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:
Angry overflow crowd confronts education minister over French immersion reforms, commandeers public consultation
Planned education reforms appear to have stirred a hornet’s nest, if a public consultation meeting in downtown Moncton is any indication.
On Thursday night, the Department of Education held a public meeting at the Delta Beauséjour Hotel over the planned changes to French-language education for anglophone students in New Brunswick.
Listen to the report that aired on CHMA on January 23, 2023:
Around 6:30 p.m., when the session was slated to begin, there were still dozens of people waiting in a line that extended from the conference room down the staircase to the lobby.
When the conference room reached capacity, workers removed wall panels to add extra space for more tables and chairs. More than 300 people reportedly attended.
Things got rowdy when the session finally got started, about 45 minutes later than planned, as the overflow crowd heckled Minister of Education Bill Hogan and deputy minister John McLaughlin.
Hogan even threatened to shut down the event, but attendees appeared to call his bluff as they began making speeches at mics positioned in the back of the room.
It was a change of plans for organizers. The consultation was supposed to be a World Café, a method that involves small groups discussing an issue, before delegates present the main points to the larger crowd. … Continue
Free ‘home flood risk assessments’ offered to homeowners with basements, as climate crisis fuels wild weather
Listen to Tantramar Report for Thursday, January 19, 2023:
Rare birds ‘very far’ beyond usual northern limits
Bird enthusiasts are bewildered by two rare feathered specimens that have taken up residence in Sackville.
A Great White Egret has been hunting for fish among the cattails of the water retention pond for weeks.
The majestic heron-like bird is found across South America year-round, and it ranges widely across Central and North America, reaching as far north as Quebec and New Brunswick.
Tantramar would normally be far beyond its northern limit at this time of year.
Listen to the report that aired on Thursday, January 12, 2023 on CHMA:
The other unusual avian is a Green-tailed Towhee, a kind of sparrow normally found in Mexico and the southwest United States and known by its rust-coloured crown and yellow-green wings and tail.
It has been spotted for weeks near the Tantramar Wetlands Centre, behind the high school.
Both of the so-called “vagrant birds” are far beyond their normal range, but sightings have been reported as recently as Thursday on the website eBird Canada.
For more on this story, CHMA reached out to some local bird experts.
Beth MacDonald is a lab instructor in the biology department of Mount Allison University, where she also teaches ornithology, the study of birds.
Birds often land in the wrong part of the world after getting blown off course by a storm, and young birds are susceptible to flying off in the wrong direction, she said. … Continue
Fort Folly among more than 250 Indigenous communities that experienced long-term water advisories 
A map of the country is shot through with blue markers, each one pointing to a First Nation that has been affected by a long-term drinking water advisory, meaning that it lasted more than 12 months.
In recent years, the number of communities with unsafe drinking water has dropped, but the long-running problem has remained a source of embarrassment for Canada — and a hazard for residents of the affected communities.
Listen to the interview with Jaclyn McNamara of Toronto-based OKT Law recorded on December 13, 2022:
Now, funds from a massive class-action suit are meant to address ongoing problems with drinking water on reserves and compensate people and communities affected, although statutory limits mean that many individuals aren’t eligible. The deadline for claims is coming up on March 7.
More than 250 communities across Canada affected
In December 2021, the federal court and Manitoba’s Court of Queen’s Bench approved the $8-billion settlement between Canada and First Nations affected by drinking water advisories that lasted more than one year.
The class-action settlement applies to boil water, do not consume and do not use advisories. McNamara said about 262 communities that may be eligible had been identified by December.
An interactive map on the website for the class action shows locations across the country known to have long-term drinking water advisories during the time frames covered by the settlement. … Continue
Tenants’ rights group holds ‘mock funeral’ as rent cap expires
Listen to Tantramar Report for Thursday, January 5, 2023:
Year in review: Stories of local crime, tragedy attracted the most attention in 2022
Listen to Tantramar Report for Wednesday, January 4, 2023:
Year in review: CHMA looks back on 2022 with veteran local journalist Bruce Wark
Listen to Tantramar Report for Monday, January 2, 2023:
Year in review: Student union president reflects on university life in 2022
Rohin Minocha-McKenney, president of the Mount Allison Students’ Union (MASU) and chair of the NB Student Alliance, joined CHMA this month to look back on the issues that affected students in 2022.
Topics included the latest round of tuition hikes, sexual violence prevention on-campus, mandatory masking, and the Higgs government’s sudden cancellation of EI Connect, to name a few.
Of course, no conversation about student life in Sackville would be complete without a discussion of New Brunswick’s ongoing affordable housing shortage.
Check out the interview here:
MLA Mitton reflects on a ‘turbulent year’ in provincial politics
There was no shortage of drama in provincial politics this year.
Major events included the resignation of then-Minister of Education Dominic Cardy, whose explosive open letter in October shone an unflattering light on Premier Blaine Higgs.
Health care policy was also a big source of controversy.
During the summer, the death of a patient in an ER waiting room prompted Higgs to fire the CEO of the Horizon Health Network and to dissolve the boards of both health authorities, replacing them with trustees.
The political scene was also marked by intense debates over issues such as affordable housing, labour relations, inflation, systemic racism and more.
Memramcook-Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton spoke to CHMA on Wednesday, December 21, to share her thoughts on the issues that shaped New Brunswick this year.