Tories introduce changes to local government funding – what does it mean for Tantramar?
Listen to Tantramar Report for Thursday, October 6, 2022:
‘This storm scared me’: Fiona leaves Sackville with uprooted trees, power outages
Listen to Tantramar Report for Monday, September 26, 2022:
Sackville prepares for Fiona
Hurricane Fiona has prompted a wave of cancellations and postponements as people prepare for high winds and heavy rain starting late Friday night and continuing through Saturday.
CHMA called up town of Sackville special projects manager Kieran Miller to find out what advice and information the town has to share:
Miller recommends people, “secure any loose objects on your property, clean up any downspouts and make sure that you have a 72 hour emergency preparedness kit on hand.”
She also recommends people sign up for the town’s new alert system, Voyent Alert.
“We hope never to have to use our emergency alert system, says Miller, “but we recommend all residents sign up.” Voyent Alert allows people to chose between alerts delivered via phone call, email, text, or through a smartphone app.
Sackville is prone to freshwater flooding, especially when high tides prevent freshwater from draining through existing aboiteaux into the tidal Tantramar River. High tides at about 11:15pm Friday night and 11:40am Saturday could be critical times for flooding risk, depending on when the heaviest rainfall arrives.
Miller says the town’s public works staff are, “in a state of readiness. They’re getting everything ready to go should they need to take action.”
In case of an extended power outage, the Tantramar Veteran’s Memorial Civic Centre on Main Street is equipped with a generator and could be put into use as a warming centre or emergency centre.… Continue
Gifted harpsichord makes its Mount Allison debut at the Sackville Festival of Early Music this weekend
Typically, every year when the Sackville Festival of Early Music rolls around, co-director Shawn Bostick drives to Halifax to pick up a harpsichord, hauling it back to Sackville for the festival, which specializes in music of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. But this year, that won’t be necessary.
Thanks to a gift from a longstanding patron of the festival, the Mount Allison music department now boasts its own harpsichord.
Joanna Manning has been coming to the Sackville Festival of Early Music for years, and last year she approached artistic director Linda Pearse to see if there was a concrete way she could support the festival, in thanks for all the concerts she had enjoyed with her late husband, Gary.
After some discussion, the two arrived at the idea of donating a harpsichord, and homing it with the Mount Allison Music Department, where Pearse is assistant professor. “Given our mutual dedication to teaching,” says Pearse, “it seems like the music department would be the best place to receive the harpsichord because they can take care of it, they have students who will benefit from playing it, and we have people coming through town and even faculty on staff who can also play it.”
‘There’s still so much that we’re not doing’: Divest MTA leads climate protest Friday
This Friday, the students of Divest MTA will lead the Mount Allison community in another Fridays for Future global climate strike protest. Divest MTA is a long standing collective movement that is demanding Mount Allison divest its endowment funds from fossil fuels companies. But Friday’s protest has a broader call, says Divest member Kate DesRoches.
“It’s definitely part of a bigger movement that pushes for comprehensive climate action,” says DesRoches. “Our main ask is still divestment, but the Fridays for Future strikes are part of a global movement that is pushing for climate action in general.”
Divest MTA is starting the academic year on the heels of some successes from last year.
“We have a lot of momentum right now, despite the pandemic,” says DesRoches. “This past year, we’ve received a lot of support from the Mount A community. Even the university president has publicly supported us.”
One feather in the cap of the Divest MtA collective was a university talk featuring David Suzuki in November 2021, when the long-time environmentalist lambasted the University for its continued refusal to divest from fossil fuels.
“I think it’s disgraceful that after seven years Mount Allison hasn’t divested,” said Suzuki.… Continue
Updated: Government holiday for Queen’s funeral Monday, Mt A to remain open
NOTE: This story was update Wednesday, September 14, 2022 with further information from Mount Allison University.
The government of New Brunswick is joining the federal government in declaring a holiday for Monday, September 19, 2022.
The day is being called a National Day of Mourning in honour of the death of Queen Elizabeth last week. A government news release Tuesday afternoon says the holiday will, “honour the Queen and pay respect to her life of service to Canada and to the Commonwealth of Nations on the day of her funeral.”
Government offices and schools in New Brunswick will be closed for the day, but the provincial government did not extend the holiday across the board, leaving all other organizations and private companies to decide whether or not they remain open.
Unless specified under their contracts, workers will not be eligible for statutory holiday pay.
The holiday is a one-time event, not for annual recognition.
Mount Allison to remain open
Mount Allison will remain open on Monday, September 19, during a national day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth called by the provincial and federal governments.
University president Jean Paul Boudreau said in an email Wednesday that after “leadership discussions” on Tuesday, the school has decided to remain open, and classes and all other activities will continue as scheduled.… Continue
Shine Day 2022 is here: students hit the streets Saturday to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis research
On Saturday Mount Allison students will take to the streets in the annual Shine Day event, to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis research and support. This year’s chair of Shinerama, Sajid Bin Afaz, says the day will start early for students with a breakfast at Jennings Hall complete with a surprise guest speaker there to speak about their experience with Cystic Fibrosis.
“After that we split ourselves in different sites in Sackville,” says Bin Afaz. There will be some games at Bill Johnstone park, and a car wash beside the McDonald’s on Main Street, says Bin Afaz. “There will be volunteers and students all around Sackville with posters, with donation boxes, Bluetooth speakers playing some music, and asking for donations,” he says.
Depending on how many students end up joining Shine Day, there could be a mini-parade in the works, says Bin Afaz. “And we are ending the day with a pretty awesome party at Ducky’s,” he says.
Shinerama fundraising will continue into the fall, with the annual Garden Party happening later this month, and collaborations in the works with other clubs and societies at the school. “We also have collaborations with small businesses like House of Tarka and the Sip,” says Bin Afaz. Plans are also afoot for game nights during the football and cricket World Cups which are slated for this fall.… Continue
Investors target more apartment buildings; Mt A warns about the Red Zone; and sounds from Sackville’s End of Summer bbq
Listen to Tantramar Report for Friday, September 2, 2022:
New book examines how Canadian companies accumulate profits through ‘dispossession’ at home and abroad
A Mount Allison professor is launching a new book in Sackville next week.
Dave Thomas is an associate professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Mount Allison University.
His work focusses specifically on the role of Canadian actors in the Global South.
He is the co-editor of a new book from Fernwood Publishing titled Capitalism and Dispossession: Corporate Canada at Home and Abroad.
Thomas spoke to CHMA about the book on Wednesday.
Canadian corporations at home and overseas under scrutiny in new book by Mount Allison professor
Listen to Tantramar Report for Thursday, September 1, 2022: