In today’s local news:
- Centennial monument gets a new lease on life;
- Mount Allison town hall today;
- Sackville community grants program open for applications;
- Health Canada recalls over 50 brands of hand sanitizer;
- CHMA checks in with leatherworker Dave Carey about his pandemic recovery plans;
- and the COVID Maritimes update.
Four new cases in New Brunswick
New Brunswick reported four news cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The new cases are all temporary foreign workers in their thirties who arrived in Moncton and began immediately self-isolating. On day 10 of their isolation they were tested and diagnosed. A government press release says they will continue to self-isolate until cleared by Public Health.
The four are destined for jobs in the Miramichi, and so will be counted in Zone 7.
Neither Nova Scotia nor PEI had new cases to report yesterday. There are now six active cases in the Maritimes, two in Nova Scotia and four in New Brunswick.
Centennial Monument gets a new lease on life
Local historian Charles Scobie is celebrating the renewal of one of the town’s most historic sites: the Sackville Centennial Monument at 120 Main Street in front of the new Lafford apartment building where he lives and next to the Mount Allison University Swan Pond.
In a news release, Scobie says new paths built this summer by the Sackville Rotary Club and JN Lafford Realty have made the monument more accessible so that visitors can learn about the town’s five founding peoples, the Mi’kmaq, Acadians, New England planters, Yorkshire settlers and American loyalists.
“It is a reminder that the town has a very long and distinguished history and I’m not sure that there’s anything else in town at the moment that would remind people or inform people of that.”
Scobie notes that when the Laffords began construction on their 35-unit apartment building on the former United Church property in 2018, they cut down a grove of birch trees.
“What most people will remember is that when this monument was originally erected, there was quite a grove of birch trees in that area. And of course, most of these trees had to be cut down when the new apartment building was put up. And there was a bit of an outcry about that. Local people didn’t like the idea of losing trees in the centre of town.”
There was a silver lining, though, says Scobie. The Centennial Monument was suddenly more visible. And new paths added this summer give visitors easier access to it.
“Well, we’re just delighted to see so many people going to have a look at it. And we’ve seen families with kids running around and climbing up on the top of the monument, which is fine. It’s very sturdy. That won’t do any harm at all. So that’s my main delight, that so many people are noticing it.”
The Sackville Centennial Monument was commissioned to mark the 100-year anniversary of the town’s 1903 incorporation, but the Tantramar Historic Sites Committee made the decision to reflect the much earlier history of the community.
Plaques include information on Tantramar’s first people, the Mi’kmaq, as well as four other founding peoples of Sackville in the 1700s, the Acadians, the New England planters, Yorkshire settlers and American loyalists.
Mount Allison town hall today
The Mount Allison Board of Regents is hosting another town hall for students, staff and faculty today at 2pm.
The meeting will be hosted online, but also on campus at the Windsor Great Room, where limited seating will be available in order to accommodate COVID spacing restrictions.
University president Jean Paul Boudreau and members of the Board of Regents will be on hand to answer questions about the upcoming year at Mount A.
Sackville community grants open for applications
The Town of Sackville’s Community Development Grant Program is now accepting applications for 2021.
The town considers grants for operations, capital expenses or special event costs for non-profit organizations.
Applications are open until October 15th. After that, town staff will recommend a list of projects to be funded for town council approval in February.
Grant guidelines say council will give priority to projects that provide opportunities for:
a. Active and Healthy Lifestyles
b. Artistic and Cultural expression and learning
c. Sustainable community development, and building stronger more cohesive communities
d. Residents to have enjoyable, rewarding leisure time activities
e. Positive personal growth and development (building resiliency, self-esteem and confidence)
2021 Town of Sackville Community Development
Grants Program Guidelines
Over 50 brands of hand sanitizer recalled by Health Canada
Health Canada is advising Canadians that certain hand sanitizers are being recalled from the market because they contain types of ethanol or denaturants.
The agency has published a list of over 50 products currently being recalled, and is asking Canadians to stop using the products immediately.
Multiple types of unacceptable ethanol and denaturants have been found in hand sanitizer products. A denaturant is something added to alcohol to make it unfit for human consumption
Health Canada says that possible adverse reactions to these ingredients may include dermatitis, such as skin irritation and cracking; eye irritation; upper respiratory system irritation; and headaches.
Public health officials continue to recommend soap and water washing as the number one way to maintain good hand hygiene. Soap dissolves the membrane surrounding the coronavirus, effectively killing it on contact. Hand sanitizers are recommended only when soap and water are not available.
Health Canada advises people to consult their healthcare professional if they have used any of the recalled products and have health concerns.
Dave Carey Leatherworks has been closed since the pandemic started, but is now preparing to reopen in a new location in September.
CHMA’s Meg Cunningham called up Dave Carey to find out more for this latest instalment of The Check In:
That’s it for the CHMA local news.
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