Renovated and expanded Bagtown set to reopen on May 6
Renovations have taken a little longer than originally predicted, but Sackville’s Bagtown Brewery has announced it will reopen on May 6 in an expanded space at its Main Street location.
CHMA stopped by Bagtown to hear the news from owner Anthony Maddelena:
Maddelena is calling May 6 a ‘soft’ reopening, as the full concept of the new space won’t be in place. A mystery partner is in line to take over the kitchen and start offering food, but Maddelena is holding out on details except to say, “burgers and tacos” might be on offer.
For the soft reopening, Maddelena says he will have “a good handful of Bagtown beers back on tap,” along with some guest taps. Bagtown’s ‘To Go’ fridge will also be stocked with Bagtown products and “lots of new things from around the province.”
It will take some time to get fully stocked on beers as Maddelena turns his attention from construction and renovations back to brewing in May. He says there will be some new drinks rolling out, including beers, ciders, and some new non-alcoholic beverages.
The Bagtown patio should be upacked and ready for seating on May 6, says Maddelena. “Will they have a nice crisp, fresh coat of paint on them yet? Probably not,” he laughs. “That’ll be maybe a week or two later.”… Continue
Food insecurity among children ‘an ongoing concern,’ says school district; Provincial, federal initiatives to address hunger in schools too slow, says MLA
The provincial and federal governments have said that they want to make sure kids are getting the nutrition they need during the school day.
But progress is happening too slowly, according to Megan Mitton, the MLA representing Memramcook-Tantramar.
“This is a constant issue that I’ve seen whenever I’ve visited or spoken to teachers,” the Green Party MLA said in an interview on Tuesday.
Listen to the report from CHMA:
“It’s frustrating for things to move so slowly, because what we’re talking about here is about making sure children have eaten.”
The question of school food programs came up Tuesday during a legislative committee meeting in Fredericton, at a time when inflation has put additional pressure on household food budgets.
During a testy exchange with Mitton, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Bill Hogan said the government’s goal is to have a food program in every school. “We know children that are hungry cannot learn,” Hogan said.
He indicated that approximately 245 of New Brunswick’s schools have some kind of food program, but that another 50 do not.
There are breakfast programs at “pretty well” all of those 245 schools, with lunch or take-home food at some, depending on what kinds of community partnerships those schools have developed.
He said the provincial government is currently working with the other 50 schools to “make sure that they have a food program.” … Continue
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
Online ‘toolkit’ to help communities facing coastal erosion and flooding
A Sackville-based organization has launched a new Internet-based “toolkit” to help people in Atlantic Canada to adapt as the climate crisis results in increasingly erratic weather and rising sea levels.
CLIMAtlantic, a regional hub that provides information to help people deal with the effects of climate change, started operations in 2021 with funding from the federal government.
On Tuesday, the group launched the Coastal Adaptation Toolkit, which is mean to “help Atlantic rural coastal communities and property owners plan for the effects of climate change.”
Users respond to a series of questions about conditions at a specific site, such as as natural or human-made features that may offer some protection from flooding.
The system also queries users about policies that are in place locally, such as an emergency management plan.
The answers to those questions result in an automatically-generated report with a detailed list of possible measures to address the risk of flooding and coastal erosion.
It’s not a substitute for professional advice, but can serve as a first step for people facing extreme weather events like Hurricane Fiona, which hit Atlantic Canada last September.
“This is for educational purposes and information purposes,” said Sabine Dietz, executive director of CLIMAtlantic, in an interview with CHMA.
During the online launch, CLIMAtlantic also screened a new 12-minute documentary highlighting adaptation actions in the region.… Continue
Undervalued workers can’t fill gaps in female-dominated care sector, says Mount Allison researcher
A Mount Allison University researcher has been looking around the world for ways to address problems in the community-based care sector, which is composed primarily of low-wage female workers.
Professor Rachelle Pascoe-Deslauriers partnered with the NB Coalition for Pay Equity for the research project.
She spoke to CHMA about the study ahead of the Valuing Care Work Summit, which took place on Friday at Mount Allison.
She said there’s been little or no improvement in the sector since she launched the project in Jan. 2022, particularly as inflation hits the bottom line of low-wage workers.
Her study looked at places comparable to New Brunswick, with market economies, a mix of private and public service provision, and aging populations.
Those places include countries like England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and New Zealand, along with provinces including British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.
The care sector includes people who look after seniors, people with disabilities, mental illnesses and others requiring support either at home or in residential facilities.
More than 11,000 workers in New Brunswick make up the community-based care sector, according to the NB Coalition for Pay Equity.
Poor working conditions in that sector have come under closer scrutiny following the arrival of COVID-19.
The care sector in this province is overwhelmingly made up of women whose wages range from $16.50 for special care home workers to $18.80 for family support workers.
The coalition states that wages should range from about $25 to $29 dollars per hour.… Continue
‘The simple math is that tuition goes up every year’: Mount Allison officials talk finance at legislative hearing
Listen to Tantramar Report for Wednesday, March 1, 2023:
Updated: Stormwater project approved without pedestrian bridge, trees, or promise of a new aboiteau
NOTE: Updated Wednesday, February 15, 2023 to reflect a decision by Tantramar council.
The province of New Brunswick says it has not committed to replacing an aboiteau that would play a key role in draining a multi-million floodwater system slated to be completed in Sackville by the end of this year.
The engineer heading up the final phase of the Lorne Street Floodwater Mitigation project was in Sackville town hall on Monday to give Tantramar council an overview of the project.
At their meeting on Tuesday, Council awarded a contract to Beale and Inch Construction worth just over $5 million to complete the project, which involves digging a third retention pond on the far side of Charles Street, and channeling water under roads and the CN rail line out to the Tantramar River. That’s where the water would flow out through an aboiteau owned by the province, which lets fresh water flow out into the river, but blocks tidal water from flowing in.
Unlike the last time he appeared before council, project lead Pierre Plourde of Englobe Engineering seemed confident that the replacement of the aboiteau was not a dealbreaker for the project to work.
“Our stormwater strategy is somewhat dependent on that aboiteau, but not entirely,” Plourde told council Monday. “What will happen when the aboiteau is upgraded in the future, it will allow the water to move faster within the system.… Continue
The Sweetest Little Thing is back in person at the Owens Art Gallery for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is coming up next week, which in Sackville means it’s time for another edition of The Sweetest Little Thing, a fundraising event led by Struts Gallery and the Owens Art Gallery. The event has been happening since 1999, and features an art auction with donated works from artists from Sackville and beyond.
For the past two years, the Sweetest Little Thing has been virtual, but this year the event returns to an in-person gathering at the Owens Art Gallery, and a physical exhibition of the works up for auction at the gallery.
Hear Owens director-curator Emily Falvey talking about The Sweetest Little Thing on Tantramar Report:
Falvey says that in addition to being an important fundraiser for the Owens and Struts, The Sweetest Little Thing is also a community event, and, “a time to celebrate the artists who have contributed to our programming.”
For the past two years, the event was a virtual variety show, which Falvey says was what was needed at the time. “I know that there were a lot of people in particular, in 2021, who really appreciated that because we weren’t able to be together,” says Falvey. “We’ve worked really hard to keep that sense of community connection alive during the pandemic.… Continue
Desmond Cole comes to Mount A and brings some questions about how schools handle Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility, or EDIA for short: It’s become a standard acronym and feature of policy making in institutions like Mount Allison University. But what EDIA means, and what it accomplishes in terms of the needs of people on the ground at those institutions, are questions that Canadian author and activist Desmond Cole will be asking in a talk tonight at Mount Allison University.
Cole is a journalist, activist and author based in Toronto. His work focuses on anti-racism and the struggle against state violence, including the practice of carding. His 2020 book, The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power won the Toronto Book Award and the OLA Evergreen award.
Cole’s talk is the third instalment of the President’s Speaker Series, and takes place in the Crabtree Auditorium, across from the Ralph Pickard Bell Library, starting at 7pm Tuesday. The talk is open to anyone, though masks are required on campus. For those who can’t make it in person, the talk is also available online through Microsoft Teams by registering with the organizers.
Hear Desmond Cole on CHMA’s morning show with Nana Ofori-Amanfo and Erica Butler, previewing tonight’s talk, sharing about his journey to activism, and what he says to folks who deny systemic racism.
… Continue
Deluge in the den? Flood risk assessments offered free to homeowners with basements
An environmental non-profit in Sackville has announced a free program that’s meant to offer peace of mind to area residents worried about how their homes will stand up to flooding conditions.
EOS Eco-Energy is offering the “home flood risk assessment program” for houses with basements, particularly in the Memramcook, Tantramar and Strait Shores regions of southeast New Brunswick.
The program is meant to help homeowners identify how vulnerable their homes are to basement flooding in an age increasingly marked by climate chaos. There are also $100 rebates available for participants to help cover the cost of home improvements.
The organization is encouraging people to sign up before the next big rain or winter thaw.
“Neighborhoods weren’t developed back in the day thinking about so much rain and so much runoff,” said Amanda Marlin, executive director of EOS Eco-Energy, in an interview with CHMA.
Twenty per cent of homes across the country are at risk of flooding, according to the federal government.
And the risks are getting worse with the acceleration of climate change caused by human-generated greenhouse gas emissions.
Listen to the report that aired on CHMA on Thursday, January 19, 2023: