On today’s show, we talk with Ryan Slashinski, managing director of a new theatre company being formed in Tantramar through the merger of Live Bait Theatre and Performers’ Theatre Company. As the new company searches for a name, Live Bait goes out with a bang as it kicks off its annual New Works Festival today, which continues through to March 28.
Plus in news briefs, New Brunswick Public Health is asking people at risk to register for a COVID-19 vaccine booster starting Monday, and the town of Tantramar has issued a request for proposals for a consultant to lead a strategic planning project to set “the direction, priorities, and actions for Tantramar in the upcoming years.”… Continue
Memramcook mayor Maxime Bourgeois and Minister responsible for La Francophonie Glen Savoie at an event on Monday March 18 at Abbey-Landry school in Memramcook.
Photo: Yanic Vautour
The village of Memramcook is making moves to protect the French language within its boundaries.
At their meeting Tuesday night, the village council passed a new policy declaring French as the official language of the village. Mayor Maxime Bourgeois says the policy confirms French as the working language for staff, council and committees, and also requires an effort be made to have contracted services delivered in French.
At the same meeting, the village council also passed first reading of a new commercial signage by-law which will require the presence of French on new commercial signs in the village.
Bourgeois says the by-law could bring about changes to the linguistic landscape of the community, which will help people “recognize the Francophone and Acadian characteristics of our community.”
Right now, says Bourgeois, “most of the signs are unfortunately in English only, even though all the business owners are Francophone.”
The by-law will take some time to have an effect, as it will apply only to new signs, and signs being replaced for other reasons. But the village will also offer a temporary financial incentive to encourage existing businesses to add French to their signs sooner rather than later.
Bourgeois says the demographics of the town have been shifting slowly to include more Anglophones, with the 2021 census counting 23% of residents identifying English as their first language.… Continue
On today’s show, we talk with Memramcook mayor Maxime Bourgeois about a proposed new by-law which is intended to bring the French language back to commercial signs in the village. Bourgeois says that despite the majority of local businesses being operated by Francophones, the signs in the village are all in English.
Plus in news briefs, two Sackville men charged with second degree murder appeared in Moncton court on Tuesday, and Tantramar council hears from Mount Allison University VP Robert Inglis about plans to renovate the Ralph Pickard Bell Library, and construct a new building on Lansdowne Street in Sackville. … Continue
The Dorchester Fire Hall in September 2018. Image: Google Streetview
At their regular monthly meeting last week, Tantramar council approved spending $67,000 on a consultant to take the next steps on building a new fire hall in Dorchester. The decision moves Tantramar forward on a long process started by the village of Dorchester years ago to replace the current 77-year old building.
In January 2021, the former village spent $100,000 on two lots on Cape Road for the new fire hall. This latest decision will see Catalyst Consulting Engineers take on coordination of a geotechnical investigation, a net zero analysis, putting together an RFP to find a design consultant, and other negotiations with “third party stakeholders.”
Tantramar CAO Jennifer Borne is the former CAO of the village of Dorchester, and spoke with CHMA last week about the project. She said the replacement of the current fire hall has been talked about for years:
“We certainly got our use out of it,” says Borne. “But certainly [it is] time for a new facility, well-deserving of all of Tantramar, of Dorchester specifically, and certainly the members of Dorchester Fire as well as really all members of Tantramar Fire Service.”
Dorchester Fire Chief Greg Partridge says the current facility was built in 1947 and has been expanded on twice since. Even so, says Partridge, “we’ve outgrown that years ago, and have been wanting a new hall, and needing a new hall for quite some time.”… Continue
Residents of Sackville and area are still reeling from the death of a Sackville man over the weekend.
Shawn Mitton was a 44-year-old father of four, and had recently opened a business on Main Street in Sackville. Forty-Six & 2 Creative Upholstery was incorporated last spring, and according to posts on social media, Mitton had recently moved into his new shop and expanded the business to a full time operation.
Since the news of his death, many are making efforts to raise funds in support of Mitton’s children. An account in Mitton’s name is set up at Wheaton’s Recycling to collect funds for the family, and collections jars and 50-50 draws at some upcoming Sackville Minor Hockey events are being organized. Mitton was a volunteer hockey coach and announcer.
Two arrested remain in custody
The New Brunswick RCMP Major Crime Unit is investigating Mitton’s death as a homicide, and have arrested and charged two Sackville men, Tyler Murphy and Dylan Murphy, with second degree murder.
The two Murphys appeared separately in Moncton provincial court on Tuesday morning, represented temporarily by laywers on duty, who asked the court for an adjournment until next week. Tyler Murphy waived the reading of the charge against him, but the judge read the charge of second degree murder to Dylan Murphy, who said he understood. Dylan Murphy’s duty counsel said he would apply to legal aid as soon as he returned to jail in Shediac.
The crown asked that both men remain in custody until they are due back in court next Wednesday, March 27 at 9:30am.… Continue
On today’s show, residents of Sackville and area are still reeling from the death of a Sackville man over the weekend. We look at some of the efforts to help raise funds to support Shawn Mitton’s family in the wake of his tragic death, and we talk to RCMP spokesperson, Corporal Hans Ouellette, about the operation that found Mitton on Saturday.
Plus in news briefs, Colt Leblanc is in Moncton provincial court for a bail hearing today; kids in grades 6-8 will get solar eclipse glasses from school district; and Tantramar council meets this afternoon to hear from Mount Allison VP Robert Inglis about the university’s plans for the Ralph Pickard Bell Library. … Continue
Mount Allison’s Gayo Isaya played in front of a hometown crowd of almost a 1000 people. Photo: Galen Juliusson
Mount Allison University was host to some of the best basketball teams in the country, as well as some sold out crowds at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Basketball Championships last week. Eight teams competed for the title at the newly refurbished McCormack Gymnasium.
Although the Mounties weren’t able to bring home gold, they won their first game against the Vanier Cheetahs by 20 points to a massive crowd of hundreds. Their next game was sold out, with all of the allowed 950 seats spoken for.
Ultimately, the Keyano Huskies from Fort McMurray beat out Toronto’s George Brown Huskies during Saturday’s Championship Game.
Kids from the local schools were invited to attend games during the day. Norval McConnell, chairperson of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association, National Men’s Basketball Championship 2024, says it was payback to local kids for their part in supporting the university’s sports teams last year.
“Mount A was without a gym for part of the year and we were able to run our programs at some of the local schools outside of school time,” said McConnell. “It’s…our way of saying thank you for saving us last year when we didn’t have a gym.”
The McCormack Gymnasium received a $5 million upgrade, and McConnell says it was in large part because of the 2018 CCAA Women’s Championship being held in Sackville.… Continue
On today’s Tantramar Report, the New Brunswick RCMP’s Major Crime Unit is investigating the stabbing death of 44-year-old Shawn Mitton in Sackville on Saturday evening. Police say they have arrested two Sackville men, Tyler Murphy and Dylan Murphy, and have charged them with second degree murder.
In other stories, crowds of about a thousand people packed the newly renovated McCormack Gymnasium at the CCAA Men’s Basketball Championships hosted by Mount Allison University last week. And Amherst Police are investigating a late-night accident that happened in the South Albion Street area last Friday. A 59-year-old male was arrested and is facing charges relating to driving without a license. … Continue
Tantramar Council chambers erupted in conflict Tuesday evening, after a resident who was denied the right to present to council on a technicality got up to the podium and asked again to be heard.
Sarah Kardash of Sackville Ceasefire Now says she arrived at town hall at about 6:10pm to sign up to deliver a two minute presentation during the public meeting, which she believed started at 7pm, as usual. But when she arrived at town hall, council was already in a closed, in camera session that had started at 6pm.
Kardash waited for the closed session to end, and at about 6:40pm, while council was in recess, asked town clerk Donna Beal to take her name down to speak at the upcoming public session. Kardash says Beal refused her request based on the fact that council had already approved the agenda for the session, shortly after 6pm, and shortly before council closed its doors to the public.
With a gallery full of about 40 Sackville Ceasefire Now supporters—who had just made their way to town hall after a gathering in Bill Johnstone Park—Kardash got up to address council as she had planned, during the public presentations section of the meeting. As Kardash started to speak, she was immediately shut down by Mayor Andrew Black, who proceeded to put the meeting into recess, and leave the room, along with four other councillors.
Here’s an edited audio clip of what the incident sounded like from inside council chambers.… Continue
On today’s show, we revisit a visit to the Mount Allison Gemini Observatory on York Street in Sackville, to speak with Astronomer Catherine Lovekin about the upcoming total solar eclipse that will be visible in New Brunswick on April 8.
Plus in news briefs, Sackville theatre groups announce an amalgamation, Cornerstone officially opens its new facility in downtown Amherst, and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Nationals continue today at Mount Allison University.
