New Brunswick News
Sex offender denies registration breach
Fredericton Independent

Sex offender denies registration breach

Subscribe nowA convicted sex offender accused of violating the conditions of his registration order denied the charge Tuesday.Randolph Raymond Myshrall, 78, of Oromocto, pleaded not guilty in Frederic ...
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A convicted sex offender accused of violating the conditions of his registration order denied the charge Tuesday.

Randolph Raymond Myshrall, 78, of Oromocto, pleaded not guilty in Fredericton provincial court Tuesday to a June 11 charge alleging he failed to comply with an order under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act requiring him to report his place of residence to the registration centre between May 10 and June 10.

Courtroom No. 1 in the Justice Building in downtown Fredericton. (Photo: Don MacPherson/The Fredericton Independent)

The RCMP charge notes he’s been subject to the sex-offender registration order since July 27, 2005.

Judge Natalie LeBlanc scheduled his trial for March 26, and the defendant noted he’d be representing himself at trial.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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14 Nov 2023 22:30:17

Used-car dealers admit to fraud
Fredericton Independent

Used-car dealers admit to fraud

Subscribe nowTwo Fredericton men who operated a northside user-car dealership admitted Tuesday to numerous counts of fraud related to how they operated the business and misled customers about car loan ...
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Two Fredericton men who operated a northside user-car dealership admitted Tuesday to numerous counts of fraud related to how they operated the business and misled customers about car loans.

Peter Geoffrey Kennedy, 58, of no fixed address, and William (Williie) Cornford, 55, of Mataya Drive in Pepper Creek on Fredericton’s north side, appeared in the Burton Courthouse on Tuesday before Court of King’s Bench Justice Thomas Christie, scheduled for trial on numerous counts of fraud.

However, court heard that rather than proceed to trial, both defendants were planning on pleading guilty to some of the charges before the court.

Peter Geoffrey Kennedy arrives at the Burton Courthouse on Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to 14 counts of fraud. (Photo: Don MacPherson/The Fredericton Independent)

Kennedy pleaded guilty to 14 counts of fraud that he committed in 2018 and 2019, all involving customers who bought cars W&P Auto Sales Ltd. on Riverside Drive, a dealership he and Cornford owned and operated at the time.

The business was founded in 2016 and closed the summer of 2019 after complaints mounted and fraud allegations arose.

Those 14 counts against Kennedy involved customers who traded in previous vehicles when buying vehicles at W&P, who bought those trade-ins from the dealership or who paid for additional coverage/services that the defendant never fulfilled.

Cornford pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of fraud, stemming from loans he took out on vehicles he sold to clients - including his own brother - in 2019

Loans on trade-ins left unpaid

Agreed statements of facts were read into the record for both defendants, and each accepted all of the allegations as read by Crown prosecutor James McConnell as being true.

The prosecutor said most of the fraud counts against Kennedy stemmed from deals in which customers would trade-in their existing vehicles to buy new-to-them cars or trucks from W&P Auto Sales in 2018 and 2019.

Time and time again, McConnell said, Kennedy would tell clients the dealership would pay off their existing car loans for their trade-ins as part of the transaction.

But Kennedy wouldn’t pay those loans, court heard, and when customers contacted him to say they were still seeing loan payments deducted from their accounts, he’d delay by telling them it would take time for the paperwork to go through.

Kennedy would also e-transfer affected customers money to cover their loan payments for a little while, McConnell said, but invariably, those payments would cease.

Customers discovered they were still on the hook for those loan payments, the prosecutor said, or their vehicles would be repossessed.

He noted two of the frauds to which Kennedy admitted Tuesday stemmed from W&P reselling the trade-ins that still had liens on them from the previous lenders. Kennedy kept that from those who bought the trade-ins.

Those customers - Roxy Palmer and Lisa Burke - saw the cars they’d bought from W&P repossessed.

Many of Kennedy’s victims saw their credit affected negatively due to Kennedy’s scheme, McConnell said, while others are still paying off vehicles they no longer have.

He said Kennedy also fleeced two customers by selling them options that he never filed on their behalf. The prosecutor said Mary Spencer did a trade-in and purchase transaction with Kennedy at W&P in May 2018, and the defendant sold her “optional disability insurance.”

Spencer later learned the insurance company never received the application, McConnell said.

Similarly, he said, Joseph Levesque paid Kennedy for an additional warranty for a car he bought at W&P in February 2019, but he later learned Kennedy didn’t pay the company for the added coverage.

Desperate attempt to keep business afloat

Cornford pleaded guilty to just two of the fraud charges before the court Tuesday, and the prosecutor said unlike the case with Kennedy, it appears Cornford didn’t benefit from his illegal scheme but rather was scrambling to keep the dealership going.

Cornford knew the business “was having significant cash-flow issues,” McConnell said, and he was going to extreme lengths to keep it from collapsing.

Court heard Cornford took out a second mortgage on his home and secured loans from friends, and he poured that money into W&P Auto Sales.

Despite those problems, the prosecutor said, Cornford took no steps to slow things down.

This commercial building on Riverside Drive in Fredericton had been the home of W&P Auto Sales until its closure the summer of 2019. (Photo: Don MacPherson/The Fredericton Independent)

“He kept operating the business in the hopes it would recover,” McConnell said, adding the defendant appeared to give no thought to the risk in which he was placing property belonging to customers.

One of those customers was Frank Jewett, who bought a 2015 Polaris Ranger XP 900 from Cornford at W&P for $20,000 on April 23, 2019, court heard. What he didn’t know, the prosecutor said, was that Cornford got a loan on that vehicle two weeks earlier for more than $12,000.

Cornford admitted he used that loan to keep W&P operating and received none of the money for his personal benefit.

Court heard he did something similar with regard to a Ford F150 Lariat he’d sold to his brother, Charlie Cornford, and his wife Nancy Cornford in 2017.

McConnell said Willie Cornford, using an old registration for the truck that was still in his name, secured a $52,000 loan without his brother and sister-in-law’s knowledge, and again, he poured that money back into the dealership.

Court heard the Polaris was never repossessed because Zag Bank wrote off the loan to Cornford, but the F150 Lariat was repossessed, though eventually Charlie and Nancy Cornford were able to get it back.

Community-based sentences to be recommended  

Christie scheduled sentencing for both offenders for Feb. 1, and he ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence report for Kennedy and victim-impact statements for the numerous people affected by the pair’s crimes.

Lawyer Ben Reentovich, representing Cornford, said his client didn’t need a pre-sentence report.

Court heard the Crown and defence would be presenting joint recommendations on sentence for both men.

Reentovich noted the joint recommendation for his client would be a community-based conditional sentence, to be served under house arrest.

The Burton Courthouse (Photo: Don MacPherson/The Fredericton Independent)

The court didn’t get any indication of what the recommendation for Kennedy might be, and Christie asked the prosecutors if they were seeking to have him remanded pending the sentencing hearing.

McConnell said the Crown wasn’t seeking to remand Kennedy ahead of sentencing, and was content for him to remain subject to the conditions of a police undertaking barring him from contact with the victims.

Outside the courthouse Tuesday morning, Patrick Hurley, Kennedy’s defence counsel, confirmed the joint recommendation for his client would also be a conditional sentence. 

McConnell also told the judge Tuesday that the Crown was planning on withdrawing several other charges after sentencing.

Previous charges stayed due to delay

Cornford had faced an earlier prosecution alleging similar fraud offences but involving corporate clients.

He had been scheduled to stand trial in the Court of King’s Bench this spring on 14 counts of fraud, seven of uttering forged documents, three thefts and one count of making a false statement.

But Reentovich, who represented Cornford in that case as well, brought an application for a stay of proceedings, arguing the case had exceeded the deadline to get to trial as set out in a key Supreme Court of Canada precedent.

King’s Bench Justice Terrence Morrison, in a written decision issued March 6 on the stay application, agreed, finding that Cornford’s charter right to a trial in a timely manner had been violated.

Morrison said the only remedy for the egregious nature of the charter breach was to stay the charges as requested, meaning that previous case against Cornford came to a halt with no finding of guilt or acquittal.

The charges involving commercial complainants were initially laid in July and November 2020.

Morrison wrote that regardless of which date one used to calculate the timeline of that case, it missed the 30-month timeline for the conclusion of the case, as directed by the Supreme Court of Canada, and there were no particularly unusual circumstances that could allow for a rare exception.

The Crown had argued there was an exceptional circumstance: the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors pointed out the provincial court judge set to preside over the preliminary inquiry in the original Cornford case fell ill and had to self-isolate, forcing a postponement of that proceeding.

But Morrison pointed out that after the preliminary inquiry, the Crown was slow to file the indictment with the Court of King’s Bench, forcing a further delay.

He ruled the Crown failed to demonstrate it took steps to mitigate any of the compounding delays in the case.

The combined Kennedy/Cornford prosecution wasn’t subject to the same timeline, as those charges were laid in court at a later date, and the Crown filed a preferred indictment, allow it to skip the preliminary-inquiry phase.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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14 Nov 2023 21:33:20

River Valley Sun

Centreville honours vets, unveils banner program

Victoria Park hosts remembrance service and displays new tribute to area veterans Amidst chilly winds and snow flurries, Village of Centreville residents honoured serving members past and present a ...
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Victoria Park hosts remembrance service and displays new tribute to area veterans

Amidst chilly winds and snow flurries, Village of Centreville residents honoured serving members past and present at the Remembrance Day ceremony held at Victory Park.

Richard Woollen, Padre for Centreville’s Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #84, led the ceremonies. Legion member Barb Swim read the memorials, and Mitch McMillan led the music.

Members of the 5th Canadian Division Support Group Maintenance Company from CFB Gagetown were also in attendance.

Various dignitaries, including MP Richard Bragdon, laid the official wreaths on behalf of High Royal Highness, King Charles, the Government of Canada’s Veteran Affairs, the District of Carleton North, the 5th Canadian Division Support Group Maintenance Company, the Canadian Border Services Agency for Royalton-Bridgewater, and the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #84.

Carleton-Victoria MLA and Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Margaret Johnson had previously donated a wreath “in remembrance and with deep gratitude for those who gave their ultimate gift for their country.”

Following the ceremony, the Centreville Legion hosted a lunch at the Florenceville Kin Centre for the attending troops and local veterans.

For the first time, memorial banners commemorating Centreville-area veterans surrounded Victory Park.

Many communities along the Upper River Valley started banner programs in recent years. Legion members and sisters Bev Haines and Barb Swim spearheaded the move to bring the program to Centreville.

“It was important to have our veterans represented in our town,” said Haines.

The community formed a committee which included Haines, Swim Andrea McAloon-Callahan, Debbie Taylor, Jessica MacLeod, and Jeanne Brooker-Charchuk.

Haines said that with McAlloon Callahan’s assistance, the committee applied for various grants to help with funding. They also received donations from local businesses.

Centreville residents Gladwyn and Christopher Piper designed the display poles, and Dustin Peterson from Upfront Designs provided the banners.

To give the park a facelift in preparation for the installation of the banners, the committee hired T’s Tree Services to trim trees and remove dead trees from the park. It was decided to install the initial banners where the dead trees had stood. 

The committee created a Facebook page to advertise the project. Haines said families soon started reaching out for banners.

She said the park displayed 31 banners this year, but that number will grow in the future. 

“Our families near and far have been very supportive of this project,” Haines said.


Centreville Legion member Barb Swim reads the list of memorials. Padre Richard Woollen stands nearby. (Sandra Hanson photo)
The 5th Canadian Division Support Group Maintenance Company members from CFB Gagetown attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at Victory Park in Centreville. (Sandra Hanson photo)
Centreville’s Victory Park features 31 new memorial banners thanks to the efforts of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #84. (Sandra Hanson photo)
Following the Remembrance Day ceremony, the Centreville Legion hosted a lunch for veterans and CFB Gagetown forces. (Photo courtesy of Bev Haines)

The post Centreville honours vets, unveils banner program first appeared on River Valley Sun.

14 Nov 2023 21:19:49

CBC News Brunswick

Allow surgical abortions in N.B. clinics, federal report says

A highly anticipated research study on surgical abortion access in New Brunswick recommends the province allow doctors to perform the procedure in community clinics as a way of eliminating barriers to ...
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A highly anticipated research study on surgical abortion access in New Brunswick recommends the province allow doctors to perform the procedure in community clinics as a way of eliminating barriers to the procedure. 

14 Nov 2023 20:47:38

CBC News Brunswick

No giant New Brunswick budget surplus this year, finance minister says

A $160-million surge in health-care spending has deflated what had been another ballooning New Brunswick budget surplus, according to new figures released by the province on Wednesday. ...
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A $160-million surge in health-care spending has deflated what had been another ballooning New Brunswick budget surplus, according to new figures released by the province on Wednesday.

14 Nov 2023 20:00:38

CBC News Brunswick

Listen to “Swimming”, the latest single from Pallmer

Chamber Pop duo Pallmer have shared another new single from their forthcoming debut album. Listen to Swimming and add it to your playlist. Matt Carter  Pallmer’s latest single follows a… ...
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Chamber Pop duo Pallmer have shared another new single from their forthcoming debut album. Listen to Swimming and add it to your playlist. Matt Carter  Pallmer’s latest single follows a…

The post Listen to “Swimming”, the latest single from Pallmer appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

14 Nov 2023 19:16:01

CBC News Brunswick

Former used car dealers in Fredericton plead guilty to defrauding customers

Two former directors of a defunct Fredericton car dealership pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding more than a dozen clients. ...
More ...Peter Kennedy leaves the Burton courthouse.

Two former directors of a defunct Fredericton car dealership pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding more than a dozen clients.

14 Nov 2023 19:10:00

CBC News Brunswick

Province's teachers work in overcrowded classrooms, face verbal, physical abuse: survey

The New Brunswick Teachers’ Association is calling on the provincial government to address "real issues" teachers are facing in the school system. ...
More ...A man with light hair and a short beard. He is wearing a grey suit and pink dress shirt.

The New Brunswick Teachers’ Association is calling on the provincial government to address "real issues" teachers are facing in the school system.

14 Nov 2023 17:25:10

Disability fraudster no-show for sentencing
Fredericton Independent

Disability fraudster no-show for sentencing

Subscribe nowA judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for a Fredericton man who failed to attend court for his sentencing hearing for impersonation and fraud offences.Joshua Lee Best, 37, of George St ...
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A judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for a Fredericton man who failed to attend court for his sentencing hearing for impersonation and fraud offences.

Joshua Lee Best, 37, of George Street, pleaded guilty in Fredericton provincial court in August to counts of personating Kelly Lee Moses fraudulently for monetary gain and to  defrauding the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) of more than $5,000.

The charges indicate he committed the crimes between Dec. 3, 2020, and July 22, 2021, in Fredericton.

Joshua Lee Best (Photo: Facebook)

At the time, the court ordered a pre-sentence report and set the matter over to Nov. 14 for sentencing.

But when Judge Natalie LeBlanc called the case Tuesday, Best wasn’t present.

Court heard the offender skipped his pre-sentence report interview.

LeBlanc issued a warrant for Best’s arrest.

Court heard previously that Best had passed himself off as Moses, and was able to do so because Moses has an intellectual disability.

The charges indicate Best impersonated the victim so he could fleece CRA to the tune of several thousand dollars, though court has yet to hear the exact amount of the fraud to the federal government.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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14 Nov 2023 16:22:52

CBC News Brunswick

Dieppe to test residential water meters as Bathurst considers ditching them

Two New Brunswick cities are considering opposite approaches when it comes to residential water meters. ...
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Two New Brunswick cities are considering opposite approaches when it comes to residential water meters.

1 year ago

CBC News Brunswick

Some households would save $750 a year on electricity under Liberal proposal — but who?

A proposal pushed by New Brunswick Liberals to eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on residential power bills would see some households get 10 times the financial benefit of others, according ...
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A proposal pushed by New Brunswick Liberals to eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on residential power bills would see some households get 10 times the financial benefit of others, according to evidence on file with the Energy and Utilities Board.

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CBC News Brunswick

Fredericton art project aims to foster compassion for River Stone Recovery Centre participants

A new community art project will showcase the faces and stories behind the River Stone Recovery Centre. A gallery will open on Nov. 16 and postcards with poetry and portraits on them will be mailed. ...
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A new community art project will showcase the faces and stories behind the River Stone Recovery Centre. A gallery will open on Nov. 16 and postcards with poetry and portraits on them will be mailed.

1 year ago

CBC News Brunswick

Fatal N.B. fishing voyage prompts renewed call for stronger regulation for vessels

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is renewing its calls for the federal government to strengthen safety regulations for fishing vessels in the wake of the deaths of two men who died after fall ...
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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is renewing its calls for the federal government to strengthen safety regulations for fishing vessels in the wake of the deaths of two men who died after falling overboard a fishing boat off the coat of New Brunswick's Miscou Island.

1 year ago

CBC News Brunswick

New report shows 'frightening picture' of food insecurity

Food Banks Canada is sounding an alarm that drastic measures are needed as soon as possible so that people — including many New Brunswickers — can afford to eat.  ...
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Food Banks Canada is sounding an alarm that drastic measures are needed as soon as possible so that people — including many New Brunswickers — can afford to eat. 

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CBC News Brunswick

Moncton man starts Arabic newspaper for Atlantic Canada

Moncton’s Ali Ettarnichi is the founder of a new newspaper, but for him, it is so much more than just words on newsprint. ...
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CBC News Brunswick

N.B. mental health system continues to fall short for many troubled youth, say counsellors

The recommendations from last week's coroner's inquest into the death of 16-year-old Lexi Daken are a step in the right direction, but the system continues to fall short for many, say some mental heal ...
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The recommendations from last week's coroner's inquest into the death of 16-year-old Lexi Daken are a step in the right direction, but the system continues to fall short for many, say some mental health professionals who work with young people. 

13 Nov 2023 10:00:41

CBC News Brunswick

N.B. town mourns loss of family flower business after almost 150 years

Customers, local business community mourns loss of beloved store. ...
More ...Pam and Karen Gould stand in front of the closed sign on their door

Customers, local business community mourns loss of beloved store.

13 Nov 2023 10:00:00

CBC News Brunswick

Stick it, Grinch: The show will go on, thanks to handy high schoolers

High school students jump at the opportunity to help after thieves make off with copper wiring needed for the annual Festival of Lights Christmas display at a Fredericton-area nursing home. ...
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High school students jump at the opportunity to help after thieves make off with copper wiring needed for the annual Festival of Lights Christmas display at a Fredericton-area nursing home.

13 Nov 2023 10:00:00

CBC News Brunswick

N.B.'s Turcotte remembers U.S. Triple Crown as Secretariat honoured in Kentucky

Fifty years after he ran his last race, the great stallion Secretariat is still being honoured in his home state of Kentucky. ...
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Fifty years after he ran his last race, the great stallion Secretariat is still being honoured in his home state of Kentucky.

12 Nov 2023 20:08:17

River Valley Sun

Large crowd salute veterans at Hartland’s Remembrance Day services

Afghanistan veteran returns salute during ceremony ‘march past’ Hartland-area residents, including several families, turned out in large numbers on Remembrance Day to salute the men and ...
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Afghanistan veteran returns salute during ceremony ‘march past’

Hartland-area residents, including several families, turned out in large numbers on Remembrance Day to salute the men and women who fought for their nation’s freedom.

Hartland Royal Canadian Legion member Jim Dee, who helped oversee the annual Remembrance Day ceremony, said it was great to see another strong turnout.

The crowd began the morning by taking in the Remembrance Day Service in the Hartland Community School auditorium’s warmth before heading outside to brave the cold winds at the cenotaph on the school grounds.

Dee said Cloverdale resident Tim Curnew agreed to receive the salute as the Canadian Armed Forces members and others marched past to end the solemn Remembrance Day service.

Curnew, a 20-year military veteran with the 4th Air Defence Regiment’s artillery corps, served one duty tour in Afghanistan.

The Hartland Legion Colour Party led the march from the cenotaph, followed by members of the Armed Forces from Base Gagetown, the 89th battery, cadets, the Hartland Fire Department and West District RCMP.

Dozens of those on hand for the ceremony — including Bill Hogan, Carleton MLA and Education and Early Childhood Develop Minister, on behalf of the province — laid wreaths honouring the nation’s veterans.

The Hartland Royal Canadian Legion Colour Party carries the colours high. (Jim Dumville photo)
Canadian Forces members salute during Remembrance Day services in Hartland. (Jim Dumville photo)
Several Hartland Fire Department members laid wreaths. (Jim Dumville photo)
Afghanistan veteran Tim Curnew salutes during the march past to end the Remembrance ceremonies in Hartland. (Jim Dumville photo)
Cloverdale’s Tim Curnew, an Afghanistan veteran and 20-year member of the Canadian Armed Forces with the 4th Air Defence Regiment, waits to salute the march past to end Remembrance ceremonies in Hartland. (Jim Dumville photo)
 
Three West District RCMP members attended the Hartland Remembrance Service. They stand next to Hartland Fire Chief and Councillor Mike Walton. (Jim Dumville Photo)

The post Large crowd salute veterans at Hartland’s Remembrance Day services first appeared on River Valley Sun.

12 Nov 2023 17:34:49

CBC News Brunswick

Sitansisk First Nation remembers Indigenous veterans

Every year on Nov. 8, Indigenous communities across the country honour First Nations soldiers who have served in wartime. ...
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Every year on Nov. 8, Indigenous communities across the country honour First Nations soldiers who have served in wartime.

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CBC News Brunswick

Finding healing, thread by thread: Saint John women sew creations that spark joy

A group of seven women in Saint John are stitched together through a new social enterprise while they work to break out of the cycle of violence, criminalization and homelessness. ...
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A group of seven women in Saint John are stitched together through a new social enterprise while they work to break out of the cycle of violence, criminalization and homelessness.

1 year ago

CBC News Brunswick

Advocates call for more mental health courts in New Brunswick

Some people who have been advocating the establishment of more mental health courts in New Brunswick are wondering what the holdup is. ...
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Some people who have been advocating the establishment of more mental health courts in New Brunswick are wondering what the holdup is.

1 year ago

CBC News Brunswick

Fredericton remembers those who fought and served

Generations of Frederictonians gathered in front of the Queen Street Cenotaph on Saturday to mark Remembrance Day. The ceremony was just the latest in a long line for sisters Jenny Morell-Lukinhs & Sh ...
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Generations of Frederictonians gathered in front of the Queen Street Cenotaph on Saturday to mark Remembrance Day. The ceremony was just the latest in a long line for sisters Jenny Morell-Lukinhs & Shelly Morell.

1 year ago

CBC News Brunswick

Rural areas in New Brunswick brace for the loss of banks

Bank closures hurt, say affected communities, but Toronto-based Scotiabank says it's responding to customer preferences and the changing way of doing banking. ...
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Bank closures hurt, say affected communities, but Toronto-based Scotiabank says it's responding to customer preferences and the changing way of doing banking.

1 year ago

CBC News Brunswick

Don't throw out that stamp — it might be a New Brunswick woman's original design

Jocelyne Saulnier was chosen to design a three part stamp series for Canada Post that depicts three different winter scenes from the West to East coasts. ...
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Jocelyne Saulnier was chosen to design a three part stamp series for Canada Post that depicts three different winter scenes from the West to East coasts.

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CBC News Brunswick

1 person injured in firearms incident in Sussex

RCMP have arrested an individual in connection with a firearms incident that left one person injured and prompted an Alert Ready message early Saturday in Sussex, N.B. ...
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RCMP have arrested an individual in connection with a firearms incident that left one person injured and prompted an Alert Ready message early Saturday in Sussex, N.B.

1 year ago

CBC News Brunswick

Where to find Remembrance Day services in New Brunswick

A list of Remembrance Day services, by region, happening in New Brunswick on Saturday. ...
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A list of Remembrance Day services, by region, happening in New Brunswick on Saturday.

11 Nov 2023 10:00:00

CBC News Brunswick

What's open and closed in N.B. on Remembrance Day weekend

Remembrance Day falls on a Saturday this year and most retail and grocery options will close for the holiday. Municipal services and schools will mainly observe the holiday on Monday, Nov. 13, with c ...
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Remembrance Day falls on a Saturday this year and most retail and grocery options will close for the holiday. Municipal services and schools will mainly observe the holiday on Monday, Nov. 13, with certain exceptions.

11 Nov 2023 10:00:00

CBC News Brunswick

Memories of war still haunt 98-year-old tail gunner from Saint Andrews

Herbert McGee of Saint Andrews, served as a tail gunner in bomber command under the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. His war memories still haunt him at the age of 98. ...
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Herbert McGee of Saint Andrews, served as a tail gunner in bomber command under the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. His war memories still haunt him at the age of 98.

11 Nov 2023 10:00:00

River Valley Sun

Greater Woodstock Chamber of Commerce honours two local businesses

GWCC celebrates Small Business Week with awards The Corey Group of Companies and King Sports were honoured at a Small Business Week celebration at Connell House in Woodstock. Business owners Wes ...
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GWCC celebrates Small Business Week with awards

The Corey Group of Companies and King Sports were honoured at a Small Business Week celebration at Connell House in Woodstock.

Business owners Wes Corey and brothers Dave and Paul Kitchen were on hand to accept the Greater Woodstock Chamber of Commerce (GWCC) Small Business of the Year awards. 

The Kitchen brothers own and operate King Sports on Connell Street. Initially started by their father and uncle in 1989, the family-owned business recently moved locations. Dave and Paul have worked hard to expand their product offerings while supporting the community and serving customers’ needs. 

“No day is ever the same,” the brothers told the chamber. 

Wes Corey is a well-known businessman in the region. He owns Corey Ford (which opened in 2005), Corey Auto and Recreation (formerly Corey Car Centre, which initially opened in 2009) and The River Restaurant (which opened in 2014). All three businesses operate with a focus on families and the community.

The Corey Team has been recognized as one of the top Ford dealers in Canada for customer satisfaction for over 30 years.

When asked by the chamber what his personal interests are, Wes replied, “Family, business, charities, and helping others.” 

The Corey Group has donated to schools, sports teams, local charities, and provided meals during the pandemic, providing help when people needed it most. In presenting the award, the chamber noted Wes Corey never hesitates to donate to those in need and never looks for recognition. 

GWCC member Greg MacPherson, who owns Manulife Securities in Woodstock, acted as Master of Ceremonies and presented the awards at the Small Business Mixer event at Connell House on Oct. 17. 

The post Greater Woodstock Chamber of Commerce honours two local businesses first appeared on River Valley Sun.

11 Nov 2023 03:53:11

River Valley Sun

Frights and food

Fourth annual Rotary Haunted Hayride supports Valley Food Bank Zombies, ghouls, and other creatures stalked the AYR Moter Centre on Saturday, Oct. 28, as a part of the fourth annual Rotary Haunted ...
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Fourth annual Rotary Haunted Hayride supports Valley Food Bank

Zombies, ghouls, and other creatures stalked the AYR Moter Centre on Saturday, Oct. 28, as a part of the fourth annual Rotary Haunted Hayride in Woodstock.

The hayride, which originated as a no-contact haunted drive-thru organized by the Rotary Club of Woodstock during the COVID-19 pandemic, has quickly become a community staple. Groups like Big Brothers and Sisters, Canterbury Varsity Basketball, the Woodstock Interact Club, NBCC, Woodstock High School men and women hockey teams, Wicked Good Graphics, Ashley’s Goblins, Garnet’s Gargoyles, and Stockford Smokestacks provided volunteers and support for the scare stations.

All profits from the event went to the Valley Food Bank. Organizers accepted both non-perishable food and money as admission to the hayride.

The event ran from 6 to 10 p.m. and grew scarier as the night progressed. Seven trailers were in use at the event, including two wheelchair-accessible.

Event co-chairs Hilary Stockford and Scott Dunlop said over 100 volunteers and two months of preparation were needed to make the event a reality.

Rotary handed out over 1,200 treat bags, loaded more than 1,800 people into hay ‘wagons’ and collected 623 lbs. of food for Valley Food Bank.

At the same time the hayride took place, a hockey game was happening in the AYR Motor Centre.

“The hockey game has been a positive impact (on the event’s attendance), and it is great to see the AYR Moter Centre used to its full capacity,” said Stockford.

Executive Director of the Valley Food Bank, Monica Grant, was also present at the Haunted Hayride.

“The Rotary has been one of our biggest partnerships … to get our new building up and running, and they are constantly doing different things like the hayride to help with donations and funding,” said Grant.

Both Grant and Stockford stressed that the integral part of the Haunted Hayride’s success was the community support behind it.

“Businesses and the community showed up in a big way to make this happen,” said Stockford. “From donating the 2x4s to helping figure out lighting to using the big tractors – all if it was important to make this happen.”

(With files from Theresa Blackburn)

Executive director of the Valley Food Bank, Monica Grant, and their husband, Troy Grant, volunteer at the hayride. (Connor Barry photo)
A group from Big Brothers and Sisters was present at the event. (Connor Barry photo)
A trailer full of people making their way down the trail. (Connor Barry photo)
From left, Andrew Garnet and Danya Hanson in costume. (Connor Barry photo)
From left, Lily Arseneau, Wille Appleby, and Hunter Smith are ready to scare. (Connor Barry photo)
From left, Ashley Farrell, Amanda Farrell, and Peyton McLean are surrounded by darkness. (Connor Barry photo)
The Woodstock men’s and women’s hockey teams pose in front of the arena doors. (Connor Barry photo)

The post Frights and food first appeared on River Valley Sun.

11 Nov 2023 03:48:06

River Valley Sun

Rotaract steps up to bring comfort to victims of violence

Woodstock club donates to the ‘We’re Here For You’ Comfort Kit Project The young members of the Rotaract Club of Woodstock stepped up last month to help a local non-profit deliver ...
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Woodstock club donates to the ‘We’re Here For You’ Comfort Kit Project

The young members of the Rotaract Club of Woodstock stepped up last month to help a local non-profit deliver comfort to victims of violence.

Rotaract’s director of communications, Mandy Scott, said the club raised more than $2,000 in donations to support We’re Here For You – Comfort Kit Project.

The charitable organization, founded by Sarah Sherman, works with emergency rooms and Forensic Nurse Examiners to deliver comfort kits to victims of sexual, intimate-partner and family violence.

Scott said the Rotaract donation included $500 from the club, another $500 from the Woodstock Baptist Church. and an additional $50 from various sources.

She said local businesses supported the Rotaract Club with donations of gift certificates and products for the comfort kits.

Scott said FMI Franchises in Woodstock provided 30 $15 Burger King gift certificates, and McDonald’s provided a $200 donation in the form of 15 Value Meal coupons.

She said Woodstock dentist Dr. Kent Orlando donated toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss for $144 kits.

Best Western Woodstock provided 200 bottles each of shampoo and conditioner.

Scott said Rotaract used the funds to purchase items for kits. On Oct. 12, she added, Rotaract members and volunteers joined We’re Here For You founder and coordinator Sherman and administrative assistant Heather Neison-Furrow at the AYR Motor Centre to package the items into kits.

Sherman said We’re Here For You has provided kits to Upper River Valley Hospital, Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton and the Saint John Regional Hospitals, and now has some to deliver to Moncton and Miramichi.

“Our big goal is to raise funds to reach non-profit charitable status, so we have several small fundraisers going on and a big one to announce soon,” Sherman said.

For more information about We’re Here For You — Comfort Kits, check out its Facebook page at (20+) We’re Here For You – Comfort Kit Project | Facebook

The post Rotaract steps up to bring comfort to victims of violence first appeared on River Valley Sun.

11 Nov 2023 03:03:44

Fredericton woman reported as missing
Fredericton Independent

Fredericton woman reported as missing

Subscribe nowThe city police force is turning to the public for tips on the whereabouts of a Fredericton woman, who’s been reported as missing for the second time in recent weeks.The Fredericton ...
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The city police force is turning to the public for tips on the whereabouts of a Fredericton woman, who’s been reported as missing for the second time in recent weeks.

The Fredericton Police Force issued an advisory on social media Friday evening noting that Chelsea Sacobie, 29, of Fredericton, is missing.

The force is turning to the public for information on her whereabouts or that could lead to her being located.

Chelsea Sacobie (Photo: Submitted/Fredericton Police Force)

Sacobie is described as being about 5’10” tall, weighing about 205 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair, though the photo the force released Wednesday showed her with reddish/blonde hair. 

Friday’s advisory didn’t indicate when Sacobie was last seen or when she was reported as missing.

This marks the second time Sacobie had been reported as missing in recent weeks. The police force issued an identical missing-person alert about her Oct. 18.

That initial advisory and the new one issued Friday both indicated the missing woman is 19 years old, but that was in error, as she’s 29 years of age.

Anyone with information about where Sacobie is or that could help in finding her is urged to call the Fredericton Police Force at 506-460-2300, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 to remain anonymous.

Those providing information should cite police file no. 2023-28604.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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10 Nov 2023 22:17:02

CBC News Brunswick

New Fredericton roundabout finally opens, but that's not the pole story

Drivers on Fredericton’s newest roundabout will notice a remnant of the former Lincoln and Wilsey Road intersection. For now a utility pole, surrounded by asphalt remains. The city has opted to open ...
More ...A traffic circle with workers on the pavcement.

Drivers on Fredericton’s newest roundabout will notice a remnant of the former Lincoln and Wilsey Road intersection. For now a utility pole, surrounded by asphalt remains. The city has opted to open the round about with the pole still in place.

10 Nov 2023 21:31:18

Geary shooting suspect released
Fredericton Independent

Geary shooting suspect released

Subscribe nowA Fredericton man remanded more than a month ago on an allegation fired a gun at a man in Geary has been released on conditions following a bail hearing this week.Darrell Richard Barnes, ...
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A Fredericton man remanded more than a month ago on an allegation fired a gun at a man in Geary has been released on conditions following a bail hearing this week.

Darrell Richard Barnes, 50, of Boyne Court, was remanded at his initial telephone court appearance in Fredericton provincial court Oct. 5 pending a bail hearing.

The Justice Building in downtown Fredericton. (Photo: Don MacPherson/The Fredericton Independent)

The RCMP charge against him alleges he discharged a firearm at Dustin Madden with intent to wound, maim or disfigure him, or to endanger his life, in Geary on Oct. 3.

Barnes requested that his bail hearing to be postponed several times in the ensuing weeks, but it finally went ahead in provincial court Thursday.

Judge Brian McLean ruled Barnes’ continued detention wasn’t justified, and he released the defendant, subject to conditions on a release order.

Evidence presented at the hearing and the reasons for the judge’s decision are subject to a publication ban until the case concludes.

Barnes is scheduled to return to court Nov. 23 to elect mode of trial and enter a plea.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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10 Nov 2023 21:24:34

Trial in fatal accident set for next summer
Fredericton Independent

Trial in fatal accident set for next summer

Subscribe nowA Renous man accused of causing a Mill Cove man’s death in an accident in Youngs Cove last year will stand trial on two charges next summer.Roderick Gerard Hallihan, 53, of Route 10 ...
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A Renous man accused of causing a Mill Cove man’s death in an accident in Youngs Cove last year will stand trial on two charges next summer.

Roderick Gerard Hallihan, 53, of Route 108 in Renous, faces a criminal charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Mackenzie “Mack” Green, and a related count under the provincial Motor Vehicle Act of driving without due care and attention.

The RCMP laid the charges in July, but they allege events stemming from a fatal accident in Youngs Cover on Sept. 17, 2022.

Mackenzie “Mack” Green died after a two-vehicle collision in Youngs Cove on Sept. 17, 2022. (Photo: Chipman Funeral Home website)

Hallihan previously elected to be tried in provincial court on the criminal count, and pleaded not guilty to both charges.

The matter was set over for a case-management conference and to schedule the defendant’s trial.

It was during that court proceeding Nov. 3 that a judge scheduled Hallihan’s trial for Aug. 9, almost two years after the events giving rise to the charges.

However, the case is due back in court Nov. 23 for a further case-management conference. Such pre-trial proceedings aren’t open to the public.

The RCMP, in a news release issued around the time of the incident, said a 24-year-old man from Mill Cove - later identified as Green - died as a result of a two-vehicle collision.

Members of the Sussex detachment responded to the accident scene at around 3 p.m. at the intersection of Route 10 and Bagdad Road in the Youngs Cove area, it said, noting a car and pickup truck had been involved in a collision.

Green, who’d been driving the car, was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries Sept. 18, 2022, the release said.

Hallihan was driving the pickup truck and was its sole occupant.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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10 Nov 2023 21:06:26

CBC News Brunswick

Kent County residents in court hoping to shut down plant over stench

Dozens of Kent County residents packed into a Moncton courtroom on Friday hoping that a judge would grant them an injunction shutting down a plant that they say is producing an unbearable stench in th ...
More ...A woman in a pink jacket stands outside a building speaking into a microphone.

Dozens of Kent County residents packed into a Moncton courtroom on Friday hoping that a judge would grant them an injunction shutting down a plant that they say is producing an unbearable stench in their community.

10 Nov 2023 20:20:33

CBC News Brunswick

Solo Chicken Foster Compassion Through Latest Project

I Am Here – Postcards from the Edge, a collaborative exhibition project between River Stone Recovery Centre and Solo Chicken Productions, opens November 16. Solo Chicken Productions have teamed ...
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I Am Here – Postcards from the Edge, a collaborative exhibition project between River Stone Recovery Centre and Solo Chicken Productions, opens November 16. Solo Chicken Productions have teamed up…

The post Solo Chicken Foster Compassion Through Latest Project appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

10 Nov 2023 19:32:26

CBC News Brunswick

Fredericton's private security unit criticized for not giving equal time to north side

An impending budget decision on whether to fund a new unit of hired security guards stirred discussion among Fredericton councillors about whether the positive effects of those officers have been felt ...
More ...Three uniformed men pose together in front of a trail sign.

An impending budget decision on whether to fund a new unit of hired security guards stirred discussion among Fredericton councillors about whether the positive effects of those officers have been felt equally between the city's north and south sides.

10 Nov 2023 18:33:00

CBC News Brunswick

First Listen: The Garland Smells like Darts by Joe Ross

Joe Ross is about to release his first Christmas single. The Garland Smells like Darts hits streaming services Nov. 14. Hear it here first.  Matt Carter  I used to see… The post First ...
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Joe Ross is about to release his first Christmas single. The Garland Smells like Darts hits streaming services Nov. 14. Hear it here first.  Matt Carter  I used to see…

The post First Listen: The Garland Smells like Darts by Joe Ross appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

10 Nov 2023 18:20:49

CBC News Brunswick

At 19 he left St. Stephen to fight the Nazis. At 101, he still remembers it all

When Charlie Reid was drafted on Dec. 29, 1942, he was a 19-year-old farm boy. By the time he was discharged in 1946, he'd fought some of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War. First Hussars. ...
More ...A composite photo of an elderly man playing the violin, and a military service photo from World War II.

When Charlie Reid was drafted on Dec. 29, 1942, he was a 19-year-old farm boy. By the time he was discharged in 1946, he'd fought some of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War. First Hussars.

10 Nov 2023 10:00:00

CBC News Brunswick

Support workers wait for N.B. government to fix wage 'mistake'

Questions raised over group of workers left out from wage increase ...
More ...Hugh Williams poses for a photo

Questions raised over group of workers left out from wage increase

10 Nov 2023 10:00:00

CBC News Brunswick

N.B. changes definition of 'serious' COVID-19 reactions, cuts number in half

New Brunswick has changed how it defines "serious" reactions to COVID-19 vaccines and using this new definition, the number has been cut in half. ...
More ...A shot of Comirnaty, the new Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination booster for COVID-19, on Fri. Sept. 15, 2023.

New Brunswick has changed how it defines "serious" reactions to COVID-19 vaccines and using this new definition, the number has been cut in half.

10 Nov 2023 10:00:00

CBC News Brunswick

Moncton approves budget with tax rate cut

Moncton has approved its 2024 budget with a 2.1 cent tax rate cut for most residential properties, slightly larger than originally proposed. ...
More ...A multi-storey white building with blue glass in the background with a sign saying "City Hall Hotel de Ville" in the foreground.

Moncton has approved its 2024 budget with a 2.1 cent tax rate cut for most residential properties, slightly larger than originally proposed.

9 Nov 2023 21:40:22

Grand Lake wastewater project announced - again
Fredericton Independent

Grand Lake wastewater project announced - again

Subscribe nowThree levels of government announced millions in spending Thursday for a new wastewater treatment facility to replace an ageing one in Chipman.But the same project was announced six years ...
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Three levels of government announced millions in spending Thursday for a new wastewater treatment facility to replace an ageing one in Chipman.

But the same project was announced six years ago by a previous Liberal provincial government and the same federal government - for a fifth of the cost.

The province and Infrastructure Canada issued news releases Thursday announcing the existing Chipman wastewater treatment facility would be replaced at a cost of $13.2 million through combined funding provided by the federal and provincial governments, and the recently amalgamated Municipality of Grand Lake.

Entrance to the existing Chipman wastewater treatment facility. (Photo: Google Street View)

Ottawa has pledged $7,920,000 for the project, New Brunswick $4,399,560 through its Regional Development Corp. and Grand Lake contributing $880,440, the province’s release said.

“The Chipman wastewater treatment facility has been standing for 45 years and it is time to replace it,” said Public Safety Minister and Fredericton-Grand Lake MLA Kris Austin said in the release. 

“This funding will allow for the construction of a new wastewater treatment facility at Grand Lake and will support the growing population in the region.”

Grand Lake Mayor Kevin Nicklin said in the release that the new facility will enable the recently amalgamated community - which includes the former villages of Minto and Chipman, as well as other former communities in the area - to accommodate its growing population and size.

However, online records show the same replacement project was announced in January 2017 under the previous Liberal government of premier Brian Gallant.

Provincial and federal financial commitments for the Chipman replacement project were announced at that time as part of a larger federal program designed to fund 74 water and wastewater projects across New Brunswick.

The province reported Jan. 20, 2017, that Ottawa was providing $1,785,889 while the Regional Development Corp. was investing $892,944, with an “anticipated start date” of May 29, 2017.

The total funding commitment for the project six years ago came to $2,678,833, about 20 per cent of the 2023 total of $13.2 million announced Thursday.

Government commissioned an environment impact assessment for the project six years ago, and the final report - available on the Government of New Brunswick website - was filed with the province June 23, 2017.

That assessment was conducted by the Fredericton office of Opus International Consultants, which has since been acquired by WSP Canada Inc.

The Fredericton Independent inquired with the provincial Regional Development Corp. (RDC) and Infrastructure Canada to inquire why the project didn’t happen in 2017 as originally announced and why the project cost has ballooned by a factor of five in just six years’ time.

From left, then-Miramichi-Grand Lake MP Pat Finnegan, then-New Brunswick Southwest MP Karen Ludwig, then-Fundy royal MP Alaina Lockhart, Beauséjour MP Dominic LeBlanc, then-premier Brian Gallant, then-deputy premier Stephen Horsman, then-environment minister Serge Roussell and then-Chipman mayor Carson Atkinson announce a replacement wastewater facility at the Heritage Centre in Chipman on Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo: Office of former MP Pat Finnegan/Facebook)

RDC spokesperson Mary-Anne Hurley-Corbyn said the 2017 announcement was for the initial work needed to build the new treatment facility.

“A similar project was announced in 2017 by [the provincial Department of Environment and Local Government] that included an environment impact assessment, design work and the construction of an ultraviolet disinfection system,” she wrote in an email.

“The project announced today will build on this work … Today’s news is a continuation.”

The original 2017 news release made no mention of the funding being for such limited purposes.

“Thanks to this investment, Chipman residents will benefit from a new and improved wastewater treatment facility, replacing the ageing infrastructure currently servicing the community and introducing upgraded processes to ensure cleaner water flows into the Salmon River,” the release said.

The Independent is still waiting on a response from Infrastructure Canada.

Nicklin couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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9 Nov 2023 21:25:31

CBC News Brunswick

Southeast N.B. man accused of killing spouse faces new charge

A 62-year-old from southeast New Brunswick accused of killing his spouse last month faces a new charge.  ...
More ...A brown stone building in the background with "Palais de Justice Moncton Law Courts" on a black stone wall in the foreground.

A 62-year-old from southeast New Brunswick accused of killing his spouse last month faces a new charge. 

9 Nov 2023 20:34:32

Firearms charges laid against murder suspects
Fredericton Independent

Firearms charges laid against murder suspects

Subscribe nowA Newcastle Creek woman and a Fredericton man awaiting separate trials for a 2022 homicide now face firearms charges stemming from a drug-trafficking prosecution.Erica Lea Ann Blyth, 40, ...
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A Newcastle Creek woman and a Fredericton man awaiting separate trials for a 2022 homicide now face firearms charges stemming from a drug-trafficking prosecution.

Erica Lea Ann Blyth, 40, of Wasson Road in Newcastle Creek, and Devon Mark Hill Hood, 26, of Fredericton, were charged jointly last month with possessing crystal meth, cocaine and hydromorphone (Dilaudid) for the purpose of trafficking, stemming from alleged events at Blyth’s home near Minto on June 21.

The pair appeared in Fredericton provincial court remotely Thursday from correctional institutions where they’re remanded - Blyth by phone the New Brunswick Women’s Correctional Centre in Miramichi, Hood by video from a federal prison in Quebec - to elect mode of trial and enter pleas to those counts, but the RCMP laid new, related charges.

Erica Lea Ann Blyth, left, and Devon Mark Hill Hood. (Photos: The Fredericton Independent/Facebook)

Hood and Blyth are now also jointly charged with the following:

  • possessing a loaded, prohibited firearm (a sawed-off shotgun) without a licence or authorization; 

  • possessing unloaded prohibited firearms (two other sawed-off shotguns) with readily accessible ammunition; 

  • possessing those three sawed-off shotguns, another shotgun and three rifles for a purpose dangerous to the public peace; 

  • possessing non-restricted firearms (the three rifles and the shotgun) without a licence; 

  • and storing those seven firearms improperly.

The weapons charges also allege June 21 events in Newcastle Creek.

Hood faces an additional count of possessing those firearms while prohibited from doing so by a court order.

Upon hearing Judge Mary Jane Richards read that final count, Hood broke into laughter and then ranted about the mounting charges.

“How are you going to charge me without reading me my rights?” he said.

“This is foolish. Every week, it’s new charges with you guys.”

Pictured are cigarettes, firearms and suspected drugs the RCMP says its officers seized at Erica Blyth’s home in Newcastle Creek on June 21. (Photo: RCMP)

Hood and Blyth are also both charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 28, 2022, death of Minto resident Brandon Patrick Donelan, 27.

Blyth is charged jointly with Joshua John McIsaac, 33, formerly of Penniac, while Hood is charged on a separate information but jointly with Matthew David LeBlanc, 29, of Fredericton.

Fredericton lawyer Emily Cochrane - acting as an agent Thursday for Blyth’s defence counsel, T.J. Burke - said she’d been instructed to elect trial in the Court of King’s bench before a judge alone on the drug charges and presumably the related firearms counts as well.

However, she acknowledged the fact that Hood doesn’t have counsel yet on the drug and gun allegations, the court might be reluctant to enter elections of mode of trial when one of the defendants is unrepresented.

Richards said it would be a bit premature to forge ahead without dedicated counsel on hand to represent Hood’s interests. Furthermore, the judge said, it made sense to give the parties time to consider the new firearms charges and review any additional disclosure that might arise from them before settling on a mode of trial.

Hood is represented on the murder charge by Saint John defence lawyer Brian Munro.

Charlotte Cowley, a New Brunswick Legal aid staff lawyer acting as duty counsel Thursday who’d conferred with Hood before court convened, said Hood reports he applied twice for legal aid on the drug charges when he was still being held at Dorchester Penitentiary.

She said she’s going to look into that and see if Munro might be able to be assigned on the drug and gun allegations as well.

Richards set the June 21 charges over to Nov. 23 to ensure Hood has counsel assigned for those matters before dealing with election of mode of trial.

Members of the RCMP’s major crime unit and officers with other sections executed a search warrant at Blyth’s home in Newcastle Creek on June 21, and arrested her and Hood at the scene.

The Mounties charged Blyth with the Donelan murder the following, and Hood was returned to federal prison on a parole violation. He was charged with the murder Oct. 4.

Brandon Patrick Donelan (Photo: Facebook)

The RCMP issued a news release this summer about the June 21 raid at Blyth’s home.

“During the search, police seized four non-restricted firearms and four prohibited firearms, all of which were unsafely stored,” it said.

“Police also seized 45,000 contraband cigarettes, as well as quantities of what are believed to be methamphetamine pills, shady 8 pills, hydromorphone pills, cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, unknown pills and drug-trafficking paraphernalia.”

McIsaac and Blyth’s jury trial on the murder charge is scheduled for the spring of 2025.

Hood and LeBlanc are due to appear again in provincial court next week to schedule their preliminary inquiry - a hearing to determine if there’s sufficient evidence to set the matter over for trial in the Court of King’s Bench. 

However, it’s expected the Crown will file a preferred indictment in their murder case as it did with the Blyth/McIsaac matter. That procedure allows the prosecution to skip the preliminary-inquiry phase altogether.

Donelan’s body was found along a snowmobile trail in the Grand Lake area March 31, 2022, but he was reported as missing to police Jan. 30, 2022. The RCMP launched a major search effort, on the ground and from the air at the time but it came up empty.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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9 Nov 2023 17:18:45

River Valley Sun

Paying tribute to Wotstak First Nation veterans

Community marks National Indigenous Veterans Day with sixth annual ceremony More than 60 people withstood the cold wind blowing off the Wolastoq (St. John River) to pay homage to Wotstak (Woodstock ...
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Community marks National Indigenous Veterans Day with sixth annual ceremony

More than 60 people withstood the cold wind blowing off the Wolastoq (St. John River) to pay homage to Wotstak (Woodstock) First Nation veterans during National Indigenous Veterans Day on Nov. 8.

Chief/Sakum Tim Paul welcomed participants and guests to the sixth annual Woodstock First Nation Veterans Memorial situated on the banks of the Wolastoq.

The solemn ceremony began with Piper Darlene Morton leading Sgt. at Arms Bruce Hendry and the Colour Guard, featuring members of the Woodstock Royal Canadian Legion Branch 11, ANAVETS Unit 95 and Wotstak First Nation veteran Roberta Paul to the monument.

Singer Antatasha MacIntosh and drummers Valerie Polchies and Robin Sappier opened the ceremony with a traditional song, followed by an elder reciting the Lord’s Prayer in Maliseet. 

Shaun Sappier served as master of ceremonies.

Chief Paul noted the importance of remembering and thanking the many Wotstak First Nation residents who served with the Canadian and American forces in two World Wars, the Vietnam War, as peacekeepers and during peacetime.

The singing of O Canada in Maliseet preceded the playing of the Last Post, followed by a moment of silence and the sounding of Reveille.

After Lisa Sappier recited Flanders Fields, Shawn Sappier read the roll call of Wotstak First Nation etched into the memorial behind him.

Each Wotstak First Nation National Indigenous Veteran Day ceremony includes a brief profile of one of the names on the monument. 

Chief Paul offered a brief biography of Charles Edward Polchies, who joined the Canadian Army as a member of the Carleton York Regiment in 1940, returning from war in 1945.

Medicine Lady Lisa Sappier, who offered a smudging ceremony to guests before the event began, read the Commitment to Remember before the laying of wreaths.

Wotstak First Nation chief and council laid the first wreath honouring their community’s veterans. Among the many laying wreaths and crosses of tribute included ANAVET Beth MacFarlane on behalf of MP Richard Bragdon and the Government of Canada and Woodstock Mayor Trina Paul on behalf of the town.

Wotstak First Nation hosted a reception at the band hall following the ceremony.

A crowd braves the cold breeze off the river to honour Wotstak (Woodstock) First Nation veterans. (Jim Dumville photo)
Piper Darlene Morton leads Sgt-at-Arms Bruce Hendry and the Colour Guard to begin the Wotstak (Woodstock) First Nation National Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony. (Jim Dumville photo)
 
The Piper and Colour Guard line the Veterans Monument. (Jim Dumville photo)
Shaun Sappier reads the Roll of Veterans, listing the names in the monument behind him. (Jim Dumville photo)
ANAVET Beth MacFarlane salutes after laying a wreath on behalf of the Government of Canada. (Jim Dumville photo)
Woodstock Mayor Trina Jones stands quietly after laying a wreath on behalf of the town. (Jim Dumville photo)
The sign says it all. “We Will Remember Them.” (Jim Dumville photo)

The post Paying tribute to Wotstak First Nation veterans first appeared on River Valley Sun.

9 Nov 2023 13:47:23

‘It didn’t come from Scotiabank’
Fredericton Independent

‘It didn’t come from Scotiabank’

Subscribe nowA Bilijk (Kingsclear) First Nation man with a 10-page criminal record who passed a counterfeit $100 bill at a downtown business last year won’t go to jail for the crime.Shaun Leo Fr ...
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A Bilijk (Kingsclear) First Nation man with a 10-page criminal record who passed a counterfeit $100 bill at a downtown business last year won’t go to jail for the crime.

Shaun Leo Francis, 45, of French Village Road, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Wednesday for sentencing for uttering counterfeit currency.

He’d previously pleaded guilty to the charge.

Crown prosecutor Geoffrey Hutchin said Francis was caught on video at the King Street Irving on March 14, 2022, providing a $100 bill to buy cigarettes, and he received change from the purpose.

Shaun Leo Francis (Photo: Facebook)

It was shortly thereafter employees realized the bill was bogus, he said, and they called police to report the incident. Officers identified Francis from the video, court heard.

When an officer spotted Francis at a bus stop a few days later, the prosecutor said, he stopped to arrest him.

“Mr. Francis made a spontaneous utterance he didn’t know the bill was counterfeit,” Hutchin said.

He filed a copy of the offender’s past criminal history with the court, noting it was 10 pages long and included previous convictions for property crimes, though there were no priors involving funny money.

The prosecutor said Francis’ record is so lengthy, he’s reaching the point at which he could get jail time just for jaywalking. However, he said, given his guilty plea, the Crown wasn’t seeking incarceration for this latest offence.

Instead, Hutchin recommended a 60-day conditional sentence, to be served in the community subject to a strict curfew. He also asked the court to impose a probation order requiring Francis to pay restitution to the Irving.

Duty counsel Melinda Ponting-Moore said the conditional sentence was a joint recommendation from the Crown and defence.

Francis accepts responsibility for his actions, she said, noting he’s an Indigenous man whose life has been affected by numerous systemic, historical traumas.

He has wrestled with substance abuse and housing challenges on and off throughout his life, the defence lawyer said.

“He’s struggled with an alienation from his community,” she said. “He’s trying to right the ship.”

“You’re getting a little bit old to be in here,” Judge Henrik Tonning told Francis.

The offender agreed, acknowledging he needed to make some changes.

“Where’d you get it?” the judge asked him, referring to the counterfeit bill.

“It doesn’t matter where I got it,” Francis said.

“It didn’t come from Scotiabank,” Tonning jibed back.

The judge accepted the jointly recommended sentence, imposed a conditional sentence for 60 days. During that time, Francis must be in his residence from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and stay off the premises of the King Street Irving.

That’s to be followed by one year of probation, during which Francis is to continue to stay away from the Irving and to pay $100 in restitution.

Tonning also imposed a $100 victim-fine surcharge.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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9 Nov 2023 11:53:07

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