Category: Community News

Meet the candidates: Allison Butcher, running in Ward 3 (Central Sackville)

Sackville town council candidate Allison Butcher and her family. Photo: contributed

Allison Butcher was born and raised in Sackville and lived in Ottawa before returning to her hometown in 1998. She’s the mother of two teenage daughters, and for the past 20 years she has worked as a pre-school teacher. She’s been involved in municipal politics since 2016 and is currently in her second term as councillor.

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

She is running in Ward 3, where residents will elect four councillors from a pool of nine candidates.

Along with Butcher, those candidates include Michael Tower, Alice Cotton, Josh Goguen, Virgil Hammock, Charles Harvey, Sana Mohamad, Saditya Pendurthi and Bruce Phinney. CHMA has interviewed all of them except for Charles Harvey, who declined an interview request, and Sana Mohamad, as we’re awaiting a response from that candidate.

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 Allison Butcher, Nov. 9, 2022:

CHMA: Allison Butcher, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us.

AB: Thank you.

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

AB: So I’m Allison Butcher, I live in Sackville, and what will be Ward 3. I am a preschool teacher here in town and have been for about 20 years now.… Continue

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Meet the candidates: Michael Tower, running in Ward 3 (Central Sackville)

Michael Tower, incumbent Sackville councillor and candidate for Ward 3 (Central Sackville), with his dog. Image: contributed

Michael Tower was born and raised in Sackville. He lived in Dorchester for seven years as he started to raise a family, before returning to his hometown. For nearly 50 years, he worked at the liquor store, seven of those years as a manager. He’s also a longtime member of Sackville town council, currently serving his fourth term 

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

Tower is running for Ward 3, where residents will elect four councillors from a pool of nine candidates.

Along with Tower, those candidates include Allison Butcher, Alice Cotton, Josh Goguen, Virgil Hammock, Charles Harvey, Sana Mohamad, Saditya Pendurthi and Bruce Phinney. CHMA has interviewed all of them except for Charles Harvey, who declined an interview request, and Sana Mohamad, as we’re awaiting a response from that candidate.

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 Michael Tower, November 9, 2022.

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

Michael Tower: Well, I was born and raised in Sackville, and lived in Dorchester for seven years as I started raising my family and moved back to Sackville. But worked at the liquor store for 47 years, seven years as a manager.… Continue

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Meet the candidates: Wendy Epworth, running in Ward 2 (West Sackville-Rockport)

Wendy Epworth, candidate for Ward 2. Photo: Erica Butler

Wendy Epworth was born in Sackville and works for Fort Folly Habitat Recovery, protecting endangered Atlantic salmon. Epworth and her husband Dave also owned and operated Mel’s Tea Room throughout the pandemic, unfortunately closing it down earlier this year. Epworth says Ward 2 and other areas outside of current Sackville town limits will need to have a voice at the table in the new municipality, especially with potential increases in tax rates imminent. She’s concerned with economic development in the area, as well as preparing for the effects of climate change, including making sure West Sackville does not get cut off from emergency services during extreme weather events.

Listen to CHMA’s Meet The Candidates interview with Wendy Epworth, which took place by phone on November 8, 2022.

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

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Meet the candidates: Barry Hicks, running in Ward 2 (West Sackville-Rockport)

Ward 2 candidate Barry Hicks. Photo: Submitted.

Barry Hicks is a native of the British Settlement-Westcock area, and worked for the town of Sackville for 40 years in the public works department, first as a heavy equipment operator, and then as superintendent of public works. Hicks says he’s racked up experience working with a number of mayors and councils over the years, and is hoping to represent the concerns of Ward 2 as the whole region goes through the growing pains associated with becoming the new town of Tantramar.

Listen to CHMA’s Meet The Candidates interview with Barry Hicks, which took place by phone on November 14, 2022.

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 to comeContinue

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Mystery elections flyer which broke rules likely came from department of local government

This mailer went to a large number of households across the Tantramar region, but no one is taking credit or responsibility for it. Photo: Erica Butler

Elections NB didn’t send it, the town of Sackville didn’t send it… so the question is, who sent an elections flyer to addresses all over the new Tantramar municipality? While the Department of Local Government refuses to answer that question, a complaint to the New Brunswick RCMP by Elections NB may lead to an answer.

The mailer certainly appears to be a well-intentioned, if not by-the-book, correction for an earlier mistake by Elections NB. Early in October, residents in Tantramar received notices from the provincial elections agency telling them they would NOT be voting in municipal elections on November 28. That was, of course, an error, and a big one.

A mix up by a contractor handling the mail out of important election information for Elections NB meant that about 260,000 households got exactly the opposite message they should have received. The reality is, all residents of the former town of Sackville, village of Dorchester, and parts of the Dorchester, Sackville and Point de Bute local service districts, can go to the polls by November 28 to elect the first ever mayor and council for the newly amalgamated town of Tantramar.

Elections NB immediately acknowledged their mistake, but also said that a corrected mailer to the homes in question would not be forthcoming, in part due to supply chain issues.… Continue

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Meet the candidates: Natalie Donaher, running in Ward 2 (West Sackville-Rockport)

Ward 2 (West Sackville-Rockport) candidate Natalie Donagher at the Tantramar all-candidates forum on November 12, 2022. Photo: Erica Butler

Natalie Donaher is originally from Moncton, earned a degree at Mount Allison, and now works in the science department at the university. She and her partner returned to Sackville in 2009, buying an older home in Wood Point. The support of her community made a positive impression on Donaher last year after experiencing a fire on her property. Before that, Donaher was involved with the advisory committee in the former Sackville local service district, and she was part of the mass resignation by committee members over frustrations at the lack of power they held with provincial officials. She points to the housing crisis and extreme climate impacts such as flooding and power outages as two areas where the new municipality can make an impact.

Listen to CHMA’s Meet The Candidates interview with Natalie Donaher, which took place November 7, 2022, at CHMA studios:

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 to comeContinue

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Meet the candidates: Kevin Scott, running in Ward 2 (West Sackville-Rockport)

Ward 2 (West Sackville-Rockport) candidate Kevin Scott at CHMA studios. Photo: Erica Butler

Kevin Scott is originally from Baie Verte, and moved to Sackville in 2008 when he started working at Moneris, later moving to Cannabis NB. Scott has been a volunteer firefighter for years, at Port Elgin, Sackville, and now the Point de Bute fire department. Scott says he has a voice, and he’s not afraid to use it, but also stresses that he’s interested in representing the concerns of people in Ward 2 and Tantramar. He is hoping he can keep a focus on health and safety issues such as emergency response service, and also on economic issues such as keeping and attracting new jobs to the Tantramar area.

Listen to CHMA’s Meet The Candidates interview with Kevin Scott, which took place November 10, 2022, at CHMA studios:

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: to comeContinue

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Listen for yourself: All-Candidates Forum features 19 of 21 candidates for Tantramar council

The Church by the Lake gym, which will also serve as the polling station for Tantramar on November 19, 21, and 28, 2022. Photo: Erica Butler

About 120 people gathered in the gym at the Church by the Lake on Saturday night to hear from candidates in the first ever election for the new municipality of Tantramar. The event was organized by a committee led by Sackville resident Carol Cooke, who served as moderator for the evening.

CHMA broadcast the forum live, and we’ve also put together the recording of the event in four parts for anyone who missed the live broadcast.

CHMA has offered introductory interviews to all candidates in this election, and you can check them out, along with other election coverage in our Local Elections 2022 page.

Mayoral candidates Andrew Black, Shawn Mesheau, and Bonnie Swift at the All-Candidates forum on November 12, 2022. Photo: Peter Stephenson

Tantramar All-Candidates Forum part 1: Opening remarks

Ward 2 candidates Natalie Donagher, Wendy Epworth and Barry Hicks at the All-Candidates forum on November 12, 2022. Kevin Scott was unable to attend the forum. Photo: Peter Stephenson
Ward 3 candidates Allison Butcher, Alice Cotton, Josh Goguen and Virgil Hammock at the All-Candidates forum on November 12, 2022. Photo: Peter Stephenson

Tantramar All-Candidates Forum part 2: Moderator question

What do you see as the single, biggest challenge facing the new Town of Tantramar?

Moderator Carol Cooke at the All-Candidates forum on November 12, 2022.
Continue
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Grassroots efforts to attract nurses to Sackville Memorial Hospital got results, volunteer committee reports

Former mayor John Higham, co-chair of the Rural Health Action Group speaking to Sackville town councillors on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Screenshot: Sackville.com/YouTube

A local volunteer committee says its efforts to recruit health-care workers for the Sackville Memorial Hospital are paying off.

The Rural Health Action Group updated town councillors on a partnership with the regional health authority on Tuesday, and suggested their grassroots approach could become a model for other communities.

The hospital’s emergency department has been operating 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. following service cuts linked to widespread labour shortages in the health-care sector.

In December 2021, Horizon health authority also converted all acute-care beds at the hospital into long-term care, citing the nurse shortage. 

On Tuesday, John Higham — who co-chairs the committee with Pat Estabrooks, both of them former Sackville mayors — presented figures that showed improved staffing numbers.

Listen to highlights from the Rural Health Action Group’s Nov. 8, 2022 presentation at Sackville town council:

Higham also confirmed that a highly anticipated return of acute-care beds is happening.

“It’s important to note that the inpatient services are coming back,” Higham said. “Major investment in two operating rooms was announced last week, that’s significant.  

“It’s going to be aligned with the waiting list for the region on operations, which is what we’ve also talked to [Horizon] about for quite a while, the Brunswick beds are turning back into inpatients.”

Improved staff vacancy rates in that unit were also noted in background documents circulated among Sackville town councillors.… Continue

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Burke resigns, Beal pinch hits, and Sackville barely acknowledges the change

Sackville CAO Jamie Burke at a town council meeting on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Image: Youtube

Sackville town council met this week for their first public meeting since approving the resignation of the town’s CAO, Jamie Burke. Councillor Sabine Dietz, the human resources liaison for council, acknowledged the resignation at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting:

“Mr. Jamie Burke, CAO for the town of Sackville, gave his letter of resignation at a special meeting of council on Thursday, October 27, 2022. Council has accepted Mr. Burke’s resignation letter, and council has appointed Michael Beal as acting CAO, effective November 2, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2022.”

No further comments were offered by council members on the resignation of Burke, who has served as CAO since April 2020, and before that as the town’s manager of corporate projects for six years. The silence was in contrast to this spring, when the resignation of then town engineer Dwayne Acton garnered kind words from a number of councillors, the mayor, and then-CAO Jamie Burke.

As Dietz explained, Burke’s resignation was discussed at a special meeting of council at noon on October 27, with all of council but for Bruce Phinney and Ken Hicks in attendance, along with Jamie Burke and town clerk Donna Beal. The town’s bylaws require that the agenda for all special meetings is posted at least 48 hours in advance of a meeting “on the Town’s Webpage and through whatever other reasonable means to notify the public are available.”… Continue

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