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Illegal notices, demolition plans, and rent hikes at Sackville apartment building

18 Weldon Street is still slated for demolition in 2025. Photo: Erica Butler

A tenants advocacy group says New Brunswick’s renoviction laws are not working to protect tenants because they are not enforced, and rely on tenants for follow up. NB ACORN chair Nichola Taylor says that seems to be the case in a Sackville apartment building this summer.

Former tenants of 18 Weldon Street were surprised and shocked last week to see their former units up for rent at substantially higher prices, just one month after they were told their building was slated for demolition.

Karlie Rheaume says she was paying $825/month for her apartment at 18 Weldon Street before being told she needed to move out with just 30 days notice. She says her unit was then listed for $1500/month in an online ad, a price hike of more than 80%.

Rheaume’s neighbour Jesse Francis says he had been paying $850/month for his unit, a price that went up just under 50% to $1275/month after he moved out. Both have been in the building for less than a year, and Rheaume had just moved in in May.

But on July 2, two months into Rheaume’s year-long lease started, the building changed hands. Geneviève Savoie and her company G&K Properties bought the building for $215,000, from former owner, Barbara Beal, partner of the late Gordon Beal.

Karlie Rheaume and Jesse Francis were surprised to see their apartments units up for rent after they had been told to move out due to demolition plans.

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Meet the NB NDP’s Tantramar candidate, Evelyne Godfrey

On today’s show, we meet the prospective NDP candidate for Tantramar, Evelyne Godfrey, who talks about her party’s plans to rebuild support before this year’s provincial election, slated for October 21. Godfrey is one of three Tantramar candidates so far, including incumbent Green MLA Megan Mitton and new Liberal nominee John Higham. Local Progressive Conservatives will meet tonight to form a new riding association for the re-drawn riding of Tantramar.

Plus in briefs, Tantramar celebrates its second National Acadian Day at Fort Beausejour one day ahead of Quinze Août (August 15), and Tantramar council will gather for a special meeting Thursday to look at garbage collection, the new Dorchester fire station, and the proposed loitering and soliciting bylaw.

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Illegal notices, demolition plans, and rent hikes at Sackville apartment building

On today’s show, former tenants of a building on Weldon Street in Sackville were shocked to see the apartments they had just vacated to make way for demolition, advertised for rent again at much higher prices. We speak with some of those tenants and the new landlord to find out how the renoviction happened, despite New Brunswick’s renoviction law.

Plus, the Sandpiper Festival starts this weekend in Dorchester, and we hear about the Moving Forward Cooperative’s Paddle on the Pond event slated for Saturday.… Continue

Hundreds of shorebird researchers gather in Sackville next week, as sandpipers flock off Dorchester Cape

On today’s show, we talk with Mount Allison biologist Dr. Diana Hamilton, co-chair for the 10th Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group Meeting happening next week in Sackville. Hundreds of shorebird researchers will gather for the biennial conference, to exchange information and research about shorebirds, including the semi-palmated sandpiper, which arrive by the tens of thousands each year to the mud flats off Dorchester Cape.

We also revisit a 2022 trip to the Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Interpretive Centre to hear why people flock there every year around this time.

Plus, the EOS Eco Energy water testing blitz is happening this Friday, August 9, inviting residents in Port Elgin, Murray Corner, Baie Verte and Sackville to contribute water samples from their favourite brooks and streams for e. coli testing.… Continue

Mitton defends her record on public works, role of Greens in future governments

The newly redrawn riding of Tantramar has two officially nominated candidates so far in the provincial election expected to be called for October 21, 2024.

Memramcook-Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton has been officially in the running since last fall, shortly after Premier Blaine Higgs hinted at an early election call. “We thought there was going to be a snap election,” says Mitton, “and so we got organized then.”

Mitton spoke to reporters last week after a Sierra Club of Canada event in Sackville, and responded to claims by Liberal candidate John Higham that an MLA in a government seat would have better luck with infrastructure projects than an opposition MLA.

“I don’t think it should depend who your MLA is and what party they’re in,” said Mitton, “that your community gets what it needs. I think that’s basically advocating for corruption in government.”

At the same time, Mitton defended her record for drawing attention to local projects, noting the reopening of Route 106 in July, and the repair for the Main Street overpass which she says is slated for this year.

The latest item of concern is the closure of the historic Wheaton Covered Bridge on High Marsh Road, and Mitton says a government seat in the legislature wouldn’t secure its future. “There are covered bridges in [Progressive] Conservative ridings right now that are not getting the work done,” said Mitton, “so that’s not a guarantee.”… Continue

Introducing Dorchester’s new Station 8 Farmers Market, on Thursday evenings

Brooke Mazurkewich, operations manager at the Moving Forward Cooperative, in the Station 8 Community Food Hub. Photo: Erica Butler

Tantramar will soon be home to another farmers market.

This Thursday evening from 5pm to 8pm, the Station 8 Farmers Market will kick off its inaugural event at the Dorchester Veterans Community Centre.

“It’s been in the works for a long time,” says Brooke Mazurkewich, operations manager at the Moving Forward Cooperative in Dorchester. “We’re very excited to launch it just in time for the Sandpiper Festival this weekend.”

Mazurkewich says there’s over 20 vendors signed up to participate. “We’ve got eggs, we’ve got produce. We’re hoping to get some meat farmers lined up, so there will be a lot of fresh food,” says Mazurkewich. There’s also local artisans, including people from the Dorchester area who are just starting out. “This is kind of a way for them to dip their toes in,” says Mazurkewich.

The market will happen Thursday evenings, and will eventually be held in the new Station 8 food hub, once a major reconstruction of Station Road is completed, in about four weeks’ time. Until then, the market will take place at the Dorchester Veterans Community Centre on Main Street.

Mazurkewich says the market is timed to not compete with the Sackville market on Saturdays, and to catch people on their way home from work. “It seemed to be the time that works well for a lot of people,” she says.… Continue

New Dorchester farmers market debuts this Thursday evening

On today’s show, we find out about a new Thursday evening farmers market launching this week in Dorchester. Operations manager at the Moving Forward Cooperative Brooke Mazurkewich says the new Station 8 Farmers Market has been a goal of the organization for a long time, and the market is scheduled so as not to compete with the existing Saturday market in Sackville.

Plus in briefs, there’s no timeline to replace departed Tantramar director Kieran Miller, and the Nature Trust of New Brunswick is getting closer to its goal of doubling reserved land in the province with the expansion of a nature reserve in Grande Digue. … Continue

Local and national groups call for emissions cap in oil and gas sector

On today’s show, we talk with Gretchen Fitzgerald of the Sierra Club Canada, who was in Sackville last week as a part of a tour to call for the Canadian government to implement an emissions cap on the oil and gas sector. Recently rejuvenated local group Tantramar Alliance Against Hydrofracking helped organize the event on Thursday at the Sackville Commons.

Plus in briefs, Tantramar is putting out the call for nominations for its annual volunteer awards, and the municipality has announced three upcoming public engagement sessions to get input for a new five year strategic plan.

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Miller leaves Tantramar for new opportunity

Director of Community and Corporate Services Kieran Miller in council chambers. Photo: Erica Butler

The municipality of Tantramar is losing one of its directors as of this week.

Kieran Miller, the director of community and corporate services, has left her position with the town after nearly four years in the job. Miller’s last day was Thursday.

Miller started out working for the Town of Sackville in November 2020 as the senior manager of corporate projects, responsible for town communications, tourism and business development, and recreation. Upon amalgamation in January 2023 she became director of the new department of Community and Corporate Services, supervising tourism and business development, communications, and the short-lived climate change coordinator position.

Most recently Miller oversaw the branding process for the new municipality, including the rollout of new signage on buildings and lightpoles throughout the municipality. She also oversaw the design and development of a new website which has yet to be released, and was working on a new strategic planning process which involves public consultations happening this month.

In an email to CHMA, Miller said she is moving on to a new opportunity, and that she has enjoyed her time working for both Sackville and Tantramar. She writes, “I’m so proud of the work we do. Our staff are the best there is, working hard each day for the community and our residents.”

CAO Jennifer Borne is currently on holiday, and not available for comment on the timeline for replacing Miller. … Continue

EOS calls on citizens to collect local waterway samples for August 9 testing blitz

EOS Eco-Energy is inviting residents from around Sackville, Port Elgin, Baie Verte and Murray Corner to take part in a water testing blitz on Friday, August 9.

At four different locations throughout the day, EOS will hand out water sample bottles to residents who will then go collect samples and return them for same day testing at the government-owned RPC lab in Moncton.

The testing is paid for through a grant from the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund, and EOS watershed intern Rachel Francis says the group is hoping to get as many volunteers as possible, collecting samples from a variety of brooks and streams.

Rachel Francis, watershed intern at EOS Eco-Energy. Photo: contributed

Testing for the August 9 blitz is limited to e. coli, a key indicator of water safety for recreation.

“If someone has their own specific fishing place or a little down-low swimming area, we can test that for them so that they know where they’re hanging out and fishing and swimming is safe for them as well,” says Francis.

Francis is also responsible for more extensive water testing at 12 different sites throughout the Tantramar, Memramcook and Cape Tormentine watersheds, as part of the EOS watershed monitoring program.

Francis says water close to pastures or agricultural areas, as well as sewage systems are particularly vulnerable to e. coli.

The town of Tantramar currently tests for e.… Continue

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