Local news and information from CHMA’s daily top of the hour report:
Henderson Block demolition today, pedestrian access remains open
The demolition of the 120-year-old Henderson Block on Bridge Street is happening today. Bridge Street has been blocked off to vehicle traffic since yesterday, but pedestrian access remains open on the opposite side of the street. Originally the town announced plan to close both sidewalks to pedestrians in the interest of safety. The sidewalk in front of Ducky’s and Fener’s Place remains open today, protected with metal fencing covered in fabric.
NBNU votes in favour of strike action
Members of the New Brunswick Nurses Union have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. 92% of nurses voted in favour across three bargaining units. But there’s no sign of a strike action yet, and the union and the province are returning to the bargaining table today. This will be the first time they have done so since late September. Over 9,000 licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners in the province have been without a contract since December 31st, 2018.
Rural Health Action Group responds to Horizon closure, and Horizon CEO comes to council
The Rural Health Action Group says it is appalled by a Horizon Health announcement on Friday that it would be closing down acute care at the Sackville Memorial Hospital. In a strongly-worded letter addressed to the premier, Minister of Health Dorothy Shephard, and Horizon management, the group says the relationship with Horizon and the province has been “fundamentally broken”. The group is asking the province to meet a short list of demands by Tuesday at 4pm, before it meets with regional leaders to discuss further action in response. For more on the response, see the web story here.
At the invitation of Mayor Shawn Mesheau, Horizon CEO John Dornan and three fellow administrators attended Monday’s town council meeting via video conference. Dornan told council he appreciated and understood the frustration expressed by the Rural Action Health Group, but said he and his team were responding to a crisis on Friday when they made the decision to close acute care at the Sackville Memorial Hospital. Dornan responded to one of the Rural Health Action Group demands and committed to working towards restoring services at the Sackville hospital. Stay tuned to chmafm.com for a web story later today.
Pedway plans get a significant boost
A group of citizens called the Sackville Footbridge Working Group has secured a $1 million donation to go towards the construction of a pedway over the Transcanada Highway where it bisects the Transcanada Trail. Group members Ross Thomas and Jeff MacKinnon presented to Sackville town council on Monday night asking for council’s support to move forward with the project and consult town staff. A motion is expected at next week’s regular council meeting.
Artist brings offer of public art piece to council
Local artist Indu Varma has secured a Canada Council grant to complete a public art piece dedicated to Sackville’s history. Varma presented her concept to Sackville town council on Monday. The art piece will consist of a number of images on ceramic tile arranged in the shape of a ship. Varma says she chose the ship icon to represent Sackville’s shipbuilding past, and also to evoke values of exploration and discovery.
