Community News Archives » CHMA, Voice of the Marshes

Cumberland candidates talk affordability, health care, and centralized political power

Nova Scotians go to the polls next week, and residents of Amherst will have the opportunity to vote for one of four candidates in the Cumberland North riding, just across the provincial border.

CHMA reached out to all four candidates and heard back from Liberal candidate Kurt Ditner and incumbent Elizabeth Smith McCrossin, who is running independently.

The Nova Scotia NDP’s Tyson Boyd declined an interview and the Nova Scotia PC party’s Bill Dowe did not respond.

Kurt Ditner, Nova Scotia Liberal Party

NS Liberal candidate for Cumberland North, Kurt Ditner, in his downtown Amherst campaign office. Photo: Erica Butler

Kurt Ditner says he’s been a lifelong Liberal, and after meeting Nova Scotia Liberal leader Zach Churchill at an event a few months ago, was inspired to apply as Cumberland North candidate.

Ditner is a former insurance broker who retired to Nova Scotia after a living and working in Quebec and Ontario. He says he’s interested in Liberal policies aimed at making life more affordable by protecting renters, increasing housing supply, and getting rid of the consumer gas tax. And of course, he wants to see improvements to health care, particularly in the Cumberland North riding.

Here’s our interview with Kurt Dinner:

Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, independent

Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin was first elected in 2017 as a Progressive Conservative MLA, but was kicked out of the PC caucus in the summer of 2021 for her role in a highway blockade in protest of provincial border restrictions at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.… Continue

Sackville Food Bank tackles turkey drive, and ‘response has been amazing’

The Sackville Food Bank is putting out a call for donations of turkeys to give to a growing number of families who are struggling financially this season, after finding out their usual source would not be coming through this year.

Food bank president Heather Patterson says she heard late last week that due to ballooning demand the annual Sue Stultz Turkey Drive in Moncton would no longer be able to provide turkeys and hams to the Sackville Food Bank. “That was a bit of a shock,” says Patterson. “We’ve always had them as long as I can remember. And of course this year our numbers are so far up that we’re really in need.”

But there’s hope on the horizon. Within 24 hours of a first post going live on social media, Patterson says she’s had 17 or 18 different donation offers.

The “response has been amazing,” says Patterson. “I heard today from an under-11 hockey team, I guess the parents is who we’re talking about, but they’re bringing us three turkeys and three hams.”

Storage of the frozen meats could be a logistical issue for the food bank. “We’re going to have to ask our friends and neighbours to put a turkey in their freezer,” says Patterson, noting that in the past volunteers have stored frozen goods until pick-up day. “This time we’ll probably have to ask a store or a restaurant to take some for us,” says Patterson.… Continue

Interview: Need to address ‘multiple crises’ in health care, affordability, and infrastructure, says Mitton

The lieutenant governor of New Brunswick delivered a speech from the throne in the New Brunswick legislature on Tuesday, outlining the plans of the new Liberal government under Premier Susan Holt.

CHMA called up Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton to get her reactions, and to hear about what she plans to focus on in this next sitting of the legislature:

Mitton says there were no surprises in Tuesday’s speech, with initiatives “similar to what the Liberal platform was during the election,” says the Green MLA.

Mitton tells CHMA she will continue to focus on health care, affordability and infrastructure concerns in the New Brunswick legislature. “We’re going to need to do multiple things to address the multiple crises that I’m talking about here,” says Mitton.

The MLA says she has a meeting scheduled next week with the new minister for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Chuck Chiasson, to talk about the Wheaton Bridge, Route 955, and the Chignecto Isthmus.

Mitton also talks about concerns over local availability of vaccines in Tantramar, and the news that the provincial government will be launching a public health investigation into unexplained neurological disease reported in the province.

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Tax bills proposed to go up across the board, with continued rate increases in former LSDs

Tantramar councillor Barry Hicks at a meeting on November 12, 2024. Image: TantramarNB on Youtube.

Property owners in Sackville and Dorchester will see their 2024 tax bills increase on par with their assessment numbers this year, as their proposed tax rate remains mostly flat (dropping slightly by about a half cent per $100 of assessed value). But in the former Local Service Districts (LSDs), residents will not only see increases due to assessments, but also from a proposed increase in tax rate of 5 cents per $100 in assessed value.

Councillor Barry Hicks voiced concerns over the proposed increase at a council meeting on Monday, after a draft budget presentation from treasurer Michael Beal.

“The LSDs are going up with no services supplied,” said Hicks on Monday. “I don’t understand how we can keep raising… without giving them some services.”

Treasurer Michael Beal explained that the increase in tax rate for LSDs without any change in service level is an intentional effect of amalgamation, and will continue for years to come.

“The amalgamation resulted in the Local Service Districts paying for the services that they were already being provided,” said Beal, listing active living and culture (formerly parks and recreation), community and corporate services, financial services, and policing and fire protection. Beal said that as treasurer for the former town of Sackville, “every year we argued with the province that the Local Service Districts were not paying their fair share towards fire protection, and every year we were told it’s a formula and that’s all you’re getting.”… Continue

DTI still quiet as petition calls for preservation of Wheaton Covered Bridge and farmers call for modern crossing

Jolicure resident Elita Rahn at the Wheaton Bridge, with the Tantramar River in the background. Photo: Erica Butler

Tantramar region residents continue to call for a fix for the Wheaton Covered Bridge, which was closed to traffic in July, cutting off a much-used crossing of the Tantramar River on the High Marsh Road.

In the past few weeks, over 1000 people signed a petition calling for the preservation of more-than-100-year-old covered bridge, one of only about 56 historic covered bridges left in the province.

Jolicure resident Elita Rahn started the petition on change.org, and is now working with Tantramar MLA Megan on a paper petition that Mitton can present in the provincial legislature.

Rahn says she has never created a petition before, but was moved to help ensure “we don’t lose one more New Brunswick icon.”

Rahn says she used to bike and drive across the bridge regularly. “It’s just a beautiful way to get to Sackville from Jolicure,” says Rahn. Like many New Brunswickers, she grew up in a place with a covered bridge, and says “all those memories and connections to our past… I really feel like that’s vital.”

Mitton says that while the government was in ‘caretaker mode’ during the election, she’s now back to advocating for work on the bridge. The MLA says she sent a letter this week to Chuck Chiasson, the recently appointed minister for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI), “to bring him up to speed, and urge him to move with speed on this.”… Continue

Dwelling size rule creates ‘unnecessary bottleneck’ for one Sackville woman’s housing solution

When Emilie McBride found herself looking for a new place to live in January this year, she thought she had a solution: build a small house on a piece of land she owns in Sackville.

“It’s a beautiful piece of land,” says McBride. “I want to be living there.” And so the Sackville woman started calling local contractors, but soon found out they were all booked for the year. “I wanted to be living there this year, in 2024, so my options were to look elsewhere,” says McBride, “to look for prefab structures.”

McBride landed on DR Cedar Homes based in Memramcook, going so far as to apply for a building permit this summer. But she soon learned that a quirk of Sackville’s planning bylaw would prevent her from proceeding.

Section 3.26 of the town of Sackville’s zoning bylaw states that detached dwelling units, “Shall have a minimum width and length of 6.1 metres (20 ft).” The home McBride had picked out for herself was a 504 square foot cedar home that measured 14 feet by 36 feet. While it was larger in area than the minimum allowed by Sackville’s zoning bylaw, it was the wrong shape. And so Plan 360 rejected the building permit for McBride’s manufactured home from DR Cedar.… Continue

Sackville hospital’s new outdoor courtyard expected to improve patient and staff experience

Sackville Hospital Foundation fundraising lead Bill Carroll and board chair Bill Evans stand in the gazebo of a new outdoor patient courtyard behind the Sackville hospital. Photo: Erica Butler

Last week, about 75 people gathered to celebrate the opening of the new outdoor garden courtyard at the Sackville Memorial Hospital, as well as the purchase of new operating room equipment, both funded by the Sackville Memorial Hospital Foundation’s annual campaigns.

Foundation chair Bill Evans said the completion of the new garden and gazebo was personally satisfying, because unlike typical foundation projects, the work was coordinated by the volunteer board, and there were challenges. “The money was raised quickly, but getting it done took a long time,” said Evans. But now that patients and staff can make use of the outdoor space, “I’m so delighted that it’s done,” said Evans. “I think it’s beautiful.”

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Forsythe was also on hand to tell CHMA how new operating room equipment would help expand low risk orthopedic surgeries in Sackville, and help alleviate provincial wait lists.

Hear the full story here:

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Land and water protections in the works for Inner Bay of Fundy, and plans for Shep the Sandpiper sign

Shep the Sandpiper (the second) in Dorchester Village Square in May 2023. Photo: Erica Butler

Hear this story as reported on Tantramar Report:

At this week’s regular meeting, Tantramar councillors heard from three groups working to protect and preserve the region’s land and waters.

Jennifer Dingman of the Fundy Biosphere Region talked about the work happening in the UNESCO designated region, and also told councillors about her plans to install a sign in front of Shep the Sandpiper in Dorchester village square.

The Johnsons Mills Shorebired Interpretive Centre is one of the key sites in the Fundy Biosphere Region, and Dingman’s group actually put up the money to pay Robin Hanson, the artist who recreated the beloved bird statue, back in 2023.

Council also heard from representatives from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society New Brunswick and the Canadian Wildlife Service who are all are part of the Inner Bay of Fundy Conservation Planning Initiative, an umbrella group formed in 2020 to work on ways to protect and conserve Chignecto Bay, which has been proposed as part of Canada’s Marine Conservation Network.

The group is working on developing a variety of tools, including protection, education and restoration to help meet the Inner Bay of Fundy conservation goal. One of those tools could be designation of Chignecto Bay as a marine protected area.

Detail from presentation by Canadian Wildlife Service regarding the future of the Inner Bay of Fundy, Tantramar Council, November 12, 2024.

… Continue

Standing ovation as Memramcook village council unanimously rejects gravel pit

Hear this story as reported on Tantramar Report:

Memramcook village councillors got a standing ovation last week after rejecting a proposed rezoning that would have allowed for another gravel pit to be constructed on a property along route 925, or rue Principale.

The council voted unanimously to turn down the application after hearing from property owner Rino Savoie and Plan 360 planner Phil Robichaud, who continued to recommended in favour of the proposed rezoning, with specific conditions attached.

After the meeting, Memramcook mayor Maxime Bourgeois explained that the location of the proposed gravel pit in a growing agritourism area, as well as the potential disruption to close neighbours in the rural area, were reasons he voted against. If the proposal had been for Dieppe or Moncton, “there’s no way that they would have allowed that type of development close to houses,” said Bourgeois. “Yes, we are a rural community, but I don’t think that stops residents of having a quiet lifestyle.”

Bourgeois says that although he voted against the request, he doesn’t think that Plan 360 planner Phil Robichaud and the Southeast Planning Review and Advisory Committee (PRAC), erred in their recommendation. That’s because they were bound by an 8 year old municipal plan, says Bourgeois.

“It’s outdated, so we need to look at it and really figure out what kind of development we want, where,” said Bourgeois.… Continue

With NP and part-time docs, Tantramar primary care clinic still building towards serving entire region

An office window with blinds closed and signs posted to the glass reading "Tantramar Primary Health Care Clinic" — The Tantramar Primary Health Care Clinic is located in the former offices of Dr. Catherine Johnston, across the parking lot from the Sackville Memorial Hospital. Photo: Erica Butler

Sackville’s Horizon-operated primary care clinic is still a ways from having a full complement of primary care providers, but the intention is for the clinic to serve as the patient medical home for the geographical region, according to a presentation to Horizon’s board of directors last week.

Horizon opened the Tantramar Primary Care Clinic in September 2023 to help take on patients orphaned by a series of doctor retirements in the area. Just under a year later in August, the clinic hired its first full time primary care provider, nurse practitioner Corinna Power, who made the move from the Port Elgin clinic (where a new doctor is expected to start working in early 2025.)

Last week, Horizon CEO Margaret Melanson told reporters that there are two part time doctors working alongside Power at the clinic, as well as a registered nurse and a licensed practical nurse. Melanson said Horizon would be “adding a full time dietitian and pharmacist by mid November.”

“At this point in time, we are also hoping to secure space to expand this clinic, because there is a need for additional medical practitioners and allied health providers, and having additional space is going to allow us to really create that collaborative clinic that is envisioned,” said Melanson after the Horizon board meeting on November 7.… Continue

Category: Community News

Kurt Ditner, Nova Scotia Liberal Party

Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, independent