Community News Archives » Page 36 of 178 » CHMA, Voice of the Marshes

No discussion of proposed drive-thru change; council to decide on process on June 13

An online listing for 24 Mallard Drive, the former Pizza Delight building in Sackville, NB. Owner Rashaid Tufail has applied to change highway commercial zoning in the town to allow drive-thrus.

When it meets again in three weeks, Tantramar council will decide whether or not to entertain a proposal to change Sackville’s zoning by-law to allow drive-thru restaurants in highway commercial zones at exits 504 and 506.

The owner of the former Pizza Delight building on Mallard Drive (a numbered company owned by Rashaid Tufail) made the application for the by-law change through Plan 360.

On Tuesday afternoon at council’s committee of the whole meeting, CAO Jennifer Borne presented a brief report on the proposed zoning change written by planner Lori Bickford, who was absent. After the report, Mayor Andrew Black instructed councillors to limit their questions to clarification purposes only. Black told councillors that the motion to either “start the process or kill it immediately” would come at their next regular meeting. But although councillors will face that decision on June 13, Black indicated “any bigger questions about what this means for that location will be asked in a public engagement session through the planning process, if it gets to that point.”

In a later interview Black acknowledged those instructions seem to be in contrast to the goal of committee of the whole meetings to allow for open discussion by councillors. He explained that his instructions came out of concern that with neither the proponent nor planner Lori Bickford present, answers to questions might not be available.… Continue

Provincial backlog of school infrastructure projects keeps growing, Marshview-Salem rationalization dropped in priority

Marshview Middle School in Sackville, NB. Photo: Erica Butler

The province of New Brunswick is severely underfunding school infrastructure projects, according to information shared at the latest meeting of the Anglophone East District Education Council (DEC).

The Department of Early Childhood and Education (EECD) has 422 projects on its regular capital list, totalling over $64 million in needed fixes and improvements. But each year the province has only been covering about $2.2 million—roughly 3%—of that growing total.

This year, Anglophone East has submitted a priority list of 17 regular capital projects estimated at $5.4 million, but as Tantramar DEC representative Michelle Folkins pointed out at last week’s meeting, EECD may only fund a fraction of that, between $700,000 and $1 million.

That would mean just two of the 17 projects could be completed in the next year, including phase two of washroom and locker room upgrades at Tantramar Regional High School. Also on the list–with little chance of being funded this year–are washroom upgrades for Salem Elementary and three projects at Port Elgin Regional School including washroom upgrades, a PA system replacement, and the decommissioning of underground ventillation ductwork.

Priorities 1-8 on Anglophone East’s regular capital project wish list, approved May 16, 2023. Image: ASD-E presentation

Priorities 9-14 on Anglophone East’s regular capital project wish list, approved May 16, 2023. Image: ASD-E presentation

The backlog is just as bad or worse when it comes to major capital projects, those expected to cost over $1 million, such as new schools, mid-life upgrades, and new additions to schools.… Continue

Inquest called into ER waiting room death of Darrell Mesheau

An inquest has been scheduled into the death of Darrell Mesheau, who passed away on July 12, 2022 in a Fredericton ER waiting room. Photo: Facebook

A coroner’s inquest has been called into the ER waiting room death of Darrell Mesheau, elder brother of former Sackville mayor Shawn Mesheau and former Conservative cabinet minister Peter Mesheau.

The 78-year-old Mesheau died while awaiting care in a Fredericton ER waiting room last July. Although his identity was not officially released until an inquest announcement on Tuesday, the circumstances of his death were widely reported and led to major health care leadership changes.

Three days following Mesheau’s death, Premier Blaine Higgs held a press conference to announce the re-assignment of then health minister Dorothy Shephard, the dissolution of partially-elected boards of Horizon and Vitalité health networks, and the firing of then-Horizon CEO John Dornan, who was only 4 months into his 5 year contract.

A Fredericton area support worker said he waited alongside Mesheau in the ER waiting room at the Dr. Everett Chalmers hospital in the early hours of July 12. John Staples described the scene in the full emergency room in a post on Facebook. Mesheau was waiting in discomfort, says Staples, and then appeared to fall asleep. When a hospital staffer came to check on waiting patients, they noticed Mesheau’s condition and called a code blue.

Darrell Mesheau served as a diplomat in the Canadian Foreign Service. He was also a film and theatre actor, a tour guide and avid historian, among other pursuits. … Continue

Former CAO Jamie Burke goes back to his planning roots with Stantec, ‘nothing but positive things to say’ about time in Sackville

Since January, former Sackville CAO Jamie Burke has been working for Stantec as Atlantic Lead in Urban Planning based out of the company’s Moncton office. It’s a job that could one day land Burke back working for Tantramar, as a contracted consultant.

CHMA spoke to Burke in February, to find out about his new position, and what it was like leaving his old one behind. We asked Burke what kind of projects he might be working on as an urban planning consultant:

Stantec’s business in Atlantic Canada is driven by public sector clients, says Burke, including municipalities, and provincial and federal government departments and agencies. “A lot of municipalities, both big and small, have a variety of planning documents,” says Burke, “whether it’s new municipal plans, official plans, zoning bylaws, or other types of regulatory documents that dictate how land can and cannot be used. So that’s one area where Stantec is around to help.”

And Plan 360—the planning department of the Southeast Regional Service Commission which is responsible for everything from processing building permits and rezoning requests, to writing municipal and regional plans—may need that help. When Tantramar was formed, the former town of Sackville’s 2015 municipal plan was already overdue for a review. Now the expanded municipality is in need of a new plan that will encompass two former municipalities and previously unincorporated districts.… Continue

The Great Tantramar Turtle Mystery: researchers aim to fill knowledge gap about presence of turtles in region’s waterways

Alexia McCormick and Issac Acker near the Doncaster Bridge in the Sackville Waterfowl Park, current site of one of their turtle traps. Photo: Erica Butler

A group of Mount Allison researchers are setting out to find out if there are turtles living in the waterbodies around Tantramar. Recent Mount Allison grads Issac Acker and Alexia McCormick are setting up traps around the Sackville Waterfowl Park this week, in hopes of catching and documenting the presence of the aquatic reptiles.

“There is currently a lack of scientific information regarding the presence of turtles in the Sackville/Tantramar area,” says McCormick. “And so we are hoping to gain knowledge from community members to help us basically find turtles and close the gap.”

Hear McCormick and Acker on Tantramar Report:

The hope is to find some populations of snapping and/or painted turtles in the region. “We expect the populations to be pretty low just based on there being limited sightings around,” says Acker.

Populations of snapping and painted turtles have recently declined in Nova Scotia, but there’s no information on what’s happening to the creatures in New Brunswick. “There’s been almost no studies done on them,” says Acker, “although they are present in parts of western New Brunswick, such as around Fredericton.”

Along with the understanding of the populations comes possible protections, says Acker. “That’s why we want to see if these turtles are actually present here, so that we can help further protect them as they’re starting to do in Nova Scotia.”… Continue

‘Streets are for everyone’: new Active Transportation group aims to improve safety, create AT plan for Tantramar

Sackville resident and bike commuter Austin Trenholm is forming a group to advocate for safe streets in Tantramar. Photo: Erica Butler

Austin Trenholme bikes to and from work on the regular in Sackville, using York Street as a main route. But after a couple of close calls with vehicles, the lifelong cyclist decided some changes are needed. “I’ll be quite frank with you,” says Trenholme, “I don’t feel 100% comfortable biking on York Street as it is right now.”

Trenholme decided to form the Active Transportation Safety Committee of Tantramar, a group dedicated to making Tantramar safer for people walking, biking, or rolling. “There’s not really any group of people that I’m aware of that is advocating for the safety of active transportation users,” says Trenholme, and so he’s put out the call to recruit others interested in the same goal.

Originally from Summerside, Trenholm says active transportation advocacy runs in his family. His father Ken Trenholme is a spokesperson for SAFE Summerside, a group that recently presented an All Ages and Abilities Active Transportation Network Plan to Summerside’s city council. “In a way, through what he’s doing,” says Trenholme, “it made me realize streets are for everyone. So that’s the thing that I’m pushing for now.” Trenholme says he hopes the group will eventually create an Active Transportation (AT) plan for Tantramar.

While neighbouring Amherst passed its first AT Plan in 2018, Sackville did not have one on the books when it was amalgamated into Tantramar this year.… Continue

Meeting Wednesday seeks to pass on the torch for the Dorchester Rural Cemetery

Peter Spence, Elaine Nicholson, Bob and Marlene Hickman, standing in the Dorchester Rural Cemetery. Photo: Erica Butler

UPDATE: May 19, 2023:

A meeting to set the future course for the Dorchester Rural Cemetery was well attended on Wednesday evening, and ended with a slate of nine members forming a new board to oversee the cemetery.
Organizer Marlene Hickman says longtime solo caretaker Peter Spence will join the group as Past President, to ensure a smooth transition to the community board.
The future of the cemetery looks bright, says Hickman. The new board has already set their first meeting date.

The nearly 200-year-old Dorchester Rural Cemetery overlooks Back Brook, just off the 106, across from Palmers Pond, in the Village of Dorchester. It’s a lovely setting, and well-kept, thanks to lone volunteer caretaker Peter Spence.

For decades Spence has been the one-person board that looks after the community cemetery, and now a group of volunteers are looking to form a new board to take over the task.

“At at some point, somebody is going to have to be the new me,” says Spence. And that’s the topic of a meeting tonight at the Dorchester Veterans Community Centre at 7pm.

Diane Nicholson is one of the driving forces behind that meeting. Nicholson is a history buff, but says there’s a lack of documentation about the Dorchester Rural Cemetery. She knows it was once called Greenwood Cemetery, and is not affiliated with a church, though it was considered a Protestant cemetery.… Continue

Some students snub former diplomat honoured by Mount Allison; Lyons responds, says work ‘misunderstood’

*Deborah Lyons speaks during convocation ceremonies at Mount Allison University on May 15, 2023. Screenshot: YouTube/mountallison*

In a silent protest during this week’s convocation ceremonies, some Mount Allison graduates turned their backs on a former high-ranking Canadian diplomat as she received an honorary degree from the university.

Deborah Lyons, Canada’s former ambassador to Israel and Afghanistan — and former head of a UN mission to Afghanistan — received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Mount Allison on Monday.

She also gave a speech to the graduating class, saying her actions as ambassador and UN mission leader had been “misunderstood.” The speech can be viewed in full here.

Critics accuse Lyons of whitewashing human rights violations by the State of Israel and fault her for cooperating with the Taliban while Afghanistan collapsed in 2021.

As she delivered her speech on Monday, a number of students rose from their seats and turned away from the stage, according to people who were present at Convocation Hall.

“As you may know, and as may be obvious at the moment, there are some students and faculty who aren’t so happy that I’m speaking to you today,” Lyons said in her remarks.

In video from the event, someone can be heard heckling Lyons at the beginning of her speech, prompting scattered applause.

Protesters aren’t visible in the video but photos from the event appear to show at least 30 people standing with their backs turned against the stage. … Continue

Former football Mounties Lucas Cormier and Reece Martin in training following CFL draft

*From left, Lucas Cormier and Reece Martin. Photos: mountiepride.ca*

Two athletes from Mount Allison University are in training after being drafted into the Canadian Football League.

The 22-year-old athletes join the league through the Mounties football program.

Sackville-born defensive back Lucas Cormier was drafted in the second round by the Ottawa Redblacks, as the 10th overall pick.

Reece Martin, a defensive lineman, was chosen by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the fourth round as the 31st pick overall.

CHMA reached out to both players and spoke to Cormier this weekend, between practices in Ottawa. Cormier said he always aspired to join the CFL, and he believes the Grey Cup is within sight this year.

Listen to the interview from CHMA:

… Continue

Protest expected as Mount Allison goes ahead with plans to honour ambassador

Deborah Lyons, Canada’s former ambassador to Israel and Afghanistan, served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan just as the Taliban regained control of the country. Photo: dppa.un.org.

Activists plan to hold a protest on Monday as Deborah Lyons, Canada’s former ambassador to Israel and Afghanistan, receives an honorary degree during convocation ceremonies.

A peaceful demonstration will take place outside of Convocation Hall, while inside the building, “students and faculty will also be making their opposition known,” according to an update from Lara Khattab and Krista Johnston.

The two Mount Allison professors launched an online petition last month demanding that Mount Allison rescind the honorary degree.

CHMA’s interview with Lara Khattab and Krista Johnston:

The petition states that, as ambassador, Lyon helped whitewash human rights violations by the State of Israel.

It also criticizes her for cooperating with the Taliban when she represented the United Nations in Afghanistan. The petition had gathered 1,181 names by Sunday afternoon.

University to abide by decision

A spokesperson for Mount Allison confirmed this week that the university is following-through with a decision by its Senate to honour the career diplomat.

The Senate selects recipients from a list recommended by its Honorary Degrees Committee, according to acting media relations officer Renée Belliveau.

That committee “consists of representatives of Senate, students, and Board of Regents,” according to the university website.

“Deborah Lyons was nominated in 2020, and her nomination received the support of a majority of Senators, as required under the procedures,” Belliveau said in an email. … Continue

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