Category: Front Page

Janie Brooks took over as Tantramar’s newest climate change coordinator in November, the third person to hold the job in the three years since it was first established by the former town of Sackville.

CHMA sat down with Brooks to hear about some of the ongoing projects she is taking on, and what might be in the future for the job, should it continue to be funded beyond the spring.

“I’m kind of balancing two part time positions rolled up into one full time position,” says Brooks, who technically works for local environmental group EOS Eco-Energy, and splits her time between energy projects at EOS, and duties as climate change coordinator for the town, funded by a grant from the New Brunswick Environmental Trust.

Brooks works out of the EOS office, but also attends council meetings, and serves as a resource for town staff. “Addressing climate change isn’t something that one person can do for a municipality,” says Brooks. “I can be a resource and an extra set of eyes and hands in their decision making processes, to try to steer things more towards taking climate action and building resiliency in Tantramar against the consequences of climate change.”

One of the recently implemented projects that Brooks continues to work on is the town’s climate lens, which appears at the bottom of all staff reports to council. The lens is a form or questionnaire that directs staff to consider the impact of what they are doing on climate goals.… Continue

This past Friday, the Windsor Grand Room on the Mount Allison campus was filled with people enjoying international cuisine and supporting the cause of supporting refugee students. The event was hosted by the Student Refugee Program at Mount Allison, who invited the international community at Mount Allison to prepare a dish from their country or culture, and share it with attendees. About a dozen students, from the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Germany and other countries, brought dishes to share. 

Zuhal Haidari, co-president of the Student Refugee Program, explained that the purpose of the event was to help create awareness of the program, but also give students a way to  “showcase their cultures and traditions, and kind of share that with everyone.”

Jigmet Angmo made pav bhaji, a popular Indian street food, to share. “I feel really happy that I can share it with others and talk about it,” said Angmo.  Meanwhile Rajan Minocha-McKenney explained that he was grateful to have the opportunity to share a dish that his grandmother has always cooked for his family. 

Bridget Powning coordinated the event, and said the funds raised would go towards sponsoring refugee students, helping them continue with their studies and adapt to their life in Canada. “We sponsor a refugee student every two years,” says Powning. “And this past year we’ve had two in two years, so it’s been very exciting.”… Continue

An old play with a new twist is coming to Mount Allison University. It was called Ubu Roi, and was written by Alfred Jarry in the late 1890s. But now, professor emeritus, Alex Fancy is giving it a modern update by turning it into a play within a play and sprinkling in a mix of French and English. It’s called UBU (2024).

Fancy has been presenting bilingual plays for more than fifty years. It started as a way to become a better teacher and to help his students to use their language skills outside of the classroom. All these decades later, it’s still working.

Jacob Graham is a fourth year English major. This is his second time doing a Tintamarre production. 

“I thought it was a really healthy and enthusiastic environment for a new actor,” said Graham.

He was a French immersion student at school, and is happy to have the opportunity to continue using his second language.

“It’s a useful way to use that skill that I haven’t really used much in my post secondary career.”

Ella Crowley is a second year English major who plays two parts in the production. She said she’s drawn to the material because it’s a mix of languages, of old and new eras, and because the actors get a chance to play with genders through the changing of characters.

“All across the board binaries are being broken down and played with and mixed together.… Continue

A Mayor’s Roundtable on Housing has been meeting since August in Tantramar.

Mayor Andrew Black shared the news publicly for the first time on Monday afternoon, at the tail end of council’s monthly committee of the whole meeting. Black said the roundtable was created in August, “to initiate a conversation about housing and the housing crisis and how to address those concerns within Tantramar.”

The new roundtable comes at a time when municipal governments are taking more of an active role in solutions to housing issues in their communities. Across the border, Amherst town council voted in October 2022 to fund a position with the Cumberland Homelessness and Housing Support Association, and also appointed a town representative to the organization’s board. As recently reported by CHMA’s Tori Weldon, that move is bearing fruit as the organization prepares to open a new community hub next month, bringing its shelter and other services under one roof.

And recently both Moncton and Saint John signed direct funding agreements with the federal government to provide development incentives which the cities say will help increase housing supply.

So far, Black’s Roundtable on Housing is not formalized, and Black clarified on Monday that the group is not an actual committee of council, which would fall under the town’s bylaws and be accountable to council and the public.

“It hasn’t been sanctioned by council, so it’s not a committee of council… It’s just a non-formalized group of individuals getting together to talk about this topic,” said Black.… Continue

It’s been an unusual winter so far this year, which has meant a late start to skiing and outdoor ice skating seasons. But in the last week, some more seasonally cold days have made it possible for town staff to get to work on creating the Dorchester outdoor rink on School Street.

“It’s one of those things that’s very weather dependent,” says Tantramar Active Living Coordinator Matt Pryde. “It’s a very long process, you have to kind of just drizzle the the water on as you go, get a freeze, and then drizzle a little bit more. So it’s not a matter of just running a hose,” says Pryde.

Pryde says parks staff have invested hours in the process, and he hopes that the cold snap this week will mean the rink can open this weekend.

The rink has been the focus of some improvements this year through Tantramar’s parks and recreation department. So far, Pryde says the old surface of the rink was dug out and replaced with gravel and crusher dust. The new surface could serve as a good base for a future pad, says Pryde.

“The way things are going climate wise,” says Pryde, “it’s kind of expected that eventually we’ll have to lay a pad down there with artificial ice and a plant.”

Parks staff also repaired a number of boards around the rink, with more improvements to come.… Continue

It’s been a few years since the lanes at Sackville Bowling have resonated with the sounds of ten pin bowling, but the building’s owner is hoping they may again one day soon.

Debbie Johnstone of Birchwood Holdings is fixing up the building, with the hopes that it might one day be sold or leased to a new operator. Johnstone says Birchwood carpenter Tyler Carter is working on the space to make it safer and more secure. “A lot of things are coming down and being replaced at this point,” says Carter. The alleys themselves are in pretty good shape, he says, though they are due for some maintenance.

“We’ve contacted the guy that used to own [the alley],” says Johnstone, “and he’s going to come down and show us exactly how to get those lanes up and operational.”

Sackville Bowling first opened in 1939, meaning it predates both the Vogue Cinema, which has been for sale since the summer, and the former Mel’s Tea Room, which is now transformed into new restaurant, Oh Chicken!

The ‘COKE’ sign out front is showing some wear, with the words ‘Sackville Bowling’ nearly worn away, but Johnstone says she is focussed on the inside, making sure the structure is in good shape.… Continue