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Police looking for help identifying suspect in lumberyard theft

The Sackville RCMP have put out a call for help regarding the theft of roofing material that took place on Mallard Drive in September.

Sergeant Eric Hanson of the Sackville detachment says police were dispatched to Payzant’s Home Hardware in Sackville in the early morning of September 19, 2023, in response to report of a theft. Sometime between 3:30am and 5:20am that morning someone cut the lock to the lumberyard and stole 26 packs of roof shingles and four rolls of Weathertex roofing material. The materials are valued at about $1700.

Hanson says the suspect was driving a black Ford F150, “and in the process of getting in and out of there actually broke the passenger mirror on their vehicle.” The suspect was captured on video and appeared to be a white male wearing a green bandana covering his face, a red t shirt, a black hoodie, blue jeans and black shoes.

“As of now, this person has not yet been identified, but we’re reaching out to the public for help,” says Hanson. “If anybody may have seen somebody matching that description or that vehicle in the Sackville area around that time, we encourage them to call the RCMP.”

Hanson says police don’t believe the theft is connected to others in the region.

The call for public help is coming weeks after the incident occurred, and Hanson says there’s no special reason for the delay outside of scheduling of officers, and the process for news releases to be prepared and approved.… Continue

Andrew Ennals goes back to his spooky Sackville roots with Shivers: Supernatural Tales of Tantramar

This week, Live Bait Theatre debuts a new play written and directed by Sackville’s Andrew Ennals. Shivers: Three Supernatural Tales from Tantramar is playing at the Performers Theatre Studio on Fairfield Road from Thursday to Saturday, and at the CCUBIC theatre in Amherst on Wednesday.

Ennals dropped by CHMA studios to talk about the production:

When Ennals was young, he can recall being captivated by the “wonderfully spooky” look of Sackville during Halloween. “That setting of the Tantramar marsh, the Fundy fog rolling in, and just all these big spooky Victorian houses downtown,” says Ennals. “When I was a kid growing up here, and especially at Halloween, that was such a picture perfect version of what that that night felt like.”

And now the grown-up Ennals is bringing some of that spookiness to the stage, with a play he wrote featuring three stories designed to send shivers up spines.

“They’re ghost stories and they’re creative stories at the same time,” says Ennals. One of the tales is based on his own experience in the old Middle Sackville school house in the late 90s. Another features the ‘phantom fiddler of Frosty Hollow’ because with a name like Frosty Hollow, “you’re already starting from an advantage, as a writer”. And the third tells of the marsh witch, bringing in parts of the legend from Amherst and Tantramar regions.

Ennals has a background with Live Bait Theatre, having taken on roles during his high school days.… Continue

Dental clinic developer gives up plan for rental units on Main Street

A proposed building for 35 Main Street will no longer include eight one-bedroom apartments as was proposed back in July. The rental housing was removed from the project due to a need for expediency, says the CEO of the company that is building the project.

Harold Daley of Quest Properties says a dental clinic planned for the main floor of the building was always the priority. “The apartments were a nice addition if the construction didn’t mean a longer schedule,” writes Daley by email. “Unfortunately it would have added too much time to the schedule so we returned to the commercial option only.”

The proposal came before Tantramar council Monday afternoon in an application under the town’s economic development incentive program. Over the first five years after the project is completed, Tantramar will rebate a portion of the property tax on the building. According to calculations modelled on those in the town’s policy, the $804,500 project would get about $54,600 in tax rebates over the five year period, while paying a net of $39,500 in tax. The current taxes on the vacant property beside town hall are just under $900 per year.

The town’s incentive program is intended to accelerate “commercial, industrial and multiple unit resident development,” but Corporate Services director Kieran Miller says there are also other policies in the municipality that help encourage residential development.… Continue

Struts brings three days of art workshops and events to Sackville with No Ceiling: It’s About Time

Struts artist-in-residence Jordan Hill hosts a projection mapping workshop Thursday as part of No Ceiling: It’s About Time. Image: Strutsgallery.ca

This week Struts Gallery is embarking on a three-day art fiesta involving 14 different artists presenting work in various disciplines, all touching on the idea of time. No Ceiling: It’s About Time kicks off this Thursday with a workshop from Struts’ latest artist-in-residence, Jordan Hill.

Program director Simone Schmidt dropped by CHMA to talk about No Ceiling: It’s About Time:

“We wanted to do a program that imparts skills and gets dialogue started,” says Schmidt. “A lot of the time, artists can be kind of sequestered, showing their work in isolation… not even be able to interact with the public at all. So we wanted to really get people talking and together again.”

“And the theme of time… the thing is time just grips us all. So it’s quite relatable, and it’s quite inescapable,” says Schmidt.

No Ceiling: It’s About Time is offering four workshops, which Schmidt says are free, designed for beginners, and open to all. Jordan Hill is teaching about projection mapping (projecting images onto 3D shapes), Lee Jones and Great Grip are hosting an introduction to e-textiles where participants can create their own ‘light up’ bookmark; Janet Hammock is leading a sound walk to teach about the practice of ‘deep listening’; and artist Nadia Moss hosts a queer life drawing workshop.

Nicole Rampersaud performs on trumpet and electronics at the Sackvile United Church on Saturday, October 28 at 7pm.

… Continue

Anglophone East turns down Hogan request to repeal Policy 713 fix

Anglophone East District Education Council member Kristin Cavoukian. Photo: Ivan Rosenberg

An Anglophone East district councillor says that a letter from education minister Bill Hogan asking the DEC to repeal their supplemental policy to the education department’s Policy 713 was “incredibly vague”, and after getting legal advice, the DEC has voted to turn down the minister’s request.

“There was nothing in the letter that said which parts of our policy are in contravention of the minister’s own policy,” says Cavoukian. “So there was not a lot to go on there.”

Although it didn’t explicitly say so, Cavoukian says Hogan’s letter seemed to call for a complete repeal of the DEC’s policy, which passed this summer shortly after Hogan made a second revision to the government’s policy.

The Anglophone East policy requires staff to consult with transgender or non binary students of any age to determine their preferred first name and pronoun, and then use those consistently. That offers a stronger protection for students than the province’s revised policy, which requires teachers to get parental consent before using a name requested by a student, if they are under 16 years of age.

The province’s policy specifies that districts may create supplemental policies that are “consistent with, or more comprehensive than,” the provincial policy. Cavoukian says the Anglophone East DEC based their policy on advice in a report from the Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock, which was designed to beef up protections, without contravening the Department of Education’s policy.… Continue

‘This is your best bet’: Sackville’s new primary care clinic is starting small, but at least its starting

A new primary care clinic operated by Horizon will grow to operate as a ‘patient medical home’ serving the region, and eventually providing some after hours care, according to updates by Horizon Health Network managers at a public meeting on October 12 in Sackville.

About 60 community members gathered to hear updates from the leadership of the Horizon Health Network, about half as many as gathered in July for a similar meeting. Both meetings were organized by MLA Megan Mitton.

Richard Lemay addresses about 60 people gathered on October 12, 2023. Photo: Erica Butler

Richard Lemay is Horizon’s director of primary health care for the Moncton area and one of the people spearheading the creation of a new community clinic located in the Tantramar Community Health Centre, a privately owned building across the parking lot from the Sackville Memorial Hospital. Lemay said the clinic opened on September 11, and as of October 6 has seen 154 people, with 163 appointments in total. The clinic alternates between opening three days and four days a week, depending on availability of staff. There’s a registered nurse, two administrators, and three physicians working part time in the clinic so far, including Dr. Catherine Johnston, and Dr. Sarah Thomas working virtually. Lemay says Horizon has funding for a licensed practical nurse (LPN) and nurse practitioner (NP), plus “a bit of casual support”. He told the meeting Horizon is “trying to fill those positions at this time,” and said there is also an outstanding posting for a nurse practitioner at the Port Elgin Health Clinic.… Continue

‘Everything about her will be deeply missed’: community mourns tragic death of Marlene Crossman

Marlene Crossman at work at the Amherst Theatre. The 59-year-old was killed on October 12, 2023. Photo: Facebook

Residents of the Amherst and Sackville region are mourning the loss of Marlene Arsenault Crossman, who was killed on Thursday, October 12, in her home on King Street in Sackville.

According to her obituary, the 59-year-old leaves behind two sons and their families, as well as a number of brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. For the past few years, Crossman has been the smiling face at the helm of the Amherst Theatre, formerly the Cineplex, in downtown Amherst. The theatre remained closed after Marlene’s death, and reopens Tuesday.

In a post on social media, the Amherst Theatre noted Marlene’s “love of the theatre and how well she treated those around her.”

“Marlene was our leader, our manager, and the greatest employee that one could ever ask for,” reads the message. “Her energy, her kindness, and everything about her will be deeply missed.”

The Sackville RCMP have arrested and charged Roger Crossman with the first degree murder of Marlene. Roger is listed on property records as co-owner of the property at 153 King Street in Sackville, along with Marlene.

The 62-year-old man appeared in court by phone on Friday, October 13, and is now being held for a 30-day psychiatric evaluation. He is due back in Moncton provincial court on November 9, 2023. Crossman turned himself in to the Antigonish RCMP detachment on Thursday, shortly after Sackville RCMP discovered Marlene’s remains at her home, in response to a call they received for a well-being check.… Continue

Marilyn Lerch, Janet Crawford and Dan Steeves join the ranks on the Sackville Arts Wall

The Sackville Arts Wall (it used to be a wall) on Main Street in Sackville. Photo: Erica Butler

Since 2008, Sackville’s Arts Wall has been honouring local artists who have made an impact at the regional, national or international level, and those who have helped to build the cultural and artistic life of the town. This week, three more names were added to the distinguished assembly: Janet Crawford, Marilyn Lerch, and Dan Steeves.

CHMA spoke with all three new inductees, and brings you their voices as they talk about their work and their love for the cultural life of Sackville.

Literary Arts honoree: Marilyn Lerch

Poet Marilyn Lerch at home in her writing studio. Photo: Erica Butler

After a full career as an educator in the United States, Marilyn Lerch moved to Sackville in 1996 and took up her lifelong passion of writing poetry. Many acclaimed collections of poems later, Lerch is a respected cultural force and societal critic. She served as Poet Laureate of Sackville for four years from 2014 to 2018, and led the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick for four years from 2006 to 2010. Most recently, she published a collaborative work called Disharmonies, with fellow Sackville poet Geordie Miller, printed by letterpress artist Keagan Hawthorne.

In a conversation with CHMA, Lerch talked about the origins of her second career in the literary arts:

Poet Marilyn Lerch talks with CHMA’s Erica Butler on October 11, 2023.

Visual Arts: Dan Steeves

Intaglio printmaker Dan Steeves dropped by the CHMA studios to talk about his new place on the Sackville Arts Wall.

… Continue

For the record: Future of our Health Care meeting #2, October 12, 2023

Richard Lemay, director of primary health care for the Moncton area, addresses a public meeting on health care on October 13, 2023. MLA Megan Mitton (left) and Horizon CEO Margaret Melanson (centre) look on. Photo: Erica Butler

About 60 people gathered in the Crabtree Auditorium on the Mount Allison campus in Sackville on Thursday, October 12, 2023 to hear updates from the leadership of the Horizon Health Network, and participate in a Q&A. Topics covered included Sackville’s new primary care clinic, the status of services in the Sackville Memorial Hospital emergency department, an update on Beal University Canada’s lease of space in the hospital, and the future of a local role in health care decision-making.

CHMA was there to record the proceedings:

… Continue

Sackville Fire report to remain secret after council votes 7-2 against Phinney motion

Tantramar councillor Bruce Phinney after a meeting on October 10, 2023. Photo: Erica Butler

At Tuesday’s Tantramar council meeting, Councillor Bruce Phinney made his case for the release of a consultant’s report looking into allegations of bullying and harassment in the Sackville fire department, but his motion was defeated in a 7-2 vote.

The report at the centre of Phinney’s request was commissioned in April 2021 and completed in the fall of that year. Although the consultants made a presentation on the findings to council and to firefighters, former Sackville CAO Jamie Burke didn’t release the report, or any portion of it, publicly.

Phinney told council that he asked for a copy of the 20 recommendations made by the consultants, but was told he could not have it. “Why? I don’t know, I have no idea,” said Phinney. “But I feel that we need to see the report to understand exactly what was going on there, then to determine who was being charged, accused of whatever.” Phinney says he continues to hear complaints from firefighters he speaks to, but didn’t offer up specifics. “We need to nip this in the bud,” said Phinney. “We cannot continue to have a toxic environment for [firefighters] to work in. And it’s our duty as members of council to turn around and make sure that we protect the people that are there.”

Mayor Andrew Black took issue with Phinney’s phrasing. “We don’t know that there’s a toxic work environment,” said Black.… Continue

Category: Front Page

Literary Arts honoree: Marilyn Lerch

Visual Arts: Dan Steeves