Canadian crab and lobster industry representatives will be looking for some answers and opportunities at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston.

Moncton’s Frye Festival will honour late Acadian novelist and playwright Antonine Maillet with a special literary show, to showcase the depth of her writing.

Steve Earle is standing in the shadows by the side of the club stage enraptured as he watches the young artist win over a crowd of rowdy young men here to see the headliner.

Every once in a while, he casts his gaze towards the Moncton club floor giving the evil eye to any audience member who dares to yell with their friends but always he returns his attention to this captivating singer. I spent more time watching Steve Earle watching the performance than I spent watching the stage. It was electric, it was pure passion.

It was hardly surprising that after the tour the two were married.

Allison Moorer has had a long career in that nebulous area where the lines blur between rock, country and folk.

She is, simply, a songwriter, and to me, with Steve Earle, it was a case of like attracts like.

The album I come back to again and again is “The Duel”, perhaps the album with the best examples of her ability to rise above genres and present classic song craft. 

With a simple three-piece band playing guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards she sets the tone with opener “I Ain’t Giving Up On You”, dark chords and a classic mid-tempo beat frame a tale of self-examination: “I always toss it in when things get heavy, wash my hands and leave ‘em high and dry”.

The look in the mirror is stark and bare bones, “to tell the truth it’s hard being honest.” But then the bridge brings a little light because “you’re the best chance I got.”

The ringing guitar to close turns the whole tale around and feels like a moment of positivity in a dark life. The piano based “Baby Dreamer” is gentler without the rock n’ roll guitars of the previous track.

The lyrics are simple: “wake up baby dreamer, wipe the sleep from your eyes, look behind the curtain, such a beautiful sunrise”. A quiet picked guitar rises and falls without distracting from the melody.

Multi-tracked vocals give it a link to gospel. “Melancholy Polly” who “spills her guts on stage” is the next character we visit.

Someone who is “safe inside her music” and lives for the chance to be on stage in a seedy bar giving everything she has. It is a short riff-based rocker that is over too soon.

Track four, “Believe You Me” meanders through loud and soft verses and chorus parts. The bluesy melody highlights the list of struggling characters one after another, “a man jumps in the river to wash away his sin, in his religious fervor forgot he couldn’t swim, no one saved his skin.”

Moorer’s voice is a highlight here as it is on the next track, “One on the House,” where the weariness in her performance is palpable. A barroom patron has fallen on hard times and accosts a bartender, “wasted my fortune on having a ball, hit the bottle like a calf at a cow, what I’m gonna ask you takes a whole lotta gall, do me a favour and give me one on the house.”

The country lament touches all the right feelings with piano and guitar weaving a classic countrypolitan sound.

Side two starts with the album highlight “All Aboard,” an epic chugging rocker with beautiful backing vocals. It hides that dark dichotomy by loudly proclaiming “all aboard” but making it clear that not all are welcome.

“If you don’t love it you can leave”, that patriotic jingoistic slogan so often proclaimed is a touchstone line as we start to learn of those who are not invited aboard. Soon, it’s clear we don’t want to be one of those on the train. Subtle, but serious themes make this a classic in her catalogue.

The false ending and band workout are a musical highlight as well. Title track, “The Duel,” follows. It is a stark track with only piano and harmonica backing her fragile voice. “In this cemetery mist stands a newborn atheist” is a remarkable opening line. Reflections at a funeral, “I don’t know how many rounds are left in me ‘til I stay down” while “staring at my polished shoes in front of your wooden pews.”

The harmonica barely intrudes on her thoughts but adds another fragile touch.

“When Will You Ever Come Down” is an acoustic country pop classic with some Dylan touches in the production and arrangement. It breezes by with a rare guitar solo and then it’s over in two and a half minutes. “Louise is in the Blue Moon” is another highlight, an organ based gentle character study as we meet gamblers, sheriffs, musicians and other ne’er do wells.

Louise watches all from above without judgement as the organ swells and the drums insist that all these misfits are worth knowing. “Once Upon a Time She Said” has Moorer playing acoustic guitar solo on the first verses to put all the spotlight on her voice, “just getting by is getting old, locked up inside this pigeonhole.”

A story of strength and self-confidence, an artist who knows ‘it’s unpopular to be unpopular” as the drums and electric guitars come crashing in, she will not go quietly into that pigeonhole. The album closes with “Sing Me to Sleep” a country waltz with just acoustic guitars and brushes easing us to the end of the journey. 

The demands of motherhood have made the output less regular but no less compelling in the last two decades, Moorer is a singular artist well worth exploring.

After the election of Donald Trump as president and the elimination of an estimated 100,000 federal jobs in the United States, residents in that country are making up a growing proportion of job applicants in Canada.

Kai Baklinski, 18, and Isaac Molnar, 19, took a road trip to New Brunswick to see Kai’s older brother, Noah, who is a student at UNB. And Kai couldn’t help but to take a plunge into the frigid waters of Saints Rest beach.

This season’s Canada’s Got Talent gets two Carleton County acts

Canada’s Got Talent (CGT) just got a lot more Carleton County.

Local musicians The Martin Boys from Woodstock and young Hartland songstress Iris Lloyd will hit the CGT stage for the March 18 season four debut. The show will be broadcast on CityTV at 9 p.m. Atlantic time.

For The Martin Boys, the audition journey started last September when a family friend suggested they should audition for the show.

“We were actually watching old CGT clips on YouTube when they suggested it, and then we signed up right away,” said Micah

The two brothers, Macauley and Micah, say they went through quite the audition process. They were required to send in various clips of them singing to the CGT casting team, one being their performance song, an original song, an acoustic cover song, a cappella, and a video explaining why they want to be on CGT.

One month later, in October, the Martin Boys were invited to audition in front of the judges in Niagara Falls.

“It was very surreal performing in front of the celebrity judges. We both recall it being a sort of out-of-body experience, almost like we blinked once, and it was over,” said Micah.

Macauley and Micah said they were most nervous about performing before judge and country music superstar Shania Twain. As a country music duo, the brothers said they were humbled to be able to perform for the Canadian country legend.

“It was an honour and also very nerve-wracking to perform in front of her and hear her critique of our performance,” said Micah.

The Martin Boys look forward to gaining exposure from their time on the show and hope to gain more fans and support outside Carleton County.

The duo says they are excited to represent Woodstock on CGT and hope the town will support them on their journey.

“For those who watch the show, they will see us talking countless times about how proud we are of where we’re from and just how much it means to us that we get to represent our hometown on Canada’s biggest stage,” said Micah.

The River Valley Sun contacted Iris Lloyd’s family to request an interview for our story, but they turned down our request, noting they were told to refer all media inquiries to CGT publicists. We reached out to them for comment, but no one responded to our emails.

The nationwide contest highlights people demonstrating various talents. Thanks to Rogers, the winner walks away with $1 million.

The post Small-town stars hit one of Canada’s biggest stages first appeared on River Valley Sun.

A group of 15 researchers have been gathering data for the last two weeks as part of the first all-Canadian Antarctic mission. 

A now-scuttled proposal to introduce a four-day school week in New Brunswick's anglophone schools has sparked debate about the potential benefits and challenges for parents and students.

Zakkary Reed, 32, has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Alexander Bishop, 38, in Saint John in August 2023.

This Week Uncut for March 10-16, 2025: Vicki Hogarth and Nathalie Sturgeon take an in-depth look at the top stories of the week from CHCO-TV and The Courier.

Original Broadcast Date: March 14, 2025

This Week Uncut is an original CHCO Television production produced on location at the CHCO-TV studio in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

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While a Thursday afternoon fire at an industrial recycling facility on Fredericton’s north side has been determined to be accidental in nature, the province’s workplace-safety watchdog is investigating.

Fredericton firefighters responded to a report of a fire at AIM Recycling at 400 Carman Ave. shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday and had the blaze contained and under control in less than two hours.

The fire department reported that a salvage trailer and a small pile of metal debris had caught fire in the incident.

It also had issued an air-quality advisory for a short time Thursday afternoon due to the nature of the material that was burning and advised people to steer clear of the area and to avoid breathing in any smoke.

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The yard is owned by American Iron and Metal, which has faced public scrutiny at other sites in the province. The facility on Saint John's west side was the source of frequent community complaints over explosions and the site of a massive fire in 2023.

A pilot program that allowed pharmacists to manage and prescribe for certain chronic conditions, such as diabetes and asthma, has been a great success, according to the New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association — yet the province will not be extending it. 

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A defective gaming chair proved to be the undoing of a Staples manager in Fredericton, because when the customer tried to return it, the system showed a fraudulent refund had already been paid out.

Soegiono Liem Swie, 51, of Abbott Court in Fredericton, stood trial in Fredericton provincial court over the course of several days last year on an indictable count of fraud.

The Fredericton Police Force charge indicated he’d defrauded Staples on Prospect Street of more than $5,000 between Dec. 8, 2021, and Nov. 27, 2022.

Judge Scott Brittain presided over the trial, and in a decision issued in January, he convicted Swie of the offence.

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The chief of the Welamukotuk (Oromocto) First Nation will stand trial next year on a charge alleging she tried to pay a witness not to testify in a domestic-violence trial.

Defence lawyer Daniel Gallant appeared in Fredericton provincial court Friday on behalf of Chief Shelley Marie Sabattis, 56, of Wel-a-Mook Took Street.

Sabattis was scheduled to enter a plea to a charge of trying to dissuade Chanel Sabattis from testifying against Winton Labelle Walter Saulis, with the intent to obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice, between Nov. 23 and 29, 2023.

Sabattis wasn’t present when her case was called, but Gallant said he had instructions from his client on how to proceed.

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A capital-region man accused of sexually assaulting and touching two different minors during two different timeframes denied the allegations Friday, and he’ll stand trial next year.

The 70-year-old Keswick Ridge man appeared in Fredericton provincial court Friday accompanied by defence lawyer Robert Digdon.

The accused faces two sets of charges laid by the RCMP, alleging sexual offences against two underage complainants at two separate times.

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The Municipal District of St. Stephen (MDSS) has once again been denied housing accelerator funding from the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation. 

In a letter emailed to Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Renaud, dated March 6, 2025, it said it was reaching out about the application for the second round of funding and “to inform you that St. Stephen was not selected for funding.”

“Local governments from across Canada have been enthusiastic in their response to HAF,” the letter read. “Unfortunately, with more than 200 applications received for HAF2, we were not able to support all applications with the funding available.” 

Mayor Allan MacEachern said the news was disappointing. 

“For the second time, after all the work … we just wasted our time,” he said during the meeting. “What bigger problem do we have right now than housing? It’s frustrating.”

MacEachern said he believes there is some political motivation at play. 

Coun. Wade Greenlaw echoed those sentiments. 

“I know the effort that went into this housing accelerator fund … and it was done really, really well, so it was nothing to do with the application,” he said. 

In its most recent application, MDSS asked for $5 million in funding from the federal government. Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Renaud said he thought it had a very strong case. 

“Obviously some of those hopes and dreams projects will stay hopes and dreams,” he said during the meeting. 

He said it is hopeful that the Regional Development Corporation will be able to assist them with some funding. 

Coun. David Hyslop said it is really frustrating, citing that many communities are never successful at getting any funding. 

“Just to say that 200 applications received and you weren’t one of the successful ones, it’s not a very good excuse to me,” he said during the meeting.

The housing accelerator fund is designed to provide funding for affordable housing and increase housing stock in communities with significant needs. 

St. Stephen has been struggling with a growing number of people experiencing and facing homelessness. It has struggled to find space for those living outdoors and recently announced an out-of-the-cold (OOC) that will become permanent in the spring. 

The shelter opened on 9 Main Street and is operated by non-profit group Neighbourhood Works Inc. It is still estimated that around 100 people are experiencing homelessness, but the number fluctuates. 

In March 2024, all of the municipalities in Charlotte County that applied for the housing accelerator fund were also denied. 

Those included St. Stephen, Saint Andrews, Grand Manan, Campbello, Fundy Shores, McAdam, and Eastern Charlotte. 

“The municipality of Eastern Charlotte has been denied federal funding under the Housing Accelerator Fund,” said Mayor John Craig during a council meeting recorded by CHCO-TV back in March 2024. “This is very frustrating and disappointing. We have several housing developments waiting to move ahead, and this funding would have brought a couple of them over the finish line.”

The Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation confirmed St. Stephen was again denied funding. 

It said it did not receive any application from Fundy Shores, but none of the other Charlotte County municipalities were successful either. 

“The evaluation process for HAF was highly competitive, with many strong applications received, and not all could be funded,” said spokesperson Brian Harris with CMHC. “As with the first round of HAF, demand for the second round of HAF significantly exceeded the available budget and only the most ambitious applications were selected.”

It reiterated that it was committed to working with communities, despite all the money being allocated, to create positive housing solutions in the municipalities that were not selected.

By Barbara Rayner, The Courier

It’s been 60 years since a group of local citizens decided that St. George needed a library and it has been run by volunteers at various locations ever since.

Mary Anne Craig, who chairs the public library committee, said it was in 1965 that Mrs. Caldwell Stewart and Father John Francis Ryan spearheaded the group of local citizens who established the library in the town which was first located at the corner of Portage and Main Streets — in the former telegraph building. 

From there, the library moved to the Clarke House, which is now NB Housing, and then downstairs at the municipal building.

The next move was to St. George Elementary School but, as a result of security concerns at schools, the library was returned to the municipal building in 2008 but this time upstairs in what was formally used as both a council chamber and for court.

Being located upstairs has its drawbacks when it comes to accessibility, said Craig, and they would like to be located in a building which provides easy access but, to date, have been unsuccessful in finding somewhere. 

Attempts to join the regional library system have been unsuccessful and the library operates with a grant from the municipality of $1000 a year. Two new computers and a printer have recently been added which are well used.

“The convenience of being in a municipally owned building cannot be ignored,” she said. “We are included in the building insurance policy, maintenance, cleaning, utilities, internet and there are municipal staff present in the building.”

Volunteers take care of the processing of books when purchased and every book is assigned a proper library designation which is entered into their records, covered and an ID code placed on the spine, Craig said.

The library, which includes a children’s and young adults section, is open from Mondays to Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. thanks to a group of volunteers. Unfortunately, Craig said, they are not able to offer other programs without a paid professional staff librarian present.

“I think St. George has received a valuable service from loyal volunteers for the last 60 years. We long ago decided we could not live in a community without a library,” she said. 

Craig herself is one of the longest serving volunteers. She, together with Martha Bryan and Barb Robinson, have between them given more than 120 years of volunteer service to the library.

She said they can always use more volunteers and, if people cannot commit to a regular day each month, they can join as “spares” when someone is needed to fill in and they will be shown the ropes.

“We are buying new material and people are very kind and give us gently used books as well,” she said. 

I had asked you to wish Mildred and me luck as we ventured into the world of sourdough.

Mildred, as you already know, is the name I gave my sourdough starter. I read everything I could about how to create a new starter.

There are various schools of thought on the process. Some say you must use a food scale to precisely measure the flour and water needed for the daily feedings that help the starter develop. Others believe this is unnecessary, opting instead to use equal parts flour and water measured with spoons or cups.

Sourdough starter named Mildred. (Laverne Stewart/The Courier)

Before every feeding, an equal amount of starter must be removed. This is called discard. I hate wasting ingredients, so I didn’t want to throw it away. Luckily, I found plenty of recipes that put discard to good use. Within that first week, I had made pizza dough, blueberry muffins, and applesauce bread.

After a couple of days, I decided to freeze the baked goods to prevent the temptation of overeating and excessive calorie consumption.

While the discard didn’t go to waste, Mildred wasn’t doubling in size. I am typically a “measure with your heart” kind of cook, but I quickly learned that when it comes to sourdough, precision is paramount. After a week of feeding Mildred using measuring cups, she remained lethargic and didn’t appear to be growing.

My sister came to stay while I was away for a few days. She agreed to ensure Mildred received her twice-daily feedings — this time using a food scale to weigh the flour and water. Mildred loved it! She transformed into the bubbly, yeasty starter of my dreams.

She was slow to bloom, but when she was ready, she didn’t disappoint. I added a cup of her to a sourdough sandwich bread recipe I found online. After 12 hours, the dough tripled in volume. I punched it down to deflate it, then shaped it into two rectangular loaves and placed them in loaf pans. Another four hour second rise was required before the pans went into a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. When baked, I brushed the tops with butter and covered them with a clean tea towel to cool—an important step to ensure a soft loaf.

The first loaf disappeared quickly. It made the most incredible toast, even more delicious when topped with butter. My husband isn’t an adventurous eater and eyed the bread with suspicion, teasingly calling it “sour old bread.” He took a tentative bite and then declared it delicious. The next day, he helped himself to more, making toast again.

Many people bake sourdough in Dutch ovens, which creates a crispy outer crust with a soft, chewy center. That’s the method I’ll use for our next batch of bread.

Until then, Mildred is now living in the refrigerator, having a well-earned rest until she’s called back into service. When the time comes, she’ll warm up, get fed, and hang out until she’s active and ready to create more sourdough delicacies. I’ve been eyeing sourdough cinnamon roll recipes—that’s next on the list for Mildred and me.

Creating and maintaining a sourdough starter is a labor of love, but the time and effort are well worth it. There’s nothing better than homemade baked goods, and sourdough takes it to a whole other level.

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One suspect charged with an alleged robbery in Waasis on Sunday opted to forgo a bail hearing Thursday, and the other was remanded after a bail hearing.

Justin Edward Wayne Blosser, 49 of Hiawatha Avenue at Welamukotuk (Oromocto) First Nation, and Brandon Jason Dean Canning, 39, of Morehouse Road in Haneytown, appeared in Fredericton provincial court in separate proceedings Thursday remotely from a custodial facility.

Both were scheduled to go through bail hearings.

Each was charged earlier this week with using a handgun to rob Douglas Brown of a gold chain and oxycodone pills. The charges allege events in Waasis on Sunday.

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An advocate for New Brunswickers suffering from unexplained neurological symptoms says a letter obtained by CBC News suggests Health Minister Dr. John Dornan wasn't truthful about his role in the removal of a Moncton neurologist from his post at the clinic treating many of the patients.

Tariff threats and realities are spurring some New Brunswick art businesses to turn their backs on U.S. suppliers to create more local opportunities. 

Florenceville-Bristol Garden Club continues tradition

Seedy Saturday will happen on Saturday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the R.G. ‘Bun’ Veysey Active Living Centre’s community room at 40 McCain Street in Florenceville-Bristol.

This is a seed-sharing event hosted by the Florenceville-Bristol Garden Club. People are asked to bring seeds they have collected or would like to share.

Please note—LABEL ALL SEEDS (veggies/flowers, etc.) with the plant name, variety, whether it’s an annual or perennial/biennial, the colour, plant height, and sunlight needed. Garden Club members ask that you NOT SHARE invasive species.

NO SEEDS? NO PROBLEM! Come and share and learn!

The club also accepts new members (beginners and experts welcome) and has an annual membership of $2.

For more information, contact Michelle Corcoran at [email protected]

The post COMMUNITY EVENT: Seedy Saturday first appeared on River Valley Sun.

A fire broke out at an American Iron and Metal recycling plant on Fredericton's north side on Thursday, resulting in heavy smoke and an air quality advisory for nearby residents.  

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A violent offender who was released from custody last year to attend rehab in Montreal for mental-health and addiction issues didn’t appear in Fredericton court as required for sentencing Thursday.

Liban Ali Ahmed-Shardi, 31, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty last year to charges of assault with a weapon on two victims, mischief causing damage to property and breach of probation, stemming from a bizarre incident at the NB Liquor store on York Street on June 7.

Ahmed-Shardi was scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 25, but he wasn’t present in court. However, he had contacted the court office ahead of time and appeared by telephone, explaining he couldn’t get from Montreal to Fredericton due to weather and illness.

Judge Lyne Raymond, while expressing doubt about his claims, rescheduled his sentencing hearing for March 13 and told him he’d better make his way to Fredericton for that proceeding.

When she called the case Thursday afternoon, though, Ahmed-Shardi wasn’t present.

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The aquaculture industry in the Atlantic region is getting a financial boost from Ottawa to support a two-year project to "expand markets, strengthen sustainability and improve innovation" within the industry, ACOA announced Thursday in Saint John.

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Fredericton firefighters remain on the scene of a blaze at an industrial recycling facility on the city’s north side Thursday afternoon.

A Fredericton police cruiser was blocking a portion of Carman Avenue, just past Barkers Point Elementary School, on Thursday afternoon to keep people away from the site of a fire being tended to by Fredericton Fire Department personnel.

In an email to the Fredericton Independent, assistant deputy fire chief Dave McKinley confirmed the fire was at the AIM Recycling facility located at 400 Carman Ave. He said further details about the situation would be forthcoming in a media release later in the day.

At 3:25 p.m., the fire department warned people of an air-quality problem in the area due to the AIM fire.

“Due to the nature of the materials involved in the fire on Carman Avenue, residents are advised to avoid the smoke issuing from the fire,” it reported on social media.

The department noted that the fire was contained at 4:30 p.m. and that firefighters remained on the scene to deal with hot spots.

The air advisory was lifted at 4:50 p.m.

AIM Recycling, a Quebec-based company that’s a division of American Iron & Metal, has been the source of controversy and catastrophe in New Brunswick in recent years.

There were explosions at its Saint John port facility in recent years and workplace deaths, and a huge fire that burned for two days in September 2023 at the same site gave rise to concerns among nearby residents over safety and pollutants.

The company also operates a scrapyard in Moncton that’s been the focus of noise complaints.

That led the company to erect a wall of shipping containers to block the noise, but residents reported it remains an issue.

The province gave the company more time by way of an operating approval to assess the effectiveness of the measure as a means to reduce the noise.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Fire crews are still at a structure fire in Lamèque that started at around 7 a.m. on Thursday.

Dylan Jackson was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday for fatally stabbing Kyla LaPointe in Moncton almost two years ago, a sentence her mother called disappointing.

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A Bilijk (Kingsclear) First Nation man will remain in custody until a variety of charges - including drug-trafficking and criminal driving allegations - are resolved in court.

Corey Steven Jason Jones, 35, of Maliseet Court, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by video conference from the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre, for his bail hearing.

He faces two sets of charges, stemming from alleged events from last fall and last week.

Jones faces Oct. 19 counts of driving while prohibited by a court order and breaching a probation order, alleged to have occurred in Fredericton.

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By Brian Owens, The Courier

Operations at Ganong Bros in St. Stephen were temporarily disrupted in recent weeks in what the company described as an “IT security incident”

Claire Ryan, director of public relations, said the attack was discovered on Feb. 22, 2025.

“Upon discovering the incident, we immediately undertook countermeasures to protect our network and data, including retaining third-party cybersecurity experts and external legal counsel to assist with containment, remediation and to conduct a forensic investigation to determine the extent of the incident,” she said in an email.

“Ganong’s investigation is ongoing to determine the extent to which any data, including personal information, may have been compromised,” she added. “Should our investigation determine that personal information was impacted, we will notify affected individuals directly in accordance with privacy laws.”

Ryan said that while operations at the company’s facility in St. Stephen were temporarily affected, they have since been restored to normal.

The cybersecurity website RedPacket Security found evidence of the attack on a site on the dark web, including a screenshot purportedly showing the internal communications and data stolen from Ganong. The information was posted on a site linked to a group known as PLAY, a hacker collective believed to be based in Russia.

RedPacket identified the incident as a ransomware attack, in which hackers steal a victim’s data and encrypt it before demanding a ransom, usually in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, to unlock the data. The data may also be sold to other criminal groups.

Ryan did not say whether a ransom had been demanded or paid.

The day after the United States implemented 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum tariffs, Premier Susan Holt said she plans to hold a news conference every Thursday until the period of uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade is over.

Premier Susan Holt provides an update on the trade war after the U.S. placed 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum.

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A Hampton man who failed to attend court in Fredericton four times on a stolen-vehicle charge is in custody and awaiting pleas.

A Fredericton provincial court judge issued an arrest warrant Feb. 13 for Jean-Paul Dezainde, 36, of Acadia Crescent in Hampton, when he didn’t turn up in court that day to answer to several charges.

He’s accused of possessing a stolen 2010 Ford F150 belonging to the City of Saint John in Fredericton on June 29, and failing to attend court Nov. 12 and Dec. 17.

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A former Fredericton firefighter serving a federal prison term for a series of serious crimes in 2022 has lost his bid to sue city hall for $20,000 for firing him.

Daniel Andrew Murphy, 40, formerly of Trailside Lane in Fredericton, and his father, Daniel P. Murphy, filed three small-claims actions in Fredericton court last year against the “city administrator” for the City of Fredericton, fire Chief Dwayne Killlingbeck and Barry Durling, president of the the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1053, over the younger man’s loss of his employment as a Fredericton firefighter in 2022.

Murphy was sentenced in 2023 to seven years in prison, less credit time he spent on remand, for a series of bizarre and violent crimes in late 2022 that followed in the weeks after he was fired from the Fredericton Fire Department. He’s currently incarcerated at the Springhill Institution in Nova Scotia.

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In retaliation for tariffs against Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum, China has announced a 25% tariff on Canadian seafood, set to come into effect on March 20. Canada exports roughly $7 billion in seafood every year, with China seeing a large portion of that, so that's left Canadian seafood producers, already facing potential U.S. tariffs in April, looking to Ottawa for help.

The Liberal government’s House leader says there’s no secret agenda to weaken the Green Party in the New Brunswick legislature.

A rural council in southeastern New Brunswick has seen resignations, sanctions, heated allegations, and a tense meeting, where locals spoke out in support of a councillor they say was unfairly punished.

1941 – 2025: A well-lived life

A life well-lived and well-loved, Tom passed away as he lived his life, gently and peacefully, with family at his side.  

Born in Edmundston, New Brunswick, to Herb and Jessie and welcomed by big sister Joan, Tom had a fun-filled, loving childhood full of escapades and family. It was also when his love of golf first began. 

He attended Mount Allison University, where he made lifelong friends and met his life partner and love, Sue (nee Gillis). Married in 1963, shortly after graduating, they soon welcomed Cathy, Lynn, and John, of whom he was so proud. He did not miss a single activity of theirs or, later, of his grandchildren’s. Many hot chocolates were enjoyed, and friends were made in arenas everywhere, on soccer fields, at school plays, and at recitals. No child or grandchild had a bigger fan or champion. 

Tom started his career straight from university at KPMG’s predecessor, Riddell Stead Graham and Hutchison, in Halifax. He earned his CA designation three years later and became a partner in 1972. Tom spent eight years in the Montreal office, where he and his family lived in Pointe-Claire; in 1978, they relocated to Oakville when Tom joined the National Office in Toronto. Later, he led the tax practice in the Mississauga office, and following that, he specialized in International Tax, working out of the Toronto office. He retired in 2003. 

Tom served on KPMG’s first elected Partnership Board for several years. He was also a member of the Toronto Regional Council and the firm’s Tax Practice Committee. He was a CICA Tax Course lecturer for many years and sat on the CICA Tax Courses Committee.  

A busy executive and family man, Tom still found time to serve on many community committees and boards, such as the United Way of Oakville, Canadian Red Cross NS division, Mount Allison University, Mississaugua Golf and Country Club, Community Foundation of Oakville, Renascent Foundation, St John’s United Church, and Oakville Hydro, while maintaining a 10 handicap.
 
A true gentleman, Tom valued integrity, fairness, honesty, community and, above all else, family. He would quietly help anyone in need (and was a canvasser’s dream at the door), impart wise advice when asked and do anything for his family. He will be dearly missed by Sue, Cathy, Lynn and John; son-in-law Todd Carter, daughter-in-law Christin Moss, and his cherished grandchildren Matthew (Liz) and Sarah Carter; Ben, David and Rachel Hamburg; and Aiden and Charlotte Hierlihy; and by sister Joan and her husband Reverend Brian Gee, sister-in-law Sally Caldwell and husband Ed, brother-in-law John Gillis and wife Shari, and dear cousin Kathy Mullin, her husband Blake and many cousins, nieces and nephews. 

The family gives immense thanks to the incredible staff of 5B at Wellbrook Place. 

A Celebration of Life will be held on March 29, 2025, from 12 to 2 pm at Mississauga Golf and Country Club.

The family is establishing a scholarship in Tom’s name at Mount Allison University. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Tom Hierlihy Scholarship by going online at www.mta.ca/donate, by phone at 1-866-890-6318 or by mail to University Advancement, Mount Allison University, 62 York Street, Sackville, NB, E4L 1E2.   

The post OBITUARY: Thomas Guy Hierlihy first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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A convicted sex offender accused of violating a court order to stay away from kids plans to apply for a forensic psychiatric assessment, court heard Wednesday.

Brandon Lee Cote, 30, of Finnamore Street in Oromocto, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by video link from jail Wednesday, where he’s been remanded pending the outcome of prosecutions against him.

He faces three counts of breaching a court order prohibiting him from having unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16 - alleging events on May 17, between Sept. 1 and Jan. 29, and on Jan. 6.

The first charge alleges an incident in Fredericton, while the latter two are related to events in Oromocto.

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Travel not recommended on Trans Canada Highway between Grand Falls and Woodstock

In a social media post just before 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12, the RCMP asked motorists to stay off the Trans Canada Highway 2 between Grand Falls and Woodstock.

“Due to icy road conditions, travel is not recommended on Hwy 2 between #GrandFalls and #Woodstock,” the post read. “If you must be on the roads, please drive with caution.”

The post Icy roads cause RCMP to issue travel warning for Highway 2 first appeared on River Valley Sun.

A third Starshine Property in St. Stephen has been the subject of a SCAN operation, this time 18 Marks Street, for drug trafficking. 

According to an affidavit submitted by a peace officer with the Department of Justice and Public Safety, the unit began receiving complaints in July 2024. 

The affidavit shows about eight complaints from members of the community, whose identities are protected under the Act. 

Annette Penkala, owner of Starshine Properties Ltd, lives in Alberta and has been described by those in the community as an absentee landlord. She purchased roughly 20 properties between St. Stephen and Utopia. 

Power, running water, and sewer are believed to have been shut off to the four units in the building. (Patrick Watt/The Courier)

“It is apparent that the owner of the property does not, or will not, take control of the situation,” read an affidavit from JPS officer Ryan Cormier. 

Both 16 Schoodic Street and 9 Schoodic have been subject to SCAN-based investigations and property seizures – both properties owned and operated by Starshine Properties Ltd in St. Stephen. 

A notice placed outside 16 Schoodic said it too was shut down for illegal drug activity. 

SCAN allows for peace officers, under the Department of Justice and Public Safety, to seize a property – whether commercial or residential for 90 days. It can terminate all leases, including those of legitimate tenants. 

Drug activity observed 

During his investigation, Cormier spent time reviewing surveillance of 18 Marks Street and described several short visits at the property from Aug. 15-24, 2024. 

“During this surveillance period, a total of 17 short-duration visits to the property occurred,” he wrote in the affidavit. “These visits occurred by persons on foot and by vehicle and lasted from one to five minutes.” 

He said one male, on Aug. 16, was observed in the earlier hours “bringing an item to their mouth and conducting multiple lighter flashes before letting out a large cloud of smoke.” 

“In my professional experience, this is typical of drugs being smoked through a glass pipe,” he wrote in the affidavit. 

A male, named Timothy Dean Scott, who Cormier said has been a part of the SCAN investigation at 16 Schoodic Street was also observed at 18 Marks Street. 

There are five apartments, according to the affidavit, and the investigations revealed units two and three were the main subjects, while it ruled out the occupants of units one and three. 

It appeared the property had no power, sewer, or running water, but multiple extension cords were running to one of the apartments. One unit remained to have power, Cormier wrote, either through an NB Power meter or generator. He stated the remaining meters had been damaged. 

On Sept. 24, 2024, a letter was mailed to the address listed for Starshine Properties Ltd, but Cormier wrote Canada Post was unable to deliver the letter and it could be picked up at a Canada Post location – but didn’t specify which one. 

Subsequent surveillance and follow-up with the complainants was done in October, according to Cormier. 

The complainants detail many incidents, including seeing a man walking with a “crossbow and arrows on his back and a large hunting knife.” 

16 Schoodic Street was shut down for “illegal drug activity” according to a sign outside the property. (Patrick Watt/CHCO-TV)

Complainants also provided photographs of people using drugs, including “an additional photo of a male with a needle stuck inside his arm.”

Between the time SCAN issued the community safety warning letters from Sept. 10 to Oct. 10, NB RCMP St. Sgt. Scott MacKenzie advised Cormier there were eight calls requiring the RCMP to attend 18 Marks Street. 

“Those calls involved a variety of offences including mischief, disturbances,  unwanted persons, taking a motor vehicle without consent, fight in progress, and assault with a weapon,” he wrote. 

Two tenants were found to have no connection to the illegal activity believed to be taking place at 18 Marks Street.  

Further surveillance in November showed more short visits to the property and people observed behaving suspiciously, carrying or using drugs. One of the complainants texted Cormier a photograph of a syringe they found lying on the ground outside the property. 

It also included someone attempting to light something on fire outside the property, but was extinguished by someone inside the apartment. 

Another person, identified by Cormier as Glenn Logan, was also involved in activity at 16 Schoodic, a property also investigated and seized by SCAN. 

“Glenn Logan was a subject of interest (in) SCAN’s previous community safety order at 16 Schoodic Street,” Cormier wrote. “The same activity is now occurring at his new residence at 18 Marks Street, with near constant traffic between the various apartments.”

“These visits, which are taking place at all hours and involve disputes and an attempted arson, lead me to have reasonable suspicion that 18 Marks Street is being used for illegal drug activity.” 

Eventually Cormier said he believed the property was being used for drug trafficking. 

Impact to the community 

The affidavit also provided insight into how the community and complainants felt about the property. 

Several complainants filed a detailed amount of suspicious activity as part of their submissions, including that “the activities that were ongoing at 18 Marks Street were unsettling and that they feared for their family’s safety.” 

Both a funeral home and a seniors complex are in close proximity to 18 Marks Street. 

It is also close to St. Stephen Middle School. 

“Complainant 5 stated that they are fearful for their and their children’s safety due to the activity that takes place at 18 Marks Street,” the affidavit said. 

It also said that a majority of residents at the seniors complex were also concerned. 

“Complainant 4 indicated … that although no activity has directly affected the residents of the complex, a majority, if not all, of the seniors who live there, are fearful of the individuals and activity that is occurring at 18 Marks Street and are scared to be outside.” 

The Department of Justice and Public Safety declined to comment on the investigation, saying only it was a community safety order issued and all tenants complied with the order. 

It said it could not provide the cost of the operation, as “investigators work on multiple files simultaneously, the costs associated with single investigations are not available.”

Problems at other properties

Tenants at other Starshine Properties have faced different issues. 

Residents of Hillcrest Court in Utopia were subject to water disconnection notices as a direct result of non-payment. The bills were in Pankela’s name, so couldn’t be paid for by the tenants. 

Several other properties were also in a similar situation, and the Tenant Landlord Relations Office was asked to investigate those issues. 

It remains unclear what happened to those apartments and whether any issues were resolved for those tenants. 

The Courier has reached out to the Department of Social Development and is awaiting a response.

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A Fredericton woman who crashed into another car when she had more than double the legal limit of booze in her system was ordered Tuesday to undergo treatment for her substance-abuse issue.

Angela Jeaninne Chase-Thibodeau, 61, of Rolling Hill Drive in the Pepper Creek area of the capital, appeared in Fredericton provincial court with defence lawyer Ron Morris on Tuesday for sentencing.

She’d previously pleaded guilty to having an elevated blood-alcohol level within two hours of driving on May 1 in Fredericton.

Crown prosecutor Daniel Standing said police were dispatched to the Route 8 bypass on Fredericton’s north side mid-afternoon May 1 after receiving a report of a two-vehicle accident between a Kia Soul and a Buick.

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As cleanup continues at an Irving gas station on the outskirts of Woodstock, a question persists: Why did it take so long to notice that tens of thousands of litres of gas had leaked into the ground?

When figuring out if a particular beer is Canadian, you may have to choose what matters to you most — where it's produced, where the ingredients come from, or who owns the company.

Saltwinds Coffee in Keswick, N.B., doubled production during February, thanks to patriotic Canadians shopping for a made-at-home solution for their java fix. Founder Brad Rideout hopes the company’s roasted beans will find new markets.

A lower than normal amount of snow on the ground is spelling positive early news as New Brunswick prepares for the unpredictability that comes with spring river levels.

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A Fredericton man kicked and spat at Mounties as they physically dragged him from a vehicle after he was found passed out at the wheel, court heard Tuesday.

Michael Thomas Sacobie-Munn, 36, of Crerar Court, pleaded guilty in Fredericton provincial court Tuesday to charges of impaired driving and resisting police officers in the execution of their duties, and the matter proceeded directly to sentencing.

Crown prosecutor Daniel Standing said a witness called police at about 7:30 a.m. the morning of Sept. 3 to report a motorist driving erratically just outside of Fredericton.

“The vehicle was crossing the yellow line back and forth,” according to the witness, he said, and she told police the suspect car turned into a residential subdivision in New Maryland.

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Family members of Kyla LaPointe voiced profound grief and anger on Tuesday during the sentencing hearing for a man who admits he stabbed her in the back and left her bleeding on a Moncton street in 2023.

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A Fredericton man accused of robbing a motorist and stealing his car after fraudulently trying to get a free ride will remain in custody for the time being.

Justin Andrew Price, 24, of Eastwood Street, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone from the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre on Monday, scheduled to go through a bail hearing.

He faces Feb. 28 counts of unlawfully obtaining land transportation from Amit Kumar under false pretenses, robbing Kumar of a 2021 Hyundai Kona by using violence, fleeing from police in that vehicle and possessing cocaine.

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