Group looks to spread Christmas Cheer to Sackville families
For over 30 years now the Sackville Community Association has been running its flagship program, Christmas Cheer, to distribute toys and grocery vouchers for families in need.
“The churches in town started it,” says SCA president Elizabeth Wells, “and now it’s become just anyone is involved.”
Each year, Christmas Cheer gathers up new toys and cash donations, and then redistributes them in the community. Families can get a toy bag and/or a grocery voucher for one of Sackville’s two local grocery stores.
“We’re always reaching out to those who are a little better off at Christmas time,” says Wells, “to help those who need a little bit of help.”
“Amazingly, for a small town like Sackville, we have about 250 families that we help every year with the campaign,” says Wells. “That’s stayed pretty steady over the years. But that just gives you a sense of the need in our own community.”
Families in needs can call Wells (536-1063) to get considered for the program. There’s also signs up at the food bank. The cut off date for expressions of interest is December 7.
“With COVID, it’s a little bit more difficult to get our volunteers together and to get our work done,” says Wells. “So we’re asking for a cut off of December 7.”
For those willing and able to contribute, cash donations can be made at the Royal Bank, and charitable tax receipts will be issued in January.… Continue
PEDVAC’s Christmas Box program aims to help out during an expensive time of year
Every year, the Port Elgin District Voluntary Action Council, more commonly known as PEDVAC, puts together Christmas boxes for about 50 families in the Port Elgin area, and despite limitations that come along with a global pandemic, this year is no different.
Katie Tower is the new executive director of PEDVAC, about three months into the job, and entering a busy time for the community hub.
“Each box that goes out contains a turkey and all the trimmings for Christmas dinner, plus groceries for a week. We have toys and gifts or each family member, including children, and hand knitted hats, and mittens and socks, as well as Christmas candy that goes out in those boxes,” says Tower.
If a family is in need, “they can refer themselves,” says Tower, “or we also accept referrals from community agencies, groups or individuals on behalf of those that they feel may be in need of assistance.”
“Financial strains this time of year can really affect families and seniors,” says Tower. “So we’re just looking to help.”
Tower says that she’s hoping people facing additional challenges this pandemic year, with job losses and other economic stresses, will get in touch so PEDVAC can help. Applications can be picked up and filled out at PEDVAC on Church Street in Port Elgin, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm.… Continue
Harm reduction services not always accessible in Sackville
Content Warning: The following story discusses opioid addiction and overdose. The CHIMO helpline is available 24/7 at 1-800-667-5005.
If you suspect that you or someone else has overdosed, call 911 immediately.
Ashley Legere is the only person from Sackville who attended the “Getting to Tomorrow” conference earlier this month.
CHMA coverage of the “Getting to Tomorrow” event, which is available here.
Legere has spoken with CHMA before to talk about the harm reduction program she started at the Corner Drug Store, where she formerly worked as a pharmacy assistant.
Since then, Legere has accepted a new position with Ensemble Moncton as a part of their needle distribution services.
She says that opioids containing dangerous amounts of fentanyl are present in Sackville.
Ashley Legere: Having developed significant and meaningful relationships with addicts and recovering addicts… Fentanyl is prevalent in Sackville. Because a lot of that supplies coming from Moncton, I think, as well as Port Elgin and Nova Scotia. I give out fentanyl testing strips with almost every care package I give out now, and it’s because my patients have said to me, “fentanyl is prevalent in drugs.” But it’s the only supply they have, they are still using the drugs. So that is terrifying. There is no safe supply and you don’t know what you’re getting. But you can only get what you get.… Continue
Flagged flu vaccine batch found safe by Health Canada
The department found no irregularities and has no concern about health-care providers continuing to administer the batch.
Health Canada says the flu vaccine batch recently flagged by New Brunswick Public Health is safe.
The federal department told Radio-Canada it has found no cause-and-effect relationship between the vaccine and three cases of adverse neurological reactions in New Brunswick.
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan had stopped using the batch pending further testing.
Back on November 15, New Brunswick Public Health reported adverse events in three adults who received the vaccine between October 2 and 20. The neurologic symptoms, which included sustained numbness or weakness of the face and/or limbs, occurred within seven days of receiving the vaccine.
The province uses an electronic health record system which made it possible to identify the specific batch of influenza vaccine correlated to the three reports. They then alerted vaccine providers in the province and public health agencies across the country, and the specific vaccine batch was set aside in five provinces.
On Thursday last week, a Health Canada spokesperson told CBC that after testing the batch and other vaccine lots, the department found no irregularities and has no concern about health-care providers continuing to administer it.
RELATED:
AUS pulls the plug on official winter season
Atlantic University Sport (AUS) has announced that it will not proceed with a winter season in 2021.
A press release last week says the AUS, “will not proceed with conference-sanctioned regular seasons or postseasons for the remainder of the 2020-21 season and will not host any conference championships.”
However, schools will be allowed to compete with each other if they see fit.
“Schools will be permitted to engage in competition at a level they are comfortable with, and would likely see the teams involved face opponents they are in closer proximity to geographically,” says the release.
The AUS has 11 member universities including Mount Allison, UNB, St. Thomas, and the Université de Moncton.
“We had hoped to be able to get to a place where we could see some semblance of a regular season and postseason take place for our winter sport student-athletes,” says AUS executive director Phil Currie. “Unfortunately given the current realities in many of our regions, and evolving public health directives, this won’t be possible.”… Continue
Four robberies or attempted break-ins reported in one night in Sackville-Dorchester-Rockport
Local organizations and businesses have reported four different robberies and/or attempted break-ins, most occurring over the same night.
The Gitpu Gas Bar, St. Paul’s Church, the Johnson’s Mills Interpretive Centre and the Rockport Community Hall have all reported thefts, break-ins or attempted break-ins.
Two people attempted to break into Gitpu Gas Bar around 6am on Thursday, November 26, 2020. The business posted stills from their surveillance videos on social media on Thursday morning. Two individuals can be seen in the video carrying a dolly and a large carrier. A vehicle which look like a burgundy Hyundai Santa Fe was also on the scene.
Darlene Turner says that the would-be thieves were unsuccessful getting through the Gitpu Gas Bar security, but they did lots of damage to a window and a security door.
Thieves also did considerable damage at the Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Interpretive Centre. Andrew Holland of the Nature Conservancy of Canada says this is the third break in at the Centre since the summer.
This time, says Holland, there was damage to doors, locks and security equipment installed since the last break-ins.
“We are still raising money to recover from the previous thefts,” says Holland.
Someone also broke into the Rockport Community Hall, “made a big mess” and stole items including several bins with supplies used for the hall’s annual Christmas wreath fundraiser, according to a social media post by community member Monica Kaye.… Continue
NB leaves the Bubble, but no physical changes at Aulac border
New Brunswick has left the Atlantic Bubble.
Premier Blaine Higgs made the announcement at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
“At this point, community transmission has not been confirmed here, said Higgs, “but the threat is real… So taking swift action right now is important. And that’s why effective of midnight tonight we’re resorting back to our original 14 days isolation for anyone from anywhere traveling into New Brunswick.”
Higgs said that this does not mean the reinstatement of the checkpoint at the Aulac border.
“We aren’t going to put up checkpoints,” said Higgs. “We’re asking for registration, so we know people are coming and going.”
“We know there’s a lot of essential travel that moves back and forth,” he said. “We understand all that and so we’re not going to impact that routine, work-related and essential travel activity.”
Higgs says that instead of reinstating border checkpoints, the government is, “putting our efforts into surveillance in the communities.”
We will be looking for outside cars and and people traveling,” said Higgs. “We’ll want to know that they’re registered, and that they have a valid justification for for being in the province.”
FREDERICTON JOINS THE ORANGE CLUB
The other big announcement at yesterday’s news conference was the move to Orange Level restrictions for the Fredericton region.
Chief Medical Office of Health Jennifer Russell said explained the move was due to the “course that the virus is taking in this area.”… Continue
Mount A goes online in response to Bubble collapse
Mount Allison is going online for the rest of the fall semester.
The move was announced in a letter to students, faculty and staff on Thursday evening, from the university’s senior administration.
The letter doesn’t get into why the change is being made, except to say that it’s, “in the interest of safety for the entire Mount Allison community.”
Mount Allison Students’ Union president Jon Ferguson is welcoming the move. In an email to CHMA, he says that “the collapse of the bubble has left many students from all four provinces in a variety of complicated situations.”
Ferguson says that when PEI and Newfoundland pulled out of the bubble, many students made the decision to go home immediately to visit family. And some Nova Scotia students were also making travel plans in anticipation of a similar move from their home province. There are also those who, because they only have classes once or twice a week, spend time regularly out of province.
All these people were affected by the New Brunswick government announcement that the province would pull out of the Bubble as of midnight Thursday.
Ferguson says the New Brunswick announcement meant that many students couldn’t make it back to finish classes and exams in person.
Exams start next week, and anyone returning to New Brunswick will now be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
To make matters more complicated for students in residence, they are not permitted to self-isolate in their dorm rooms, while neighbouring those who are not self-isolating.… Continue
Iris Counselling on COVID-19 isolation, stress, and mental health
As COVID-19 cases rise in New Brunswick and restrictions increase, stress levels are also on the rise.
CHMA speaks with co-founders of Iris Community Counselling and Consulting Inc., Marie Reinsborough-Wadden and Krista Royama, to discuss COVID-19 and mental health.
To begin, Reinsborough-Wadden and Royama talk setting boundaries with friends and loved ones while Zone 1 remains in the orange phase.
Royama says that a friend or family member turning down an invitation during orange phase restrictions is often not personal.
Krista Royama: So we’ve gone into the orange phase twice now. So those conversations may need to be had, so that people understand where everybody’s at. Be willing to process that, if you need time to process that. So you’re not taking it personal in the moment, you know what I mean? Take getting together for a coffee or something, and someone’s saying, “I’m not really comfortable with that.” It has nothing to do with the person themselves. I’m sure the one who’s saying no would love nothing more, but it’s their comfort level.
Dr. Jennifer Russell addressed New Brunswickers in a press conference on November 24th, and encouraged everyone to rehearse a line for turning down indoor gatherings such as parties.
Examples of such phrases include “that doesn’t work for me” or “I’m not comfortable meeting in person, let’s hang out virtually.”
Royama says continuing communication with friends and family is important, and recommends being creative with the method of communication.… Continue
Simultaneous ticket and compliance order “unfair” and “overreach” by RCMP
On Tuesday, two RCMP officers visited the Hounds of Vintage store on York street in Sackville to check the store for compliance with COVID-19 protocols under the province’s Emergency Measures Act.
Before they left, owner Derrick Dixon had both a compliance order listing 3 things he needed to do within 24 hours, and a ticket carrying a fine of nearly $300.
Dixon says he was an early and enthusiastic adopter of COVID-19 protocols, requiring masks in his store long before it became mandatory. He’s concerned about the motivations behind his ticket from RCMP Constable Christophe Bertrand.
Erica Butler spoke with Derrick Dixon on Wednesday evening to hear about his experience:
Dixon says he was in his store waiting for a delivery when two fully uniformed and armed police officers came in to do a compliance check on his COVID protocols.
Dixon keeps his written COVID policy posted on his door for customers, which he understood was a public health requirement, but he didn’t have another written copy of this policy behind his counters, and so the officers gave Dixon a compliance order, asking for that condition to be fulfilled within 24 hours. Dixon says he feels “totally fine,” about the compliance order. “I think that it’s good that the protocols are being monitored.”
But the experience was still distressing, says Dixon. “The whole time I was very anxious and felt very intimidated by two fully uniformed and armed cops in my shop.… Continue