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Hear what Ward 3 candidates had to say at the Mount Allison Students Union forum

From left to right: Josh Goguen, Bruce Phinney, Alice Cotton, Virgil Hammock, Allison Butcher, Sanditya Pendurthi, and Michael Tower. Photo: Peter Stephenson

Tantramar residents have one more weekend to consider their options for the first ever Tantramar town council.

On November 14, the Mount Allison Students’ Union hosted a candidates forum featuring mayoral candidates, as well as those running for seats in Ward 3, Central Sackville.

Due to audio issues with our broadcast, we can’t bring you the full recording, but thanks to local journalist Bruce Wark, we have been able to share the mayoral candidates part of the forum, as well as part of the Ward 3 candidates section.

Here’s MASU moderators Aidan Tomalty and Beth McNeil asking questions of the Ward 3 candidates, Alice Cotton, Allison Butcher, Josh Goguen, Virgil Hammock, Bruce Phinney, Michael Tower, and Sahitya Pendurthi:

Please note: candidates Sana Mohammed and Charles Harvey were invited but did not attend the MASU forum.

For more local elections coverage, check out our Local Elections 2022 page.… Continue

‘Disheartening to hear’: housing expert on REITs and why Sackville should be worried about the sale of 82 rental units to one

An investor group that says it is buying six Sackville buildings with a combined 82 units expects to close the deal today.

Some tenants in the buildings have received emails from a new property management company, K Squared Property Management, even though they have not yet been given notice of new ownership.

Local landlord Charles Estabrooks currently owns the six buildings and Sunset Investments is the investor group that claims to be buying them. DJC Properties has also posted on social media, advertising for investors for the deal.

A social media post late last week from DJC Properties says that the “82-unit acquisition is closing earlier at the Banks request.”

An earlier post by Sunset Investments says that building inspections have been completed, and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation financing has been approved. The post says all buildings are in excellent condition but for one older 4-unit building.

It’s not clear what the plans are for the buildings. CHMA has reached out to Estabrooks and Sunset Investments for further details on the deal. Estabrooks has not responded to a CHMA interview request, and Rachel Godbout of Sunset Investments says she has no comment since her company does not yet own the buildings.

Earlier this summer, Sunset Investments bought another Sackville building, and proceeded to evict all tenants in the 16-unit building in order to perform renovations. Among other things, Sunset converted 2-bedroom units to 3-bedroom units, and dramatically increased the total rent for each unit.… Continue

Mayoral candidates on housing, transparency, salary bumps and more at MASU forum

Tantramar mayoral candidates Shawn Mesheau, Bonnie Swift, and Andrew Black at the Mount Allison Students’ Union candidates forum, November 14, 2022. Photo: Peter Stephenson

Last week, the Mount Allison Students’ Union hosted a candidates forum featuring mayoral candidates, as well as those running for seats in Ward 3, Central Sackville. Due to audio issues with our broadcast, we can’t bring you the full recording, but thanks to local journalist Bruce Wark, we are able to share the mayoral candidates part of the forum.

Here’s MASU moderators Aidan Tomalty and Beth McNeil asking questions of the mayoral candidates, Shawn Mesheau, Bonnie Swift, and Andrew Black:

For more local elections coverage, check out our Local Elections 2022 page.… Continue

‘This is going to be a tough year’: Christmas Cheer gears up to help struggling families celebrate the season

The lights are up in downtown Sackville, the first Moonlight Madness is behind us, and craft fair season has started in earnest. The holidays are coming, and for many, that means a season when lower incomes and a lack of resources are more painful than usual.

Enter Christmas Cheer, a program run by the Sackville Community Association (SCA) for the past three decades, which provides grocery vouchers and gifts for Sackville households in need.

SCA treasurer John Higham describes the program as, “kind of the feeling of Christmas, where a community can help people who don’t have as much resources as others.” Higham says hundreds of current and former Sackville area residents support Christmas Cheer each year, with cash donations and/or gifts.

Hear John Higham on CHMA’s Tantramar Report here:

A donation box is set up at the Royal Bank downtown to collect cash and cheques, and the SCA website also accepts online donations. As a registered charity, the SCA can issue charitable tax receipts for those donations, when information is provided. For gifts, Higham says the group welcomes new items with a target age range specified. Gifts can be dropped off at the Sackville United Church downtown between noon and 4:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The last day to drop off gifts is December 9, 2022, but the SCA continues to receive cash donations throughout the year, and uses everything over and above what’s needed to run Christmas Cheer to support families the rest of the year.… Continue

What you need to know about voting in Tantramar elections

The first votes in the first-ever election for a new town of Tantramar council will be cast this Saturday at the Middle Sackville Baptist Church.

There are two advanced polling days before election day on November 28, both at the Middle Sackville Baptist Church, which also goes by Church by the Lake, at 14 Church Street.

Advanced polling days

Saturday, November 19, 10am to 8pm, Middle Sackville Baptist Church, 14 Church St
Monday, November 21, 10am to 8pm, Middle Sackville Baptist Church, 14 Church St

Election day on Monday November 28 will mean a second polling station is open in Dorchester, at the Dorchester Veterans Community Centre. Elections NB has also arranged for a shuttle to take people from the Tantramar Civic Centre on Main Street in Sackville, over to the Middle Sackville polling station. That shuttle will run every half hour, and will also bring voters back to the Tantramar Civic Center after they vote.

Election day polling

Monday, November 28, 10am to 8pm, Middle Sackville Baptist Church, 14 Church St
Monday, November 28, 10am to 8pm, Dorchester Veterans Community Centre, 4955 Main St

What to bring

Elections NB says that everyone who is already on the voters list should have received a Voter Information Card by mail, with all the details for advanced and regular polling days.

Voters are not required to show ID to vote, unless they are NOT on the voters list. To get added at the polling station, you will need one or more pieces of ID to shows your name, address, and signature. … Continue

Meet the candidates: Sahitya Pendurthi, running in Ward 3 (Central Sackville)

Sahitya Pendurthi is a project manager for an IT distribution company working remotely from Sackville. Pendurthi came to Canada from India as an international student ten years ago, chose to become a citizen, got married and settled in Sackville. Pendurthi says she fell in love with the town after her husband, an Amherst native, first brought her here.

Listen to CHMA’s Meet The Candidates interview with Sahitya Pendurthi, which took place at CHMA on November 9, 2022.

Pendurthi is running for Ward 3, where residents will elect four councillors from a pool of nine candidates, including Pendurthi, Josh Goguen, Alice Cotton, Virgil Hammock, Bruce Phinney, Michael Tower, Allison Butcher, Charles Harvey, and Sana Mohammed. All candidates have interviews on CHMA, except for Charles Harvey who declined our request, and Sana Mohammed, who has yet to respond.

CHMA is compiling all its election coverage in one place, for your convenience. For more candidate interviews and other local elections coverage, click here.

TRANSCRIPT Sahitya Pendurthi at CHMA, November 9, 2022

CHMA: Sahitya Pendurthi, thanks for joining us.

Sahitya Pendurthi: Thank you for having me here.

CHMA: So for those who may not already know, do you tell us a bit about yourself?

Sahitya Pendurthi: I am 37 years old. I was born and raised in India in a middle class family. My parents had to do two or three jobs to go up in their status to be able to afford to send their kid to Canada to study.… Continue

Meet the candidates: Alice Cotton, running in Ward 3 (Central Sackville)

Ward 3 candidate, Alice Cotton. Photo: contributed

Alice Cotton is a long time Sackville resident and avid volunteer, having worked with EOS Eco Energy, the Sackville Music Festival, and the Community Food Smart program. She has diverse work experience in teaching, gardening and food preparation, and is a local entrepreneur, running the Deus Ex Machina coffee truck at the Sackville Farmers Market.

Listen to CHMA’s Meet The Candidates interview with Alice Cotton, which took place by phone on November 9, 2022.

Cotton is running for Ward 3, where residents will elect four councillors from a pool of nine candidates, including Cotton, Sahitya Pendurthi, Josh Goguen, Virgil Hammock, Bruce Phinney, Michael Tower, Allison Butcher, Charles Harvey, and Sana Mohammed. All candidates have interviews on CHMA, except for Charles Harvey who declined our request, and Sana Mohammed, who has yet to respond.

CHMA is compiling all its election coverage in one place, for your convenience. For more candidate interviews and other local elections coverage, click here.

TRANSCRIPT

CHMA: So Alice cotton, thanks for joining us. Thank you. For those who might not already know you tell us a bit about yourself.

Alice Cotton: Sure. Well, I have lived in Sackville for close to 30 years. I have raised my two sons here, they both went to Mount Allison, one is still going to Mount Allison. And I have worked at various jobs here in town and gotten to know you know, different groups of people through those those jobs and also through volunteer work that I’ve done, and board work that I’ve done, as well, I’ve been on a couple of boards for EOS Eco Energy and the Sackville Music Festival.… Continue

Meet the candidates: Josh Goguen, running in Ward 3 (Central Sackville)

Ward 3 candidate Josh Goguen at CHMA studios. Photo: Erica Butler

Josh Goguen is originally from Moncton, and has been living in Sackville with his family for the past 16 years. He’s fluently bilingual, works for Moneris in technology operations analysis, and runs one of Sackville’s community Facebook groups.

Listen to CHMA’s Meet The Candidates interview with Josh Goguen, which took place at CHMA on November 9, 2022.

Goguen is running for Ward 3, where residents will elect four councillors from a pool of nine candidates, including Goguen, Alice Cotton, Sahitya Pendurthi, Virgil Hammock, Bruce Phinney, Michael Tower, Allison Butcher, Charles Harvey, and Sana Mohammed. All candidates have interviews on CHMA, except for Charles Harvey who declined our request, and Sana Mohammed, who has yet to respond.

CHMA is compiling all its election coverage in one place, for your convenience. For more candidate interviews and other local elections coverage, click here.

TRANSCRIPT:

CHMA: All right, Josh, thanks so much for coming in today. Really appreciate it.

Josh Goguen: Thank you for having me, Erica. It’s a pleasure.

CHMA: For those who might not already know you, tell us a bit about yourself.

Josh Goguen: So, my name is Josh Goguen. I am a resident of Sackville, obviously, for the last 16 years. I am married to my wonderful wife, Sarah, who works at Jean Coutu. And my son Ben is 13 years old now and he goes to Marshfield.… Continue

Meet the candidates: Virgil Hammock, running in Ward 3 (Central Sackville)

Ward 3 (Central Sackville) candidate Virgil Hammock. Photo: submitted.

Virgil Hammock has lived in Sackville for nearly 50 years, teaching at Mount Allison University for almost 30 of those years. He previously served on Sackville town council from 1999 and 2012 and has held positions on the Southeast Regional Health Authority board and planning commission.

Listen to CHMA’s Meet The Candidates interview with Virgil Hammock, which took place at his home in downtown Sackville on November 10, 2022.

Hammock is running for Ward 3, where residents will elect four councillors from a pool of nine candidates, including Hammock, Bruce Phinney, Michael Tower, Allison Butcher, Alice Cotton, Sahitya Pendurthi, Josh Goguen, Charles Harvey, and Sana Mohammed. All candidates have interviews on CHMA, except for Charles Harvey who declined, and Sana Mohammed, who did not respond.

CHMA is compiling all its election coverage in one place, for your convenience. For more candidate interviews and other local elections coverage, click here.

TRANSCRIPT: Interview with Virgil Hammock, November 10, 2022

CHMA: Virgil Hammock. Thanks for taking some time to speak with us.

Virgil Hammock: My pleasure, Erica.

CHMA: Just to start off, for people who might not already know you, tell us a bit about yourself?

Virgil Hammock: Well, my name is, as you say, Virgil Hammock. I’ve lived in Sackville for 47 years. I taught at Mount A for 29 years, and 19 of those years as head of the Fine Arts department.… Continue

Meet the candidates: Bruce Phinney, running in Ward 3 (Central Sackville)

*Current Sackville town councillor and council candidate Bruce Phinney. Photo: Erica Butler*

Sackville town councillor Bruce Phinney was born in Sackville into a military family. They lived in Germany and Nova Scotia before settling in Oromocto in 1962. After returning to Sackville in 1977, he began a career spanning four decades in facilities management at Mount Allison University.

Listen to CHMA’s Meet The Candidates interview with Bruce Phinney, which took place at CHMA studios on November 15, 2022.

Phinney is running for Ward 3, where residents will elect four councillors from a pool of nine candidates, including Phinney, Michael Tower, Allison Butcher, Virgil Hammock, Alice Cotton, Sahitya Pendurthi, Josh Goguen, Charles Harvey, and Sana Mohammed. All candidates have interviews on CHMA, except for Charles Harvey who declined, and Sana Mohammed, who hasn’t responded to an interview request.

CHMA is compiling all its election coverage in one place, for your convenience. For more candidate interviews and other local elections coverage, click here.

TRANSCRIPT, Bruce Phinney November 15, 2022

CHMA: Bruce Phinney, thank you so much for joining us today.

Bruce Phinney: My pleasure, Erica.

CHMA: For those who might not already know you, tell us a bit about yourself.

Bruce Phinney: I was born in Sackville in 1955. That makes me 67. I grew up in Oromocto—my father was in the military. Then I moved here to Sackville in 1977, and in 1978, I started working for [Mount Allison University]. I worked for the University for 42 and a half years.… Continue

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