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RIVER VALLEY SUN March 2024

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Covered Bridge Potato Chips hopes to rise like a phoenix

Owners plan to rebuild as community, local officials, politicians, and union pledge support

By Jim Dumville – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A

s the black smoke from the burning Covered Bridge Potato Chips plant Friday evening, March 1, cast a dark cloud over Carleton County, the glow of widespread support for the cherished Hartland business’s owners and staff shone through quickly.

The devastating blaze left residents and officials of the small New Brunswick hamlet of Hartland reeling after the fire levelled the locally owned plant bearing the name of the town’s iconic landmark.

After the immediate shock, community residents, union and government officials, and mu-

nicipal leaders stepped forward to support the company’s approximately 185 employees, including about 120 at the destroyed plant.

A few days after the blaze, company president Ryan Albright said Covered Bridge planned to rebuild on the same site.

The Albrights, a fourthgeneration Carleton County family and potato growers, built the plant in Waterville, next to the Trans Canada Highway exit to Hartland, in 2009.

In just over a decade, the plant became a worldwide player in the potato chip market, serving as a manufacturing and tourist

industry leader for the Upper St. John River Valley.

“We are working to try and figure out the steps on rebuilding our factory at the same location,” Albright told Global News during a March 6 interview.

He explained it was still too early to determine how long the rebuild would take.

“We have some guys that are already working on equipment, layout, building design, so we’re running simultaneously in all directions so we can be as fast and effective as we can,” Albright told Global.

In a statement issued See PHOENIX pg. 2

Saturday morning, March 2, the sign promoting the plant’s tours and gift shop still stood in front of the smouldering debris. (Jim Dumville photo).

Upper River Valley prepares for celestial event of a lifetime

With central N.B. in Path of Totality, it’s the world’s best place to watch total eclipse of the sun

By Jim Dumville – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

U

pper St. John River Valley is gearing up for the celestial event of a lifetime on April 8, when it will become the best place in the world to watch the total solar eclipse.

“It goes right through the centre of New Brunswick,” said Woodstock Coun. Julie Calhoun-Williams as she presented the town’s plans for the historical event. “It’s a huge deal.”

During past eclipses, she explained, millions of people travel to view the phenomenon in the Path of

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 1

Totality.

“I don’t think we’ll get millions, but we could get thousands,” Calhoun-Williams explained.

She said the Western Valley Regional Service Commission and Upper Valley communities have worked for more than a year to prepare for the event and the influx of people it attracts.

Calhoun-Williams said most communities, including Carleton North, Hartland, and Woodstock, have announced a series

of events for April 8 and the days before the eclipse.

Carleton North will host two significant eclipse events, including a special event at the Northern Carleton Recreation Centre featuring Canadian astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield as the keynote speaker, with N.B. comedian James Mullinger as the opening act.

The event is expected to begin at approximately 5 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. on April 8, with a meet-andgreet for VIP ticket holders

running from 9 to 10 p.m.

Carleton North will also be home to another important event, allowing residents at viewing parties in all Upper Valley communities to watch the eclipse directly, regardless of the weather.

Florenceville-Bristol resident David Hunter will launch a weather balloon and telescopic camera to view the eclipse safely from beyond the cloud cover.

See ECLIPSE on page 2

2024-03-10 10:11 PM

2 MARCH 2024

PHOENIX

Continued from page 1

on March 5, Albright, on behalf of Covered Bridge Potato Chip owners, acknowledged the shock and devastation delivered by the fire. Still, he expressed relief no one was hurt and gratitude to the first responders.

“It was with heavy hearts and immense sadness that we witnessed the fire that destroyed our factory in Waterville on Friday, March 1,” he said. “At the same time, we cannot begin to express how thankful we were that no one was injured, and how grateful we were to the courageous first responders and firefighters who worked tirelessly to battle the blaze, while ensuring the safety of our employees.”

The fire began just before 6 p.m. and raced through the plant, leaving little more than a large pile of rubble and devastation.

Hartland Fire Department Deputy Chief Tom Reid said his department used mutual aid and equipment from nine area fire departments to battle the stubborn blaze.

Reid said his first crews arrived on the scene to see smoke coming out the building’s doors. He said all the workers who had just begun the day’s second shift safely evacuated the building and turned off the large propane tanks.

ECLIPSE

Continued from page 1

Hunter, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada—New Brunswick Centre, has spent the past few years preparing for the total eclipse.

Hartland will kick off the eclipse excitement with a dance on April 6 at the Legion.

It will hold its free Total Eclipse Viewing Party at the Hartland Community School on April 8 to view the live streaming of the balloon launch and the subsequent aerial footage.

The live stream will begin at 2:30 p.m. so spectators can see everything leading up to the launch.

The eclipse will begin at 3:22 p.m. and reach its totality at 4:33 p.m. The Hartland viewing party will

While the Fire Marshal’s Office investigators continue to search for the cause of the blaze, staff said the fire began in the fryer room and then quickly spread.

Reid said firefighters entered the building to discover a fire burning in the attic.

“After a while it came through the roof,” he said.

“That’s when we had to move trucks and everything.”

With the blaze fully involved, firefighters were limited to an exterior attack, using the ladder truck for an aerial attack.

Reid explained most of the mutual aid featured tankers continuously hauling water.

“We need a lot of water to feed that aerial,” he said.

“We put out close to 3,000 gallons per minute.”

Once the roof collapsed, Reid said the team continued to pour thousands of gallons of water into the structure.

“There’s no way it could have been saved,” he said.

The plant is a significant contributor to Hartland’s production and industrial sector and serves as a popular tourist destination for the region.

It offers regular tourist and school tours of the chip production facility.

The Albright family is also active in the Carleton County community.

Immediately following the fire, Hartland May-

or Tracey Demerchant pledged the town’s staff and council support for the business, saying it would help in any way it could.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, Carleton MLA Bill Hogan, Carleton-Victoria MLA Margaret Johnson and Greg Turner, the minister responsible for Opportunities New Brunswick, promised provincial support as the company attempts to rebound from the tragedy.

“Our thoughts are with the employees, their families and members of the surrounding communities who will be affected by this heartbreaking loss,” Higgs stated. “This is a major employer in the region and a devastating loss for the company’s owners, their employees, and families.”

Within hours of the March 1 blaze, the entire Upper Valley community and beyond stepped up to support the plant workers.

Julie Calhoun-Williams, a councillor in neighbouring Woodstock, discovered how quickly her community responded. She heard about the fire on a family trip to Quebec but reached out to those she knew in the community with the idea of a benefit breakfast for Covered Bridge employees.

The response was fast and positive. CalhounWilliams’ church, the Woodstock Wesleyan in Jacksonville, agreed to host the breakfast on Saturday, March 9.

include a vendor market in the school gymnasium.

Cahoun-Williams said Woodstock will hold a three-day festival leading up to Monday’s big event.

Saturday, April 6, Woodstock will hold a Shop Local Day, and Sunday is planned as a Family Fun Day. Calhoun-Williams said several groups and organizations, including the L.P. Fisher Public Library and AYR Motor Centre, will hold familyoriented events.

She noted that the day provides ample opportunities for local organizations to hold fundraisers, urging anyone with plans to reach out to them on social media at Eclipse Festival 2024—Woodstock, NB, or by email at woodstockeclipse2024@gmail.com.

While the total eclipse lasts only three and a half

minutes, the moon begins crossing the sun’s path an hour earlier and takes another hour to complete its path after the eclipse.

Woodstock will host viewing parties at the AYR Motor Centre, Woodstock Farm Market and Meduxnekeag Consolidated School.

Because of the danger of looking directly into the sun during an eclipse, officials cancelled school on April 8. For the same reason, all communities will make free safety glasses available to the public.

Calhoun-Williams said Woodstock residents can pick up their glasses anytime during operating hours at the AYR Motor Centre, the L.P. Fisher Library or town hall. She added that residents must show proof of address as the glasses are available

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.

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IN CRISIS?

Here are the numbers to call:

RCMP/Woodstock Police Upper River Valley Hospital Hôtel Dieu – Perth-Andover Woodstock Mental Health Perth-Andover Mental Health After Hours Mobile Crisis CHIMO Telecare Nackawic Health Centre Tobique Valley Comm. Health Kids Help Phone Dept. of Social Development

911 375-5900 273-7100 325-4419 273-4701 1-888-667-0444 1-800-667-5005 811 575-6600 356-6600 1-800-668-6868 1-833-733-7835

Law Enforcement

Flames and smoke ascend from the Covered Bridge Potato Chip plant in Waterville, Friday, March 1, as several fire departments battle the blaze. (Stephen Chisholm photos)

She said donations and support poured in quickly from the residents and Carleton County business community.

Calhoun said the Woodstock mayor and council jumped on board immediately, offering time and resources.

“Then it blew up,” she said, as companies and organizations donated products and services — “Best Western. McCain Foods.

Crosby Molasses. Sobeys, McDonald’s and Tim’s in Woodstock, Sweet Spot.

Masonic Lodge. Valley Refrigeration. Stockford Reefer. It goes on.” only to Woodstock residents. She said the Regional Service Commission provided glasses to each community based on their population.

Without the glasses, a welding helmet is the only safe way to stare directly at an eclipse.

Calhoun-Williams said a total eclipse causes significant behavioural patterns in wildlife as the world suddenly becomes dark as night.

“The birds all freak out,” she said, noting deer and other animal could potentially become road hazards during the total eclipse.

Calhoun-Williams said Public Safety and police will take special precautions on the day, including shutting down construction and banning wide loads from the highway.

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

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 Wednesdays at 7 p.m. 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.

Harvest House also offers other recovery programs.

For more info, contact them at (506) 594-5000. *IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 911

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. We acknowledge the [financial] support of the Government of Canada.

2024-03-10 10:11 PM

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

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 3

Changes to recycling program concerns redemption centre owners Product hoarding, new regulations could force some N.B. depots to close their doors

By Theresa Blackburn

N

ew Brunswick consumers will get more money this spring for their cans and bottle returns, but depot owners are feeling the pinch in the leadup to provincial changes to the beverage recycling program.

For over 30 years, consumers paid a 10-cent deposit on all non-alcoholic beverage containers, with a 5-cent return; consumers paid a 20-cent deposit on alcoholic beverage containers, getting 10 cents back. Starting April 1, consumers will get the full deposits upon return: 10 and 20 cents per container, respectively.

Debbie Vail-Carr operates Vail’s Bottle Exchange in Woodstock. When the government announced the changes on Nov. 3, 2023, she saw a dramatic decrease in returns.

“When they announced it, it wasn’t even approved (by government) at that point, and people were hoarding bottles and cans so they could get more,” she explained.

There are 69 depots across New Brunswick.

Vail-Carr said the early government announcement threatened many of her colleagues’ businesses.

“I’m lucky. It’s low, but I won’t have to lay people off. But so many people are waiting, and some owners can’t keep their employees without product coming in, but I’m really worried about April 1. We’re going to be inundated when the

change happens. It’s going to be a real mess,” said Vail-Carr.

Since the early 1990s, the redemption program for non-alcoholic beverage containers was administered through the New Brunswick Beverage Containers Act, Recycle NB, and Encorp. In 2023, Encorp, out of Moncton, created a not-for-profit called Encorp Atlantic/Atlantique. On April 1, 2024, the Extended Producer Responsibility program will replace the current beverage container program.

Recycle NB will oversee the new model, while Encorp Atlantic/Atlantique will become the official agent for non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverage container recycling management in New Brunswick.

Vail-Carr says it’s not just the hoarding situation that has depot owners concerned.

“Without returns, we can’t pay our bills. I’m lucky, because I haven’t had to lay anyone off, but we’ve been hit with multiple changes. We are now having to deal with a 55 cent increase in minimum wage, plus new regulations that will come into effect that will impact how we do business,” said Vail-Carr.

Bruce Rogers is President of the Eastern Recyclers Association. His organization represents redemption centre owners in Atlantic Canada.

“There are some who won’t survive this,” Rogers said when he reached his

office in Halifax.

“First, there is the hoarding of product. Then they (Encorp Atlantic/Atlantique) want you to have two million in liability insurance,” explained Rogers.

“You have people trying to transition from what was a private business model to a government regulated model. Owners used to operate under a license issued by the New Brunswick Department of Environment, and that was usually a five year contract.

Now, Encorp is only offering a two-year contract without renewal detail, which creates suspicion and gives centre owners little comfort, especially if they are trying to do financial planning or wanting to sell their business.”

Rogers said Encorp Atlantic/Atlantique will also install point-of-sale equipment in businesses and isn’t taking responsibility for the system.

“It opens owners to liability issues,” said Rogers.

What if the system catches fire? Who’s responsible?

The owners will be the way the contract is written.

Then there are space issues.”

Rogers explained that some owners have been operating in locations with less square footage than required by the new contract.

“You have 32 years of history, where people operated their business a certain way. Now all of a sudden, you are required to have 600 square feet

of customer space, and a certain size of warehouse space.”

Rogers said his organization is trying to meet and negotiate with Encorp Atlantic/Atlantique but is unsure how far it will get.

“The (provincial) government has basically washed their hands of it.

There has been little consultation about the changes. We’ve talked to them about the hoarding and basically they’ve told us they don’t see any evidence.

To put it lightly, that’s hogwash. We have the numbers. We are seeing that business is lower than normal. The government, sadly, has turned a blind eye to this,” said Rogers. “As for Encorp, they’re trying to appease government, and that’s not helping us.”

However, Rogers admits there are advantages to the new program.

“For years, studies have shown that people aren’t happy to get part of their deposit back. That should increase numbers,” he said.

Rogers said the new program would significantly increase recycling rates if Encorp Atlantic/ Atlantique could work with redemption centre owners.

“They are automatically looking for people to be open for eight hours on Saturdays, and owners have tried different hours and found what works for their community. Then, there are the programs run by organizations like CIEVA. Change can’t hap-

Vail’s Bottle Exchange in Woodstock is one of 69 redemption centres that will see significant changes to their operations as of April 1. (Stephen Chisholm photo)

pen overnight. Business owners have invested their life savings into their businesses, and we all want to improve the program and make it work, but as with any big change, you don’t do everything the first day,” said Rogers. “You work things out over time. This has been difficult for owners.”

Encorp Atlantic/Atlantique CEO Pierre Landry said the decision to go with a two-year contract was related to the government.

“There are only one and a half years left in the government agreement, so we are just honouring what’s left,” said Landry.

When asked about the new depot space requirements, hours of operation, and point-of-sale equipment, Landry said it’s all part of a plan to improve customer experience.

“A lot of work has to be done in New Brunswick to modernize the redemption centre network,” the CEO said. “There is a balance between consumer experience and consumer access. New Brunswick has a very low-performing pro-

gram compared with other provinces.”

Landry said the new not-for-profit is looking at the big picture.

“We’re not worried about the current customer base. All data we’ve collected says if you are under the age of 45, you don’t have time to go to redemption centres. We have to rethink access for consumers.”

The River Valley Sun contacted the Department of Environment and Climate Change about VailCarr and Rogers’ concerns about the new agreement and consultation.

“There has been extensive engagement with redemption centres over the last four years and they will continue to operate under the new model based on service agreements with the producers,” wrote department spokesperson Clarissa Andersen in an email.

“It is expected that using the new model with a full refund will improve container recovery rates, consumer accessibility and experience.”

It’s that time of year again!

Open six days a week to serve you!

401 Connell Street, Unit 4, Woodstock, NB (506) 328-2220 woodstocklibtax@outlook.com

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 3

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4 MARCH 2024

Social inclusion group spearheads poverty reduction consultations

Renewal of ‘Overcoming Poverty Together’ plan gathers public input from community

By Theresa Blackburn

W

estern New Brunswick Community Development (WNBCD) held three public consultation sessions to develop a framework to help the province in its battle against poverty.

New Brunswick’s “Overcoming Poverty Together” plan was initially developed by the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation (ESIC) and administered through the now-defunct Carleton-Victoria Community Inclusion Network.

WNBCD is responsible for regional community development and social inclusion under the Western Valley Regional Service Commission’s (WVRSC) mandate. The mandate is to have an engagement process every five years.

Public sessions were held in Southern Victoria, Woodstock and Carleton North.

The sessions, held

in February and March, grouped participants and gave them specific questions to consider. Designated note-takers gathered input and presented it to organizers.

Wendy Marr is the WVRSC Community Development Coordinator.

“Poverty reduction and social inclusion are important topics, and it’s important to get input to help develop the next five years,” she told participants at the Woodstock session on Feb. 27 at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

The afternoon saw participants offer ideas on tackling some complicated and long-standing issues around poverty.

Questions like, ‘In terms of economic and social inclusion, what are the challenges for people living in New Brunswick?’ and ‘What would have the greatest impact on reduc-

ing poverty for people living in New Brunswick? List three top priority actions.’

Woodstock Police Chief Gary Foward was one of the participants. He said it was important to be a part of the conversation, noting his officers see the impact of poverty, firsthand.

“We are seeing it, widespread. This is being felt not just locally, or in New Brunswick, but nationally and globally. Rising prices for housing and food – it’s becoming an issue where we are seeing good people forced to make difficult decisions that often become problematic, just to survive.

And survival is not the solution, we need people to flourish,” said Forward.

Valerie Carmichael is the Anglophone West School District Community Engagement Coordinator.

Her job is to support students through community engagement and identify

resources and connection opportunities that may not be immediately apparent to the district.

Carmichael is more interested in sharing ideas for solutions instead of pointing out all the problems.

“It’s easy to identify the issues, but it’s harder to identify what needs to be done to change that,” she said after the session.

“The idea of a guaranteed basic income came up. That could be one of the solutions. If there was a basic income, it could go a long way to battle some of the issues – you know, it won’t solve everything, but it would help with a lot of it,” explained Carmichael.

Heidi Horner is the Executive Director of the Valley Family Resource Centre in Woodstock. Her centre offers free family programming that attracts people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Community Development Coordinator Wendy Marr explains the consultation process to 25 participants who took part in the Woodstock session. (Theresa Blackburn photo)

“One of the biggest barriers for families facing financial challenges is transportation,” explained Horner, noting that a return cab ride from the end of Broadway to her centre on Richmond Street is $22.

“That’s prohibitive for our centre, but also for our families, and it’s those families that are struggling that we are trying to reach.”

Horner hopes the province will take the suggestions offered at these ses-

sions and build a practical framework to help those who need it.

“I am hoping they’ll listen because we see firsthand how many are struggling,” said Horner, explaining that her centre could be a solution if the government provided a stable funding model so it could help more families.

For those unable to participate in the sessions, there is an online survey at NBTogether.ca.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING FOR CARLETON FUNERAL HOME CO-OP MEMBERS WHEN: Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 11 a.m.

WHERE: Carleton Funeral Home 337 Lockhart Mill Road. Jacksonville, N.B. If you are a member, you are invited to attend. There will be the election of officers for the Board of Directors.

Lunch will be provided following the meeting.

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Craig Manufacturing is a proud supporter of community journalism and the River Valley Sun. www.craigattachments.com

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 5

Former Meductic mayor appointed Lakeland Ridges supervisor Remaining council members view appointment of Steve Manuel as wrong choice

By Jim Dumville – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

F

ormer Meductic Mayor Stephen Manuel took over as Lakeland Ridges Rural Community’s supervisor effective Feb. 16.

The Department of Environment and Local Government appointed Manuel under the Control of Municipalities Act, effective immediately.

“Manuel will continue to oversee the day-to-day administration of all local government affairs and take on the role normally exercised by council. While under supervision, council members have no decision-making powers or authority,” the department stated in its appointment.

The department said Manuel, who served 15 years as Meductic mayor, brings extensive local governance experience to this role. The village of Meductic, along with the village of Canterbury and the local service districts of Canterbury, North Lake, Benton and Debec, amalgamated into a single community on Jan. 1.

The new mayor and council devolved into chaos early in their mandate, to the point that the province suspended the council and installed Michael Blaney as supervisor on July 28. Greg

Lutes took over as supervisor on Sept. 17. Manuel will replace Lutes.

While former Lakeland Ridges Mayor Tanya Cloutier, who, along with Ward 4 Councillors Mike Furrow and Mark Grant, resigned in January, welcomed Manuel’s appointment, the remaining council members don’t share that opinion.

“Being a past councillor and mayor from the area, he understands the needs of the people,” Cloutier said. “He was also involved in the reform process from the beginning and has a true commitment to our community.”

In a public statement issued shortly after Manuel’s appointment on behalf of himself and the remaining council members, Lakeland Ridges Deputy Mayor Ross Stairs expressed deep concern with the choice of supervisor.

He noted Manuel’s past criticism of the council.

“This position should be completely independent and without bias. Mr. Manuel has been vocal in the media and social media in regards to the situation,” Stairs said.

Stairs said Manuel sat with him and other council members on the transi-

tion committee, which laid the groundwork for what became Lakeland Ridges.

Following the council’s suspension in July, Stairs noted Manuel publicly suggested some council members who opposed the amalgamation still worked to undermine it.

“I’m disappointed things worked out the way they did,” Manuel told the River Valley Sun in August, “but I’m not surprised.”

Stairs said Manuel brings that bias with him to his new role.

“Mr. Manuel may have been the Mayor of Meductic and a councillor over a 15year period, however in this particular scenario, I wouldn’t call him independent and without bias,” said Stairs.

Cloutier believes Manuel brings the background, experience, and knowledge to run the vast municipality effectively.

She said the previous supervisors failed to hold the council accountable for its dysfunction, which led to its suspension.

“I feel the lack of accountability and process throughout the supervision so far needs to be addressed,” Cloutier said. “It was what caused myself

and two councillors to step down from our positions.

“We were never given proper direction, the alliance formed in council was never halted, the harassing, bullying, blaming and hosting meetings was never handled or stopped,” she added.

Stairs disagreed, saying that Lutes was close to effectively ending the council’s suspension.

Council and staff had been working with Mr. Greg Lutes for approximately five months in an effort to understand the events that led to this situation and to create a path forward for success,” Stairs said. “Several positive changes were in the works. The transitional process for council to resume their mandate was close to coming to fruition.”

Stairs said that under Lutes, he planned to hold information sessions in all four wards to clarify the problems and how the council planned to address them.

He expressed concern that Manuel’s publicly stated bias would create false conclusions among the already confused residents and potentially affect decision-making.

Meanwhile, frustration

continues to grow among residents. Residents circulated a petition online and made it available at several businesses, calling the province to address the situation immediately and inform residents.

“As taxpayers, we would request from the Province total transparency with respect to current conditions of our council members and their everyday duties and agenda,” the petition states. “We, the public, are requesting that Provincial representatives guide current council members of our municipality of the policies, procedures and further find solutions and consequences to resolve the past activities and in order for them (council) to work in a professional, healthy and

successful manner.”

While the resigning mayor and councillors, who represented Ward 4, the former village of Canterbury, suggested the previous supervisors never addressed the bullying and unfair practices, Stairs disagreed.

“Allegations and finger pointing played a big role in the disruption of council,” Stairs said. “These issues have been addressed through mediation and training. There were situations that were not being handled properly and steps have been, and will continue to be, put in place to do so. Council was following a transition plan that had been approved by Government and was close to completion.”

Lovingly Remembered

In loving memory of Marion Lawson

who we lost 18 years ago on March 12, 2006.

There will always be heartache and often a silent tear We shall cherish those precious memories of the days when you were here Remembering you is easy, we do it ever day But missing you is a heartache that never goes away

With love, and remembering you always, Willard and family From vehicle sales to service, whether you’re purchasing new or certified pre-owned, we want you to be satisfied with every aspect of our sales and services, providing you with the best in vehicles and the parts options to keep your vehicle on the road!

Visit our showroom at 323 Connell Street, Woodstock. Visit us online at www.connellchryslerdealer.com or follow us on Facebook! (506) 328-9243

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 5

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6 MARCH 2024

Woodstock researching new town hall options

If you build it, they will come: At least the town might come for the right proposal

By Jim Dumville, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

W

oodstock posted a pair of Expression of Interest requests on its website in search of potential developers to build or provide a structure to include a new town hall as a major tenant.

The requests outline a pair of options, including one to potentially utilize the former Woodstock Baptist Church lot at 690694 Main Street.

The requests ask that any development must provide space to include 5,500 sq. ft to house the town hall.

Woodstock CAO Allan Walker explained the Expression of Interest requests are part of the town’s efforts to determine the best option to secure a new town hall.

While the council is aware of the decision to post the requests, Walker explained the decision didn’t require a motion as it didn’t indicate any particular action or official decision.

“At this point, it’s research,” he said.

Walker said Woodstock staff and SAME PRICES AS LAST YEAR

council have long recognized the need for a new town hall and the municipality’s chronic lack of space. As a result, he explained, they are exploring all options to address the problem, whether it’s a long-term lease or building a new town hall on its own.

Late last year, the council opted out of a developer’s proposal to build a six-story, 75unit apartment building on the town-owned former Woodstock Baptist Church lot across from the Woodstock courthouse.

The request for the former church property asks for detailed proposals meeting the specific guidelines outlined in the Expression of Interest.

The request outlines the town’s interest.

“The Town is seeking motivated developers to realize a vibrant and welcoming development that carries the ability to assist the Town in its goal of enhancing the Downtown through increasing residential and employment

densities in the core,” the request explains. “As such, the Town is interested in a multiple storey, all residential or mixed-use development with ground floor retail or commercial space provided on the Main Street Frontage.”

The request added the proposed development must meet specific goals.

“The Town is also seeking an inclusive development that considers the broad needs of existing and future residents, including special considerations for students, seniors, newcomers, persons with disabilities, and overall housing affordability.”

The request explained Woodstock’s interest in signing a long-term lease to establish its town hall.

It added the town would not be interested in a submission to build only the town hall.

The second request for Expression of Interest in a town hall proposal expands the potential location to anywhere in Ward 4.

“The Town of

Woodstock requires its town hall to be located in Ward 4 and be connected to municipal services,” the town interest section of the request explains. “A preferred location would be in the downtown core, but other locations in Ward 4 would be considered. The town hall can not be a standalone building and is to be the anchor tenant on the main floor of a multiuse building.”

The request details the minimum needs for a town hall, including one 12 x 24 ft office, eight additional offices, nine cubicles, a supply room, a janitor’s room, two washrooms, two meeting rooms, a lunch room, council chambers and a common area.

The requests explain that the town holds the right to ask any or all submitters to confidential interviews or reject any or all submissions.

Walker said the town’s municipal buildings, including its current town hall, the AYR Motor Centre, the Woodstock Police

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during the discussion surrounding the future of the skate-sharpening services at AYR Motor Centre.

Space challenges at the sports facility put the service in jeopardy.

Walker said the council and staff will continue to search for the most efficient and cost-effective ways to secure a new town hall.

“The town is growing,” he said. “We need to be ready.”

Links to the Expression of Interest requests are available on the Town of Woodstock website.

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Force station, and the fire department, no longer offer the required office and storage space to meet the town’s needs.

The town renovated its council chambers late last year to house additional office space for the police department next door. The town also rented space on Connell Street to set up a satellite office to house administrative staff.

Walker noted the mayor and council addressed the town’s space shortages at the Tuesday, Feb. 27 council meeting

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Woodstock issues Expression of Interest requests for proposals to include a new town hall. The current town hall on Main Street no longer meets the town’s needs.

(Jim Dumville photo)

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Council extends skate-sharpening service at AYR Motor Centre

Business will remain in place until end of hockey season, new arrangements to be made for future

By Jim Dumville – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A

YR Motor Centre’s skate-sharpening service will remain in place until the end of the current hockey season, and the town will make arrangements for the service to continue in the future.

Woodstock council addressed the quickly developing controversy at its Feb. 27 council meeting in response to public backlash following the news that AYR Motors Centre planned to immediately take over the spot used by J.A.D.E.’s Edges, operated

by Barry Scott for skatesharpening.

Mayor Trina Jones explained that staff made the decision without proper input from the council.

While staff handle the day-to-day operations of the AYR Motor Centre and all municipally run operations, any decision pertaining to public services should go through the council.

“Council doesn’t get in-

volved in day-to-day decisions,” Jones said, “but if it impacts a service, we want to be informed.”

She explained the process failed in this situation.

“It didn’t roll out this time the way it should have,” said Jones. “It fired up the community for no need.”

The mayor explained the genesis of the decision surrounding the skatesharpening service is the severe lack of space within the AYR Motor Centre and most town facilities.

She said a lack of office and storage space at the sports and other facilities requires a detailed analysis, which will take time.

As for the services offered by Brown at the AYR Motor Centre, she said, “nothing is happening this year.”

Jones said staff will talk to Scott about the future after the hockey and skating season. If he wants to continue the service, they will seek a location within

the building to accommodate him.

Coun. Will Belyea asked if Scott signed a lease agreement or an M.O.U. C.A.O. Allan Walker said J.A.D.E.’s doesn’t have either, but they pay rent. He said staff will talk to the owners to see if they want to continue for another year. If so, they will sign an agreement.

Jones said such an agreement would come before the council in much the same way as the centre’s canteen agreement.

“So that will be an opportunity for us (council) to reevaluate,” she said.

“If it’s a service we need and everyone is asking for and it’s deemed critical and important, then we have to reevaluate whether the M.O.U. is working for those who are trying to run the business.”

Jones said town staff and council heard the backlash from the public in several forms, including

social media, letters and phone calls. She said the council and staff refrained from responding on social media, noting the council makes its decisions around the table.

She stressed she and the council read the letters carefully and took the writers’ views and suggestions seriously.

Jones said the viewpoints clearly indicate a strong appreciation for Brown’s service.

“Barry was shown a lot of love by the community,” she said.

The council discussion reached beyond the skate-sharpening dilemma to the widespread space shortage at the AYR Motor Centre, town hall and other town facilities.

Jones and Walker noted inadequate office space for recreational management and staff at the AYR Motor Centre. They also raised concerns about the need for more storage space.

Barry Scott at work sharpening skates at J.A.D.E.’s Edges in the AYR Motor Centre. (Tammey McLean photo)

The mayor said they must examine various options to address the situation. For example, she noted the board room on the centre’s top level. While the room produces revenue for the town, she suggested it could be in the town’s interest to convert it into office space.

Jones noted the space challenges are not limited to the AYR Motor Centre.

She said no town facility offers staff or lunch rooms.

She noted space chal-

lenges forced the council out of its chambers, which now serve as office space for the Woodstock Police Force. She said the council is now relegated, as it was for the Feb. 27 meeting, to using Sam’s Room at the AYR Motor Centre for its meetings. At other times, the council meets in the facility Gallery Room.

Some town hall staff now work from remote rental offices.

“We need to revisit all spaces,” Jones said.

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10 MARCH 2024

’ TAKONUTOMAKONUWAL

(Maliseet word meaning ‘their stories’)

Indigenous News and Features Sponsored by Wotstak (Woodstock) First Nation

Course on Indigenous issues has no input from local First Nations

N.B. civil servants ordered to take three-hour online course developed by Saskatchewan business

By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner

A

Mi’kmaq organization says it supports new mandatory training for New Brunswick’s civil servants on Indigenous culture and history.

It just wonders why the Higgs Progressive Conservative government didn’t hire local First Nations to teach the program.

In recent weeks, the province’s 10,000 civil servants have been instructed to do a threehour online, multi-media course offered by Reconciliation Education, also marketed as 4 Seasons of Reconciliation.

The Saskatchewan business developed the program in collaboration with the First Nations University of Canada in Toronto.

David Kelly, a spokesperson for the Department of Indigenous Affairs, said the province signed a contract with the business in 2023 to deliver the course over three years at a cost to taxpayers of $247,500, plus tax.

Dean Vicaire, the executive director of Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Inc., or MTI, the organization that represents eight of nine Mi’kmaq First Nations in New Brunswick, has mixed feelings about the initiative.

The program is based on the call to action of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or TRC, which spent six years travelling the country, hearing from more than 6,500 witnesses before delivering a thick report in 2015 on Indigenous issues. It called upon Canadians to begin the process of righting the wrongs committed against Indigenous Peoples across the nation.

“All public servants should understand the dark parts of Canadian history like residential schools and how government policies and laws can and do have devastating effects on First Nations people and their culture,” Vicaire

told Brunswick News in an email.

“If a course can get public servants to think about how to implement the TRC’s Calls to Action, that’s a good thing. However, as the developers of the course would likely tell you, there is not a universal First Nations history and the implementation of the Calls to Action can look different in New Brunswick compared to Saskatchewan.”

Initially the program was only offered to civil servants in Indigenous Affairs. The rest of the civil service must now take the course and complete it by April, Kelly said.

Afterwards, it will be rolled out to about 18,000 school teachers and other personnel in the education system and finally to around 18,000 healthcare workers.

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In partnership with the university and Productions Cazabon, the business has produced short films and taught courses to 420,000 Canadians since being established in 2014.

“With our 3-hour, multimedia course, members of your community can learn about the history and culture of Indigenous communities in Canada, the history of residential schools, and treaties around the country,” it says on a promotional page. “Our course is interactive and illuminative, designed to begin dismantling the colonial point of view taught in Canadian educational institutions, and start the long journey toward reconciliation.”

Kelly said the course helps the provincial government uphold its commitment to introduce the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.

“The Government of New Brunswick has contracted 4 Seasons of Reconciliation to offer a unique and comprehensive online course that promotes a renewed relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canadians,” the spokesman wrote.

But the Higgs government has been at loggerheads with local First Nations on several hotbutton issues.

Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey chiefs have con-

4 Seasons of Reconciliation offers a three-hour course to teach people about Indigenous history and culture.

(Screenshot, 4 Seasons of Reconciliation)

demned it for refusing to negotiate on their big title claims, unilaterally cancelling decades-old tax agreements that allowed them to fund their own public services, and rejecting their demands for an inquiry into systemic racism in New Brunswick’s justice system after two Indigenous people were fatally shot by police in 2020 in separate incidents.

The Tory government has gone as far as telling public servants they cannot make Indigenous land acknowledgements in their emails or presentations - the kind of introduction you hear at university and college campuses all the time that state, “we recognize we are on the unceded territory of the...” for fear it will affect the lawsuit launched by the Wolastoqey Nation over their title claim for more than half of New Brunswick’s

territory. The provincial government is a defendant in the case.

Vicaire said his organization and other local Indigenous groups are prepared to teach public servants about New Brunswick history, the treaties that were signed and issues that are important to First Nations.

The provincial government just needs to ask.

“The 4 Seasons of Reconciliation should not be considered a substitute for hands-on cultural teaching from the Nations whose territory the province operates in,” he said. “MTI and other Indigenous organizations have education modules that explain the history and treaties specific to this region.

We are always open to providing those modules to the provincial government or any other organization.”

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Wotstak First Nation home destroyed by fire No one injured as Fire Marshal’s Office investigates cause of blaze

By Jim Dumville – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

F

ire destroyed a house on Eagle’s Nest Drive in Wotstak (Woodstock) First Nation Friday morning, March 8.

While the single-family dwelling remained standing after the Woodstock Fire Department subdued the blaze, Fire Chief Harold McLellan described the home as “destroyed.”

Speaking at the fire scene, McLellan said no one was hurt in the blaze, but he still doesn’t know how many lived in the home.

He said he called the Fire Marshal’s Office,

which sent investigators on Friday to determine the cause of the fire.

Ambulance N.B., the RCMP and N.B. Power joined the firefighters at the fire scene.

The destroyed house sits secluded behind a row of cedar trees along the long residential street on Wotstak First Nation. While the fire department responded to the call at 8:05 a.m., it remains unclear how long the fire was burning before it was reported.

McLellan said he’ll know more after the Fire Marshal’s investigation.

Steam rises into the bright morning sky on Friday morning, March 8, as a Woodstock firefighter surveys the damage to a single-family home destroyed by fire at Wotstak First Nation. (Jim Dumville photo)

Woman hopes to help Black newcomers adjust to Carleton County

E.X.H.A.L.E for Black Wellbeing to launch on April 27 in Woodstock

By Theresa Blackburn

T

anika Chambers knows what it’s like to feel like an outsider.

Her parents immigrated from Jamaica to Toronto in the 1960s. After living there for 35 years, she moved to New Brunswick in 2023, settling in Grafton.

When she moved, she said the welcome, or lack of one, was shocking. “I felt isolated when I came here,” admitted Chambers. “I needed to feel a sense of belonging and I didn’t. That’s because Woodstock isn’t all that culturally diverse. That’s why I felt the need to start this.”

Chambers said her program, E.X.H.A.L.E for Black Wellbeing, is designed to support the Black community within Carleton County. Chambers explained that E.X.H.A.L.E stands for

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Empowerment, eXcellence, Healing, Advocacy, Love, and Education.

“It’s easy to feel isolated and alone, especially if your personality isn’t a ‘get out there and meet people’ kind.”

In talking with other members of the Black community in western New Brunswick, she discovered she was not alone in her experience.

“I met a Black woman who left Woodstock to live in Moncton because she felt so alone being here.

I’ve also experienced racism here, so those experiences and my conversations with other Black community members are why I’m starting this. ”Chambers approached the Carleton County Multiculturalism Association, which was interested in spearheading a program. However, without them wanting her active input and direction,

she decided to pursue the program on her own.

“I’m a communications graduate, a speaker and mentor, and an author. I know I have the tools and the experience to present this program in a way that I believe will help those who’ve experienced isolation and racism like I have,” she explained.

She applied for funding through a few sources but couldn’t secure a grant in time, so she decided to proceed with the event without financial backing.

The program, launched under her non-profit, G.H.A.M.P. (Giving Hope and Minding People), will take place on Saturday, April 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bethel Pentecostal Assembly Church, which, ironically, she discovered was the first African Methodist Episcopal Church in New Brunswick.

The event will cost $30 and offer free childcare.

Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.ca.

While the program is Black-focused, Chambers said everyone is welcome to attend.

“The ultimate goal of this program is to support and improve the wellbeing of Black members of the community. I want them to feel valued and engaged, especially black youth and children.”

Chambers added that a sense of wellbeing comes from active support and engagement into the broader community, something she believes is currently lacking in Carleton County.

“I really hope this accomplishes retention—for immigration purposes.

I hope it causes people who move to Woodstock not to feel like they have to leave. I want them to have a sense of belonging. I want people to feel better, not bitter. That cre-

Tanika Chambers developed a Black newcomer program for people who recently moved to the region. (Submitted)

ates hate. We need to come together and heal for the betterment of humanity.”

If you have questions

or would like more information about the event, contact Chambers via email at tanikacha@outlook.com.

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Woodstock Council’s role in mining approvals limited, unclear

Mayor assures residents amended municipal plan, zoning changes will not clear way for mining companies

By Jim Dumville – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

W

ith two mining companies actively exploring potential open pit manganese mines within the newly expanded Woodstock boundaries, Mayor Trina Jones explained the town’s role in future decisions remains limited and undefined.

Jones and council members addressed residents’ concerns during the Feb. 13 council meeting.

With a handful of concerned residents in the gallery, Jones led the council in a “clarification” discussion surrounding the town’s role in mining approval.

As far as the ongoing exploration operations, Jones explained, the town holds no involvement.

She explained the Department of Natural Resources issues exploration permits for one year at a time.

Beyond exploration, Jones added, the process to approve a mine would be lengthy, involve environmental impact assessments and require public and council input. She said that such a step remains

years away.

“We’re still not clear about our role at the EIA,” she said. “We may have a seat at the table.”

While Jones recognized the frustration of residents living in the areas targeted by two mining companies surrounding the need for more information, she said the town cannot provide mining details.

“It’s not the council’s role to be a conduit for information,” she said.

Jones said the two mining companies are responsible for informing the public about how their explorations and potential mines would affect property owners in the area.

“The right people to answer those questions are the companies,” she said.

Canadian Manganese Company Inc. has staked a claim for a vast portion of land encompassing the Hartford and Plymouth Road area towards the Canadian-U.S. border in Bedell. Next door, in the Jacksonville and Wakefield area, Manganese X Energy Corp holds the mining

claim.

Ward 3 Coun. Julie Calhoun-Williams, who represents the Jacksonville and Wakefield areas, said she fielded several questions regarding the mines from constituents.

“I encourage them to direct questions to the company,” she said.

Jones agreed, saying engaging the community is in the company’s best interest.

Under the proposed Municipal Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments, any existing quarries and open pit mines would be grandfathered under their current zoning. Any new mines or quarries would face stringent regulations, go through the planning advisory committee and require a public hearing process.

Ward 4 Coun. Christa McCartney pointed out all potential mines face “a lot of oversight.”

She explained the “extensive process” includes a review of a mine’s impact on the environment, water tables and neighbouring properties.

McCartney added that even exploration permits require mining companies to submit detailed plans each year regarding the number, size, and locations of core holes.

Jones explained that, as it stands, the council has a say in zoning decisions regarding potential mines but acknowledged the province could change the process.

She noted that before amalgamation extended Woodstock boundaries to include the two potential manganese mines, municipalities, including Woodstock, played no role in mining decisions.

Jones said the council

Plymouth Road is part of a vast area of Woodstock drawing interest from mining companies for the rich deposits of manganese. (Jim Dumville photo)

will continue to stay abreast of the situation and ensure zoning decisions go through the required public process,

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In the end, she noted, councils may have a role in the process, but municipalities do not approve or reject mines.

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SUNNY-SIDE UP

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

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warsh \’warsh\ 1. verb - Wash; i.e., to clean someone or something, as with water; “Go warsh yer hands before dinner.” 2. noun Laundry; “Go hand the warsh out on the clothesline.”

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SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!

BE ACTIVE IN ALL SEASONS!

THE GREAT SOLAR ECLIPSE FAMILY PARTY

YOUTH ZONE

Sunday, April 7, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the AYR Motor Centre

Join us for a public swim! In the field house we will have inflatables, activities, crafts & face painting!

There will be live entertainment in the Gallery Room with DJ Willie T. The Goal Post Canteen will be open.

Cost is $5 per person

SENIOR SOCIAL

Wednesday, March 13 2 - 4 p.m. in the Gallery Room

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Featuring Oland Monteith Cost: $5 per person. Light refreshments. Limited seating.

Purchase tickets in advance by calling (506) 325-4302 or email ayrmotocentre@town.woodstock.nb.ca

AFTER SCHOOL DROP-IN

EVERY MON - FRI 3:15 to 5 p.m.

Grades 6-9 JOIN US!

Come and enjoy fun, friends, and fitness!

Learn news skills and healthy habits. A variety of sports and activities will be offered at the AYR Motor Centre to enhance the health and wellness of our youth. We don’t do bored!

PUBLIC SWIM LESSONS REGISTRATION Registration opens March 25

10-week session: April 6 - June 8 Parent & Tot, Preschool, Swimmer, Swim Patrol

To register, please call (506) 325-3993 or (506) 325-4988

AQUATIC FACILITY AQUAFIT WORKOUT

WOODSTOCK BOXING AND SPORT CLUB

with Sydney Haines - a HIGH ENERGY WORKOUT NEW TIME: Tuesdays 7:45-8:45 p.m. $10 per one-hour session

WOMEN’S BOXING FITNESS

Saturdays - 8:30 to 10 a.m. All Fitness Levels Welcome! $8/Drop-in; $65/Punch Card Try it for Free!

50+ AQUASIZE

COED BOXING FITNESS (Basics & Workout Format)

A low-impact workout using dumbbells and pool noodles.

Every Wednesday 10 to 11 a.m. Cost: $2

Mondays 6:30 to 8 p.m. - 16+ years Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. - 10+ years

COMPETITIVE TRAINING

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

AYR Motor Centre

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 13

COST: FREE

Thanks to the generous support of the Rotary Club of Woodstock

FREE SWIMS

First Sunday of every month sponsored by Highlift Auto Third Sunday of every month sponsored by Woodstock Fire Dept.

105 Connell Park Road, Woodstock, NB

www.town.woodstock.nb.ca

(506) 325-4302

2024-03-10 10:11 PM

14

NEIGHBOURHOOD NEWS

Information, Events, and Updates from Your Towns, Districts, and Rural Communities

Southern Victoria Easter Craft Market at AES An Easter Craft Market will be held on March 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Andover Elementary School. The Easter Bunny will be there for photos at $7.50 for a 5x7 print. The event includes face painting, an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt with a chance to win a family night basket, a canteen on site and vendors.

Carleton North Astronaut and Solar Eclipse A centrepiece of the District of Carleton North’s solar eclipse activities will feature astronaut, author, musician and speaker Col. Chris Hadfield on April 8 at the Carleton North Rec Centre. Tickets at $60 for general admission and $200 for VIP, plus taxes and fees, are still available at Eventbrite. com-Solar Eclipse 2024 featuring Colonel Chris Hadfield. Tickets are limited.

Public welcomed at council meetings

The District of Carleton North council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and the public is welcome to attend.

The meetings are now live-streamed and can be viewed on the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@districtofcarletonnorth/featured.

Check Facebook for rec events Carleton North residents can stay informed about recreation activities by checking out the department’s Facebook page or calling 506-392-6763 ext. 220. The Drop-In Schedule will be posted at the beginning of each week.

Adult hoop at NCCC The Northern Carleton Civic Centre hosts drop-in adult basketball on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. The cost is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors.

Senior Social in community room The Northern Carleton Rec Centre hosts a Senior Social in its community room on Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. for $3 each.

Summer positions available Students, including those in secondary school, seeking summer positions within the District should email their resume to Amy McIntosh at amy.mcintosh@carletonnorth.com

live stream of the balloon launch and subsequent aerial footage. The live stream will begin at 2:30 p.m. so spectators can see everything leading up to the launch. The moon will start to eclipse the sun at 3:22 p.m., and we will experience totality at 4:33 p.m. The event will include a vendor market in the HCS gymnasium from 2 to 5 p.m.

Total Eclipse Dance A dance will kick off eclipse weekend on April 6 at the Hartland Legion from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., with live music by Double D. The Cost is $10 per person at the door, and proceeds benefit the town’s Community Complex.

Solar eclipse glasses available Residents can pick up their free solar eclipse glasses while supplies last at the Hartland town office on Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at the Dr. Walter Chestnut Library on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or on Thursdays between 1 and 8 p.m.

April 2024 Newsletter available The latest Hartland Happenings newsletter is now available online. View it and past newsletter editions at https://townofhartland.ca/p/hartland-newsletters.

Sports in Hartland Hartland offers plenty of opportunities for sports participants and spectators over the next month, starting with the Curling Fun Spiel from 4 to 8:30 p.m. on March 16.

The inaugural Frostball Tournament, snow permitting, will be held March 22 and 23.

Hockey provincials will be held on March 23, with games scheduled for 11 a.m., 2, 5 and 8 p.m., followed by Ladies Round Robin Hockey on March 24.

Barn-closing events at arena Hartland will offer “Barn Closing” events on Sunday, March 31 and Saturday, April 3.

On March 31, the arena will host a public skate from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by Zamboni pictures from 5:30 to 7 p.m. On April 13, it will host a Barn Closing Auction from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by a licensed 19-and-older dance from 8 p.m. to midnight, with music

by Tim Curnew, Mike Bochoff and Zach Peters.

Woodstock Screening of Oscar-nominated film

Hartland

Randolfe, Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.

St. Patrick’s Dance at WGCC The Woodstock Golf and Curling Club will host its St. Paddy’s Dance, featuring the Dooryard Drifters, on March 16. Big Axe Brewery will be on site. Doors will open at 8 p.m., with music beginning at 9 p.m.

Advance tickets, priced at $10, can be purchased at WGCC or at the door for $15.

Legion hosts St. Patrick’s Day party The Retros will take the stage at 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 11 in Woodstock for the Legion’s St. Patrick’s Day Party. Tickets are $10 each.

St. Patrick’s Day Supper at K of C The Woodstock Knights of Columbus will host a Saint Paddy’s Day Supper and Social from 3 to 6 p.m. on March 17, featuring Irish stew. The Woodstock Fiddlers, Smith’s Dance Academy and Top-Notch Parish Musicians will provide entertainment. Admission is by donation with the funds being used to offset winter heating costs of St. John the Baptist Parish churches.

It’s almost maple syrup season!

The Woodstock Farm Market and Crafts will welcome the sweetest part of spring on Saturday, April 6, as it hosts its annual Maple Fest from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Woodstock to host N.B. Mixed Curling Championship Mixed teams from across New Brunswick will play down throughout the weekend to a championship game on Sunday at the Woodstock Golf and Curling Club. Two heated viewing areas are available for seating. For draw times, call 506-328-2070 during the event.

DIY Comedy Tour The Full Moon Tavern hosts the DIY Comedy Tour on Sunday, April 7, featuring top comedians who performed at top festivals across Canada. Tickets for the show, which runs from 8 to 9:30 p.m., are $20 for a single or $35 for a pair and can be purchased through DIY’s website at www.diycomedytour.ca

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(506) 325-4600

Spaghetti supper in Fosterville The North Lake Rec Council will host a spaghetti supper at the community hall in Fosterville on April 6, starting at 4:45 p.m.

For the cost of a donation, enjoy a meal of spaghetti, meatballs, Caesar salad, homemade rolls, bread and sweets and coffee or tea.

Breakfast in Debec The Debec Rec Council will sponsor a community breakfast on April 27, from 7:30 to 10 a.m., at the Debec Trinity Church Hall. For a donation, enjoy a hearty meal of pancakes with fresh maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, baked beans, homemade toast, coffee, tea, and juice.

Rink season is over in Debec With the early arrival of spring, the Debec outdoor rink is closed for the season, forcing the cancellation of the Redneck Curling event scheduled for March 16.

Nackawic-Millville

Got community events to share, send the information to theresa@rivervalleysun.ca and put

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Easter Egg Hunt in Meductic Children can gather at the Meductic Community Park at noon on Saturday, March 30, for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Coffee and Chat in Benton Spend time with your neighbours each Monday at 10 a.m. during a Coffee and Chat at the Benton Community Hall.

Ryan’s Pharmacy

Nackawic-Millville

Easter Colouring Contest in Meductic Area residents can pick up pictures to colour for this year’s Easter Colouring Contest at Cummings Store in Meductic from March 20 to 27. Coloured photos must be returned for judging by March 28.

Lakeland Ridges

The River Valley Film Circuit will screen The Holdovers on March 17 at 4 p.m. at the Atlantic Cinemas in Woodstock. The movie earned Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor for Paul Giamatti, Best Supporting Actress for Da’Vine Joy

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Bingo nights in Benton The Meductic Community Hall hosts Bingo nights every second Tuesday evening between 7 and 9 p.m. The next Bingo nights are March 19, April 2, 16, and 30.

Seniors Dinner The Kirk United Church on Landegger Drive will host a Seniors Dinner at noon on March 21, featuring ham, potato scallop, baked beans, veggies, rolls and dessert for $10 each. While seating is limited, it will offer takeout orders. For information, call 506-999-0477.

Eclipse viewing party Hartland’s wide range of activities surrounding the Total Eclipse on April 8 includes a free Total Eclipse Viewing Party at the Hartland Community School to watch the

Health Care in Your Community Since 1970!

son, with the funds used for prizes. Participants are asked to bring their own snacks and refreshments.

Enjoy cards in Fosterville The Fosterville Community Hall will host 45’s and Card Games on March 7 and 21, starting at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $2 per per-

Neighbourhood News in the subject line. Notices must be received by the first of each month.

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2024-03-10 10:11 PM

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Nackawic-Millville Council news

Community denied housing funds; Credit Union feasibility study approved

By Jim Dumville - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Nackawic-Millville denied funding through Housing Accelerator Fund Nackawic-Millville Mayor Tim Fox expressed concerns and frustration after the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation denied the rural community’s application for financial support through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.

During the March 4 council meeting, Fox shared a letter he wrote to CMHC representative Stéphane Melanson regarding the corporation’s rejection.

Following the denial, Melanson met with Fox and CAO Kathryn Clark on March 1 to review the decision. However, Melanson explained, the community would not get access to the assessment of NackawicMillville’s application.

“The decision is troubling, as it compels me to believe that the process may not have been impartial and that the assessments and/or decisions were not necessarily made on merit or the quality of the application,” Fox wrote.

Following the March 4 council meeting, Fox said the denial came as a shock, noting the town’s long-running efforts and positive steps to create housing opportunities in the community. The mayor made that clear in his letter to Melanson.

“As you are aware, our community has been very progressive in a housing initiative and by all accounts, steps ahead of many other communities in creating real and measur-

able improvement in the housing crisis,” he wrote to Melanson. “Based on the lack of transparency of our application assessment being unavailable to us, one would question whether any of that information was considered at all.”

Nackawic-Milliville recently earned praise from provincial government officials, including from Housing Hub N.B. Chief Development Officer Mylene Vincent during a Feb. 12 open house showcasing the rural community’s planned 47-acre residential development.

“Nackawic is the first community we started working with,” said Vincent, head of the non-profit organization mandated to support communities outside New Brunswick’s three largest cities as they tackle the ongoing housing crisis.

“They’re a step ahead of most other communities in the province,” Vincent said.

Fox said CMHC had not announced any approved applications yet, noting he expected a staged press conference to accompany any announcements.

Fox ended his letter to Melanson with a request for full transparency.

“Further, I would formally request that CMHC please forward our application and the assessment thereof to us for our review,” Fox said. “It will help us to understand where our application fell short of being selected for this very important program.”

Community to study the

feasibility of replacing the town’s last bank with a credit union Nackawic-Millville council approved a motion to undertake a feasibility project to attract a credit union to the town.

The town hopes a potential credit union will fill the gap left as Scotiabank, Nackawic’s last bank, closes its doors forever in June.

Fox said the proposed study remains at the beginning stage, and no established credit union has approached the town about setting up a branch. He added that individuals have approached the town offering to participate in helping with the feasibility project.

“No decision has been made as to who will conduct the study, at this point,” said Fox. “We can make that information available once some more details have been worked out.”

Engineer firm hired to plan the upgrade of Dumfries Fire Hall The Council approved hiring Hatchard Engineering to plan and design an upgraded Dumfries Fire and Community Hall.

Coun. Katie Nozzolillo, who oversaw the tender requests, and CAO Kathryn Clark recommended the low-bidder Hatchard, both noting the firm’s experience with fire halls.

Clark said they’ve helped build several fire halls, including the Millville Fire Hall.

Hatchart’s bid includes the cost of surveying, assessing, designing, and tendering the construction.

The engineering quotes did not include construction costs.

Hatchard’s proposal includes a four-bay truck and equipment storage area, office and storage space, bathroom facilities for the fire personnel, a community room, public washrooms, and a kitchen totalling approximately 8,400 sq. ft.

Thank you

for your kindness and support

The family of the late Ann Marie Voutour, who passed away December 18, 2023, would like to thank all those who were so kind and thoughtful during this difficult time. We thank those who brought food and flowers to the hospital, those who visited from near and far, and especially Ree’s Angels for making meals and snacks and being there in so many ways. Thank you to all those who made phone calls, visited, donated to various charities and projects, and sent flowers and cards. A special thank you to Sherry Leech and her accompanist for the awesome music at Ann Marie’s funeral. Thank you to Rev. Michael Goodfellow, whose kind words were perfect, and to Scott’s Funeral Home for all their special help and kindness in leading us through everything at this most difficult time.

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Nackawic-Millville unveils future housing plan

Open house sponsored by rural community and Housing Hub N.B. draws significant interest

By Jim Dumville - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

W

ith the province and nation facing a severe housing shortage, the rural community of Nackawic-Millville has stepped up as a leader ready to meet the challenge.

On Monday, Feb. 12, Nackawic-Millville and the recently formed Housing Hub N.B. co-hosted a four-hour open house showcasing the community’s housing efforts and seeking feedback from its residents.

The ambitious development of a 47-acre parcel of town-owned land behind the Nackawic High and Middle schools was the event’s focus at the Nackawic Lions Club.

Nackawic-Millville Mayor Tim Fox, Deputy Mayor Greg MacFarlane, council members, CAO Kathryn Clark, York North MLA Richard Ames and Housing Hub N.B. Chief Development Officer Mylene Vincent and her staff helped guide the large crowd through the community’s detailed housing plans.

“We’re very pleased to see the turnout,” said Fox as he met and talked with the many residents

who took advantage of the open house.

Vincent described Housing Hub N.B. as a non-profit organization formed last year by the province to help New Brunswick communities outside the province’s bigthree cities develop housing plans.

“Nackawic is the first community we started working with,” she said, adding the Feb. 12 event was the first open house of its type anywhere in the province.

Vincent explained Nackawic launched its housing plan well before the creation of Housing Hub N.B. “They’re a step ahead of most other communities in the province,” she said.

Vincent explained that turning housing plans into reality requires input from numerous levels, including three levels of government, consultants, contractors, several business sectors and eventual users.

“We help bring it together,” she said.

MacFarlane, a member of Nackawic council before the amalgamation into

Nackawic-Millville, said the open house was the latest step in five years of work.

He explained the housing initiative as one part of the municipality’s development, which began with the establishment of Destination Nackawic Economic Development Corporation.

MacFarlane explained Destination Nackawic pursues several avenues of economic development in Nackawic-Millville, including the Marina project and housing.

The deputy mayor said the Destination Nackawic board and members quickly identified housing as a pivotal building block to the long-term growth of the community.

He explained entrepreneurs consider access to housing a key factor when establishing a business in a community. At the same time, MacFarlane added, a growing population provides an ever-increasing market for new and established companies.

He said the town set out several years ago to find available land to pursue housing development.

It quickly identified the

nearly 50 acres of townowned land with access from Landegger Drive and Route 105.

MacFarlane said the town partnered with Gemtec, a consulting and planning firm with a record of residential developments, to lay out a plan.

With a legitimate plan already in place, MacFarlane said the town could immediately take advantage of the support Housing Hub NB could offer.

He said that with both the federal and provincial governments developing programs and funding options to address the severe housing shortages across the country, Housing Hub NB can help the municipality access the different pots of money.

MacFarlane said Nackawic-Millville works with both levels of government, including their CarletonYork MLA, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Richard Ames and Jill Green, Minister Responsible for the N.B. Housing Corporation.

Ames, who attended the open house, liked what he saw.

“It’s good to see the

amount of people out,” he said.

Ames praised the effort of the Nackawic-Millville council to address the needs of the municipality and housing, which he described as a “serious problem” in general.

He said meeting housing challenges requires all levels of government and the private sector working together.

Vincent, members of her team and town representatives explained the plans for the 220-unit development in detail, using artist concept drawings on display throughout the hall.

She explained the proposed development includes plans to meet all housing needs. She said that includes apartment complexes, single-family dwellings, a seniors development, townhouses and garden suites.

Vincent said the price ranges would span from affordable housing to upper-scale homes and apartments.

Like many showcasing the plans, she noted the senior-focused options address an ongoing challenge in Nackawic-Millville.

She said many seniors would like to downscale from their current homes but don’t want to leave Nackawic-Millville.

The availability of down-scale options in their hometown means their current homes become available to others in the town’s housing market.

CAO Clark said the open house also encouraged feedback from residents. A suggestion box and notepads are available for visitors to provide feedback. She added the rural community may offer a survey to encourage further input from residents.

Vincent explained a development the size of the one proposed by Nackawic-Millville requires intense planning, including the development of water and sewer, streets, parks and other amenities. She said part of Housing Hub’s role is to help alleviate problems.

With a solid head start, MacFarlane hopes to fasttrack the development. He would like to see shovels in the ground by no later than 2025 and building construction by at least 2026.

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Jacksonville business damaged by fire

Carr’s Meat Shop sustains significant damage as busy firefighters respond

By Jim Dumville – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

C

arr’s Meat Shop in Jacksonville sustained significant damage on Monday, Feb. 28, as an early afternoon fire spread through a portion of its workshop.

Woodstock Fire Department Chief Harold McLellan said his crew responded to a fire call at 12:59 p.m. He said the Jacksonville fire call came in after the department responded to a call at 12:24 p.m. involving a car fire on the other side of the St. John River at Carr’s Siding, near Newburg.

McLellan said his team dealt with both blazes at the same time.

The chief said meat shop crews were working in the building at the time of the fire, noting they didn’t notice it immediately.

He explained the fire was in the attic and roof above their heads, and they didn’t notice until they smelled smoke.

McLellan said the fire appeared to start in a compressor for the business’s coolers situated in a closed-in shelter outside

the building. He explained the fire climbed the wall and ignited the attic and ceiling.

McLellan said the fire significantly damaged the building’s roof and walls.

He said he reported the fire and suspected cause to the Fire Marshal’s Office, which accepted his report without attending the fire scene.

McLellan said NB Power crews joined firefighters on the scene to disconnect power to the building.

Meanwhile, the chief said, some firefighters attended the fire, which destroyed a car in Carr’s Siding.

He said the RCMP also attended the car fire scene and will handle the investigation to determine a cause and whether the blaze was suspicious.

McLellan said his fire crew remained busy overnight as they responded to a fire call at 4:19 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 29, reporting a dump truck on fire at E. Cummings Contracting on Main Street in Woodstock.

He said the truck was parked at the construction business overnight, noting either a passerby or an employee noticed it burning.

McLellan said the fire caused extensive damage to the cab and motor before firefighters doused the blaze.

He said wear and tear and wiring issues can ignite a fire in a truck, even when parked and not running.

The fire department’s busy day continued later Thursday morning when the department responded at 9:20 a.m. to a motor vehicle accident on the Trans Canada Highway between the Jacksonville and Connell Road exits in Woodstock.

McLellan said a tractortrailer jackknifed and left the road. With temperatures quickly dropping to freezing conditions after heavy rains, freezing rain and a small amount of snow, he said icy road conditions may have played a role in the accident.

McLellan said the truck sustained damage, but a significant fuel leak pre-

sented the biggest challenge for responders.

He said firefighters spread Absorb All, an absorbent power, to partially deal with the spill, while Sharp’s Towing attended to use its fuel-recovery system to contain and collect the spilled fluid.

McLellan said the busy 24-hour period added to a busier-than-usual start to 2024. He said his department responded to 44 calls over the first two months of this year.

Flames burst through the roof of the Charlotte Street structure Tuesday, Jan. 30. (Jim Dumville photo)

The operator of a small tractor removes a portion of the end wall as firefighters battle the fire at Carr’s Meat Shop in Jacksonville. (Norma Jewett photo)

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Property assessment increases cause municipal frustrations

District of Carleton North council accuses province of ‘passing the buck’

By Sandra Hanson

M

any New Brunswickers opened their mail to significant property assessment increases in January. All over social media, people were expressing their anger at the dramatic rise in property values.

In media interviews after the assessment mailout, Service New Brunswick Minister Mary Wilson claimed her government would not profit from the higher assessments and encouraged citizens to reach out to their local government with any concerns regarding the increase in property assessments and the resulting increase in property tax fees.

“They [municipalities] set the rate on what a homeowner will pay because a homeowner doesn’t pay any provincial property taxes at all.

There’s no point coming to us,” said Wilson in an interview with the Telegraph Journal.

Municipalities across New Brunswick immediately expressed concerns with Wilson’s

comments, prompting a letter from the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) on behalf of municipal governments in the province.

The letter offered harsh criticism for Wilson’s comments, calling them “inaccurate” and stating that they “do not reflect the level of partnership that we should expect from another order of government.”

The UMNB letter went on to explain the financial challenges many municipalities are facing.

“The cost of living impacts us in the same way it does the provincial government; the difference is that municipalities are almost exclusively limited to property taxes when it comes to generating revenue,” the UMNB letter stated.

That revenue is used to fund “vital municipal services such as public safety, infrastructure, recreation and more.”

The UMNB urged Minister Wilson to “consider the full scope of the assessment process before encouraging prop-

erty owners to pass the blame to their respective local governments.”

District of Carleton North Mayor Andrew Harvey and other council members were among the municipal leaders who were critical of Wilson’s words, pointing to the fact that the provincial government decides the assessment amounts, a key factor behind any increases in property taxes.

After Mayor Andrew Harvey read the UMNB letter at the Feb. 13 District of Carleton North Council meeting, councillor Chala Watson expressed her frustration.

“I think the fact that our provincial government is telling residents to pass the blame onto another government is not okay. We’re supposed to be working together. You can’t just pass the buck onto the other government,” Watson said.

Councilor Scott Oakes noted significant concerns regarding Minister Wilson’s lack of understanding of the taxation system.

“She doesn’t know how her own taxation system works, which is scary in and of itself. If you’re the minister in charge and you don’t know [how it works] and you make false accusations or say something that isn’t true, there’s a problem,” he said.

Oakes’s comments alluded to Minister Wilson’s claims that the province does not profit from increased property assessment values, which many municipal leaders feel is inaccurate.

Mayor Harvey explained that the province still collects property tax revenue from Local Service Districts or LSDs. “There are all kinds of businesses and residents outside of the former municipalities. So, if the assessments go up, they benefit from that.

What she was saying wasn’t factual at all,” explained Harvey.

When asked if the District of Carleton North property tax rates would rise, Mayor Harvey said he was pleased to say that almost all areas in

the district would not see an increase. Still, he added, any rise residents see in property taxes would be due to the increased assessment values, which is a

provincial responsibility.

The area within the former municipality of Florenceville-Bristol will be seeing a slight increase of $0.05 per $100 assessed value.

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Breathing new life into Florenceville Inn New owners plan to bring hotel back to former glory

By Sandra Hanson

O

pening in the 1980s, the Florenceville Inn was a local institution for the area of Florenceville-Bristol for over 40 years. However, following a change in owners and struggling during the travel shutdown of COVID, it fell into disrepair. However, thanks to new owners Abdul Moaz and Moaz Khalid, the previously beloved motel and restaurant are being brought back to their former glory.

Abdul and his father, who have over two decades of experience in commercial property and real estate experience, purchased the motel in January 2023 and immediately developed a vision for the property that went beyond functioning merely as a hotel and restaurant.

“We want it to be a family-friendly community center that offers a premiere experience at affordable prices,” said Abdul. “Everything we’re planning is based on community feedback as far as what they’re looking for.”

Some of the plans include reopening the

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 22

restaurant as a bar and restaurant that will offer theme nights, live music, and sports event viewing, reopening the pool for community access, hosting a barbershop, having a community access lounge and games room, becoming a designated snowmobile stop, and installing a fueling station. Within the hotel, Abdul also hopes to partner with local businesses to offer tourism and recreation packages that could include camping, hunting, horseback riding, snowmobiling, and golfing activities.

Abdul said everything will be launched in stages, with the restaurant reopening first and later in March.

“It will be a family BBQ and grill style, with a Middle-Eastern fusion,” said Abdul, stressing that the prices will be affordable for families. He noted that the restaurant is approved to seat 200 people, which will allow it to host corporate and fundraising events and private events such as weddings.

The barbershop will open next. John Steven-

son, a well-known barber from Hartland with over 20 years of experience, will work at the location.

Barbers will also come from Fredericton and Toronto.

Abdul said that he hoped the pool would be next to open later this spring but could not commit to a specific time, noting that it has required a “lot of repair.”

The pool has already received all new plumbing and a new liner and is in the process of being converted to salt water.

However, the concrete surrounding the pool still needs work, ventilation needs to be improved, and some other minor work remains to be completed.

Once open, the pool will be available to the community through day passes. He plans to eventually offer aqua fitness classes, senior packages, and pool party rentals. He also plans to partner with local schools and nursing homes to provide special programming for students and residents.

The lounge and games room, which will be the last

New owners have big plans for the Florenceville Inn. (Submitted)

to open later this year, will feature games tables and arcade games, which will be open to the community through a day pass.

Abdul admitted that renovating the hotel has been challenging.

“It was in very bad shape when we took it over,” said Abdul. He shared that the hotel has been professionally cleaned and painted, with approximately a quarter of the rooms having received complete renovations with

new flooring and furniture.

The breakfast room and dining room have also been renovated. He hopes to have the rest of the rooms finished within the following year. There are also plans to improve landscaping, add a playground area, repave the parking lot, improve lighting, and expand the patio off the restaurant to allow for outdoor dining, which he hopes will be completed by sometime in 2026.

Despite the challeng-

es, Abdul is confident his vision will be a success.

“We see the potential here.”

He noted that he and his father are not phased by the “hurdles, obstacles, and setbacks.” Instead, he said they are the type of people to “put our heads down, push forward, and persevere.”

He says people should stay tuned for news regarding the relaunch of the Florenceville Inn restaurant.

2024-03-10 10:12 PM

Valley Honda is a proud supporter of community journalism and the River Valley Sun. www.valleyhonda.ca

Celebrating the life of Sharon Berube

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 23

People gather to pay tribute to a true community champion who left her mark

By Julie Stone

O

n Feb. 23, at the Lion’s Centre in Nackawic, over 200 visitors gathered to celebrate the life of Sharon Berube.

Sharon Emilie (Orser) Berube was born in 1945 to Flora Elizabeth Orser and Jack Burns McBrine and spent her early years in Grand Falls and Hartland, N.B. Sharon moved to Nackawic and was married to Ron Berube for 44 years. They were rarely apart throughout their marriage and were together for her last moments on this earth. Sharon was a mother to five children and stepmother to three. Ron and Sharon each lost a child, and the very close bond they had formed helped them through a challenging period in their lives. Ron referred to Sharon as “one of my best friends.”

Daughter Anna said that she always knew that her mom was proud of her children and that she “supported our choices and lives we chose. She was a good mother.” Sharon was also a loving grandmother and great-grandmother and loved all children like her own. She loved to tell

stories about the funny things her grandchildren and great-grandchildren said to her and what they did together when they visited. Stepdaughter Corey noted Sharon was always “very kind and helpful and always witty and compassionate.” She also said that Sharon made “very good homemade bread.”

Sharon worked at the Red Carpet Restaurant in Nackawic before a fire destroyed the popular dining spot in 1975. She worked at King’s Landing for 25 years and loved every minute of it. When she retired, she visited the Landing with her family and remembered all the houses and most of the people who worked there when she did. Sharon was an excellent worker who made visiting there a pleasure for all.

Sharon was also a constant and loyal volunteer, spending many years with the Nackawic Lion’s Club.

She joined as a Lioness in 1982 and the Lion’s Club in 1993. Sharon held several positions in the club and served two terms as President. Christmas Daddies was Sharon’s favourite

project, and she organized the drive from 2001-2021.

She also started the VIP dinners for widows and widowers from 2002-2010.

Sharon and Ron looked after the Diabetes Clothing collection from 2001 to 2020, and Sharon was the District Chairperson for the Youth Exchange in 2001.

She loved to play darts and bowling.

Sharon received several awards for her dedicated work with the Lion’s Club: Secretary of the Year in 1996, Lion of the Year in 1997, the Ron Berube Award in 2008, and the highest award from Lions International, the Melvin Jones Fellowship. Sharon was a member of the Red Hat Society and Chairperson of the Miss Nackawic Pageant for three years.

Sharon loved to travel, and she and Ron travelled by car, on a Honda Goldwing motorcycle, in an RV with their grandchildren, and then back to the car.

Sharon’s daughter, Anna, said that as her mom’s Alzheimer’s disease progressed, Sharon was happiest in the car. “She liked that in-between space of

not being here nor there.”

Sharon loved caring for people; she babysat, nurtured, mothered and befriended many of the children’s friends. If someone was alone, she checked in with them. Friend and neighbour Una said Sharon was “very kind and a great friend for over 40 years. She visited regularly, and when she went away, she always thought of me and brought me home a gift.” Sharon had a great sense of humour and a very “edgy wit,” said Anna. She always had a comeback, and people always knew where they stood with her.

Music was a big part of Sharon’s life. She loved to dance and sing, and even when in the Pine Grove Nursing home for her last few months, it was not unusual to see her dancing by herself or with the staff,

The late Sharon Berube is being remembered as a woman who loved life and her community. (Submitted photo)

and she knew the words to many songs. Sharon visited the Senior Drop-in Centre in the Nackawic Mall almost daily and was loved and supported by all with whom she came in contact.

She loved lighthouses and had collected many of them, which were prominently and lovingly displayed around her home.

Sharon’s son’s family said that Sharon was

very well taken care of at the Pine Grove Nursing Home in Fredericton and that they couldn’t think of a better place for Sharon to spend her last few months of life. Her family wishes to thank all who sent cards and e-mails or stopped to share thoughts about Sharon. She will certainly be missed but will always be remembered as a kind and loving human being to all she met.

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24 MARCH 2024 McCain Foods Limited is a proud supporter of community journalism and the River Valley Sun. www.mccain.ca

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RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 25

RVS SUNSHINE KID Meet handsome ninemonth-old Beaudey Charles Andrew, son of Corey Stairs and Hayley Furrow, and brother to big sister Paisley. Beaudey is from Woodstock and is a very happy child, with a smile for everyone he meets. He loves his dog, Buddy, and is excited when he gets to watch hockey with his daddy.

If you would like your child featured as the RVS Sunshine Kid, please send a photo and some information to the email listed below.

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.

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 25

2024-03-10 10:12 PM

26 MARCH 2024

WEEDS, SEEDS & GARDEN DEEDS

By Michelle Corcoran From 1985 club minutes: Club activities that year were all about beautifying their landscape. Activities started in May with European Snowball Tree planting at the Centreville Senior Citizens Complex and Bicentennial Place Senior apartment building in Florenceville. Everyone present for planting was served punch and cookies (which were enjoyed greatly).

50 years of the Garden Club - Throwback to 1985 Back in early club days, meetings were hosted at member homes (and their gardens) around Florenceville. Sharing perennial blubs and the “how to” of flower bed arranging, African violet care and making flower arrangements were highlighted throughout 1985 meetings.

I’m happy to say that even my own love of African violets came from one I got at one of our recent annual plant auctions – thanks to Edna Budrow!

July that year was an eventful outing field trip tour of gardens in Woodstock and Fredericton. Members met at the Florenceville town hall at 8:30 a.m. sharp to be on their way. Stops were at Allister Cameron’s gardens in Woodstock, Mrs. Fred Everett and Or’s English-style flower garden in Fredericton, followed by

a visit to the Hoyt Horticultural Centre. An afternoon visit to Fredericton would not be complete without a visit to Scott’s Nursery, followed by a lobster dinner and dessert at John Gyles (an old favourite) on the way home.

At the August meeting, guest speaker Brian Dykeman taught us about lawn care, growing fiddleheads, strawberries, and raspberries, and how small greenhouses are useful for home gardening. It’s amazing how interested we still are in the same topics today!

Then, there was the annual flower show on August 29, which was their 11th annual. Door prizes, a tasty lunch, and beautiful arrangements were on display. The highlight of that year’s show was a demonstration of the art of flower arranging by Elden

Stephenson.

March Garden Tips: This year might (just might) be an early one for getting back in our gardens. Don’t forget your spring clean-up – including pots, tools and bird feeders.

Remember to Protect our Pollinators! Hibernating butterflies, bees, and insects rent out space in plant stems or under debris. Wait until temperatures consistently exceed 10° C at night before cleaning out debris.

Hopefully you were able to get a few seeds from our seed exchange on March 2, another successful sharing with over 40 people (new and old members) in attendance! Don’t start those tomatoes yet; wait until mid to end of April or so for that. Be sure to look up when to start seeds and set out when the ground warms up consistently.

The Florenceville-Bristol Garden Club is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary with special guests Jenny and George Scott from Scott’s Nursery at their April 15 meeting at the Northern Carleton Rec Centre. (File photo)

There is a ton of info online about successfully starting flower and veg seeds.

I hope the stories about 1985 club activities bring back memories for some of you!

For our April 15, 2024, 6:00 p.m. meeting, we are hosting George and Jenny Scott from Scott’s Nursery at the Northern Carleton

Rec Centre. They will discuss what is new this season and, of course, have a Q&A with George (a CBC favourite!). We hope you can join us!

Michelle Corcoran is a home gardener and an active member of the Florenceville-Bristol Garden Club.

Revisiting a special bumble as we wait for spring

BEAUTIFUL BUMBLES

By Linda McHatten

A

s I sit looking out my window listening to ‘Mrs. Woody’ beating her beak on the birdhouse and looking at the new fresh snow that fell overnight and the winds blowing, I am thinking of a beautiful warm day last July when a small group of us packed up a lunch and hit the trails. We leave Lower Woodstock on Trail 23 to find our way to Charlie

Lake. I have never been there, so there will be some new trails to explore.

It was very peaceful, bumbling along the deadwaters. There were no beavers around today, only the occasional duck.

Of course, we can not bumble past one of my favourite places... you guessed it, Benton Park.

We enjoyed a few snacks, and of course, Gary was off taking pictures. Listening to the water flowing over the rocks and under the bridge was calming.

After talking and telling stories, we bumbled down the trail past Canterbury toward Fawn Lake Road.

Some trails were narrow, with bushes and trees hanging well over them.

Turning onto another trail, we bumbled for two km,

Taking a break at Benton Park. (Linda McHatten photo)

which took us to Charlie Lake Road. And there it was... Charlie Lake. It is located near Dorrington Hill and Allandale. We discovered an awesome spot on the lake for lunch, but on private property. After getting the kind lady’s permission to sit by the lake, we were not long setting up for our lunch. Sure was a relaxing way to have lunch

– beside the water and with friends. Shadow (Linda and Gerry’s fur baby) enjoyed swimming in the lake to cool off. We all had our own bag lunch and, of course, shared any snacks we had. After lunch, we enjoyed a walk along the lake, enjoying the wildflowers and the rippling water in the stream flowing from the lake.

Lunch at Charlie Lake. (Linda McHatten photo)

We decided we could not stay here all day, so we packed up and returned home. I love these relaxing bumbles with lots of fresh air, laughs, and, of course, story-telling.

I think it is safe to say that after returning to Woodstock after 140 km, we were ready for a good night’s sleep. Thanks to Don, Elizabeth, Linda,

Gerry, Gary, Joanne, Scott, and Brian for a great day.

Hopefully in another four to weeks we will see you on the trails. Happy trails to you all, and stay safe.

Linda McHatten is a retired LPN who now nurses her love for the outdoors. She and her husband live in Rosedale.

Recognizing a volunteer, and resource directory details

NACKAWICMILLVILLE

COMMUNITY NEWS

By Julie Stone Volunteer of the Month Congratulations to Roger Lagacy, who has dedicated his time to the Nackawic Cross Country Ski Club for over 40 years.

Roger dragged the trails,

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 26

did mechanical work on the equipment, cut trees, and cleared the trails. He never stopped. Skiers say that without him, they would not have been able to continue providing this community space that so many enjoy.

Thanks, Roger!

Resource Directory The Nackawic and Area Wellness Group is re-doing the Nackawic-Millville Rural Community Resource Directory. To run an ad for your business, contact the group at nackawicareawellness@gmail.com for price list information, ad size requirements and payment

details, or call Doug Fick at 519-938-1213, Marina Hull at 506-463-2625 or Maggie Schriver at 403-615- 5200.

Free Tax Clinic The Nackawic Area Wellness Group, in conjunction with the Canadian Volunteer Tax Clinic, will be offering free income tax return services to those whose annual household income is $50,000 or less.

There are two convenient, private locations for you to choose from: Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Gathering Place, Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The

Gathering Place and Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Millville Branch #59 (by appointment only), To book an appointment call Jennifer at 506-463-8151 or email jennifermorgan@ xplornet.com or drop off your information in the locked box at The Gathering Place.

Slow Cooker Tutorial At 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26, at the Lion’s Centre, Barb Boulter will teach folks to make homemade Mac & Cheese in a Crock Pot. The cost is $3 per person, and registra-

tion must be completed

by March 19. Register at nackawicareawellness@ gmail.com or the sign-up sheet in The Gathering Place kitchen. Fees can be e-transferred or dropped off in the donation box. Please indicate any food allergies at the time of registration.

Bring the inside portion of your slow cooker, and you will take your ingredients in the container to cook in your slow cooker at home.

Feed the Hawks Funding has now run out for the subsidized meals for more than 100 students who depend on

the program at Nackawic Elementary, Middle, and High Schools. Please consider sponsoring a child’s meals at $35 per week or donate to help buy food.

Research has shown that hungry children have difficulty time learning. Contact any one of the schools to help. A tax receipt for any donation of $25 or more will be given.

Julie Stone is an educator, advocate, and inclusion consultant who lives and volunteers in the municipality of Nackawic-Millville.

2024-03-10 10:12 PM

RE/MAX Hartford Realty is a proud supporter of community journalism and the River Valley Sun. remaxwoodstock.com

RIVERVALLEYSUN.CA 27

Remembering our dear friend, Brian Hayden

IN A ‘MANOR’ OF SPEAKING

B

By Jane Jones

rian’s enthusiasm for our Neighbors was a sight to behold each time he showed up at Carleton Manor. Whenever we saw him, we could tell he was on a mission. He was either here to talk business as a

Board Member or to share a funny story, but probably his favourite mission was to take the time to visit and chat with our Neighbors.

When his visits focused on the people Carleton Manor served, you might not have recognized him.

Sometimes, he was in costume as the Easter Bunny, passing out treats. Other times, he was the Grinch, bringing giggles and glad tidings to staff. Most often, he was found having

Neighbours, volunteers, and staff lined up for their Tim Hortons treats. (Jane Jones photo)

early-morning visits with our Neighbours, sharing Timbits with everyone he encountered.

On January 26, volunteers, board members, friends, and family gathered in our activity room to launch our first Brian Hayden Drive-Thru Social to pay tribute to Brian and relive the happiness he brought to all of us at Carleton Manor.

We all lined up and handed our hand-made

Tim Horton cards to staff members working hard behind the makeshift window, then exited with our delicious donuts or Timbits and coffee. We chatted, we reminisced about our favourite Brian stories, and the room was brimming with conversations and smiles.

Jane Jones is a mom, wife, and business owner who lives and volunteers in Woodstock.

The late Brian Hayden driving our Neighbours to the Old Home Week Parade in 2023. (Jane Jones photo)

Friends and family of Brian sharing stories and having a good time. (Jane Jones photo)

Some of Brian’s family attended our first ‘Brian Hayden Drive-Thru Social.’ (Jane Jones photo)

Beware of immigration and citizenship scams

SCAMS: DON’T TAKE THE BAIT!

By Cherie Linder “Do you know what a foreign accent is? It’s a sign of bravery.”

W

– Amy Chua

e are all immigrants unless our ancestors were First Nations or Indigenous peoples. As of 2023, annual immigration

to Canada amounts to almost half a million people, one of the highest rates per population of any country in the world. As of 2023, more than eight million immigrants with permanent residence lived in Canada.

This is roughly 20 per cent of the total Canadian population.

When you are new to a country, you may not know all of your rights or how businesses and the government are run. Immigrants, like the elderly, can become real targets for scammers.

Someone may call, text or email you indicating that your immigration status is in danger and that you may

be arrested unless you pay a fee. Often, the fee is paid using untraceable methods such as gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. You must remember that government agencies in Canada would never threaten or extort you. You would receive a notification explaining any problems with your immigration status and be given ample time to respond.

Many websites offer immigration services. They may be government, commercial, or private, promoting legitimate paid services. However, many are made to steal your private information and scam you with fake fees and prom-

ises.

Signs of fake websites: - Fees to access application forms and guides.

Legitimate sites only charge fees to process your application.

- Too good to be true, faster processing of your application, guarantees of entry to Canada - They may offer special travel deals and guaranteed jobs.

- It looks official, but it is a Government of Canada site in one language only, and the web address does not end in “.gc.ca.”

- The URL is not a “Canada.ca” site.

These fake websites are a vulnerable type of

fraud for new and aspiring immigrants to Canada. If a website looks fake, search it online to see if it has been flagged as fraudulent.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is the department in Canada that is responsible for matters dealing with immigration, refugees and citizenship in Canada.

Sign in and create a secure account to log in and check on your application or current immigration status.

Do not give a caller your personal, financial or login details to your account.

They may contact you by phone but will identify themselves and notify you of any further requirements

they may need to proceed with bringing your file up to date.

Discover safely how you can live, work, and study in Canada. Ensure that your representative is authorized and that your school is on the designated learning institutions list.

Find more answers to staying safe at www.Canada. ca.

Cherie Linder is an administrative assistant with the Woodstock Police Force.

She collaborates with Community Resource Officer Cst. Shaun Kimball for this column.

WESTERN VALLEY GARBAGE & RECYCLING CHANGES Collection of your garbage & recycling may have changed. If you are unsure of your collection day, please visit the Western Valley Regional Service Commission at www.rsc12.ca or call your local municipal office.

Tip: Have your garbage to the curb by 7 a.m. and please be patient as changes evolve. Thank you.

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 27

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28 MARCH 2024

COURT NEWS

A roundup of cases processed through Woodstock Provincial Court

By Judy Cole-Underhill possession of a firearm Four-plus years for Woodstock man Nathan Leon Godin, 30, of Woodstock, was sentenced to over four years in federal prison, minus time served, when he appeared in provincial court in custody on Feb. 15 on 20 charges laid by RCMP and Woodstock Police.

Judge Melanie PoirierLeblanc also prohibited Godin from the use of firearms and ordered him to register with the federal DNA database. He must also seek counselling for mental health and drug addiction while incarcerated.

The accused had a limited prior criminal record involving driving offences.

Godin appeared for trial in provincial court in custody by video on Jan. 3 and changed his plea to guilty.

He was denied bail in July 2023 and remanded to jail.

He was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court.

At his sentencing hearing, the court heard Godin was a “low-level drug trafficker” who committed his crimes at Wotstak (Woodstock First Nation) over four months in 2023.

Addicted to methamphetamine, he got involved in drug trafficking to support his habit and was caught by police with drugs and guns in his vehicle during three incidents near the Eagles Nest.

Judge Poirier-Leblanc acknowledged Godin was in the “throes of an addiction crisis” when he engaged in a crime spree that escalated between March and June of last year. He turned violent during one incident when he went to a residence at Wostak in an intoxicated condition, smashed out a window in a door with a bat, assaulted the homeowner, and demanded $1,950 to pay a fine. Godin then fled the scene in a vehicle at high speed.

Godin pleaded guilty to flight from police and possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking on March 21, 2023, at Wotstak (Woodstock First Nation); guilty to indictable possession of cocaine, resisting arrest, possession of a prohibited weapon (a sawedoff shotgun) with ready ammunition, improper storage of a firearm, and breach of a release order on June 21, 2023, at Wotstak; guilty to driving while prohibited,

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 28

without a licence (a rifle), and being an occupant of a vehicle knowing it carried a firearm on March 1, 2023, at Wotstak; and guilty to driving while suspended on March 14, 2023, in the Town of Woodstock.

Godin also pleaded guilty to failing to appear in court on June 20, 2023; guilty to possession of a weapon (a baton) for the purpose of committing an offence, committing mischief causing property damage to a window, assaulting another man with a weapon (a baton), and breach of a release order on June 20, 2023, at Wotstak.

He also pleaded guilty to breaching a release order on March 31, 2023, in Woodstock and to possession of methamphetamine and breaching a release order on April 2, 2023, in Woodstock. The crown withdrew several other charges.

Defence Counsel Lindsay Paul said Godin was remorseful for his actions and stopped using drugs after going to jail. She said he was a skilled tradesman and should be considered an excellent prospect for rehabilitation. Paul said Godin is doing well in jail and taking advantage of every opportunity to improve so he can get back to his life and his family. The accused also had a positive pre-sentence report.

Crown Prosecutors Kathleen Jacobs and Jillian Jordan recommended Godin receive a five-year prison sentence, minus time served, due to the number and severity of his offences repeated in the same community and his dangerous involvement with guns and drug trafficking.

Crown withdraws kidnapping, firearm charges Jeffrey Richard Bull, 45, of Newburg, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Feb. 28 and heard the crown withdraw all 14 charges laid against him by RCMP. He was released from custody.

Bull was arrested and denied bail in connection with an incident involving a female victim on Oct. 15, 2023, in Pembroke.

He was charged with kidnapping, unlawful confinement, pointing a firearm at another person, assault while threatening to use a weapon, possession of a firearm (a shotgun) for the purpose of committing an offence, unauthorized

possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of a firearm while prohibited, flight from police, dangerous driving, resisting arrest, careless use of a gun, being an occupant of a vehicle knowing it carried a firearm, and breach of probation.

His co-accused, Ryan Michael Fitzherbert, 28, of Woodstock, appeared in court on Feb. 29, when the crown withdrew all charges against him.

Fitzherbert was charged with kidnapping while using a firearm, unlawful confinement, possession of a firearm without a licence, unauthorized possession of a firearm, being an occupant of a vehicle knowing it carried a gun, breach of probation, and breach of a release order, in connection with the same incident involving Bull.

Fitzherbert appeared in provincial court in custody on Feb. 21 on two other charges laid by the RCMP. He was remanded to jail for a bail hearing on Feb. 23 and released with conditions.

He was charged by RCMP with intimidation and breaching his release by violating an order for no contact with a female complainant following an incident on Feb. 20 in Woodstock. The crown also dismissed those charges on Feb. 29.

Crown Prosecutors Christopher Lavigne and Kathleen Jacobs told the court the crown decided not to proceed with the charges against both men due to insufficient evidence and no prospect for conviction. All weapons and ammunition seized during the investigation were forfeited to the crown.

Fitzherbert told the court he has one outstanding matter remaining at the Court of King’s Bench when he will stand trial on April 15-17 on drug trafficking charges.

Butler trial adjourned to new dates Rodney Butler, 49, of Bulls Creek, was scheduled to take the stand at his trial on Feb. 29 when the matter was adjourned to a new date at the request of his defence counsel. Butler will return to court for the continuation of his trial on March 20 at 9:30 a.m. and on April 4 at 1:30 p.m.

RCMP charged him with intentionally discharging a firearm while reckless as to the life and safety of

another person, indictable assault, uttering threats, using a handgun to kidnap Chris Demerchant, unlawful confinement, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, possession of a firearm without a licence, and illegal possession of a firearm in a vehicle on Nov. 13, 2021, at Bulls Creek.

His partner, Christine Pelletier-Thibodeau was fatally shot outside their home during the incident.

No one has been charged in relation to her death.

The crown closed its case against Butler in early February after several days of testimony were heard before Associate Chief Judge Brian C. McLean.

Defence Counsel Alex Pate will begin testimony for the defence at Butler’s next court appearance in March.

Timothy Grant, 31, of Canterbury, appeared in provincial court on Feb. 26 for a hearing on charges related to the same alleged kidnapping of a Scotts Siding man.

RCMP charged Grant with using a handgun to kidnap Chris Demerchant, unlawful confinement, and indictable assault. The matter was adjourned until March 26 at 9:30 a.m., when a new date for his trial will be set.

Sentenced to 30 days on weekends Stephanie James, 44, of Florenceville-Bristol, was sentenced to 30 days in jail, to be served on weekends, after pleading guilty to impaired driving.

She was also prohibited from driving for two years and was placed on three months of probation.

James was charged

by RCMP for an incident on Dec. 2, 2023, at Florenceville-Bristol. Police spotted a vehicle travelling slowly and crossing the center line on Route 105 and found James behind the wheel. Her blood alcohol level was two and a half times the legal limit.

The accused had one prior conviction in 2019.

Two Romanian men plead guilty in border incident Two Romanian men, who have addresses in the United States, appeared in provincial court in custody on Feb. 27 and pleaded guilty to crossing the international border illegally.

They will be sentenced on March 15 at 9:30 a.m.

Guiseppe Petre, 31, and David Constantin, 22,

These pages contain some of the court coverage we provide for the community. Find all court stories at rivervalleysun.ca

both of Sacramento, California, were each charged under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with failing to appear for examination. They were arrested after a vehicle entered Canada without stopping at the WoodstockHoulton border crossing on Jan. 30.

Police stopped the vehicle shortly after receiving a call from border services and returned the suspects to the border authorities without further incident.

The two men told police they were confused and didn’t realize it was a border crossing.

Under federal legislation, the charge is an indictable offence, and upon conviction, it can result in two years in jail or a $50,000 fine. The two men had a Romanian interpreter assist them with the court proceedings.

Suspended sentence, fine and probation Brian Thomas Ketch, 43, of Jacksontown, appeared for trial in provincial court on Feb. 28 and changed his plea to guilty on charges laid by Woodstock Police and RCMP. He received a suspended sentence and 12 months of probation and was fined $300.

Ketch pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching an undertaking by violating a no-contact order on March 21, 2023, and March 28, 2023, at Jacksontown, and guilty to breach of a release order between Aug. 20 and Sept. 25, 2023, in Woodstock. He appeared in provincial court in custody in October for a bail hearing and was released with conditions.

Ketch was also charged with assault involving a female victim concerning an incident on March 11, 2023, at Jacksontown. He agreed to sign a 12-month peace bond, but the matter did not proceed. The crown withdrew one other remaining charge. Ketch had a dated prior criminal record.

Sentencing adjourned for Plaster Rock man Corbin Messinger, 22, of Plaster Rock, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Feb. 28 for sentencing on five charges laid by RCMP. The matter was adjourned until April 2 at 1:30 p.m. to allow for the preparation of a presentence report.

Messinger pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a release order and two counts of uttering

threats following an incident on Jan. 20 at Plaster Rock.

He also pleaded guilty to assault while threatening to use a weapon (a knife) stemming from an incident on Jan. 7 at Plaster Rock.

He appeared in provincial court in custody on Jan. 22, only four days after his release from jail and was remanded for a bail hearing. He pleaded guilty and was remanded for sentencing.

Sentenced to 360 days on multiple charges Kristopher Thomas McConnell, 32, of Hartland, was sentenced to 360 days in jail, minus time served, when he appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Feb. 27. He was also placed on probation for 12 months. He was ordered to seek counselling as required.

McConnell has been in custody since last August.

His sentence means he had another 75 days left to serve.

He pleaded guilty to breaching a release order for an incident on July 15, 2023, in Hartland; possession of a stolen utility trailer on Aug. 22, 2023, in Greenfield; criminal harassment involving a female victim between April 27 and June 7, 2023, in Woodstock; and possession of stolen property (an ATV) in connection with an incident on June 26, 2023, at Lansdowne.

The crown withdrew any remaining charges.

McConnell has a history of domestic violence and alcohol and drug addiction.

During the stolen trailer incident, the court heard the owner of the utility trailer caught up with the accused and made a citizen’s arrest. When RCMP arrived, he was found ziptied and lying face down along the highway.

McConnell had a lengthy prior criminal record. He appeared in provincial court in custody on June 27, 2023, and was released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle. He failed to return to court for plea on July 25, 2023, and an arrest warrant was issued. He appeared in court on Aug. 23, 2023, for a bail hearing but waived his bail until a later date.

Fined $1,500 for border incident Jocelyn Howe, 40, of Linneus, Maine, was fined $1,500 after pleading guilty See COURT on pg. 29

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COURT

Continued from page 28

to two charges laid by the Canada Border Services Agency.

Howe was charged under the Customs Act with failing to report goods and making a false statement to border officials for an incident on Nov. 14, 2023, at the Woodstock Port of Entry. A shotgun was found in her truck during a search at the border.

The court heard Howe travels across the international border regularly and was driving an 18-year-old Canadian passenger home on the day in question. An avid bird hunter, she neglected to remove her gun from her vehicle before coming to the border. She had no prior criminal record. The firearm was forfeited to the crown.

Fine, conditional discharge on firearm charges Jennifer Allaby, 32, of Woodstock, received a conditional discharge and 12 months of probation when she appeared for sentencing in provincial court on Feb. 27. She was also fined $750.

Allaby pleaded guilty to improper storage of a firearm (a shotgun) and possession of a firearm without a licence for an incident on Feb. 15, 2022, in Grafton. The charges were laid following the execution of a search warrant at a residence during a drug trafficking investigation.

The crown withdrew a third firearm charge. She had no prior criminal record. The crown requested forfeiture of the loaded firearm involved in the incident.

Sentenced to time served, probation Dawson Sproul, 24, of no fixed address, appeared in provincial court

for sentencing on Feb. 21 and was sentenced to time served and 12 months of probation. He had been in custody since early January.

Sproul was arrested on a warrant. He was charged with uttering threats, two counts of committing mischief causing property damage to a police vehicle and resisting arrest concerning incidents on Jan. 22, 2023, at Jacksonville.

He was also charged with committing mischief on Nov. 13, 2022, at Jacksonville and resisting arrest on Dec. 29, 2023, in Florenceville-Bristol.

Sproul pleaded guilty to two of the mischief charges and both counts of resisting arrest. The remaining charges were withdrawn at sentencing.

Fined $1,500 for impaired driving Terrance Leland Lockard, 62, of Craig’s Flat, Victoria County, appeared in provincial court on Feb. 20 and pleaded guilty to an impaired driving charge.

He was fined $1,500 and was prohibited from driving for one year.

RCMP charged Lockard in connection with an incident on June 20, 2023, near Perth-Andover. The court heard police spotted Lockard in an older vehicle in a parking lot on Route 105. Police intended to check the vehicle’s inspection sticker when they found Lockard impaired behind the wheel.

Sentenced to time served, probation Douglas Thomas Defazio, 35, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court in custody on Feb. 21 and was sentenced to time served and 12 months of probation. He had been in custody since early January.

Defazio was charged

by Woodstock Police with assault involving a female victim concerning an incident on Sept. 21, 2023, in Woodstock, theft from Atlantic Superstore on Oct. 4, 2022, theft from Kent Building Supplies on Oct. 25, 2022, and breach of an undertaking on Nov. 21, 2023. He changed his plea to guilty.

He was also charged with two counts of breach of a release order and resisting arrest for another incident before Christmas and was remanded following a bail hearing.

Sentencing adjourned for Woodstock man Robert Dale McMann, 48, of Woodstock, will appear for sentencing in provincial court on April 19 at 1:30 p.m. on several charges laid by Woodstock Police.

McMann was found guilty after trial on charges of unlawful confinement and assaulting a female victim by choking her during a Sept. 9, 2021, incident in Woodstock. He was found not guilty on a third charge of uttering threats.

The court heard the case involved a domestic dispute.

He pleaded guilty on Feb. 27 to possession of stolen property (an SD card and batteries) owned

by Cook Construction Ltd. on Dec. 22, 2021, in Woodstock, and guilty to breaching a release order by failing to appear in court on Jan. 17, 2023. The crown withdrew one other charge.

Suspended sentence on assault charge Earle James Demerchant, 33, of Woodstock, received a suspended sentence and was placed on 12 months of probation when he appeared in provincial court on March 5.

Demerchant was

charged by Woodstock Police with assault involving a female victim and breach of an undertaking for incidents on June 1, 2021, and Nov. 11, 2022, in Woodstock. He pleaded guilty to both charges. The accused had a dated prior criminal record.

Couple facing trafficking, firearm charges Patrick Thomas Tatlock, 59, and Marlene Donovan, 55, of Wapske, appeared in provincial court on March 5 to face drug trafficking and firearm charges.

Tatlock appeared in court in custody by video and returns for plea on April 9 at 9:30 a.m. He was denied bail following a bail hearing in January.

He was charged with possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking and unlawful possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling it concerning an incident on Dec. 12, 2023, at Wapske.

He appeared in court in custody on Dec. 13, 2023, after being arrested on multiple charges by RCMP. Tatlock was also charged with three counts of possession of a firearm while prohibited, two counts of improper storage of a firearm, and three counts of possession of stolen property concerning incidents on Dec. 3 and Dec. 12, 2023, in Wapske.

Two other charges of altering a manufacturer’s serial number were also laid under the Motor Vehicle Act. The court heard more charges are pending against him.

Donovan also appeared in court on March 5. She was charged with possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, unlawful possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling it, possession of

stolen property, two counts of possession of a firearm without a licence, and improper storage of a firearm for an incident on Dec. 12, 2023, at Wapske. She also returns to court for plea on April 9 at 9:30 a.m.

Found not criminally responsible Steven Frank Powers, 59, of Plaster Rock, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on March 5 for a fitness hearing.

Judge Lucie Mathurin told the court a medical report from the Restigouche Hospital stated Powers was not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.

He was remanded in February for a mental health assessment after being arrested by RCMP. He was charged with breach of an undertaking and breach of probation for an incident last month in Plaster Rock.

Judge Mathurin ordered him to remain in custody at the psychiatric facility until the province’s Mental Health Review Board rules on how long he must be

incarcerated in a mental institution. Powers told the judge he would stay at the hospital as ordered.

Sentencing adjourned for pre-sentence report Shane Lee Dickison, 35, of Woodstock, will appear in provincial court for sentencing on May 7 at 1:30 p.m. after changing his plea to guilty on two charges laid by Woodstock Police.

Dickison was scheduled for sentencing on March 5, but the matter was adjourned to allow for the completion of a presentence report.

He was charged with two violations of an Emergency Intervention Order for incidents on June 1819, 2023, when he went to a local residence while ordered to stay away.

Dickison appeared in provincial court in custody by video on July 17, 2023, after being arrested on a warrant. He was arrested after he failed to appear in provincial court to answer the charges on July 11, 2023. He was later released with conditions.

Former cadet, civilian volunteer pleads guilty Woodstock man to be sentenced in May for child luring

By Nick LaPointe

A

Woodstock man has pleaded guilty to one count of child luring and one count of making sexually explicit material available to a minor with the intent to create child pornography.

Jason Kuhndel, 19, with his lawyer, Patrick Hurley, appeared in Fredericton Provincial Court on Feb. 26, 2023, to enter a plea. The court has requested a pre-sentence report and a victim impact statement.

Previously, Hurley appeared in court four times on Kuhndel’s behalf, requesting adjournments

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 29

because there was a “reasonable chance to avoid a trial.”

The charges relate to incidents that occurred in Jan. 2023. Charges were not formally laid until Nov. 7, 2023. Kuhndel was a civilian volunteer with the Woodstock #318 Cadet Corp until Dec. 18, 2023.

After being notified of the charges, Captain Jordan Elliot, Public Affairs Officer of the Regional Cadet Support Unit, said Kuhndel was removed from his duties.

After Kuhndel’s guilty plea, Elliot said, in a prepared statement, that the civilian volunteer was “informed on Jan. 16, 2024,

that he is no longer permitted to volunteer with the Canadian Cadet Organizations.

“During our fact finding, we found that Mr. Kuhndel did not inform the Commanding Officer at 318 RCACC in Woodstock, NB of the charges brought forward in November of 2023. This breach of trust is not tolerated, and thus the decision to terminate Mr. Kuhndel’s volunteer agreement was made independent of any potential outcome of civilian court proceedings. Mr. Kuhndel will be unable to volunteer or work with the Cadet Program in the future and has been advised not to

attend cadet activities or events open to the public.”

The statement adds that all staff, volunteer and otherwise, have been updated with the policies and duty requirements that everyone involved with the Canadian Cadet Organizations must follow.

“To be absolutely clear, the protection, safety and welfare of cadets is our highest priority—we will not tolerate harmful or inappropriate behaviour from anyone involved with the Cadet Program,” says Elliot.

Kuhndel will return to Fredericton Provincial Court for sentencing on May 24, 2024, at 9:30 a.m.

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30 MARCH 2024 ageless New Brunswick is a proud supporter of community journalism and the River Valley Sun. www.agelessnb.ca

SPORTS

Highlights and Features of Local Sports and Sporting Events

Region’s triumphant Special Olympians arrive home in style

Woodstock Police escorts team to AYR Motor Centre to celebrate success in Calgary

By Jim Dumville – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

F

ive Team New Brunswick athletes from River Valley Region Special Olympics made a triumphant return home to Woodstock on Monday, March 4, from the Canadian Winter Games in Calgary.

The team members, led by Woodstock Police Force officers on behalf of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), arrived at noon to loud cheers from a small crowd gathered at the entrance to the AYR Motor Centre.

Snowshoe racers Patti Connors and Calvin Grant proudly wore their medals, while floor hockey team members earned congratulations for their solid fourth-place finish at the games held from Feb. 27 to March 3.

Connors, the mostawarded Canadian Special Olympian, added three more medals to her collec-

tion, earning a silver medal in the 400-metre snowshoe race and bronze medals in the 200-metre and the 4 x 100-metre relay.

She also delivered a fourth-place finish in the 100-metre.

On his first trip to the national Special Olympics, Grant earned a bronze in the 4 x 100-metre relay while sprinting for fourthplace results in the 100 and 200 races.

River Valley Region Regional Coordinator Debbi Graham, who served on the New Brunswick mission team, said the three members of the floor hockey squad — goalie Frank Long and centres Marco Gauvin and Joshua Cousins — fell just short of the podium.

“Floor hockey Team NB 2024 competed in 11 games and came home with a fourth place, following their hard-fought battle

against Ontario-Newmarket in the Bronze medal game,” Graham said.

As he arrived at the AYR Motor Centre, Long proudly wore the red Calgary Flames toque he explained he received for being named MVP. Grant called the trip a wonderful experience on and off the playing field.

He enjoyed taking pictures atop the Calgary Tower and the opening ceremonies, especially the Native dancers.

Competing nationally and internationally is an old hat for Connors, who attended numerous Canadian games and five Special Olympic World Games.

The veteran Special Olympian is already inducted into the Woodstock Sports Wall of Fame at the AYR Motor Centre.

She said the best part of the trip was all the snowshoeing and seeing old

friends.

Graham said Connors is well known across the country and beyond.

“Everywhere we went you’d hear someone saying, ‘hey Patti,’” she said.

Even after three decades of competing in the Special Olympics, Connors’ racing philosophy remains the same.

“I just put my head down and go as fast as I can,” she said.

Three members of the Woodstock Police Force — community liaison Cst. Shawn Kimball, Sgt. John Wetmore and Cst Anthony McIntyre — met the returning athletes upon their arrival back in Woodstock and led them to the AYR Motor Centre with sirens sounding.

Kimball said the WPF is an active member of the LETR and a strong supporter of the Special Olympics.

Patti Connors, left, wears her silver and two bronze medals, and Calvin Grant, his bronze medal, earned in snowshoe racing at the Special Olympic Canada Winter Games in Calgary between Feb. 27 and March 3. (Jim Dumville photo)

Three Western Valley Region Special Olympics athletes played with the Team N.B. floor hockey squad. From left, Joshua Cousins, Marco Gauvin, Frank Long and River Valley Region coordinator and mission staff member Debbi Graham.

Members of the Woodstock Police Force led the returning Special Olympians to the AYR Motor Centre. Front row, from left, are athletes Joshua Cousins, Frank Long, Patti Connors, Calvin Grant, and mission staff member Debbi Graham. Back row, from left, athlete Marco Gauvin, and Woodstock Police Force officers Sgt.John Wetmore, Cst. Anthony McIntyre and Cst.Shaun Kimball. (Jim Dumville photo)

Team New Brunswick celebrates at their bench during floor hockey at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary. (Debbi Graham photo)

Patti Connors on the snowshoe race track in Calgary, where she won three medals. (Debbi Graham photo)

Team N.B. played 11 action-filled games in four days en route to a fourth-place finish. (Debbi Graham photo)

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Woodstock’s Calvin Grant is focused and in front as he races in Calgary. (Debbi Graham photo)

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Sleds hit fast track in successful racing return

Maritime Snowmobile Championship Racing returns to Woodstock, drawing competitors from Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, and the U.S. with more than 1,000 spectators at track

By Connor Barry

A

fter over 40 years of absence, Woodstock welcomed Maritime Snowmobile Champion Racing back last weekend.

The roars of the racer’s engines were only softened by the crowd’s deafening cheers.

The races featured a variety of classes, such as Masters F500, Mod Champ, and Champion.

Some classes were drastically different from others.

One example is Outlaw class, where racers drove almost wholly custom snowmobiles resembling dune buggies.

The event handed out over $36,000 in prize money over the weekend, beginning Friday evening, Feb. 16, through full days of racing on Saturday and Sunday.

Another unique event was Snocross, a cross between Motorcross and snowmobiling that provided an unequalled thrill to riders and the audience.

The event’s return

0 River Valley Sun MARCH 2024.indd 31

drew large crowds, filling the parking lot of not just the race track but also Woodstock High School and the AYR Motor Centre.

Crowds watched from the grandstand and the hill behind the AYR Motor Centre.

Prize money wasn’t limited to the racers.

Heavily advertised during the races, the 50/50 draw delivered a grand prize of $25,927 to winner Greg Cluff.

Many influential figures in New Brunswick attended the event opening ceremony on Saturday, including Premier Blain Higgs, Education Minister and Woodstock MLA Bill Hogan, Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Margret Johnson, Transportation and Infrastructure Richard Ames, and Woodstock Mayor Trina Jones.

A number of people who had participated in the original Maritime Snowmobile Championship Racing were also in attendance.

The closing ceremony

saw organizers handing numerous prizes to the top riders of the threeday event, including the prestigious Red Buckingham Award for good sportsmanship earned

by Dave Blair. The award was named in memory of Buckingham, a snowmobiling pioneer and a driving force behind the original Maritime Snowmobile Champion Racing in the ‘70s and early ‘80s.

More than 150 volunteers contributed to the races, not counting those who participated in the breakfasts sponsored by the Masonic Lodge at the Y’s Men Club.

Volunteers also helped put on a Saturday night dance hosted by the Woodstock Trailmakers, and other events throughout the weekend in Woodstock.

Co-announcer and organizer Bob Fowlie explained that the event was only possible with the help of its sponsors, chief among them E. Cumings Contracting.

For more photos from the event, visit rivervalleysun.ca.

The prestigious Red Buckingham Award was given to racer Dave Blair (left) from Owen Sound, Ontario, by Andrew Bird, (right) with Joyce Gibson-Buckingham, who was married to Leighton “Red” Buckingham. “Red” was a Ski-Doo dealer, Ys Man, and race promoter. He was killed in an off-track snowmobile accident in 1971. The Red Buckingham Memorial Trophy was awarded each year at the event, originally to the ‘Best All Around Driver,’ and later to the ‘Best Sportsman.’ (Connor Barry photo)

A racer during the Maritime Snowmobile Championships in Woodstock takes a flight over a steep jump during a round of Snocross competition. (Connor Barry photo)

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Country S TO R E Florenceville-Bristol, NB

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