Power failures, uprooted trees and a collapsed warehouse: Hurricane Fiona’s effects on Sackville 

A warehouse on Crescent Street belonging to FRS Flooring Solutions collapsed amid hurricane-force winds sometime overnight on Sept. 23-24, 2022. Photo: Erica Butler

In Sackville, Hurricane Fiona caused prolonged power outages as hurricane-force winds knocked down trees and caused at least one building to collapse.

The warehouse on Crescent Street belongs to FRS Flooring Solutions. 

“It was still standing Friday night,” said Damon Doncaster, a sales associate with the company. “I went to check on it… I think it was about 11 o’clock on Saturday morning, after I had heard a few rumours that the building had fallen.” 

Sure enough, the old storage facility was a wreck. 

Listen to Damon Doncaster speaking to CHMA on Tuesday, September 27, 2022: 

Firefighters responded to about a dozen calls during the hurricane, according to Craig Bowser, chief of Sackville Fire and Rescue. 

“Most of those calls were related to trees down on power lines, or power lines dangling, and we needed to secure an area for public safety,” he said. 

Listen to Craig Bowser speaking to CHMA on Tuesday, September 27, 2022: 

The Town of Sackville opened the Civic Centre as a warming centre for residents affected by power outages. 

But very few people — perhaps just one or two — ended up using it, according to the municipality. 

And one elderly Sackville resident said people on Devon Avenue were without power for more than 48 hours. 

Janet Hammock on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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‘There’s still so much that we’re not doing’: Divest MTA leads climate protest Friday

Divest MTA participated in a Defund Climate Chaos Street Art Action by @stopthemoneypipeline in April 2022. Image: Facebook

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.

Dr. David Suzuki speaking at Mount Allison University. Divest Mt A members hold up a banner while member Helen Yao asks for Suzuki’s endorsement of divestment. Image: still from Divest Mt A video.

“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

Queen Elizabeth stands on the dais at Mount Allison University stadium with Sackville Mayor William Campbell, Premier Richard B. Hatfield, and Mrs. Ruth Stanley, the wife of Lieutenant-Governor George Stanley, 26 September 1984. Image: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick P229-49

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

MASU Shine Day 2019.

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.

Shinerama 2022 chair Sajid Bin Afaz and Sip co-founder Pushkaraj Jadha are collaborating to raise money for CF research, with a portion of drink sales going to support Shinerama. Image: Instagram

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

New book examines how Canadian companies accumulate profits through ‘dispossession’ at home and abroad

Dave Thomas. Photo: mta.ca

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.

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More private delivery will worsen health-care crisis, critics say

Susie Proulx-Daigle, head of the New Brunswick Union (left) and Megan Mitton, MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar. Photos: Twitter/NBUSNB and Facebook/MeganMittonNB

“All options are on the table” for the health-care system, including more services delivered by the private sector, according to Premier Blaine Higgs.

But his remarks about health-care reform this week have prompted critics to warn that privatization will only worsen conditions in the public health-care system.

Listen to the report that aired on CHMA on Thursday, August 25, 2022:

“There’s a recruitment and retention issue here in this province,” said Susie Proulx-Daigle, head of the New Brunswick Union, which represents several thousand health-care professionals in the province.

“Introducing the private sector is only going to take away professionals out of the public system,” she said.

Higgs made the remarks at a media conference in Moncton on Monday, flanked by three other premiers: Ontario’s Doug Ford, P.E.I.’s Dennis King and Nova Scotia’s Tim Houston, all of them Tory leaders. 

“For me, you know, all options are on the table to understand what are best practices,” he said.

Four Canadian premiers (from left) — Tim Houston of Nova Scotia, Doug Ford of Ontario, Blaine Higgs of New Brunswick and Dennis King of P.E.I. — are pictured during a media conference in Moncton on Monday, August 22, 2022. Screenshot: YouTube/GNB

However, that doesn’t mean patients will have to pay more money out of their own pockets for better health care services, he said.… Continue