Most retailers in New Brunswick will be closed on Monday for the Family Day holiday. Schools, universities and colleges will also be closed.

Sunrise ceremonies and talking circles: Indigenous folks come from all over to celebrate.

The latest round of winter scenes you sent us this week.

A 64-year-old man who went missing after going ice sailing in the southeastern New Brunswick community of Grande-Digue has been found dead, according to an RCMP news release.

NOAA researchers say the whale, which was just over a year old, suffered skull fractures and other blunt force injuries consistent with a vessel strike.

Town announces boil water order after water main break.

A boil order is now in place for the streets highlighted on the map above. Water will be restored shortly in this area.

How do I properly boil and store water during an advisory:
To kill potentially disease-causing microbes water will need to be brought to a rolling
boil for 1 minute in a heat-resistant container. Once boiled the water should be left to
cool in a safe place, away from children and pets, and then poured into clean covered
containers.
Please take care to avoid scalding yourself when boiling and storing water.

For more information regarding “Boil Water Orders”, check the Government of New Brunswick website.

The post Woodstock Boil Order first appeared on River Valley Sun.

The municipality of Lakeland Ridges is getting its third government-appointed supervisor in six months. On Friday, the Department of Environment and Local Government announced that Stephen Manuel had been appointed supervisor of the municipality.

In the age of cellphones, the devices have slowly made their way into classrooms across the world — with sneaky texting under desks, headphones hidden under hair and even outright use during quiet moments in class.

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce will facilitate a roundtable discussion with health-care professionals to try to identify solutions to health-care challenges in the area.

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There’s been no discussion at Fredericton city hall about ways the municipality can support a struggling science education centre in the downtown core, says a spokesperson.

Science East’s board of directors announced on Facebook on Thursday that it was temporarily closing its doors and laying on many of its employees due to recent financial struggles.

It will continue to offer services for group and school bookings, the post stated, as it works to address its funding shortfall.

The Fredericton Independent reached out to the City of Fredericton for comment on the news, and in a written statement, Mayor Kate Rogers expressed support for the science museum and the hope that it will recover and return to full operation - but nothing about what could be done to rectify the situation.

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Stephen Manuel replaces Greg Lutes to become the third appointee to oversee the rural community’s operations as council remains suspended

Former Meductic Mayor Stephen Manuel will take over as supervisor of the Lakeland Ridges Rural Community, effective today, Feb. 16.

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

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

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

The new mayor and council devolved into chaos early in its mandate to the point where the province suspended the council and installed Michael Blaney as supervisor on July 28. Greg Lutes took over as supervisor on Sept. 17. Manuel will replace Lutes.

Throughout the ongoing process, Lakeland Ridges residents remain in the dark about reasons for the council’s dysfunction and any remedies in place to address the situation.

In January, Mayor Tanya Cloutier and Ward 4 Councillors Mike Furrow and Mark Grant, representing the former village of Canterbury, resigned their seats, citing the ongoing dysfunction and continuing bullying by some council members.

Meanwhile, frustration continues to grow among residents. A petition is now circulating online and available at several businesses, calling on the province to address the situation immediately and inform residents.

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

Along with his vast municipal government experience, Manuel brings detailed knowledge about Lakeland Ridges and the formation of the expanded community. He served as a member of the transition team that oversaw the formation of the new municipality.

Manuel is also aware of the divisions and resistance of many civic leaders to form the rural community. The appointment of the first supervisor in late July didn’t take him by surprise.

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

He told the River Valley Sun he considered running for council in last November’s election but reconsidered because “I could see where it was going.”

While Manuel’s appointment comes after she and two councillors resigned, Cloutier welcomed the news.

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

Cloutier believes the province must repair the problems within Lakeland Ridges council and answer for the process’s failure to correct the ongoing dysfunction.

“I feel the lack of accountability and process throughout the supervision so far needs to be addressed,” Cloutier said. “It was what caused myself and two councilors to step down from our positions.

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

Environment and Local Government spokesperson Kelly Cormier told the River Valley Sun in an email that the new supervisor’s role remains unclear, noting Manuel has yet to meet with the council.

“He will continue to oversee the day-to-day administration of all local government affairs and take on the role normally exercised by council,” Cormier said. “Next steps will be discussed with the council in the coming days.”

Cloutier said the province never effectively addressed the problems which divided council nor held councillors responsible for their actions. She added councillors didn’t get to see the investigator’s report.

“There were sessions for all council and staff being held to help bring us back together, yet the presenters were never given any background into the dysfunction saying, ‘if I told you, you might not come.’ That to me says something,” said Cloutier.

Cormier said the department has now shared the previous supervisor’s report to the Commissioner of Municipal Affairs with current council members.

While happy to see Manuel appointed, Cloutier is disappointed it didn’t happen sooner.

“I feel I was forced to step away as mayor, which is what I loved with all my heart and soul, out of frustration and lack of guidance,” Cloutier said. “But knowing Stephen is there gives me hope that the people of Lakeland Ridges will be taken care of.”

The post Former Meductic mayor appointed Lakeland Ridges supervisor first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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A judge said Friday despite an elderly man’s remorse, lack of a criminal record and health issues, the only way to denounce his sexual touching of a child was to send him to jail.

Donald Stephen Crawford, 77, of Kings College Road, previously pleaded guilty to a summary count of sexual interference, stemming from an incident in his home on May 1, 2022.

The victim in the case was a girl who was 12 years old at the time, and her identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban. Court heard previously Crawford was a family friend.

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Two former Higgs government cabinet ministers on Friday questioned auto insurance companies using a person's credit score when calculating premiums.

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Counsel for a Nova Scotia man accused of incest said Friday the defence wants to hear from - and cross-examine - a lone witness at the preliminary inquiry: the complainant.

The case of a 57-year-old Dartmouth, N.S., man was back on the Fredericton provincial court docket Friday to schedule a preliminary inquiry.

Through defence lawyer Edward Derrah, the accused previously elected to be tried in the Court of King’s Bench by judge alone, without a jury, on charges of sexual assault, incest and sexual interference, alleged to have occurred between Jan. 1, 2019, and Sept. 30, 2022, in the Coles Island area, east of Fredericton.

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A moose caught on camera circling a light post near Stanley, New Brunswick, was likely experiencing neurological problems caused by a parasite that got into the animal's spinal cord and brain, says a University of New Brunswick biologist.

Force’s Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit issues 93 tickets over two days

The RCMP issued 93 tickets and towed two cars on Feb. 8 and 9 during a Western Valley Region enforcement operation by the New Brunswick RCMP’s Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit (TTEU). 

In a press release, TTEU said it issued the tickets under the New Brunswick Motor Vehicle Act, including 50 tickets for speeding and seven for using a hand-held electronic device while driving. 

Additionally, officers arrested one person for driving while impaired and another for driving while suspended.

“The RCMP Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit focuses on behaviours that pose the greatest risk to the public, whether it’s driving behaviours or criminal activity,” said Sgt. Ghislain David with the Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit. “We all have a role to play when it comes to making our roads and communities safer, and our top priority remains ensuring public safety by limiting the number of dangerous drivers on our roadways.”

The release reminded the public that it can assist in keeping dangerous drivers off the road by reporting them to the police. 

Anyone who sees a dangerous or suspected impaired driver should call 911. Their description of the driver, vehicle, licence plate number and direction of travel can assist police in making New Brunswick roads safer.

The post RCMP target Western Valley Region drivers for infractions first appeared on River Valley Sun.

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick’s Energy Poverty Campaign kicks off February 24 with an unforgettable evening of music led by multifaceted Saint John musician Matthew Elliott (aka Stephen Hero). …

The post Energy Poverty Campaign Kickoff with Stephen Hero appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

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A Quebec man was acquitted Thursday on a charge of sexual assault, stemming from a 2019 incident during which he had anal sex with a teenage girl in Oromocto.

Evan Audet, 22, of Shannon, Que., stood trial before Court of King’s Bench Justice Terrence Morrison last fall on an indictable charge of sexual assault, alleged to have occurred between Aug. 11 and Dec. 31, 2019.

Audet was 18 years old at the time, and the female complainant was 16.

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TransAqua's board chair is questioning whether Moncton has proof the utility's sewage composting site is the source of a pungent smell in the north end a week after councillors gave the organization an ultimatum about the facility.

Following a letter in January saying Premier Blaine Higgs’s election speculation cost taxpayers $1.7 million, the head of Elections New Brunswick told MLAs on Thursday that her office had told Higgs's staff that money was being spent because of his election musings.

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A science museum and educational centre in downtown Fredericton is feeling the financial crunch, as it announced Thursday it’s closing temporarily and laying off staff.

Science East Science Centre’s board of directors announced the move on Facebook on Thursday afternoon.

“Due to financial and operational considerations, the Science East Science Centre is temporarily closing to the general public as the board assesses next steps,” it said.

“Unfortunately, given the constraints, we have had to make the difficult decision to lay off many of our talented staff. We are maintaining a core group of employees who will continue to deliver outreach programs and help us rebuild the organization.”

The post said the facility and its skeleton staff will continue to offer its educational programs on science and technology for school and group bookings only.

“Science East will also continue to provide workshops in schools and the community, resources for educators, and work with our partners to organize the 2024 Anglophone Regional Science Fairs,” the board’s statement said.

The board said it hopes Science East can offer a summer program in the months ahead, noting it’s “assessing” its options, and any such developments will be announced in the organization’s newsletters and on social media.

“As an organization that relies heavily on government and corporate funders on a project-by-project, program-by-program basis, we are sometimes required to re-evaluate and realign activities based on available funds,” it said.

The post indicated that those with Science East memberships will find they’re still valid at partner organizations, and members will receive updates via email.

“All existing bookings are still in place, and we look forward to welcoming groups to the Science Centre,” it said.

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

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The office of New Brunswick’s child, youth and seniors advocate serves another population that isn’t in its title — vulnerable adults.

Fredericton’s Science East will temporarily close its doors to the public, citing financial pressures and operational concerns. The organization posted the decision to its Facebook page Thursday afternoon.

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A Fredericton man accused of threatening a justice-system participant is in the process of retaining legal counsel, court heard this week, and he’ll answer to the indictable charge next month.

Michael G. Burden, 75, of Barton Crescent, stands charged with threatening violence against Virgil Arbeau Nov. 13 with intent to provoke a state of fear in an effort to impede the administration of justice.

The charge doesn’t indicate in which case Arbeau is involved and in what capacity.

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New Brunswick is projecting a budget surplus for the current fiscal year of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars, six times higher than originally planned and despite surging health-care expenses, new figures show

American Iron & Metal wants a judge to quash the environment minister's suspension of the company's approval to operate a Saint John harbourfront scrapyard, alleging he acted "arbitrarily and unreasonably," exceeded his jurisdiction and breached his duty of procedural fairness.

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A Florenceville-Bristol woman who’s been remanded on allegations of parental abduction denied the charges against her Thursday, and she’ll stand trial in the spring.

The 42-year-old defendant appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone Thursday, as she’s being held in custody at the New Brunswick Women’s Correctional Centre in Miramichi.

Appearing in person in court on her behalf was defence lawyer Wanda Severns.

The accused faces charges alleging two violations of a custody order, specifically that while she had the lawful care of two children under the age of 14, she took them with the intent of depriving another woman of her guardianship of those minors.

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A woman already serving a prison sentence saw that stint behind bars extended by more than two years when she pleaded guilty Monday to serious drug charges.

Megan Elizabeth L. Hanson, 28, and Robert (Robbie) Wayne Waugh, 46, both formerly of Route 104 in Millville, were scheduled to stand trial this week on joint charges of possessing cocaine and methamphetamine in Millville on Sept. 8, 2022.

However, rather than proceed to trial, defence lawyer Michael Mallory, representing Hanson, told Judge Andrew LeMesurier his client wanted to plead guilty to both counts.

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A 42-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman are dead after the cars they were driving collided n Penobsquis, the community northeast of Sussex where they both lived.

Prince Edward Island’s Gizmo will be passing through New Brunswick this month as part of the band’s current Maritime tour playing shows in Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton and Sackville.  Gizmo’s…

The post PEI’s Gizmo playing shows in NB this month appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

Police and others searched Wednesday night for a man who went ice sailing near the eastern New Brunswick community of Grande-Digue and didn't come back. The search may resume Thursday.

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Warning: This story includes graphic descriptions of extreme child abuse.

A judge “double-counted” a Fredericton woman’s horrific and violent acts toward her seven-year-old daughter and therefore erred when calculating her prison sentence, an appellate lawyer argued Wednesday.

The case of a 34-year-old Fredericton woman whom provincial court Judge Natalie LeBlanc sentenced last summer to 9½ years in prison was before the New Brunswick Court of Appeal on Wednesday morning.

The offender had pleaded guilty early last year to aggravated assault, assault with a weapon (a metal rod), unlawful confinement and failure to provide the necessaries of life (medical care).

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Joe Barrie said there were plenty of options to save the boat — and even now, with it sitting encased in ice to the top of the cabin, he said it can be salvaged.

A $300 affordability payment to working families in New Brunswick, announced with great fanfare by Premier Blaine Higgs last month, now has an asterisk attached.

William Doiron took his own life after being a victim of a global sextortion scheme, where he was convinced into sending explicit sexual images and then blackmailed.

In honour of Black History Month, Robert and Tanika Chambers have started a community reading and music project to foster cultural awareness in Carleton County.

After neighbours struck down a plan for a temporary overnight shelter in St. Stephen, a local non-profit already running a warming centre will expand to offer overnight services.

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An increased police presence near Tilley is part of an effort to locate a Perth-Andover man who’s been missing for more than two weeks, the RCMP reports.

The RCMP’s Perth-Andover detachment issued a news release Tuesday indicating that resident Donald James Pirie, 29, AKA DJ Pirie hadn’t been seen in the community since Jan. 29.

It asked for tips from the public on his whereabouts.

In a followup advisory Wednesday afternoon, the Mounties said there was a search underway near Tilley, about 18 kilometres north of Perth-Andover.

“Residents of Currie Road, near Tilley, may notice an increased police presence, including police dog services and ground search and rescue, as we actively try to locate Donald James Pirie,” the RCMP said on social media Wednesday.

It also emphasized that police presence was unrelated to the RCMP operation still underway in Stanley, where residents were advised to shelter in place due to an unspecified situation.

Pirie is described as being about 5’8” (178 centimetres) tall, weighing about 170 pounds (77 kilograms), with blue eyes and blond hair. 

The missing-person advisory Tuesday noted Pirie has a scar in the middle of his head and several tattoos, and that he was last seen wearing a gold watch, a gold chain with a cross  and black shoes.

Anyone with information on Pirie’s whereabouts is urged to call the Perth-Andover RCMP at 506-273-5000.

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

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More than a year after Saint John police cracked down on false alarms at businesses, the force has implemented a more stringent condition to further tackle the problem.

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Part of the Village of Stanley is on lockdown Wednesday as the RCMP deals with a situation the force only described as “a police operation.”

Minutes before 11 a.m. Wednesday, the RCMP in New Brunswick issued an alert on social media about an ongoing incident in the Village of Stanley, about 40 kilometres north of Fredericton.

“Due to a police operation on Giants Glen Road in Stanley, RCMPNB are asking the public to avoid the area while they do their work,” it said on social media at 10:56 a.m., adding that more information would be shared later.

About a half hour later, the RCMP advised the situation was still ongoing and directed people to remain in their homes.

“Residents of the affected area have been asked to shelter in place,” it said. “Please continue to avoid the area.”

The police force reported the matter, the nature of which it still hadn’t detailed, didn’t meet criteria for the issuance of an emergency Alert Ready message.

It reiterated on social media at 2:10 p.m. Wednesday the operation was still in effect.

The Fredericton Independent will update this story as more details become available.

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

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A man accused of possessing a dangerously addictive drug for trafficking purposes denied the allegation Wednesday.

Nicholas MacDonald, 29, of no fixed address, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Wednesday with defence counsel Matthew Oliver to answer to an Aug. 2 charge that he possessed cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in French Village, located just a few kilometres west of Fredericton, near Lower Kingsclear.

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A scrap metal company can resume accepting material at three sites after inspections by the New Brunswick government determined they now comply with the fire code.

American Iron & Metal has been sentenced to pay $107,000 to establish a workplace safety-focused scholarship at the New Brunswick Community College in the name of Darrell Edward Richards, a worker killed at its Saint John scrapyard in 2022.

The 29-year-old Perth-Andover man was last seen on Jan. 29

The Perth-Andover RCMP is asking for the public’s help to locate a missing 29-year-old man from the community.

In a media release on Feb. 13, the RCMP said Donald James Pirie, also known as DJ Pirie, was last seen on Jan. 29 on Skyline Drive in Perth-Andover.

Police have followed up on several leads to try and locate him but have so far been unsuccessful. Police and his family are concerned for his well-being.

The RCMP described Pirie as approximately five feet eight inches (178 centimetres) tall and weighing approximately 170 pounds (77 kilograms).

He has blue eyes and blond hair. He has a scar in the middle of his head and several tattoos, including an angel on his left upper arm and a star on the front of his right shoulder.

When last seen, Pirie wore a gold watch, a gold chain with a cross, and black shoes.

Police ask that anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact the Perth-Andover RCMP at 506-273-5000.

The post RCMP seeking help to locate missing man first appeared on River Valley Sun.

First City School of Dance hosting its 3rd annual Adult Dance Conference, Feb. 20-25. Matt Carter  To some, a pandemic lockdown might not sound like an opportune time to launch…

The post FCSD Adult Dance Conference Feb. 20-25 appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

A Saint John Transit bus fatally struck a pedestrian in the Crescent Valley area of the city's north end on Tuesday evening.

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Editor’s note: The defendant in this court report and the journalist covering the case share the same first and last names, but they aren’t related or connected in any way.

A judge cancelled a Noonan man’s trial - set to begin later this week - on charges of sexual assault and touching of minors after hearing Tuesday that he and his defence counsel had a falling out.

Donald Ashley MacPherson, 65, of Hughes Street in Noonan but formerly of Canada Street in Fredericton, elected last year to be tried in provincial court and pleaded not guilty to two indictable counts each of sexual assault, sexual interference and sexual exploitation.

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Over $75 million in fees, taxes and other charges collected annually from N.B. Power by the New Brunswick government could be adjusted to compensate the utility for a delay in this year's rate increase, if it occurs.

Amid all their disagreements with the Higgs government over the last several years, two Wolastoqey chiefs say one bright light emerged: cabinet minister Arlene Dunn.

Two couples who fought for gay marriage in New Brunswick in 2005 are still going strong almost 20 years later.