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OFFICER REMEMBERED FOR WORK ETHIC, LEADERSHIP

Woodstock Police Force, town mourning sudden death of Constable Dale Pollock

BY JIM DUMVILLE - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

T

he Woodstock Police Force (WPF) and the community it serves are mourning the sudden death this week of one of its veteran police officers.

Const. Dale Pollock, a 14-year member of the force, died at home early Monday morning, Aug. 9, from what appears to be health-related issues.

“We’re losing an exceptional person, and we lost an exceptional police officer,” said Woodstock Police Chief Gary Forward.

He said the 53-year-old officer is well known for his strong work ethic and repu-

tation as a quiet leader.

Forward expressed his condolences for the officer’s family, friends and those who worked with him every day to protect the community.

The chief said the police force and community will miss Pollock’s skills, leadership and dedication.

Woodstock Mayor Art Slipp said the news of Pollock’s death came as a “tremendous shock.”

He said it’s hard to find the right words to express his feelings at this difficult time.

Slipp offered his “sin-

cere condolences” to the officer’s family and friends on behalf of himself and the community.

“He was a major contributor to our police department and the community,” he said.

Forward said Pollock joined the Woodstock Police Force in 2007 after graduating from the Atlantic Police Academy.

He said Pollock chose to enter a career in policing after many years as a longdistance trucker which took him across North America.

See OFFICER pg. 2

Woodstock Police Const. Dale Pollock died suddenly at home on Aug. 9. (Submitted photo)

Group set to poison Miramichi Lake Aug. 17 Eradicating smallmouth bass to protect salmon leads to fish kill

BY JIM DUMVILLE - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

O

n Tuesday, Aug. 17, life changes for people enjoying cottage time around Miramichi Lake, near Napadogan. For most of the fish living in or near the lake, life ends on Tuesday.

On that day, a working group with a stated goal to protect Atlantic Salmon will pour thousands of gallons of a toxic chemical into the lake, Lake Brook and over 17 kilometres of the Southwest Miramichi surrounding to eradicate the popuSee LAKE on pg. 2

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OFFICER

Continued from page 1

On Tuesday, a release issued by Forward on behalf of the Woodstock Police Force and the town offered details on Pollock’s role as an officer.

“As a member of the Woodstock Police Force, Dale embraced his public safety responsibilities and commitment to the community,” the release stated.

Pollock served as a member of WPF’s uniformed patrol platoon response team.

“Dale worked diligently to uphold various provincial statutes to ensure motorists and pedestrians alike remained safe,” Forward said.

He described Pollock as instrumental in the education and enforcement related to impaired driving and partnered with others

LAKE

Continued from page 1

lation of smallmouth bass, considered an invasive species to the waters. Unfortunately, Noxfish Fish Toxicant II, with the active ingredient rotenone, will kill almost all fish, regardless of species.

The working group, consisting of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the North Shore Micmac District Council and four other organizations, believe the eradication project is the only way to protect the Miramichi River’s salmon population from the growing bass threat.

An ad hoc committee of cottage owners and other opponents to the project contend poisoning a lake and river system to address what they see as one minor piece of the many significant threats to Miramichi salmon is drastic and dangerous.

With the federal Department of Fisheries and New Brunswick Department of Environment approval in hand, the eradication team will move forward with the project as planned on Aug. 17.

Trish Foster, whose family owns a cottage on the lake, is part of the ad hoc group battling the eradication plan for the past three years. Despite hundreds of documents, she said, numerous questions remain unanswered.

toward replacing the force’s impaired driving instrumentation equipment.

Forward said Pollock’s friendly disposition displayed the personality and demeanour ideal for his job as a police officer.

“He was a quiet leader, who led by example,” the chief said.

Forward said Pollock’s impact reached beyond the community he directly served.

“He joined the 911 Ride in 2015 to help raise awareness across New Brunswick related to victims of violent crimes, fallen emergency service personnel, and public access to defibrillators,” Forward said in the release.

The chief said the loss of Pollock leaves a big hole to fill, but the force will regroup and continue to serve the community.

“Dale’s passing was They don’t believe the deadly toxin will have no unintended consequences.

Foster questions the environmental report’s determination the poison has no impact on land animals or birds. Even if the toxin doesn’t directly affect birds and other animals, Foster said, it kills a large portion of the other animals’ food sources.

“No fish for the eagles to eat,” she said. “No fish for the loons to eat.”

Neville Crabbe, Executive Director of Communications for the Atlantic Salmon Federation, said experts studied the issue.

“The Canadian Wildlife Service was consulted and contributed to the N.B. environmental impact assessment and determined that the project would not impact piscivorous or migratory birds,” he said.

Foster said the impact of birds and mammals is only one of a myriad of questions surrounding the eradication project.

She notes Health Canada approvals for Noxfish II include lakes but not rivers. The working group initially sought environmental clearance for the lake but later amended it to include part of the river.

Crabbe said steps are in place to ensure the killing solution doesn’t run further downriver than the projected 17.2 kilometres.

In approving the eradication operation, DFO offi-

both unexpected and devastating to all that knew him personally or professionally,” the release stated. “Const. Pollock leaves behind an adoring family, both immediate and those of us who worked closely with him. Dale’s presence, friendship and perspective enriched us all in many ways. He will be truly missed in everything we do moving forward.”

During his report to Woodstock council committee meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 10, Forward said Pollock loved being a police officer. He shared a story where the dedicated officer played a key role in finding a stolen trailer and its contents.

He said Pollock was one of two officers who approached with the idea of going up in a plane to see if they could spot the hidden trailer in the area.

Forward said he initially dismissed the suggestion, thinking it would be a long shot and not worth the cost.

He said Pollock’s insistence finally convinced him to try it. It worked, the chief said, as the bird’s eye view helped locate the trailer and contents.

Mayor Slipp opened the meeting, again offering his condolences to family, friends and police force He said he hoped to see a good turnout for Pollock’s funeral services in Fredericton on Aug. 13.

Forward said services for Pollock, originally from Harvey, were held at 3 p.m. at the York Funeral Home in Fredericton.

On Wednesday, Aug. 11, the WPF issued a public notice thanking Fredericton Police and RCMP for providing police coverage in the town so officers could attend the funeral.

A family of loons feed on Miramichi Lake. (W. Bell photo)

cials described the project as “moderate risk, with high uncertainty.”

Foster’s biggest concern is when and where the “high uncertainty” raises its ugly head.

While the working group will take steps to mitigate the impact, including collecting some dead fish, it has no plan to restock the lake immediately.

Crabbe said the original plan included removing some species and holding them in a tank, then returned after the neutralizer removed any remaining toxin. He said DFO nixed the idea, suggesting wild fish would not survive the process.

Communications official Anne Mooers, speaking on behalf of the N.B. environment department, which completed the EIA, said the plan now allows the natural return of native species.

“It is our understanding that the lake will be allowed to repopulate naturally for a period of two years, and if monitoring indicates that non-migratory species are not recolonizing the lake after this time, adults will be transplanted from nearby

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. The River Valley Sun follows Canadian Press Style guidelines.

lakes,” Mooers said.

Foster said the group opposing the eradication project includes wildlife and environmental experts in addition to cottage owners and area residents.

“Restocking of Miramichi Lake must take place in the spring of 2022,” the group said. “The lake must be stocked with mature fish species to prey upon any smallmouth bass that may remain in the lake post-poisoning.”

While the working group garnered all necessary approval to move ahead with the project, Foster wants to know who takes responsibility if something goes awry.

Crabbe said a team is in place to watch over the area treated with Noxfish II over the coming years.

“There will be a fiveyear ecological monitoring program led by Anqotum Resource Management afterwards,” he said.

From Foster’s perspective, a monitoring team serves little use if many of the untested practices using a killer toxin in a pristine body of water doesn’t turn out as planned.

IN CRISIS?

Here are the numbers to call:

RCMP/Woodstock Police 911 Upper River Valley Hospital 375-5900 Hôtel Dieu – Perth-Andover 273-7100 Woodstock Mental Health 325-4419 Perth-Andover Mental Health 273-4701 After Hours Mobile Crisis 1-888-667-0444 CHIMO

1-800-667-5005 Telecare 811 Nackawic Health Centre 575-6600 Tobique Valley Comm. Health 356-6600 Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 Dept. of Social Development 1-833-733-7835

Help for DRUG ADDICTION

Hope for Wellness Helpline 1-855-242-3310 Offering immediate help to Indigenous peoples across Canada.

Available 24/7, it offers counselling and crisis intervention.

Al-Anon Family Group Woodstock 506-328-6122 For friends and family of alcoholics, meets Wednesdays 7-8 pm at the Woodstock Baptist Church, 785 Main St., Woodstock Woodstock Addictions and Mental Health 506-325-4419 Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Perth-Andover Addictions and Mental Health 506-273-4701 Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Mental Health Mobile Crisis Unit 1-888-667-0444 - 7 days a week from 2 - 10 pm Inpatient Detoxification Services: access by self-referral only; all admissions are voluntary. The detoxification unit provides inpatient treatment for the withdrawal from mood altering substances such as alcohol, cocaine, opiates and other drugs.

Fredericton Detoxification Unit 506-452-5525 / Located at 65 Brunswick St., Fredericton, NB A 10-bed unit that provides medical support, education, and recovery planning for substance abuse and gambling. Phone 452-5525; accepts messages only, calls are returned to plan admissions Monday through Friday.

Miramichi Detoxification Unit 506-623-6175 / Located at 500 Water St., Miramichi. NB. Moncton Detoxification Unit 506-856-2333 / Located at 81 Albert St., Moncton, NB. Ridgewood Addiction Services 506-674-4300 / Located at 416 Bay St., South Bay, Saint John, NB provides a range of services for individuals, youth and family members affected by substance abuse and gambling.

Residential rehabilitation facilities Ridgewood Centre (Saint John) 506-647-4300 / 416 Bay St., South Bay, Saint John, NB Campbellton Regional Addiction Services 506-789-7055 / 53 Gallant Dr., Campbellton, NB Rising Sun Treatment Centre (First Nations) 506-627-4626 / 31 Riverview Rd., Eel Ground, NB Portage Atlantic 1-888-735-9800 / Cassidy Lake, NB, is a nonprofit organization established in 1995, operates a residential drug addiction rehabilitation centre for Atlantic Canada youth (14-21) in New Brunswick.

Early Recovery Group, Woodstock - each Wednesday (unless school is closed due to weather) from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. at Bicentennial Boardroom (1st Floor), 200 King Street, Bicentennial Place, Woodstock, NB Early Recovery Group in Perth-Andover - each Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Mental Health and Addictions at 35F Tribe Rd., Perth-Andover, NB Harvest House Woodstock hosts MAMA Meetings (Mothers Against Meth Addiction) on Mondays at 7 pm. This is a women-only group, providing a safe place for women struggling with family members whose lives are being destroyed by drug abuse. For info: contact Natasha Smith at 323-9315. *In an emergency, call 911 or visit a local ER*

Law Enforcement Woodstock Town Police: (506) 325-4601 RCMP, Woodstock area: 325-3000 (For immediate help: 1-888-506-7267) RCMP, Nackawic area, (Fredericton dispatch): 357-4300 (For immediate help: 1-888-506-1472) Call 911 in an emergency!

Crimestoppers: 1-800-222-8477

Animal Control

Town of Woodstock Police (will dispatch help) 325-4601 York County Officer Randy Casey 459-7831 Rural Areas call the NBSPCA 1-877-722-1522

River Valley Sun: Box 1000, Woodstock, NB, E7M 0E9, (506) 325-2552 Local Journalism Initiative Reporter: Jim Dumville, (506) 325-8523, jim@rivervalleysun.ca Publisher/Managing Editor: Theresa Blackburn, (506) 324-5700, theresa@rivervalleysun.ca Publisher/Distribution Manager: Stephen Chisholm (506) 324-5711 www.rivervalleysun.ca ISSN # 2562-3893 *Unauthorized bulk removal of the River Valley Sun from any public location, or tampering with our distribution, including unauthorized inserts, is prohibited.

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

McLellan BrandSouce Home Furnishings, Woodstock, is a proud supporter of the River Valley Sun. www.mclellansfurniture.com

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA

Hay crop rebounds after severe 2020 drought

3

Good quality, heavy crop reported this year, bringing much relief to farmers

By Judy Cole-Underhill and he lost access to cusLocal farmers are breathing a sigh of relief as they gather in their hay this summer compared to the devastating drought in 2020 that ruined fields and created a crop shortage.

“We begged for rain last year,” said Robert Black of Bloomfield. “It was the worst year ever - a total write-off.”

This summer, Black is reporting a good quality, heavy crop on his 60 acres.

He expects to bring in about 6,000 square bales when the season ends in August.

“It’s been raining off and on, making it a little hard to get. But it’s going to be a good year if the weather cooperates and we get it in the barn.”

Last year, Black said only 240 square bales came in after a second cut due to the dry conditions. In addition to the drought, he said the pandemic closed the international border,

tomers in the U.S market.

“We got rid of it in the end because of the shortage here,” Black explained.

“We had people as far away as Moncton looking for hay.”

Crop prices rose, he said, but there wasn’t much monetary gain for farmers.

“We weren’t ahead any further because the crop was down. We just didn’t have the volume,” Black noted.

John and Blair Smart operate a 150-acre family farm in Northampton where they will gather in about 1,600 round bales this summer to feed their cattle and sell to a handful of other local farmers. They expect to finish their work in the first week of August.

“We’re taking in triple what we had last year,” John Smart said. “It’s turning into a big crop. Last year, we had no excess to sell. This year, we’re going to have a lot.”

Smart said due to the

drought in 2020, the farm had just enough hay to get their herd through the long winter. There were only two bales left in the barn by the time spring arrived.

“It greened up, and the cattle got out into pasture, taking two weeks off what we would need for feed.

We just couldn’t sell any last year. We wanted to make sure we had enough for our own herd.”

Smart said a round bale sells for about $50 per bale. He said hay was being shipped into the province from Quebec for about $100 per bale during the shortage. He said the cost of trucking would have contributed to the high price.

Both silage and hay are popular ways for farmers to feed their livestock when they cannot graze during the winter. Hay is mowed, dried and stored inside in bales. Silage is hay compacted and stored outside in air-tight plastic wrap without being thoroughly dried.

During the drought, some farmers resorted to downsizing their herds more than the farm normally would during the summer, not only because of the lack of hay for the winter months but also because the grass in pastures was scarce.

Dairy farmer Robin Antworth spent $20,000 last year on extra hay for his cattle and was forced to downsize his herd due to the crop shortage. Today, he is milking 30 cows from a herd of 70 on his 200-acre farm in East Newbridge.

“I’m so glad it’s a different year, this year, or I’d be out of business,” Antworth said. “There’s no way I could stay in business paying double the price for hay two years in a row.”

In 2020, Antworth had to supplement what hay he had on hand with 200 round bales purchased from Grand Falls and Saint Quentin suppliers to get through the winter. This summer, he sees a bumper

East Newbridge dairy farmer Robin Antworth pictured with some of this year’s hay harvest. (Nikki Arch photo)

crop and expects to bring in 1,000 round bales from his fields when the season ends. He will not sell any of his hay after the struggle the farm faced last year to keep the herd fed.

“I got an old barn, and it’s stuffed full,” he said. “I’m not taking any chances.”

Antworth said he knew of bigger dairy farmers in Keswick Ridge who spent $50,000 to $80,000 on hay in 2020 and, in the end, had to sell out. He said the drought caused a “true test” for farmers, and he feels fortunate to have survived it.

Woodstock Pistol and Rifle Club hosts Guns ‘n Heels

All female event draws crowd, teaches basic shooting skills and firearm safety

By Rebecca Dykeman

W

omen took aim on August 7 at the Woodstock Pistol and Rifle Club’s first-ever Guns ‘n Heels event, held in partnership with the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights and The Gun Dealer.

The all-female event, sponsored by Canadian Tire and Currie’s Ace Hardware, gave women a chance to learn firearm safety and basic shooting skills.

All women, club members and non-members alike, were invited to register. No shooting experience or firearms licenses were required.

Guns ‘n Heels was a hit, with 61 registered participants and several women on a waitlist.

The WPRC’s first vice president, Maridel Farrell, said the club decided to host the event to give ladies a chance to try something new alongside their friends.

“Sometimes it’s just a more comfortable setting to shoot with other women, especially your first time,” Farrell stated.

“The first time you do something is a blast, especially if you’re with your girlfriends, so we just wanted it to be a fun

day and a positive experience.”

The WPRC also planned the event in response to popular demand.

“Women seem genuinely interested in learning how to shoot,” Farrell said. “A lot of them don’t know how to get started.

The response to our registration is evidence that there is a demand for this.”

Special guests included CCFR field officer and Project Mapleseed instructor Jason Gallen, Amanda Morris and CCFR vice president of public relations Tracey Wilson. The CCFR is a national lobby group based out of Ottawa, Ontario. “[We work] to defend the rights of Canadian gun owners [and] to demand fair and effective legislation,” said Wilson.

Wilson believes events like Guns ‘n Heels are important because they give women more exposure to firearms than they typically receive.

“A lot of these women wouldn’t have the opportunity to be exposed to firearms other than what they see in the media, in television and with politi-

Club first VP Maridel Farrell, left, and CCFR VP of public relations Tracey Wilson. (Submitted photo)

Melissa Hargrove is instructed on how to shoot. (Rebecca Dykeman photo)

Norma Cook shoots at a target. (Rebecca Dykeman photo)

Anita Scott, one of 61 participants. (R. Dykeman photo)

cians, which is generally violence. This gives them an opportunity to see the sporting side of it and the positive aspect of shooting with your friends and having fun,” said Wilson.

Anita Scott was one of the many Guns ‘n Heels

Brittney Tomah also participated. She had never shot a gun before attending Guns ‘n Heels.

Tomah said she wanted to try shooting not only because it looked fun but also to continue a family tradition.

participants. She took up shooting less than a year ago.

“I needed a new hobby,” she said. “I love the outdoors, I love to side-by-side, that type of thing, so hunting’s my new hobby.”

“My dad was a hunter, and he passed almost two years ago now. I’m trying to carry on the tradition of hunting in my family,” she explained.

Thanks to Guns ‘n Heels, Tomah is on the path to doing so.

4

CNHS ready to reopen after storm damage

Repairs nearly complete after July microburst ripped off section of school roof

By Rebecca Dykeman

C

arleton North High School is ready to reopen on the first day of school after being damaged by a weather phenomenon known as a microburst on July 1.

Shawn Tracey, Anglophone West Director of Finance and Administration, said roof repairs are going according to schedule.

“The design completion is supposed to be done August 13,” said Tracey.

“There’s a tender that’s got to close between August 16 and September 3. They’re looking for complete construction to be completed

by November 26.”

Though repairs will not be officially completed until a couple of months into the school year, enough has been fixed that the school is ready for students to return to classes in early September.

“The roof is completely water-tight. It’s been repaired. It just needs to have the final roofing part added before winter,” said Tracey.

“The inside is all fixed, and anything that needed to be repaired has been done and completed already.”

Tracey said the school district will try to make final

roof repairs when students are not in class.

“Generally, when it comes to roofing projects, we try to do them outside of school hours. It’s very weather-dependent.

It’s going to require some flexibility, I suspect, on the contractor’s part as well as school and district staff to get it done, but for all intents and purposes, the school is ready for students to come back,” he said.

CNHS was damaged by a microburst that developed during a severe thunderstorm the night of June 30 into the early morning

of July 1. The storm tore off a large part of the school’s roof, leaving it hanging precariously down the side of the building.

High winds and heavy rain created significant damage in the region, spreading debris from the roof and other parts of the building across the school property. The storm also hit the Greenfield Road area hard, damaging buildings and causing trees to uproot and fall. Luckily, no one was hurt.

––– With files from Local Journalism Initiative reporter Jim Dumville.

A large section of roof on the Carleton North High School was peeled back after a ‘microburst’ storm in July. (Theresa Blackburn photo)

Pandemic creates awareness of trucking industry importance

Trucking association exec says it’s time to give credit to drivers who continued to serve

By Judy Cole-Underhill

T

he pandemic that struck the world in 2020 caused a global health crisis while casting a spotlight on essential workers who remained on the front lines.

Among them were 5,000 New Brunswick truck drivers who continued driving the highways while the general population was told to stay safe at home.

On July 30, COVID-19 restrictions in New Brunswick were lifted after 16 months.

“It certainly was a long, tough year and a half,” said Jean-Marc Picard, the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association executive director.

“You’ve got to give credit to those who continued to drive, so people had what they needed. They didn’t give up. It wasn’t easy.”

The pandemic impacted almost every industry, with businesses having to shut down to help slow the spread. Travel, hospitality, restaurants, and entertainment felt the biggest pinch. At the same time, other sectors like the trucking industry had to keep going to maintain food supply lines, fuel delivery, and other vital goods needed to keep the economy moving.

“It was a real eyeopener,” Picard explained. “It really sheds light on how the economy and people rely on the industry. It was good for the drivers from that standpoint. It created a new awareness about what they do.”

Picard said truck drivers faced many challeng-

es while out on the road.

At the height of the pandemic, highways were empty, and restaurants and parking lots were closed. Since trucks can’t go through a drive-thru, options were limited for driving long shifts. Showers at truck stops were unavailable, and rest areas were often full. At times, travel routes were disrupted.

On the job, restrictions issued by the provincial Department of Health were often confusing or in a constant state of flux.

Drivers donned protective gloves and face masks, carried cleaning supplies, did temperature checks, filled out daily health reports, and socially distanced when out of their rigs. At the international border, they answered questions before being permitted into the U.S. Once home, drivers were advised to stay in isolation. Some who travelled into COVID-19 hotspots would protect their families by sleeping in their trucks.

The pandemic created a strain on the economy and people psychologically, Picard said. Some older drivers retired early to avoid the stress.

At age 42, Tiberiu Prodan of Florenceville-Bristol is an owner-operator hauling freight for the international carrier Day & Ross.

After moving from Romania, he worked as a truck driver in New Brunswick for the past 13 years. He has been driving a truck since his youth.

Prodan’s regular run takes him from Hartland to New York to New Jersey to Toronto and back home. He makes three loops every two weeks for a total of 6,500 miles.

He described driving during the pandemic as “stressful.”

“Honestly, at first, I was feeling like it was apocalyptic,” Prodan said. “There was no one, no traffic. We kept on and sacrificed everything, risking our family, our health, our safety to keep the whole industry going.

Everyone said we were heroes at the start. Then we had a stigma attached to us. They would step back away from us because we travel outside the province.”

Prodan recalled his worst experience when he offered to be a donor at a blood clinic and was turned away because of his job. That was painful, he said.

During the pandemic, the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association endorsed a national campaign called # Thank a Trucker, which was launched to help promote respect and appreciation for drivers.

Trucking companies on both sides of the international border are currently reporting an ageing workforce and a shortage of drivers. The shortage in Canada is expected to reach 25,000 by 2025.

Drivers earn an average salary of $55,000 to $80,000, depending on how much time they spend on the road. They are paid by the mile.

Many new drivers are hired through the immigration process.

Picard said wages are “evolving in the right direction,” and the impact of the pandemic has made most companies more “conscientious” about salary and benefits to recruit and retain their workforce.

In recent months, over 60 per cent of truck drivers have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Health protocols instituted during the pandemic are expected to become part of safety guidelines for the industry from now on. The cost of the pandemic on the transportation industry has yet to be identified.

Top: Jean-Marc Picard is the executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association. Bottom: Tiberiu Prodan is an owner-operator for the international carrier Day & Ross. (Submitted photos)

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RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA

5

Tobique-Mactaquac MP makes mark during first term

Richard Bragdon praised for private-members bill, backlash for stand on conversion therapy

By Jim Dumville - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

I

t’s summer in the Upper St. John River Valley. And, with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in New Brunswick on July 31, New Brunswickers can return to many of their traditional summer events.

Those traditions will include the return of sitting MPs heading to public events like community celebrations, picnics, markets and fairs, especially with a potential federal election on the horizon.

Tobique-Mactaquac MP Richard Bragdon has long enjoyed this opportunity to connect with his riding constituents at community events, at election time or otherwise.

While he sees no need for a fall election, the Conservative MP expects Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call for a vote soon. He says he’s ready to put his record on the line whenever Canadians head back to the polls.

Bragdon’s term in office included some significant moments for the first-time MP, including the unusual passage of his private member’s bill with bipartisan support.

On May 5, Bragdon’s Bill C-228, an act to establish a federal framework to reduce recidivism, passed unanimously and received Royal Assent. It calls on the federal government, over the next year, to develop a national framework to reduce the revolving door in the criminal justice system.

Only two per cent of private member bills pass, with that number even lower for those introduced by opposition MPs. “It’s absolutely surreal,” said Bragdon, who had a chance to travel to Ottawa to be in chambers for pas-

sage by the Senate.

He said the bill’s passage resulted from tremendous support across party lines and stakeholders through his riding and across the country.

“We’re extremely blessed and fortunate to see this come to pass,” said Bragdon. “I really like how we worked across party lines on this. It became non-partisan, took on a life of its own. People realize we need to reduce recidivism rates. For those who served their time and are getting out, how can we put best practices in place to bring that overall number down.”

Bragdon explained close to 25 per cent of all federally incarcerated prisoners return to the system upon release, noting that number grows higher within provincial systems and among minority populations. He added that number rises to 40 per cent among indigenous people.

Bragdon credited the tremendous support in crafting and promoting the bill, citing the input of former N.B. Lt. Gov. Graydon Nicholas, who spoke strongly in support of the bill before the House and Senate Committees.

The MP also praised the efforts of Mitch MacMillan, a former RCMP member, Woodstock Police Force chief and member of the parole board. He said he had strong support from Keswick Ridge farmer David Coburn, who employed many people upon release from incarceration and former NB. Public Safety Minister Carl Urquhart.

While the passage of his private member’s bill proved a high point in his first term in office, Brag-

don’s decision to join 62 Conservative colleagues voting against a bill to criminalize conversation therapy angered many constituents.

While the bill passed with a 263 to 63 vote, it will die on the table if an election is called this fall.

Bragdon defended his decision, saying he opposes conversion therapy, which aims to change a person’s sexual identity, but believed the bill needs to be more defined.

“I don’t know any MP, including myself, who wouldn’t be against any harmful practices to anyone,” he said.

Still, Bragdon said, he and his colleagues who opposed the bill believe the definition is too broad and could criminalize conversations “between parents and their children,

spiritual care providers, professionals, teachers and others dealing with the most sensitive and challenging issues.”

Bragdon criticized the government for ignoring suggested amendments and waiting until the session’s final days to introduce the bill.

Lillian Warne, a Hartland community leader, doesn’t accept Bragdon’s explanation for opposing this vital legislation.

“These new offences would not penalize private conversations with health professionals, doctors, parents, friends or whatever,” she said. “I don’t know where he’s getting it will criminalize all that stuff. I think that’s just a Conservative Party stance.”

Warren noted that the other MPs, many from western Canada, used

Tobique-Mactaquac MP Richard Bragdon. (Submitted photo)

similar lines to explain their opposition to the bill.

She said she emailed the MP seeking a better explanation but got no response.

Warren said conver-

sion therapy affects people in Bragdon riding, but it’s a global threat.

“It is worldwide. The World Health Organization condemned it. It’s not just in Canada,” she said.

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Foundation delivers state-of-the-art beds to URVH Stryker S3 beds provide benefits to patients and nurses

By Jim Dumville - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

W

ith the support of Upper River Valley philanthropy and generous, often anonymous, donations, the Upper River Valley Hospital Foundation keeps the Waterville hospital equipped with the latest in medical care advancement.

The Upper River Valley Hospital Concentrated Care Unit (CCU) recently became one of the grateful recipients of a generous donation through the URVH Foundation to upgrade three of its beds to state-of-the-art technology to support quality care for its patients.

Upper River Valley area Administrative Director Trish Murray said the new Stryker S3 beds benefit medical staff and their pa-

tients.

She said the beds create an ergonomically safe working environment for nursing staff with advanced electric controls and in-bed scales.

“The most impressive attribute of the new beds is the IsoTour mattresses which have innovative gel structure technology that significantly reduces the risk of pressure injuries to patients in the critical care setting,” said Murray. ‘ She said the technology distributes a patient’s weight evenly to reduce the risk of skin breakdown and pressure injuries.

Murray added the mattresses also come equipped with turn-assist technology to aid staff with moving patients – reducing

heavy lifting and injury.

“The CCU staff at URVH are genuinely grateful to the URVH Foundation and their generous donors for this important gift to support patient care, comfort and staff safety in the critical care environment,” said Murray.

URVH Foundation Board Chair Dr. Wayne McLaughlin said it could not succeed without the ongoing support of the region’s residents and business community.

He said this recent acquisition through the generous support of Upper River Valley business illustrates the vital role the region’s citizens play in securing and improving health care in the Upper Saint John River Valley.

The beds create an ergonomically safe working environment for nursing staff with advanced electric controls and in-bed scales. (Photo submitted by URVH)

McLaughlin said he witnessed this type of support throughout his career in the region.

“Fifty years of providing family medicine in Upper River Valley continually reinforced in countless ways how crucial the support

of the Upper River Valley citizens played in recruiting and retaining the skilled healthcare workers,” he said.

He said the support from citizens’ philanthropy and the foundation’s effective lobby efforts will have

a positive influence on the quality and level of services provided by the hospital now and into the future.

“This, in turn, will set the bar for the level of health services in the valley communities that URVH serves,” McLaughlin said.

McCain builds upon its rich past to map a greener future

Farm of the Future in Carleton first of three full-scale research operations worldwide

By Jim Dumville - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

M

cCain Foods’ Farm of the Future in Florenceville-Bristol seeks to sustain potato production and battle climate change in the years and decades ahead by drawing on the McCain family’s rich heritage and ingenuity from past years and decades.

“Nothing is more important to us than our heritage as a family company,” said Jess Newman, McCain’s senior director of agriculture and sustainability, “as a company founded by farmers right here in Florenceville.”

It’s not an accident that the first of three Farms of the Future planned for different corners of the globe by 2025 sits in Florenceville-Bristol, N.B. Newman explained the Farms of the Future, like the one which began operation this year in New Brunswick, will serve as a testing ground for innovative practices aligned with regenerative agriculture.

She said the farm would share its successfully proven practices with McCain’s potato producers across the region and around the

world.

“Our commitment is to implement regenerative agriculture practices on 100 per cent of potato acres,” Newman said.

Globally, she added, the frozen French fry giant draws from 320,000 potato acres. Eventually, she said, information garnered from the experimental farms will improve the sustainability of all potato production.

“Our Farm for the Future in our hometown of Florenceville is our first one, but we have plans for more to come because practices are highly regional,” Newman said.

She explained that research on a full-scale farm operation, rather than a small lab demonstration, will help ensure the accrued knowledge is transferable to potato producers.

Newman said the commercial field farms would help demonstrate that the successful financial and environmental farm practices will work on any farm.

She explained the Farm of the Future operates like any full-scale potato farm, complete with diversifica-

tion and crop rotation.

Over a four-to-six-year rotation, Newman said, the farm will rotate crops already found on most potato-growing operations, including barley, alfalfa, winter wheat, corn and others, along with potatoes.

A key element of the farm is discovering regenerative practices and increasing crop resiliency, citing last summer’s drought as an example of challenges that may become more common as the climate changes.

Newman said experts would research improvements dealing with soil compaction and water retention.

During its first year, McCain’s Canadian Farm of the Future will seek to incorporate precision agriculture technologies like remote sensing, experimenting with seeding practices and implementing controlled traffic, a ground-breaking shift in approach that significantly limits the time a tractor and other heavy machinery spends on a field.

Through the research, Newman said, McCain

growers will remain partners in the research and improvements.

“The reason we’re so excited about this work and so committed is we’ve seen the effect of climate change on our growers’ livelihoods first, like we saw last year in New Brunswick,” she said.

“For us, our growers are the most important. They’re our partners, and our success is inextricably linked.

For that reason, we’re really excited to do this together and collaborate. We want their input on our regenerative agenda. We want to be moving forward, hand in hand.”

The Farms of the Future is only one part of McCain Foods’ overall commitment to reduce carbon emissions and battle climate change on a significant scale.

“We have a goal that by 2030 we’ll be 100 per cent renewable electricity,” said Newman.

Additionally, by 2030, McCain set a goal to reduce absolute carbon emissions in its supply chain by 25 per cent.

Newman said McCain purchased the 500-plus-

McCain Farms of the Future incorporates innovative and sustainable techniques. (Submitted photo)

acre farm last year and is working collaboratively with the former owner this year.

She said it employs a local farm crew to plant, maintain and harvest this year’s crops.

The Florenceville-Bristol Farm of the Future is just one aspect of McCain’s comprehensive plan for a greener future.

In June, the company released its 2020 Global Sustainability report Together, Towards Planet-Friendly Food, in which McCain pledged to implement regenerative agricultural practices across 100 per cent of its potato acreage — representing 370,000 acres worldwide — by 2030.

This transition will restore and protect soil health and

quality and look to natural processes to control pests, prevent plant disease and strengthen crops against severe weather events.

“The pandemic has put a spotlight squarely on the precarious nature of our global food system,” Max Koeune, Chief Executive Officer of McCain, said at the time of the release. “But the largest challenges we face are related to climate change. It’s estimated that a quarter of man-made carbon emissions come from the production of food, and if we have to grow more food to feed more people, that will only intensify. If we don’t transform the way we grow food, the whole system is at risk of suffering irreparable damage.”

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7

Groundhog Day: Why New Brunswick needs to sign a childcare agreement with Ottawa

DISPATCHES FROM MY MESSY DESK

By Theresa Blackburn

I

’ve been a childcare advocate since my oldest was a toddler. When I moved to Cape Breton in 1990, she was two, and I was a single mom making an entry-level salary. Daycare wasn’t financially possible, so Kristen was cared for in a private home. When I discovered a provincial subsidy for low-income families, I applied.

It enabled me to send my daughter to a quality early childhood education centre.

I joined the non-profit board and became chair. I was asked to be a part of the Nova Scotia Roundtable on Daycare in 1991 and stayed for three years, helping rewrite legislation that would advance early childcare in that province. When we moved to Iqaluit, I joined the board of Pairivk Daycare, eventually becoming their chair. In Labrador, you guessed it, another daycare, this time for my two younger children, and another daycare board position as president of a nonprofit that managed three facilities. When we moved to Woodstock in 2006, my kids joined Woodstock Childcare, and I sat on their board.

In 2005, Paul Martin’s minority Liberals were working to establish a national framework. That November, New Brunswick penned a childcare deal with Ottawa, but the national program was axed a month later when Martin’s minority government fell to Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.

In 2017, Brian Gallant got $30 million from Ottawa in a three-year agreement to create designated early learning centres, expand capacity, lower fees, and implement inclusion. The province contributed an additional $41 million. That funding ran out last year.

This April, Trudeau’s Liberals released their ‘election’ budget, which included $30 billion for a national childcare system that would see parents (within five years) paying, on average, $10 a day.

This iteration of a national childcare system was built with important research

conducted right here, in New Brunswick.

The feds constructed their strategy with a lot of input, including 23 years of childhood development and socio-economic outcome research collected by the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation – a foundation that gathered some of its most important data through a pilot project in Bath. Their research showed that for every dollar spent on early childhood education, the province’s return on investment is $6.

“The federal government has made a long-term commitment of $34 billion over five years (which includes $4 billion previously committed, followed by $9.2 billion per year, ongoing),” wrote Margaret McCain in an email to the River Valley Sun. “For Higgs, this is a ‘win-win’ – for his government, but also for New Brunswick society, and the women and children of New Brunswick, without an added penny.

All of his Atlantic colleagues understand the benefits. Why doesn’t he?”

Premier Higgs wants to compare the costs of this newly announced program with what the province already spends in wage subsidies for early childhood educators before making a decision. Why not do more with better funding and choose to support childcare workers AND working parents?

Higgs suggested the province would be on the hook for half the costs. Childcare advocacy organizations like Child Care Now say he is wrong – no provincial monies need to be spent, but most provinces that have signed on have added to the program. As I write, New Brunswick is the only Atlantic province that hasn’t signed a childcare agreement.

Officials with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said they are engaged in ongoing discussions with their federal counterparts.

They hope to have more to talk about this fall, but that may be too late.

Every time Canada is on the cusp of finally getting the national child care strategy we need, it’s foiled by an election. Changes in government quashed proposed strategies in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s and could do the same this year.

It’s like national childcare is shooting its own version of the movie Groundhog Day. Economist and writer Armine Yalnizyan is with the federal government’s task force on women in the economy. In a recent interview, she said that Canada’s overall economic recovery won’t happen without a ‘she-covery’ and that there will be no ‘she-covery’ without childcare.

Working mothers shouldered some of the biggest burdens and have had some

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of the biggest losses during this pandemic. They faced higher than average unemployment rates, higher rates of domestic violence and their mental health suffered more than their male counterparts. Studies suggest it could take up to a decade for families, especially single-parent families led by women, to financially recover from the pandemic.

Aside from helping families, a national childcare program would also give our economy a big boost. The annual savings of $4,000 and $5,000 per child in the agreement’s first year will be a windfall for regions like ours. At the end of five years, when childcare fees drop to an average of $10 a day, the savings for one infant in care will be about $7,500 a year.

If New Brunswick doesn’t sign, it could also impact immigration. Why would a young family decide to come to New Brunswick and pay an average of $185 per week per child when they could move to Nova Scotia, PEI, or Newfoundland and Labrador and pay an average of $50 a week?

The program is expected to help expand capacity, which means funding would have to follow. Some childcare advocates believe that’s where the difficulty lies for New Brunswick. The majority of childcare centres in our province are privately owned. Some daycare owners in Carleton County have expressed frustration with the province, saying Higgs and previous governments have been less than supportive. They believe that the premier sees the support as funding the private sector. I wonder if the government realizes they’re already doing that in other sectors?

For example, Crown stumpage fees have not been updated since 2015. Former premier Brian Gallant and current premier Blaine Higgs reluctance to update timber rates means big profits for big mills – big, privately owned mills – even more so throughout the pandemic. The province’s refusal to set crown stumpage fees to reflect current market values subsidizes some of the most prominent play-

Angie’s Little Peeps Forest School Instructor Great Reardon with students in the early childhood education centre’s outdoor classroom. (Brigitte Rivers photo)

ers in the lumber industry.

Financial and forestry analysts continue to question our province’s reasoning, pointing to what Alberta did last year. After adjusting their timber prices to reflect current markets, that province raked in more than $111 million extra in 2020.

Stumpage fee increases would give our province breathing room so it could throw support behind a lot of family-support programs, including national childcare.

Getting our province ’back to normal’ isn’t just about lifting mask and travel restrictions. A provincial recovery plan needs to include practical help, like affordable childcare, so middle and lowincome families can start their economic recovery. Young parents deserve a break on daycare bills, especially after a year and a half of juggling childcare, work, homeschooling, and safely navigating a pandemic.

Theresa Blackburn (with husband, Stephen Chisholm) publishes the River Valley Sun and ageless New Brunswick magazine. She and her family live and volunteer in Woodstock.

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Debec, Centreville maintenance depots getting upgrades Improvements to village’s DTI garages part of $8.3 million federal and provincial funding

RIVER VALLEY SUN

T

he transportation maintenance depots in Debec and Centreville will soon undergo upgrades as part of a federal and provincial funding agreement announced by the province on Aug. 5.

In a news release, the government of New Brunswick announced the provincial and federal governments will provide $8.3 million for 11 infrastructure projects in communities across the province.

The release said the funds intend to provide residents with safe and reliable infrastructure and better position their communities for growth.

“Investments of this

type help equip communities with the infrastructure they need for both population and economic growth and help ensure they will continue to flourish for generations to come,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Gary Crossman, who is also minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation.

The projects named in the announcement include what officials describe as “midlife upgrades” to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure maintenance depots in Debec and Centreville.

Each depot will receive $500,000 in federal funds and $125,000 in provincial funds.

The description of work planned for both depots are almost identical. The upgrades include site improvements, hazardous materials removals, new metal cladding, doors, windows, roofing, code compliance upgrades, ventilation, heating, plumbing, electrical and more.

The description said the improvements will extend the lifespan of the maintenance depots, which houses the staff and garage bays, to do minor maintenance of the snow removal assets.

Other projects include similar maintenance depot upgrades in Petitcodiac, Woodman’s Point, Gagetown, Hampton and Hanwell. Funding will also pro-

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“These investments will extend the life of important department facilities,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Jill Green. “The upgraded facilities will help us to effectively manage our large network of roadways, bridges and infrastructure.”

The release said the federal government is investing more than $6.6 million in these projects through the COVID-19 Resilience Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The provincial government contributes $980,000 while municipali-

Funding sings advertise the upcoming improvements that will be made to Debec’s DTI depot. (GNB photo)

ties and other funding partners are contributing more than $686,000.

Fredericton MP Jenica Atwin spoke on behalf of federal Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna.

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’ TAKONUTOMAKONUWAL

(Maliseet word meaning ‘their stories’)

News and Features from Woodstock First Nation

Shubenacadie Residential School: The ‘official’ record (Part two)

MOTHER TONGUE

By Anatasha Lyons

O

n this visit, there was no setting sun to be seen. The day was overcast and unseasonably cold for late July. The chilly air crept through the small windows of Aunt Bonnie’s enclosed deck. The white and grey clouds were thick, making the space seem darker, matching the mood of our conversation.

“I went there last week…. To Shubie…,” my aunt paused, steadying her voice. “ It was raining, but I got out anyway. I made my way to the memorial next to the Shubenacadie Riv-

er. I couldn’t make my way up to the grounds because there is a special path to get there without trespassing on private property.”

She continued to explain that the original school was demolished in 1986 and a plastics factory was built overtop of the original footprint.

“I looked up towards where the school once stood, and I could see the school, as plain as the day.”

As I listened, I pictured her there as she spoke, on the shore of the river. Rain lightly dancing on the surface of the dark water. A bright orange shirt propped up next to a sign that read 215 and another that read NO FISHING. The shirt turned a burnt orange as droplets began to speckle the material.

Aunt Bonnie wondered at the silence despite the rain, and a piercing thought flashed through her mind.

How many souls were buried and forgotten here?

She gazed up the hill towards the tree line at the back of the property, contemplating the recent ground penetrating radar search and whether they thought to scan that area.

Her eyes surveyed the land back to the plastic factory, which, in her mind, was still the foreboding image from her childhood.

While competing in the Indian Summer Games in the 1970s, Grampy pulled their vehicle over on the way home. He jabbed a finger over the steering wheel towards the gloomy school on the hill, still in operation at this time. He told his children that’s where bad little Indians go, and if they don’t listen, they are beaten until they do — the car filled with apprehension.

The rain picked up, the light tapping sound of the rain turned into a pitter-

patter.

Rain drizzled down my aunt’s face as she thought of her father and aunt coming up the winding road towards the school for the first time.

She remembered the fear she felt that day coming from the Summer Games and shuddered. Another Elder from Woodstock once recounted Jeanette’s telling of their first trip to Shubenacadie.

The two hugged each other tightly, approaching the school. The nuns had to pry them apart to begin their “sanitization process.”

The two were often beaten away from the fence separating the gendered schoolyards.

What did they think about that last trip to Shubie in March 1949? Did Aunt Jeanette look as they passed by the homemade swing that she was never allowed to play on, a swing only made for good little In-

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dians?

Was she thinking about how hard the nuns would scrub her skin this time because she was “too dark”?

Was she thinking about the time Dad was punished for trying to speak Wolastoqey to her that resulted in rice permanently embedded in his knees?

She thought, what about Dad? Was he thinking about how much he would vomit when they doused him with DDT powder? Or worse, was he going to have seizures like some other boys?

Was he stealing himself with a resolve not to speak Wolastoqey to avoid kneeling on uncooked rice for hours? Or maybe preparing for the beatings the priest would dish out in the makeshift boxing ring to boys he did not like, espe-

cially the darker ones?

As Aunt Bonnie’s thoughts raced, she was overcome with emotion.

Her eyes began to blur and well up with tears as waves of sadness grew.

The tears came streaming down her cheeks only to mix with the cool drops of rain trickling alongside them, washing her tears away as soon as they fell.

“Next time, I want to come with you, “ I added, my own voice wavering as tears of sorrow and loss fell from our faces in the small, dark space of the enclosed deck.

Anatasha Lyons is a wife, a mother, and Woodstock First Nation’s Language Coordinator. She is involved in language revitalization efforts in Wolastokuk.

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RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 11

Women@McCain encourages sharing of stories Spring writing contest for youth celebrates young women

By Rebecca Dykeman

I

n March, to celebrate International Women’s Day, Women@McCain encouraged young women in Carleton County to share their perspectives.

Women@McCain is a committee of female employees at McCain Foods in Florenceville-Bristol.

The group is dedicated to helping women within the company create support systems. The committee also provides resources to educate women, develop their skills, promote awareness and boost self-confidence.

From March 15 to April 9, the committee held an International Women’s Day writing contest.

Female-identifying students in Grades 9-12 from Florenceville-Bristol, Hartland and Woodstock were eligible to submit 500-word essays about why women in their lives inspire them.

Participants’ role models included their mothers, teachers, community members, fictional characters, and even themselves.

There were 49 entries.

One winner was selected from each school: Grade 11 student Maura Kilfoil from Carleton North High School, Grade 12 student Emily Arbeau from Hartland Community School, and Grade 12 student Jenna Rees from Woodstock High School. Each winner received $500.

“We wanted to give a significant amount of money that could help support them in their future endeavours,” said McCain Training Lead Amy Sutherland, one of the contest’s organizers.

According to Sutherland, Women@ McCain ran the contest to celebrate International Women’s Day within COVID-19 restrictions.

“We wanted to find a way that we could cel-

ebrate virtually and safely within COVID,” she said. “[We] also wanted to incorporate young women in our community and find a way to engage them and support them in their pursuits.”

Rachel Giberson, a McCain Customer Solutions Specialist and Sutherland’s partner in spearheading the initiative, said the writing contest was a way for the committee to branch out into helping women in the greater community.

“We’re always looking for ways to incorporate the community. That’s what we’re trying to focus on as the group moves forward,” Giberson stated.

Identifying information was removed from the essays before panellists read them. The panel, which included Giberson, Sutherland and some fellow female McCain employees, reviewed the pieces from each school and voted on their favourites.

When two pieces remained from each school, the Women@McCain committee met to choose the winners.

Giberson said the panellists considered how each piece made them feel and the meaning behind each essay.

“One thing that we looked for was what [participants] have learned from these inspiring women in their lives, and how they wanted to apply it to their own lives,” Giberson said.

Giberson believes initiatives like the International Women’s Day writing contest are vital because they help the community.

“Growing up in Florenceville, McCain was such a huge part of my upbringing. They contributed so much to the community,” she said. “I’m proud to be part of an initiative that, once again, is giving back to the community.”

According to an official statement from Women@

(Rebecca Dykeman photo)

McCain, “it is important for Women@McCain to nurture, support, and inspire our next generation of leaders in our community, while also raising awareness of the importance of gender equality.”

Giberson added that initiatives like this enable older generations to hear from younger voices.

“It was so enlightening to see some of the perspectives that these young women have,” she said.

Sutherland said she would love to hold the contest again next year.

“It would be wonderful.

It was such a rewarding experience,” Sutherland said.

Though the contest was meant to empower the entrants, it was also a positive experience for the organizers. Sutherland thanked participants for their candour, openness, and courage to share their stories.

“Powerful beyond measure is how I would describe all of [the entries],” she said. “We wanted to hear about women that inspire them, but in their writing, they clearly inspired all of us.”

Stars and swords: Cloey Kinney and “Pearl of Meissa” Carleton County 18-year-old self-publishes first novel

By Rebecca Dykeman

I

f there’s a word to describe 18-year-old Cloey Kinney, it’s ambitious.

The high school graduate’s first novel, “Pearl of Meissa,” was released on March 29, 2021. The book is the first in “The King’s Guard” series.

The novel is about protagonist Althea Silverstream, who is far from home when threats of war emerge. Althea must reluctantly ally with Prince Sebastian and travel to a monster-filled island called Meissa to find a mythical sword and save the day.

Kinney said the idea just came to her.

“I dreamed the entire thing,” the author explained. “I was in Grade 7 when I first had the idea. I woke up at 6 a.m., I wrote it down in my notepad, and that was it.”

Kinney’s series began as a novella, which became what she plans to be the final book.

She explained that the name Meissa comes from space.

“Meissa is a star in the constellation of Orion,” said Kinney. “Supposedly, each star represents a witch. In my book, I morphed that to mean a witch guards each weapon. Scattered across the earth are three of Ori-

on’s weapons. They’re out there searching for a mythical weapon that was guarded by one of the witches in Orion’s constellation.”

Other stories Kinney read influenced her novel.

“In middle school, I was learning a lot of Greek mythology and reading “Percy Jackson,” so I was inspired by the things around me,” she said.

Kinney said the biggest challenge in writing “Pearl of Meissa” was making the characters relatable to her audience. “[The novel is set] in a different period, so it’s going to be hard to relate to them,” she said. “Finding the issues readers could connect to, being in the 21st century and not ancient Greece, was very hard.”

Kinney decided to selfpublish her novel instead of going through a publishing house.

“With traditional publishing, you have little to no freedom, and it takes about two years to put your book out there from the moment you submit it,” she explained. “With indie publishing, I have that freedom I need, and there’s no timeline I have to adhere to strictly.”

However, independent

publishing also comes with challenges.

“You have to know what you’re doing before you dive into it because you can get yourself into very bad situations,” Kinney said. “You don’t have help.

It’s all you. It’s all coming out of your pocket. It’s your spare time that’s going into it. Every single part of a book is on me, so it’s very stressful.”

Kinney said seeing the final product made everything worthwhile.

“The biggest thing was seeing my book in print for the first time,” she said.

“It’s like, how does a twodimensional sheet of paper turn into this?”

Kinney is grateful for the support she received from her community following her book’s launch.

“With all the events I’ve done, there’s always been a big supportive crowd,” she said.

She was surprised to receive a letter of support from Becky Riordan, wife of “Percy Jackson” author Rick Riordan.

“She was amazing. She gave me a huge letter with so many helpful hints,” said Kinney.

Kinney is studying writing for film and television at Toronto Film School and

Cloey Kinney and (inset) her first novel. (Submitted photos)

would love to write Hollywood films someday – especially if Quentin Tarantino could direct them.

“I hope I can continue to write and do what I enjoy doing,” she said.

Kinney’s advice for aspiring young authors is to just do it.

“Don’t give it a second thought, or you’ll doubt yourself. Is it hard? Of

course, it is. But it wouldn’t be fun otherwise,” she said.

Kinney’s second novel, “Court of Monsters,” is in development. To get readers excited and support a good cause, Kinney raffled off the chance for one lucky donor to name a character in her next book. All proceeds went to the Fredericton Homeless Shelter.

Her GoFundMe fundraiser

raised $120 of its $250 goal. The winner was Janice MacRae, who decided to name the character Lancey.

“Be on the lookout!” Kinney wrote in a Facebook post announcing the winner.

“Pearl of Meissa” is available online through Indigo, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Waterstones.

12

Post-secondary students find online learning challenging Students face hurdles as schools use online classrooms during pandemic

By Rebecca Dykeman

F

or post-secondary students, this year was a learning curve.

Due to COVID-19, many Canadian universities and colleges switched to online course delivery models. Many students found this shift challenging.

Woodstock resident Emma Garnett, a 2020 graduate of NBCC Woodstock’s Human Services Program, has experienced in-person learning at college. This year, she completed her first year of NBCC’s Early Childhood Education Program mostly online, learning in-person once per week. She said remote learning came with more distractions.

“I find myself getting distracted and scrolling through social media,” she said. “I [also] do online school in the dining room.

My mom comes home for lunch at 12:00. Mine starts at 12:30, so I’m still in class, and I get distracted,” Garnett said.

Stephen Silliphant, a UNB Fredericton student, finished year one of his Bachelor of Science degree from home in Grafton.

He had trouble getting help with assignments because professors wouldn’t answer his messages.

“You would have to send an email instead of speaking in person. The due date would pass, and you’d still be waiting for help,” he said.

Silliphant struggled with Physics and dropped the second half of the course because it affected his performance in other classes.

“I feel that my quality of education would have been better in person,” he

said.

Amber Kearney of Bedell lived on campus at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, though she completed the first year of her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology online. She felt professors put too much of a workload on students.

“Online was very go-gogo. The professors sometimes didn’t understand that we had four other classes,” she said.

Overall, though, remote learning worked for Kearney, and she enjoyed the flexibility online learning can offer.

“I excelled in all my courses,” she stated. “I loved not being on someone else’s schedule. I was able to do [my lectures] whenever I wanted.”

Silliphant struggled somewhat with time management.

“If something overtakes another like physics did with my other courses, I feel like there wasn’t any reinforcement to keep that in check,” he said.

Garnett and Silliphant both said online learning is all-consuming.

“I felt like I was always working,” Garnett said.

“Now school is home, and home is school.”

“Some days, I would stay up until 3 a.m. working on physics homework,” said Silliphant.

Additionally, Kearney and Silliphant had difficulty retaining the information they learned online.

“I took a history course first semester, and I retained nothing,” said Kearney. “I couldn’t even tell you what we learned about.”

“I forgot most of the safety equipment [my chemistry professor]

showed us to use on video because it didn’t stick in my head as much,” Silliphant said.

Silliphant also had trouble making new friends.

“You can study over video, but it’s not the same,” he said.

Garnett made friends at college last year but had trouble connecting with classmates this time.

“Even though we saw each other, it was only once or twice a week, so we couldn’t get super close,” Garnett said.

Although Kearney lived on campus, socializing still wasn’t easy.

“We were allowed one other person in another room,” said Kearney. “We had to sit separately in the meal hall. My roommates and I weren’t even allowed to sit together, even though we could sit together in our kitchen.”

Luckily, she met peers through extracurricular activities.

“I joined the cheer team, and I met so many friends there,” Kearney said.

After a long year, the three are excited for school become more normal. This fall, Kearney chose a mixture of in-person and online classes. She’s looking forward to everyone getting the same tests.

“With online tests, everyone was given a different test,” she said. “It’s hard to study for an exam with other people when you all have different questions.”

Silliphant will live in residence at UNB this fall and will also have a blended learning model. He’s excited to interact more with his peers.

“I’m looking forward to

Emma Garnett (top), Amber Kearney (bottom left), and Stephen Siliphant are post-secondary students who learned online during the 2020-2021 school year due to COVID-19.

Distractions, difficulty communicating with professors, heavy workloads, and struggling to make friends are some of the challenges they faced. (Photos submitted)

those little things,” he said.

Garnett will still learn mostly online this fall. She hopes to have more in-

person classes second semester. “[I’m looking forward to] doing the activities and

getting to know my classmates better, and more hands-on learning,” she said.

Valley Outreach offers free, confidential support to someone living with, leaving, or has left an intimate-partner violent relationship, or has been sexually assaulted, or knows someone who needs support. Offering support from Nackawic to Plaster Rock, these services are still available during COVID-19.

For more information contact Manon Albert, Valley Outreach Coordinator, by calling 1-506-328-9680, or text 1-506-328-7246, or email valleyoutreach@nb.aibn.com or reach out on Facebook Messenger.

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Bikers for Christ roll into Benton

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 13

Travelling missionaries host ‘biker church’

By Judy Cole-Underhill

A

gang of bikers rolled into Benton on Saturday, Aug. 7, but they were on a peaceful mission.

There were members of Bikers for Christ, a motorcycle ministry that travels the province and the world.

Pastor Trevor MacMillan said this was the community’s fourth annual “biker church.” Dressed in his club jacket, he joined fellow riders as they rumbled in from Moncton, Tobique, Grand Falls, Woodstock and Hartland. There were from the Bikers for Christ, New Brunswick chapter and arrived with the support of Benton’s Village Lighthouse and the province’s Harvest House organization. Local residents gathered under a big tent nearby where music, food, fellowship and stories of hope were shared throughout the day.

“It’s an outreach for the community to share the gospel in a unique way,” MacMillan explained. “It’s been growing bigger each year. People see how big God is, and there is a plan for your life no matter where you come from or what lifestyle you’ve lived.

The bikers share their testimonies, the path they’ve travelled and their road to recovery through faith. It’s a message of hope.”

MacMillan said one biker at the rally had spent time in prison and was a shining example of how people can turn their lives around, rebuild relationships and make a fresh start. In turn, community members draw strength and inspiration from meeting the bikers while learning about their life experiences and conversion to the Christian faith.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic kept people

Bikers for Christ (left to right) Pastor Trevor MacMillan with Moncton riders Matthew Mills, Jamie Mills, Doug Montrose, Claude Jeffrey, Nancy Beaulieu, Elvis Beaulieu and Leon Baker near the covered bridge at Benton’s Community Park. (Judy Cole-Underhill photo)

apart in 2020, the community was especially looking forward to this year’s gathering at the Benton Community Park, he said. Over 100 people were expected to attend.

“We’re meant to have brotherhood and family,” said MacMillan. “This is a healthy way to stay grounded in your faith, get outdoors and be together

in fellowship. It’s fun for Benton, and it’s one of my favourite events.”

Founded in 1990, Bikers for Christ operates an international ministry that takes part in bike nights, community events and rallies year-round to spread the gospel. They also have a food pantry and do outreach to addicts, the homeless and street workers.

Lansdowne fire remains under investigation

RCMP waiting on fire marshal’s report RIVER VALLEY SUN

A

house fire in Lansdowne that displaced a family of six on Jul. 31, remains under investigation. The fire, which was reported just before noon on the Saturday of the New Brunswick Day long weekend, was battled by four fire departments.

Cpl. James Gallant of the Western Valley Region Detachment said his officers are waiting for the fire marshal’s report before

concluding the investigation.

The family was helped by the Canadian Red Cross with food, clothing, and other basics while they wait for further help through insurance. A news release from the agency said the family was staying at a nearby campground.

Hartland,Lakeville, Florenceville-Bristol, and Centreville fire departments responded to the blaze.

The house was completely destroyed.

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(Stephen Chisholm photo)

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14

By Jove, Jupiter is incredible!

NIGHT SKY

J

By David Hunter

upiter is the largest planet in the Solar System, and if it had been more massive, it would have become a red dwarf star. We would then have two suns in our sky!

That possibility was depicted in the movie 2010, The Year We Make Contact, the sequel to 2001, A Space Odyssey.

As it is, Jupiter emits twice as much energy as it receives from the sun.

Its skies are known to be crackling with lightning. It has an intense magnetic field, radiation belts, swirling cyclones and cloud bands, and a perpetual storm known as the Great Red Spot.

Jupiter has a huge retinue of 80 moons, with the four largest moons known

as the Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto). These moons can be seen with a pair of binoculars.

When the solar system formed about 4.5 billion years ago from a swirling gas cloud, the cloud was rotating in a flat disc.

This disc has become the ecliptic plane in which all the planets revolve around the sun. The moons of Jupiter rotate around Jupiter in a similar plane, and it is in the same plane as the ecliptic. When observing Jupiter, its four Galilean moons are very prominent, and they are constantly changing positions as they orbit Jupiter. In as little as 15 minutes, one can notice a change in their position.

Jupiter will be at exact opposition on Aug. 20. Opposition is the time when the Earth is closest to a planet. Because Jupiter is now near opposition, it rises in the east after sundown and appears as a bright star in the southern sky all night. Jupiter is the fourth brightest natural

object in the sky after the sun, moon, and Venus.

Galileo was the first to observe Jupiter by telescope, and it changed the course of human history.

How can that be, you may ask? It showed the Earth is not the centre of everything. It provided evidence that gravitation extended into space and helped in Newton’s formulation of modern physics from which our modern world is derived.

The movement of Jupiter’s inner moon Io also led to the discovery by the Danish astronomer Ole Roemer that the speed of light is finite. He noticed that Io’s apparent orbital period changed as the Earth came closer or farther away from Jupiter.

As the Earth recedes from Jupiter, the apparent orbital period seems to slow down. That is because it takes light longer to traverse the increased distance.

In a similar manner, as Earth approaches Jupiter, the apparent orbital period gets shorter because it

takes less time for the light image to get to Earth. This discovery was controversial. It had been assumed that the speed of light was infinite. In fact, Rene Descartes argued the speed of light must be infinite, or otherwise, when we look out at the sky, we would be looking back into time!

Today we have become accustomed to the idea that when we look at the heavenly bodies, we are looking backwards in time!

Shown in the two figures are recent observations I made of Jupiter with my 12.5-inch telescope.

On Aug. 4, I observed Io passing in front of Jupiter.

It can’t be seen because it has the same brightness as Jupiter. But its shadow was plainly visible as a black dot. Over two hours, the black dot moved across the face of Jupiter. Io became visible again as it moved away from Jupiter.

On Aug. 7, the Great Red Spot was visible (upper left), as well as two smaller storms below the main brown cloud belt and

Top: How Jupiter and its moons appeared on Aug. 4. Bottom: The location of Jupiter and its moons on Aug. 7.

(Drawing by David Hunter)

to the lower right.

You may send me questions at: quantum.hunter@gmail.com or write to me at: 9 Nightingale Crt, Florenceville-Bristol, NB, E7L 0C6. Keep looking up!

David Hunter is a retired medical physicist who studies the night sky above in Florenceville-Bristol. He has just completed building a new 12.5 inch reflecting telescope.

‘Tis the season!

RIVERSIDE RAMBLINGS

By Carolyn Brown

U

sually, when we say “tis’ the season,” we think of snowmen and reindeer. Watching the back patio activity at MacLeod Riverside Court, to me, it means summer!

Our Gardening Club ladies, Amber, our activity director, and maintenance manager James, have the grounds looking just lovely, and the residents are enjoying their outdoor time. As you can see from the photos, barbecue season is well underway. Mark and Marilyn Hartley are happy to cook lunch on the back patio for their mom, Muri-

el, again. Muriel is proud of her family and what a blessing in her life they are.

Jennifer Kants, our dietary manager, handles a grill very well, but as you’ll see in one of our pictures, dietary cook Vicki made sure to come by and check things out.

Ah, isn’t it great when all is as it should be?

Whose measuring tape do we use to see if all is as it should be? Amidst the beauty of summer and vibrant growth, we might deem the measure to be volumes of sunshine and greenness of leaves. Or could it be children’s laughter in the park or your own backyard? Maybe it’s the mist of fog across the lake or river as the breaking sun casts shadows of a day waking up serenaded by a loon call. Our measuring tape can be a very individual and personal one.

Riverside Court’s

measuring stick is sometimes a warm smile, spending time with each other, being there for each other, being compassionate and understanding.

Sometimes, it’s recognizing that life is more about what we know and how we share it than it is about what we have. Ageing does not mean our gifts and talents are diminished.

They may change over time, but I see them exhibited every day by our senior residents in their interactions with each other and our staff. As we head into fall, I wonder what we’ll measurement we’ll use to assess the gifts of that season? Blessings to all in your continued journey through the rest of summer. Measure it well!

Carolyn Brown is in charge of Community Relations at MacLeod Riverside Court Retirement Residence.

Top: Mark, Marilyn, and Muriel Hartley. Bottom: Dietary staff Vicki and Jennifer barbecue for residents of MacLeod Riverside Court in Woodstock. (Carolyn Brown photo)

Purvis Culbert Law in Woodstock is a proud supporter community journalism and the River Valley Sun. www.purvisculbertlaw.ca

To infinity and beyond

Local student heads to Space Agency Camp

By Rebecca Dykeman

T

his summer, Owen Jordan had the one-ofa-kind opportunity to participate in the Canadian Space Agency’s Junior Astronaut Space Camp and learn what it takes to have a career in space.

Jordan, who just finished Grade 8 at Meduxnekeag Consolidated School, was one of 52 kids across Canada – and one of six from New Brunswick – selected for the week-long program.

From July 26-30, the junior astronauts joined CSA astronauts, engineers and scientists to learn about space careers and how youth can play a role in Canada’s future space explorations.

Jordan said his mother convinced him to apply after seeing a Facebook post about the program.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk to the experts,” he explained.

The teen is an avid space enthusiast, as his family knows all too well.

“They have to listen to my long talks about why I want to go to Mars and stuff,” Jordan laughed. “I think it’s awesome how big [space] is and that we really are just a little speck on there. I want to eventually participate in helping explore that in some way, whether that’s on the ground or up there.”

To enter to win a spot in the camp, Jordan had to complete one activity from each of the program’s three streams – science and technology, fitness and nutrition, and teamwork and communication – and record a video explaining why the CSA should choose him as a junior astronaut.

His name was randomly selected from the pool of applicants.

The camp was supposed to happen at CSA headquarters in summer 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Because the pandemic is still ongoing this summer, the camp was held virtually over Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Despite this, Jordan felt he mostly got the whole experience.

“The only downside of it was not being able to see the astronauts in person,” he said. “It would have been great to go in person, but I did find it was really enjoyable online.”

The online format also didn’t stop Jordan from keeping in touch with the other campers.

“A ton of the kids created a chat room on Discord,” he explained. “Even after the camp, we still connect.”

Jordan and the other campers completed several activities that gave them an idea of what real astronauts and space engineers do. They learned

about space robotics, learned how scientists use satellites to monitor Earth from space, exercised as a group, practiced teamwork, and more.

“There was one [activity] where we had to create a lunar greenhouse,” Jordan said. “We also went through a program of a rover mission. I was the rotator. You use degrees to rotate and turn the rover. Originally it was going to be us controlling an actual rover at the CSA headquarters, but it was raining that day, so we just used a program.”

The highlight of the camp for Jordan was getting to meet real astronauts and ask them questions.

“Jeremy Hansen was really fun to talk to,” Jordan remarked.

“Jeremy has been training for two years to go to space. He hasn’t gone yet, but he’s pretty high on the waitlist. David SaintJacques has actually been to the International Space Station and has returned. I got to ask him a question, which was what his first thought was when he got there. It was really fun talking to him.”

Jordan said the experience convinced him to work for CSA in the future.

Someday when the ISS passes through the night sky, Jordan might just be one of the Canadians on board.

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 15

We can’t fit everything into the paper, so be sure to like and follow our Facebook page where we post local stories and breaking news – daily!

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IN THIS ISSUE OF

ageless New Brunswick

KIDNAPPED AT GUNPOINT

Donnie and Doreen Ritchie of Greenfield, New Brunswick, will never forget the warm night in August 1978 when they were held at gunpoint by fugitives who had just shot an RCMP officer. The couple recalls that fateful night and the chances Donnie took to ensure they lived to tell the tale.

ON NEWSSTANDS NOW!

Country Music Legelds Play Here!

Home of Bluegrass and Old Time Country Music The Roots of the Country Show with Stu Fleischhaker Fridays from 7 to 9 pm, Saturdays from 7 to 10 pm, and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm EST

Owen Jordan was one of 52 Canadian kids selected to participate in the Canadian Space Agency’s Junior Astronaut Space Camp. He said he’d like to help explore space one day, whether from down on Earth or up in the stars. (Rebecca Dykeman photo)

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16

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

Juniper Welcoming Visitors The Juniper Community Centre is open to all ages on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Have lunch or shop second-hand on Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., or enjoy breakfast on Saturdays, from 8 to 11 a.m.

COVID-19 precautions are in place.

Juniper Demo Derby The Juniper Demo Derby will be at the Beaufort Gravel Pit on Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 10-18, and free for children under ten. There will be food trucks, a 50/50 draw and tickets sold on two full coolers. Check the Juniper Demo Derby Facebook page for more details and updates.

Meductic Meductic Field Days Scheduled for Aug. 27, 28 and 29. On Friday, Aug. 27, there will be a corn boil and music starting at 7 p.m., with fireworks beginning at dark. On Aug. 28, enjoy activities throughout the day, including a firemen’s breakfast, the Allie Yerxa fishing derby, a craft market at the tennis court, a “superheroes come in many forms” parade, children’s games and a movie in the park. On Aug. 29, there will be a firemen vs. council baseball game.

BBQ4U and Blooming Idiots food trucks will be there!

Pickleball in the Park!

There will be pickleball at the park every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Bring sneakers, a water

bottle, a lawn chair, and positive vibes!

Centreville WV In Motion Games Centreville is hosting the 38th annual Western Valley In Motion Games on Aug. 19. Represent your community and play on your town’s team for this year’s games! Youth ages 8-13 are invited to enjoy a day of sport, activities and fun. The $20 registration fee covers a t-shirt, lunch, snacks and a day full of activities.

Truck & Tractor Power Pull The Centreville Chamber of Commerce is bringing back its annual Truck and Tractor Power Pull on Sept. 3 and 4. Check the Centreville Truck & Tractor Pull Facebook page for updates.

Nackawic Festival on the Bend Festival on the Bend is Saturday, Aug. 21. This year’s theme is “Jumpin’ Back In.” Events will begin at 11 a.m. with a boat parade. There will also be vendors, bouncy castles, a dunk tank, a Nackawic talent showcase, musical performances, food trucks, a bean and salad supper at the Nackawic Lions Club, a free corn boil sponsored

by Ryan’s Pharmacy, and fireworks at dusk.

Woodstock Day Adventure Trips Woodstock Recreation is offering two Day Adventure Trips in August. The first is a Hartt Island day adventure on Aug. 18 from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be swimming, water slides, mini-golf and more. The cost is $50, and this trip

(506) 392-6763

florencevillebristol.ca

is open to kids aged 7-13.

The second is a Treego day adventure on Aug. 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Mactaquac. The cost is $55. Participants must be 10 years or older and be able to reach a height of 5’11”. Spaces are limited.

Call 325-4302 or email ayrmotorcentre@town. woodstock.nb.ca to register.

Get Muddy AYR Motor Centre’s Get Muddy event for kids is Saturday, Aug. 21. Check the Town of Woodstock Recreation ad in this paper for info. For complete details or to register, call 325-4671 or email ayrmotorcentre@ town.woodstock.nb.ca.

Richard Sharpe Memorial Demo Derby & Tuff Trucks Woodstock Old Home Week will host the Richard Sharpe Memorial Demolition Derby & Tuff Trucks Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Connell Park Raceway.

Gates open at noon, but the fun begins at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 5-12, $25 for a family of 4, and free for kids ages four and under.

Come out for a smashing good time!

Back to School B-ball Blitz A Back to School Basketball Blitz will be held in partnership with Potato Valley Basketball Camps at the AYR Motor Centre Fieldhouse. The first camp will be on Aug. 23 and 24 from 5-8 p.m. for kids entering grades 5-8. The second camp will be on Aug. 25 and 26 from 5-8 p.m. for kids entering grades 9-12.

The cost is $65, and limited spaces are available. To register, contact LCMD@ nb.sympatico.ca.

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

Hartland Men’s Orthodox Softball The Valley Wolves hockey team will host a men’s orthodox softball tournament on Aug. 27 and 28 at the Hartland ball fields. Cost: $280 per team. Cash prizes – first place wins $300, second place $150, and third place $75. For spectators, the cost is $10 per

ticket. There will be various raffles to enter. To put your team in, contact Robin Boone on Facebook.

Waterville Bash at the Barn Ready for some fun?

The Hartland Helpers are hosting a Bash at the Barn at Everett’s Farm in Waterville on Saturday,

September 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Three comedians – Brian Godsoe, Paul Lewis and headliner Jimmy MacKinley – will perform. There will also be a world premiere of the video “From Love (From the Heartland)” by Boy Toyin’, filmed in Hartland during the Potato Festival. Food trucks will be on site. Tickets are $25.

Kirkland’s St. David’s Presbyterian Church celebrates anniversary with McGuires concert Aug. 28 St. David’s Church, 1589 Route 540, Kirkland, is celebrating its 145th anniversary with The McGuires, Saturday, Aug. 28, at 2 p.m. by free-will offering and Rev. Wendy MacWilliams of Fredericton officiating.

All are invited for cake, ice cream, lemonade and a pie auction at 4 p.m. at the hall.

MUSIC DIRECTOR

WANTED

St. James United Church in Woodstock, NB is seeking applications for a part-time

Music Director (10 to 12 hours per week) Commencing September 2021

Responsibilities :

Playing for all scheduled services Providing direction to Senior Choir Providing direction to other music related programs (ie. Junior Choir, Hand Bells, and special events)

Job Requirements:

A degree in music OR experience directing a choir and playing the piano or organ in a church setting.

Salary will be based on qualifications.

Please forward resume to:

St. James United Church, Ministry and Personnel Committee 120 Chapel Street, Woodstock, NB E7M1H1

For more detailed information, please contact Evelyn Clark – (506) 328-4945

(506) 575-2241 www.nackawic.com

(506) 325-4600

www.town.woodstock.nb.ca

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18

COURT NEWS

A roundup of cases processed through the Woodstock Courthouse

By Judy Cole-Underhill ing a loaded handgun by Drug trafficking charges Two individuals will stand trial next April on 10 charges of drug trafficking at the Tobique First Nation. Shannon Perley, 45, and Hugh Misick, 44, are charged by Western District RCMP with trafficking in methamphetamine, Valium, cocaine, hydromorphone, and Ritalin, as well as the unlawful sale of cannabis.

Police laid the charges in connection with a series of incidents that occurred on Jan. 17, Feb. 26, Sept.

2-3 and Sept. 23 of last year. Perley is also facing three more charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking in methamphetamine, oxycodone and hydromorphone related to an incident at Tobique on Nov. 2, 2019.

The pair elected trial by provincial court before entering not guilty pleas. A trial date was set for April 20-22, 2022, in Woodstock.

Man remanded; loaded handgun seized A 28-year-old Middle Hainesville man has been remanded to jail until his bail hearing on 14 charges laid by RCMP following a single-vehicle crash in Florenceville-Bristol on Aug. 2. Chance Leslie appeared in provincial court on Aug. 5 and will return for a bail hearing on Aug. 20.

He’s charged with possession of a firearm while prohibited from having it, possession of a prohibited device, a prohibited magazine; possession of a loaded, prohibited firearm, a Glock nine-millimetre pistol; concealing a prohibited weapon and prohibited ammunition, unsafe storage of a firearm, carrying a Glock nine-millimetre pistol with the serial number altered, defaced or removed; possession of a prohibited weapon without a licence or registration certificate, possession of a prohibited device without a licence, possession of a firearm dangerous to the public peace, obstruction, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, theft of a 2006 Toyota Corolla, and possession of stolen property.

On Aug. 2, while patrolling the Florenceville-Bristol area, a Western Valley Region RCMP member located a rolled-over vehicle in a field off Route 130. Nobody was inside. A short time later, police discovered a man walking near Station Road and Main Street intersection and detained him, find-

his waistband. A brief struggle ensued, but police were able to arrest the man and seized the firearm. Nobody was injured. Police later learned that the vehicle was stolen.

Bloomfield Ridge man remains in custody A Bloomfield Ridge man remains in custody following an incident in Johnville when shots were fired at police. Mackenzie Moir, 21, appeared in provincial court on July 19 and will return to court for a bail hearing on Aug. 25 at 1:30 p.m. He is charged with discharging a firearm at a police officer, possessing stolen property, a 2015 Toyota Tacoma, and obstructing police concerning incidents near the Tobique First Nation and Arthurette. On June 11, around 7:05 p.m., RCMP responded to a complaint in Medford north of Tobique Narrows about a man who had pointed a firearm toward at least one person and had discharged a gun in the presence of several people, including a young child. The man fled the scene in a vehicle toward Perth-Andover.

Police attempted to stop the vehicle on Route 105 in Tobique Narrows. A firearm was discharged at police, and bullets struck a police vehicle. The vehicle fled the scene on a nearby road in a wooded area. Police located the truck on Jun. 12 in a ditch along Route 109 in the Tobique Narrows area. Moir was taken into custody at the scene.

During the investigation, police learned two people were in the vehicle when the firearm was discharged at police. On June 13, 25-year-old Stephen Perley, Jr. was taken into custody in the Devon area of Fredericton following an extensive police search that involved an Alert Ready notification. Another man and a woman were also arrested at the scene.

Suspect in police manhunt remains in custody Stephen Michael Perley, 25, of no fixed address, remains in custody after being denied bail at a court appearance on July 24. He will be back in court to face 10 charges on Aug. 17 at 9:30 a.m. Perley was charged by RCMP with discharging a firearm with intent, assault, two counts of pointing a firearm, being an occupant of a vehicle with a gun, a .22 calibre handgun, carrying a firearm dangerous to the public peace, possession

of stolen property, a 2015 Toyota Tacoma, failing to stop for police, driving while prohibited and breach of probation.

The charges are related to an incident on Jun. 11 when police attempted to stop a vehicle on Route 105 in Tobique Narrows. A firearm was discharged at police, and bullets struck a police vehicle. The vehicle fled the scene on a nearby road in a wooded area. Police located the truck on June 12 in a ditch along Route 109 in the Tobique Narrows area. Perley was arrested on June 13 near Fredericton following an extensive police search.

Somerville man facing 28 charges after crime spree Bon Scott Trecartin, 30, of Somerville, has been remanded into custody on a total of 28 charges laid by Woodstock Police following a lengthy crime spree.

He will appear in provincial court for a bail hearing on Aug. 23 at 9:30 a.m.

Police laid charges of unlawful entry and break and enter, assault, possession of a weapon, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, harassment, uttering threats, breaching a court order, sexual assault, confinement, and committing mischief causing property damage.

The charges were laid following a series of violent incidents involving a female victim on Jan. 27 in Woodstock, between Feb. 15-18 in Woodstock and Wakefield, and between March 24-29 and April 1- 5 in Woodstock. Trecartin appeared in court on Jul. 13 in custody.

Johnville man remanded to jail after altercation with police Cole Smith, 27, of Johnville, has been remanded to jail until his trial on Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m. He appeared in court in police custody on July 13. RCMP charged Smith with obstruction, assaulting a police officer, taking a baton from a police officer, committing mischief causing damage to a police vehicle, possession of an unlicensed firearm, a sawed-off shotgun, and two counts of breach of a court order in connection with an altercation with police in Johnville on May 30.

In February, Smith was also charged with flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, operating a vehicle while suspended and failure to remain at the scene of a

collision following a traffic incident in Bath. A police vehicle was struck in the incident, with no injuries.

Man in custody on 20 charges Timothy Anthony Sappier, 45, of Tobique Narrows, was found fit to stand trial following a 30-day evaluation and a hearing on July 30. He was remanded back into custody for the continuation of his bail hearing on Aug. 6. The matter was reserved for decision until Sept. 3.

Sappier is facing a total of 20 charges laid by RCMP, including possession of a firearm while prohibited, two counts of possession of a prohibited device, brass knuckles and a taser; possession of a restricted firearm, a carbine, and possession of a firearm, a carbine, with the serial number removed, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and unsafe storage of a gun, all stemming from an incident at Tobique Narrows on July 31, 2020.

He is also charged with two counts of unlawful possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling at Tobique First Nation on July 31 and Sept. 23 of last year.

Sappier was also charged with failing to stop for police and dangerous driving related to an incident on Sept. 28, 2020, at Tobique First Nation; possession of cocaine on May 22, 2021, at Tobique Narrows, and possession of oxycodone at Tobique First Nation on Sept. 30, 2020.

Three more charges of assault with a weapon, a knife, break and enter, and uttering threats were laid following an incident on Oct. 27, 2020, at Tobique.

Sappier was also charged with sexual assault, unlawful entry, and breach of a court order. Another charge of breach of a court order was laid when Sappier allegedly failed to report to police from April 16-30, 2021.

Accidental shooting, accused injured Jordan Guy Leeman, 23, of Grafton, received a suspended sentence and 12 months probation on Aug. 10, after pleading guilty to three charges laid

by RCMP and Woodstock Police. He was fined $300 and prohibited from the use of firearms for one year.

Leeman was charged with careless use of a firearm following a May 2, 2020 incident at a residence in Speerville where he accidentally shot himself

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in the leg with a sawed-off shotgun. The court heard Leeman was in a shed on the property with other individuals when the gun discharged, hitting him in the leg. He stumbled out of the shed and was found wounded and bleeding on the side of the road. He was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Leeman was also charged with possession of stolen property (firefighting equipment) following a January 2020 break-in at the Debec Fire Hall. Woodstock Police also charged him with assault for an incident in Woodstock on Aug. 12, 2019.

Defence Counsel Brent Dickinson said Leeman was using crystal meth when all three of the incidents occurred and his drug use “came to a head when he shot himself.” Dickinson said Leeman is now working at a full-time, seasonal job and is no longer using drugs. He said his client was “turning his life around” and was willing to donate to the Debec Fire Department.

Judge Brian C. MacLean noted Leeman was remorseful and had a positive pre-sentence report and no prior criminal record.

The judge told the accused he nearly died from the gunshot wound, and that was a “wake-up call to get off drugs.” MacLean stressed that other people in the shed with Leeman could have been maimed or killed when the gun went off.

The judge also chastised Leeman for the fire hall offence, saying the rural department may not have been able to adequately respond to a fire of the theft, impacting the community. The judge ordered Leeman to pay $500 to the Debec Fire Department for his crime. A co-accused in the break-in was previously sentenced to jail, the court heard.

MacLean ordered Leeman to attend counselling for anger management, alcohol, and drug addiction. He must also perform 40 hours of community service. Another charge of possession of a prohibited weapon laid by RCMP was withdrawn.

Man gets four years Ryan Eccleston, 31 of Plaster Rock, was sentenced Aug. 6 to four years in a federal penitentiary after pleading guilty to 11 charges laid by RCMP. Judge Brian C. MacLean told the court Eccleston had an extensive criminal record

resulting from a long-term drug addiction that held the accused hostage and led him into a life of crime. MacLean said Eccleston had been candid with authorities about his drug abuse and was “ready to man up” on the charges.

Eccleston was charged with breach of probation for an incident on Apr. 10, 2019, at Tobique First Nation; theft of a trailer, possession of a firearm while prohibited, failing to stop for police, and breach of probation for incidents on Nov. 8 in Tilley and Plaster Rock; break and enter, possession of a firearm while prohibited, and possession of a Marlin .22 mag rifle and a .22 semi-rifle without a licence for an incident on Dec. 22 in Plaster Rock; failing to stop for police in May, and resisting arrest and assaulting a peace officer on May 13 at McLaughlin, Victoria County.

In addition to a prison term, Eccleston was given a lifetime prohibition on any firearms. He was prohibited from driving for 12 months and must submit a DNA sample for the national DNA registry.

Drug trafficking charges Bradley Watson, 36, of Elmwood, will appear in provincial court on Aug. 17 to enter a plea on 10 charges laid by RCMP. Watson was charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking in cocaine and methamphetamine, possession of a press to be used in trafficking; possession of unlicensed firearms; and unsafe storage of guns after an incident in Wilmot on Jan. 29. A co-accused, Trevor York, is also facing the same three drug-related charges in the incident.

Watson is charged with failing to stop for police, dangerous driving, two counts of driving while prohibited, and committing mischief causing property damage to a police vehicle following an incident in Speerville and Hawkshaw on March 27.

Charged after flight from police Wesley Holmes, 21, of no fixed address, remains in custody after allegedly fleeing from police in Florenceville-Bristol on July 23. Holmes waived his right to a bail hearing on Jul. 24 He’s charged with failing to stop for police, possession of stolen property, a 2007 Dodge Ram, driving while prohibited, and breach of probation. He will be back in court for plea Aug. 24.

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 19

Police keeping town safe against drug trafficking

Woodstock Police involved in multiple investigations related to meth

By Judy Cole-Underhill Forward said. “It is highly

C

ommunities throughout the river valley are dealing with the impact of drug use and trafficking in methamphetamine.

Still, Police Chief Gary Forward said the Town of Woodstock is standing strong in the war on drugs.

Forward came to Woodstock in 2019 with 31 years of policing experience and a background in major crime. Today, he is part of a strategic effort to prevent crime in the town and surrounding area by establishing a new Crime Reduction Unit. This unit is part of a provincial task force that partners with the RCMP and government agencies to increase awareness and crackdown on severe and violent crimes, including drug trafficking.

Like other jurisdictions, the Woodstock Police Force has been involved in ongoing investigations into the trafficking of crystal meth and methamphetamine pills. This type of criminal activity leads to other drug-related crimes such as break and enter, theft, and property crimes carried out to generate funds to feed drug addiction.

“The rise of meth is connected to its availability and its low cost,” Chief

addictive, and that’s why we are seeing more use and a bigger challenge for law enforcement.”

Law enforcement, the courts, public safety, social services and health care systems are all currently engaged in dealing with the impact of meth use.

The current trade in methamphetamine may be linked to local criminals or dealers working together with larger organized crime rings or outlaw motorcycle gangs to bring drugs into the province. Before long, a multi-level crime network (production, transportation, distribution) is connected and selling the drug for profit.

“The level of activity taking place (in Woodstock) dovetails with the investigations we are conducting for drugs and trafficking,” Chief Forward explained.

“It’s their job to sell drugs, and it’s our job to stop them.”

The Woodstock Police Force has 17 police officers on staff plus the chief, who provides 24/7 coverage in the municipality. The modernized force functions under a set strategic plan and follows a proactive drug enforcement strategy. Within the Crime Reduction Unit mandate, Woodstock Police reported a 300 per cent increase in

judicially authorized drug, contraband, and related investigations in 2020.

“We stay vigilant to make sure we know what’s going on inside and outside the town and how that activity ultimately impacts what is coming into the community,” the chief noted. “Everybody is reaching out, and we are having good interaction with our partners to collect and share intelligence.”

Along with daily police work and hundreds of service calls, the Woodstock force also undertakes road checks, foot patrols and bike patrols to promote visibility and transparency and stay in touch with individual citizens.

“We’ve got eyes and ears everywhere, and that is the community. If we want people to talk to the police, we have to be available to talk to them. The better people work together, the better chance we have. We can’t turn a blind eye and leave it all to the police.”

Despite the challenges, Chief Forward said the Town of Woodstock is a safe place to live, work and play.

“I do feel it’s safe here.

We are providing the necessary response to address the issues that exist.

I believe we have the partnerships in place to dem-

onstrate we are invested in public safety and the wellbeing of the citizens in the town.”

Residents are encouraged to do their part and take precautions to help deter property crime. For example, the chief discouraged sharing travel or vacation plans on social media and recommended everyone lock their doors to their car, garage or residence.

Other safety options are installing lighting, video surveillance or alarm systems.

Residents can also call the police anytime to discuss concerns or request a patrol in their neighbourhood, he said.

The rise in meth use in New Brunswick and other Canadian provinces recently captured the federal government’s attention.

After consultations with health care workers, addictions specialists, police, Indigenous organizations, public health organizations and harm reduction workers, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health released 23 recommendations in June 2019.

The committee said collaboration between federal, provincial and territorial governments in the context of the Canadian Drug and Substances Strategy would be an essential first

Woodstock Police Chief Cole-Underhill photo)

step. It pointed to the need for public education; building resiliency in youth, parents and communities; greater access to harm reduction; investments in withdrawal management, addiction services, treatment and psychiatric care; better access to housing and social supports; and re-evaluation of criminalization of simple possession of illicit psychoactive

Gary

Forward.

(Judy

substances.

The committee report demonstrates the breadth of the meth use problem facing the country and the necessity for collaboration by outlining the litany of needs. The federal government has the final report and recommendations of the House of Commons Standing Committee under review to determine the next steps.

RCMP need more resources to attack drug crime

Western District spokesperson says members working extremely hard

By Judy Cole-Underhill and rural New Brunswick’s

W

estern District RCMP needs more resources to better combat the rise in drug use and trafficking in methamphetamine in the river valley.

Cpl. James Gallant said the district has over 30 officers working in five-person shifts to cover an area from Perth-Andover to the outskirts of Nackawic. There are dozens of rural communities in between, many of which deal with the impact of drug-related crime.

“Everything is so spread out in our area; it is really hard to get on grip on it,” Cpl. Gallant said. “I can tell you our members are working extremely hard.

We are definitely trying our best.”

Gallant said some new staff and a police dog service are joining the district, but “we need to be able to attack it more.” Meth use in the valley is not going away,

quiet way of life is disappearing. Police understand the “frustration” of rural residents who are dealing with ongoing break and enter, theft, and property crimes as drug users seek ways to generate funds to feed their addiction.

“Meth breaks up families,” Gallant stated. “It destroys lives. It turns once good people into zombies.

They steal, and they keep stealing. They go to jail, and they get out. They go to jail, where they converse about what they’ll do when they get out. It’s like a revolving door.”

Gallant said drug use is growing because meth is cheap, highly addictive and accessible. When police catch one dealer, another one takes their place to fill the demand.

Meth is often made in illegal, clandestine laboratories with commonly available, inexpensive

chemicals, such as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, found in medications, among other sources.

Once produced, meth can be smoked, snorted, injected or swallowed.

The drug is transported into the province by larger organized crime rings from Quebec, Ontario or the U.S. and sells on the black market for $5 per pill or under $100 per gram for crystal meth. Several jurisdictions in Canada report at least a three-fold increase in the use of methamphetamine over the past five years.

Western District RCMP is working to address the drug problem in their region through a new Crime Reduction Unit. This unit is part of a provincial task force that partners with Woodstock Police, Fredericton Police, and government agencies to increase awareness and crackdown on severe and violent

crimes, including drug trafficking.

The RCMP is also setting up a community crime reduction unit for general investigations or special projects such as cracking down on the theft of catalytic converters, which is becoming widespread.

Gallant said the public plays a vital role in assisting police with crime prevention. Rural residents can contact RCMP anytime to report any unusual traffic, provide a description of a suspicious vehicle, or report criminal activity in their community.

Informants may remain anonymous, and all information will be kept confidential.

“Generate that complaint, and it will be assigned to one of our members,” he said. “We will action it. Even if it’s just a drive to your area, it gets us out there. If your gut is telling you something is not right, don’t wait a few hours

RCMP Cpl. James Gallant. (Submitted photo)

or the next day. Call us so we can help as soon as we can. You’ve got to call us and have that conversation. We have to work together.”

Gallant suggested rural residents also take steps to protect their property by installing cameras, light-

ing, video surveillance, alarms systems or a neighbourhood watch. If rural communities want to see a lot more policing in their area, they can contact their elected official to discuss the need for increased resources for the RCMP.

20

RURAL ROOTS

Stories About Country Life in Western New Brunswick

Celebrating my brother’s long-delayed visit

ADVENTURES OF AN ACCIDENTAL FARMER

By Ellen Culbert-Johnston

A

fter long delays due to the pandemic, my brother Johnny finally made it over the border to our old family farm in Newburg.

As I heard the rumble of this half-ton driving up the road, I ran to the end of the dooryard, waving frantically. Tears started with just the sound and sight of his truck.

I’ve watched news clips and social media posts of family members reuniting after being apart for extended periods. The hugs and tears, and the joy of family and friends, warmed the cockles of my heart.

Quite frankly, I hadn’t thought about what it would be like to see Johnny after such a long wait. Until he arrived in Newburg, I didn’t understand that those tears

poured out, and they didn’t seem to want to quit.

I guess I thought it was going to be the same as any visit. But not this time, I can’t explain it, but I get it! I understand how hearts become overfilled with joyful emotion.

I think just too much time had passed, and the feelings ran deeper than I realized.

It sounds strange, but it is the new reality of connecting with people after being apart for long stretches of time.

I shed another tear when he gave him the gifts from across the border — chicken, a gallon of milk from Houlton and a five-gallon jug of gas for the lawnmower. These gifts from the States may seem simple, but I truly appreciated them, and they reminded me of how much I miss my quick trips over the border.

The new reality also meant that Johnny had to have his vaccines and his negative pre-trip COVID-19 test, along with the ArriveCAN app, completed before crossing the Canadian border.

I remember not so long ago that Johnny would

hop in his half-ton and be here for the weekend without planning ahead.

Johnny said all the requirements before crossing into Canada didn’t prove exceedingly difficult. The worst part, he said, was scheduling the pick-up of his COVID-19 sample, which had to be completed within 24 hours of his arrival.

As per instructions, Johnny completed it and placed it in his refrigerator at his camp where it sat, next to the ketchup and mustard, for three days, waiting patiently to be picked up by a courier service.

Once finally picked up, Johnny felt his vacation in Newburg could begin. He tackled his farming to-do list, outlining his time spent on his visit.

- Camp roof leaking, mowed hay - Coffee with family and friends, raked hay - Fencing, cattle barn repaired, baled hay - Dad’s wood road bush hogged, hauled in hay - Visited graves of loved ones - Studied probability at casinos

Johnny and his dog Jackpot enjoy their long awaited visit back to the farm in Newburg.

(Ellen Culbert-Johnston photo)

- Ice cream treats at Dari Delite with his dog Jackpot Before Johnny left, it was my turn to give him some Carleton County gifts. They included a copy of the latest issue of

ageless New Brunswick, two boxes of Timbits for my nephews and a case of Sussex golden ginger ale to savour until we reconnect again.

When Johnny got back to the States, I

asked him how he enjoyed his vacation?

He said he had a wonderful time because all the jobs he completed didn’t feel like work.

They felt like being home again.

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RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 21

SUNNY-SIDE UP

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

Did you KNOW?

Charlie’s Word Search “ON THE WATER”

•More than 65 % of fresh water on Earth is trapped in glaciers

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• Just under 30% of fresh water in the ground.

•The freezing point of water lowers as the amount of salt dissolved in it increases.

• Over 200 million work hours are consumed daily by women collecting water for their families in third world countries.

•A jellyfish and a cucumber are each 95% water.

RVS TONGUE TWISTER

Willie Wilder of Waterville went wild while we went wading in water.

CARLETON COUNTY

Colloquialisms

By John Morris

upriver\’up-’riv-er\ noun - Cardinal point: north. The Saint John River, of course, flows in a southerly direction; “We’re goan upriver t’ Grand Falls.”

Hear this word pronounced at www.dooryard.ca.

The weather is great so why not get outdoors and get active!

BOXING FITNESS CLASSES Coed Classes: Tuesdays & Thursdays 6:30 - 8 p.m. ($8/class) UP TO 12PARTICIPANTS/CLASS. PRE-BOOK BY EMAIL: ayrmotorcentre@town.woodstock.nb.ca

You must use your own personal gear & equipment, including gloves.

It’s BACK!

ARENA

Competitive Boxing Training

Monday, August 23

Wednesdays and Fridays 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 1 to 3 p.m.

Instructor: Neil Campbell. Boxing experience is encouraged but not required. Fee: $8/class; $65 punch card. Must book in advance.

SENIOR SOCIALS

Fall and Winter Program Registration Night

Ice rentals available starting Call us to book!

WATCH FOR UPCOMING DATES!

GET MUDDY

Saturday, August 21st. For kids ages 2 to 10 years Have a kid who loves to play in the mud? This is the event for them. A mud obstacle course for the young ones. This is a fun race that is not timed and will be completed in three heats (ages 2–4, 5–7, and 8–10). Refreshments provided after the race.

Race start: 11 a.m. Must register in advance. Cost: $25. Includes a t-shirt, mud obstacle course race, and refreshments.

Wednesday, September 8 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Local clubs and organizations will be in attendance to share their program information and take registrations. Come check out the many program and special events for you and your family to get active this Fall and Winter.

YOUTH ZONE AFTER SCHOOL and ACTIVE ADULTS Starting this fall!

Watch this space, Facebook, and our website for details!

22

ARTFELT

Arts and Culture News from Western New Brunswick

High school entrepreneur builds on artistic skills

Noah Grant’s NG Woodworking creations on display at Creek Village RIVER VALLEY SUN

A

s he heads into his senior year at Woodstock High School, Noah Grant is already showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit by utilizing the passion and skills he refined over the COVID-19 break.

“During the time that school was closed last year, I utilized my time at home and developed a passion for woodworking.,” said Grant. “I am now striving to be an entrepreneur.”

Grant, the son of James and Tricia Grant and lifelong Woodstock resident, called his newly founded business NG Woodwork-

ing.

“I make all kinds of cutting boards, charcuterie boards, side tables, coasters and charcuterie boards using epoxy,” said Grant.

The teenage woodworker uses various types of wood in making his boards, including domestic and exotic species.

“I have standard boards that I make, but I can also do custom orders,” he said.

“I can make epoxy boards and other products with many different colours.”

When not working on, displaying or selling his hand-made wooden creations, Grant stays busy pursuing several hobbies,

including hockey, snowmobiling and hiking.

As Creek Village Gallery and Café’s Young Artist of the Month for August, Grant’s work is currently displayed on the gallery’s Young Artist Showcase wall, sponsored by Woodstock businessman Greg MacPherson.

Anyone interested in Grant’s work can find more information and images on his Facebook page https:// www.facebook.com/noahgrantwoodworking2020 or by calling him at 1-506612-0775 or emailing noahg0753@gmail.com Each month, Creek Village Gallery and Café fea-

tures a new young artist.

And, there’s no shortage of young talent from which to choose, said Creek Vil-

lage’s, Paul Twyford.

“It’s quite incredible how much young artistic talent there is in and

around Woodstock,” he said. “There are a lot of proud parents and grandparents.”

The New Brunswick Society of Retired Teachers (NBSRT) is now accepting applications for their 2021 Scholarship and Bursary program, available to university and college students. Two successful applicants will each be awarded $2,500. For more information please visit their website: nbsrt.ca.

Woodstock High School’s Noah Grant enjoys making cutting boards, chacuterie boards, side tables and coasters. (Submitted photos)

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 23

L.P. Fisher Public Library hosts Kids’ Kilometre Fun Run

Event promotes physical and regular literacy

By Rebecca Dykeman

today the [COVID-19] restrictions lifted, and we got to do it all without masks and without distancing, so it’s been really great,” said Carson. “It’s a nice way to start the summer celebrations and to celebrate New Brunswick Day as well.”

Carson added that the event combines physical literacy with regular literacy, encouraging children to live an active lifestyle and enjoy reading.

“I love seeing everyone be active and be outdoors and afterwards sitting around the park and having a healthy snack and reading together,” she said. “That warms my heart.”

Photo caption: 35 children, along with their parents and some infants, came out to the L.P. Fisher Public Library to participate in the fifth annual Kids’ Kilometre Fun Run on July 31. The event promotes physical and regular literacy.

O

n July 31, the L.P. Fisher Public Library partnered with the River Valley Runners to host its fifth annual Kids’ Kilometre Fun Run. Kids aged 0-15, along with their parents, ran a kilometre-long route in downtown Woodstock.

Afterward, participants picked out books as prizes and enjoyed some healthy snacks. 35 children registered, and several adults and infants also participated.

Dr. Katie Goodine and Manulife Securities sponsored the event. Manulife also presented a $1,000 cheque as a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the run.

COVID-19 restrictions meant the event couldn’t happen last summer, said library director Jenn Carson, but this year’s event came at the perfect time.

“It just happened to be perfect circumstances that

Nearly 40 children, along with their parents and some infants took part in the L.P. Fisher Public Library’s fifth annual Kids’ Kilometre Fun Run on July 31. Bottom left: Greg MacPherson presented a $1,000 cheque from Manulife Securities to the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the run. From left: Isaac MacPherson, Greg MacPherson, Maisy MacPherson, and Sarah MacPherson (Rebeca Dykeman photos)

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24

CONNECTION

Sharing Stories of Inclusion, Diversity, and Community

A message for 2021 graduates

Sincerely, Me

By Abigail Noble

She/Her, They/Their/Them

I

believe that every life is a story. The last few weeks of June 2021 marked the end of the first chapter of the stories of the 2021 high school graduates, myself included.

As the graduation festivities come to an end, there will no doubt be one question on our collective minds – “What next?” I don’t have all of the answers, but if I could leave the graduating class with one message, it would be this: Follow your dreams.

We seem to have been

caught in a constant battle between dream and reality for the past 13 years.

Society told the aspiring performer that their goals were unrealistic, that only a tiny percentage of people ever “made it.” Society told us to value the realistic nature of a steady job, a traditional family, and a white picket fence. Society told us that in the adult world, dreams are just what they seem. Dreams.

Nice to think about, but gone with the rising of the sun.

As we enter the next chapter of our lives, we will face many important questions and decisions, perhaps the most important being, “Do I follow my dream, or do I play it safe and risk a life of unhappiness?”

To succeed, you need to devote all of your efforts to make your dream a reality. Why waste years

of your life pursuing a career that gives you no fulfillment? Why settle for less than you desire when success lies over the next horizon? I know that some of you may think this is the rambling of an immature youth, but I stand by my philosophy. In the end, it is passion that will make your life worth living. Why work for anything but that?

The next chapter of our lives will see us each walking a variety of different paths. Some will move on to higher education, some will enter the workforce, and some will start families.

No matter what path you choose, I implore you – the Class of 2021 - to reflect on your motivations.

Now is the time to make mistakes, try new things, explore, and live life to the fullest. Your life is an everchanging story, of which you are the sole author.

Left: Abigail was Hartland Community School’s 2021 Salutatorian. Right: Abigail and her prom date/cousin, Madeleine Pattterson (left). (Submitted photos)

Make the most of it. It may take months, years, or even decades for you to fulfill your dreams, but when you do, it will all be

worth it.

Congratulations, Class of 2021! I wish every one of you all the happiness you deserve.

Abigail Noble is graduate of Hartland Community School and was a coop student with the River Valley Sun this spring.

Jacksonville woman’s project earns national recognition

Veterans Affairs Minister presents Sheila Sparks with commendation

By Jim Dumville - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

J

acksonville’s Sheila Sparks used much of her pandemic-related downtime, stepping up her already long-held commitment to honouring the sacrifice and memory of veterans.

On Tuesday, July 20, Veterans Affairs Canada and Associate Minister of National Defence Lawrence MacAulay delivered national recognition to Sparks’ intense devotion to veterans.

The commendation paid tribute to Sparks’

year-long labour-intensive effort to restore 629 Veterans’ grave markers at 32 Woodstock-area cemeteries.

It seemed fitting that Sparks became the first individual to accept this honour in person since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Much of her effort at Woodstock-area cemeteries took place during pandemic shutdowns and strict protocols.

Sparks, who was the only New Brunswicker

Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay presents Sheila Sparks with pin. (Photo courtesy of Veterans Affairs Canada)

presented with the honour, said it was hard to describe how much the recognition meant to her.

“This presentation to me means that someone has appreciated all the effort I put into these crosses so much that they nominated me for an award that I would never, ever have thought I would be entitled to,” she said. “I am honoured and humbled to have received it.”

Perhaps Sparks’ comments to the River Valley Sun about how and why she undertook the project over the summer of 2020, which marked the 75th anniversary of the Second World War, explains the motivation that eventually led to the July 20, 2021 commendation.

“I cannot think of a better way for me, as the daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin and friend of many veterans to commemorate this (date),” Sparks said last summer, as she neared completion of the project.

In announcing the minister’s commendation, the department de-

scribed Sparks’ efforts to restore the hundreds of veterans’ grave markers as follows: “On Canada Day 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she noticed that several grave markers in local cemeteries were in need of repair. She decided then and there to take on the task of bringing these markers back into mint condition.

On that day, she brought home 18 crosses from her local cemetery and proceeded to pressure wash and paint them as necessary. She then replaced them and also placed a small Canadian flag on them.

“Following this, she visited other local cemeteries and discovered more faded crosses and decided to refurbish these as well.

She brought home 629 crosses from 32 cemeteries, and she did it all on her own and at her own expense. At one cemetery, she also spent time cleaning the Veterans’ monument by removing the moss from the wording, scrubbing the stone and placing four Canadian flags and

solar lights at each corner of the base of the monument.”

The July 20 presentation in Fredericton recognized Sparks on a national level, but her

dedicated efforts on behalf of veterans did not go unnoticed locally.

Sparks hopes her project encourages similar efforts on cemeteries everywhere.

CRIME STOPPERS FB MESSENGER SCAM TARGETS SENIORS

Local law enforcement agencies are warning the public of a criminal act which begins with a message sent to you using the name of a person you know and what appears to be, their Facebook Messenger account.

The message informs you about the availability of a Federal Government grant for seniors. If you respond to this message, you will not be responding to your friend but a scammer who has ‘hacked’ and taken on the false identity of your friend. You will be asked to send your full name, home address, age and other personal information and provide a fee to access the grant of $100,000 or $200,000. This message is not true and this criminal act is a scam. Do not respond to these messages. Never share on social media or to a complete stranger any of your personal information.

There are many scam phone calls and emails circulating in our region, with the intent of getting your money through access to your bank acct. or credit card. Be alert, simply hang up the phone and don’t respond to the criminal requests. Family members and care givers must always be on alert for these types of criminal acts.

www.crimenb.ca 1-800-222-8477

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 25

RVS SUNSHINE KIDS

AVONDALE KITCHENS BIG DREAMS come in SMALL PACKAGES

SUNSHINE SMILE: Meet five-year-old Ellie McIntosh. Ellie is the daughter of Kyle Harnum and Whitney McIntosh-Harnum of Woodstock. She loves cupcakes, the colour pink, dancing, singing, and playing with friends Andi and Theo. She wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. (Submitted photo)

With every inch of the room used for functional storage and prep areas, this space was transformed into the ultimate dream kitchen.

The cabinets were originally located on the opposite side of the room, but it made sense to swap the dining and kitchen area to use the space better. Our designer tucked the stove into the corner, eliminating the need for a lazy sue and allowing plenty of counter space on either side for prep work.

As in this design, you can see that small spaces can often still accommodate a functional island with deliberate planning and scale considerations. Two seats are the perfect place for morning coffee and late-night snacks, with the extra countertop doubling as prep space and dining. Large drawers provide ample space for pots and pans storage, with room left to house a high-volume pull-out garbage and recycling unit.

Wrapping storage around the fridge provides the custom built-in look most of our homeowners want. With floor to ceiling pull-out pantry, all food items are easily accessible and organized in one space.

Finally, the sink has been under-mounted and projected into the window to maximize space and light, giving the Avondale Seamless Laminate counters the look of high-end granite or quartz counters at a fraction of the cost.

BEFORE

Residence of Chris Foster & Vicki Phippen, Lansdowne, NB

AFTER

SUNSHINE SMILE: Meet 10-year-old Jaycie McIntosh of Woodstock. The daughter of Kyle Harnum and Whitney McIntoshHarnum loves cheesecake, the colour blue,doing any arts and crafts, playing board games and horseback riding. Jaycie wants to be a paramdedic when she grows up. (Submitted photo) Submit your sunshine kid or kids photos to theresa@rivervalleysun.ca

“A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.”

River Valley Sunshine Kids are sponsored by Angie’s Little Peeps Early Learning & Childcare Centre in Woodstock. Look them up on Facebook.

LE’S A D ON V A ERY V H AT T S ST Y? L OW O K P N E K AG E N T W E OU P Y K D DI NTE BOO O E C C FA NG I T S RE INTE AVONDALE

KITCHENS

Take a look at our blog posts for renovations stories and dramatic before and after photos at AvondaleKitchens.com

317 Lockhart Mill Road, Woodstock, NB (506) 328-4111

26

Ahhh... summer!

IN A ‘MANOR’ OF SPEAKING

S

By Jane Jones

ummer is our favourite season, and it’s in full swing at the Carleton Manor. Our courtyard is lush and gorgeous. Neighbours are enjoying outings with families and loved ones.

Additional visitors are allowed into the manor each day, and our activity coordinators are taking our Neighbours outside more often. A big plus – we now have more volunteers to help with fun events. We are feeling fantastic!

And if you thought things couldn’t get any better, Stanley’s Snack Shack (Est. 2014) is back up and running thanks to some thoughtful volunteers, staff and Neighbours. We’ve

even witnessed line-ups to purchase yummy treats and other items!

We’ve kept up all safety protocols even though the province is in the ‘green’ (Yay!). Visitors must still book in to see their family and friends in advance by calling the reception desk at 325-4985 or e-mailing reception@carletonmanor. ca. Visiting hours are between noon and 8 p.m.

Visits are limited to our Neighbour’s rooms or our beautiful courtyard. Upon entering Carleton Manor, a screener will ask you the important COVID-19 questions, request you to wear a mask for the duration of your visit, that you sanitize your hands, and keep the visit to 2 hours.

Jane Jones is a wife and mother who volunteers at Carleton Manor in Woodstock.

Left: Neighbour Paul Knox tends one of his many vegetable gardens in our Courtyard. Right: Neighbour George Hartley celebrated his birthday outside, pictured here with and resident Attendant Daniella Miteva! (Jane Jones photos)

Left: Volunteer Jim Brown serves receptionist Michelle Vail at the new Stanley’s Snack Shack. (Photo Hannah Creaser) Right: Neighbours visited the new Woodstock Baptist Church for a tour. (Submitted Photo)

ATV’ers are a generous bunch!

BEAUTIFUL BUMBLES

By Linda McHatten

A

s ATV enthusiasts, we support other ATV Clubs and communities by attending fundraising rallies. After being approved by Public Health, the Canterbury Recreations Committee held their annual ATV Rally on June 26.

It was overcast most of the day, but that does not stop us from being on the trails. The rally started with the Canterbury Volunteer Fire Dept’s awesome drivethru breakfast. We loved it. Great job, guys! It is nice to reconnect with other ATV enthusiasts that we have not seen in a while. Residents in the greater community are

really supportive of this village. Some show up, pay the rally registration, and pick up breakfast just to support the recreation council and Fire Dept.

We register, buy 50/50 tickets and off we go. Our bumble takes us south on the managed trail, where we will turn and follow the Grant Settlement Road. We see a young moose that I expect heard us coming and decided to flee. I like it along this trail. We bumble on passing Fawn Lake and back to the managed trail, which we leave again and bumble towards Sixth Lake. We go off the trail a short distance to view Fifth Lake, which some of our bumble friends have not seen. Our bumble will take us to Cranberry Hill lookout. What a spectacular view. We can see for miles and point out Fifth Lake that we had just visited as well as Sixth Lake. Time to move on as we are getting hun-

gry. The next stop is at the canopy set up for barbeque. We could smell the hamburgers and hot dogs as we approached. Lots of stories and laughter going on there. Door prize time as well. Yours truly won a beautiful hooded sweatshirt. I passed it over to Sarah, my granddaughter, as this was her first rally for Canterbury, and she was having a lot of fun. For those wondering about mud and water, we found lots as we continued through Dead Creek and Fry Pan Corner.

Stopping for a break, I could see all were having fun by the laughter and smiles.

The wildflowers lining the trails and attracting the bees were a beautiful sight. This year they seem more vibrant and more of them. I love these kinds of trails. I was lucky to capture a picture of a bear on the last part of the bumble. Arriving back to our destination, we load up. It must have

Fifth Lake is a beautiful spot to stop for a rest on a bumble! (Linda McHatten photo)

been a good day for everyone because stories and laughter were going on. The smiles could tell it all. Thank you, Canterbury Recreation Committee, for a great day on

the trails. The rain even held off, but we all know a little rain never stops a true ATV enthusiast.

HAPPY TRAILS until next month and STAY SAFE.

Linda McHatten is a retired LPN who now spends her time nursing her love for the outdoors. She and her husband live in Rosedale and have three grandchildren.

If we had to guess, we would say, YES, Pilates is for you! Join us for Mat or Equipment classes in the studio and/or Mat Zoom classes! www.pilateswithpurpose.ca hannah@pilateswithpurpose.ca Woodstock – 506 . 328 . 1820

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 27

28

IN FOCUS

Putting the Spotlight on People in Your Community

Student arrives in Woodstock to find herself unexpectedly homeless

Neighbours, NBCC officials show Italian why Woodstock known as ‘hospitality town’

By Jim Dumville - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A

n international student preparing to attend NBCC Woodstock this fall arrived in town late Tuesday evening to find herself unexpectedly homeless in a strange town and country.

The Italian student landed in Fredericton and took a taxi to what she expected would be her new address in Woodstock, arriving at 9 p.m. She knocked on the door where she thought she had rented a room, only to find no one answering the door and the room unavailable.

Unsure what to do, she visited a neighbour’s house, where the homeowner immediately set out to help the student, who preferred not to be identified at this time, to find a hotel room for the night.

Among others, including NBCC personnel, the neighbour immediately began showing the new arrival why Woodstock has long been known as the hospitality town.

Without room to house

the young woman herself, the neighbour immediately helped the visitor secure a hotel room for the night.

Noting the student arrived with only some clothes and a few personal items, the neighbour began collecting items she would need while searching for a permanent home.

“When she arrived, the poor thing had a very small suitcase and her purse,” the neighbour said. “I don’t know what else she would even have on her person. I just put together some things you would need for day-to-day care like hygiene items and that sort of stuff because I don’t know what she does and doesn’t have.”

With others from the neighbourhood and around the community helping her, the neighbour set out to find the student a home.

Angie Godin, a recruitment advisor for NBCC, got involved in the search Wednesday morning.

With the international student sitting in her office,

Godin said the college is helping the woman find a room of some sort within walking distance of the college.

“I’m just trying to help a student who arrived here from Italy, and she had a prearranged room, but it’s no longer available, but we’re just trying to find a place for her.”

Both Godin and the neighbour hit social media with a call for help, finding a quick response. Godin said a furnished room is good for the immediate future, but the visiting student may be looking for an apartment or house soon.

The student is a mother of three who would like to eventually find an apartment or house and bring her husband and children to Canada.

Godin said the Italian student, like many of NBCC’s international students, enrolled in a twoyear college program.

“Most students want a two-year program which gives them three years of post-grad work, which

gives them time with [plans for] their permanent residency,” she said.

Godin said most international students’ longterm goal is to move permanently to Canada.

“They want to make their home here. They want to live here,” she said.

Both the neighbour and Godin noted the situation appears to be a misunderstanding, adding they don’t blame the problem on the person who initially offered the room for rent..

Both stressed the important element immediately was to find a room for the student, and that appeared to be heading in the right direction by noon Wednesday. The neighbour and Godin told the River Valley Sun people contacted them with potentially available rooms or an apartment.

Early Wednesday evening, Godin informed the River Valley Sun, the student would be moving into an apartment on Thursday.

The neighbour added that the hotel where the student spent the night provided support, and she had been in contact with local restaurants to help with food.

The supportive neighbour understands the anxiety the young woman must have faced as her plans suddenly fell apart. She noted that the student took a big step in her life, and unexpectedly paying for hotels and meals and dealing with so much uncertainty must have taken a toll.

“I think the major concern is that the poor girl flew from Italy, so she’s jet-lagged and exhausted, and then she took a taxi for an hour and who knows how long, and it’s dark, and you’re in a new place, and now all of a sudden you don’t know where you’re living,” said the neighbour.

She added the student, who she described as “lovely,” explained she was double vaccinated and recently had a nega-

tive COVID test.

“She was wearing her mask and everything,” the Woodstock woman said.

While this situation is more desperate than usual, Godin said the lack of affordable student housing is a “big issue” for international or New Brunswick students looking for a place to live while attending NBCC Woodstock.

Godin said she would like to see developers create student housing, adding the college was about to launch a campaign to tackle that issue, but the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the matter went to the back burner. She said the college hopes, in the future, to work with the town, developers and other businesses to address the issue shortly.

— Editor’s note: River Valley Sun left out the names and addresses of some of the sources to protect the privacy of individuals involved. With files from Rebecca Dykeman, River Valley Sun

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RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 29

Carleton County native launches production company

Filmmaker Sandy Hunter looks to build on NB’s growing creative scene

By Cloey Kinney

F

lorenceville-Bristol native Sandy Hunter, a former Apple employee, has launched Cazador, his second production company.

Hunter’s first production effort, Soft Citizen, is an ongoing company he created in the early 2000s.

“Soft Citizen was a music video company,” said Hunter. “(Cazador) is a much more broadly focused company looking to do long-format content primarily, as opposed to short pieces of content like music videos.”

Cazador, the Spanish translation of Sandy’s last name, was introduced to him while working a year contract in Chile out of university.

The name stuck with him, especially when considering what to name his new company.

“It’s an incorporated company, so you need to do a name check to make sure nobody else has that name. Obviously, Canada, not being a very Spanish place, meant that name was up for grabs.

Plus, you know, it sounds cool,” Hunter said.

He reflected on his decision to start a second production company.

“Last year, I started getting serious about making plans,” Hunter said.

He said recent plans include teaming up with Saint John-based production company Hemmings House.

“It’s run by a guy called Greg Hemmings and his partner Steve Foster, and they’re like New Brunswick’s top English language production company. They’ve done a ton of great work. I think they’re the best film unit in New Brunswick.”

While other

Florenceville-Bristol natives opted to make a living in the film industry, working for companies such as Keslow Camera or Amazon shows, it’s a rare career choice. “(Film) isn’t a career path a lot of people think about locally because there hasn’t been an established local film community and scene of professionals working, but I think that is changing,” said Hunter. “Look, I won’t take credit for it, but there’s definitely been people here longer than us working on a lot of things. You know, I’m really just getting started in the province.”

Hunter notes his plans to continue dividing his time between the Maritimes and Ontario.

“There’s a great developing scene and some awesome, creative people working in film in New Brunswick,” he said.

ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO PAY FOR FOOD? The Upper River Valley Food Pantry can help!

Reach out via email: urvfoodhelp@gmail.com or call/text (506) 391-9819 or 356-5999 for support. You are not alone! We can help!

Unofficial River Valley Sun Paper Carrier

Special thanks to David Bell at the Carleton Co-op in Florenceville-Bristol for always makes sure no one forgets their free River Valley Sun newspaper. On a recent visit, publisher Theresa Blackburn met up with David, and thanked him for being a great promoter of our community newspaper. (Barb Meed photo)

Sandy Hunter recently launched his film production company, Cazador.

(Cloey Kinney photo)

“Certainly, I think for the good of my company, I can’t turn my back on my Ontario connections I’ve spent over two decades

building up.”

He described Toronto as the media capital of Canada.

“It would be foolish not

to continue to develop and work in that market at the same time as I work on the New Brunswick piece of pie,” Hunter said.

30

Never swim alone LIVING HISTORY

By Doris Kennedy The following is a true story.

“I

didn’t panic. I loved to swim,” stated Adrian Hovey, a retired barber in Hartland. “I was deep, only my mouth was above the water. In a time like this, you do a lot of praying, and scenes of your life flash before you”.

Before the Hugh John Flemming Bridge was built, the water was deep and swift in the St. John and the Becaguimec rivers. Children learned to swim in the deep crevices in the Becaguimec riverbed made by jammed logs or chunks of ice during the freshet.

Older siblings and friends taught the younger ones how to swim. Some of the boys took it a step further and went to the Saint John River.

“Eugene Gillin and my brother, Graydon, were strong swimmers. They swam up the current in the ‘Guimec without being pulled down towards the Saint John River.

Their biggest swimming achievement was crossing the Saint John River to the ‘Guimec Island, an island heavily populated with trees and vegetation,” Adrian recalled.

“I remember vividly the day Graydon and Eugene

told me I was ready to swim to the island with them.”

“You can do this,” stated Eugene to Adrian. “You are a strong swimmer. We will put you between the two of us so just do what we do.” Graydon was standing beside Eugene nodding his head, giving Adrian approval that he was ready.

“We are going to walk north above the end of the island and swim hard to cross the currents. It should take us close to the middle or the end shore. But you have to swim hard,” Eugene added.

“I looked across at the deep dark water swiftly passing by, the large waves, then the island. It was in my head I could do this. I will never forget the sensation that went through me as my feet left the shore in the warm water. The channel was deep, and we landed in the salmon pool filled with springs. Pockets of cold water hit my body before I reached the island’s shore, but I made it. We stayed long enough to catch our breath, then returned the same way by going to the north of the island,” Adrian reminisced.

His eyes were glassy, unfocused, staring at his livingroom wall as if in a trance.

“I had just left the boys after swimming in the Becaguimec deep hole and walked towards the salmon pool to see if anyone was fishing. The pool rested midway between the shore and the island. It was a hot day, and I spontaneously decided to swim to the island. We always had our swimming trunks on under our pants during the summer, so I whipped off my

shoes and pants and headed into the current. I was confident I would not have a problem.”

“Did you make it?” I was sitting now on the edge of my seat.

“I didn’t. The current was too swift, and I swam as hard as I could to reach the tip of the island but could not reach it no matter how hard I tried. I was in the deep water at the end of the island. But I didn’t panic.”

Adrian was standing, and his gaze was on me, but his mind was remembering that day. He is sweating.

“I kept reminding myself I was a good swimmer.

I decided to forget about getting to the island and swim to shore. With all my strength, I closed my eyes and began. I felt I was making progress and calculated I should be almost to shore. But my position had not changed. I was still in the same place. I was stunned. Still treading water, I thought I would let my body relax and drift to the pier of the covered bridge, rest there, then swim to the shore. I tried that, but I remained in the same place like I was stuck. I still didn’t panic.

“I remembered my brother, Grady, telling me about a time when he and his friend, Donnie Keith, got into an under-toe situation.

They said when the water meets from both rivers and goes by the point of the island, it kicks it out and creates a whirlpool. It can be seen as it swirls on the top of the water. I was in that swirl.

“Oh my gosh, Adrian.

What did you do?” I asked

Back before the Hugh John Flemming Bridge was built, the current around Becaguimec Island in the St. John River can be dangerous. (Submitted photo)

in urgency.

“I decided I would dive deep down in the water under the swirl to get out of it.

But that didn’t work either. I swam as hard as I could and came back up in the exact same place.”

“You must have been scared.” Now I was tense, sitting on the edge. Adrian was flushed as he was narrating the story with great expression. His eyes were wide, and he was wringing his hands. He was reliving the event.

“No matter what I did, I couldn’t go anywhere; I was stuck in the whirlpool.

My arms and legs were going in all directions, and I didn’t have much feeling in my hands. I thought to myself, Adrian, you are in trouble. In times like this, you do a lot of praying when you realize you can’t do it yourself. I was all by myself as the others had left me to go home. I was getting vulnerable. I was down so far I could barely keep my mouth above the water.”

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coreyford.ca

(506) 328-8828

“Oh no!” I could hear myself speak. My stomach was in knots. His storytelling has me right there with him in the water. “Please continue!”

“Just now, a voice came across the river.”

“Adrian, are you in trouble?”

It was Hoot Smith’s mother. Adrian’s voice cracked as he told the story.

“She saw me!”

Adrian hollered with as much strength as he had.

“Yes, I am,” he replied. “I saw her house from where I was. Hoot and his father, Chic, were not home, but his younger brother was.

Genie (Eugene) went right to where Chic had his boat in the river. He wasn’t more than 12 years old. He poled the boat up along the water’s edge to where the Becaquimec came into the river. If he got the boat’s bow in the river when poling, the current would take him down the river, and he would have to start again, so he only had one chance,

and so did I. He needed to hit the right spot on the water coming out of the Becaguimec to give him the big push to reach me. I remember to this day hearing Mrs. Smith say, “Not now, Genie, not now! Up further, up further.” Then I heard, “Now! Do it now!”

Adrian said, “If he didn’t make it the first time, I don’t think I would have had a second chance.”

“He did what she said and brought the boat right down to me. I had just enough strength to keep both hands on the side of the boat, not enough to get in the boat. He got me to the shore, where she helped pull me in. It was only then that I scolded myself for breaking the promise I had made with the boys, never swim alone!”

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

Married with four children and 11 grandchildren, she is the author of five books.

OFFERING SAFE, EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE!

336 Connell Street, Woodstock

SHARE LOCAL SPORTS NEWS: Drop us a line with details! Email andrew@rivervalleysun.ca

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 31

SPORTS

Highlights and Features of Local Sports and Sporting Events

Annual youth triathlon and duathlon promote healthy lifestyles Kids of Steel returns to Woodstock

By Rebecca Dykeman

T

he annual Kids of Steel triathlon and duathlon, held by Town of Woodstock Recreation and sponsored by Manulife Securities, returned on July 24.

Children aged 5 to 15 gathered at the AYR Motor Centre to swim, bike and run in the triathlon. Duathlon participants only biked and ran. Both courses ended with kids running through a bubble-covered finish line. There were five age divisions: 5-6 years, 7-9 years, 10-11 years, 1213 years and 14-15 years.

The event was a hit, with nearly 50 children taking part.

Andi Wishart was one of many young Kids of

Steel participants. When asked what her favourite part of the morning was, she said it was “the bubbles.”

Each child took home a medal and a goodie bag.

Three door prizes were randomly drawn for each age group, and Sophia Patterson won a bicycle donated by Canadian Tire.

“The overriding concept of a triathlon for kids is centred on creating a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally,” read the event’s advertisement.

“Through a successful event, our children will associate sport with fun and personal reward, in addition to developing healthy lifelong habits.”

“It’s all about the experience and having fun

and showing them what the sport of triathlon is all about and encouraging them to continue,” said Woodstock Recreation Program Director Jill Dunnett.

The duathlon is a relatively new addition to the event, being introduced a couple of years ago. Dunnett said organizers added the duathlon to accommodate certain children.

“Some kids were showing up and saying, ‘I can’t swim,’ so we added [the duathlon] in,” she explained.

Last year, Kids of Steel was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

This year, Woodstock Recreation worked within COVID-19 limitations to put on a modified version

of the event.

“We scheduled people at different times because normally everyone would show up and everyone would wait for their name to be called when it was their time to go. This year we encouraged them to be there fifteen minutes before their designated time slot, so it made it a little bit organized and scheduled,” said Dunnett.

Dunnett was grateful for the support of Manulife Securities, Canadian Tire, Woodstock Public Works, the Woodstock Police Force, and the many volunteers who helped make Kids of Steel safe and fun.

“People have really stepped up in our community, which they always do,” Dunnett stated.

Top: Kids of Steel participants began the triathlon by swimming 25 m before continuing on bikes and feet. Bottom: Andi Wishart proudly holds up the goodie bag she received after Kids of Steel triathlon. (Rebecca Dykeman photo)

Roaring return: Woodstock OHW hosts lawnmower races

First event in a pared down 2021 summer lineup

By Rebecca Dykeman

W

oodstock Old Home Week made a roaring return on July 31 with its annual lawnmower races.

Engines revved and smoke billowed as contestants zoomed around the Connell Park Raceway. The event was a huge success, with 87 racers and a crowd of 1,560 spectators.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic means Old Home Week can’t proceed as usual, the races were the first of a few events planned instead of typical festivities.

Old Home Week committee member Graham Briggs said he was glad some events could still happen.

“It’s great to get a few events on the go again

and get people out and about,” he said.

Briggs was also glad New Brunswick happened to go Green and end pandemic restrictions the night before the event.

“We were very fortunate,” Briggs said.

Lawnmower racer Matthew Green said he’s also glad COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in time.

“People can get out and have fun finally. It’s good to see,” he said.

This year was Green’s second time participating in the races.

“It was great fun until I had an accident!” he remarked.

The top three winners from each category were:

Flathead Final #1 Jacob Sproul 111 #2 Craig Bell 19 #3 Reece Bowlare 24

14-16 HP Final #1 Jacob Sproul 111 #2 Mitchell Cheney 34 #3 Stephen Giberson 78

Mod X Final #1 Derek Dunphy 9 #2 Andrew Jardine 68 #3 Andrew Lyons 16

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FXT Final #1 Nick Atkinson 2-4 #2 Graham Briggs 91 #3 Jamie Bird 33

16-20 HP Final #1 Tyler Hamilton 46 #2 Dorien Tribe 5 #3 Nathan Stewart 911

Outlaw Final #1 Colton Coffey 11 #2 Dustin Sproul 33 #3 Jud Grant 69

Youth Final #1 Dalton Lyons 27 #2 Kolby Nicholson 3:16 #3 Caden Grant 78 Stock Powder Final #1 Tanya Tribe 5 #2 Jan. Demerchant 6996 #3 Rachelle Smith 75 Super Powder Puff #1 Katie Graham 49x #2 Kristen Briggs 69 #3 Jennifer Brewster 14 Super Mod #1 Nick Brewer 101 #2 Lucas Brewer 11 #3 MacKenzie Colford 911

Call: (506) 325-9297 Text: (403) 638-6308

The Woodstock Old Home Week lawnmower races took place on July 31. The event was a huge hit, with 87 racers and 1,560 spectators. (Rebecca Dykeman photo)

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32

SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1946 !

Country S TO R E Florenceville-Bristol, NB

Join us for our 75th Birthday Celebration!

Help us mark a community milestone!

We are hosting a

FREE BARBECUE

on Thursday, August 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

All customers (members & non-members) can join us for a lunch of hamburgers, hotdogs, drinks, and the all-important BIRTHDAY CAKE! Be sure to do a little shopping while you are here as August 26 is also SENIOR DISCOUNT DAY (15%)

Carleton Co-op and the Country Store: WHERE CUSTOMERS COME FIRST!

Carleton Co-op

8818 Main Street, Florenceville-Bristol

(506) 392-5588

www. carletoncoop.ca