Sight of smoke led Nokar Hussein to discover Good Friday fire
When Nokar Hussein headed to work on Friday April 7th, he expected a slow, uneventful day. But as most Sackvillians are painfully aware, it wouldn’t turn out that way. April 7th was Good Friday, the day that a fire consumed the building that was home to Joey’s Pizza and Pasta on York Street.
Nokar and his brother’s family run Fener’s Place on Bridge Street. As he was on his way to work, he smelled something strange as he passed the Independent grocery story on Main, but attributed it to a possible power issue, because he noticed an NB Power truck nearby.
When he went to get a coffee, Nokar noticed smoke on Bridge Street, and went to investigate. His search took him around the back of the Joey’s building, where he saw smoke billowing from the restaurant’s ventilation chimney, and flames appearing near the base of the kitchen exhaust.
At the same time, a young man came out of the building, and Nokar asked if he knew anyone in the building. He immediately went back inside to alert his friends, while Nokar called 911. Within minutes the Sackville Fire Department arrived to try to control the fire. That was around 9:30, when Nokar says the fire he observed was well underway.… Continue
Access denied: NB’s Ombud says a report on Sackville’s fire department—and the recommendations stemming from it—should remain secret
It’s been just over a year since veteran journalist Bruce Wark published the first in a series of articles looking at allegations of harassment and bullying in the Sackville Fire Department.
Wark spoke with a number of current and former firefighters, who told him that although they had brought their concerns to the town’s senior management, they went nowhere and no actions were taken to address them.
Since then, the town of Sackville has taken some actions. At the end of April 2021, the town announced it was hiring Montana Consulting to do “a comprehensive workplace assessment of the Sackville Fire Department and its operations.” At the same time it noted that changes would be coming to the bylaw governing the fire department.
In September 2021, Montana handed over their report—containing 20 recommended actions—to town of Sackville CAO Jamie Burke. Montana also presented on their findings and recommendations to Sackville council and firefighters, and town staff say that work on implementing the recommendations is ongoing.
What are those 20 recommendations, and what’s inside the report and presentations discussing them? All of that remains confidential.
That bothers Bruce Wark, a longtime journalist (and occasional contributor to CHMA’s Tantramar Report), former journalism professor, and Sackville resident. Shortly after the town announced the Montana report was complete, Wark sent a request under the New Brunswick Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RTIPPA) to the town’s clerk, Donna Beal, asking for access to the report.… Continue
Fire destroys home closed under SCAN act
Another fire has destroyed a home in Upper Sackville.
The Sackville Fire Department was called to the scene of a burning home at 2039 Upper Aboujagane Road (near the intersection with Pond Shore Road) at about 4:15am on Tuesday morning. The home was gutted by the fire, and the Red Cross says it is assisting two displaced adults with emergency lodging and financial aid to buy food, clothing and other basic needs.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the RCMP and the provincial Fire Marshal’s Office, according to a release by the Red Cross. CHMA has reached out to the Sackville RCMP for more information.
This is the second time a fire has damaged the home at 2039 Upper Aboujagane Road. On May 13, a suspicious fire was set at the home, and someone was charged in relation to the incident.
It’s the third home destroyed by fire in the immediate area. A nearby home on Pond Shore Road owned by Brian and Marlene Doncaster was destroyed by a suspicious overnight fire on June 5, and is being investigated by the RCMP. And in early May, the house across from the Doncasters and neighbouring 2039 Upper Aboujagane was also destroyed by a fire which is under investigation by the RCMP.
COMMUNITY SAFETY ORDER CLOSED DOWN PROPERTY
2039 Upper Aboujagane was officially vacant at the time of the fire on Tuesday, after having been the object of a Community Safety Order issued on June 3, which ordered residents Carrie Trude and Colt Leblanc out of the house as of June 7, 2021.… Continue