with recreation manager Matt Pryde to find out more about the decision.

“It’s been a long process to decide what exactly we want to do with Canada Day,” says Pryde.  The town consulted with Fort Folly First Nation and Mount Allison’s Indigenous Affairs Coordinator Patty Musgrave earlier in June to come up with a plan to “offer some activities in a respectful way,” says Pryde. That was shortly after the remains of 215 Indigenous children were located at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops at the end of May. 

Then this week, the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan announced a preliminary finding of 751 unmarked graves near the former Marieval Indian Residential School.  “We further consulted with Chief Rebecca [Knockwood, of Fort Folly] and, Patty, the Indigenous Affairs coordinator at Mt A., and we determined that now is not the time to celebrate the country,” says Pryde.  

Sackville is not alone in the decision to forego festivities on July 1 this year.… Continue