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A homeless Fredericton man who was a no-show in court just before the holidays faces new criminal charges, and a judge remanded him Thursday until the case against him concludes.

An arrest warrant was issued Dec. 23 for Andrew Derek Washburn, 32, of no fixed address, after he failed to attend Fredericton provincial court as directed.

He was scheduled on that date to answer to an Oct. 15 charge of committing an indecent act by exposing his genitals in a public place.

However, police located him and arrested him, and after his bail hearing was adjourned Monday, it proceeded before Judge Karen Lee on Thursday.

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Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly popular, especially with chatbots such as ChatGPT blowing up online. But many people may still have questions about how the technology is being used, especially in work environments.

Stories tout record provincial revenues of $6 million, while advertisements offer 25-cent bags of onions, and haddock for 5 cents a pound.

Force releases photo of person of interest in its investigation

The Woodstock Police Force is reaching out to the public to help identify a person of interest as it investigates a recent snowmobile theft. 

In a news release on Jan. 2, the WPF said its Criminal Investigations Section is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a person of interest connected to an ongoing investigation into the theft of a Polaris snowmobile.

In the statement, the police explained the force received a complaint from a local business on Dec. 30 regarding the theft.

Through investigation, officers determined that the incident had occurred at approximately 2:35 a.m. when the snowmobile was driven out of a secured compound and toward the Jones Street area.

The police released photos of the stolen snowmobile and the person of interest. 

The police ask anyone with information regarding the theft or the individual pictured to contact the Woodstock Police Force at (506) 325-4601 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App or by Secure Web Tips at www.crimenb.ca.

The post Woodstock police investigating snowmobile theft first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Fire chief blames early Thursday evening crashes on road conditions

Woodstock Fire Department crews were responding to a report of a tractor-trailer accident on the Trans Canada Highway (Route 2) north of Woodstock when they came upon a second big rig crash while en route. 

Fire Chief Harold McLellan said the department responded to a report of an accident at mile marker 179, between Woodstock and Hartland, before 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2. Fire crews discovered an overturned tractor-trailer between mile markers 183 and 184 near Atlantic Inns in Jacksonville. 

“At first, we thought someone may have made a mistake with the marker numbers,” McLellan said. 

They later learned that another truck had overturned on the highway median further north, so some crew members continued to that location. 

McLellan said the truck in Jacksonville appeared to be heading north on the four-lane highway when it lost control and left the highway. He said the truck and trailer separated, with the trailer ending on its side in the middle of the median, while the transport came to a stop on its roof near the southbound lanes. 

He said the driver was out of the cab when they arrived. He said Ambulance New Brunswick staff attended to him, but he wasn’t sure of the extent of the injuries. 

McLellan said he doesn’t believe anyone sustained injuries at the accident further north. 

The fire chief said road conditions were bad at the time of the accidents, with light snow falling and “a little bit of black ice.” 

He said drivers don’t always adjust to the black ice, and that became evident as they attended the accident scene. 

“Cars were going by like it was summertime,” McLellan said. 

Shortly after 9 p.m., the New Brunswick RCMP posted a warning on social media advising motorists not to travel on Route 108 between Plaster Rock and Renouse due to poor weather conditions.

Chief McLellan said his department had already responded to four motor-vehicle accidents in the first two days of 2025. Fortunately, he added, none were serious. 

The post Emergency crews respond to big-rig accidents near Woodstock first appeared on River Valley Sun.

January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month across Canada. Ben Mclaughlin and Chandra MacBean sit down with CHCO’s Vicki Hogarth to talk about the services provided by the Alzheimer Society of New Brunswick, the implications of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia on those who have it, their caretakers, and their community, the importance of early diagnosis, and how lifestyle changes can reduce the risk and severity of dementia.

Original broadcast date: December 31, 2024

Southwest Magazine is an original CHCO Television production taped on location at the CHCO-TV studios in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

Repairs to Magaguadavic River #2 bridge in St. George to be completed by end of January + New provincial impaired driving laws now in effect + 2025 Polar Plunges take place across New Brunswick.

Original Broadcast Date: January 2, 2025

CHCO-TV NewsBreak26 is an original CHCO Television production produced at the CHCO-TV studio in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

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Conflicting evidence, a lack of details and evidence that fell outside the parameters of the charges led a judge to find a Haneytown man not guilty Thursday of sex-related charges dating back a decade.

Mathew Peter Robert Gratton, 30, of Broad Road, was surrounded by family in Fredericton provincial court Thursday to hear Judge Lyne Raymond’s decision on his trial.

The RCMP had charged him with counts of sexual assault and sexual interference involving an underage girl in Haneytown between Dec. 17, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2016, allegations he denied last year.

A court order prohibits the publication or broadcast of information that would tend to identify the complainant.

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Several fire departments across New Brunswick reported an increase in calls for 2024. Ashley Graham, the president of the Moncton Firefighters Association, said the yearly call number has continued to grow since 2020.

Saint John police have arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with the death of a 30-year-old woman whose body was found on Lancaster Avenue early Christmas Eve morning.

New Brunswick's Local Governance Commission has told the City of Fredericton it will not intervene after a group of mayors voted last year to not recognize a proposed aquatic centre as being a regional project.

New impaired driving laws, in effect in New Brunswick as of Jan. 1, are designed to strengthen administrative penalties.

New rules allow for on-site, short-term license suspension, vehicle impoundment, and fees for blood alcohol content (BAC) above 0.05 or greater during a standard field sobriety test.

“The new rules also allow peace officers to give drivers who have a BAC of 0.08 or more, or who refuse a roadside screening test, an immediate roadside suspension or charge them under the Criminal Code,” according to the Government of New Brunswick.

Anyone found to be above 0.05 will receive an automatic 7-day license suspension, the vehicle could be impounded for at least three days.

If a BAC is above 0.08 or refuses to complete a roadside test, a license will be suspended for three months, the vehicle could be impounded for 30 to 60 days, an interlock device placed inside the vehicle, and impaired driving re-education.

New Brunswick RCMP Cpl. Matthew LeBlanc said this type of legislation did not exist in the province.

“With this, we’re now able to impound vehicles,” he said speaking with The Courier. “Before, it was just suspending the license for seven days.”

He said this is a valuable tool for helping reduce impaired driving.

“We’re trying to ding people. We’re trying to change their behavior,” he said in an interview. “This way, by bypassing the criminal code, it helps preserve a clean criminal record. It helps reeducate the drivers, and it also helps clear up some of the backlogs in the criminal court system.”

In 2023, 22 people were killed as a result of impaired driving, according to the New Brunswick RCMP.

“I think with this and having the onerous to have an interlock device in your car for 12 months following the incident and having to take a course is probably more … of rehabilitation than just punitive,” he said.

In November, first responders in Charlotte County launched the MADD campaign by tying red ribbons to their cars to show their commitment to never driving impaired.

According to RCMP Cpl. Jayson Hasen, in the last year within Charlotte County, there were two fatalities connected to impaired driving.

In the end, LeBlanc-Smith added the two most significant reasons people die on New Brunswick roads are impaired driving and not wearing their seatbelt.

“We really want to push the message that drive sober and buckle up, and we’re going to have a lot less deaths on our roads,” he said.

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Defence counsel for an Upper Gagetown man accused of reckless disregard for another person’s safety when discharging a firearm told a court Thursday the matter likely won’t go to trial.

Bruce Allen, 36, of Highway 102, faces an indictable charge of intentionally discharging a firearm while being reckless as to the life or safety of another person, alleged to have occurred Aug. 8 in Upper Gagetown.

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In an alternate universe British band Japan would have had the pop star success of Duran Duran, and teenagers would have had Mick Karn and Richard Barbieri posters on their bedroom walls. Alas, it was not to be.

Several hits and moody videos gave us the niggling suspicion that this band was less concerned with popularity and more interested in actual music. When they dissolved the various members concentrated on serious music concerns- concertos, art installations, ambient soundscapes, and so on. Leader David Sylvain has enjoyed a long, fruitful career in the visual arts and music. Often teaming with King Crimson wizard Robert Fripp to create sonic experiments. “Secrets of the Beehive” remains both a challenging and strangely compelling pop album.

Now, let me get this out of the way right from the get-go; I believe you can’t make rock n’ roll if you don’t smile and have a laugh. You cannot take it too seriously or it falls flat. I really should not embrace Sylvain because there is barely a hint of a smile in any of his catalouge. Nevertheless, the work digs in under the skin and does what all good rock does- it moves the soul.

The album begins with the sparse minute and a half of “September” with Sylvain at the piano and a tasteful string arrangement from collaborator Ryuichi Sakamoto. Sakamoto adds synths and strings throughout the work building a cohesive sound that almost translates as movements in a symphony. Sylvain’s voice is deep, plaintive, and dead center in this haunting opening, “September’s here again”.

This leads to the dissonant “The Boy with the Gun”, “he knows well his wicked ways”. The subject “points the barrel at the sky….he knows his kingdom’s gone”. David Torn provides angular electric guitar and Sylvain multi-tracks the vocals creating a call-and-response with himself. A long, quiet swirling guitar fade leads to “Maria”. This is one of the most experimental pieces on the record with tape loops pasting organ, guitar, and synths in counter-intuitive ways. Recorded dark laughter in the background and found radio sounds add a creeping dread to the minimal lyrics that seem to barely rise above the music.

A little sunlight breaks through the clouds with “Orpheus”, maybe the first proper “song” on the album. “Orpheus sleeps on his back, still dead to the world”, rolls along with Japan bandmate Steve Jansen on drums, as a full cohort provides slide guitar, piano, and lovely flugelhorn from Mark Isham. “My wings open wide, there’s a beauty here I cannot deny” speaks to the first time some strength and positivity enter into the characters Sylvain explores. “Orpheus keeps to his promise and stays by my side” is one of the key lyrics of the project. All of the songs have been short and after two minutes this track seems to come to an end but then, after a pause, it picks up again as the journey continues with that very strong flugelhorn showing the way. “The Devil’s Own” heads back into dark territory, with Sylvain and Sakamoto both on piano and organ. “The ticking of the clock…the devil beats his drum”, leads to a very British pastoral movement of quiet symphonic sounds but that is a false lead as we circle back to the “Ticking of the clock, surely sunrise won’t be long”.

The song seems to drag us down. Then, unexpectedly, Spanish guitar leads of the wondrous “When Poets Dreamed of Angels”, a highlight in their career of Sylvain. The subject matter is dark indeed, as a woman contemplates the “bruises on her body”. In an unspoken triumph, the music, led by percussion, handclaps, and that beautiful acoustic guitar, takes the female character away and up to escape the wretched circumstances. It is a remarkable two minutes of salvation. “Mother and Child” seems to be a poem with minimal backing mostly led by the double bass until the piano takes over with random clanging sounds that push the lyrics aside. A not altogether successful experiment. The penultimate track is the most successful pop song here, “Let the Happiness In” is a melodic, hook-filled, melancholy masterpiece. Flugelhorn, trumpet, and strings fill up a beautiful piece that has the character “waiting on the empty dock watching the ships roll in” It is a moment captured to great effect as the narrator consciously decides to “let the happiness in”. “Listen to the waves against the rocks, I don’t know where they’ve been” echoes the peaceful, positive thoughts that this song leaves one with.

The closing track, “Waterfront” stays down by those docks but the narrator looks outward instead of inward watching the boys playing and the ships loading. Watching, observing, but somehow staying detached and ultimately, alone. The album comes right back to the lead track “September” as the rain and autumn wrap around the artist. “Somehow, the stigma remains” is an enigmatic last message. “Secrets of the Beehive” is not commercial, it is not edgy, but it is also not background music.

Charlotte County resident Stephen MacKnight works for Anglophone South & Working NB after a decade spent as a music teacher in the school system and twenty-five years in the music retail industry cycling through Sam the Record Man, Records on Wheels and CDPlus. There have been nominations from ECMA’s & Music NB as a band-member and songwriter. Passionate and opinionated about music Stephen loves when anyone wants to have a debate. 

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A Fredericton man accused of exposing himself in public this past summer will stand trial next year after denying the charge this week.

Keaton Joseph Dodsworth, 25, of Valleyview Court, was back in Fredericton provincial court Monday to answer to an allegation of committing an indecent act.

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New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says she plans to stay in office for a maximum of two terms — if the increasingly polarized and impatient political climate allows even that.

The Uptown Saint John Business Improvement Association is asking city hall for more timely information about potentially disruptive construction projects and for money to support affected businesses.

Hartland High Huskies and community hold ceremony to honour Hartland Fire Chief Mike Walton

On Friday, Dec. 20, the Day & Ross Community Centre stood still as the community honoured the 40 years of service of long-serving Hartland Fire Department Chief Mike Walton.

“The fire department has been more than just a job to Mike Walton. It has been his passion,” said Hartland Mayor Tracy DeMerchant when asked about Waltons’ contributions to the department and town.

“You won’t find anyone in the valley that works any harder or better,” she continued.

She also called Walton a giver and complimented his selflessness.

Many firefighters, some from departments as far away as Oromocto, were on hand at the ceremony to honour Walton.

“The idea [for the ceremony] came from the Hartland Huskies,” said Hartland Recreation Coordinator Dana Stokoe.

From the ceremony’s inception, the planning process went exceptionally smoothly.

Walton’s participation in his community has been wide-reaching and has touched almost every Hartland resident in some way.

“There’d probably be a lot more houses burnt down by now,” joked Stoke when asked what Hartland would look like without Waltons’ contributions.

In addition to his contributions to the fire department, Walton is always ready to support the community through his construction businesses.

“If [someone’s] equipment brakes down he is always the first to come in and let them use his,” said nephew Samuel Walton, speaking on his uncle’s contributions to the community.   

DeMerchant, deputy fire chief Roy Reid, and a few of Walton’s family members were at the commemoration.

Unfortunately, Walton was unable to attend due to medical complications.

During the ceremony, members of the Hartland Huskies presented custom jerseys, a framed collage featuring moments from Waltons career, and a framed photo of him to members of his family and Reid.

Shortly after the ceremony had concluded, Reid fell on the arena stairs and cut himself on the glass from a picture frame.

Firefighters in attendance quickly tended to him before he headed to the hospital. Reid is currently fine after being seen at the hospital later that night.

The post Hartland pays tribute to long-time fire chief first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Residents from Millville to Woodstock feel the earth move on Jan. 1, 2025

By Jim Dumville, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter and Sandra Hanson

The new year kicked off with a bang in and around Woodstock, N.B., on Jan. 1, with several residents reporting house-shaking events in the middle of the afternoon.

Residents from Millville to Woodstock jumped on social media to report the sound of a bang and a tremor that rattled their homes on New Year’s Day around 3:30 p.m.

Woodstock Police Chief Mark Bennett said his force received “a number of calls” reporting a potential explosion. 

Bennett said early indications point to a tremor from a small earthquake, but that has not been confirmed as of 5 p.m.  

The police department released a statement shortly before 5 p.m., addressing the issue. 

Woodstock Police Force has been receiving numerous reports of a loud “boom” and rumbling,” Bennett said in the statement. “Many were concerned that it may have been an explosion. At this point in time, it is believed to have been a small earthquake or tremor. No damage has been reported. Thank you.”

Residents from several Woodstock areas, including Chelsey Cerro, told the River Valley Sun they felt and heard something.

“I only heard and felt the first [bang]. It felt like thunder but more. I asked my husband, Mike, ‘Did you feel that?'” Cerro said. “It almost felt like someone had driven into my garage. And we were in the basement so upstairs it would have been much louder.”

Cerro reported feeling a more minor tremor shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Realtor Kerry Culberson was at her office in downtown Woodstock when she heard a large bang, and the building shook. 

“I was at my office working away and it felt like something hit the building,” she said. “I immediately got up and walked around the building expecting the worst. But nothing … I checked the clock, it was 3:28 p.m.”

Joy Hanson, who lives on Beardsley Road south of Woodstock, said the noise captured her attention. 

“It sounded like an explosion, huge sound,” recalled Hanson. “I felt it a bit while sitting in my chair but [it was] more of the loud sound that startled me.”

More to come…

The post New Year begins with bang in western New Brunswick first appeared on River Valley Sun.

A woman is facing life-threatening injuries after being struck by a motor vehicle in a Moncton, N.B., parking lot on Tuesday morning.

New Brunswick can check off a few significant astrological events in the past year, including a full solar eclipse and the northern lights. 

Stéphane Picard of Quispamsis found his passion for astrology during the pandemic and founded Cliff Valley Astronomy. 

“I was always into astronomy, fascinated by it,” said Picard. “I jumped from astronomy into astrophotography during the pandemic, and I really got the bug hard.” 

Astrophotography is an expensive hobby, Picard explained, but one he said there is a growing appetite for. When he began, he knew there would be a solar eclipse happening in 2024 and that’s where astrotourism came into play. 

On April 8, 2024, parts of New Brunswick fell under the totality of a solar eclipse, bringing it to total darkness. New Brunswick, according to Picard, had four of Canada’s certified dark sky sites as designated by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 

They include the Irving Nature Park in Saint John, Fundy National Park, Kouchibouguac National Park and Mount Carleton Provincial Park. 

“We have a network of tourism operators,” Picard said. “In the first year, we started with four partners. This past year, we got it (to) almost 30. We’re hoping for 75 next year. So, that’s growing super fast.” 

New Brunswick is uniquely positioned to view astrological events due to our geography, according to Picard. 

“We’re not a (heavily) populated province,” he said. “We have a beautiful coast and the inner river systems with the forest and all that. There’s plenty to see.” 

About 80 per cent of U.S. residents  do not see the Milky Way from where they live, however, in Canada, that reduces to somewhere around 60 per cent in places like  Ontario. 

“I think New Brunswick has some key strengths that we can capture,” Picard explained. 

In October, the aurora borealis made headlines in New Brunswick – with many people posting a picture of the famous northern lights. 

“I think a lot more people are starting to look up,” said Jordan Holmes, Cliff Valley Astronomy’s business development manager. 

For Picard, the exploration of space is something with infinite possibilities and economic spin-offs that many communities – if the stars align – can take advantage of. 

“It’s the last great frontier to explore,” he said. 

Cliff Valley Astronomy is planning a trip to Egypt in 2027 for an eclipse tour. It’s one of the organization’s many offerings as part of its Sky Experience, which is also coming to Saint Andrews. 

“We have the event coming up in March, which is taking a lot of our focus,” Holmes said. “It’s going to be a big deal in Charlotte County, and we’re hoping to draw a lot of attention into the event and a lot of spotlight on Saint Andrews and Charlotte County as a whole.” 

On March 29, a partial solar eclipse is expected to be seen from Saint Andrews. The organization will host events at the Algonquin Resort, including a keynote speech from Alan Dyer, one of Canada’s best-known astronomy authors and astrophotographers. 

Another keynote speaker is Jenna Hinds, the executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 

The three-day event, called the Sunrise Eclipse Retreat, takes place from March 28 to 30.

More than 30 per cent of all vehicles stolen in RCMP-patrolled territory in New Brunswick were stolen in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview, according to the RCMP's year-to-date occurrence data, which was last updated on Tuesday.

The name Charlotte has jumped the line in New Brunswick this year as one of the most popular baby names of 2024, according to preliminary results from Service New Brunswick.

Some students at Harrison Trimble High School in Moncton say the school could have done more to save its girls' hockey team when it was short a goalie.

Just as the province’s winter activities usually get started, the outlook is bleak for snowmobiling in particular.

Join hosts Vicki Hogarth and Jonathan Brittain as they look back at their favourite Good Day from the Bay moments of 2024.

Original Broadcast Date: December 31, 2024

Good Day from the Bay is an original CHCO Television production taped on location at the CHCO-TV studios in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

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Three former New Brunswick residents have filed lawsuits against the provincial government, seeking damages for allowing them to be sexually abused by an infamous pedophile decades ago.

John Joseph Paul, Charles Rector and Robert Thibeau all filed notices of action and statements of claim Oct. 15 in the Court of King’s Bench in Fredericton against the province, and specifically the Department of Justice and Public Safety.

All three court filings allege the plaintiffs were victims of New Brunswick’s most notorious sexual abuser, Karl Toft.

Toft worked for decades as a correctional officer at the former Kingsclear Training School just outside of Fredericton, where underage offenders were incarcerated and where wards of the province were also housed.

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A Fredericton woman has been missing for three months now, prompting the city police force to renew its request for information from the public to aid in the effort to locate her.

The Fredericton Police Force issued an advisory through social media Oct. 17 about Tammy Liston, 52, of Fredericton, who’d been missing for several weeks at that point.

“Tammy Liston was last seen on Fredericton’s north side on Sept. 28,” police said in a post on Facebook more than two months ago.

“Despite several attempts, efforts to locate her have been unsuccessful.”

In a followup post New Year’s Eve, the force noted officers have continued its search for the missing woman, but to no avail.

Again, it asked for people to come forward with relevant information.

Liston is described as being about 5’5” tall, weighing about 90 pounds, with light brown hair, often in a bun with bangs, and brown eyes. She sometimes wears glasses, the force advised.

Anyone with any information regarding her whereabouts is urged to call the Fredericton Police Force at 506-460-2300.

Those wishing to provide tips anonymously can do so through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477, by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App or submitting them through Secure Web Tips online at www.crimenb.ca.

Tipsters can cite police file no. 24-24428.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached by email here.

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The bodies of two men were recovered from a car that was found upside down in a creek in Moncton on Tuesday morning.

Many people were excited to visit the Radical Stitch exhibit when it opened at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton in November. It features Indigenous beadwork from across Canada and the U.S. But some of the most excited were the beadwork artists who are featured in the gallery, who got to meet their beading heroes.

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A Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska man about whom the RCMP issued an alert last month on suspicion of serious assaults in Plaster Rock has been arrested and charged in court, the Mounties report.

The RCMP’s Perth-Andover detachment issued a news release Nov. 18 about Yves Levesques, 36, of Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska, noting he was wanted on a warrant of arrest for assault causing bodily harm.

The warrant stemmed from a number of alleged assaults last month in McLaughlin, near Plaster Rock, it said.

“He is known to police and is considered to be violent,” the release said. “He should not be approached by members of the public.”

In an update posted New Year’s Eve, the RCMP reported Levesques was found Dec. 22 and arrested.

“On Dec. 23, 2024, he appeared in Woodstock provincial court and was charged with two counts of break and enter, two counts of mischief [property damage] under $5,000, assault with a weapon, threats to property, theft under $5,000, assault causing bodily harm [and] threats,” the updated release said.

Levesques was remanded during that court appearance last week, the Mounties said, and he’s scheduled to be back before a judge Jan. 16.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached at [email protected].

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The top baby names for New Brunswick in 2024 are Noah and Charlotte.

According to the Government of New Brunswick, 6,041 babies were born in New Brunswick in 2023. Preliminary results provided by the Vital Statistics Office through Service New Brunswick show about 5,822 births were registered in the province from Jan. 1 to Dec. 15.

Other popular baby names this year included: Liam, Oliver, Henry, Jack, Olivia, Amelia, Elizabeth, and Ellie.

“Congratulations to everyone who welcomed a new addition to their family in 2024,” said Local Government Minister Aaron Kennedy, also minister responsible for Service New Brunswick. “Our government is focused on the health, wellness, and future of all New Brunswickers.”

Overall, the most popular names that year were Liam, Olivia, Theodore, Emma, Noah, Benjamin, James, Charlotte, Oliver, William, Jacob, and Violet.

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A Bilijk (Kingsclear) First Nation man awaiting a sentencing decision on a variety of crimes from two years ago and earlier this year was released on an ankle-monitor Monday.

Seth Peterson Solomon, 24, of Porcupine Court, appeared in Fredericton provincial court in custody and in person Monday, scheduled for sentencing for a variety of crimes.

However, Judge Mélanie Poirier LeBlanc noted there was an issue with the case. She noticed in her files that one of the victims - Hailey Dennis - hadn’t been contacted to see if she wanted to submit a victim-impact statement.

The judge decided that instead of adjourning the whole sentencing hearing, she’d hear the facts and reserve her decision until after Dennis was given the opportunity to provide her input.

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John Kershaw, Chairman of the Board for the Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island, sits down with host Jay Remer at the CHCO studio to talk about the role of the organization, a look back at the 2024 tourism season, and a look ahead to what visitors to the Island can expect in 2025.

Original broadcast date: December 30, 2024

Fundy Tidings with Jay Remer is an original CHCO Television production taped on location at the CHCO-TV studio in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

The chair of the Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island says the number of visitors is returning to pre-pandemic levels. 

“During COVID and after COVID, our numbers dropped quite a bit,” said John Kershaw. “But we’re starting to climb back to that historic high, we had just over 26,000. So, we’re back to 24,000 now. We had an excellent year.” 

Ministers Island is a national historic site and was designated as such in 1996. The estate was built by Sir William Van Horne, who served as president of the Canadian Pacific Railway. 

The island had several successful events throughout the season, according to Kershaw. 

“I would like to give a shout-out to Jamie Steel, our longtime partner in that regard,” he said in an interview. “He does wonders for us and puts those concerts together.” 

It had two signature events, RAILFest and EarthFest.  It also held a Lego-based event. 

“(The) kids could come and build things with the Lego blocks and the winners that built the best got to have their display added to a display that the local user group takes around the county,” Kershaw said. “So, that brought in a lot of families, a lot of young people, and that’s the sort of thing we want to see for the future.” 

EarthFest drew about 700 people in a single day, Kershaw explained. 

A new business plan

The island is also undertaking a six-year business plan. It will create a path forward for the island to preserve the history but make it more accessible. 

“It’s identifying and protecting the artifacts on the island, curating them properly, protecting the Indigenous middens and other artifacts that are on the island,” he said. “The second area is tourism itself and identifying what things we should be doing on the island could be doing on the island to bring more visitors in.” 

Kershaw said another component is education. 

“We think there is an opportunity for us to do more education-related workshops and things of that nature,” he said. “Maybe camps for young people, maybe for adults as well, and also to develop resources that can be used in the classroom to showcase the history of Ministers Island, and also the innovative spirit of the people that were there.” 

Finally, the island will look at “governance and just the basic management and administration of the island,” he said.

Collaboration with Indigenous communities 

It has also identified the urgent and priority need to work with the Indigenous community. 

“As Chief Hugh Akagi once mentioned to me, you know, you’re celebrating Van Horne, who was there 400 years ago. We were there thousands of years ago, and we do have an Indigenous exhibit, but I think we’ve identified, and we recognize, the fact that we could do a lot more,” Kershaw said. “We need to do a lot more to improve the narrative around the history of the Indigenous people on the island. We need to partner more effectively with the local band and with Chief Akagi himself.” 

Overall, the board of directors hopes to increase the number of annual visitors to about 35,000 through the new goals in the plan. He said the future is dependent on adequate funding. 

Further funding needed 

Kershaw said he is hopeful the new government will come to the table to help create a funding model that is sustainable. The island only receives $100,000 a year to operate. 

“By way of comparison, I mentioned before that Kings Landing gets $2.8 million a year to operate,” he said. “They have roughly the same number of visitors as us. So, I remind you, that they get $2.8 million (and) we get $100,000. We have the same number of visitors comparatively. That’s not fair … We are not sustainable with that kind of money.” 

Kershaw said the organization isn’t seeking $2.8 million, but enough to hire the people it needs to operate and invest to make the plan it has developed to make it a reality. 

The board has hoped the community engagement in the business plan will be an encouragement for the new government to see the value in investing in Ministers Island. 

“I’m hopeful the new government will see that we are a value-added proposition for them,” he said. “We have a tremendous number of volunteers that work both on the board and on the island itself. So, what we offer them is a very cost-effective and efficient model of governance, and we’re just calling on them to invest in a sustainable way.” 

Membership for Ministers Island is available for purchase here and costs $65 for individuals and $105 for families consisting of two adults and four children.

Mayor Brad Henderson is reflecting on a positive year in Saint Andrews amid an increase in new construction and the tax base, but also the challenges that come with operating a municipality. 

This year’s budget was a significant point of contention, Henderson said, due to the ongoing issues of amalgamation – and the diversity of communities forged together. 

“This one, again, we did get to a micro level, which is what every council should do,” he said. “But there was also some friction, and I think it’s important to acknowledge that. There were some heated debates. At times, I think it seemed almost a little bit personal, (we were) able to (reel) it back in and concentrate on what the true purpose was, and it was the budget.” 

Despite the fact that Charlotte County was left out of the last round of the federal Housing Acceleration Fund, the assessment base rose by 9.9 per cent. 

In the end, the council approved its budget with two dissenting votes. It lowered the property tax rate for both Saint Andrews and the two new rural areas of Bayside and Chamcook. 

The town saw about a three per cent increase in new construction this year, increasing its tax base. He said that is what allowed the council to maintain and, in some cases, lower the tax rate. 

Henderson explained the final tax base calculations are made by the province — council only decides what the tax rates will be.

“For the most part, existing homeowners, we did not grow the tax base on them,” he said. “We held it the same as we did last year, which is a big win for a municipality.” 

However, Henderson said he feels like the municipality is not healthier or in a better place since municipal reform – something on full display during the budget process. 

“I think we’re seeing that after a couple of budgets, the frustration is coming forward,” Henderson said. “And at the end of the day, no one wants to pay more in taxes. The bills are going up everywhere, whether it be NB Power, whether it be even your internet at home.” 

But while paying more taxes was a point of contention, so too was a fee paid by taxpayers outside Saint Andrews proper. 

“The other source of friction that I find, that is jumping out, is DTI (the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure) still manages the roads in Chamcook and Bayside,” Henderson explained. 

Those residents are charged an additional 41 cents on their tax rate, which many said at a meeting held by the town was not equitable for the service they receive. 

“The other thing is there’s no communication,” Henderson said. “They call town hall. Town hall rightfully says, ‘Well, the province manages them,’ but then they don’t find any way to communicate with the province to get their issues looked at.” 

Henderson said he’s hopeful about the change in government, but added he needs to see progress quickly. 

“I’m a big believer, personally, of my values that if you do a good job, I’ll support you. If you don’t, I’ll vote for someone else. And really, my door is open to anyone,” Henderson said. 

Premier Susan Holt, according to Henderson, has made several visits to Saint Andrews, discussing several important issues including communication about transportation and infrastructure plans. 

Henderson said a big commitment he is seeking for next year is doctor recruitment. 

“The reality is, as a region, the amount of family doctors we have has declined significantly, and that doesn’t just limit within community walls.” 

St. Stephen and Blacks Harbour have been promised a collaborative care clinic, with St. Stephen expected to have its clinic up and running within 18 months. 

Nothing was slated for Saint Andrews. 

“I don’t think that we are part of that plan,” Henderson explained. “However, I am excited to say that, although I can’t get into specifics of it right now, I am excited to say that I am working with Coun. Annette Harland and our wellness center to find a way in which we improve health care in Saint Andrews.” 

He said he has plans to ask for another meeting with Holt in January to continue discussing priorities for 2025.

— with files from Vicki Hogarth

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A Fredericton woman accused of fraud and forgery offences didn’t appear in court as required Monday to enter pleas to the charges.

Amanda Jayne Martin, 41, of Biggs Street, faces charges of knowingly using a forged cheque belonging to Amal Bensaleh and defrauding the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) of less than $5,000.

The counts allege events in Fredericton on Dec. 31, 2023.

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There are roughly 733,000 people in Canada living with some form of Alzheimer’s, according to the Canadian Alzheimer’s Society. 

This is why the New Brunswick Alzheimer’s Society is hoping to raise awareness about the risk factors and early warning signs of the disease. January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. 

“There are ways that we can reduce our risk for developing dementia,” said Ben McLaughlin. “Right now, there is no surefire way to completely prevent it, but there are lots of different ways that you can reduce your risk.” 

There are several risk factors for Alzheimer’s including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, among several others. The two said it is never too late to start the process of taking better care of your physical health. 

“Managing your numbers, like your blood pressure, weight, and blood sugars,” said NBAS executive director Chandra McBean. “If you have diabetes, all of those things have a higher impact than any potential treatment that can be available now and even in the future.” 

According to the National Alzheimer’s Society, about 350 people in Canada develop dementia per day, almost 15 per hour. 

By 2030, the organization says, the number of people living with dementia could increase by 65 per cent. 

McLaughlin said there are ways to notice whether someone could be dealing with some form of Alzheimer’s – with the main one being shifts in their personality and memory. 

“Memory is one of the first kinds of tell-tale signs that we tend to notice,” he said. “Oftentimes the first kind of changes that we notice aren’t just memory. It could be a change in personality.”

He said some who might have always been warm and friendly might become more defensive or closed off. 

“I would add one of the earliest changes that families share with us is changes in managing finances,” McBean said. “So, anything that requires abstract thinking.” 

There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s. 

The NBAS has created a program called First Link to help people living with dementia or their caregivers. 

“It’s about accompanying the individual living with dementia and the family and care partners and whoever’s involved in that circle of care,” McBean said. 

The program connects individuals and families with resources like education and support services specific to their needs. This happens both at the time of diagnosis and throughout the progression of the disease. 

Both McLaughlin and McBean said someone does not have to be diagnosed to reach out to the society, even with just questions. 

All the information about the New Brunswick Alzheimer’s Society is available here.

New Year's Day falls on a Wednesday this year, and most retail and grocery stores will close for the day. As well, transit will not operate in Saint John, Fredericton and Moncton.

The number of criminal charges stayed in New Brunswick rose more than 400 per cent last year, and early reports suggest similar delays will show up in this year's tally because of shortages in the legal profession.

The Somerset Acres project will see 21 previously homeless individuals move in during the holidays. The project is turning large mobile trailers into 18 bachelor-like apartments with wraparound support services in response to the city’s housing crisis.

When Erica Price’s daughter discovered their family hamster, named Ice Cream, with stuffed cheek pouches, she recorded it and posted it on her TikTok account. Now, with more than 41-million views, Price says the video is ‘a fun thing’ with her children, and she has no plans to sign over the rights for compensation.

Province’s child and youth advocate says crisis ‘largely ignored’

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

New Brunswick has largely ignored a suicide crisis among Indigenous youth, despite a report published three years ago recommending several big changes, says the province’s child and youth advocate.

Kelly Lamrock released a progress report on Monday, Dec. 2, on the release of his office’s “No Child Left Behind” study in 2021, which contained 20 recommendations to improve the mental health of Indigenous youth in First Nations.

Indigenous youth are eight times more likely to die by suicide than other New Brunswick youth, a sad figure that shows no sign of dropping, Lamrock told reporters at a news conference at the legislature.

“The crisis is real, and the response, to be blunt, has been underwhelming.”

As an independent officer of the legislature, Lamrock was careful not to lay blame on the previous Progressive Conservative administration that lost power in October after six years.

The advocate said while direction from the top was crucial, he noted that public servants in the Health and Indigenous Affairs departments had made excuses for doing very little to improve the dire situation.

According to the “recommendation monitoring report” his office released, of the 20 recommendations, a dozen were not implemented.

Eight recommendations were described as “somewhat implemented,” while none were characterized as being significantly or fully introduced.

“The lack of action means our youth are suffering,” said Roxanne Sappier, the director of Neqotkuk Health Center in Tobique First Nation, the province’s largest Wolastoqey community, and the chair of the council that advised the advocate’s office. “We’re not meeting the needs of our families in our communities. And that has huge, huge costs.

“It’s time that this government focused on the First Nation youth of our province.”

The advocate said there were three broad areas that could be improved. He said it was important that the province put dedicated funds toward First Nation’s mental health services, arguing that money from Ottawa had never been enough to meet the needs.

Such funds, he said, should be co-managed by the province and First Nations governments, similar to a deal that was struck in 2007 between those communities and school districts, a move that saw literacy rates among Indigenous children climb by 18 per cent in just three years.

And Lamrock said mental health services should address the unique needs of Indigenous youth, pointing to pilot programs in Tobique and Elsipogtog, the province’s biggest Mi’kmaq First Nation, that have shown some success but haven’t been expanded to other communities.

Former lieutenant governor and retired judge Graydon Nicholas laid blame squarely on the Higgs Tory government.

“The past government, to me, was totally, totally unacceptable for our people,” said the Tobique elder. “There was no trust, no confidence and a lot of paternalism.”

Rob Weir, the newly elected Tory MLA for Riverview, was the only politician from the three parties to attend the report’s release.
A former executive assistant to former Tory MLA and health minister Bruce Fitch, Weir said he couldn’t speak for the previous government as he wasn’t in cabinet discussions.

“I wouldn’t want to guess because the answers to things are sometimes complicated,” he told reporters. “I will guarantee that moving forward, I will be an advocate for listening to the issues that we have and solving problems.”

Nicholas said there still wasn’t enough government funding to meet “the desperate needs” of First Nations when it came to mental health services.

As a starting point, the jurist recommended that the auditor general look into past provincial governments, going back to the Richard Hatfield Tory administrations of the 1970s, to figure out what had happened to all the funds it had acquired in the name of Indigenous people from the federal government.

Nicholas pointed out that federal transfer payments to the New Brunswick government rely in part on a formula that looks at the number of Indigenous people, but he said those funds were always put into the province’s coffers for general revenue and not dedicated solely to First Nations.

“When that money flows to Fredericton here, we don’t see a cent of it. Why? I’ve always called it ‘unjust enrichment’ that the Government of New Brunswick has been receiving for many, many years, with very little accountability and very little benefit to our people.”

Nicholas said he was putting his trust in the new Liberal government to do the right thing.

The Liberals said in their provincial election platform they were committed to working with First Nations to improve youth mental health. Rob McKee, the minister responsible for addictions and mental health services, has been named as the lead on the file.

Premier Susan Holt’s mandate letter last month to McKee says he is to “work in partnership with First Nations to co-create and implement mental health and addiction programs that meet culturally safe First Nation service and practice standards of care.”

Brunswick News asked for an interview with McKee, but received a statement instead.

“We recognize the need to take action. A number of initiatives are underway to address recommendations pertaining to Health,” the minister said, adding that they were in various stages of development.

“We weren’t making the gains we had hoped for from the last government,” Sappier said. “It’s very challenging without that support from the top. So, we’re very hopeful that now that we do have a mandate from this government supporting this work, that we will make some gains that we’ve been waiting for, for a long, long time.”

The first recommendation of the 2021 report was for the province to ensure the Mi’kmaq, Peskotomuhkati and Wolastoqey languages be formally recognized and supported by legislation. A part of the change would see better funding for language revitalization programs. With most fluent speakers elderly, all three languages are at risk of going extinct.

“Our language is medicine,” Sappier said. “Our language is health. Our language is foundational to our meaning, our belonging, our purpose and our hope. The fact that it’s not even recognized in this province in our homeland is very disappointing. And we’d like to see that change because this is our homeland.”

Green Leader David Coon complained there was little accountability to ensure the provincial government follows through on the advocate’s recommendations.

“The auditor general makes recommendations, and the public accounts committee makes sure they’re implemented. We haven’t got that mechanism for recommendations for the child and youth advocate, and we need it.”

Coon noted that the Gallant Liberal government created the Standing Committee on Social Policy, which would be an ideal forum for hearing such matters, but it has never met in its nine years of existence other than to elect a chair, vice chair and membership.

The Office of the Child Youth Advocate came out with the report three years ago in the wake of the death of Fredericton teenager Lexi Daken, who had sought treatment at the emergency department of the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in February 2021. She left after eight hours without having received any mental health intervention and died less than a week later by suicide.

Although Daken wasn’t Indigenous, the office decided to create three advisory councils to provide guidance and feedback on youth mental health in the province – Stakeholder, Youth and First Nation Advisory Councils.

Sappier, appointed chair of the council that would produce the First Nations report, wanted to pay homage to Daken’s family.

“This report never would have started without, unfortunately, the death of Lexi Daken,” the social worker said. “And so, I do want to make sure she’s always remembered as all these steps move ahead, because it’s another Christmas without Lexi for her family. And many of our people will not be with their loved ones this Christmas as well because of suicide. So, let’s not forget those people.”

The post Scathing report decries inaction on Indigenous youth suicide first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Colin Holmes has resigned from his job as a Fredericton police constable, putting an end to an arbitration process that was prompted by his assault against his fiancée in 2023.

It's been catch-and-release only for Atlantic salmon for a number of years now because of low returns.

NB Power’s former president and CEO continued to be the highest-paid civil servant in 2023, despite being fired a year earlier.

Keith Cronkhite earned between $575,000 and $599,999, according to unaudited employee salaries released by the province.

Cronkhite was fired in July 2022 and later replaced by Lori Clark, who earned between $475,000 to $499,999 last year.

Darren Murphy, chief financial officer and senior vice-president at NB Power, was paid between $375,000 and $399,999.

NB Power employees accounted for one-quarter of the 48 civil servants across government departments and agencies who earned at least $300,000.

Judges Jacques Desjardins and Kenneth Oliver earned between $400,000 and $424,999, making them the highest paid judges in the province.

Twenty-four other judges were also among the highest-paid civil servants in 2023, with each of them earning between $300,000 and $399,999.

Meanwhile, Dragana Kelly with the Horizon Health Network was paid between $400,000 and $424,999. She is listed as a registered nurse at the Veterans’ Health Unit in Fredericton.

She made more than president and CEO Margaret Melanson and senior vice-president Susan Brien, who were paid between $325,000 and $349,999.

Dr. France Desrosier, the president and CEO of Vitalité Health, was paid between $350,000 and $374,999. Senior vice-president Natalie Banville made $325,000 to $349,999.

Also making more than $300,000 were Cheryl Hansen, the province’s top civil servant at the time, who resigned in October of this year; former chief medical health officer Dr. Jennifer Russell, who stepped down in late 2023; current chief medical health officer Dr. Yves Léger; regional medical health officer Dr. Kimberly Barker; and Lori Stickles, the president and CEO of NB Liquor and Cannabis NB.

Across the civil service, more than 19,400 people were included in the 2023 database, meaning they earned a salary of at least $80,000.

More than 8,600 employees received at least $100,000, including nearly 200 who earned more than $200,000. More than 70 of those individuals made at least $250,000.

You can see the full database on the provincial government’s website.

CHCO’s Vicki Hogarth interviews Premier Susan Holt to reflect on her historic election victory, revisit her campaign promises, and discuss her vision for 2025. The interview, taped in mid-December at the Premier’s office, offers insights into her first weeks in office and the year ahead.

Original Broadcast Date: December 2024

Southwest Magazine is an original CHCO Television production. CHCO-TV is based in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

Horizon Health Network is warning residents in Harvey about a potential scam in the area.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the health authority said someone had been calling and claiming to work for the Harvey Health Centre and asking for credit card information.

“Horizon will not call to ask you for credit card information,” the post said.

It said if you receive a call like this, or for education on protecting yourself from scams, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit antifraudcentre.ca.

The Courier reached out to Horizon Health Network for comment and further details on the scam and is awaiting a response.

Woodstock Recreation hosts family NYE event at AYR Motor Centre on Dec. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The post New Year’s Eve Family Celebration first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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A Chipman man busted for impaired driving after he crashed into a ditch and then continued on his way said “Go fuck yourself” to the Mountie who arrested him, court heard last week.

Daniel Joseph Morency, 56, of Queen Street in Chipman, pleaded guilty in Fredericton provincial court Friday to a charge of having an elevated blood-alcohol level within two hours of driving.

Crown prosecutor Geoffrey Hutchin said an RCMP officer was dispatched to the Coal Creek area at 7:36 p.m. on May 30 after receiving a report of a vehicle that had crashed into a ditch and then left the scene.

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