Photo By Carol Randall
BFN and Business Improvement Areas (BIA) throughout our Province are one of the purest forms of economic development. Commercial property owners within the BIA levy themselves .20 / $100 of assessed value on their properties and reinvest it back into the BIA to create and maintain a healthy, prosperous, beautiful and safe business area. It is important to note that no outside entity or government body forces these commercial property owners to do this. It is the will of the commercial property owners to reinvest in enhancing the existing services for both the business community and the public. A key accomplishment in 2016 was the review, completion and adoption of the Main Street Urban Design Plan. BFN invested $45,000 toward the cost of the plan’s development reinforcing our commitment to the long-term sustainability of the commercial district. This plan will shape the vision and development of Main Street and we were pleased to work closely with the City, the public and businesses throughout this process. There are five big moves identified within the plan which are: transitioning Main Street from a suburban to urban centre, enhancing linkages with adjacent neighbourhoods, creating a place where people want to live, achieving a unique look and feel and making Main Street the premier commercial business district on the City’s Northside. Development on Main Street is continuing. The Northside Plaza is almost full. As well, the development community has been supportive of the elements and vision in the UD Plan and they are utilizing these elements in their new projects.
Buildings brought closer to the street with parking in the center or back, increasing the density of residential and adjusting the scale of the street are all being impacted by these projects. Two new projects are approved and we trust they will be starting by 2017 if not before the end of 2016. Our façade grant program allowed members to access grants which leveraged approximately $55,000 of private investments. BFN also invested in beautification and clean-up of the BIA. BFN did planter clean up and maintenance. The “Clean Team” was also created by BFN to help the City of Fredericton keep up with weeding and garbage pick-up within the BIA. The Mitch Clarke Nasis’ Park has become so successful we could have built one double the size for the number of people who use it. All demographics are using this site. This year we held the Tim Bit Winter Classic in conjunction with the FYHA and City of Fredericton which was attended by 100’s of youth hockey players. BFN also began summer programing at the park. We worked with local instructors and held “Fitness in the Park” throughout the summer months. This program was offered free to the public and provided access to Bootcamp, Yoga, Zumba and Dance. BFN also hosted 14 Summer Concerts, the Hawkins Memorial Golf Tourney, the Park Christmas Tree, numerous member events, BFN Dollar Sales and continued our partnership with “Your Northside”. We look forward to 2017 and continuing our work for the benefit of our members and the greater Fredericton community.
Word from the Wards... Eric Megarity City Councillor Ward 6
Bruce Gandy City Councillor Ward 3
As we feel the summer slowly subside and Fall is in full bloom in our trees. It's a time to be thankful with all the great things happening in our City. The York Arena is now back in operation and it still has the best ice in town! The York Arena had some major renovation work completed with some delays due to some unforeseen issues, which are now resolved.
It has been a busy time at City Hall with new Mayor and council settling in and setting priorities for the next 4 years. As we head into the budget process we are focused on two areas‌renewing our old infrastructure, of which the Nashwaasksis area requires a great deal of attention and investing in making the city a more livable and cultural community.
Summer and Fall construction season is winding down and plans are underway for next Spring and Summer. Work is almost complete on the curbing and roadway on Greenwood Drive. The trail running along Cliffe Street is now being completed. The intention for this trail is to finally hook-in to the Killarney Lake trail system. We are all busy during our budget sessions to ensure the City's services and programs are cost efficient.
With the help of a concerned resident, a new Neighborhood Watch Group was started to help the police address a number of issues that we have seen happening in our neighborhood. I am pleased with the number of residents that came out to our initial meeting and stepped forward to be Block Captains. If you are a Fulton Heights resident who would like to become more involved or want more information regarding Neighborhood Watch, please reach out and contact me.
The Picaroons Brewery is in full operation and the owner is making plans to make it a community partner and hub. Carleton Park Plans are still being developed and it gave me great pleasure to see so many residents out at the open houses during the consultations. At this time, Suzanne and I would like to wish all the residents of South Devon, Baker's Point and Lower Saint Mary's a wonderful holiday season full of prosperity and peace‌.Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Finally, I want to wish everyone a Very Safe and Joyous Holiday Season with friends and family!
Greener Village Community Food Centre Written by Trina MacDonald Greener Village is home to the Fredericton Food Bank, The Unique Clothing Boutique, Community Gardens and an Educational Teaching Kitchen. This Community Food Centre Model is a community based organization focused on creating a welcoming, supportive environment where people can come together and find the inspiration to work towards change. Elizabeth Crawford Thurber, Executive Director says, “It is not about a hand out, but a hand up” and that is just what they have been doing since May 2012.
People began to gravitate to the teaching kitchen. They would pick up their food box, take it to the car and then return to the teaching kitchen for coffee and classes. The kitchen began to provide a place for people to socialize and learn in a safe environment. A place where they could talk about nutrition and ask questions without judgement. Some of the key learning elements have been introducing healthier options for recipes and helping create home pantries that are functional without requiring expensive ingredients. “Everyone gets stuck sometimes on what to make," says Lisa, "so the more information I can provide to those in our classes the better chance participants have to make healthy decisions.” Another unique aspect to the kitchen is that Lisa structures her classes around what tools her participants might have at home or what skills they need to learn. For example, some homes may only have access to a hot plate or one pot to cook with. Learning new skills like using herbs as well as kitchen and food safety are essential to successful cooking at home. Lisa can always think of a million things to cook but some of the items and/or ingredients may not be accessible to her students. She must stop and think about how to make it accessible. One example was her lesson on making mayonnaise, she taught the class how to make it by hand using a fork or whisk and a bowl. She did this because in many cases a food processor would not be accessible She focuses on methods and themes in her classes so each week builds on the other. She noted a recent class in which she taught students how to make a roux and then how to make five sauces from the roux, the sauces could then be used on the recipe they learned to make the week before. Lisa also invites people who have rented the kitchen space to return to teach their skills in canning, preserving or fermenting to Lisa’s weekly adult cooking classes.
The Community Food Centre is based on four target areas: emergency food and clothing, an educational teaching kitchen, community gardens and education is threaded throughout. Each area supports and depends on the others. The community food centre has seven employees and over 150 regular volunteers helping to support the operations. The community gardens were created to provide people with access to healthier foods. Typically, food banks offer non-perishable canned foods with little to no fresh produce. Fresh produce is often unaffordable to those living on limited incomes. The community gardens offer the opportunity to solve this problem related to food. Community garden plots are available free to registered clients and for a minimal fee for other members of the community. Plots provide the opportunity to grow individual choice foods and have been very popular for newcomers to Fredericton. There are also three large green houses that produce fresh greens and veggies for food hampers and the teaching kitchen. These greenhouses are planted and weeded by volunteers and corporate teams. This year, the three green houses grew approximately $20,000 in value of fresh produce for the community food centre. The teaching kitchen is central to the organizations mission of helping families and individuals improve their lives. It brings people together to help them better understand how to work with the food they receive, how to budget and extend foods, how to read labels and how to be creative in the kitchen. The teaching kitchen manager Lisa Wilby, a chef by trade with a nutrition background, joined the team in December 2014 and has been key to the success of the teaching kitchen community outreach. She began showing people how to take the items in the boxes they were receiving and using them in creative, healthier ways. Lisa spent time talking with clients and learned that they were often frustrated and unsure of how to be creative with the foods they would receive. She used this information to address the problem and began teaching classes that focused on how to use foods such as beans in various ways, making hundreds of different dishes with beans as the main ingredient.
Lisa has also started a children’s cooking class two Saturdays per month. Parents registered with Greener Village bring their kids to the kitchen and they learn how to cook their own foods. The children are extremely excited about hands on learning and are often more adventurous and willing to try new types of foods. “This is a great opportunity for the children to learn about healthier food choices early which will help them in the future” states Lisa. The teaching kitchen is empowering people of all ages. People who would never consider engaging in a public setting because of their circumstances are coming to the teaching kitchen engaging in making the coffee for the group, socializing and in some cases practicing English skills and even presenting how to cook a recipe of their own. This has become a safe non-judgemental environment for people to congregate to discuss food and have conversations with one another. As part of the teaching kitchen Lisa also does outreach in the community. She is always looking for opportunities to conduct educational cooking classes anywhere in the city and form partnerships with those who provide outreach to vulnerable populations. She can also provide Food Safety Training Certifications either in a workplace environment or set up training in the Teaching Kitchen at Greener Village. The Teaching Kitchen is a valuable asset to the Fredericton community. It has the space to host business meetings for up to 35 people and provide a catered lunch. People have used the kitchen for birthdays, retirements and private cooking classes. Greener Village Community Food Centre is a place where people want to go to learn, shop, grow, plant, cook and more…the stigma of accessing a Food Bank is becoming less…Greener Village is changing the past, by treating people with respect, equality and dignity for a brighter future. Greener Village is helping over 900 families during the holiday season as they do all year. If you would like more information about their programs and how you might be able to help, visit their website at www.greenervillage.org or call 506-459-7461 ask for Elizabeth or Alison or email Info@greenervillage.org.
Northsiders Making A Difference
Written by Trina MacDonald
Allison Brooks
Mr. Allison Brooks was born in Fredericton in 1975, he grew up in the community of St. Mary’s First Nation in his family home on Maliseet Drive. Allison attended Kindergarten in a one room classroom on the First Nation, attended South Devon Elementary, Devon Middle School and then FHS. As a child Allison remembers how Wayne Brown, the recreation director at the time for the community, provided many options for youth and how those recreational opportunities captured his attention. After losing his father at a young age, Allison recalls how important organized sports became. Sports helped to navigate the challenges of growing up and by the time he reached FHS in grade ten, he was a respected football player whose talent landed him the starting quarterback position of the FHS Black Kats. His football career at FHS was a distinguished one that created the opportunity for Allison to attend Mount Allison University and further his education.
In 2008, Allison received a call from the Chief asking him if he would like to return as the administrator of CHSMES. He accepted and has spent the past eight years doing his best to provide a safe loving environment for kids. His goal is to ensure the children are equipped with the tools they need to be successful in life. Allison has spent time rebranding the school and creating a positive place that is culturally reflective of the community. The school logo has changed as part of this, the new logo is a turtle which represents Turtle Island, the creation story with traditional Maliseet motif and the words Wolamsotas which in Maliseet means, “Believe in yourself”. Allison wants to ensure that when children leave to embark on their own journey they have all the educational, cultural, social and emotional tools to be successful.
Allison seized this opportunity and graduated with an Arts Degree from Mount Allison a few years later. After leaving Mount A, he returned to Fredericton and enrolled in the education program at UNB. During this time, he also made a conscious decision to begin coaching youth minor football and working with children, many from the First Nation Community. As part of his education degree, Allison did his practicum at the newly opened Leo Hayes High School, where he could use his skills as both a teacher and a coach. He founded the Leo Hayes Football Program that year and began coaching the JV Football team that season. His goal was to keep the program educationally based using sports to help keep kids in school. It had worked for him and he wanted to help others. His impact on his young football players during this time has been far reaching with players continuing to University and obtaining their own successes and recognition because of his dedication.
In 2013, Mr. Brooks recognized the youth population was growing and space was beginning to run out at the existing school. During the same time, he noted the Band Council was considering where children in the early years could go. He and his colleague presented the projections on numbers and the proposed concept for an extension to the school for younger children. The goal being prevention, screening and socialization of children at an early age so they would be ready when they began kindergarten. Council agreed and approved his plan and now children as early as 2 years old can receive two years of interaction and care before they begin kindergarten. For Allison, it is about healthy bodies and healthy minds which begin at an early age and this program reflects those goals.
Allison had hoped to secure a teaching position at Leo Hayes and continue to coach the program he had founded. But luckily that did not happen! Instead when a position at the school was not available he moved on to work as the Aboriginal Youth Intervention Support teacher at Devon Middle School, where he stayed for one year. He then decided to move to New Zealand to play Semi Pro Football and teach because his academic credentials were recognized there as New Zealand was part of the British Commonwealth. A condition of playing in the Semi Pro League was that Allison was required to coach all their minor football programs, which included players under 10, under 14, the women’s team and men’s team. It was while he was coaching in New Zealand that he had an epiphany, he noted that many of the players he was working with were Fujian and Maori. Allison looked around and thought that many of these kids look like kids from my community, “Why am I not back in my community doing this?”. It was then Allison decided to return to St. Mary’s First Nation. When he returned, he applied for the Masters Program in Education at UNB and was accepted which changed any immediate plans he had to return to New Zealand. He completed his Masters and began teaching grade four and five classes over the next two years at Chief Harold Sappier Memorial Elementary School. He moved on to a position as the consultant for First Nations Education with the Province of NB and remained there for five years, although he always had returning to CHSMES in some way in his mind, he just didn’t know how or when. .
As the school administrator, he has become the quarterback for his team of professionals. He has brought together an energetic, positive and committed staff who are all focused on the message, “Believe in yourself” and creating positive impacts on young lives. He works with his team and supports his staff to ensure quality education is being delivered. He leads by example, never asking anyone to do something he would not do himself. Allison uses plans to ensure he is reaching measurable goals for not only himself but his team. In his first year, the goal was delivering a quality literacy program, year two was on numeracy, while at the same time continuing to enhance all areas within the school including physical education and the social and emotional well being of students. He is meeting the needs of the kids and the school based on the needs of the St. Mary’s community. The next step for Allison will be to help create a community education plan and vision of the school for the future. He is certainly open to the idea of using this template for a successful First Nation School with other communities should the opportunity present itself, but for now his focus is the children of St. Mary’s. Allison is an amazing force whose energy and enthusiasm radiates to those around him. His dedication to children, especially the children in his community, is immeasurable. He is empowering youth and preparing them to be successful in life and that will have a legacy far beyond his work today. Mr. Allison Brooks is truly a Northsider Making a Difference!
Word from the Wards... Eric Price City Councillor Ward 4
Steve Hicks City Councillor Ward 5
Well folks its been a busy summer here in the city of Stately Elms! Our Imagine Fredericton program has been a huge success with over 10,000 people giving us much needed input towards the creation of our next municipal plan.
Another fall has past us by and old man winter is again knocking at the door. Soon the snow will be flying and we will begin the busy Christmas season followed by what we hope is a quick and mild winter. Fingers Crossed!!!
The acquisition of Officers’ Square was completed and should mean some great fun at that location for years to come. The Tragically Hip concert was a huge success with record crowds. Parks and Trees kept busy improving our amazing trail systems and Roads and Streets did some much needed updates to infrastructure. The Wilmot Park splash pad saw record crowds, even Mayor Mike went for a dip! The Mitch Clarke Nasis Park skating rink will be up and going in no time and the Christmas tree will be a sight for the whole family to enjoy! The historic York Arena is up and running and should be around for years to come. The skiing trails at Killarney won’t be far behind. It is my sincere wish that you and your loved ones have a fantastic and safe Christmas Season.
One way to make our winter’s more enjoyable, is to take advantage of the many outdoor activities available in our community and the city as a whole. Our beautiful trail system is a great place to start, whether it’s walking along the banks of the Nashwaak or hiking around Killarney Lake, there are miles of trails to enjoy year round. If you’ve never been to Mitch Clarke Park in Nashwaaksis, I would suggest taking the kids. We expect the ice surface to be operating by early December. As the New Year approaches, our very own Marysville Outdoor Rink should be up and running and based on the early weather predictions, maintaining ice shouldn’t be an issue this year. So get the skates sharpened and maybe pick your child up a Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey which will surely put a smile on their face. If outdoor activities aren’t your thing, then perhaps check out www.theville.ca as they have activities year round for all ages. I would like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season and would like to remind you of the Marysville Y’s Men Community Breakfast occurring the third Saturday of each month from 8am -10am.
Written by Trina MacDonald
Stevie Hall Polchies Stevie Hall – Polchies is a proud young Aboriginal woman who is making her voice heard. Born in Saint John, Stevie moved to Fredericton at the age of 2 and grew up in the community of St. Mary’s First Nation. She attended South Devon Elementary, Devon Middle School, Leo Hayes and Devon Park Christian Academy in grade 9…returning to Leo Hayes for grade 10. Stevie is a traditional dancer in the Aboriginal community and her dancing has made her a role model for young dancers. She began as a Jingle Dress dancer at the age of five. The Jingle Dress dance is considered a healing dance. These dancers are often called upon to dance for the sick, injured or grieving community members and it is the energy from the jingles attached to her dress that makes the sounds when the dancer moves, this is the call to the spirits to help heal. As Stevie grew older, she recalls wanting to try other forms of traditional dance and cultural expression. It was traditional Fancy Shawl dancing that ultimately captured Stevie’s interest and she decided to move to Fancy Shawl when she was approximately ten. These dancers wear beautiful colourful shawls with long fringes, moccasins, as well as leggings and resemble butterflies with their movements. Fancy Shawl dancers require a great deal of stamina, strength, discipline and endurance to perform the dance itself. The colours of the dancer’s regalia are also extremely important and Stevie found her colours during a ceremony to ask the creator for guidance. The colours bright lime green and white came to her in a dream soon after. Stevie designed her regalia and worked with a designer to have it made. Recently, Stevie participated in a photo shoot for the Canadian Geographic Magazine in her regalia for their cover. She has also danced at numerous Pow Wows and events throughout New Brunswick and the Maritimes. Dancing makes Stevie proud to be an Aboriginal woman who is part of a community were everyone supports one another. Stevie also dances at fundraising events such as, the First Nations Children’s Futures Fund, a program designed to support recreation, language and culture. She is known in the community as a good dancer and that motivates her to want to work hard to be the role model for younger dancers and make her community proud. Stevie also volunteered to be a part of a CBC documentary called, “Girls of St. Mary’s”. She spent six months being interviewed and filmed both individually and in group settings by an independent reporter with CBC. She and two other young women from St. Mary’s spoke about their experiences growing up in a First Nation Community and what it meant for them to be a young Aboriginal woman in the mainstream. They discussed difficult topics and brought their voice to issues. The documentary aired on CBC in the fall of 2016 and will air on APTN in 2017. In the summer of 2016, Stevie tried out for the volleyball team with Team New Brunswick who will be representing the Province at the North American Indigenous Summer Games. She’s moved on in the tryout process and will be working toward making the team representing our Province in July 2017 in Toronto. This team will compete against other indigenous athletes from across Canada. Stevie is also looking toward the future. Stevie was recently accepted into the “I. Business Program”: A National Mentorship Program for Indigenous Youth with Cape Breton University. This is a program that choses Aboriginal grade 10, 11 and 12 students and teams them up Aboriginal business mentors. Students and mentors work together during the school year on a variety of business challenges that the mentors facilitate, using smartphone technology. In addition to the business challenges, Stevie will be travelling to Cape Breton University and afar for conferences and workshops to interact with other students from across Canada. In the future, Stevie sees herself working as a lawyer focused on aboriginal issues with the goal of making a change for the better. Stevie is a determined young woman, with a deep sense of community, who will continue to make impacts as a Future Leader. .
Simon Peterson Born and raised in Marysville, Simon Peterson prides himself on knowing everyone in the area. He grew up with his parents and sister in a very close knit family. Simon attended Alexander Gibson Memorial and Devon Middle School. He is now in his grade twelve year at Leo Hayes High School. His focus at LHHS is in Liberal Arts and Science. On top of his school work Simon is involved in an amazing amount of extra curricular school activities. He is involved in student leadership and has joined the Student Representative Council as the Co-Representative for the grade twelve class. He and his co-representative are responsible for activities for the Grad Class such as the Grad Bon Fire, Grad theme days, basically anything that is not handled by the Safe Grad Committee is the responsibility of Simon and his co-grade twelve rep. Peer Mentors has also been a large part of Simon’s life since grade ten. Peer Mentors are also considered one of the key leadership groups within the school. This program teams up grade ten, eleven and twelve students with new grade nine students. The role of the Peer Mentors is to make the new grade nines feel welcomed at LHHS. One of Simon’s passions is acting. He was chosen for the lead role in this year’s musical for Leo Hayes High School which will have him performing in front of hundreds at the Fredericton Playhouse. He has been a part of the annual production at LHHS every year since grade 9. He is currently auditioning for Dramafest which is held at Saint Thomas University. Dramafest brings together students from all over New Brunswick to perform a show at the festival and Simon hopes to be a part of this event again this year. Like the annual production, he has also participated in Dramafest for the past two years. When asked what he loves about acting, Simon says, “When you are acting you are putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and learning a new lesson. In my mind, it rounds me out as a person. Rather than living my life out just as Simon, I can live my life as me and as all the characters I portray and learn from their experiences.” Science is also an important part of Simon’s life; he is currently taking Biology and Chemistry as part of this science focus and plans to finish his requirements in both. Completing his science courses is part of his larger plan should he change focus at University on his career paths. Creativity is a constant in Simon’s life as he loves to read and write. He notes that whenever he has a pen and paper, he immediately starts writing short stories. The stories just flow from him and once they are on paper he can get them off his mind. His love of writing goes back to fourth grade when he was asked to write a short story about children in WWll by his teacher, instead of a few paragraphs he handed in six pages. He is also an avid reader and notes his mom helped cultivate this love of reading with shelves of books throughout their home. His inspiration depends on the topic. Teachers have been inspirational as it relates to his love of acting, musicians have inspired him and Simon’s friends and family inspire him by cheering him on and supporting his interests and everything he does. Simon has some exciting decisions to make about which direction his future will take…drama or science. Simon has been accepted into the Criminology, Criminal Justice and Sociology Program at Saint Thomas University. He is considering a career in the field of law enforcement or law. However, he would love to start a career in acting and/or theater later on in life or just as a passion on the side. For now, his aspirations are to attend STU, however, should a career in acting present itself he must make some very tough decisions. Simon’s goal is to be happy in whatever he chooses in life, whatever that may be or whatever the future may bring. Certainly, words to live by from a Future Leader.
Word from the Wards... Dan Keenan City Councillor Ward 1
Mark Peters City Councillor Ward 2
Well folks, it's closing in on the Christmas season once again! It's my hope this has been a good year for you and your family.
As the 2016 Holiday Season is here and a great year is coming to an end, the city crews are getting into full swing to keep our streets clear and safe for the winter months.
Fredericton is growing and it's important for each of us to have a say in how that growth occurs and what our city looks like for the next generation. Have your say by being involved in our Imagine Fredericton process as we update our municipal plan. Visit our website and look for Imagine Fredericton. For residents in the Clements Drive area, look this spring for a community meeting to discuss the development of park space in the Gilridge/Regiment Creek area. There is park land designated in the subdivision plan to further enhance quality of life in the area. Let's make the development of the park a community undertaking! Make sure you plan to attend the New Years Eve celebrations in Officers Square this year. It should be a great event with lots of music, skating and I believe some fireworks to ring in the New Year. That's it for this edition. For all the residents of Ward 1 and indeed all of the Fredericton area, have a Safe and Merry Christmas. Best of the season!
I look forward to an amazing 2017 and encourage everyone to get out and be active in the community this winter with lots of functions to be held in the city! UNB will be hosting the 2017 & 2018 Men's National Hockey Championship at the Aitken Centre so make sure you get out and support UNB's quest for another banner! Keep up to date with Ward 2 and Fredericton on Facebook and Twitter @MarkPetersWard2 Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays