Riverview Seniors Club growing in leaps and bounds
Gunningsville Baptist Church celebrates its centennial 12
Father’s Day Show and Shine:
The
Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
“There she is buddy, just a-gleaming in the sun / there to greet a working man when his day is done.”
No-one sings about a favourite car better than Bruce Springsteen (those lyrics are from “Cadillac Ranch”), and no-one lets you show off your favourite car better than the Ford Country Club. The FCC’s Show and Shine has been held every Father’s Day for almost four decades; the 2025 event will be June 15th at Caseley Park in Riverview, which has been the show’s home for the past eighteen years.
The FCC’s Darrell Shipley of Riverview recalls that “one day I sat down with then-mayor Clarence Sweetland and said, ‘let’s bring the car show to Riverview.’ And that is how we ended up in Caseley Park.
“We average about twohundred-and-fifty cars and some years are getting closer to three hundred, which is the limit the field will hold. We have classic cars, antique cars, hot rods, one year we had a classic camper, people will bring trucks and other vehicles as well. We now do not charge admission but manage that by donation.”
Monies raised go to charity. “The New Brunswick chapter of the Canadian DeafBlind Association is our biggest charity to which we donate,” notes Shipley.
“We provide a donation for the association’s children’s camp. We also donate to The Friends of the Moncton Hospital and The Dr. GeorgesL.-Dumont Regional Hospital Foundation. We support other local charities as well.”
Owners bring their cars from across the Maritime provinces as well as Greater Moncton.
The Riverview Lions Club also raises community funds by providing the food concessions.
The FCC membership stands at thirty.
The Show and Shine, says Shipley, “is a social event. You see people from year to year. Some people like building cars – I build my cars – some people just buy them, shine them, and bring them. It is just a way to get out with good friends, maybe one person has a show car, and their friend or neighbour would like to
Photo courtesy of Paul Murphy
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5
PUBLISHER: Eric Lawson
SALES MANAGER: Brian Lane
DESIGNER: Rachel Sheldrake
Published by A View of the Tides Communications
Distributed free in public buildings, retirement residences, convenience stores, and retail and service waiting rooms from Alma to Salisbury.
Welcome
Publisher: Eric Lawson at 506 863 7324 or via viewofthetides@gmail.com
For advertising information, please contact Brian Lane at 506 860 0015 or via lane309@gmail.com
PEOPLE OUR STORIES
FEBRUARY 6, 2025
APRIL 3, 2025
MAY 1, 2025
JUNE 5, 2025
JULY 3, 2025
SEPTEMBER 4, 2025
NOVEMBER 6, 2025
DECEMBER 4, 2025
his is something of a literary issue of The River View, as we feature two book-related stories. Cath Collette offers an insightful review of two novels, Felt by Mark Blagrave and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; Kristen Lawson provides us with an interview with accomplished and celebrated Albert County author Deborah Carr, biographer of Mary Majka.
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on,” says Prospero in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. For some of us, dreams are made on classic cars, and we have those in abundance. We feature an interview with Darrell Shipley of the Ford Country Club car club and a profile of the organization’s annual Show N Shine, scheduled for Father’s Day in June. There is also a photo gallery of dream material, provided by club photographer Paul Murphy.
In this issue we also explore the Riverview Seniors Club, the 100th anniversary of the Gunningsville Baptist Church, the ElderDog program for seniors and their pups, learn about a holistic fair in support of the Royal Canadian Legion in Salisbury, and chat with River Glade musician Jon Arsenault, and hear from Julie Sobrak about fitness and wellbeing. And, of course, there are cute pets and a maple recipe. Enjoy! Your comments are always welcome, either at 506-863-7324 or via viewofthetides@gmail.com.
Thank you.
Eric Lawson Publisher
Eric Lawson
Brian Lane
Continued from page 1
get into it, so they buy one.
“There is no one particular type of person, although there is a core group. I have seven cars right now. Maybe I am over the limit!”
Shipley, who retired from a career with 3M, says that even though he often had a company car when he was working, “I still had this weakness for classic cars, particularly Mustangs. Although I just bought a race car, so I am starting to get out of the box!”
Classic car enthusiasts, he says, may “pick out six or seven car shows to go to each year. It could be the same ones every year. The Atlantic Nationals (held in July in Moncton) is a really big show with thousands of cars, we usually go to that as a group.
“We do fun things like barbecues as well; the Father’s Day Show and Shine is our big one each year.”
Although the Ford Country Club puts on the show, enthusiasts show all makes and models. He says that the very first shows
“were for Ford cars only.
When we first moved, we opened it up to all makes and went from sixty cars at a show to one hundred and sixty. Since we came to Riverview, we have had two hundred plus every year.
“The grounds lend themselves to being the ideal location to have a car show. The Town of Riverview co-operates with us really well. They give us the park and we do the security work, manage the entrance, and clean up.
The Lion’s Club is super providing the food side, and we have local business sponsors as well.”
All photos courtesy of Paul Murphy
Riverview Seniors Club growing in leaps and bounds
Leo Cassista is a model of consistency; he has been President of the Riverview Seniors Club since 2007. Cassista has seen the organization grow to serve Riverview and area while also attracting seniors from throughout Greater Moncton to events.
“For years membership was about forty-five and now it is one hundred and sixty,” says Cassista. “We had ten people call in one week recently who said they want to join.”
His wife Cecile, who organizes the club’s administration, adds that area churches help by posting club events in church bulletins and newsletters. “That has been very helpful.”
The club began as the Coverdale Senior Citizens Club in 1971, starting out in the Riverview Arena before moving to the Lions Community Centre on Coverdale Road in 1974 (Leo and Cecile are both Lions, along with their active involvement with the seniors’ club).
Numerous organizations, including the Town of Riverview’s Recreation Department and the Riverview Lions Club, have donated goods over the years. The club has also received a number of New Horizons grants that have been used, for example, to purchase equipment like card tables and chairs.
The name Riverview Seniors Club was adopted in 2008. The club supports the Albert County Food Bank and has in the past provided Christmas gifts for residents of the Jordan LifeCare Centre and the Salvation Army Lakeview Manor.
Lead sponsors today are Peoples Park Tower and the Riverview Lions Club.
The membership fee can certainly be described as reasonable - $8.00 per year. Notes Leo, “that really helps. It means we can draw almost everyone, including those who might not be able to afford a more expensive membership.”
Both Leo and Cecile emphasize the popularity of the club’s entertainment events
and contribution to members’ social lives. “Most entertainment events involve music for about an hour followed by a light lunch. Our members enjoy the social aspects of those activities.”
Other events include guest speakers and information sessions on subjects like avoiding scams and creating wills and powers of attorney. The club is a member of the Coalition for Nursing Home Residents’ Rights and provides a director to that organization’s board.
May’s guest speaker will be
New Brunswick Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jennifer Russell; the Bank of Montreal will present on how to recognize scams and frauds at a barbeque in June.
Riverview Mayor Andrew LeBlanc served as the auctioneer at the club’s Bring and Buy Auction on April 28th. The Cassistas say the mayor is motivated to beat his predecessor’s records for money raised, and his own high standards. Says Leo, “he does a great job!”
former
Riverview Mayor Andrew LeBlanc served as auctioneer at the Riverview Seniors Club annual Bring and Buy event on April 21, ably assisted by his daughter Amelia. The mayor and Amelia raised $549.00. The seniors club will decide in May to which charities it will donate the monies raised.
Seniors calendar
EVELYN’S KITCHEN
This month’s recipe is for
Maple Brickle Dessert
Ingr edients :
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1 cup maple syrup (or 1 cup butterscotch sauce)
• 2 litres vanilla ice cream
• Optional: 1 cup sliced pecans or walnut pieces
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat Maple syrup on medium heat in sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from burner and set aside to cool.
3. Remove ice cream from freezer and let soften for 15 -20 minutes.
4. Add sugar, oats, flour, and nuts to melted butter and mix well.
Spread on large baking sheet. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown. While still hot , crumble and spread half in 9 by 13 inch pan. Drizzle half of the reduced maple syrup (or butterscotch sauce). Spread softened ice cream over the crumble. Spread remaining crumble over the ice cream. Drizzle the remaining maple syrup (or sauce). Freeze.
5. Enjoy!
ElderDog Canada provides support for seniors – and their beloved pets
Remona LeBlanc recalls when she first became involved with ElderDog Canada, a volunteer organization that provides support to older dog owners and their dogs.
“We had a dog for ten years. The time came about five years ago when we had to say goodbye. I missed having a dog around the house.
My husband’s heart was broken when we lost our dog, still is, and he said he would find it too hard to have another dog in our home.
“My cousin reached out to me and said she had seen information about Elder Dog online.
They were looking for volunteers and thought that would be suitable for me. I reached out and got involved and am now on the executive team.”
LeBlanc serves today as the volunteer Dog Care Support Co-ordinator for the Greater Moncton and area chapter (ElderDog chapters are known as Pawds).
ElderDog’s website lists their primary services as: “assisting and supporting older adults in the care and well-being of their canine companions; promoting the welfare of older dogs whose lives have been disrupted due to illness, relocation or death of a human com-
If we can, for example, rehome a dog to a senior who needs the companionship, which is always a wonderful moment. Seniors love the company and the dogs are living, breathing, loving creatures. We love to help anyway we can.
panion; educating about the human-animal bond in general and the significant role of companion animals in the health and well-being of seniors; and supporting and con-
ducting research into the human-animal bond with a focus on seniors and canine companionship.”
Volunteers contribute a range of services, including dog walking,
support for seniors and their dogs, including helping seniors to keep dogs in their home, fostering and rehoming, transportation (for example to a veterinarian’s appointment or to pick up pet supplies), shortterm care for older dogs and dogs whose owners are ill, and committee and fundraising work for local Pawds.
Riverview realtor
Shawn Mayo serves as the Greater Moncton Pawd’s volunteer Communications Co-ordinator. He recalls seeing a poster for ElderDog in a coffee shop, inquiring about the organization, and discovering that
ElderDog at that time did not have a Greater Moncton Pawd.
“They asked me if I would like to start one here. I kind of got thrown in at the deep end!” Others reached out as well, and Mayo and three others founded the local Pawd.
“It has grown quite a bit. We now have more than twenty volunteers who fill many roles.” Mayo stresses the value of canine companionship, to everyone but perhaps especially to seniors. “If we can, for example, rehome a dog to a senior who needs the companionship, which is always
Blue skies ahead for Albert-Riverview region! skies ahead for Albert-Riverview region!
Welcome to spring! I wish all our shops, restaurants and artisans a very busy and prosperous tourist season. I will be working to help promote tourism in our beautiful region!
NB Power Rates: Although we are getting into the warmer parts of the year, the shocking increase in consumer power bills continues to be an important focus for me, as your representative in the provincial government. Our caucus has lobbied for an independent, third-party review to ensure that politics and misdirection from the utility does not result in higher rates than are truly justified. We all live in a climate where heat is not an option, so we will take all the steps possible to make sure that you can keep your families warm and safe. Please continue to share your concerns on this issue.
The government has finally made a decision on the Germantown Midway bridge. Thank you to the many constituents who reached out to me about this situation, especially the Rossiter family. Although we all hate to see the end of another New Brunswick covered bridge, the plan is to see a modular bridge put in place this summer This will ensure safe travel and direct access to Rte. 114 for those who live on the other side. Thank you for partnering with me to ensure progress is being made on this issue.
Photo Credit: James McLean as published CBC News, 24 April 2025
a wonderful moment.
Seniors love the company and the dogs are living, breathing, loving creatures. We love to help anyway we can.”
Mayo found his own canine companion, Stella, a fifteen-year-old Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, and Beagle mix, through ElderDog. “They contacted me one Christmas with what was supposed to be an emergency foster request. Stella was twelve. We decided to adopt her for the rest of her twilight years.”
You can contact ElderDog Canada’s Greater Moncton Pawd via their Facebook page or their website, which can be found at elderdog.ca.
Riverview real estate agent Shawn Mayo and Stella
From Irene Knowles: Potter, and Whiskey – and Potter taking care of Whiskey. James Estabrooks just says“Sam the ham;” which does seem to fit.
From Cathy Higgins of Curryville: Punky name, Punky by nature.
When looking out of my window at the million-dollar view, it’s easy to take it for granted. The little white church nestled in the hills on the far side of the Petitcodiac river makes me think of my grandparents and of days gone by, in an endearing manner. It doesn’t take long to get sidetracked by day-today activities, to the
Destination Fundy A global admiration FIRST PERSON - DON COLEMAN
point that losing sight of the beauty of Fundy-Albert becomes an unintentional reality. A thought process that is akin to, the grass is greener on the other side of the street.
It’s surprisingly easy to recapture the captivating vibe and joy of our region, by simply going for a coastal drive. It doesn’t take long to rediscover all that is glorious about our local
area. The most interesting part of this article is what happens next.
While stopping at the Hopewell Rocks, Crooked Creek Lookout, Mary’s Point, Cape Enrage, Waterside Beach, Fundy Park and other locations, a common occurrence happens on almost every journey. Yes of course, the vistas are numerous and the tides are steadfast. However, the most amazing thing is the people that you meet. Local
characters and friendly folk are to be expected at any moment, but the truly astounding layer of these outings are the people who come to visit from afar.
One day last summer I met 10 people at Mary’s Point. They happened to be the only people there at the time, and were all very friendly. As they came and went, I asked them where they were from and found their answers quite unexpected.
Alabama, Germany, Vancouver, Florida, Switzerland and Philadelphia.
The one thing that they all had in common was their description of our homeland. They used words and expressions, as follows.“The most beautiful place I have ever seen,” gorgeous, unique, stunning and wonderful! It was in those moments that I gained an inspired understanding of those
tourist’s perception of our community. Upon remembering these visitors from far and wide, a heartfelt feeling culminates in my soul. These wondrous encounters with strangers from afar, helped rekindle an undying admiration for Fundy-Albert. Those brief conversations will remain as a reminder of how blessed we are to reside in such a fabulous locale.
BOOK VIEWS
Novels provide a contrast in genre
ByCathCollette
T he novel Felt by Mark Blagrave leans toward psychological fiction, which contrasts nicely with the novel Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. A feature of the psychological novel is internal dialogue, while the gothic genre focuses on external atmosphere, suspense and even terror.
Author Mark Blagrave lives in St. Andrews, NB where the novel is set. Felt is an exploration of memory. The story follows Matt Reade as he leaves his wife in Toronto to help oversee a museum in St. Andrews and to arrange care for his mother in her mid-nineties.
The author creates a sense of place by the sea. The inner dialogue of both Matt Reade and his mother Penelope has an undercurrent of humor at times. Matt notes that his mother’s house has three bathrooms for one set of buttocks.
A project at the museum is art-based and explores the memory of people of various ages. The performance is called ‘The Body Archive’ and its coordinator is Matt’s mistress. They discuss historical figures that have contributed to the understanding of memory. Such background is a characteristic of the psychological fiction genre, but greatly slows
the plot in Felt. Matt’s mother, Penelope, lives in her memories and thoughts more than in the real world. While she lived Penelope’s mother, Thora, repeated stories so often that Penelope seems to remember her mother’s memories as if they were her own. In the early 1900s the older woman, Thora, arrived near St. Andrews from Norway. Many Norwegians had answered the ad in their country that stated workers were needed. Thora told Penelope about the relationships she made working at the sardine factory, near Minister’s Island. The sardine factory is described as a “place without a memory’. The walls were made to be hosed down of germs and smells. The workers and the boss got along like ‘oil and water’. There was trouble when the boss insulted the many Norwegian workers. Stepping forward, one of the countrymen said, “You have sealed your fate my friend.”
Years later, post-World War I, Thora and Penelope had a shop called ‘Handiworks’. The store sold locally-made knit wool sweaters and feltwork purses. Decades later Penelope asked her former employee and friend, “Are you opening tomorrow, Bernadette, or am I?” The store has been closed for years.
Both the mother and
grandmother worked with wool in soapy water to make felt and decorated the purses with local scenes. Some of the scenes however, were of a personal nature. Within the ‘folds and shadows’ there was meaning ‘just beyond the viewers grasp’. Between his sessions of infidelity, Matt settles his mother in a nearby care home. Penelope says, “I want out of here” about the care home and her own thoughts. In contrast to the introspection and retro-spection of the novel Felt are the sometimes physical jump scares of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This is a gothic novel that borders on light horror before its conclusion. As a gothic novel there is psychological tension, but the darker atmosphere and mystical elements play a larger part.
Socialite Noemi Tuboada’s father receives a mysterious letter from his niece Catalina. Catalina secretly wrote to her uncle that the house of her new husband ‘brims with evil’. Mr. Tuboada bargained with his daughter to make the trip to check on her cousin. Catalina had married into the Doyle family of High Place in a silver mining town.
On arrival to the mining town, Noemi finds that High Place looms over the town ‘like a great quiet gar-
goyle’. She understands why Catalina would be attracted to this estate and its owner. Her cousin loved such the romantic settings of gothic novels as Wuthering Heights. “Catalina was a creature of sighs and phrases as delicate as lace.”
Catalina’s husband is Virgil, a man of ‘genteel poverty’. Noemi and her father are afraid that Catalina is being used as a ‘docile piggy bank’.
The Doyle family finally let Noemi see her cousin that they say had tuberculosis. Catalina tells her, “There’re people in the walls…. They’re dead.”
Noemi eventually experiences the ‘walls of flesh’ and fungus herself. She sees a ‘golden cast’ in the eyes of the family members and hears a voice repeating the words, “I’m not sorry.”
She learns the gory history of the Doyles. The stories include how the Doyle family silver mine workers were ‘treated like animals’. A mysterious sickness spread through the workers and they were buried in a mass grave.
The one family member that befriends Noemi is Francis. He says of Catalina, “You should take her away immediately. Then you should leave.”
Elements of light horror quicken the pace later in the novel, as when ‘this thing, dead and buried for years…. held out an outstretched
hand’. Noemi tries to flee with Catalina and Francis with consequences. She is told, “You’re ours, like it or not. You’re ours and you’re us.”
Reading a novel like Mexican Gothic with its dark imagery and eerie suspense can be stimulating after reading a psychological fiction like Felt about memory. The
lightly scary gothic genre can be a relief after the relative heaviness of a stream of consciousness narrative. However, the novel Felt has a bit more humor. When the doctor is making an assessment of Penelope’s dementia, she is asked to make him tea. It takes a great deal of restraint for her not to say, “Make it yourself.”
Gunningsville Baptist Church celebrates its centennial
On May 25th at 10:30 a.m. Gunningsville Baptist Church, on Old Coach Road in Riverview, will celebrate its one-hundredth birthday with a special service.
Reverend Drew Mersereau, pastor at Gunningsville Baptist Church, says the church has invited “former pastors and members, along with a representative from the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada and hopefully a representative from the sister church that planted the Gunningsville Baptist Church in 1925.”
The church’s website notes, in a history compiled by members Bev Colpitts and Ruth MacDonald, that the first services were held at the home of J. Hazen Gunning. The church’s activities grew over the course of that year, including establishment of a Sunday School, and throughout the 1920s.The first baptism was held in a newly completed baptistry in 1930.
The 1930s saw continued growth, including completion of an auditorium and establishment of a Baptist Young Peoples Union and Cub and Scout troop.
From that auspicious beginning the church has continued to grow; throughout the twentieth century Gunningsville Baptist Church added surrounding property and a new parsonage, established a Baptist Men’s Fellowship, a vibrant Sunday School, and a Christian Service Brigade, and saw the construction of a Christian Education Building and chapel in 1969 along with the addition of the sanctuary in 1984.
Today, says Reverend Mersereau, the church continues its commitment to ministry, including exploring new means of outreach.
Services are broadcast on the church’s Facebook page and have been livestreamed on YouTube.
“The pandemic changed the landscape of church. We need to consider an online audience. We are grateful to have capable people who can give us this platform to reach people. As we look to the future, it is about having fresh answers to the question, ‘how can we be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ?’”
Reverend Mersereau, who has been pastor since 2023, describes the congregation’s numbers as “stable with some growth. The people of Gunningsville Baptist Church seem to have an ever-increasing sense of who they are, and who they are not. Every church wants to grow, but there is something special to be said about faithful people following God day in and day out, being committed to the church.”
More information is available on the church’s website at www.gunningsvillebaptist.com and on their Facebook page.
Hal Cormier, a member of the 100th Anniversary planning committee, in the church’s interior.
CHOOSE CANADIAN
By John Wishart
GRIVER GLADE MUSICIAN JON ARSENAULT FINDS INSPIRATION ON THE ROAD … AND AT HOME
Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the day several furry prognosticators tell us whether we will have six more weeks of winter.
River Glade musician
Jon Arsenault will perform at the Empress Theatre, one of the performance spaces at Moncton’s Capital Theatre, on May 17 as a member of Robert Thomas and the sessionmen.
Newly-returned U.S. President Donald Trump beat Shubenacadie Sam and others by a day this year, ushering in many weeks – perhaps months – of economic winter with his decision to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports.
Robert Thomas is a singer and songwriter who has also written for an array of artists that includes Joe Cocker, Bonnie Raitt, The (Dixie) Chicks, and Kenny Rogers.
provincial governments, and representatives from the biggest New Brunswick exporters to the U.S., in negotiations with the new U.S. administration.
But that doesn’t mean we sit idle and wait for better economic days to return.
Our country, our province, and our region produce some outstanding products, some of which make their way to U.S. and other markets.
But they also sit on our grocery store and retail store shelves.
“One day during the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert saw a video of me online performing one of his songs. He reached out and asked if I would be interested in playing guitar for him. For three months I locked myself in a studio to learn every one of the sixty or more songs that we might be asked to play.
Says Arsenault, “Robert his written all these wonderful songs for so many musicians, and now he is touring the music as he wrote it.
“Robert is a musician who loves what he does. The intimate venues we play in are often Robert’s favourites.”
As kind and friendly Canadians, we have every right to question why Trump has decided to take aim at his closest neighbour, friend, and ally within days of taking office. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already announced countervailing tariffs, and we are in for a difficult economic period.
Arsenault recalls that when he was “twelve or thirteen, my brother gave me a Robert Thomas CD. I just loved the music. That album became a huge influence on me as a musician. It just seemed natural for me to learn and begin covering that music.
For those of us who reside and make our living along the banks of the Petitcodiac, we might wonder what we can do to help our families, communities, and businesses through the darkest days of this economic winter. We should support the efforts of the federal and
“Robert is one of the great songwriters and performers and continues to be a huge influence. I am a combination guitar player, co-writer on some songs, and tour manager – anything technical comes to me!”
Thomas’s current North American tour with his band the sessionmen revisits his entire songwriting history.
One way we as residents of Southeast New Brunswick can do our part to show support for Canadian companies, and rob the Trump administration of its befuddling intentions, is to support and buy local. When we are faced with a choice of similar products or services – one made in the U.S., and another made in Canada –choose Canadian.
If the trade war continues into the summer, the expected lower Canadian dollar may entice more Americans to visit our region, so there could be a golden lining to this situation for our hotels, parks, and the
For Arsenault, he says that touring with Thomas has been a deep dive into “great musicianship. For me, it is magic.”
tourism sector.
In the meantime, think of supporting locally made products like frozen food, seafood, agricultural products (buy local apples instead of Florida oranges), maple syrup, molasses, chocolates, or arts and crafts.
When he is not on the road touring, Arsenault and his wife live on a hobby farm in River Glade that backs on the Petitcodiac River. His parents Jean-Guy and Susan Arsenault live in Riverview. Says Arsenault, “we can kayak from our farm straight to my parents’ home!”
Jenna, Emma and Maddie are three young entrepreneurs and the co-owners of JEM Beauty Salon. Together they have a passion for the industry and for making people feel beautiful in their own skin. JEM is a small local business located in Riverview, that opened in September 2023. The mission here at JEM is to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable, so that they leave glowing. We Can’t wait to see you!
It’s a little thing all of us can contribute to Team Canada’s gameplan. It’s also much more hopeful than joining Shubenacadie Sam down his burrow to wait for economic winter to blow over.
New Brunswick writer Nick Doyle, author of the Meridian Series, was among the participants in the Greater Moncton Riverview Dieppe Book Fair held at the Lions Community Centre in Riverview on April 26.
John Wishart is former CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton. His column appears in each issue of The River View.
Your Community Drug Store
Happy Mother’s Day!
HOLISTIC FAIR WILL RAISE FUNDS FOR SALISBURY LEGION
Salisbury Royal Canadian Legion Branch 31 will host a fundraiser in the form of a Holistic Fair at the Legion on May 3 and 4. Treasurer Gurney Beal notes that, like all community organizations, the Legion needs to raise funds to ensure that it can fulfill its mandate.
“The monies raised will go to general funds to start with. The President and the executive will decide where the greatest need is in terms of how the money will be used. Just improving the drainage around the building will cost $23,000.00, and there are other projects as well. Fire regulations are more modern, for ex -
ample, and the upgrades that are needed are expensive.
“All these things cost money.”
Beal stresses that the fundraising efforts are not just about buildings. The building updates in turn facilitate the Legion’s programs in support of veterans.
Says Beal, “just to give one example, a lady and her husband started up a Veterans Café.” Every Wednesday afternoon thirty-five or forty veterans come out and they get a free coffee. There are sandwiches and doughnuts for them as well.
“We help people too at Christmas. Veterans in need receive assistance
with their electric bills and we provide food hampers. We provide student bursaries to students in Salisbury and Riverview. We want to keep doing that good work.”
The holistic fair is the first of its kind for the Salisbury Legion. Beal says that the Legion wanted “to try something different.”
Vendors will range from mediums to naturopaths, artists, and healers. More details can be found on the Salisbury Holistic Fair Facebook page.
The doors will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both May 3 and 4. The Legion is located at 3317 Salisbury Street in Salisbury.
Pharmacist Jonathan Walsh and staff
From left: Hailey, Lucy, Jonathan, Christa and Mariah
THE POWER OF CHANGE: WHY MIXING THINGS UP IS IMPORTANT FOR
We all know the comfort of a good routine. You wake up, have a coffee, maybe go for a walk, do the same exercises at the gym or follow the same yoga video you’ve used for years. Routines make life feel manageable. But when it comes to making real progress, whether in your fitness journey or in everyday life, sticking to the same thing can sometimes hold you back.
Our bodies are smart. They adapt quickly to what we do regularly. That’s great when it comes to forming healthy habits, like stretching every morning or taking a weekly class. But over time, doing the exact same thing again and
again can cause progress to plateau. You might stop seeing strength gains, mobility improvements, or energy boosts, not because you’re doing something wrong, but because your body isn’t being challenged in new ways anymore. Changing things up doesn’t mean starting over or forcing yourself to try a new, extreme type of activity. It could be as simple as trying a new method of performing the same exercise, performing a new movement pattern, using light weights in your yoga class, or even adding a balance challenge to your daily walk. Small variations like these can keep your brain and body engaged. For older adults
and beginners, these gentle changes can actually improve your safety and coordination by waking
up muscles that might be underused or forgotten.
It’s not just physical progress that benefits
from change. Mixing things up can also breathe new life into your motivation. If you’ve been feeling stuck or uninspired, trying something different once in a while can bring back those reasons that put you on a healthy journey in the first place.
Here are a few ways you can incorporate change into your routine: Take a new route for your daily walk or even try walking in reverse (carefully and with support)
Join a new class - if you usually do Sit Stand Yoga, try a Gentle Strength class or low impact cardio class
Add a new goal to
your routine, like improving balance or increasing your steps each day
• Practice a new skill like meditation or standing on one foot while brushing your teeth
Remember, change doesn’t have to be dramatic. It just has to be intentional. And for those of us starting (or restarting) later in life, progress is always possible, no matter your age or experience. Sometimes, all it takes is one small shift to create new routines. Your future self will thank you.
Julie Solbak, BscKin, CKA Owner, Just Fit Fitness Center and Just Move Health Studio
Deborah Carr’s Stories Create Community Connections
ByKristenLawson
Author Deborah Carr’s ancestors were the first permanent settlers in the area now known as Albert County. Born in Moncton, she grew up visiting family in the county. When she got the chance to move there permanently in 1992, it felt like coming home.
Carr describes herself as a gatherer of stories, seeking out narratives that reveal who we are, focusing on the people of Atlantic Canada and our connection to the land we call home.
One such story is that of Mary Majka, a Polish World War II refugee who found new homes for herself on Caledonia Mountain and Mary’s Point. Mountain Mary, as she was affectionately called, was a natural storyteller, using the
power of narrative to deepen the connection between people and their surroundings.
Over the course of decades Majka shared her knowledge with fellow New Brunswickers by leading nature walks, organizing field trips, supporting outdoor education programs, and much more. From 1967-74 she used her TV show Have You Seen? to demonstrate how everything is connected, instilling her love of nature in a new generation.
Carr struck up a friendship with the local legend, but eventually realized that her friend was getting older, and all that knowledge would soon be lost. She set off on a mission to collect Majka’s stories through weekly chats at Mary’s Point, then dozens of interviews with friends and family. Seven years
later Carr published Sanctuary: The Story of Naturalist Mary Majka on September 24, 2010. Sanctuary, shortlisted for the Atlantic Independ-
ent Booksellers’ Choice Award, follows Majka from her childhood in Poland, where she was already organizing classmates to grow and sell vegetables
at the age of eight, to the sudden loss of her father and her time as a prisoner of war, to the new life she made for herself and her family in the New Brunswick wilderness. During such an unstable coming of age, nature had always served as a grounding and spiritual experi -
Mary Majka and Deborah Carr
ence for young Mary Adler (née). On Caledonia, she tapped maple trees, fished for trout, and foraged for mushrooms, berries, and fiddleheads. She leaned into the restorative power of nature and protected her new home in return.
many accomplishments, particularly the creation of Mary’s Point Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve in 1987. This was the result of twenty-five years of work by Majka and her adopted son David Christie. In 2019, Deborah Carr took
We really need to be focusing on unity and hearing each other’s stories. And giving back to our communities. We all have a role to play in protecting what gives us life.
Majka was a founding member of some of the original environmental preservation organizations in N.B. including the Moncton Naturalist Club (1961), Conservation Council of NB (1969), and New Brunswick Federation of Naturalists (1972). One of her first projects was to remove the municipal dump along the embankment of Crooked Creek.
“...the water ran high during spring or heavy rain, it would wash the garbage downstream, over waterfalls, and into the swimming holes used by the village youth.” - Sanctuary Mountain Mary’s legacy lives on today through her
part in a project aiming to turn Shepody Mountain into a protected natural wildlife area. She followed Majka’s example, using the power of stories to show how much people care about the mountain, and cherish memories of visiting it with their families. As a founding member of Connecting Albert County, Carr again leaned into the power of storytelling, listening to residents’ tales of what they love about the region and envisioning their future there. This led to the new slogan Friendly by Nature, describing both the welcoming people and the enchanting landscapes. Carr’s activism, inspired
by Mary Majka, continues today. In April she attended an Earth Day rally with Seniors for Climate because she is worried about the environmental problems future generations will have to face. “We really need to be focusing on unity and hearing each other’s stories. And giving back to our communities. We all have a role to play in protecting what gives us life.”
Of Majka’s accomplishments, cites Carr, “protecting the intertidal shorebird foraging habitats from coastal development became a top priority.
“In 1978, the Canadian Wildlife Service struck a deal with the private landowners and acquired the three upland islands and marshland of Mary’s Point. Under the Canada Wildlife Act, the site was designated as part of the previously established Shepody National Wildlife Area.
“This is Mary’s strength. She is an example for others.”
Majka was awarded the Order of New Brunswick and the Order of Canada. At the New Brunswick Federation of Wildlife, she served as president from 1980 to 1984. As soon as she took office, she launched into a campaign that saw New Brunswickers choose the black-capped chickadee as their provincial bird.”
This uniquely feathered robin has been spotted in Riverview. It may be exhibiting a condition known as leucism, a partial loss of pigmentation. If there is a reader with the expertise to know for sure, we would love to hear from you.
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14. Cocktail garnish
Cocktail garnish
Hot spot
Hot spot
Indignation
Crossword #4
Crossword #4
Crossword #4
Crossword #4
1. Chocolate alternative
1. Chocolate alternative 6. Venomous snake 11. "Goodfellas" fellas
Wanna ____" the tab
Venomous snake 11. "Goodfellas" fellas
Indignation
Cocktail garnish 15. Hot spot 16. Indignation
Cocktail garnish 15. Hot spot 16. Indignation
Prince hit, "I Wanna Be Your ____"
Pick up the tab
17. Prince hit, "I Wanna Be Your ____"
17. Prince hit, "I Wanna Be Your ____"
18. Pick up the tab
19. Conk out
19. Conk out
18. Pick up the tab
16. Indignation
Conk out
17. Prince hit, "I Wanna Be Your ____"
17. Prince hit, "I Wanna Be Your ____"
Kind of leather
18. Pick up the tab
More miffed
18. Pick up the tab
19. Conk out
Pet name
19. Conk out
20. Kind of leather
20. Kind of leather
22. More miffed
In all respects
22. More miffed
Take in
24. Pet name
24. Pet name
Dress down
25. In all respects
25. In all respects
26. Take in
Scribble (down)
26. Take in
Aussie "bear"
29. Dress down
29. Dress down
Choppers, so to speak
30. Scribble (down)
30. Scribble (down)
31. Aussie "bear"
Region
31. Aussie "bear"
Kind of wine
33. Choppers, so to speak
33. Choppers, so to speak
36. Region
36. Region
38. Kind of wine
Drive away
38. Kind of wine 40. Take a chance
40. Take a chance
Miser's problem
Sargasso, for one
41. Drive away
41. Drive away
Modular home
43. Miser's problem
18. Pick up the tab
20. Kind of leather
Vintner's vessel
61. Skip a syllable
Word repeated twice in a 1983 Bond film
Twill fabric
37. Lofty nest
61. Skip a syllable
62. Vintner's vessel
63. Word
Picnic pest
What's
62. Vintner's vessel 63. Word repeated twice in a 1983 Bond film
Twill fabric
Picnic pest
What's hot
43. Miser's problem
45. Sargasso, for one
Passel of pups
Workplace newbie
45. Sargasso, for one
46. Modular home
46. Modular home
48. Passel of pups
20. Kind of leather
22. More miffed
22. More miffed
24. Pet name
24. Pet name
(down) "bear" Choppers, so to wine chance away problem Sargasso, for one Modular home of pups Workplace newbie Carlisle,
25. In all respects
26. Take in
19. Conk out 20. Kind of leather 22. More miffed 24. Pet name 25. In all respects 26. Take in 29. Dress down 30. Scribble (down) 31. Aussie "bear"
Belinda Carlisle, once
48. Passel of pups
50. Workplace newbie
61. Skip a syllable
25. In all respects
26. Take in
29. Dress down
29. Dress down
33. Choppers, so to speak
30. Scribble (down)
50. Workplace newbie
Legalese word
62. Vintner's vessel
52. Belinda Carlisle, once
Pittsburgh product
Hard-hearted
Motorcycle escort
8. Word on an invoice
52. Belinda Carlisle, once
53. Legalese word
63. Word repeated twice in a 1983 Bond film
Poetic palindrome
53. Legalese word
61. Skip a syllable
30. Scribble (down)
31. Aussie "bear"
36. Region
31. Aussie "bear"
38. Kind of wine 40. Take a chance 41. Drive away
33. Choppers, so to speak
33. Choppers, so to speak
36. Region
54. Motorcycle escort
Fluid build-up 61. Skip a syllable
64. Twill fabric
61. Skip a syllable
54. Motorcycle escort
58. Poetic palindrome
65. Picnic pest
1. Hard-hearted 2. Succulent plant 3. Tear apart 4. Cook too long
5. Bad way to go
8. Word on an invoice
62. Vintner's vessel
58. Poetic palindrome
62. Vintner's vessel
59. Fluid build-up
9. Beguile
In motion 7. Mend socks
59. Fluid build-up
63. Word repeated twice in a 1983 Bond film
36. Region
38. Kind of wine
64. Twill fabric
38. Kind of wine
Miser's problem 45. Sargasso, for one
40. Take a chance
65. Picnic pest
40. Take a chance
41. Drive away
66. What's hot
41. Drive away
Modular home 48. Passel of pups
43. Miser's problem
43. Miser's problem
45. Sargasso, for one
61. Skip a syllable
63. Word repeated twice in a 1983 Bond film
Succulent plant 3. Tear apart 4. Cook too long 5. Bad way to go 6. In motion 7. Mend socks 8.
Beguile
Machine gun sound
Bahrain's region
Drunken
Shish ___
Shish ___
Old-fashioned
Coquettish woman
Coquettish woman
Open, a little
39. Feudal slave
42. Far from strict
Far from strict
44. Go off-topic
Go off-topic
47. Ding site, maybe
Ding site, maybe
49. Bathroom furnishing
Bathroom furnishing
50. Sorority letter
Sorority letter
51. Air again
Air again
52. Prison profession
Open, a little
Drag
37. Lofty nest
39. Feudal slave
52. Prison profession 54. Black cat, to some 55. Nearly hopeless
54. Black cat, to some 55. Nearly hopeless
28. Mike Brady was one
42. Far from strict
44. Go off-topic
Drag 28. Mike Brady was one 29. Book jacket
56. Drop-off point
56. Drop-off point
57. Rod's companion
57. Rod's companion
60. Cain raiser
60. Cain raiser
37. Lofty nest
10. Machine gun sound
61. Skip a syllable
64. Twill fabric
66. What's hot 67. Pittsburgh product Down 1. Hard-hearted
62. Vintner's vessel
62. Vintner's vessel
65. Picnic pest
9. Beguile 10. Machine gun sound 11. Bahrain's region 12. Bay window 13. Drunken 21. Shish ___ 23. Old-fashioned
63. Word repeated twice in a 1983 Bond film
66. What's hot
63. Word repeated twice in a 1983 Bond film
64. Twill fabric
Succulent plant 3. Tear apart
46. Modular home
Workplace newbie
45. Sargasso, for one
46. Modular home
48. Passel of pups
Belinda Carlisle, once
48. Passel of pups
50. Workplace newbie
Legalese word
52. Belinda Carlisle, once
50. Workplace newbie 52. Belinda Carlisle, once
3. Tear apart
53. Legalese word
Legalese word
54. Motorcycle escort
8. Word on an invoice
9. Beguile
11. Bahrain's region
25. Coquettish woman
8. Word on an invoice 9. Beguile 10. Machine gun sound 11. Bahrain's region 12. Bay window
47. Ding site, maybe
Book jacket ad 32. Pool problem 34. Elder or alder
35. Preside over
39. Feudal slave
50. Sorority letter
37. Lofty nest 39. Feudal slave 42. Far from strict
49. Bathroom furnishing
37. Lofty nest
42. Far from strict
8. Word on an invoice
51. Air again
10. Machine gun sound
12. Bay window
13. Drunken
Beguile 10. Machine gun sound
13. Drunken
26. Open, a little 27. Drag
11. Bahrain's region
Shish ___
12. Bay window
44. Go off-topic
Bahrain's region
64. Twill fabric
65. Picnic pest
65. Picnic pest
66. What's hot
67. Pittsburgh product Down 1. Hard-hearted 2. Succulent plant
67. Pittsburgh product Down 1. Hard-hearted
21. Shish ___
Cook too long 5. Bad way to go 6. In motion 7. Mend socks
4. Cook too long
66. What's hot
67. Pittsburgh product
Succulent plant
67. Pittsburgh product Down
Tear apart
13. Drunken
Bay window
Old-fashioned
39. Feudal slave
52. Prison profession
Motorcycle escort
58. Poetic palindrome
59. Fluid build-up
Lofty nest 39. Feudal slave
42. Far from strict
Go off-topic 47. Ding site, maybe
47. Ding site, maybe
5. Bad way to go
6. In motion
Poetic palindrome 59. Fluid build-up
7. Mend socks
Cook too long
Hard-hearted
Bad way to go
Succulent plant
In motion 7. Mend socks
Tear apart
1. Hard-hearted 2. Succulent plant 3. Tear apart 4. Cook too long 5. Bad way to go
Cook too long
Bad way to go
In motion
In motion 7. Mend socks
Mend socks
28. Mike Brady was one 29. Book jacket ad
21. Shish ___
Drunken
32. Pool problem 34. Elder or alder
54. Black cat, to some
Bathroom furnishing
Far from strict
Go off-topic
Nearly hopeless
Sorority letter
Ding site, maybe
49. Bathroom furnishing
Coquettish woman
23. Old-fashioned 25. Coquettish woman 26. Open, a little
Shish ___ 23. Old-fashioned
Go off-topic 47. Ding site, maybe
Air again
Drop-off point
Bathroom furnishing
50. Sorority letter
Rod's companion
Sorority letter
Prison profession
51. Air again
Cain raiser
23. Old-fashioned
Open, a little
Bathroom furnishing 50. Sorority letter
Black cat, to some
Air again
25. Coquettish woman
35. Preside over
Drag 28. Mike Brady was one
52. Prison profession
25. Coquettish woman
Air again
Nearly hopeless
Prison profession
Drop-off point
Prison profession
Black cat, to some
Book jacket ad
26. Open, a little 27. Drag
27. Drag
26. Open, a little
Pool problem
Elder or alder 35. Preside over
Drag 28. Mike Brady was one 29. Book jacket ad 32. Pool problem 34. Elder or alder
Book jacket ad
54. Black cat, to some 55. Nearly hopeless
Rod's companion
Nearly hopeless
Black cat, to some
Cain raiser
28. Mike Brady was one
28. Mike Brady was one 29. Book jacket ad 32. Pool problem 34. Elder or alder
Pool problem
35. Preside over
Elder or alder 35. Preside over
35. Preside over
Drop-off point
Nearly hopeless
56. Drop-off point
Drop-off point
Rod's companion
57. Rod's companion 60. Cain raiser
Rod's companion
Cain raiser
Cain raiser
Word on an invoice
Beguile
Machine gun sound
HOPEWELL ROCKS
remains the icon of New Brunswick tourism and one of the most visited parks in Canada.
In 2024 the park saw 246,941 visitors from all across the world. Local residents feel a sense of pride in Hopewell Rocks as the most recognizable Provincial Park in Atlantic Canada; we consistently seek to upgrade the facility to recognize that pride.
In 2024 renovations were done to the entrance plaza, from the admissions kiosks to the interpretive center and 8 new gender neutral washrooms were added at the entrance of the park.
As part of the conservation efforts, 6 new electric shuttles were added to the fleet to ensure a more quiet and ecofriendly experience while being transported to the lower site of the park. We partnered with a local welder to create our new entrance gate which was a master piece that had our guests talking all season.
Hopewell Rocks is a special operating agency, which means the park funds itself through revenues generated through the support of amazing New Brunswickers and extended guests. We look forward to hosting everyone for the 2025 season which kicks off on May 16 - October 26.
131 Discovery Road Hopewell Cape, NB
New admissions kiosk and eight new washrooms have been added at the entrance.
Rochers
HOPEWELL Rocks
