Conflict of interest complaints against Mesheau dismissed after confidential investigator’s report
A consultant’s report has cleared Mayor Shawn Mesheau of a conflict of interest when he chaired a series of Sackville town council meetings dealing with a matter affecting the company where his brother Peter has worked for years.
Local journalist Bruce Wark and one other unnamed person filed formal complaints in June under Sackville town council’s code of conduct policy. Wark alleged that the mayor should have recused himself from meetings dealing with zoning amendments that made way for AIL Group to build a new pipe factory on Walker Road in Sackville.
Had the mayor recused himself, the act of doing so may have called attention to the business affiliations of the applicants for the zoning amendments. According to documentation presented to council by Plan 360 planner Lori Bickford, Mike Wilson and Andrew Fraser applied for the zoning change, which is a text amendment affecting all industrial zoned land in the town. Mike Wilson is CEO of the AIL Group and Andrew Fraser is the former owner of the new pipe factory site.
Five councillors voted on Tuesday to accept an investigator’s report and dismiss the complaints against Mesheau, with one councillor opposed. (Councillors Sabine Dietz and Ken Hicks were absent.)
Councillor Bruce Phinney was the lone vote against, and told council he thought the matter was open to interpretation. “As a matter of fact, if you had another lawyer look at it,” said Phinney on Tuesday, “they may turn around and interpret in another way.”… Continue
‘What are renters supposed to do?’ MLA Mitton presses government to extend rent control
Listen to Tantramar Report for Thursday, October 13, 2022:
N.B. is changing the way it funds local government — what does it mean for Tantramar?
The provincial government says changes to local government funding will “provide financial stability to local governments and rural districts,” but changes to the law have prompted a backlash.
Bill 120 received Royal Assent on Tuesday, effectively freezing local government funding across the province at its current level of about $76 million for the next five years.
Megan Mitton, the MLA representing Memramcook-Tantramar, said municipal reform will download more responsibility from the province onto local governments without funding them adequately.
“Municipalities want there to be stability, but not stagnation,” Mitton told lawmakers in the provincial capital last week.
Liberal MLAs also criticized the law. Jacques LeBlanc, who represents Shediac-Beaubassin-Cap Pelé, said in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday it will force municipalities to raise taxes.
Opposition members also criticized the government for rushing the legislation through the Legislative Assembly.
Formula changing
The current formula has been in place since 2013, and includes so-called equalization and core funding.
The equalization system, which dates back to 1967, involves the redistribution of tax revenue across the province so that less prosperous communities can still offer a certain level of services.
Under the new system, equalization payments remain in place, but will be adjusted annually by a maximum of three per cent, through a comparison of local and provincial tax base growth. … Continue
Sackville’s hidden video and pinball arcade grew from pandemic hobby
Listen to Tantramar Report for Monday, October 10, 2022:
… Continue
Tories introduce changes to local government funding – what does it mean for Tantramar?
Listen to Tantramar Report for Thursday, October 6, 2022:
‘This is the end’: Liquidating Mel’s Tea Room a ‘gut-wrenching’ process
Mel’s Tea Room is facing permanent closure.
“We’re in the process of removing our belongings and the assets of Mel’s,” says co-owner Dave Epworth. “We could not sell the business as it was, which is totally understandable given the times. We’re going to liquidate what we can and try and keep our heads above water somewhat, on the personal side of things.”
Mel’s has been closed since February, when a leaky roof led to a ceiling collapse in the kitchen. Dave and his partner Wendy Epworth purchased the iconic Sackville diner in 2018, and had plans to work up to buying the building from then-owner Ken Mikalauskas. But the couple were unable to get financing on short notice this summer when Mikalauskas decided to sell the building instead of fixing the leaking roof.
In August, new owners John Ernst and Tyler Gay took over, and gave the Epworths two months to either re-open or sell the business. That time expired on September 30, and now the couple has until October 11 to recover what they can from building.
Click below to listen to the full interview with Dave and Wendy Epworth, conducted at Mel’s on October 4, 2022.
‘It wasn’t for lack of caring’
“It’s devastating,” says Wendy Epworth, “not only to our family, but I know to the entire town.”
“We’re sorry.… Continue
‘Honouring the spirits of the children’ at Fort Folly sacred fire on the second annual TRC day
Canada’s second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation came and went last Friday, and thanks to Nicole Porter, people in the Tantramar region had a chance to reflect and learn.
Mi’kmaq knowledge keeper Nicole Porter and her son Zachary Dubé, a firekeeper, invited people to a sacred fire on Cherry Burton Road. CHMA stopped by to talk with Porter and Dubé, and some of the people who made their way to the fire:
Porter spent the whole day speaking to comers, helping them feel comfortable engaging with the fire and pointing them to ways to learn more, such as the nearby Fort Folly community walking trails which feature interpretive panels. Porter says a steady stream of families came to the fire, as well as larger groups such as daycares and the Mount Allison soccer teams.
“It’s good to see the public coming out and wanting to educate themselves,” says Porter. “We’re just so honoured that we can share the culture with every one.”
16-year-old Zachary Dubé tended the fire, and took the time to explain the customs around it to people who came, many of whom took the opportunity to offer some tobacco to the fire.
“It’s just like when you’re praying to God,” says Dubé. “There is no right or wrong way to do it. You just speak your mind or your heart.”… Continue
New town engineer says Sackville in good position, expects amalgamation to go ‘surprisingly well’
Jon Eppell might just be the only person working for the town of Sackville who knew full well when he was hired that the town would be undergoing radical changes in the coming months, including a new name, new boundaries, new communities, and a new government. And he wanted the job anyway.
As Sackville’s new Town Engineer, Eppell leads the public works department and oversees all roads, facilities and the town’s sewer and water services.
In mid-September, CHMA dropped by town hall to meet Eppell and find out a bit more about the new public works boss:
Eppell comes to the town of Sackville after working the past three years with Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, but he’s been a Sackville resident since 2009, when his wife took a job in town and his family made the move. For years he commuted to Nova Scotia for work, first as engineer for Halifax Harbour Bridges and then as operations manager for Cumberland County.
When the post for Town Engineer went up earlier this year (after former Town Engineer Dwayne Acton moved on to a position with Mount Allison,) Eppell says he was “quite excited at the opportunity.” One of the reasons Eppell made the move from Halifax Harbour Bridges to Cumberland County was to be closer to family in Sackville, and so the new job was a natural fit.… Continue
Every Child Matters bear and sacred fire offer an opportunity to honour, understand, and pray
Friday is National Truth and Reconciliation Day, also known as Orange Shirt Day. Public schools, Mount Allison University, and all government offices will be closed to mark the day.
At Fort Folly First Nation, knowledge keeper & Mi’kmaq cultural coordinator Nicole Porter has put together an opportunity for area residents to learn about Truth and Reconciliation, and to honour the Indigenous children who suffered and even died in Canada’s residential schools.
Porter says she has long admired the hay bale bears put together by Matt Beal, of High Tide Homestead and Cattle Company. Porter says she thought to herself, “wouldn’t it be nice if we could have something like that, a big teddy bear, to honour the children that went to residential school, but they never made it home?”
Porter approached Beal, and the result is sitting near the Gitpu Gas Station at Cherry Burton Road and the 106: the Every Child Matters Bear.
Hear Nicole Porter talking about the bear on CHMA’s Tantramar Report:
About three large bales tall, the bear is wearing an orange shirt with the words “Every Child Matters” written on the front. Porter says the bear is an opportunity honour and cherish the children lost to the residential school system, and to raise awareness of a history that is still being learned and understood by Canadians.… Continue
Pleas coming in November for Leblanc and Trenholme
A Sackville man and woman who first appeared in Moncton provincial court in June on joint charges of possessing cocaine and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking will not plead to charges until November 4.
Colt Leblanc and Cheryl Trenholme are also charged with laundering over $35,000 believed to be obtained in the trafficking of illegal drugs. Their case was adjourned in June so that Trenholme could secure a lawyer, and on Tuesday was adjourned again to allow for disclosure of evidence, according to a report by the Times and Transcript.
The charges against Leblanc and Trenholme stem from a cross border investigation involving the Nova Scotia RCMP, which saw eight people in Sackville, Amherst and Moncton arrested on various drug charges in February.
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