On at the Owens: student works from past and present, plus an impressive hanging of the historic founding collection
This weekend at the Owen’s Art Gallery viewers will have the chance to see new works by graduating fine arts students, and also a number of works created by faculty and students from the early years of the art department at the school. The latter collection features copies of the Owens Art Institute collection, which became the core collection of the new Owens Art Gallery in 1893.
“The Owens exists because a collection that was formed by the estate of John Owen moved from Saint John to Mount Allison in the late 19th century,” says gallery director Emily Falvey.
The collection of 388 pictures, 32 plaster casts, and a small library of art books is “one of the oldest of its kind in Canada,” says Falvey. “And it was used originally to teach students learning Fine Arts in the Mount Allison Ladies College.”
Owens preparator Roxie Ibbitson haș drawn from the collection to put together the Salon Hanging, which opens Saturday May 14 at the Owens.
“The Salon Hanging is basically floor to ceiling hanging of over 100 works from the core collection that Roxy [Ibbitson] does in the high wall gallery. So it’s quite impressive,” says Falvey. “It’s supported by another exhibition [School Effects] that has some historical documentation of the collection hanging in Saint John, but also paintings that students made from the works,” says Falvey.… Continue
Mt A shares its final COVID update for the school year
Mount Allison has 10 self-reported active cases of COVID-19 on campus, according to the school’s weekly COVID update released Tuesday. One of the cases is in a person living on campus, and the other nine are living off campus.
This is the third week in a row that Mount Allison’s self-reported active case count has dropped. At its highest point this year, on March 15, the school had 61 active cases reported. That week saw students, staff and faculty—some working off campus—report 102 more cases. But this past week, only 8 new cases were reported, bringing the cumulative total since January 3, 2022 to 400 cases.
The university is winding down its weekly community COVID-19 updates for now. The school announced that this week’s Tuesday Touchpoint newsletter would be the last for the term. It’s not clear if the school plans to restart the weekly missive in the fall, when students are back.
The school’s current fall plans include big changes, with the planned lifting of all COVID-19 measures. That includes the lifting of vaccination requirements for students, staff and faculty, and the removal of capacity limits and one-metre distancing in classrooms. Although vaccinations will no longer be required in the fall term, the school will continue to ask students, faculty, and staff to identify their vaccination status in Mount Allison’s online platform.… Continue
Rev. Ellie Hummel aims to support Mt A students of all faiths and spiritual paths
The role of university chaplain at Mount Allison has been vacant since the summer of 2020, when the Reverend John Perkins moved on from his role of 27 years to pursue a post in Ottawa. Since then, the role has been reviewed and revised into that of Multi-Faith Chaplain and Spiritual Care Coordinator.
The Reverend Ellie Hummel took on that role this spring, and is now busy getting to know the campus, and positioning the chapel and herself as a resource and support for “students of all faiths and spiritual paths.”
CHMA took a walk over to the Mount Allison chapel to meet Hummel, and find out more about her and her new role.
‘Deep concern about how the pandemic is being managed’: Local task force criticizes Higgs government
The Memramcook-Tantramar Community Task Force has published an open letter expressing “deep concern about how the pandemic is being managed” in New Brunswick.
The task force is a volunteer organization in the Sackville area created in response to COVID-19.
Their letter calls on the provincial government to “provide more incentives for people to get vaccinated,” reinstate masking in schools, and provide more information in weekly updates.
“We’ve heard from people who have loved ones who are considered more vulnerable to illness, who have been saying to us, they feel abandoned,” said task force co-chair Margaret Tusz-King in an interview.
That news comes as Public Health changes how cases of COVID-19 are reported.
The province has discontinued its online COVID-19 dashboard; instead, it has introduced new weekly reports on a government webpage called COVIDWATCH.
On Tuesday, the provincial government announced another nine COVID-related deaths – that’s a reduction compared to last week, when the province reported 13 deaths.
There have now been 358 COVID-related deaths since the pandemic began.
There were 78 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations during the seven days that ended on Saturday.
That figure only reflects patients hospitalized for COVID symptoms, and it has increased by 31 compared to last week
There are nine people who are receiving intensive care, according to the latest report.… Continue
‘They feel abandoned’: Local task force criticizes Higgs government’s handling of COVID-19
Listen here to Tantramar Report for April 6, 2022:
‘People deserve a living wage’: Minimum wage increase not enough for decent quality of life, critics say
New Brunswick’s minimum wage goes up by one dollar today, to reach $12.75 per hour. And another increase is slated for October, when the minimum wage will reach $13.75.
In a video posted to social media this week, Minister of Labor Trevor holder acknowledged that “many New Brunswick families are struggling to keep up with the cost of living, and it’s getting worse.”
Until today, New Brunswick had the lowest minimum wage of any province or territory in Canada. Saskatchewan now holds that dubious distinction.
By October, New Brunswick is slated to have the highest minimum wage in the Atlantic region, against $13.70 per hour in P.E.I., $13.35 in Nova Scotia and $13.20 in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the Retail Council of Canada.
It’s a far cry from last year’s widely-ridiculed five cent increase, based on changes to the Consumer Price Index.
At the time, Minister Holder said in a statement the policy would protect the “purchasing power of employees” while ensuring “predictability for businesses.”… Continue
Sounds of Sackville
March 26th. Ainsley, Annie and Maya. A radio show showcasing songs that connect Sackvillians to their community! Maybe it’s the song that was playing when you bought your wedding dress or the song you listen to every time you drive into town. Covid-19 has been a difficult time for all of us, maybe put a song that has been able to lift you up and keep you going during these difficult times!
Check out the full list of community submissions in this playlist:
… Continue
Students renew call for Mount A to divest from fossil fuels ahead of climate strike
Climate justice activists at Mount Allison University and their supporters will be getting their hands dirty on Friday as part of student-led climate strike actions happening around the world.
Their handprints will cover a banner painted with images from the fossil fuel industry – an oil well and two smokestacks belching black smoke – and bearing the words “People Not Profit.”
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” said student activist Kate DesRoches. “Put the people over the profit, literally.”
DesRoches is a member of Divest MTA, a student activist group that campaigns for Mount A to move its investment funds out of fossil fuels.
She said there’s a tension between what students learn in the classroom about climate change, and how the university uses its money. You can listen to her interview with CHMA here:
The artwork is part of student-led actions happening internationally as part of the Fridays for Future movement.
Divest MTA is part of a movement calling for institutional investors around the world to move trillions of dollars out of fossil fuels.
Universities have multimillion dollar funds called endowments which they use to generate cash.
By the end of 2020, Mount Allison’s endowment was worth more than $170 million, according to information publicly available on the university’s website. … Continue
Self-reported COVID-19 cases decline at Mount Allison
The number of active COVID-19 cases at Mount Allison University has declined, according to self-reported case data which the university released this week.
There are currently 15 self-reported cases of COVID-19 in the university community, Mount A said Tuesday in its weekly update.
That’s a significant decline compared to last week, when the university reported a spike in cases.
Of the current active cases, eight are off-campus and seven are in residence.
The total number of cases in the university community reported since early January has reached 303, an increase of 27 compared to last week.
In its previous update, the university reported an overall week-over-week increase of 102 cases.
Public Health reports 16 deaths
Meanwhile, Public Health reported Tuesday that COVID-19 hospitalizations have shot up by 30 cases since last week’s update, bringing the total number to 129.
The number of people receiving intensive care reached 16, an increase of three compared to last week. There are five people on a ventilator, a decline of two.
The province also recorded 16 new COVID-19 related deaths over the past week, for a total death toll of 336 people in New Brunswick since the pandemic began.
New Brunswick lifted all remaining COVID-19 restrictions last week.
… Continue
New water deal with Mount A means one more utility worker for town of Sackville
On Monday night Sackville town council approved a five year agreement with Mount Allison University to oversee the school’s water distribution system. Though the school uses the same water supply as the rest of the town, the system within the school is currently tested and managed by University operations personnel, and is a “black box” as far as the town goes.
Public works superintendent Michelle Sherwood told council Monday that under the new agreement, qualified town staff will run the testing and oversee any repairs to the school’s water system. For that service, the school will pay the town of Sackville $82,000 per year, enough to hire an additional staff member in the public works department.
Sherwood said that in addition to providing the resources for another staff member, the new agreement will give the town more control over what happens with town water as it flows through Mount Allison’s distribution system.
Councillor Bill Evans was supportive of the new agreement, which he described as a win-win, similar to the arrangement whereby Mount Allison’s IT department provides services for the town. “In that case, Mount Allison university gets to hire an employee and we get the benefit of everybody in computing services. In this case, the town of Sackville will hire an additional employee with the certification that we already need,” said Evans.… Continue