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Chignecto Isthmus impasse: LeBlanc refuses full funding, gives Higgs and Houston July 19 deadline to apply for 50%

Train crossing the Chignecto Isthmus at high tide near Aulac in November 2015. Photo taken by Mike Johnson, EMO for Cumberland County.

Federal and provincial ministers continue the impasse over who will fund the protection of the transportation corridor along the Chignecto Isthmus, which connects New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The corridor is at risk from sea level rise and storm surges which could wash out the rail line and highway which is estimated to transport between $35 million and $50 million worth of goods every day.

The latest official communication comes from federal infrastructure minister (and Beauséjour MP) Dominic LeBlanc, who wrote to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia premiers Blaine Higgs and Tim Houston on June 23, refusing their demand for the federal government to fully fund the project.

The premiers, along with their other Atlantic counterparts, made the request based on the idea that the corridor is of national importance, similar to the Confederation Bridge.

LeBlanc rejects that argument in his June letter, writing that “the federal government is not responsible for a complete funding of this project.”

Instead, Leblanc urged the premiers to apply for the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, which he says is the only program available to help pay for the project. That fund could cover up to 50% of the cost, leaving the provinces to make up the other half. The deadline to apply for the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund is just a few weeks away on July 19.… Continue

Driver to face two charges after seriously injuring pedestrian in December

The man who hit and seriously injured a young man crossing Main Street in a crosswalk last December has been charged with two offences related to the collision.

Andrew McGann has been charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian and driving without due care and attention. McGann is due to make his first appearance in a Moncton courtroom on July 4, 2023.

The person McGann struck with his vehicle is a young Mount Allison student, who after the collision was sent to a Halifax hospital in critical condition. RCMP Sergeant Eric Hanson says the young man has since been released from hospital and continues his recovery.

The collision occurred at the crosswalk on Main Street at King. Witnesses say the lights in the crosswalk were flashing when the young man crossed, and traffic in one direction had stopped.

The collision raised concerns over traffic safety at the crosswalk, and also Ambulance NB response times. It took 27 minutes for an ambulance to arrive on the collision scene, in part due to another emergency call that came in just 14 minutes beforehand.

Previous coverage:

Collision victim in critical condition; plus response time details and Sackville ER protocols

Serious injuries for Mount A student struck by driver in crosswalk; residents concerned about response times

… Continue

All-ages show tonight carves out space for youth to have fun

Michael Freeman stopped by CHMA to talk about his new role as youth worker based out of Tantramar Regional High School, and an all-ages show he’s planned for tonight. Photo: Erica Butler

Tantramar youth need a place to hang out, says Michael Freeman, and tonight at the Sackville Commons, they will have just that, at an all-ages open mic and show, featuring local garage rock band, Reclaim the Vents.

Freeman is six weeks into his new position as youth strategic coordinator for the United Way’s YOU Turns program, based out of Tantramar Regional High School. CHMA spoke to him about his new role and the upcoming show:

Freeman’s job runs the gamut from helping youth connect with resources to help meet their basic needs like housing, food and health, but also to help provide some opportunities for enjoyment. “Fun is restorative,” says Freeman. “It’s a human right, it’s developmentally necessary.”

Freeman says he has heard youth expressing the need for spaces to hang out. “From my point of view, I think it’s crazy that a community of our size doesn’t have a youth centre,” says Freeman. “And so the hope is, we’re working with the Sackville Commons, and we would really like to, over the next year or so, develop a youth drop in space where people can come in, hang out, engage in programming, get some food, and do those kinds of things.

“But to get the ball rolling, we’re thinking, let’s have some events, let’s have some open mics and coffee houses, some concerts,” says Freeman.… Continue

Public opinion divided on Lafford building proposal

Developer John Lafford presents to Tantramar council at a public hearing over amendments to zoning bylaws that would make way for his proposed 6-storey building. Photo: Erica Butler

Developer John Lafford plans to start construction on a new apartment building behind the historic Fisher House by mid-July.

Lafford made the statement at a public hearing before Tantramar Council concerning two proposed zoning bylaw changes that would make way for his development, a six-storey, 71-unit apartment building at 131 Main Street.

Council didn’t discuss or debate the amendments after the hearing on Tuesday afternoon, but will have a chance to do so at their next regular meeting on July 11.

Before Lafford can proceed, his requested amendments need to pass three readings in council, taking place over at least two meetings. The next regular meeting after July 11 is scheduled for August 8, but council also has the ability to call a special meeting at any time.

‘A divisive issue in our community’

The gallery of Tantramar council chambers was packed with over 40 people for the public hearing on Tuesday.

Plan 360 planner Lori Bickford started by laying out the case for the amendments, which would rezone part of the property and then amend that zone to allow for taller buildings up to 65 feet in height. Bickford included a site plan in her presentation, but did not present renderings of what the building would look like in context, a point of concern raised early on by some residents.… Continue

Sackville Food Bank expands services with 24/7 Community Sharing Cupboard

Sackville Food Bank vice-president Tammy Faye and president Heather Patterson stand inside the new Community Sharing Cupboard on Lorne Street, behind the Ice Cream Coop. Photo: Erica Butler

Sackville has a new emergency support to help people survive the inflationary economy. The Community Sharing Cupboard opened last month behind the Ice Cream Coop on Lorne Street, and the Sackville Food Bank volunteers that run it are ready for an official launch event this Wednesday at 4pm on site.

CHMA caught up with Sackville Food Bank president Heather Patterson and vice-president Tammy Faye to find out more about the new service:

“Food insecurity is at the highest level it’s ever been,” says Patterson. And so the Food Bank has taken inspiration from similar programs across the region, and added another way that people can get help, on short notice, and without paperwork. The Sackville Community Sharing Cupboard is a free, 24/7, self-serve food and supply resource.

Faye says the Sharing Cupboard has been open for about a month, and is already seeing considerable use. “We’re emptied out all the time,” says Faye. The Cupboard is replenished by the Food Bank weekly, and also relies on donations to keep stocked.

A wide range of people use the cupboard, including some who already make use of the Food Bank. “I had somebody who called me today who got his order from the Food Bank last week,” says Patterson. The Food Bank is limited to supplying people every two weeks, but Patterson says the man she spoke to was able to use the Sharing Cupboard to supplement his groceries in the interim.… Continue

Public hearing Tuesday over zoning changes to make way for six-storey apartment building

On Tuesday, Tantramar residents will have an opportunity to weigh in on two proposed zoning by-law changes that if approved, would make way for a six-storey building next to Mount Allison’s Normandy Field, and overlooking the Sackville Waterfowl Park. The public hearings on the changes take place during council’s committee of the whole meeting at 3pm Tuesday at Sackville town hall.

Local developer John Lafford is proposing to build a 71-unit apartment building behind the historic Fisher House at 131 Main Street. Currently, the property is not zoned for apartment buildings, and so Lafford has applied to rezone a portion of the property to the R3 zone which allows for larger apartment buildings. But the R3 zone alone is not enough for the project to go forward. Lafford has also requested an amendment to the R3 zone, changing the allowable building height from 50 feet to 65 feet. If that amendment is approved, it will affect all R3 properties in Sackville, including over 100 acres of other properties located outside the downtown core, mostly surrounded by single residential zones.

On Tuesday, Plan 360 planner Lori Bickford will make presentations on the two proposed amendments, and then members of the public will have a chance to weigh in, with five minutes allowed for each speaker. Members of council will have the opportunity to ask questions, in order to make sure they understand both the application and any arguments in favour or against.… Continue

Struts partners with nomadic gallery SAVAC, to bring ‘Clearings in the Fog’ to Sackville

This Friday evening, Struts Gallery is hosting a free screening of films from six different artists from around the world, thanks to the South Asian Visual Arts Centre, or SAVAC.

SAVAC is a longstanding artist-run-centre that specializes in partnering with local centres all over the world to showcase culturally diverse artists. As a nomadic gallery, SAVAC brings its exhibitions on tour, and cultivates partnerships along the way.

CHMA sat down with SAVAC staffer Abedar Kamgari this week outside the sunny yellow walls of Struts Gallery on Lorne Street, to find out more:

This is Kamgari’s second visit to Sackville, having previously brought her own art practice to town as a Struts artist-in-residence in 2022. “Some folks in the community might remember helping me make beads,” says Kamgari. “It was a lovely time.”

The Friday evening screening is called MONITOR 15: Clearings in the Fog, part of a series featuring experimental film and video. “Experimental Film is it’s a hard thing to define,” says Kamgari. “It’s a way for the filmmakers to respond to the environments around them, to go and explore.”

The films featured in MONITOR are more open-ended and exploratory than narrative films, says Kamgari. “It almost feels like this little bubble between the world of commercial film and the world of abstract and conceptual art. It kind of moves between those worlds.”

The six films in ‘Clearings in the Fog’ are created by artists with “connections to India, Indonesia, Egypt, Palestine, Iran, and of course, Canada,” says Kamgari.… Continue

Pedway group says non-motorized trail is key to funding, but ATV riders want to share access

The Trans Canada Trail runs along an old rail bed alongside the Sackville Waterfowl Park, then is bisected by the Trans Canada Highway. Photo: Erica Butler

Sackville’s portion of the Trans Canada Trail was the belle of the ball at Tantramar council’s last regular meeting, with two public presentations asking council to move ahead with plans that would see the trail developed or maintained in different ways.

The Tantramar Pedway Group and Quad NB each put in requests to Tantramar Council, some of which were at cross purposes.

Christina DeHaas and Jeff MacKinnon represented the Tantramar Pedway Group, and told council they’d been working for 15 years on a plan to erect a pedestrian and bike friendly connection across the TransCanada highway, where it bisects the Trans Canada Trail.

Christina DeHaas and Jeff MacKinnon of the Tantramar Pedway Group presenting to council. Image: Youtube screencap

Currently, the group has secured a private donation of $1 million to put towards the pedway project, and also has a commitment from Algonquin Bridge, a division of the AIL Group, to build the project at cost, which was estimated at about $3 million a year ago.

DeHaas says other funding possibilities are available, but there’s a commitment needed from the town. “The way to move forward is for council to direct staff to explore the capital funding opportunities that leverage this million dollar commitment that we currently have,” said DeHaas.

Dehaas and the Pedway Group are asking the town to take over ownership of the pedway project, including assigning staff to look into funding opportunities, committing to maintaining and insuring it, and also entering into a land use agreement with the Department of Natural Resources, who own the Trans Canada Trail lands.… Continue

Back from the brink: Wild salmon return to inner Bay of Fundy following efforts led by Fort Folly First Nation

Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon population has rebounded in two watersheds in Fundy National Park, and the Petitcodiac River has also seen improvements, according to Fort Folly Habitat Recovery. Photo: ffhr.ca

The Inner Bay of Fundy wild salmon population, which collapsed in the 1990s, is experiencing an apparent rebound following efforts led by Amlamgog, also called Fort Folly First Nation.

To mark the return of the endangered wild salmon this season, a ceremony is taking place to bless the waters for their safe passage at Alma Beach today, National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Tim Robinson, director of Fort Folly Habitat Recovery, credited the leadership of the small Mi’kmaw community with ensuring the survival of wild salmon in the inner Bay of Fundy.

“Chief Rebecca [Knockwood] speaks of salmon as being traditionally, culturally one of those iconic species that’s so important to the First Nations peoples across Canada and the non-Indigenous people as well,” Robinson said in an interview with CHMA.

“People want salmon back in their rivers,” he said. “And, you know, we’re determined to do our part and make that happen, and it’s just not acceptable to be inactive.”

Listen to the report from CHMA:

Wild salmon saw a major decline throughout the Atlantic region starting in the 1980s, particularly in the area known as the inner Bay of Fundy, which includes some 50 watersheds north of the Wolastoq River.

That population has been listed as endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act since 2003. … Continue

Premiers call for full federal funding of Chignecto Isthmus project, while feds offer half

Screencap from New Brunswick Flood Hazard Maps. The light blue area is labelled “Present Day Flood, 1 in 20 year (5% Annual Exceedance Probability)”.

It’s been 16 years since a UN climate change report highlighted the increasing risk to infrastructure on the Chignecto Isthmus due to rising sea levels, mentioning it alongside the city of New Orleans. But the provinces and the federal government have yet to agree on who will cover the cost to protect that infrastructure. The federal government is promising to cover up to 50% of the cost, but the four Atlantic premiers are calling on the federal government to cover the full cost of the project.

After a recent meeting in Mill River, PEI, the Council of Atlantic Premiers issued a statement acknowledging the isthmus as “a vital corridor at risk due to rising sea levels”, and saying the premiers, “reiterated that the federal government has a constitutional responsibility to maintain links between provinces and fully fund this project.”

A spokesperson for New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs confirmed via email that the premiers were asking for 100% federal funding of the infrastructure project, which was estimated to cost between $190 million and $300 million in a study released last year.

That’s a departure from recent statements by the provincial ministers from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.… Continue

Category: Community News

‘A divisive issue in our community’