On today’s CHMA daily news:
- Students concerned about rising costs in residence fees and tuition;
- Sackville town council to consider support for two summer events;
- Chiefs disappointed in Premier after meeting on systemic racism inquiry;
- New Brunswick’s border form is now online;
- Assault at the border weigh scale;
- and the COVID numbers update.
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COVID numbers
New Brunswick Public Health reported one new case of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
A man in his forties from Zone 3, the large region surrounding Fredericton, has tested positive.
Officials say it is a travel-related case, and the man is self-isolating.
Just over 1900 test results were reported in the province in the past week, about 400 short of the threshold recommended by Chief Medical Officer of Health Jennifer Russell in May.
Prince Edward Island officials also reported one new case of COVID-19 yesterday.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Heather Morrison says the latest case is a close contact of someone in the cluster of cases discovered last weekend.
A man in his 20’s originally tested negative, but then developed mild symptoms Wednesday and was tested again.
PEI now has six active cases of COVID-19.
Nova Scotia announced no new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The province has four active cases.
Worldwide, daily new cases are still on the rise, with the US reporting the most—over 60,000—new cases yesterday.
Border assault at weigh station
A vehicle compliance officer was assaulted while working at a scale house on the Nova Scotia side of the Aulac border Wednesday evening.
It’s believed the man was grabbed by the neck during a routine truck inspection, and is now okay and resting at home.
RCMP say a 53-year-old man from East Amherst was arrested in connection with the incident and has been charged with assaulting a peace officer and breach of conditions.
New Brunswick’s border form is now online
New Brunswick has released an online form to be filled in advance of border crossing, in an effort to speed up wait times.
Once registered online, travellers are expected to print a copy of their form to present at the border.
It’s not clear how the system differs from advance filling of the paper form required for crossing into New Brunswick, which was already in place.
Everyone entering New Brunswick by land, air or sea must register, including residents of the Atlantic Bubble and New Brunswick.
People who travel regularly, such as daily commuters travelling for work, can apply for a multi-use registration.
Town council considers accommodations for giant cube projections
Sackville town council will meet this coming Monday, July 13th.
Councillors will be considering motions for support of two events happening this summer in Sackville.
Sappyfest has asked the town for some accommodations around the site of the Terra Beata cranberry freezer.
The festival, along with Struts and Owens galleries, are planning to stage projections on the wall of the cube this summer.
A socially distant viewing area will be established, but the main purpose of the event is to be able to document the performance.
Sappyfest announced in May that they would not be hosting their regular festival this year, and the cube projection is one of the alternative events in their “Plan B, virtual” festival.
Sappyfest has asked for a temporary Crescent street closure, an exemption to the noise by-law, use of the public works lot across from Terra Beata, and access to a power source.
Town council considers funding for Levee on the Lake
Another summer event is on the agenda for Monday’s town council.
Levee on the Lake, a new COVID-friendly live music event happening this summer on Silver Lake, is asking for $12,000 in financial support.
Producers Shelley Chase and Stacey Read are planning to host three concerts on the shores of the lake, while audience members attend in boats or watercraft, something they say is naturally distanced.
Councillors were supportive of the idea at a discussion meeting this past Monday, but some were concerned about the propriety of giving public funding to a private business.
A similar concern quashed an effort to establish a general COVID-19 Recovery Fund for local businesses several weeks ago.
But this time enthusiasm prevailed, and council asked CAO Jamie Burke to come back with specifics for final approval this coming Monday, June 13th.
The town does not release motions for consideration in advance, so it’s unclear yet how much funding will be proposed, or how it will be disbursed.
Mount Allison students facing rising residence and tuition costs
Mount Allison students will be facing more than just increased tuition costs in September, says Student Union president Jon Ferguson.
Ferguson is concerned for students experiencing hundreds to thousands more in unexpected residence fees on top of the tuition increase.
He explains that students are no longer able to share rooms due to COVID-19 risks.
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“There’s a lot of students that were going to be in double or triple rooms and they had to upgrade to single rooms. In certains scenario it would be somewhere from $500 to $1000, for a lot of students that would have to upgrade. If we’re talking about the worst-case scenario, you’re looking at an upgrade of well over $2000. I think it was closer to $2500 or actually even higher for one student living in residence for those eight or nine months.”
Mount Allison’s media relations officer Laura Dillman says students who are impacted will be able to “apply for bursary assistance based on financial need.”
Mount Allison student Alison S. is concerned about the increased tuition fees for herself and fellow students.
Alison could not find a summer job due to COVID-19. She is relying exclusively on student loans to pay for the increased tuition and fees this year, which she says is, “very unsettling.”
Alison is disappointed in Mount Allison’s recent choices. She says “students are often heard but not necessarily listened to by the administration.”
Alison endorses the student union’s initiative to repeal the tuition increase, which includes an online petition on Change.org.
Fourth year Computer Science student Justin Hughes started his own online petition after he heard about the tuition hike through social media on Tuesday.
He says he worries that by increasing tuition this year, Mount Allison could be driving away students.
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“Many students will probably be looking at either, like taking a gap year or completely going to a different school together.”
Hughes points out that Mount Allison has the highest undergraduate tuition in the country, and many other schools offer lower rates.
He also worries that he might not be getting as much value from his educational experience this year, due to classes being moved online, with only some on-campus components.
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“I think that if students are put in this position where they don’t have a professor who is quite as available as an in-person class, then they shouldn’t have to pay as much because they’re not getting as much out of the class.”
Hughes says while he knows that rising tuition is a problem at other universities as well, he feels the Mount Allison administration needs to do more to help keep student fees affordable.
Chiefs disappointed in Premier after calling for independent inquiry into systemic racism
Wolastoqey Chiefs met with Premier Blaine Higgs yesterday to present their case for an independent inquiry into systemic racism against Indigenous people in the New Brunswick justice system.
Chief Ross Perley of Tobique First Nation spoke after the meeting and says that Higgs refused to call an independent inquiry.
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“Well, we went in optimistic and we started the meeting with the Premier and the ministers, and they were very positive about working together. But we later found out that they came in with their own agenda and the proposals that we tabled weren’t going to be considered. New Brunswick has a systemic racism problem, especially in the justice system. And we all live it. Our people live it. The incarceration rates are high. Why? Because a lot of people are poor. A lot of our people can’t afford lawyers. A lot of people can’t afford to travel to the courthouses. These are issues that that aren’t being addressed or aren’t being… the stories aren’t being told. And we want that to be told in an inquiry. That’s why we push for it.”
The Wolastoqey Chiefs came to yesterday’s meeting with draft terms of reference for an inquiry.
They asked that an inquiry be designed and led by Indigenous people, and tasked with “examining the relationship and state of conditions between Indigenous people and the justice system in New Brunswick.”
The chiefs are asking that an inquiry come back within 60 days with immediate recommendations from previous studies and reports.
They are asking that a six month timeline be established for a final report to include further recommendations ready for implementation.
Premier Blaine Higgs told reporters that systemic racism is a national issue, and that an inquiry should be under federal jurisdiction.
On Wednesday, Green Party leader David Coon issued a statement in support of an independent inquiry, saying it could “hold up a mirror to our policing and justice systems.”
CHMA Daily News is hosted Mahalia Thompson-Onichino, and produced by Erica Butler, with contributions from Bruce Wark, Meg Cunningham, Aura-Lynn Groomes, Geoff de Gannes, and James Anderson.
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