Horizon Health Network has admitted to workplace safety charges related to the possible exposure of some Fredericton hospital employees to asbestos over a nearly five-year period.

Support for NBYO surpasses 20 years

The McCain Foundation is a 2023 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s NBYO Award, presented at the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra’s gala concert in Woodstock on Sunday, Nov. 19.

On hand to present the award, from left, McCain Foundation member Micheal Campbell, New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor Brenda Murphy and Don Matheson, Director of Community Engagement for the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra.

The McCain Foundation, established by the McCain family, has supported the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra and Sistema NB for over 20 years.

The post McCain Foundation honoured for dedication to youth orchestra first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Codiac Regional RCMP have leased a new community policing office in downtown Moncton after searching for more workspace.

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The Horizon Health Network admitted Thursday to two workplace safety violations involving failures to protect workers from exposure to asbestos at Fredericton’s hospital.

Regional Health Authority B, better known as Horizon, pleaded not guilty last month to four charges laid by WorkSafeNB under the Occupational Health and Safety Act over asbestos exposure risk at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital.

The case was set over to Thursday for a case-management conference and to schedule trial dates.

However, court heard instead the matter had been resolved.

Jeff Carter, Horizon’s vice-president of capital assets, operations and infrastructure, pleaded guilty to two of the four charges on behalf of the anglophone health authority Thursday.

Those counts were that Horizon failed to adopt the code of practice entitled A Code of Practice for Working with Materials Containing Asbestos in New Brunswick and that it failed to acquaint an employee with any hazard with regard to the handling of asbestos, both between Nov. 7, 2017 and Oct. 6, 2022.

Crown prosecutor Rachel Anstey and defence lawyer Jessica Bungay both said they weren’t prepared to proceed to sentencing Thursday, so Judge Natalie LeBlanc set sentencing over to Jan. 29.

It’s expected the Crown will withdraw two other related WorkSafeNB charges - that the health authority failed to inform workers of the presence of asbestos and that it failed to take reasonable precautions to protect workers from exposure - at the time of sentencing.

Asbestos was detected in restricted areas of the Chalmers hospital issue, the provincial workplace-safety watchdog previously reported, and that the public at large weren’t potentially exposed.

The area where asbestos was found was described as an “interstitial space” between floors in the hospital, only a limited number of employees faced risk of exposure during the course of their work.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Annual Christmas fundraising effort helps deliver acts of kindness all year

The familiar red kettles returned to four of Woodstock’s most prominent retailers on Thursday, Nov. 23, as Salvation Army Majors Angel and Marlene Sandoval, with help from Woodstock’s Mayor Trina Jones, kicked off the 2023 Christmas Kettle Campaign.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday between Nov. 23 and Dec. 23, area residents and visitors can help fill the kettles with cash at Sobey’s, Atlantic Superstore, Canadian Tire and Walmart. This year, Woodstock’s AYR Motor Centre will host a kettle.

Marlene Sandoval said funds collected during the Salvation Army Woodstock Community Church’s largest annual campaign help it deliver “acts of kindness” where needed throughout the year.

“It is with grateful thanks that we humbly acknowledge the generous community support to our annual Christmas appeal,” she said. “We are preparing for what will be another Christmas season throughout our Kettle Campaign filled with wonderful opportunities to help assist those who need practical support during Christmas and beyond.”

Mayor Jones joined the Sandovals in the Sobey’s lobby on Thursday morning, Nov. 23, to officially launch the 2023 campaign.

The mayor not only represented Woodstock council, staff and residents, but she, as Best Western Plus Woodstock executive director, joined the hotel’s general manager, Christi Kennedy, and other staff members to oversee the Sobey’s kettle all day on Nov. 23.

Jones said Best Western would match all funds stuffed into the kettle during the day.

The mayor and the Sandovals stressed the continuous need for volunteers to man the kettles at the five Woodstock locations.

“There’s a huge need for volunteers,” said Jones. “I encourage everyone to contact the Salvation Army and volunteer a few hours.”

Anyone with time and interest in taking a shift at one of the kettles can call Major Angel Sandoval at 506-328-8276.

The Sandovals also encourage businesses to allow staff time to take a shift with the kettles or donate to the campaign.

“A huge thank you to all the businesses and staff who have matched funds and manned the Salvation Army kettles in the past, and all businesses are invited to participate in any way in this important annual fundraiser,” said Marlene Sandoval.

As it has for several years, Woodstock’s Scotiabank staff will oversee the kettles on Sunday, Dec. 9, and the bank will match donations on the day.

Marlene Sandoval explained that the Salvation Army uses the funds raised during the annual Christmas campaign to help individuals or families with necessities, including food, clothing, medicine, heating, and shelter throughout the year. She said they cover an area from Nackawic to Grand Falls.

“Your donations allow us to offer, not a handout, but a hand up to hundreds of families who have met with hard times for the cost of living,” she said. “We want to ensure hope in the midst of hardship and services towards a better future.”

The Sandovals explained residents can donate to the Salvation Army beyond the kettles. They explained anyone can mail a contribution to the Salvation Army Woodstock Community Church, 100 Eastwood Driver, Woodstock N.B., E7M 1P4.

They can also drop off donations at the same address anytime between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Marlene Sandoval said the Salvation Army will once again host a community dinner on Dec. 3 at the church. She said everyone is welcome, but they ask anyone planning to attend to call 06-328-8276 to confirm.

She said that will ensure they have the required food to feed those attending.

“We don’t want to be short or see food go to waste,” she said.

Marlene Sandoval said the dinner provides a delicious meal and an excellent social opportunity.

The Sandovals said the annual Christmas campaign is an extension of the church’s mandate.

“The Salvation Army means fighting for good. We help. We stand and make a difference because we love God, and we love people.” Marlene said.

She quoted Jesus’s words from Mathew 25: 35-40

“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.

“I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.

“I was a stranger and you invited me in.

“I needed clothes and you clothed me.

“I was sick and you looked after me.

“I was in prison and you came to visit me.

“Whatever you did for one of the least of those, my brothers, you did it for me.”

The post Salvation Army kicks off Kettle Campaign in Woodstock first appeared on River Valley Sun.

A man from Esgenoôpetitj First Nation has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of Joshua Ian Robichaud.

The New Brunswick man who shot and killed three Mounties in Moncton in 2014 faces new charges alleging a prison assault last year.

The Moncton teen who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of Joedin Leger last year will not have to return to jail.

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Four suspects were arrested at the scene of a copper-wire theft in Jemseg on Tuesday, the RCMP reports, and its police-dog unit located three of the suspects who fled the scene on foot.

“On Nov. 21, 2023, at approximately 3 a.m., members of the Oromocto RCMP detachment responded to a report of a copper-wire theft in progress on Jemseg Ferry Road,” the RCMP stated in a news release issued Thursday.

“When police arrived, they located a vehicle with two men and a woman inside. The two men fled on foot into a wooded area, and the driver, a 35-year-old woman, was arrested at the scene.”

Officers called in the detachment’s police-dog services unit, the release said.

“Sgt. Michel Litalien and police dog Klue tracked a scent into the woods, and were able to locate and arrest one of the men shortly after,” the release said. 

“A second and third male suspect were arrested a short time later with the help of [police dog services].”

Three of the suspects arrested at the scene - the 35-year-old woman, a 50-year-old man, and a 41-year-old man - were released on conditions, it said, and they’re scheduled to appear in Fredericton provincial court at a later date.

A fourth suspect - a 22-year-old man - was remanded on outstanding warrants, the release said, and he’s set to appear in provincial court at a later date as well as the investigation continues.

The RCMP has issued several news releases in recent weeks spotlighting the work of its police-dog services unit.

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

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Black Flame is Steel’s second single recorded at Keith Hallett’s Never Nuthin’ Studios to feature contributions from both Hallett and Motherhood drummer Adam Sipkema. Matt Carter Every Owen Steel song…

The post Owen Steel enlists Sipkema and Hallett for latest single appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

Fredericton’s only artist-run-centre is looking to fill a number of vital positions on its board of directors. This past summer, Connexion ARC welcomed artist Emily Blair as its latest Artistic…

The post Connexion ARC Seeking Board Members appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

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A Fredericton man accused of murder along with three others who’s back in federal prison for a parole violation was lost in a correctional limbo and has been unreachable, says his lawyer.

Devon Mark Hill Hood, 26, was scheduled to appear in Fredericton provincial court Thursday to schedule a preliminary inquiry on a first-degree murder charge.

Hood is jointly charged with Matthew David LeBlanc, 29, also of Fredericton, in the Jan. 28, 2022, death of Brandon Patrick Donelan, 27, of Minto.

LeBlanc appeared in person in custody for Thursday’s proceedings with lawyer Pierrette Allain, an agent for defence counsel Gilles Lemieux, but lawyer Brian Munro, who’s representing Hood, said while he’d requested that his client be present as well, he was informed he hadn’t been transported to court.

Munro asked for an additional adjournment, noting he’s had no contact with Hood.

He said he’s learned Hood - who was detained this summer on a parole violation for a sentence on an unrelated matter - is incarcerated and had been transferred to a Quebec institution.

Munro said he needs Hood to be brought to court in person because he’s been unable to connect with him, as efforts to arrange a telephone conversation through the federal institution in Quebec have proven futile.

“I haven’t even had a chance to properly communicate with him,” he said of his client.

During Thursday’s proceeding on the murder charge, the court had trouble connecting with the prison as well.

Judge Natalie LeBlanc granted Munro’s adjournment request, setting the matter over to Dec. 1, and she ordered that Hood be brought to court in person at that time.

Also charged with first-degree murder in a separate prosecution are Erica Lea Ann Blyth, 40, of Wasson Road in Newcastle Creek, and Joshua John McIsaac, 33, formerly of Penniac.

The Crown filed a preferred indictment in that case, meaning the prosecution skipped the preliminary inquiry phase. 

Blyth and McIsaac’s jury trial on the Donelan murder is scheduled to begin April 23, 2025, and is set to run for six weeks.

‘We’re trying to find him’

Hood was also set to answer to other charges in Fredericton provincial court Thursday.

He and Blyth are jointly charged with possessing crystal meth, cocaine and hydromorphone (Dilaudid) for the purpose of trafficking on June 21.

The pair also faces related joint charges of 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 the sawed-off shotguns, another shotgun and three rifles for a purpose dangerous to the public peace; possessing non-restricted firearms without a licence; and storing those seven firearms improperly.

Furthermore, Hood is accused of violating a court-ordered prohibition against possessing firearms June 21 as well.

Munro noted he hasn’t been retained on those charges, but he remained in court Thursday for that case as a friend of the court. It’s expected he will likely be granted a legal-aid certificate to represent Hood on that file as well.

Blyth appeared in court by telephone from the provincial women’s jail in Miramichi, but still the court had trouble arranging for Hood to appear.

Jillian Jordan, the federal prosecutor on the drug charges, said her office had arranged for a video-conference appearance for Hood.

When the court connected with the Quebec prison by video Thursday morning, a female official with Correctional Service Canada appeared but Hood wasn’t present.

“We’re trying to find him,” the unidentified woman said.

Officials were aware of the scheduled video appearance, she said, but around the same time, the inmate had been called to another department.

“We just had a security incident as well,” she said.

After a few minutes, Hood was brought to the video-conference room.

Judge Natalie LeBlanc noted Hood remains unrepresented on the drug and firearms charges.

“I sent in legal aid paperwork,” Hood said.

“We’re going to sort all that out,” Munro said.

Blyth has counsel on all charges - Fredericton defence lawyer T.J. Burke. Emily Cochrane, a lawyer with his firm, appeared as an agent for Burke on Thursday.

She said as was the case during the previous court appearance on the drug and firearms charges, Blyth was ready to elect mode of trial.

Because Blyth and Hood are charged jointly, his lack of representation was causing delays in the case.

Cochrane pointed out her client was ready to proceed in case excessive delays become an issue later in the case.

The judge set the June 21 charges over to Dec. 1 as well, and she ordered that Hood and Matthew LeBlanc were to be brought to court in person.

Cochrane said having her client appear by phone would be acceptable.

The various charges before the court arose in the wake of RCMP officers executing a search warrant at Blyth’s home in Newcastle Creek on June 21. Blyth and Hood were arrested at that location. She was charged shortly thereafter with the Donelan murder, while Hood was returned to Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick on a parole violation.

The additional murder, drug and firearms charges were laid in court later on.

Donelan was reported as missing to the RCMP Jan. 30, 2022, and that led to an extensive ground search in the Chipman area. Police also arranged for a search effort from the air as well, but those searches didn’t yield any results.

The body was found a couple of months later when a passerby happened upon it along a snowmobile trail in the Grand Lake area March 31, 2022.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Valcon Ltd. accepts Beyond the Gold Award

In late October, the Perth-Andover Recreation Commission presented Valcon Ltd. with the Beyond the Gold award. The award was created to recognize a sponsor who exceeded the gold sponsorship to ensure our Winter Freeze Fest succeeded. Steve Pickard and Becky Goodine of Valcon Ltd accepted the award.

“This festival is not just about celebrating winter,” said Winter Freeze Fest committee member Linda Ayotte, “it’s a celebration of our community’s strength and togetherness. Valcon Ltd’s unwavering support has made this event a success that goes beyond mere financial investment. The Winter Freeze Fest brings us closer, supports local businesses, and offers our children magical memories. Thank you, Valcon Ltd., and your dedicated employees, for going the extra mile to make this event a reality. Your commitment to our community is truly invaluable, and we look forward to many more joyful Winter Freeze Fests together.”

The post Beyond the Gold: Local company honoured by Perth-Andover for dedication to event first appeared on River Valley Sun.

The Elm City String Quartet’s season continues with shows in Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton next week. Matt Carter  The Elm City String Quartet’s season continues with upcoming performances featuring…

The post Elm City String Quartet touring the province next week appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

After more than seven years in operation, The Ville Cooperative will cease to operate at the end of 2023. Matt Carter In late October, the board and staff of the…

The post The Ville Cooperative is Closing appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

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A Fredericton man accused of firing a gun at another man in Geary last month was a no-show for a required court appearance Thursday, and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

Darrell Richard Barnes, 50, of Boyne Court, was released on conditions after a bail hearing Nov. 9 and had been ordered to return to court Thursday to elect mode of trial and enter a plea on a serious charge alleging a firearm incident.

He’s accused of discharging a firearm at Dustin Madden with intent to wound, maim or disfigure him, or to endanger his life, in Geary on Oct. 3.

When Judge Natalie LeBlanc called his case Thursday, he wasn’t present.

However, Legal Aid New Brunswick staff lawyer Doug Smith, who’d been assigned the case as defence counsel, was on hand, but he told court he’s had no contact with his client.

“I don’t have an address or a phone number,” he said.

Crown prosecutor Christopher Lavigne asked that a warrant be issued for Barnes’ arrest, and LeBlanc granted the motion.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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The Higgs government has reversed itself on a decision to exclude former cabinet ministers from a large number of legislative committees.

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The RCMP’s Minto detachment says a woman from the nearby community of Ripples has been reported as missing, and it’s turning to the public for help in locating her.

The Mounties issued a news release and alert on social media at about midnight Thursday morning about Erika Betts, 33, of Ripples, noting she’s been missing for a week.

“Erika Betts was last seen in Ripples on Nov. 16, 2023, at approximately 5:30 p.m.,” the release said.

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

Betts is described as being about 5’7” (170 centimetres) tall, weighing about 130 pounds (59 kilograms), with brown eyes and brown hair. 

“Erika has many tattoos on her arms and legs,” the release said.

“She was last seen wearing a gray and black plaid jacket, black pants, a black T-shirt and high black boots. She may also be travelling in a white 2015 Dodge Caravan with New Brunswick licence plate KCL 429.”

Anyone with information on her whereabouts or that could aid in the effort to locate her is urged to call the Minto detachment of the RCMP at 506-327-1820.

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

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Oval snowmobile racing set for Woodstock on Family Day weekend 2024

By Ross Antworth, General Manager, New Brunswick Snowmobile Federation

Snowmobile ice oval racing will return to the Connell Park Raceway in Woodstock on Family Day weekend, Feb. 17 and 18, 2024, thanks to an energetic and focused group of volunteers with multiple backgrounds in business, snowmobiling, and racing. Their goal is to revive Maritime Snowmobile Championship Racing (MSCR).

Plans include two days of ice oval snowmobile racing at Connell Park Raceway. Snowmobile racers will get to ‘test’ themselves and their sleds on the half-mile flat, oval horse racing track.

The organizing group’s focus is to attract entries, spectators, and sponsors from the Maritimes, Ontario, Quebec, and the New England states. 

The last time snowmobile racing took place at the Connell Park Raceway was in the winter of 1981. Then organized by the Woodstock Y’s Men’s Club with Connell Park Raceway, the event had a 15-year run. 

“The Woodstock Y’s Men’s were looking for a fundraiser for the club. Snowmobiling was becoming so popular, so we began the races to raise money for our causes,” said Y’s Men Merlin Gibson. “The money raised from the Maritime Snowmobile Championships; we used it all those years to help the youth in our community.”

In the 1970s, some of the major sponsors included cigarette companies. These events often drew record crowds, with spectators numbering as high as 5,000 in its heyday. With the event growing in popularity, factory snowmobile teams often took part. The Van Dolder’s race team from Ontario was often racing with their Flying Dutchmen, and famous Quebec Formula One racer Gilles Villeneuve even took his turn on the Woodstock oval.

The plans to resurrect snowmobile racing began in the fall of 2022 with a small group of volunteers. Since their initial meeting, the group has received support from the Woodstock municipal council, the Old Home Week committee, and the Woodstock Driving Club. 

The group feels it’s fitting that the event will be resurrected the year the Woodstock Trailmaker’s Snowmobile Club celebrates their 50th Anniversary. 

The organizing group believes this event has the potential to be an annual event that brings in essential tourism dollars during the winter. 

If you want to provide volunteer or financial support to this event, please email [email protected] or call Kendall Leech at (506) 325-8279 or Twyla Rogers at (506) 324-3145.

The post Group to resurrect snowmobile races in western New Brunswick first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Several schools in the Anglophone West School District are closed Thursday after a day of heavy snow and power outages for some.

Saint John has unveiled a new slogan, but why is it such a slogan-centric city?

A coroner's inquest into the death of a man who was shot by Hampton RCMP while responding to a domestic violence call at his home has ended with six recommendations to prevent a similar death.

A northeast New Brunswick woman who admits her driving led to the death of her six-year-old daughter three years ago will be sentenced in January. 

The Anglophone East district education council has unanimously voted to start a legal charter challenge against New Brunswick's school pronoun policy.

Horizon Health Network has opened an urgent treatment centre at the Brookside Mall on Fredericton's north side to take pressure off the emergency room at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital.

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Warning: This report contains graphic details of sexual crimes against a minor. 

A judge ruled Wednesday that a Burton man forced his teenage daughter to touch his penis on two occasions between 2017 and 2018, and that the offender described her as “sexy.” 

The 63-year-old Burton man, formerly of Cambridge-Narrows, stood trial in September on charges of sexual assault and sexual interference, alleging he sexually abused his underage daughter between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2018.

There’s a court-ordered publication ban on the complainant’s identity, so given the relationship to the accused, the Fredericton Independent isn’t naming him either.

Court of King’s Bench Justice Thomas Christie rendered his decision on the trial Wednesday at the Burton Courthouse, and he found the accused guilty as charged.

The judge noted the evidence at trial came from only two Crown witnesses, the victim and the investigating officer, RCMP Sgt. Dwayne Cross, but the most important testimony was that of the complainant.

He said the young woman reported that her father had sexually abused her on four occasions: once in the family car on the way to a church service, twice at the family home and once in a camper where the family was living temporarily when another home was under construction. 

Recounting four assaults

The victim told court the incident in the car was the first, but she couldn’t recall specifically when it occurred.

Her testimony was that her father was angry that day, and he was smashing his fists on the steering wheel, telling his daughter he wished he could have been punching her.

He calmed down and apologized, the girl said, and that’s when he slid his hand up her dress and touched her vagina.

“In response, [the girl] hit him and climbed into the back seat,” Christie said in recounting her evidence.

The second reported incident occurred in her bedroom, the judge said, and the offender entered the room while the victim was watching TV on her bed.

He climbed onto the bed and removed his pants, the woman testified.

“He pulled her hand and placed it on his penis,” Christie said, noting the victim reported her father then forced her to stroke his penis until he ejaculated.

“[She said] there was stuff coming out of his penis.”

She cried during the entire incident, the witness said, and her father told her not to tell anyone.

Nevertheless, the victim said, she ran to another room where her mother was sleeping to tell her what had happened, but her mother dismissed what she was saying.

She testified that happened about a month before the third incident, which occurred in the family’s living room in April 2017. She said her mother was out at the time, visiting her older sister in the hospital as she’d just given birth.

The victim testified she was playing a video game when her father entered the living room and said, “It was not his fault he had a sexy daughter,” Christie recalled. 

That’s when the defendant pulled his underwear down and again forced her to stroke his penis with her hand.

“[She] could not get away,” Christie said, noting the witness reported her father had an iron grip on her hand that hurt.

Afterward, the defendant drove the girl to the hospital to visit her sister as well, the judge said, and on the way, he told his daughter not to tell anyone what had happened.

The judge said the fourth described incident was reported to have occurred in a camper where the family was living while a new home was under construction. Again, father and daughter were alone, the witness said, and again, the defendant approached her in his underwear.

“She testified that he pulled down his underwear and grabbed her hand and forced her to touch his penis,” Christie noted.

However, the victim said on this occasion, her father forced her head down and pushed his penis into her mouth, and he held her head there until he ejaculated into her mouth.

It was during the next day when she was at school that the girl reported that incident to her guidance counsellor, court heard.

It was after that that she was removed from the family home and placed with a family member, the judge said.

However, there was some confusion about the girl’s history with child-protection workers with the Department of Social Development, as it appears there were multiple interventions and different placements.

At one point, court heard, the girl was placed in the care of her older sister, but she later returned to live with her father after her sister encouraged her to do so.

When that happened in the overall sequence of events wasn’t clear, the judge said.

Uncertainty and confirmation in timeline

The first reported incident in the car posed some challenges for the Crown’s case because there was no evidence as to when it occurred, Christie said.

He noted the prosecution conceded the court couldn’t consider that part of the evidence since the Crown couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it fell within the timeframe mentioned in the charges.

The judge said the same argument held true for the camper incident. While the witness testified it was the last in the series of events, he said, the evidence didn’t establish conclusively, even in general terms, when it was purported to have happened.

As such, he said, he couldn’t consider that part of the victim’s testimony either.

However, Christie said, the second and third incidents alleged to have occurred at the family home were different matters.

He noted the victim linked those events in time to the birth of her niece, and that clearly did fall within the chronological range set out in the charges.

The defence had challenged that assertion during the trial, as the victim didn’t connect those events in time to the niece’s birth, and she only relayed that information to the prosecution shortly before the trial.

The witness told the court she hadn’t mentioned that time element in her initial interviews with social workers and police because she only made the connection later.

The victim noted she had memory problems and had been hospitalized for mental-health issues, but as the trial approached, she remembered how the third incident had happened the same day her father took her to see her sister in the hospital.

“I have no reason to doubt that explanation,” Christie said.

The victim also noted the second incident occurred about a month before the third one, he said.

“Even if it was two or three months earlier, there is sufficient connection,” the judge said.

Defendant didn’t testify

Christie noted the defence called no witnesses, not even the accused - and he didn’t have to do so. It’s incumbent on the Crown to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, the judge said, and the defendant has to prove nothing.

When Cross was on the witness stand, though, the defence got to him say under cross-examination that the suspect denied the allegations against him to police.

The judge said the prosecution objected to that evidence being put before the court, as the defendant isn’t allowed to introduce exculpatory statements he might have made through another witness.

But Christie said he allowed it but didn’t hear any of the details of the defendant’s denial. The police officer’s statement offered no more information than the defendant’s own pleas of not guilty at the outset of the trial. As such, he said, it wasn’t something for the court to consider as an exculpatory statement.

“The substantive evidence was from [the complainant,]” the judge said.

The defence tried to challenge her credibility by suggesting she had a motive to lie because she was upset that her father hadn’t bought her things when she asked.

“I find there is no evidence to support that assertion,” Christie said.

The judge said the young woman offered detailed descriptions of what happened, including what she was wearing at the various times, where and how she was seated, what her father said and did, and more.

The defence said her inability to specify times for many of the events she alleged and gaps in her memory about such elements amounted to inconsistencies that called her credibility and reliability as a witness into question.

Defence lawyer Emily Cochrane had also argued the witness’s 11th-hour reporting of the third incident happening around the same time as her niece’s birth was circumspect and rendered her credibility questionable.

But Christie said he accepted the young woman’s explanation for that later reporting of events that cemented the timeline of events.

He said he found her to be credible and reliable.

“I can find no reason to doubt her evidence,” the judge said.

As such, he found the defendant guilty as charged on both counts.

The accused tried to protest and apparently offer information to the court in light of the judge’s decision.

“Can I speak for a minute, your honour?” he asked.

Cochrane firmly told him to stop and silenced him. “No, sit. Sit,” she told him.

Subject to conditions pending sentence

In light of the guilty finding, prosecutor Rebecca Butler asked the court to remand the offender pending his sentencing hearing.

Cochrane objected, asking the court to allow her client to remain free until sentencing, but subject to strict conditions.

“I know the presumption of innocence is gone,” she said, but she noted the accused had attended court as required throughout the process - even before the charge was laid, which came later than originally expected.

The defence lawyer noted that the one time her client didn’t attend a pre-trial conference in the case, it was because she’d told him to go to the wrong building, so that wasn’t his mistake but rather hers.

“There’s no flight risk concerns,” Cochrane said.

Furthermore, she argued, he runs a business and lives alone, so he needs time to tend to his employees, arrange for layoffs and to get his house in order, literally.

The offender also has ongoing health issues, she said, and as the sentence will undoubtedly involve incarceration, it’s reasonable to give him time to prepare for that.

Christie agreed. He issued a release order that requires the offender to remain under house arrest save for limited exceptions, to have no contact with the victim and other family members, to report by phone to the RCMP every Monday, to surrender his passport to police, to have no unsupervised contact with minors, to refrain from attending events geared toward kids, to abstain from alcohol and non-prescribed drugs, to stay out of establishments where alcohol is sold, and to attend court as required.

As per Crown and defence requests, Christie ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence report and victim-impact statements for consideration at the sentencing hearing, which he scheduled for Jan. 31.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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New Brunswick’s Liberal opposition is taunting Premier Blaine Higgs for backing off an early election this fall, claiming he was afraid of losing because the province isn’t doing as well as he lets on.

A new program for students at the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University promises to give students access to mental health support around the clock every day.

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A Fredericton woman who was reported as missing this week for the third time in about a month has been located and is safe, the Fredericton Police Force reports.

The Fredericton Police Force issued an advisory on social media Wednesday morning announcing that Chelsea Sacobie, 29, of Fredericton, had been reported as missing.

It said Sacobie was last seen in Fredericton on Sunday.

However, in a followup post later Wednesday morning, the police force said Sacobie had been located and was safe.

Wednesday’s advisory marks the third time since last month the police force has issued such alerts about Sacobie. It posted identical advisories Oct. 18 and Nov. 10, following up shortly thereafter that she’d been found and was safe.

Wednesday’s alert made no mention of the previous instances in which she was reported as missing. The Fredericton Independent inquired with the Fredericton Police Force about the potential reasons the repetitive nature of the missing-person reports on Sacobie.

“Unfortunately, due to privacy concerns, we cannot detail such factors,” police spokesperson Sonya Gilks wrote in an email Wednesday.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Snowfall warnings were still in place Wednesday evening for parts of central and southern New Brunswick as snow coated the roads.

The average cost of rent in New Brunswick in October was nine per cent above where it was last October, according to figures released Tuesday by Statistics Canada.

Rose House is a 12-bed transitional house for women in Saint John’s Waterloo Village. For Tanzie Jamieson, it’s a place of opportunity.

On Tuesday, Pamela Bentley asked the city's growth committee to fund an additional bylaw officer for the Community Standards program. The committee voted in favour unanimously.

Spokesperson said divers were assisting in police investigation

The RCMP confirmed the force’s dive team was in the Florenceville-Bristol area on Sunday and Monday, Nov. 19 and 20, to assist in an investigation.

The Western Valley Region RCMP spokesman said the dive team joined multiple RCMP units in the area on Sunday afternoon and Monday.

He said the team was assisting the force’s Major Crime Unit.

The spokesperson dismissed rumours spreading throughout the community that someone fell or jumped off a bridge in Florenceville-Bristol.

“We can confirm that this was not a first-response situation,” he said.

Beyond that, however, the RCMP said they could not disclose additional information regarding the ongoing investigation.

The post RCMP confirm dive team’s presence in Carleton North first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Two officers in ceremonial red serge switched from ceremony to active duty

A pair of RCMP officers switched from ceremonial duties to active duty on Nov. 11 following Remembrance Day ceremonies at Hartland War Memorial in front of the Hartland Community School.

In a media release on Nov. 21, the Western Valley Regional Detachment said two West District West District RCMP members, still dressed in ceremonial attire, arrested a man in possession of a loaded gun following the Nov. 11 Remembrance Day ceremony.

The RCMP said Sgt. Dan Sharpe and Cst. Cassandra Duguay were leaving the Remembrance Day ceremony when they observed a suspicious vehicle nearby that they believed to be connected to an unrelated file the police were currently investigating.

When police approached the vehicle, the driver hopped out and fled on foot. After a short foot pursuit, Sharpe and Duguay apprehended the individual, who was found to be carrying a loaded firearm.

The RCMP said the officers took the 37-year-old man into custody, after which he was released and scheduled to appear in Woodstock Provincial Court on Feb. 13, 2024, at 9 a.m.

The investigation is ongoing.

The post Armed man arrested following Hartland’s Remembrance Day service first appeared on River Valley Sun.

One of the RCMP officers who fatally shot a knife-wielding man on the Kingston Peninsula while responding to a domestic call on New Year's eve in 2021 "broke down" when she learned he had died, according to a colleague.

The Higgs government announced new measures Tuesday to help low-income New Brunswickers cope with the high cost of living.

Moncton is proposing to change its approval system for housing that results in public hearings and notices going to neighbours.

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The RCMP says a suspect alleged to have been carrying a loaded handgun at a Remembrance Day ceremony in Hartland was arrested by two Mounties attending the event.

An RCMP news release issued Tuesday reported that two members of the force, who were attending a Remembrance Day ceremony in ceremonial Red Serge uniforms, arrested an armed man at that location.

“On Nov. 11, 2023, Sgt. Dan Sharpe and Const. Cassandra Duguay of the West District RCMP were leaving a Remembrance Day ceremony in Hartland when they observed a suspicious vehicle nearby that was believed to be connected to an unrelated file that is currently under investigation,” the release said.

“When police approached the vehicle, the driver hopped out and fled on foot. After a short foot pursuit, Sgt. Sharpe and Const. Duguay apprehended the individual, who was found to be carrying a loaded firearm.”

The RCMP also released a photo Tuesday of the firearm that the man is alleged to have been carrying.

The 37-year-old suspect was released from custody on conditions and on a promise to appear in Woodstock provincial court Feb. 13, the release said.

It didn’t note what charges the RCMP expects to lay in relation to the incident.

The investigation is ongoing, the release noted.

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

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A pricey painting from Fredericton's Beaverbrook Art Gallery was sold at auction Tuesday in London. 'Beach Scene, Lancashire' by British painter L.S. Lowry sold for slightly more than $2 million Cdn at Sotheby's.

Social Development Minister Jill Green says assistance going to those who need it most.

The provincial government is implementing affordability measures to help New Brunswickers face tough financial times.

Social Development Minister Jill Green said the measures assist those who need it most.

“This government recognizes that many New Brunswickers are having a tough time making ends meet,” said Green. “We know low-income New Brunswickers cannot wait any longer for the assistance they need, and these initiatives ensure they can access that assistance right away.”

The measures being implemented are:

• A $200 Low-Income Seniors’ Affordability Supplement to recipients of the Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit for the 2023 benefit year. This supplement, in addition to the existing $400 Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit, will remain in place until the Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit is permanently increased to $600.
• Effective in January, a policy change for spousal contributions to facility-based care to ensure at least 60 per cent of the household income remains with the spouse at home.
• Effective in February, a monthly $200 household supplement for social assistance recipients and youth engagement services recipients to help with the rising cost of food and shelter.

“We want to continue to support our seniors and allow them to age with dignity, on their own terms,” said Kathy Bockus, the minister responsible for seniors. “New Brunswick seniors who are in their own homes and have a loved one in long-term care, or who need a little extra help with their household bills, will not have to wait for the assistance they need.”

The Department of Social Development will spend an additional $19.4 million in 2023-24 on these initiatives. The full-year cost of these measures is $65 million starting in 2024-25.

The post Province announces affordability measures first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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A Fredericton home-design and construction company is facing allegations of workplace safety violations in the wake of a worker’s death on a jobsite two years ago.

WorkSafeNB, the province’s workplace-safety watchdog agency, laid charges under the provincial Occupational Health and Safety Act in Fredericton provincial court recently against New View Designs by Laurie Cole Inc., based on St. Mary’s Street.

The charges allege the company failed to ensure a metal scaffold was erected in accordance with manufacturer specifications; that the scaffold was outfitted with a continuous access stairway starting at ground level, level that the structure was greater than six metres in height; and to provide safety instructions needed to protect an employee’s health and safety.

Laragh Dooley, executive director of corporate communications for WorkSafeNB, confirmed the charges stem from a Dec. 6, 2021, accident that claimed a worker’s life in Fredericton.

“While there were issues with the scaffolding, including missing guardrails, the fatality resulted when the supervisor fell from the scaffolding,” she wrote in an email to the Fredericton Independent.

Dooley declined to name the supervisor, though she noted it was a man between the ages of 30 and 50.

The charges were before provincial court Judge Lucie Mathurin on Monday.

Halifax lawyer Brad Proctor appeared by telephone to represent New View Designs. No representative from the company attended Monday’s court proceedings.

He asked for an adjournment because he needed time to obtain disclosure of the Crown file and to confer with the prosecutor who will be assigned the case.

The judge set the matter over to Dec. 18 for pleas.

Dooley, when asked why it took almost two years after the worker’s death for the matter to get to court, noted the Occupational Health and Safety Act gives the agency up to two years to investigate incidents.

“Complex investigations, such as those involving a fatality, can take a year or more to conclude because the process involves thorough examination of the incident site, witness statements, examination of any machinery or equipment, personal protective equipment present, work procedures and whether the worker(s) received adequate training and supervision,” she said.

“This investigation required participation from the employer and the scaffolding manufacturer, which was not always readily available. In addition, the Crown asked for additional time to review the file.”

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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Police release photos of suspicious truck as it searches for man and woman

Western Valley Region RCMP released photos of a truck used by a couple in the alleged theft of fuel and a separate gun crime in Carleton North on Nov. 8.

In the release, the RCMP asked for the public’s help to identify two persons of interest following the theft and the firearm offence in Florenceville-Bristol,

The police said the theft occurred at approximately 8:36 a.m. on Nov. 8, when a man and a woman stopped at a business on Route 110 in Florenceville-Bristol, fuelled their vehicle and left without paying.

Later the same day, the RCMP said, the driver, believed to be a male, pointed a firearm at another vehicle on Route 110 in Florenceville-Bristol. RCMP members patrolled the area, but the individuals had left the scene.

Police released surveillance footage photos, hoping someone could identify the vehicle, described as a black, older model Dodge RAM with a broken tail light on the driver’s side, a missing front bumper, and a set of cab lights on the roof.

The RCMP described one truck occupant as a blond man with blond hair, a beard, and a mustache and the second as a woman with red hair.

The RCMP asks anyone with information about the incidents, or who recognizes the vehicle in the photos, or who has dash cam or security footage from the area at the time of the incident to contact the Western Valley Region RCMP at 506-325-3000.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App, or by Secure Web Tips at www.crimenb.ca.

The investigation is ongoing.

The post RCMP investigate fuel theft and firearm offence in Florenceville-Bristol first appeared on River Valley Sun.

COVID-19 has killed at least four more New Brunswickers aged 65 or older, and a child under four is among those hospitalized for or with the virus between Nov. 5 and Nov. 11.

Trina Jones plans to replace Jan. 1 event with Family Day event in February

Woodstock Mayor Trina Jones will no longer greet the New Year with the Mayor’s Levee at Connell House.

Jones told council the traditional New Year’s Day event at Connell House in downtown Woodstock has become a challenge on several fronts.

“We had trouble last year pulling it off,” she said, noting the staff scrambled to find a caterer and many spent most of New Year’s Day working.

“I didn’t want to subject staff to a full day on New Year’s Day,” Jones said.

Coun. Julie Calhoun-Williams agreed with the mayor’s decision, saying many residents can’t find time to attend a New Year’s Day event.

Former Mayors Art Slipp, Jeff Wright, and Randy Leonard used the Mayor’s Levee to deliver the State of the Town address and hand out certificates of appreciation to volunteers and residents who have dedicated time and effort to benefit the town.

Jones said she wants to continue that tradition but plans to make it part of Family Day events in February.

She believes a larger venue, such as the AYR Motor Centre and a weekend in February, would make it easier for a larger cross-section of the community to attend.

“We’re trying to capture more than the diehards,” Jones said.

Coun. Jeff Bradbury expressed disappointment with Jones’ decision to discontinue the levee.

“It’s a long-standing tradition,” he said.

Bradbury said he and many others always looked forward to the New Year’s Day event.

Jones acknowledged Bradbury’s point but said the New Year’s Levee is no longer a tradition, noting it wasn’t held in 2021 or 2022 because of COVID.

Calhoun-Williams suggested that the event’s change in time and place would capture new people.

“We’re not keeping tradition anymore just to keep tradition,” she said. “We’re moving forward.”

Jones said she will continue honouring volunteers and others for their community support, adding she wants to get recommendations from the public regarding who deserves such an honour.

She also believes February is a better time to deliver the State of the Town address.

“It’s hard to give the State of the Town on Jan. 1,” Jones said.

Noting the event is the “Mayor’s” Levee, she said the decision to discontinue the tradition is hers and didn’t require a motion from council.

Jones said she and the staff will plan an event in conjunction with Family Day on Feb. 19.

The post Woodstock Mayor discontinues New Year’s Levee first appeared on River Valley Sun.

The Mactaquac bridge reopened Tuesday, but as a single with traffic lights, after about a week of being fully closed.

Seven-piece Moncton ensemble Les Moontunes reach towards the darker corners of the galaxy with their new single, Elephant Wizard. Matt Carter  Les Moontunes are one of the most interesting bands…

The post Meet the Elephant Wizard appeared first on Grid City Magazine.

Fredericton councillors agreed in principle Monday to cutting the city's inside tax rate by one cent next year, but not before debating whether the decrease should go further out of concern for residents struggling with rising costs.

Child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock says New Brunswick needs to take action immediately to improve student literacy. 

Jon Mullane: The Feels Like Christmas Tour with Special Guest Alfie Zappacosta arrives at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre this Thursday.  Eric Alper  The Feels Like Christmas Tour features performances…

The post Jon Mullane and Alfie Zappacosta at the CSAC, Nov. 23 appeared first on Grid City Magazine.