River Valley Sun Vol. 1 Iss. 2 . March 15, 2019

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CAO LEAVING

PINSENT WILL SAY GOODBYE TO WOODSTOCK IN JUNE

By Jim Dumville

L

ess than two years after taking on the top administrative job in Woodstock, CAO John Pinsent advised council he will be stepping down in three months.

Pinsent cited family issues as the reason he’s leaving, saying he will remain on the job until June.

Pinsent explained his decision with a post Sunday morning on the Facebook page he established soon after becoming Woodstock CAO in 2017.

“I started this Facebook page to engage and promote transparency and I feel in the spirit of transparency I need to tell you that I resigned

this week from the position of CAO for the Town of Woodstock,” he said in the post.

Both on Facebook and in conversation, Pinsent said the reason for leaving “is entirely related to family.”

“I haven’t mentioned my family much on this page but those who know me know my family comes first,” he said.

Pinsent told the River Valley Sun his wife’s family roots are in the Kingston-Ottawa area. They left that area when he accepted the job in Woodstock.

He said his mother-in-law died only a month after arriving in Woodstock and

now his wife “has a desire to be closer to her loved ones.”

Pinsent said his wife has always supported him in the past, and he now wants to support her.

Woodstock Mayor Art Slipp said Pinsent advised staff and council of his decision last week, adding it comes as a disappointment, but they understood it’s a decision for him and his family to make.

“We’re certainly very very appreciative of the contributions he made to the community while he was here,” said Slipp. “I Continued on page 2

Privilege to Serve: CAO John Pinsent says despite his impending departure for personal reasons, he loved serving the community of Woodstock. (Photo submitted.)

LOCAL WOMEN HONOURED

SHE SHINES AWARDS HANDED OUT AT THIRD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY LUNCHEON FUNDRAISER

By Jim Dumville

T

Awards Handed Out: From left, recipient Amy Vernall, recipient Kelly Haley, recipient Amy Anderson, recipient Tina Harding’s son Hunter, her husband Scott, and her mother Valerie Hunter, and recipient Deanna Tomah. (Ashley Marie Photography.)

he electric group of women who were presented awards on Friday in Woodstock clearly demonstrate there are several ways to shine.

Close to 125 people gathered for lunch over noon hour Friday, March 8, at the Best Western Woodstock to honour five women selected as the 2019 She Shines Awards recipients.

The award ceremony, held on International

Women’s Day, paid tribute to Amy Vernall, Kelly Haley, Amy Anderson, Deanna Tomah and Tina Harding.

While each recipient used a unique set of skills to warrant the admiration and appreciation of the She Shines committee, including Chelsey Phillips, Ashley Ketch and Brittney Toner, and the more than 120 people on hand, they all made a farreaching impact on their

community.

Amy Vernall Vernall, the first recipient of the event, was nominated by someone who knows her best, her husband Aaron, who works out west to provide for the family.

While being a mother to a two-year-old son and nine-month-old twin daughters would be a full Continued on page 2

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CAO leaving Continued from page 1

wish John and his family well.”

The mayor said council and staff met to begin working on a transfer plan, adding efforts to find Pinsent’s replacement will start as soon as possible.

Pinsent arrived on the job in the fall of 2017, replacing former CAO Ken Harding, who retired after more than 30 years with the town.

Pinsent, a veteran of provincial and federal civil service, said the Woodstock CAO position was his first foray into municipal government.

“Woodstock is New Brunswick’s First Town, but Woodstock was also my first town as an administrator,” he said.

In a short time in office, Pinsent quickly raised his

profile within the town. He said he’s now realizing the impact of some of his decisions.

“It’s been interesting for me to realize some of the stuff that I’ve done that I didn’t think was that big but made an impact,” he said. “That’s a good thing.”

When arriving in town for his interview on June 21, 2017, Pinsent said he took a moment to sit on a vacant lot on Main Street overlooking the St. John River. He said picturesque setting had an immediate impact.

“I’ve had people who’ve come here since then that described it as a quaint little town,” he said.

He said that matched his initial feelings when he arrived in town.

“I think it still is that quaint little town, but I think this quaint little town

Local Women Honoured Continued from page 1

plate for most people, Vernall is also a realtor, who got her licence shortly after the birth of the twins.

If that were not enough, Aaron, who described Amy in his nomination as an amazing wife and his best friend, said she is always trying to find new ways to give back to the community through work and volunteer initiatives.

“When Amy walks into the room her smile lights the place up and no one can miss how amazing she is,” Aaron wrote.

“Being a working mom of a toddler and infant twins is crazy,” said the committee in accepting the nomination.

“Being a working mom of toddler and twins and her hubby out west makes her a rockstar.”

Organizer Chelsey Phillips said when she called Vernall to tell her the news she was so humbled she cried and immediately wanted to call her husband to thank him for recognizing how she shines in his eyes.

Kelly McLean-Haley Haley, a mother of four, was introduced by her daughter Ally, who touched on the many ways her mother touched

the community.

Haley’s nomination addressed some of the many contributions to the community she delivers through her varied roles as a teacher, an educator, a coach, a volunteer, an advocate and a mother.

“She is passionate about physical education and mental health and has shared her knowledge and expertise with her community over the years,” explained the nomination.

A quote from the nomination captured Haley’s essence.

“Her heart is spacious; her soul is compassionate and those who know Kelly can attest: she makes people’s lives better and brighter. She genuinely shines.”

Deanna Tomah Mandy Tomah introduced the event’s third She Shines Award recipient Deanna Tomah.

She explained in the nomination how Deanna goes far above her job expectations, advocating and aiding both her clients and her staff.

“Her efforts are endless and still you can be sure that you are unaware of 85 per cent of the good deeds she does,” said

can become more than that.”

Pinsent said he became more convinced the vast potential of Woodstock after meeting residents, especially some of the business leaders, who have a strong commitment to town growth.

“This community has a very solid base of entrepreneurship that makes this town what it is,” he said. “Those community leaders, in support of council, drive this town and make it a special place.”

Pinsent said one of his more visible early projects served as an example of the business support.

Soon after arrival, during a tour of the town, Public Works employee Andrew Bird raised the issue of an outdoor rink.

After checking the insurance status of such a

project, Pinsent said, they started planning it at an administrative level. Within no time, he said, local industry, including John Deere, Community Metal, Kent Building Supplies and others, stepped forward and the community rink became a reality.

He said a less tangible effect of his short stay was a reflection of his management style, noting he believes in encouraging staff to take more responsibility. He believes that will be a benefit during the upcoming changeover.

As he leaves, Pinsent said several major projects remain in the works, including securing final funding for the town’s number one priority, the second well source in Grafton. He believes Public Works Director Andrew Garnett has that project well in hand, so he be-

lieves it will be okay.

He said a second major project is the energy retrofit at the AYR Motor Centre, noting the town just completed the application for funding to the Municipal Capital Borrowing Board.

“That still has to be handled,” said Pinsent.

Slipp agreed both major projects are important but should be in good shape moving forward.

He said the AYR Motor Centre retrofit is an important next step for the 25-year-old facility.

Pinsent said updating the long-range municipal plan is ongoing, adding it’s his goal to ensure everyone understands the details of all major projects.

“I want to just make sure there’s nothing that only John knows,” he said. “Any question that

could be asked of me once I leave any staff member can answer.”

Slipp said one of Pinsent’s greatest skills, which appealed to the town when he was hired, was his knowledge of accounting. The mayor said he could develop a financial plan 10 or 20 years into the future.

If Pinsent can offer advice to a successor, he said it would be to continue the engagement, transparency and community outreach.

As he prepares to leave, Pinsent said, he wanted to thank council for believing in him and giving him a chance to work for the first time in municipal administration.

He said he still believes in the vast potential of Woodstock.

“It won’t be easy, but it can be done.”

Mandy. “Deanna is not one to talk or boast about the work she is doing. She genuinely believes that’s just what you do.

She outlined Deanna’s efforts to help those in need by offering her time and resources to improve the lives of others, said Mandy.

“The world, our community is a better place because Deanna Tomah is in it,” she said.

by awarding her the She Shines Award.”

age and love for family.

Even as she battled her own cancer, Graham explained, Tina reached out to cancer survivors Heather Hogan and Doug Graham to help launch Living Beyond Cancer Peer Support Group.

“Often, those who inspire us most are those who work tirelessly to support others in their community,” Tina’s nomination explains. “They are selfless, giving, compassionate, invigorating and sympathetic. This defines Tina Hunter-Harding in her role as a cancer advocate, mom, wife, daughter and friend.”

The nomination described Tina as an outstanding example of dedication to family and friends, volunteerism and advocacy within the Woodstock and surrounding communities.

“Tina is truly adored by her family and friends and they all rallied together to write a passionate nomination letter that brought us to tears,” said Graham.

“She has inspired so many people and it is so wonderful to have the opportunity to celebrate her and hopefully give her some strength to continue her fight.”

Scott and Hunter, along with some other family members, wore tshirts with “Tina’s Team” in large letters on the front as they accepted the award and flowers for Tina.

She Shines committee member Chelsey Phillips opened the hour-long She Shines event by thanking the volunteers, the Best Western in Woodstock and their corporate sponsor, realtor Kerry Culberson.

Amy Anderson In her introduction of Anderson, friend Evelyn Clark outlined the wide variety of ways she improves the community, whether it’s musically, politically, socially or advocating for the environment.

In addition to be a cheerleader, promoting the community in which she lives, Clark said, Anderson takes a active political role.

She currently serves as Woodstock’s deputy mayor and ran as a candidate for the New Brunswick Green Party in the recent provincial election.

“She truly is a bright light, shining the spotlight on those things most important to her. Now it is our turn to shine the spotlight on her by recognizing her hard work and accomplishments

The River Valley Sun is a free, editorially independent monthly newspaper serving the Upper St. John River Valley of New Brunswick. “Our mission is to share feature stories, a variety of viewpoints, and information about local community events, minor sports, and municipal news that isn’t always covered by mainstream media. We believe a community is stronger when people know and understand their neighbours.”

Editorial Policy: The River Valley Sun welcomes letters on subjects of interest to our readers and prints columns on a variety of topics. Use of any material is at the discretion of the editors, and we reserve the right to omit or edit letters to meet space requirements, for clarity, or to avoid libel or invasion of privacy. Letters and columns published do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies or beliefs of the newspaper.

Tina Harding While tears flowed for many of the event’s recipients, few dry eyes remained when the final She Shines Award was handed out.

Tina Harding had to cancel her plans to personally accept her She Shines Award, when her current battle with cancer intervened at the last minute.

Instead, 17 loving members of Harding’s family, including husband Scott, son Hunter, and mother Valerie Hunter, were on hand to accept in her honour, while committee members shot a video for Tina to view later on Facebook.

Friend Sheila Graham introduced the award, noting her friend’s cour-

Woodstock Deputy Mayor Amy Anderson at the She Shines luncheon. (Ashley Marie Photography.)

River Valley Sun

Box 1000, Woodstock, NB, E7M 0E9

(506) 325-2552

PUBLISHER/DESIGN: Theresa Blackburn (506) 324-5700 theresa@rivervalleysun.ca PUBLISHER/DISTRIBUTION: Stephen Chisholm (506) 324-5711 (phone or text) MANAGING EDITOR: Jim Dumville (506) 325-8523 jim@rivervalleysun.ca

www.rivervalleysun.ca

ISSN # 2562-3893 Canada Post Mail Agreement # 43021515 The River Valley Sun follows the Canadian Press Style guidelines.

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA

Cafe reopens at URVH Sweet Spot provides important service

By Theresa Blackburn proached by customers

I

t seems the Sweet Spot café is hitting the spot for visitors and patients at the Upper River Valley Hospital.

The hospital has been without a café since January 2018, when the hospital auxiliary disbanded and closed the Common Grounds café.

Virginia Liston (with her husband Jeff) owns the Sweet Spot Bakery in downtown Woodstock and opened the Sweet Spot café last November.

Liston is still being ap-

who want to thank her for opening the lunch counter.

“Things have been going extremely well. A lot of people came and thanked us when we first opened.

We still hear that,” she said.

Liston plans to host an official grand opening in April 2019.

“Sandwiches remain popular - everybody loves our sandwiches,” she said. The menu also offers coffee, beverages, soups, a variety of daily specials, and an assort-

ment of baked muffins, sweet breads, and other treats.

“We didn’t change things much, but tried to connect with what existed prior. If it’s not broke, there’s no need to fix it.”

There are a few gift shop items, “but we don’t have it established fully yet.” For the time-being, Sweet Spot hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Liston hopes to expand services, but, for now, is keeping things pretty much the same as it was prior to the shutdown.

From left, Barb Cullins, Virginia Liston, and Darlene DeWare. (Jim Dumville photo.)

Building the Nackawic brand New economic development officer hired for town Story and Photo by Karen Howell

H

ow many communities can boast affordable housing, great schools, a beautiful waterfront nestled along the St. John River, not to mention the amenities, Crabbe Mountain and being close to the four-lane highway?

That’s what the Nackawic town council is hoping to promote by hiring a new Economic Development Officer to help move this idea forward.

In January, council hired Brent Sansom and he has hit the ground running.

“Brent has a strong business background, is semi-retired from the technology sector and currently works in consulting roles with other companies,” said Nackawic Deputy Mayor Greg MacFarlane.

He said he stumbled on Sansom and started talking.

‘It’s been interesting for someone to come in from the outside and to see his excitement for the potential of our community,” said MacFarlane.

The deputy mayor

said council and staff are looking at re-branding the community and sees waterfront development as one of the ways to accomplish this.

“Waterfront development is just one of the many ways to attract new money to the community.

Our new economic development officer believes this also,” said MacFarlane.

He said in the coming months Sansom will help the town achieve these directives.

“We gave him a list of preliminary ideas starting with meeting people in the community. We are also forming an economic development committee.

A vehicle to help attract more dollars, MacFarlane said. “Samson has been helping us with that.”

The new committee, which will have its first meeting this month, will consist of the mayor, deputy mayor, a former member of town council and four appointed members.

MacFarlane said three people have already agreed to sit on the committee and they are cur-

rently tossing around names for the fourth position. He said the economic development committee will have broad powers and will act on behalf of the municipality to pursue growth.

“We have to continue to expand our tax base to help the municipality,” said MacFarlane.

He believes tourism money is a part of what they hope to attract.

“There are tons of communities that do very well and with our geographic location and amenities we need to promote that,” he said.

MacFarlane said the committee will also be working with existing businesses to help promote growth.

“We want to package all of this and put it in a new branding strategy we are working on.”

The deputy mayor said he has long been “passionate about building the brand,” saying one slogan they will be using is “Nackawic Puts You on the Water.”

MacFarlane said the idea is to make everyone aware of what the community has to offer.

Greater Woodstock Chamber of Commerce

AGM and Dinner

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“We have what lots of people are looking for, we just need to advertise it,” he said.

As the committee promotes Nackawic’s brand, said MacFarlane, one of the tools will be an increased use of social media.

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RETR SPECT

Historic Treasures from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick and Personal Collections

More NEWSPAPER GEMS

Clockwise, beginning top left: a) The McCain Star’s first front page, June 28, 1968. b) McCain’s 1974 Top Growers Awards from the April 1975 edition of the McCain Star. At the time, 9,000 copies were being printed and distributed to McCain employees, worldwide. c) A 1930s letter to members of the Carleton Ko Klan (a division of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacy group) about supporting the Carleton Sentinel. d) A section of The Citizen’s front page. The free bi-weekly newspaper was distributed in Nackawic, Millville, Canterbury, and Harvey. Started by Greg MacFarlane, Mary Jo MacDonald, and Stewart Fairgrieve, the paper ran from 1998 to 2001.

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA

Whatever happened to the Golden Rule?

My Thoughts Exactly

By Jim Dumville

I

grew up in a Christian family. My father and mother were proud of their religious beliefs and raised their six children accordingly. The belief structure was never overbearing, nor did it weigh heavily on our lives. In fact, the shared beliefs lifted the weight from the shoulders of the half dozen growing, maturing minds in the household.

My parents used Christ’s teachings as the framework for their own parental guidance. They taught their children the importance of kindness, empathy and laughter. Oh, laughter was so important. They understood how the sounds of happy giggling children could lift the spirits of anyone in hearing distance.

Religion wasn’t discussed widely in our household, but I’m confident in say-

ing, like myself, my five siblings carry special memories of Sunday school at the community hall next door.

All children in our small community will fondly remember the annual Sunday school picnic on the beach-side grounds of Sunday school leader Martha Bailey and the Christmas concert at the community hall.

I remember the morning or evening church services at the Escuminac United Church and the community spirit which filled the small building. I admit as I reached my rebellious teenage years I tried to find reasons not to attend church.

I still smile when I remember my mother saying, “Ray, you have to make Jimmy go to church,” and my father replying with a smirk, “Lisle, I’m not sure it serves a purpose if I have to tie him to a pew.”

Truth is, I usually ended up going.

My father was a church elder and I’ve been told by many of his church colleagues he was usually the calming voice between disagreeing factions on church business. He also served a similar role as a member and chair of the local school board.

While Dad’s religious beliefs helped shape his lifestyle, I believe my father’s personality and core beliefs shaped his take on his religion.

My father recognized the contradictions in the Bible, from an eye for an eye, which counter opposed turning the other cheek. To him, Christian teachings were encapsulated in a single passage, namely The Golden Rule. “Do on to others as you would have them do on to you,” he would tell us. And he practised what he preached.

He rarely, if ever, judged another person. When I or someone else would be highly critical of the decisions or lifestyle of one of our struggling neighbours, Dad would remind us not to judge.

“You have never walked in their shoes,” he would say, reminding us we have no idea what happened in that person’s life to shape what he or she became.

My father never drank alcohol, never smoked and until his death when I was only 22 years of age, I never heard him swear.

One of my favourite tales of Dad happened when I was a teenager. As we were shingling our house, I watched as Dad smashed his hand with the hammer. Looking at his pulsating thumb immediately begin to turn colour I let loose with a series of expletives which should have peeled the paint. Meanwhile, my father looked at me and calmly stated, “Gee whiz, that smarts.”

While Dad didn’t drink, he never criticized those who did. I once asked him if ever tasted alcohol. He said no. He explained he was in his late teens when his grandfather asked him if he ever drank to that point. When he said he hadn’t his grandfather showed him the watch my father always cherished. He said the watch was his if he promised never to drink.

“I couldn’t drink,” Dad later told me. “I took the watch and gave my word.”

Growing up I remember my father talking politics and leaning conservative. He died in 1976, long before the introduction of 24-hour news and social media. While he could argue policy and

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political platforms with the best of them, I have no doubt Dad would be shocked to see the low level of today’s political discourse.

He would be particularly disheartened by the vitriol and venom espoused by those claiming to be Christian. He would be bewildered how so-called Christian leaders could even suggest a man with no redeeming Christian qualities could be God’s choice as president of the U.S. While he would be concerned about the actions of the younger Trudeau, he would certainly not stoop to the personal attacks and conspiracy theories so widespread today.

Dad was not a fan of the elder Trudeau’s policies, but he always expressed praise for his intellect, intelligence and dedication to his country. His political arguments never deteriorated to anger and insults.

My father would be most troubled by the hate, anger, greed and intolerance of those who wield their religious beliefs like a weapon. He would decry the lack of compassion and civility.

He’s no longer around to ask the question, so I’ll ask it on his behalf. Whatever happened to the Golden Rule?

In the name of my father and what he stood for, I now ask those who proudly claim their Christian beliefs to stop the next time they say something or post on social media and ask “does that reflect a Christian attitude?”

Jim Dumville is a resident of Woodstock, a passionate journalist, and the managing editor of the River Valley Sun.

Celebrating education / industry collaboration NBCC recognizes local private-sector partner Richwill Truck Centre Ltd.

T

he New Brunswick Community College -- NBCC -- celebrated its ongoing partnership with the private sector by awarding its first Industry Partner Award to Richwil Truck Centre Ltd., an international truck dealership and service centre with locations in Fredericton and Woodstock.

NBCC has a long-running collaboration with partners to enable solutions for the challenges of community and industry.

For more than four decades NBCC has been a driving force in New Brunswick’s economic and social prosperity.

It cites the college’s programs, services and initiatives which support the aspirations of individual learners and furthers the opportunities of the labour market.

For years, Richwil has partnered with the Woodstock campus of NBCC in a mutually beneficial relationship.

“Having the Truck and Transport Service Technician program here in the Woodstock area is a big plus,” said Richard Wilson, president of Richwil Truck Centre Ltd. “Trucking is a big industry in

this area; we’re sort of a trucking hub.

With students coming into the community to study, it’s meant a bigger pool of potential employees to choose from.”

Since opening in 1985, Richwil has employed approximately 10 of the college’s graduates at its two locations. It added Richwil has also been a popular workplace destination for workplace practicums and has assisted NBCC with the purchase of a used transport for training purposes.

Wilson said the most rewarding element of his ongoing partnership with NBCC is the awarding of an annual bursary.

“When I was first approached about donating bursary funds, I really saw the value in it,” he said. “The bursary fund is perpetual, and that was important to us.

We see a return, and that benefits us.”

Wilson is a proud alumni of the Carleton County Vocational School, the predecessor of NBCC. He graduated from the accounting program in 1974.

“It was certainly a year well spent,” he said. “It’s done well for me.”

Community Partners: Joshua Guerette (left), recipient of the Richwil Truck Centre bursary; Richard and Paula Wilson (centre) of Richwil Truck Centre; and NBCC President Marilyn Luscombe (right), President and CEO of NBCC. (Photo submitted.)

NBCC said the Industry Partner Award to Richwil recognizes the company’s consistent and dedicated support of NBCC learners and alumni.

“Getting this award makes us feel that our donations and time are appreciated,

and that’s always nice,” said Wilson. “I think it’s important for all employers to support the college because of what it does for us. Having the College here is a big plus for the whole community.”

– Submitted by NBCC

For more information on recycling, including pick-up days, visit the Western Valley Regional Service Commission website, www.rsc12.ca, or download the phone app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

SPOTLIGHT ON PAPER

6

’ TAKONUTOMAKONUWAL

(Maliseet word meaning ‘their stories’)

News and Features from Woodstock First Nation

Heartfelt words

Mother Tongue

By Anatasha Lyons

M

oshun is the Wolastoqey word for the heart.

In one of my many conversations with Dr. Conor M. Quinn, University of Southern Maine professor, I discovered that moshun might not have been the original word for heart.

He explained that the word heart in most Algonquian languages, except for the languages derived in the Northeast, is nitehi.

This word nitehi is similar to the root word of -tah-a in Wolastoqey Latuwewakon. It changed

because of grammatical rules, and can be traced back in linguistic terms to its original form of -teh-a.

Consequently, remnants of this ancient word for heart or -tah-a is found in certain words giving them a deeper, more holistic meaning.

Given the above, it makes perfect sense that, -tah-a, inclines to refer to a permanent state of the heart or a character trait.

Such as the word sakolitehe meaning he is strongwilled, is brave, having a strong constitution. Words with that ending are less common in the Wolastoqey Latuwewakon.

However, the ending -tah-a-si is more common. These are two root words which include heart, or -tah-a and the -si indicates oneself. These seem to be a more temporary state of the heart, like any feeling that could easily come and go.

Examples are:

Unprefixed Verb Stems Wolitahasi-Happy Kiwacitahasi-Lonely/Sad

Interestingly, the word for think in its changed verb stem form is elitahasi-. Therefore, asking someone what they are thinking in the Wolastoqey language intrinsically links the temporary state of the heart with the temporary state of mind. After all, no one can be happy or sad 100 per cent of the time.

Nulitahas, nit elitahasi.

I am happy; that is the temporary state of my heart and my mind. Or in plain English – that’s what I think. What is the temporary state of your heart and mind?

Anatasha Lyons is a wife, a mother, a teacher of the Wolastoqey language, and is involved in language revitalization efforts in Wolastokuk.

Words of the Month Heart Moshun/Məshon

Phonetically: Muss-hoon

(does not sound like moose, more like miss)

S/He is strong-willed.

Sakolitehe/Sakəlitehe

Phonetically: ZUG-gu-LEE-deh-he

I am lonely/sad.

Nkiwacitahas/Nkiwacitahas

Phonetically: Nn-gee-WODGE-ee-DAH-haaz

(Nn isn’t voiced but hummed like Mhmm, Wodge as in Dodge)

I am happy, that is the temporary

state of my heart and my mind.

Nulitahas, nit elitahasi/Nolitahas, nit elitahasi.

Phonetically: Nool-lee-da-haaz, nid ell-lee-da-haaz-ee Citation: Quinn, Conor M. (2014, 2019).

University of Southern Maine, Department of Linguistics

Correction to last month’s column: Good/Beautiful/Bountiful River Wolastoq/Wəlastəkw For pronunciation help, please visit https://pmportal.org

LOOKING BACK: Portrait of former Grand Chief “Oliver Joseph Polchies, Grand Chief of the Woodstock Maliseets for 21 years. Enlisted in Carleton and York Regiment in Fredericton in 1940. Shipped overseas to England on the Louis Pasteur in 1941. Received chest wound in grenade accident.

Returned to Canada on the Louis Paseur, via New York, and was hospitalized in Veterans Hospital in 1944. Returned to active duty the same year as Infantry Training Sergeant in Camp Utopia, New Brunswick. Polchies was released from active service in 1945, and returned home to Woodstock Reserve in New Brunswick. Received Victory Medal, CUSM and clasp, and Defense of Britain Coronation Medal.”

– Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

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WELLNESS

7

Your Guide to Healthy Living in the St. John River Valley

National Nutrition Month: Getting back to basics

Mere Mortal

By Kathy Sherwood-Orser

E

ach year the Dietitians of Canada declare March as Nutrition Month. This year’s theme is ‘Unlock the Potential of Food.’ There are five compoenents: The Potential to a) Fuel, b) Discover, c) Prevent, d) Heal, and e) Bring us Together We have often heard the expression ‘you are what you eat’ or ‘garbage in garbage out’ and while these may seem hurtful, the reality is we don’t eat to properly fuel our bodies. Healthy meals and snacks can help maintain stable blood sugar levels and lead to more consistent energy throughout the day.

Grabbing a bag of chips or a coffee and offerings from the local drive-through will NOT fuel your body properly.

Gathering and preparing foods have been a tradition for centuries.

Starting from a young age, inspiring children to shop, cook, and prepare food can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating. Yet, a recent survey found that 38 per cent of parents rarely or never let their child prepare a meal or snack. Yes, it is messier, it is harder, it is longer, but the ability to discover new and interesting foods when they are little is vital to setting them up for a lifetime of healthy habits.

Lifestyle factors, including what we eat, can influence our health. A nutritious diet can help prevent illness and can lower the risk of developing chronic diseases. A third of cancers can be linked to poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise.

Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can help protect you against some types of cancers.

There are many diets or “eating patterns,” and some are healthier than others. Some are obviously dangerous – even if it feels like everyone condones the latest fad diet – they are not a pattern of eating recommended by any health care provider.

The best eating pattern is one that you enjoy and can stick with.

The eating patterns that have been the most re-

searched for their health benefits include the Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets. The foods that are recommended on these patterns can help prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and some types of cancer. Here are some foods that are common to all of them: • Vegetables and fruit • Whole grains • Legumes • Nuts and seeds • Milk, cheese, yogurt • Fish, seafood, poultry • Healthy oils like canola and olive oil.

Many foods are known to promote healing, and learning the role food can have to prevent or manage certain conditions ( diabetes, celiac disease, swallowing problems like dysphagia, heart conditions, cancer and more) is a vital piece to the role health professionals can play.

It’s an enriching experience for people of all ages to share meals.

Canadians are busy. In a recent poll, 30 per cent of Canadians said it’s challenging to find time to eat meals with friends and family.

The biggest barriers to eating together are busy schedules like work and evening activities.

It’s worth the effort because everyone benefits when you eat in the company of others. Children who eat with their family have more nutritious diets, better academic performance, a lower risk of being overweight and less risk of eating disorders. Plus, children tend to have increased intake of vegetables and fruit, and a decreased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Teens who share family meals get better grades and are less likely to smoke, use drugs or alcohol. Adults who eat with friends and family tend to eat more vegetables and fruits, drink less pop, eat fewer meals at fast food restaurants, and have lower body mass indexes.

Older adults who eat as part of a group have better diets, improved nutrient intake and lower rates of malnutrition.

Often the community meets over food. We sit with others in restaurants, but are we truly present?

Are we focused on the sights of the amazing food in front of us? Are we in tune with the smells of the food presented or are we more focused on our phones, our watches or our schedules?

Do we sit down with our families and eat? Do we join our colleagues to eat? Or do we choose to eat in front of our screens?

I love the fact that a healthy eating guide recognizes and make suggestions far beyond the food we are eating or the

serving sizes.

The food guide does not give specific details on how many servings of any particular food, but does recommend using our brains to make healthy choices. It points us back to a time when we enjoyed planning, shopping, preparing, and eating food.

I love how the new guide states, without being wishy-washy, that juices, pop, candy, and processed foods are bad! If Health Canada won’t take a stand then why should we?

Kathy Sherwood-Orser is the Western Valley Wellness Network Co-Chair and Wellness Champion who lives with her family in her childhood home in Hartland.

Kathy and her family enjoying a meal together in her family’s home. (Photo submitted.)

A man’s ( and manor’s) best friend Carleton Manor introduces alternative therapy

Linda Currie

Story and Photo by Carolyn Brown

C

arleton Manor is proud to introduce you to Janice Wilson and her therapy dog, Reilly.

The two have been a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Team since August 10, 2017.

Reilly is a Labrador Retriever with a calm and loving manner.

She has a few tricks she sometimes likes to show off with, but mostly loves the visits and pats she receives.

Reilly completed the

Canine Good Neighbour Certification in 2017.

She regularly competes in CKC Hunt Tests, where she proudly attained her Senior Hunter title.

She enjoys waterfowl, hunting, and long walks with (guess who?!) humans.

St. John Ambulance is known nationally for their Therapy Dog Program.

Both the dog and the handler must meet the rigorous standards set

by St John Ambulance to

qualify as a team.

Carleton Manor has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with St.

John Ambulance. Both residents and staff are delighted to have this partnership.

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8

POTPOURRI

(... paying homage to late, local radio personalities Bruce Smith and Walter Tompkins)

A Roundup of Interesting Photos and Events

Juniper centre gets funding

Flag gathers more signatures

Photos and story by Barb Somerville

I

n February, the Juniper Community Centre received $7,201 from the Carleton North Community Foundation to help make the two-story building more energy efficient, with a goal of reducing the heating cost.

A grant of $3,654 from the Carleton North Community Foundation in 2016 helped purchase chairs and tables for the community centre’s many events.

Volunteer Ernestine Sweet sets the table for a Christmas event last December.

Tammey McLean pictured with the now-famous ‘unity’ flag. Carleton County native Matt Grant, who lives in White Rock, British Columbia, started asking for signatures for the flag back in April of 2017. Since then, the flag has travelled across the country, and now boasts more than 600 signatures. (Theresa Blackburn photo.)

Spring Break camp at MCS Volleyball guru instructs local students Photos and story by Jim Dumville

R

obert Grandmaison has a pair of passions -- the sport of volleyball and the love of teaching the sport to a new generation of athletes.

For the third straight year, Grandmaison brought both those passions to the Meduxnekeag Consolidated School during March break in the form of a three-day volleyball camp. With the help of assistant Emily Caldwell of Woodstock, Grandmaison delivered skills and life lessons to the 21 young volleyball enthusiasts.

Grandmaison, who over the past 21 years, has held volleyball camps across eastern Canada, including Ontario, Quebec and all Atlantic Provinces.

The Level 4 coach said this year’s turnout is the largest to date at MCS.

Well-known volleyball coach Robert Grandmaison, far right, with the help of Emily Caldwell, far left, held a three-day camp over the March break at MCS in Woodstock.

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA

Tobique-Mactaquac MP not reoffering in October

9

TJ Harvey cites family and hectic schedule for leaving politics

By Theresa Blackburn busy schedule was diffi-

T

. J. Harvey remembers the first time he was in the House of Commons.

“It was overwhelming and certainly humbling.

It’s easy, over time, to lose track of how humbling it is. You get caught up in the minutia of getting things done, and moving files forward and arguing about policy. It’s easy to become cynical.”

Harvey admits to still feeling the wonder of it all from time to time when he’s in Ottawa.

“Sometimes I catch myself in the House. I get caught off guard by my surroundings, looking at the people who sit around me and across from me.

You sit with people you’ve watched on television. It’s awe-inspiring.”

In October, Harvey will leave the awe he felt on Parliament Hill and return to his beloved New Brunswick after just one term as the Member of Parliament Tobique-Mactaquac.

He says the overly-

cult by times but very rewarding.

“As much as you think you can understand what the schedule will be like (when you are running for the nomination), you never understand. During the campaign, I thought 15 hour days were busy, but that’s nothing to what it’s been like.”

Despite his early departure, announcing last month he would not run in the fall election, he remains proud of what he was able to accomplish.

“The work we were able to do on visitability – that’s the highlight of the last four years for me.

The ability to take an issue that is so important to friends of mine and people who have lobbied for change makes me proud.

Having some measurable impact on how the National Housing Strategy was shaped, that’s also been a highlight. All of this, though made me quickly understand how taxing an MP’s schedule can be.”

Harvey says Christ-

mas last year was particularly difficult.

“It was then I started thinking whether or not it would be in my best interest to reoffer. I think it’s in the best interest of my kids, going forward, that I be in New Brunswick, fulltime.”

He says he knew deciding to leave politics was the right decision when he told his older daughter Emma.

“She was the first one to find out. She wanted to ask me about a fundraising idea she had for the spring to help the campaign. When I told her (what I decided), her second question was if we could go golfing together this summer.”

Harvey said his daughter instantly knew what the decision meant.

“Having more time,” he said. “That’s what she equated it to.”

Harvey wouldn’t say what his plans are for after October but hinted that he’ll be working in the private sector and that the job will keep him close to

home.

“That’s been the biggest impact of the job – how much time you spend outside the province.

You always struggle with spending enough time in your constituency. I’m not a policy wonk. I need to be connected to the people in the riding. My role is to work on their behalf. In four years, I never spent a weekend in Ottawa.”

Harvey went into the job hoping he could achieve work-life balance.

“The Prime Minister committed to retooling parliament to make it more family friendly for those of us with young kids, but that didn’t happen.”

An idea tossed around early in Justin Trudeau’s mandate was sitting for more extended hours through the week so MPs could have a travel day with weekends.

That proposal was shelved to deal with more pressing matters.

Harvey hopes people realize that while his job may change, his dedica-

tion to the riding and his home province never will.

“I ran with the best intentions. At the end of the day, whether some-

one views me positively or negatively, I brought everything I could to this job, regardless of my own personal circumstances.”

Business offers mobile esthetics services

Entrepreneur Laurie Kimball hopes to help seniors, new moms, and shut-ins

By Theresa Blackburn aurie Kimball of Oakland knows what it’s like when you don’t want to leave your home.

“I’ve suffered from anxiety,” she said. “I remember thinking how great it would be if people could just come to my house.”

Kimball’s new business, Aesthetics by Laurie, focuses on shut-ins,

new moms, and seniors.

“Anyone who needs the service but can’t leave their home is who I’m marketing to.”

Operating like a travelling spa, Kimball lets clients get comfortable in their favourite chair while she pampers them.

Offering pedicures, manicures, relaxation

massage, lash extensions, lash tinting, brow tinting and waxing services, she packs everything she needs.

“This isn’t just for the elderly, or people in the hospital. It’s for anyone.

Long term care homes, busy moms, people who can’t find a sitter, or friends wanting to get to-

Your Maple Leaf Home Retailer We invite you to come and visit our show home located just off Trans Canada Highway exit 188 at #245 Route 555.

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gether for a spa night.”

Kimball offers her services throughout the valley and has set up a Facebook page, Aesthetics by Laurie, for clients.

“I’m a people person, so this works out really well for me. I don’t have to pay rental fees for space, and I still get to do what I love.”

Laurie Kimball provides mobile spa services in western NB.

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10

NEIGHBOURHOOD NEWS Information and Updates from Your Towns, Villages, and Local Service Districts

Juniper

Coldstream

Hartland

Musical Saturday

Roast Turkey Supper

Morning Cáfe

The Juniper Community Centre will host an afternoon of music with Carleton County musicians on Saturday, March 23, from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is by free will offering; get your 50-50 tickets at the door. There will be door prizes and a delicious intermission lunch will be served.

Enjoy a traditional meal of roast turkey and all the trimmings on Sunday, March 30, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Coldstream W.I. Hall. Cost is by donation. Sponsored by the Coldstream Women’s Institute.

The Dr. Walter Chestnut Public Library will host a Morning Cáfe to discuss the new Canadian Food Guide. The event will take place on Wednesday, March 20 at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.

Community Breakfast Breakfast is served every Saturday morning from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Juniper Community Centre, located in the former school at 267 Juniper Road. Enjoy pancakes, French toast and breakfast sandwiches, as well as breakfast specials.

Woodstock Collectors Show/Sale There will be a Collectors Show and Sale on Saturday April 13 at the AYR Motor Centre in the lower level from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission for adults is $2, youth under 16 are free.

Benefit Breakfast

Try adult pickleball at True North Baptist Church from 9 to 11 a.m. on March 19, 26, and April 2 and 9.

Equipment is provided, all skill levels are welcome.

There will be a benefit breakfast for Robert Slipp and family. All proceeds will help the family as Robert battles cancer.

The breakfast will take place on Saturday, March 30 from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Woodstock Baptist Church. Admission is by donation.

Trivia Night

Bowl for Kids

Florenceville-Bristol

Adult Pickleball

Elementary School Trivia Night between Florenceville Elementary and Bristol Elementary will be held March 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bristol Elementary School.

Business Workshops CBDC is hosting two workshops at the Florenceville-Bristol Community Hall on March 27 and 28 to discuss Credit Policies and Collecting Receivables, and Excellence in Communication. Email matthew.seeley@cbdc.ca for more information.

Cunningham/Haines The Cunningham/Haines Band will perform at the Second Wind Music Centre April 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15, available at the centre and at the Andrew and Laura McCain Library, or by calling 506425-4999.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Carleton-York is looking for teams ]for the annual Bowl for Kids taking place on Saturday, March 30 at the Woodstock Bowlacade. For more information call Mary Beth at 3282094 or email bbbscy@ nb.aibn.com.

Career Fair NBCC will host their third annual career fair at the college gym on Thursday, March 28 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Many local companies will be in attendance.

Be sure to bring your resumes.

Women’s Self Defense The Woodstock Brazillian Jiu Jitsu Acadamy offers Women’s Self Defense Classes on a monthly basis. Their March class will take place on Sunday.

March 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. at 522 Main Street.

(506) 392-6763

florencevillebristol.ca

Canterbury Fireman’s Draw The Canterbury Fire Department 50/50 Draw takes place every Wednesday evening. All profits go to the purchase of new equipment. The draw is $3 to join and $2 a week to play. Sign up at the Village office, Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m, or anytime at Meductic Petro.

Nackawic Free Imcome Tax Prep Time to make your appointment for a free tax clinic. Available to families under $43,000, singles under $22,000 and students. Taxes are completed by a trained volunteer. Sessions take place on Tuesdays. Call the Nackawic Town office at 575-2241 to book your appointment today.

GET THE WORD

OUT

Look who’s reading RVS

Let us know what’s going on in your community so we can share the information and help your activity or event be a success.

Email details to theresa@ rivervalleysun.ca jim@ rivervalleysun.ca

(506) 375-4357 town.hartland.nb.ca

Staring Young: Seven-year-old Manasseh Nickerson reading the River Valley Sun. The son of Daniel and Krista Nickerson, Manesseh lives in Mapledale and is in Mrs. Saunders grade two class at Meduxnekeag Consolidated School. (Photo submitted.)

(506) 575-2241 www.nackawic.com

(506) 325-4600

www.town.woodstock.nb.ca

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 11

Millville Open House

Event to showcase proposed rural plan

By Jim Dumville

M

illville Mayor Bev Forbes hopes to see a large turnout March 27 when the village, in conjunction with Region 11 Regional Service Commission, hosts an open house at the Millville Municipal Building to showcase the village’s future vision.

Forbes encouraged everyone to drop by between 6:30 and 8 p.m.to gather information and provide input into the development of the village of Millville’s rural plan.

Forbes said the province requires the development of the plan, the first of its type for Millville.

With the help of the regional service commission, he said, a committee, including representatives of the village and the commission, formed last fall to develop a longrange plan for the community.

Forbes said other communities in the regional service area are already working on or have completed the mandated plan.

He explained the rural plan will outline a vision towards future development, along with policies

and proposals regarding land use. He said the plan will address such items as building-permit requirements and rules and regulations to be followed by property owners.

Forbes said the rural plan will include what types of renovations and property changes will require a building permit.

As an example, he said, repairs to a roof may not require a building permit, but adding a deck to a person’s home would require one.

He said the committee developed the plan over the past several months and recently presented it to the council. Forbes said council reviewed it and suggested some small changes.

He said the open house will allow property

owners and residents to view the plan and recommend their own changes.

“We will take the village’s feedback to the commission,” Forbes said.

While the plan doesn’t include zoning per se, Forbes said future development will go through regional planning to see if it fits into the long-range regional plan.

He added that existing land use will not be affected directly as it will be grandfathered into the plan.

He said the open house is designed to give the community direct feedback to the plan, so he hopes to see area residents take advantage of the opportunity to have input into the village’s longrange vision.

CARLETON-YORK JOB FAIR / SALON DE L’EMPLOI MARCH 16, 11 A.M - 2 P.M. LE 16 MARS DE 11 À 14 H NACKAWIC LIONS CLUB, 134 RUE OTIS DRIVE

Join Big Brothers Big Sisters of Carleton-York on Saturday, March 30, at the Woodstock Bowlacade from 9 to 2 p.m. for their biggest fundraiser of the year. To register your team, call 328.2094

Join the Workforce!

Chat with local employers who are hiring...

Joignez-vous au monde du travail!

Discuster en ligne avec des employeurs de la région qui cherchent á embaucher...

Dress to impress!

Habillez-vous pour impressioner!

Bring several copies of your resume.

Apportez plusieurs copies de votre CV.

Carl Urquhart, MLA

Love to cook?

We love to share recipes!

The River Valley Sun will be starting a monthly recipe feature in May. If you have a recipe you’d like to share, get in touch! Email or call Theresa at theresa@rivervalleysun.ca 325.2552

12

CONNECTION

Celebrating Inclusion, Diversity, and Community

Everybody knows Patti

Woodstock Special Olympian back on world stage Story and Photo by Jim Dumville

P

atti Connors takes her accomplishments and her fame in stride. Arguably Canada’s most decorated and well-known Special Olympian, she’s just happy to compete.

Now 40 years after the Woodstock athlete joined Special Olympics, she is soaking up the sun in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where she will compete in her third World Olympic Games.

Connors hopes to bring home additional medals to add to the hundreds she has collected over four decades of competition.

Evelyn Kitchen, Regional Co-ordinator for Western Valley Region, said she is proud to have

coached Connors for the past 14 years, adding the Woodstock athlete is well known within Special Olympic circles both nationally and internationally.

“Everybody knows Patti by her first name,” said Kitchen.

She said Connors is known, not only for her success on the playing field but also for her friendly demeanour off the field.

“She is one amazing well-mannered lady who is well known all across Canada,” said Kitchen.

“She is dedicated to all her sports that she competes in. Patti is a role model for all athletes and coaches.”

Western Valley Special Olympic Athletes, from left, Calvin Grant, Justin Pearce, Jennifer Jackson, Patti Connors and Herby Clark brought home a combined 17 medals from the provincial winter games in Miramichi.

Connors said heeding the instructions from coaches and team officials is important.

“If they tell me to stay someplace until they get back, I stay,” she says.

Kitchen says Connors showcases that same attention to her coaches’ instruction during competition.

“She is one of a kind female athlete, who listens well, knows how to pace herself and keep her thumbs up all the way to the finish line,” said Kitchen. Connors concurs.

“When I do the 400 (metre),” she said, “I keep my head up, run, pace myself and focus. When I get halfway I give it all I got.”

Abu Dhabi marks Connors’ third trip to Special Olympic World Games. In 1993, she brought home a pair of silver medals cross-country skiing at the winter games in Austria. In 1999, she earned two gold, one silver and a bronze in track and field in the world summer games in Raleigh, North Carolina.

That’s not counting a trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1983 for the Inter-

Local student named youth ambassador MacDonald-Auger one of 30 Canadians in the program

K

enzie MacDonald-Auger from Woodstock High School is among 30 Canadian youth who will be travelling to the Dominican Republic in April to participate in an EF service-learning tour.

The selected ambassadors will be working alongside community members on a sustainable development project to support local needs.

Once back from their trip, they will reconvene in Ottawa to meet with Members of Parliament and Senators to talk about their experience and present their action plans.

The grade 11 student at Woodstock High enjoys drama, art, English, and music. She plans to attend university to study psychology or criminology.

MacDonald-Auger hopes her experience with EF will help her to generate new ideas for the betterment of her own community and helping others.

“I’m hoping to expand my school project ‘Free and Fresh’ and start the idea of a community garden in Woodstock and prompt community involvement,” MacDonaldAuger said. “Programs like this (EF) empower youth involved on how to create great change when there is access to opportunities. It can make an impact on the next generation when they learn what they are capable of and hopefully it builds toward a better nation in the

future.”

The EF Canadian Youth Ambassador program is a five-year initiative launched in 2016 to provide mentorship and travel opportunities to a total of 150 Canadian youth representing every province and territory. The objectives of the program are developing global citizenship, creating social change, and fostering passion.

EF is an international education company focused on language, academics, educational travel, and cultural experience. It currently operates more than 600 schools and offices in over 50 countries to fulfill one global mission: opening the world through education. In Canada, EF has helped educators foster global citizenship through experiential learning since 1984. (Submitted by Anglophone West School Board.)

Woodstock Special Olympian Patti Connors with Evelyn Kitchen, co-ordinator of Special Olympic Western Valley Region, and Woodstock Mayor Art Slipp next to a banner of Connors. The banner will stand at the AYR Motor Centre while the athlete competes on the world stage in Abu Dhabi.

national Special Olympic track and field games.

Over her 40 years as a Special Olympian, Connors has competed regularly in the Western Valley Region and has crisscrossed the province and county participating in provincial and national games. Over the years, she has visited Saskatoon; Sudbury; PEI, Brandon, St. Albert, Vancouver, Corner Brook and Antigonish, as well as in several provincial games in every corner of New Brunswick.

This winter, just prior to taking off on her journey to Abu Dhabi, Connors and her Western Valley Region teammates Jennifer Jackson, Calvin Grant,

Herby Clark and Justin Pearce brought home a total if 17 medals from the provincial games in Miramichi.

Over her four decades, Connors has earned several major honours in addition to what Kitchen describes as “more hardware than the hardware store itself.”

In 1999, Connors was named Canadian Special Olympic Female Athlete of the Year, which led to TSN making a short film about her.

In 2017, at a gala in Toronto, with several famous athletes in attendance, Connors was presented the Dr. Frank Hayden Lifetime Achievement Award.

An honour which has a truly special meaning to Connors, in 2017 she was inducted to the Woodstock Sports Wall of Fame.

While Connors left for Abu Dhabi on March 6, the games did not officially begin until March 14. KItchen explained the early departure allowed the 163 Canadian Special Olympic athletes, coaches and officials to acclimate themselves to the desert nation’s heat.

Connors and Durham Bridge’s Jesse Canney are the only New Brunswick athletes in Abu Dhabi. They are joined

by New Brunswick Special Olympic official Jason Agnew.

Holiday Easter hosts needed MACC Looking for Volunteers

T

he Multicultural Association of Carleton County (MACC) operates a Holiday Host Program.

The initiative connects newcomers to Canada with well-settled Canadians to share some aspect of the Easter holiday with each other.

Community members who would like to volunteer as Holiday hosts will invite newcomers to participate in their Easter holiday traditions.

Holiday Host volunteers will have an opportunity to help create more welcoming communities. It is a one-time, short-term

volunteer opportunity.

Holiday Host Volunteers will be matched with individuals or families who want to experience Canadian traditions over Easter.

Holiday Host Volunteers will be required to fill out a volunteer application form and have a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check completed.

Activity ideas include, but are not limited to: *Cooking or enjoying a meal together. *Attending an Easterthemed event in your community.

*Participate in Easter activities, such as an Easter egg hung, painting Easter eggs, making Easter crafts or cards, or baking Easter cookies.

If you are a community member interested in volunteering with MACC as a Holiday Host, please contact Melissa Fitzherbert by email at melissa@ maccnb.ca or by phone at 328-4690.

If you are a newcomer (must be registered with MACC as clients) who would like to meet new people and experience local Easter traditions, contact Melissa at the email and phone number listed above.

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 13

Using particular interests to enhance a child’s learning

HOMEWORK

By Sandra Hanson

J

ust the other day I was reminded that when it comes to learning, integrating your child’s interests can make all the difference in the world. My son, like many boys his age, isn’t exactly an eager student.

He would rather be reading Harry Potter than Dickens. He would rather be playing Minecraft than doing the math. He would rather be drawing than writing or doing lessons in grammar.

Sometimes I, like many

teachers (or parents) I am sure, feel despair in ever getting him interested in his assigned work. However, it was eventually my son himself who showed me the way to unlock engaged learning.

My son loves to draw and frequently uses the computer to look up animated characters he then uses as guides for drawing. He told me one afternoon he was going to use the computer so he could make a book of mythical creatures from Harry Potter.

Admittedly, I didn’t give it much thought since there wasn’t anything unusual in his announcement. A couple of (silent) hours later, he came to me and showed me what he had been working on – and I was stunned.

My son who despises writing presented me with

six complete pages of beautifully penned copy work. He had not only drawn the creatures but had copied all the information about each creature, creating his own personal reference book.

And the light bulb turned on. My son didn’t hate writing – he hated what he had to write about. Likewise, my son didn’t hate math itself - he hated the endless drill of math facts and mundane word problem that had no applicability to his life.

If I wanted to engage him in his assignments, I had to bring them to life using the things he was interested in, and that mattered to him.

If you are helping your child with their homework and the experience feels akin to a root canal, try utilizing a different approach. Change the word-

ing of math problems so that they involve things of interest for your child.

If your child needs to work on math facts and they’re tired of the rote drill, I highly recommend the educational website www.coloringsquared. com. There you will find hundreds of free printable pages that help a child review their math facts and other concepts, through fun colouring pages, including characters from Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter and more.

If they need to review their spelling words, try using their list words to make up silly sentences about things that interest them – be it video games, television shows or their favourite toys.

If they need to review their parts of speech, make up Mad Lib games together (there are plenty

of free templates available online).

If you really want to make a topic come alive for a child, you have to make it interesting. Never be afraid to invite Minecraft, Pokemon, unicorns

or those silly poop emojis to join you for homework.

Sandra Hanson is a Centreville wife and mother who homeschools her two children.

Sandra’s kids doing art-inspired lessons. (Photo submitted.)

McCain Foods: French fry flashback From the vault at the Provincial Archives

Left: Local women processing French fries in Florenceville in the 1960s.

Above: An exterior view of the McCain Processing Plant in Florenceville in the 1970s.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR PHOTOS If you have older photos that demonstrate what life used to be like in our region, we’d llove to share.

Please email your photos to: theresa@rivervalleysun.ca. No scanner? No problem. Email or call and we’ll make arrangements to scan them for you.

14

ARTFELT

Arts and Culture News from Western New Brunswick

Zink and Company to perform Local duo opening for bluegrass band

By Jim Dumville

A

cclaimed New England bluegrass band Zink and Company will hit the stage in Woodstock for the third straight year.

The band, which played to sold-out audiences at the McCain Community Theatre at Woodstock High School twice in the past two years, will bring their unique brand of music and humour to stage on Friday, April 5 at 7 p.m.

Joining them this year will be up-and-coming local entertainers, The Martin Boys – Micah and Macauley.

This is the third year the Woodstock Rotary Club has sponsored Zink and Company.

Rotarian Gary Beatty said the audience at last year’s sold-out concert made it loud and clear they wanted the band to return. Rotary members were happy to oblige.

The Martin Boys are excited to take the stage

Night of Music: Zink and Company, presented by the Woodstock Rotary Club, will return to the McCain Community Theatre at Woodstock High School on Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m.

in front of what is expected to be a packed house at the McCain Theatre.

While it undoubtedly will be the largest audience the teenagers have played before, Macauley said that’s not a major concern for the now seasoned teenagers.

“We really don’t get nervous,” he said.

Macauley said they appreciate the opportunity to play in front of people who possibly have not seen

them before.

“It’s always nice to play for a first-time audience,” he said.

Macauley said he and his brother started performing on stage when he was in Grade 6 and his brother was in Grade 3.

He said the acoustic stage show feature, for the most part, older and classic country.

Formed in 2012, Zink & Company consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Co-

rey Zink; John Roc, mandolin & vocals; Dan Menzone, banjo; and Keith Edwards, doghouse bass and vocals.

The four talented musicians share several years of recording and performance experience.

The band has become popular in the American northeast and Canada over the last few years as they perform Zink’s own compositions, along with unique renditions of some

Secrets of the Damned: The Kirk

The Martin Boys, Micah (left) and Macauley, will open for Zink and Company at the McCain Theatre. (Photo submitted.)

country and bluegrass favourites.

Check out their website: www.zinkandco.com or watch them on YouTube.

Advance tickets are $18 and will be available

until April 3 at MES Music, Newnham & Slipp Pharmacy, and Ayr Motor Center in Woodstock and at The Andrew and Laura McCain Library in Florenceville. Rush tickets will be $20 at the door.

Local author shares excerpt from series

By Jim Shaw PROLOGUE: It had to be done and he had promised...

Not a soul was around and nobody witnessed the last gasps of the fading sun, fleeting flickers of light as it struggled against the onrushing darkness.

All were oblivious except Jack Stephens. He nervously glanced at the shadows that were steadily creeping across people’s lawns and out onto the street.

The day was fast-dying as he raced across the city. The ball of fear in the pit of his stomach was knotting up, getting bigger with the passing of every minute.

He knew he wasn’t gonna get there in time.

He’d gotten away too late and had been held up by one too many red lights.

Still, he didn’t let up any on the car.

Even if there was only a slim chance he could make it there before night fall, he’d take it.

If he couldn’t, then so be it.

The telephone poles

blinked by as he sped towards his destination.

And still the sun, fighting to stay above the ocean of black, began to lose its grip until finally it drowned and slid into the dark.

The night was still in its infancy when the car came to a rolling stop, not far from the funeral home.

Butterflies churned in his stomach as he paused to catch his breath and

J

shore up his courage.

Jack parked as near to the old building as he dared.

In his mind he had rehearsed every action, knew every word he would say.

Yet, he still had no idea what to expect.

He only half-believed it himself.

The shadows reached out to him the instant he got out of the little red car,

kept at bay by the interior lights.

He never dreamt that such things existed and would call crazy the man that asserted such a fact.

Now his wife was cold in the ground no matter what anyone said.

He knew that from the very day his beloved Melanie took the job at the funeral home her health had begun to spiral towards the grave.

Jim Shaw: Writing ‘The Kirk’

im A. Shaw of Woodstock is the creator of the Secrets of the Damned series.

The Gothic horror trilogy was first published a decade ago, but has been re-released in print and audio-book format, starting with the first book in the series, The Kirk.

Shaw writes long-hand, and considers the series a labour of love.

In the work of fiction, Shaw takes his love of his hometown, combined that with Carleton County and Houlton-area legends and tales, and weaves a story based on small towns who try to hide their dark mysteries.

A painter and multimedia creator, Shaw found inspiration in a classroom project from the 1980s.

In The Kirk, the hero, Jack Stephens, is trying to re-claim his life after the death of his beloved wife who died at the hands of a local vampire collective.

In the book, Jack promises revenge against the evil forces who took her life as the group tries to dominate his community.

“The book has been part of me for so long, I believe the characters are alive in many ways,” said Shaw.

“The Kirk is something I am very proud of because it reflects things I wanted to say as an horror author.”

Shaw’s book is available on Amazon. For more information, visit Jim Saw: Secrets of the Damned Facebook page.

Secrets of the Damned author Jim Shaw. (Submitted photo.)

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 15

Celebrating Carleton County’s spring songbirds

ARTiculate

By Victoria Hutt

E

very once in a while now, a warmish afternoon sun manages to muster some strength and break through our cold winter days. Then, you might hear a few birds daring to sing. It usually starts with one brave little chickadee. It makes complete sense to me that this is our provincial bird; the tough little guys, sticking it out through the cold when it seems against the odds.

Dotted across our valley at the moment, there are music studios and classrooms glowing under the snow, filled with many little voices, instruments, teachers and directors busy warming up.

They’re preparing for the annual crescendo; their playoffs if you will. Like spring -- music and drama festivals are just around the corner.

We have two of the

week-long festivals for young musicians in our region, the Carleton County Music Festival in Woodstock and The Festival of Musical Arts in Florenceville-Bristol. They feature the most pleasant volunteers wielding important class and category number cards, the most silent and respectful of audiences, and a lot of talent, nerves, and hours practiced.

Parents juggle children and venues while trying to achieve what could be called the fan parent trifecta - a recording device with space, battery life, and set on silent. The Final Concerts highlight special performances of the festival.

Drama clubs are rehearsing lines, creating props, fitting costumes, and directors and little thespians alike are trying to remember if they’re supposed to be upstage right, or was that downstage centre?

They’re excited for their festivals, where they will also have workshops including options like dance, stage fighting and lighting. The elementary drama festival lands just after music festival week,

in early April, and (luckily for this drama family) we have another month before the middle and high school theatre groups head to the NB Drama Festival in May. This festival runs for six days at St. Thomas University annually and is, in fact, Canada’s largest provincial drama festival. Because we are indeed the little chickadees that could.

These festivals provide the occasion for students to hone skills they’ve been learning all year, perform, watch and hear their peers, receive recognition for excellence, and a chance to advance to provincial and national competitions. The occasion to receive adjudication constructive, meaningful evaluation and feedback on their performances from knowledgeable professionals, truly fosters artistic growth in our students and our region.

Victoria Hutt is an artist and freelance graphic designer in FlorencevilleBristol, NB. Former gallery director and curator, Victoria is a NSCAD design graduate and sits on the ArtsNB Board of Directors

Dorothy’s friends in the Florenceville Elementary School (FES) 2018 production of The Wizard of Oz. From left, Garrett Pelkey, Sarah Wright, and Eric Chase.

Let the Music Move You! Monday: Country Connection at the Woodstock ‘Y’ @ 7 p.m.

Tuesday: Carleton County Fiddlers at the AYR Motor Centre @ 7 p.m.

Wednesday: Music at the Millville Legion @ 7 p.m.

Thursday: Music on the Monquart at the Bath K of C Hall @ 7 p.m.

Friday: Country Jamboree at the Florenceville Kin Centre @ 7 p.m.

Saturday: Music at the Triple ‘C’ Centre on Rockland Road @ 7 p.m.

Top: Florenceville Middle School’s production of The Lady Pirates of the Caribbean at NB DramaFest 2018, Ted Daigle Theatre, STU. From left, Macey Hopkins, Veronica Garcia, Maggie Jones, Alexis Peterson, Eva Thompson, and Carla Prodan. Middle: The director’s perspective, backstage with FES Drama Club, at DramaFest 2018, McCain Theatre, Woodstock High School. Bottom: The Lady Pirates of the Caribbean. From left, Macey Hopkins, Veronica Garcia, Maggie Jones. (Photos submitted.)

Meet Frank & Gail Lipsett

The feeling of home in an active retirement community. We take care of everything! Call Brad at (506) 325-7501 to arrange a tour!

In the spring issue of agelessNB Magazine, Frank & Gail share how Riverside helped them cope with Frank’s health challenges.

16

Living a sustainable lifestyle: Are you ready?

OFF THE GRID

By Darius Shahrokhi

A

fter decades of metropolitan life (polluted air, city water, noise, traffic, insanely high real state prices), and a few failed attempts of escaping it, we finally made the move to New Brunswick in 2014. Since 2016, we have been living off-grid.

The transition has not been an easy one. We’ve encountered many challenges, from never having designed our own home, to connecting the many arms required to build it, and learning about renewables, not to mention the cost of everything, the rural roads, the proximity to town, and the bugs.

Add the task of finding employment to pay for it all and you have the makings of a really great column.

My goal is to share with you our gained knowledge and experiences. I hope to be a resource for those considering a more sustainable and holistic life.

Our aim was to reduce our carbon footprint, grow organically, get in touch or reunited with our creative side, have more quality family time, more laughing, more quiet time, more eating real, wholesome food and (dare I suggest) less technology. If that’s your aim too, then you’ve come to the right place.

By now everyone has heard about, read articles, or seen shows on topics such as our province’s probable economic collapse, governments crashing, the future possibility of artificial intelligence taking over, and many other doom and gloom scenarios.

Could any of it happen in our lifetime? It’s plausible when we consider the kinds of leaders we have been electing, and the manner by which we’ve been living our everyday lives since the industrial revolution.

My series is not really about those concerns, but will focus on the issues that affect our lives now.

We know about climate change, witnessing storms that hit us with increasing frequency and intensity. We know about genetically modified foods, we know about the masses of plastic and cigarette butts in our seas and oceans that choke and affect everything from plankton to whales.

We also know about the increasing resistance of super bugs, and the pharmaceutical industry’s “answer” to that and other

pressing medical problems.

And while we are aware of all this, the question becomes are we ready to do something about these things.

I believe there is hope, on both an individual and collective level.

Yes, I suppose if the Green Party were in power then the subsidies would shift from oil, gas, coal, and nuclear to renewable energies. Similarly, the subsidies given to big pharma would go toward preventative approaches and holistic options, including traditional

Chinese and First Nations medicines.

Until that happens, I’ll take the time to share with you how taking small steps toward living sustainably and with a smaller carbon footprint can help your family lead a healthier and more sustainable life.

In the coming months, I’ll give you tips on how to prep your soil for growing organically and how to harness solar power for your electricity and hot water – whether you are living on or off the grid.

Don’t worry about getting overwhelmed. While

this might initially seem overwhelming, I promise to be here and hold your hand while guiding you through the process – something I wish was available to me when I started this journey.

Are you ready?

Darius Shahrokhi is an inventor, writer, environmentalist, foodie, technology enthusiast, gardener, and photographer. He works as a sustainable living coach and consultant and lives off-grid with his family near Knowlesville.

Darius Shahrokhi’s sustainable, off-grid home. (Photo submitted.)

Woodstock firm donates $250,000 to help food security FMI funding to support North American food banks and breakfast programs River Valley Sun

W

oodstock-based company is using the hundreds of food franchises it operates across North America to help deliver food security to those in need.

In 2018, FMI, Franchise Management Inc., launched a program to support food banks or breakfast programs in

more than 250 locations in Canada and the United States.

FMI challenged all its restaurant locations, which included KFC Canada and KFC US, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Panera Bread, as well as its own head office, to select a food bank or breakfast program in their respec-

tive communities to support.

Through the end of 2018, the program was able to raise close to $250,000. All the funds were returned to the respective communities served by the participating restaurants.

FMI is looking to build upon that success in 2019.

FMI Founding Partner Dwight Fraser explained the fundraising drives will continue in each of FMI locations throughout the current year as the company seeks to build upon its initial success.

“Our goal for 2018 was to start a fundraising program where we would be able to give back to those

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in need in our local communities,” said Fraser.

He said the company was fortunate to be able to partner with local food banks and school breakfast programs in each community where FMImanaged restaurants are located.

“With the help of our customers and dedication

from our team members, I am happy with what we have been able to accomplish in 2018 and look forward to growing this number in 2019,” Fraser said.

The program saw 260 restaurants participating, meaning approximately the same number of food banks or breakfast programs gained support.

Support the Woodstock Volunteer Fire Department 50/50 Lotto Your participation allows us to purchase the best equipment to help keep you safe!

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The volunteers thank you for your continued support!

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 17

SUNNY-SIDE UP

Providing Readers with a Challenge, a Chuckle, and a Smile

River Valley Sun Crossword Puzzle #2

DOWN: 2. Body of water near Canterbury that, according to William F. Ganong, was named for the hermit who lived there. (two words) 4. Settlement near Richmond Corner named for five of seven families farming there in 1866.

5. This community was named Blairs Mills prior to 1835.

ACROSS: 1. Carleton County community named for its first postmaster in 1871. (two words) 3. Community’s name meaning ‘straight’ in Maliseet.

6. York County community named for the social movement against the consumption of alcohol.

7. Community near Juniper named after Scottish minister.

8. Island in Skiff Lake

See more The World According to Miss Nackawic cartoons at www.missnackawic.com.

Find the answer key at www.rivervalleysun.ca "GOOVm FOREVER!"

BY COUCH LMPRY MP CHRIS HELGRSOH

RVS SUNSHINE KID

3 HOURS LATER...

- ^

-

I HOPE YOU CHOKE ON THE MILK... ‘

SUNSHINE SMILE: Meet three-year-old Kennedy Toner. She is the daughter of Matthew and Brittney Toner, and big sister to brother Landon. Kennedy is in Tina and Alivia’s class at Angie’s Little Peeps Early Learning Centre in Woodstock. She loves sliding outdoors, playing with dolls, and dance parties. (Photo submitted.)

Have a great photo of your child having fun? They could be our next RVS Sunshine Kid! Email your photos to theresa@rivervalleysun.ca.

CARLETON COUNTY

Colloquialisms

overcross

Did you KNOW?

Whenever you see a full moon you always see the same side.

Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning.

Water drops aren’t tear shaped, but shaped more like a hamburger bun.

RVS TONGUE TWISTER

Green glass globes glow greenly in Glassville.

By John Morris

\’oh-ver-’craws\ n - Cardinal point: west.

Also used to describe any location within the State of Maine.

“We went overcross to get some gas.”

Fraikten

\’frake-tin\ n - n - Fredericton, capital city of New Brunswick.

“We took a trip to Fraikten yestidee.”

(This pronunciation is typical for southern Carleton County; northern County residents commonly use the hypersyllabic derivative “Freddickten,” although both versions may be heard anywhere from Horny-Corner to Pole Hill.)

Hear how these words are pronounced at www.dooryard.ca.

We understand great initiatives can’t succeed without community backing.

That’s why AYR Motor Express is proud to support the River Valley Sun in its effort to better connect communities in the Upper St. John River Valley. www.AYRMOTOR.com

The Best is the LEAST we can do!

18

RURAL ROOTS

Stories About Country Life in Western New Brunswick

Carleton County connection to a NS disaster The Halifax Explosion: A fictional account of factual events

By Doris Kennedy This story is a fictional account of actual events. I based most of the story on what I felt my grandfather, Kenneth Keith, may have experienced.

I

could barely pull myself out of bed. I was so exhausted from the practice yesterday afternoon.

The coach was giving us pressure to increase our ball handling skills for the upcoming season of football, a sport in later years called rugby. As a halfback, I had to be quick to pass, sprint or kick, always behind the ball and ready to receive it. I was tall and thin framed and had worked at Dad’s store all summer handling and rolling barrels of molasses, syrups, and vinegar that were kept in the wet, damp basement.

No elevators in those days. Barrels of flour, sugar, crates of fruit, vegetables were stored in piles on the main floor, and of course, furniture and the furrier and clothing department were on the top floor three flights up. The floor space of Keith and Plummer General Store was sprawling.

This work helped to prepare me for my sport.

The summer went quick and all too fast. It was my third year at Acadia Collegiate and Business Academy and my studies leaned more towards premed requirements.

It was 6 a.m. on a cold December morning, and my stomach was churning on awakening. I was starved, so quickly I shaved, threw my clothes, ran a brush through my thick wavy hair and headed to the dining hall taking my mail with me.

Dad had telegraphed money for my train ride home for Christmas, so I was looking forward to finishing out the rest of the required December study days to get a break.

One envelope I wanted to open. It was from Elsa, a girl I was very fond of from home. She always wrote long letters with lots of news. Time was running short, so I stuffed the letter back in my jacket pocket and set off for class. Classes were intense and prolonged.

About 10:30 that morning there was a buzzing of whispers and tension among the staff. Something was going on. The principal entered the classroom white and wet with sweat. This can’t be good I thought. The principal’s eyes were sad, and he glanced at the all the boys in this class. “Gentlemen, I have some bad news of the gravest kind.”

He had to steady himself by hanging onto the edge of the desk. The waiting was tense, his knees went weak, and then he sat down.

“There has been a big explosion in Halifax. Two ships collided and one

Elsa Sipprelle, circa 1918. (Photo submitted.)

had munitions. The city needs a lot of help. Hundreds have been killed, thousands injured, many more lost, and buildings collapsed. I can’t imagine what else.”

As the news sank in I felt myself get to my feet; it seemed the right thing to do. I remembered Hartland’s bad fire in 1907 that destroyed half the town.

Though only 11 years old, it was disastrous to the town, to my father and his partner, and countless people without homes and businesses.

Everyone scrambled to get water to put the fire out. Even the Woodstock fire apparatus came by train to support. No one was killed but it was a terrifying experience. Surely I could help.

Willing others were ready to do the same.

Last minute planning was completed for transporting people to the Halifax site over the next few days.

Volunteers from all over the community were arriving daily to catch the train either at Kentville or downtown Wolfville. The train took us as far as it could close to Halifax because the explosion took out most of the tracks. It was standing room only in the train cars, and at every stop, more and more people wormed into an already crowded train car, nurses, laborers, men in overhauls, women dressed in pants.

The ride was quiet with only a few whispers. The train stopped northwest of the Richmond area where the actual devastation took place right along the harbor. Soldiers directed the pale-faced volunteers to wagons and trucks, whatever had wheels.

The feeling of dread was real as we headed to the north end just adjacent to the Bedford Basin.

Thick smoke still smoldered in the distance, the skeleton of prominent buildings came into sight. Blacked faced men with tired, hollow eyes and heavily soiled clothing barked orders and took us to where we were needed.

I was not prepared in the least for what was in front of me.

The explosion in the

Halifax Harbor was followed by a reactive tsunami that completely covered the debris of the explosion, and with the bitterly cold December weather, things froze where they landed, including pieces of buildings and humans.

The humans were in repulsive positions, a horrific sight that will never leave me. What once was a bustling harbor area of homes, stores, factories, breweries was nothing more than piles of boards and parts of furniture with fragments of chairs, shreds of clothing, and pipes or iron works shredded and left to lay in odd arrangements.

Most buildings closer to the harbor were completely gone, washed out to the water and only the foundations were left. Every inch of what used to be a road was glassed over, encased in ice. I remember thinking, how could anyone survive this?

The catastrophe went on as far as I could see to the water with fires still smoldering and smoke thick in the air. What classmates I recognized from school stayed close together, traumatized.

Makeshift shelters were built for the wounded and those needing quick medical help. The smell was foul with smoke and rot, nothing like I have smelled before or since!

The noise was unforgettable, banging, cracking, groans and crying, sobs of devastated family members trying to find their children and loved ones.

We walked with unbearable sadness and torment in our hearts.

One light shone while I was in this area of disorder and failure. I was helping a group transport stretchers to Camp Hill, a Military Hospital where the injured were quickly treated. Victims were laying everywhere even on the floor, and then I saw a familiar face, Phoebe Barter, a young nurse from home. It was so chaotic that we had very little exchange, but she did say she was staying with a Dr. Ryan and his wife and expected to be there a week. That familiar face got me through the rest of

Kenneth W. Keith, circa 1917. (Photo submitted.)

my time there.

After several hours, relief arrived to send us back to Wolfville. I hardly knew what happened and was too exhausted at that point to try and analyze what had happened. My brain was saturated with sights no one should see or remember and medial tasks to play football were no longer as important. I reached in my pocket and pulled out her letter.

I don’t know nor does our family know for sure why our grandfather didn’t return to school after the Christmas break. He did go to Business College in Fredericton and returned to Hartland eventually as-

suming his fathers share in the partnership of Keith and Plummer Store.

The story is only pieced together by random and rare light discussions of that day in Halifax, and I have embellished with fictional description.

Phoebe Barter lived a few houses from our grandfather; both truly experienced a horrific disaster up close and carried that experience until their deaths.

Doris Kennedy is a retired nurse, writer, and historian.

Married with four children and 11 grandchildren, she owns the Covered Bridge B & B in Somerville and is the author of five books.

Phoebe Barter, circa 1970s. (Photo submitted.)

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 19

Adventures of an accidental farmer Troublesome country winds and the world’s smallest ice pick Story and photo by Ellen Culbert-Johnston

A

s I reflect on yet another snowy morning, I realize how many people ask me what I miss about living in the city. Well, for starters I truly miss bookstores.

I use to go to a bookstore at least twice a month, if not more during the winter. I truly enjoyed taking a peek at the latest additions to the New York Times bestseller list, wishing I could purchase them all and then share them with friends and family.

However, books are expensive and would take up a lot of room in my home. So, I would have to make a difficult choice.

Sometimes, I would just browse through the books and wonder how famous authors kept coming up with story ideas. How do they do that?

Oh, the things I miss.

But that’s eased by the interesting, welcoming people I met at the St. John the Baptist Parish and by getting to know my wonderful neighbours and

friends.

Still, the transition has been trying. I thank my cousin Helen Ross for hugs and love on those home-sick days when all I wanted to do was cry. She encouraged me to attend River Valley Sun publisher Theresa Blackburn’s writing workshop, saying give it a try, and that we all have gifts. Thank you, Helen.

Living in the country on cold, windy winter days also presented a host of difficulties I couldn’t even imagine while living in the city of Worcester. Like dealing with wind gusts in Newburg whipping snow across the open fields onto the ice-packed roads, making walking almost impossible.

Or, facing the wind as I trudge over to the barn every day to water and feed hay and grain to the two heifers I care for, Anna and Elsa.

Some days my dog Callie looks like she is going to fly away into the

bright blue skies as her ears, stretched out like airplane wings, make her appear ready for taking off. I, on the other hand, have to walk backward to keep the stinging wind from burning my face.

One extremely windy day, as I unloaded my car with beef fattener grain and sunflower seeds purchased earlier at the CoOp in Hartland, the country winds got the best of me.

As the winds blew harder and harder, I pulled open the barn door, securing it with a chain and placing a snow shovel on the ground as a door stopper, or in this particular case a wind stopper.

And then the unthinkable happened, the door slammed shut.

“Oh, no,” I said to myself. “That just didn’t happen! No! No! No!” With the temperature well below zero, I was glad to see Callie in the barn with me, but she would be of little help in finding a way out of our predicament. Most people

get locked out, but not me; I was locked in.

Luckily, I noticed a slider window next to the door. So, all I would have to do is open the window and unlock the door from the outside. Great idea, if the window wasn’t frozen.

How about using my cell phone to call a neighbour? No. The cell phone was in the car.

What to do? What to do? I started to panic a little, as my feet were getting cold. I began looking around the barn for a tool to help me get out of the barn. A hammer, or vise-grips, wretches and containers of screws and nails. I need to open the window, somehow, someway, and quick.

My predicament made me think outside the box, as my husband Marty, often says. So I began using the world’s smallest ice pick ... a nail. I chipped and chipped away at the ice in the track of the window. Little by little the window began to push open.

Finally, I chipped away enough ice to be able to

squeeze my hand out the window and unlock the door latch.

What a relief! I did it! I got myself out of a lockedin situation, using some Yankee ingenuity.

A big thank you to my sister-in-law Toni for giving me a spare blow dryer. It now sits on a shelf

in the barn, in the event of another troublesome windy day.

Ellen Culbert-Johnston is inspired by people who overcome obstacles and succeed. She loves to read, teach, travel, and walk in the woods with her dogs.

Sneaky lock: The barn door closure that trapped Ellen.

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Cold morning in downtown Newburg: Ellen Culbert-Johnston with Anna (left) and Elsa, after her escape from the barn.

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20

SPORTS

Highlights and Features of Local Athletes and Teams

Facing challenges that transcend the game Cancer battles and serious injury teach Bantam Bulls to dig deep

By Andrew McCormick

I

n a typical season, the North West Bantam AAA Bulls require a tremendous commitment, but the 2018-19 season was beyond typical.

Legendary UCLA Bruins basketball coach John Wooden once said: sports don’t build character, they reveal it.

This year’s version of the North West region’s top 13 and 14-year-old hockey players epitomized that adage by battling through devastating off-ice adversity.

Nicknames hold a sacred place in hockey.

With two players called Mathieu Lavoie on this year’s team, the coaches devised a simple and effective way to distinguish between the two. There was Big Matt and Little Matt.

As his new monicker dictates, Big Matt is a solidly built 14-year-old defenceman at 6’1” and 180 lbs. Coaches identified Big Matt’s abilities at tryouts.

“We could see the raw potential and were pushing Big Matt, but felt there was more to get from him,” said Brennan.

In October, Big Matt’s mother Manon approached the coaches, explaining her son was having a problem with his leg and was taking physio. He needed to take time away from hockey.

“Matt took two weeks off and came back at The Monctonian tournament in November,” said Brennan, noting coaches could see Big Matt was playing in pain.

“I asked our trainer, Sarah Miller, to look at him. After examining Mathieu, Sarah said this isn’t a normal muscle or tear issue, there’s something more to this.”

They asked Dr. Gaetan Gibbs, the team’s doctor (and father to Bulls’ captain Noah Gibbs) to examine him.

Dr. Gibbs arranged for Big Matt to have tests completed near home, at the Edmundston hospital.

The tests and x-rays revealed a need for further evaluation in Quebec City.

In December, Big Matt, with his parents Manon and Mario, travelled to the Quebec capital for extensive testing. By mid-December, doctors revealed Big Matt had osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. His tumour was identified as aggressive.

Brennan and the coaching staff now faced the tough task of breaking this news to their young team.

“With the family’s OK, we gathered the team together before practice,” said Brennan. “We explained that Big Matt wouldn’t be back on the ice this season and why.

Some kids were quiet, heads were down, some were angry but all of them were in shock. Having someone their age with cancer, no less a teammate, is tough to process.”

Brennan offered a challenge to the players.

“We asked them to rally around their teammate and to learn from this; to not take things for granted and appreciate your opportunities,” he said. “The boys were now understanding that Big Matt’s season wasn’t just over but that he may not play hockey again. That really hit home.”

The season continued and the staff rallied their team. The Bulls travelled to a tournament in Granby, Quebec, in late February.

Enroute, they stopped to see Big Matt and his family at the hospital in Quebec City, where they were preparing for Mathieu’s surgery on Feb. 26.

“Seeing Big Matt without his hair and having lost weight was an eyeopener for the boys.”

Brennan said the family later informed him the surgery went well, with the surgeons removing a large tumour. Reconstruction of his leg followed immediately.

Extensive rehabilitation awaits Big Matt. It may be two years before he reaches the potential

mobility in his reconstructed leg.

Big Matt was not the only important player lost in this season. Noah Gibbs was sidelined after breaking his leg in two places during a team practice in January. The young St-Basile star was team captain, part of part of Team New Brunswick U15 at the Atlantic Challenge Cup in October, and lead the Bulls with 47 points, capturing 32 goals in 21 games.

Meanwhile, Noah’s mother Debbie Losier is battling breast cancer.

This is her third battle with the disease.

The Bantam Bulls have joined Debbie and Big Matt in the battle against cancer. In February the team hosted the Northern Blackhawks in a pair of home games dedicated to the “Hockey Fights Cancer” cause. Games were held in FlorencevilleBristol and St-Basile, and were well supported.

“I must say the league’s teams and even other Maritime teams have been very supportive of what’s going on with our team, both for Big Matt and for Debbie,” Brennan said. “Teams have presented flowers to Debbie, given the families and teams cards or monetary support to the families. It’s been amazing.”

With Big Mathieu

Bulls’ teammate Mathieu “Big Matt” Lavoie. The team has set up a Go Fund Me page for the Lavoie family at http:// ca.gofundme.com/our-quotbigquot-mathieu-lavoie.

Lavoie and Captain Noah Gibbs out of the lineup, the team is down to five defencemen and eight forwards. Seasonal sickness and suspensions have further depleted the lineup.

In early February, at the ‘Spud’ tournament in Charlottetown, the Bulls won their quarter-final with only seven forwards and five defencemen.

They made it to the semi-

finals, losing to league rival Dieppe by 1-0 in double overtime.

Brennan is proud of his team.

“They’ve shown a lot of character in games since the injuries and sickness.

The Dieppe game showed what kind of character the team has. Each game you see different kids stepping up, battling and not giving up in any games. They’ve learned so much.”

Team Support: The North West Bantam AAA Bulls visit teammate Mathieu ‘Big Matt’ Lavoie while he was in hospital waiting for surgery in Quebec City. (Photos submitted.)

Redneck curling in Debec Tournament marries sport and spirit

By Paul J. Graham

A

cold morning with only a scattering of sunlight couldn’t dash the warm spirits as this year’s teams took to the ice at Debec’s annual Redneck Curling event, held Saturday, Feb. 16 at the community’s outdoor rink.

The event, the idea of area store owner and local service district chair Jim Kennedy, began in 2010. It has since remained a staple of community’s winter celebrations.

For those new to the sport, Redneck Curling loosely follows the rules of regular curling with one major exception. Instead of curling stones, they play with window washer jugs filled with red or blue dyed liquid. The participants bring their own brooms and make it clear any broom will do.

The teams play four ends with each member for the four-player teams throwing two jugs.. The team with the most points after four ends wins that

round.

Fans gathered around the outdoor rink will see no special technique.

That is left up to the individual’s personal style.

Toss it, fling it, slide it, spin it. Whatever works to get that jug down the ice to the button or slam an opponent’s jug out of the way. Of course, team spirit plays directly into the winning strategy, including some friendly trash talk.

This year’s event came to a dramatic conclusion with the final matchup between the top two teams, Broom Shakalaka vs Club 540. It ended in a nailbiting 3-2 win for Broom Shakalaka, consisting of Daniel Hayden, Randy Gagnon, Kyle Hemphill and Josh Watling. They were awarded the trophy by committee member Jerika Brooks.

The wooden trophy, carved to look like a windshield washer jug, was made by local resident Stuart Berry.

However, this day of fun is more than just a

sporting event. It is a community event. Members of the Debec Rec Council, including committee members Donna Carson, Win Davies, Dianne Berry and Jerika Brooks, all described the benefits to the community.

They explained Redneck Curling not only provides enjoyment for players and fans but helps support rink improvements and community events. Fundraising from the event helped bring running water to the rink house and build bathrooms.

Maintaining the rink and other parts of the village’s recreation centre takes money and these events help improve things, explained committee members. In addition to entrance fee for teams, the committee raised funds through the sale of 50/50 tickets and a barbecue. They are looking into adding a breakfast at next year’s event.

Committee members praised the work of volunteers, especially the De-

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 21 bec Fire Department for keeping the ice clean and flooded.

Kennedy also praised the work of volunteers and the community spirit.

He noted how important the involvement of a new generation played in keeping Debec thriving and prosperous.

The community spirit shown on this day of fun

is actually reflected in the origin of the word “Redneck”.

As Michael Moore explained in his documentary, Fahrenheit 11/9, the use of the term “Redneck” has changed from its original meaning. It was never meant as a derogatory remark but used to be associated, in some cases, with strong union action

and community strength, taken from the red neckerchief’s worn by coal miners showing solidarity with labour action.

This is the spirit of Debec: seeking a fun day, and a stronger community. The only question left to ask is who’s going to be on your team for next year’s redneck championship game?

Team ‘Broom Shakalaka’ Takes the 2019 Golden Windshield Wash Jug: From left, Daniel Hayden, Josh Watling, Kyle Hemphill, and Randy Gagnon. (Photo submitted.)

Panthers host 2019 Maritime Hockey North Junior Championship Western Valley welcomes teams from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Nunavut

By Jim Dumville

T

he grand finale of the Western Valley Junior Panthers’ first season playing out of its home base at the AYR Motor Centre in Woodstock will hit the ice March 27, when the team hosts

the 2019 Maritime Hockey North Junior Championship.

The Panthers will welcome representatives from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Nunavut, as the Northern representative.

The Tri-County River Cats, who faced off against Western Valley in the league finals, will represent New Brunswick.

The first game will be on Wednesday, March 27 at 4 p.m. when the North faces off against Hockey New Brunswick.

The Panthers hit the ice for the first time at 7 p.m., taking on Nova Scotia. Action continues on Thursday, March 28, with four games, beginning at 11 a.m. with PEI facing New Brunswick, followed by the Panthers against the North at 2 p.m. Eve-

ning matchups will begin at 5 p.m. in a game featuring PEI and Nova Scotia.

Following the opening ceremonies at 7:45 p.m., the Panthers return to the ice against their rival, the River Cats. The finals begin on Friday, March 29, with the North vs PEI at 11

a.m; River Cats vs Nova Scotia at 2 p.m.; Panthers vs PEI at 5 p.m.; and Nova Scotia vs the North at 8 p.m.

Saturday’s activities will begin with a banquet at 11 a.m., followed by semi-final action at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The Western Valley Junior Panthers will host the Maritime North Junior Hockey Championship at the AYR Motor Centre March 27-31. The Panthers team includes, front row, from left, Dan Liengme, Gord Dunlevy, Jordan Cheney, Garret Innis, Trent Brown, Cody Rogers, Brook Dickinson, Brandon Culberson. Back row, from left, Bonnie Cheney, Luke Etheridge, Mitch Mabie, Dylan Albright, Andrew Pearson, Cameron Seely-Jones, Casey McCarthy, Taylor Flewelling, Chaz Harvey, Daniel Culberson, Zachary Brown, Josh Singleton, Ryan Grant, Clayton Sullivan, Logan Spittle, Carson Dube, Josh Delong. Missing Ryan McKinnon. (Photo submitted.)

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A hockey season of magic and memories

My Big Fat Life

By Theresa Blackburn

T

here is a famous line in the movie, A League of Their Own, where Tom Hanks’ character says to a weeping player, “There’s no crying in baseball!”

There may not be crying in baseball, but this month I discovered there is crying in hockey, especially when your favourite team transcends the sport.

In September of 2017, a group of girls from Woodstock High School got together to try and convince Principal Bill Hogan that they should be able to form a female hockey team, even though they didn’t have a full roster. He wasn’t sold, and the season was nixed before it began.

Fast forward to fall of 2018, when students got together again, this time begging the principal to let them play.

Despite having fewer girls step forward that September, Hogan agreed, and 12 young women - 11 players and one goalie - hit the ice. Our daughter, Kathryn, minded the net.

I won’t lie. I was against my daughter being in goal. It had been a few years since she had donned a pair of goalie pads, and I was terrified at the thought.

Every goalie mom knows my trepidation. You worry your child will carry the burden of losses; that you’ll spend the season watching your child’s confidence drain like an overturned water bottle.

I was so upset with her decision that I couldn’t bring myself to go to her first game. I was a coward and stayed home

waiting anxiously for my husband to text the results. For the first two weeks of the season, I had a permanent pit in the bottom of my stomach.

Those feelings soon evaporated with every encouraging word from the coaches. Parents were exceptionally kind with their comments, and Kathryn’s enthusiasm and confidence grew.

You see, despite having so few players, initially, the team didn’t have a goalie. At each game, parents would express their respect for our daughter’s decision.

Many talked about how impressed they were with Kathryn stepping up to meet the team’s needs, despite being away from the goalie crease for three years.

They could have five lines of players, they told me, but without their goalie, no one would have played. They thanked her often.

And so it began. I held my breath throughout most of those first games, but then something amazing happened.

Kathryn not only improved, but there was camaraderie on the ice I had never witnessed in all her minor hockey years.

Anytime Kathryn made a great save, the girls were there to congratulate her.

Anytime a goal got past her, they were also there to encourage, console, and sometimes remind her that they had a hand in letting one through, too.

As the season continued, our little team was becoming known for their tenacity.

At Christmas, one of our girls decided to leave. It was a difficult decision. Many players juggled the team commitments with a part-time job and schoolwork.

The loss worried us, though. Principal Hogan was also concerned. If we lost one more player, the team might have to fold. It was exam AND flu season at the time, and the odds (and germs) seemed stacked against them.

The girls knew the team was on the edge, but that situation seemed to encourage and fuel the girl’s determination.

At a tournament in Edmundston, there were so many girls on the Rothesay team, they could barely fit everyone on the bench. While some might see this as disheartening, I believe the girls saw

it as a challenge - not necessarily to win, but to ensure they stayed ‘in the game.’

That was a rough weekend. We were playing without Jayden Green, who was recovering from a mild concussion. Even though she couldn’t play, she and her dad travelled to watch and support the girls. Ava O’Leary was recovering from a chest infection, and Korrie Lawrence was playing with a pulled muscle.

In the middle of the first period, Ava came off to suck on a lozenge so she could stop coughing, Korrie came off a shift and got Deep Blue liniment to help with the pain, and Lindsay Harris, who ate just before the game, came off the ice to throw up in a garbage bin.

Anyone else witnessing this would have thought the team was falling apart.

To parents, it was watching sheer determination and commitment in action.

These instances made me cringe with fear and beam with pride, all at the same time.

No girl wanted to be the one to let their teammates down. Every young woman on the team knew how much their playing contributed to the team, as a whole. Each played an important part.

Everyone was a star player.

No one backed down from the challenge that was this hockey season.

I reached out to some of my television reporter friends when we found out our girls tied for second place in their division. I felt they should be recognized for their grit and determination, and was happy when CTV News at Five agreed.

The girls were thrilled to be featured.

When Jayson Baxter and Maria Panopalis gushed about the girls’ focus and determination, we were beyond proud.

Society tends to use the moniker ‘dream team’ for groups of individuals who win big titles and make a lot of money. This hockey season changed the definition for me.

Our dream team had no time for drama, on or off the ice. They committed themselves to a year and followed through on that commitment. They bonded despite their differences and chose to lift each other up rather than tear each other down. Their positivity both on and

off the ice was inspiring. Their love of the game was evident in how they made their life schedules work with their hockey schedules.

It was a season of dreams – one I didn’t want to see come to an end.

In the last few minutes of a hardfought playoff game against the Carleton North Stars, we were down 2 - 0; my eyes began to water.

I wasn’t alone. We were witnessing the last few minutes of our hockey season, and for three of our seniors (Captain Kaitlyn Scott, Assistant Captain Korrie Lawrence, and winger Lauren Porter) we were witnessing the last minutes of their high school hockey careers.

The dressing room that night was sob filled. The girls had come so far, not just in standings, but in stamina. They reminded us what sports is genuinely about: loving the game, caring for your teammates, pushing your limits, making things work, and never giving up.

All incredible skills that will serve each of these young women well in whatever they take on in the future.

Now excuse me while I grab a tissue.

There seems to be something in my eye.

Theresa’s big, fat, busy life includes a firefighter husband, three children, a greyhound, a cat, volunteering, and her family’s growing publishing business.

2018-2019 Woodstock High School Lady Thunder Dream Team: Back, from left, Assistant Coach Chris Havens, Assistant Coach Katie Graham, Sylvie Barrett, Maria Metherell, Lindsay Harris, Chloe Bradbury, Ava O’Leary, Assistant Coach Abbi Orser, Goalie Coach Alivia Graham. Front Row: Assistant Head Coach Sarah Ryder, Kathryn Chisholm, Jayden Green, Korrie Lawrence, Kaitlyn Scott, Rachel Havens, Lauren Porter, and Head Coach Chris Scott. (Theresa Blackburn photo.)

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 23

Join us for the 66th Annual

Carleton County Spring Show and Sale This year 25 animals will vie for top honours of Grand Champion. We will have 12 4-H exhibitors and 13 Open Breed Class entries. We invite everyone to come out and experience this year’s event and cheer on local exhibitors. The Valley Food Bank is this year’s Charity Recipient. The organization will receive all proceeds from the live and silent auctions that take place at the beiginning of the sale on Wednesday at 1 p.m. We hope you can join us!

2018 Grand Champion, owned by Dallas Hunter (4-H) of Connell, NB. Grand Champion, Grand Champion 4-H Animal, and Champion Angus-Steer purchased by Mountain View Packers Ltd., County Tractors and Machinery Ltd., and Maritime Case for $5.00/lb. ($6250.00)

April 9 and 10, 2019

at the Northern Carleton Civic Centre in Florenceville-Bristol We wish to thank the local buyers that have been there year after year to make this event a success.

24

Getting away is

than you think

“Enjoy a perfect little slice of nature.”

- TripAdvisor

#EXPLORENB Mount Carleton Provincial Park