New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has laid out a multimillion-dollar plan to lessen the impact that crushing U.S. tariffs are expected to have on businesses and workers in the province.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a fatal house fire in Miramichi early Tuesday morning.

Vitalité Health Network has cancelled the remaining shifts of travel nurses employed by Canadian Health Labs, even though its controversial contract with the Toronto-based staffing agency doesn't expire until next year.

With temperatures starting to warm, one of New Brunswick’ is getting ready to welcome visitors for another maple sugar-shack season.

From internal trade to the seafood sector, here’s how the provincial government is responding to the 25 per cent tariffs imposed Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt announces $162 million tariff action plan

With the U.S. instituting a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods as of midnight March 4, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt called the act, triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump, “illegal and unjustified.”

During a provincial news conference in Fredericton on Tuesday, Holt vowed her government would “do what it takes to protect our economy and ensure we come out the other side of this storm stronger and more resilient.”

In New Brunswick, nearly 92 per cent of all exports go to the United States. Holt called the economic action a “turning point for our province and our country.” She announced that U.S. alcohol would be removed from the shelves of NB Liquor, and the province would stop signing procurement contracts with U.S. companies.

Holt was joined by Luke Randall, the minister responsible for Opportunities New Brunswick (ONB), Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Jean-Claude D’Amours, and Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Pat Finnigan when she announced a $162 million tariff action plan.

The province’s tariff action plan includes a $50 million ONB working capital loan fund (existing), a $40 million ONB competitiveness fund, and other initiatives.

The province also announced the removal of nine inter-provincial trade barriers, with one adjusted and six others expected to be withdrawn soon. These include no province-to-province trade barriers for alcohol, reducing regulatory burdens for truckers, and recognising employment credentials between provinces.

The plan is a cross-government effort that aims to ensure that residents and businesses have the programs and tools they need to be resilient during this uncertain time.

The four-pillar plan includes:

·Support to New Brunswickers: A flexible labour market support program delivered through Working NB and the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour that will provide support and services to those whose jobs have been affected by the tariffs. A contingency fund will also be available through the Regional Development Corporation to support impacted communities.

·Relief for New Brunswick businesses: Working capital loans of up to $5 million providing financial support to help maintain operations; a new $40 million competitiveness and growth program to enhance the long-term sustainability of New Brunswick’s large export-intensive companies; and $4 million to support the New Brunswick Fisheries Fund – recognizing that seafood producers will be among the hardest hit. Opportunities NB will also leverage its existing $30 million strategic assistance budget in response to current challenges, help mitigate the impact of tariffs, support contingency planning, market diversification, and productivity improvements.

·Breaking down interprovincial trade barriers: Aggressive moves on labour mobility, such as automatically recognizing certified workers from another jurisdiction for a minimum of 120 days; allowing them to work while obtaining any necessary provincial credentials; removing nine, narrowing one, and considering six other party-specific exceptions under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement; participating in direct-to-consumer sales of alcohol and eliminating personal exemptions limits for alcohol; and improving internal trade promotion through a Team Canada approach.

·Promotion of the “NB Made” campaign: The New Brunswick Made campaign provides tools for people to identify items made in the province. It supports existing initiatives, such as Savour NB, Excellence NB, Eat Local NB and Buy Local for Good.

New Brunswick businesses with questions about tariffs can contact Opportunities NB’s Business Navigators by calling 1-833-799-7966 or emailing [email protected]. Individuals impacted by the tariffs are encouraged to contact WorkingNB to learn more about the support measures available to them.

If the tariffs are removed, the federal government has said it will launch $125 billion in reciprocative levies that will kick in at three weeks.

Across the border, CNN reports that US stocks tanked Tuesday morning after tariffs were imposed on Canada and Mexico. Andrew Wilson, the deputy secretary-general of the International Chamber of Commerce, told the Wall Street Journal that the hefty tariffs imposed by the Trump administration could ‘crash’ the global economy, similar to the Great Depression.

“Our deep concern is that this could be the start of a downward spiral that puts us in 1930s trade-war territory,” Wilson said.

The post “I want New Brunswickers to know your government is here; we’ve got your back” first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Premier Susan Holt is unveiling the province’s action plan in response to 25 per cent tariffs imposed on Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump.

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A Fredericton man will stand trial in about a year’s time on charges alleging he fashioned his own homemade pistol and broke into a northside home this past fall.

Brayden Atyeo, 19, of Priestman Street, appeared in Fredericton provincial court with defence lawyer Ken Allen on Tuesday to answer to numerous indictable charges.

The defendant is accused of breaking into a Gesner Lane home with intent to commit an indictable offence; manufacturing a prohibited weapon - a .22 calibre pistol - without authorization; possessing the pistol for a purpose dangerous to the public peace; carrying it as a concealed weapon; possessing a prohibited weapon without a licence and knowing he didn’t have a licence for it; and breaching a court order prohibiting him from possessing firearms.

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New data from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce suggests Saint John will be the Canadian city hardest hit by the U.S. tariffs. Mayor Donna Reardon says mayors and premiers are now putting their differences aside to focus on a common enemy: Donald Trump.

By Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative, Telegraph-Journal

A 27-year-old St. Stephen man arrested in December after police say he led police on a low-speed chase against traffic on Route 1 has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

Kody John Hiltz was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to 16 charges including dangerous driving and driving while pursued. Police said they had arrested Hiltz and another man Dec. 10 after the vehicle they were in fled police and was stopped with a shotgun and body armour inside.

“Anybody sitting in this court or reading or looking at this would certainly be disturbed by your actions,” said Saint John provincial court Judge Kelly Ann Winchester, saying that pursuing officers had been put in harm’s way. “This certainly rises to the level that has to be denounced.”

In court, Crown prosecutor Chris Titus said that police were driving west on Route 1 towards St. Stephen at 2 a.m. on Dec. 10 when they saw a Ford SUV driving slow with flashing lights on. Because the car’s licence plate was obscured by snow, they initiated a traffic stop, but the vehicle kept going despite lights and sirens, Titus said.

The prosecutor said the SUV was driving between 50 and 104 kilometres per hour and that officers were able to pull alongside to see two people inside. Titus said the SUV then turned into the oncoming lane of the separated highway using an emergency turning access. After about 25 kilometres, he said police used a spike strip, but the SUV continued at a low rate of speed between 30 and 50 km/h.

Titus said a person was observed pouring gasoline out of the window of the SUV and police believed they saw the person attempt to spark a lighter, allegedly in an attempt to ignite a gasoline trail, with a “high potential … to cause harm or death” to police. Police then notified the fire department and ambulance service to be on standby, court heard.

When the vehicle, by this point slowing to 10 to 20 km/h, turned off the highway onto the Church Street exit into St. Stephen, Titus said a police vehicle was struck and the SUV continued driving down side streets before it was stopped on Upper Mill Road, Titus said.

Officers on foot surrounded the vehicle and struck the windows before removing the driver, Hiltz, and taking him to the ground with resistance, Titus said. Police said they found a shotgun and 19 shells, one of which was loaded, a gas tank with a hose, an axe, body armour, a club, masks and wigs, and allege that the vehicle was stolen.

Patrick Thomas Harris, 40, the alleged passenger, also faces eight charges in the incident, including assaulting police with gasoline and possession charges related to the shotgun and the stolen car. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in August.

Hiltz had been on probation and prohibited from possessing weapons as part of a sentence for a firearms arrest in 2023 that led to a shelter-in-place warning being issued for the area of Moores Mills, north of St. Stephen. He had been sentenced to 15 months less 11 months time served after being found guilty of four charges including assault with a shotgun and dangerous driving dating to Oct. 10, 2023.

The current charges against Hiltz also included resisting an officer on his arrest for that file on Oct. 14, 2023, and taking a vehicle, as well as a probation violations in Sept. 2023.

Titus said the December incident, accounting for 11 of the charges, “ratchets up the sentence,” calling the circumstances of the case “quite alarming.” He said a three- to five-year sentence would be appropriate.

Charles Bryant, Hiltz’ lawyer, said that unlike past cases, his client has taken more responsibility and has renewed contact with family, saying there’s “a degree of hope for his life after” the sentence. He said that his client was couchsurfing at the time and the “circumstances kept drugs in front of him.” He said that a three-year sentence would appropriately recognize the seriousness of the offence.

Hiltz told the court that he has a carpentry job lined up with a family member if he stays clean, and told Winchester that he “wants to continue living” and that his father has offered to build him a house on a property in his name.

The defendant said that at the time of the offence he had stayed at a friend’s camp for five days and had asked for a ride home, but took over driving when his friend fell asleep at the wheel. When he saw police, he had the “instinct to run,” he told the judge, and he said the gun wasn’t his, though Winchester noted it was in the car all the same.

Winchester acknowledged that Hiltz had pleaded guilty, was youthful, had family support and was dealing with addictions, but said that the offences were serious and had to be denounced, and noted his criminal record.

“It would have been so simple just to stop that vehicle,” Winchester said.

Hiltz was given two years for dangerous driving, one year for breaching a driving prohibition, six months for carelessly carrying a shotgun, six months for possession of a shotgun for a purpose dangerous to the public peace and six months for resisting the officers, with the other offences handled concurrently. He was subject to a three-year driving ban and a lifetime firearms ban, and a forfeiture item was made on the items in the car.

A new professional basketball team is playing in Moncton. The Tri-City Tide is one of only three Canadian teams in The Basketball League, which is mostly based in the U.S.

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After months of delays, the chief of the Welamukotuk (Oromocto) First Nation has finally retained counsel to represent her on a bribery charge.

Chief Shelley Marie Sabattis, 56, has been appearing regularly in Fredericton provincial court since last fall on a charge alleging she attempted to dissuade Chanel Sabattis from testifying in a trial against Winton Labelle Walter Saulis, with the intent to obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice, between Nov. 23 and 29, 2023.

She was charged with unrelated counts around the same time stemming from an alleged break-in and assault in her indigenous community April 29, stemming from an incident that’s been described as purported vigilantism, and she’s been represented by defence lawyer Alex Pate on those charges.

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At least two business owners in St. Stephen say they oppose a new tourism accommodation levy the council is deliberating on. 

Joe Moffatt, the owner of the Oak Bay Campground, officially presented his concerns to the council last week. 

His main concern was the added burden on his business operations and the impact it may have on customers who choose to spend extended periods of time at the campground. 

“It’s not a lot, I understand,” he said. 

Moffatt also pre-prints his invoice, saying he has about four years worth, but the levy would require him to reprint them to show customers the charge. 

“I have to collect it, I have to house it, I have to account for it, I have to bank it, every quarter I have to bring it to you,” he said during the meeting. “It’s a nightmare.” 

Moffatt questioned the profit the town would make off the amount of small B and B’s that operate locally and campgrounds. 

“I wouldn’t even be considering it for that kind of money,” he said. “Hell, I’ll give you the $3,500 for you to leave us all alone.” 

The municipality is only in the early stages of considering a tourism accommodation levy but is the only community without the presence of a larger-scale hotel. 

Accommodation levy exists elsewhere

Accommodation levies exist in both Saint Andrews and St. George – the money collected from that is then disturbed out to improve tourism in the designated municipality. 

St. George charges 3.5% on each person who stays at a hotel or accommodations. The same amount is levied in Saint Andrews. 

Susan Thomas, who is the co-owner of Casa Breeze Bed and Breakfast, said she’s operated that business for about 13 years. 

“I concur with what Joe Moffatt says in that I’m not particularly impressed with this tax, however, a big issue right now is timing,” she said. “The country to the south of us is rattling its sabers and threatening tariffs.” 

She said those will have impacts on our economy and the Canadian dollar. Thomas said Canadians may choose to stay locally, but that with the strain it could mean their budgets are smaller. 

“If we add another tax onto it, that doesn’t seem fair,” she said. “I would like to see this idea disappear,” she said. 

St. Stephen Mayor Allan MacEachern said in an interview with The Courier that he appreciates the business owners who expressed their concerns about the levy, providing the council with more context it needs to make a final decision.

The municipality has been working diligently to bring a large hotel to the area.  

“I know we have to start some time,” he said. “We got to keep up to what’s going on in all this. All the other municipalities are doing it everywhere. It’s not new.” 

MacEachern said this fund will help the municipality really support tourism in a way it cannot now, given it uses other money currently to cover its tourism efforts. 

“We can use those tax dollars for what they’re intended for and then use this levy just for that,” he said. 

Any bylaw on a tourism accommodation levy would have to come before the council for discussion and three readings before being voted on.

Veteran miners work deep underground to satisfy roaring demand for road salt during a cold and icy winter in New Brunswick. It's a banner year for the nearly mothballed Picadilly Mine, thanks to a contract with the province.

Threats of U.S. tariffs have driven Canadians to look for local food options, but in New Brunswick those options can be difficult to find. 

Canada can huff, and puff, but if anything's going to blow down Donald Trump's house of tariffs it's going to be the reaction within the United States. The pushback has begun within the economy. The next will be in the legal system.

Three timber firms, including H.J. Crabbe, upset over lower court ruling

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

The Wolastoqey Nation’s title claim for more than half of New Brunswick was in court again, this time because three timber firms are upset about a lower court ruling that did not explicitly state their big swaths of land won’t be taken from them someday.

J.D. Irving, H.J. Crabbe and Sons, and Acadian Timber each presented separate motions on Friday before the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick, asking it to revisit a decision by Justice Kathryn Gregory of the Court of King’s Bench last November.

They didn’t like her ruling because, although the judge agreed that the industrial defendants and everyday private property owners must be removed from the Wolastoqey lawsuit, their land is still part of the title claim.

She also wrote in her judgment that in the future, it’s possible the Crown – in this case the provincial government – could one day expropriate their property and give it to Indigenous communities, whose leaders insist they never surrendered the land on their traditional territory in western New Brunswick where six of their communities are nestled on or near the St. John River, what they call the Wolastoq.

The stakes are high, as it’s a massive amount of land. All told, roughly 253,000 of 283,000 parcels of land are privately owned in the traditional territory of the Wolastoqey people, encompassing 60 per cent of New Brunswick’s geography.

“This is the most important case of our lifetime,” said Hugh Cameron, the lawyer for Acadian Timber, to the judge before him, Justice Ivan Robichaud, and motioning to others behind him watching.

Seventeen lawyers and two chiefs were jammed inside the small, red-carpeted and ornate courtroom on the upper floor of Fredericton’s old courthouse to make or listen to the arguments. Besides the three firms contesting the proceedings, other companies, such as Irving Oil and Twin Rivers, sent lawyers to observe and take notes.

The Wolastoqey Nation launched the lawsuit in 2020, then substantially amended it in 2021 by adding several industrial defendants, including timber companies and NB Power, which own huge land tracts.

Part of the oddity of Friday’s proceedings was seeing the two sides argue whether the timber firms had won or lost the lower court ruling. The timber firms say they lost, but the Wolastoqey Nation said the timber firms won, while celebrating Gregory’s decision as nuanced and fair.

Chief Allan Polchies of Sitansisk, or St. Mary’s First Nation, who was in court Friday as an observer, has described her ruling as “courageous.”
Cameron said the first part of Justice Gregory’s lengthy judgment was fine until “it took a left turn and took on a life of its own.”

He argued that Gregory had fundamentally erred by creating a possible future claim against the industrial defendants. He was also adamant that she made a big mistake by not removing the parcel identifiers – or PID – of the firms from the case.

The lawyer explained that businesses use land mortgages to help provide the funds to operate their businesses. If the land ownership is in question, it creates financial headaches.

“Some of the private landowners won’t survive the cost of this litigation, I suspect,” Cameron warned.

The newly elected Holt Liberal government says it doesn’t want to contest the title claim in court, unlike the previous Progressive Conservative government run by Blaine Higgs, which mounted a spirited defence against the lawsuit, arguing everyone’s private property was at stake.

In court, the province’s legal representation was markedly different.

Edward Keyes, an outside counsel hired by the provincial government, told Justice Robichaud that the Crown had an obligation to all parties involved, but it preferred a negotiated settlement.

“Aboriginal title cases are about reconciliation and require nation-to-nation discussions,” Keyes said. “That’s best achieved at the negotiation table and not in the courtroom.”

However, he added that the province respected the right of the private landowners and the Wolastoqey Nation to seek justice.

Paul Steep, part of three-person legal team representing the big firm J.D. Irving, Limited, said Justice Gregory committed a huge legal error by “fashioning on her own a new claim” that the Wolastoqey Nation had never made.

He said when it came to the idea of expropriation, none of the defendants “were given notice of this possibility.” JDI, he pointed out, had been in possession of some of its parcels for more than 100 years.

H.J. Crabbe and Sons, the smallest of the three firms, argued that the Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Marshall-Bernard case of 2005 did not support the Wolastoqey Nation’s territorial claim.

The firm’s lawyer, Alec Cameron – no relation to Hugh Cameron – represented the province of Nova Scotia in that old case, which it won against 35 Mi’kmaq charged with cutting timber without a proper permit. Canada’s top court held that there was no right to commercial logging granted in the Peace and Friendship treaties of 1760.

Cameron warned the massive lawsuit could take years to litigate and could be “ruinous for a small sawmilling operation” that was also worried about being hit with deeply damaging tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump as early as Saturday.

The Nova Scotia lawyer also said asking the province to sort out whether the industrial firms’ land should be part of the title claim was like “putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop,” because the government is in a “trustee relationship” with the Wolastoqey Nation.

Chief Patricia Bernard of Madawaska First Nation, who was watching the proceedings, bristled at Cameron’s description.

The Wolastoqey Nation argued the defendants could not contest a proceeding which they had won. Gregory removed them from the lawsuit, as they had asked, and said the title claim was strictly between the government and the Wolastoqey Nation.

If it’s proven that the Crown, or the government, shouldn’t have granted the land parcels to the private firms, it would have to find a way to compensate the Indigenous communities.

“Victors cannot appeal their victories,” said lawyer Renée Pelletier.
Justice Robichaud, who listened intently during the more than three hours of proceedings and occasionally took notes, only asked a single question all day.

As Pelletier brought up other Aboriginal title cases in British Columbia and Ontario that are making their way through the courts, the judge asked her about the possibility of expropriation.

“She made no decision on that,” Pelletier said of Justice Gregory’s lower court ruling.

The lawyer argued that an element of trust was needed to ensure the Wolastoqey Nation and the Crown could work out their differences. But she also said the door to expropriation as a relief measure had to be left open in case the two sides couldn’t work out their differences.

In that case, the timber firms could then apply to the court to block it, she said.

Justice Robichaud reserved his decision on the leave to appeal.

The post Judge should have shut door to expropriation in title claim: firms first appeared on River Valley Sun.

A coroner's inquest is underway to determine the facts surrounding the death of Preston Allen, who died from a fall at a residential construction site in Fredericton on Dec. 6, 2021.

Municipalities across New Brunswick now have new access to federal funding to help pay for water-related upgrades.

Co-hosts Vicki Hogarth and Nathalie Sturgeon discuss the top news stories of the week from CHCO-TV and The Courier on “This Week Uncut”.

Original broadcast date: March 3, 2025

This Week Uncut is an original CHCO Television production taped on location at the CHCO studio in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

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A Manitoba man will return to Fredericton in a year’s time to stand trial on an indcitable count of sexual assault.

Damen Henry Wasicuna-Ledoux, 22, of Sioux Valley, Man., appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone from the western province Monday, scheduled to elect mode of trial and enter a plea to an indictable charge.

He’s alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman in Fredericton on June 23.

There’s a court-ordered publication ban in effect protecting the complainant’s identity.

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The threat of U.S. tariffs had cast uncertainty over nearly every sector, including housing. But New Brunswick has some lofty goals when it comes to new construction, with Premier Susan Holt campaigning on a promise of 30,000 new homes in the province by 2030.

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A wood-products manufacturer from the capital region is headed to trial on three workplace-safety charges filed after an investigation by WorkSafeNB last year.

The province’s workplace-safety watchdog agency laid three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act against Marwood Ltd. of Tracyville last month.

The business is accused of failing to take reasonable precautions to ensure the health and safety of employees by modifying its hydraulic system without an evaluation of risk of injury; failing to set up a written lockout procedure for a timber incisor, and failing to provide directions on how workers can use machines in the workplace safely.

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New Brunswick MLAs eager to question the premier about her planned response to U.S. tariffs will have to wait at least another two weeks to do so.

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A Fredericton woman whom police announced as missing six times last year has disappeared once again, and authorities are again seeking help in locating her.

The Fredericton Police Force issued an advisory through social media Monday afternoon announcing that city resident Chelsea Sacobie, 31, was reported as missing.

“Sacobie was last seen on Fredericton’s south side on Sunday, March 2, 2025, wearing black pants, a black coat and a pink hoodie,” the post stated.

The force is seeking tips from the public on her whereabouts.

Sacobie is described as being about 5’10” tall, weighing 205 pounds, with dark, shoulder length brown hair, and glasses.

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

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

Tipsters can cite police file no. 2025-4600.

The Fredericton Police Force issued six separate missing-person alerts for Sacobie in 2024, and she was located safely each time. However, the most recent instance saw her go missing for months - from late June until mid-October.

No explanation has been forthcoming for her repeated disappearances.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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The Fredericton Police Force is seeking tips from the public on the whereabouts of a 13-year-old girl from the capital, who was previously reported as missing from Lincoln last month.

The city police force issued an advisory on social media Monday morning, advising that Allison Kenna Henderson, 13, of Fredericton, had been reported missing.

“Henderson was last seen on March 1, 2025, wearing a rainbow coloured top, white joggers, a black hat and white sneakers,” it said.

This marks the second time in as many weeks that the teenager has been reported as missing.

On Feb. 18, the RCMP issued a similar news release, noting the girl - then reported as a resident of the Lincoln area, just outside of Fredericton - had gone missing the day before.

In a followup Feb. 19, the Oromocto detachment reported she’d been found safe.

Anyone with information on Allison’s whereabouts is urged to call the Fredericton Police Force at 506-460-2300.

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

Tipsters can cite police file no. 25-4504.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached by email here.

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A lawyer representing a second-degree murder suspect clashed with the judge presiding over the case over a decision to reschedule the jury trial to this fall, arguing it would cause issues for clients.

Joshua Christopher Raines, 48, of Route 565 in Holmesville, between Perth-Andover and Florenceville-Bristol, appeared in person and in custody at the Burton Courthouse on Monday for the Court of King’s Bench motions day.

His jury trial on a charge of second-degree murder in the March 12, 2023, shooting death of Lucas Richard Solomon Polchies had been scheduled to begin in two weeks’ time March 17, but new developments put it back on motions day to set new trial dates.

Crown prosecutor Wesley MacIntosh said his office had just received notice from the defence that it was bringing two new pre-trial applications, and that those matters would take several weeks to hash out in court for the trial.

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New Brunswick local governments are in need of long-term sustainable funding, according to one municipal association.

It is one of the five key priorities for the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) heading into the provincial budget.

Brittany Merrifield, president of the association, said fiscal reform remains their number one priority again this year.

“84 per cent of municipal revenue comes from property tax and increasingly there’s reliance on residential property tax over non-residential property tax,” she said.

“So that’s an issue, plus it’s just not a diversified revenue source, so that comes with its own challenges.”

A recent report commissioned by UMNB found a hyper-reliance on property tax revenue for local governments and a significant municipal funding gap.

Merrifield said municipalities need just over $200 million annually to address operational and infrastructure deficits, plus an additional $110 million in 2025 to hold them over until the fiscal reform process is completed.

“We’re advocating for a point of the HST as a way for the provincial government to help us fill that gap. We’re not advocating for more taxes, we’re advocating for more efficiently using existing tax dollars,” she added.

Merrifield, who is also the mayor of Grand Bay-Westfield, said many municipalities have taken on additional roles since local governance reform but did not receive any extra money.

In addition, she said communities are dealing with issues such as homeless encampments that they have never had to deal with.

“Property tax dollars were never meant to deal with issues like that, and that’s one of the reasons that we really need to take a good close look at how municipalities are funded going forward,” said Merrifield.

UMNB is also calling for increased investments in housing infrastructure, additional funding for road and cellphone service infrastructure, and a “Municipal Support Fund” for newly formed municipalities.

The Liberal government is set to unveil its first budget on March 18.

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Even though a homeless man insisted on being sentenced for an indecent act and other offences, a defence lawyer argued he may well have been unable to form the requisite intent to commit the crimes.

Andrew Derek Washburn, 32, of no fixed address, appeared in Fredericton provincial court in custody Friday for a sentencing hearing.

He previously pleaded guilty to an indecent act by exposing himself in a public place in Fredericton with intent to offend others Oct. 15, a failure to attend court Dec. 23 and obstruction of Fredericton police officers Dec. 27.

As the proceeding got underway, duty counsel Josh Pozzolo told the court Washburn had declined his services, but after speaking with the offender, he had serious concerns about his mental state.

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Mike Morrison says he has contacted the office of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to advise them of what’s happening but has had no response.

A 19-year-old woman has admitted sex-trafficking charges involving two underage girls in the Moncton area.

An international technology company says work done at its new digital centre in Fredericton will increase Canada's cyber defences. 

Company and government officials say little about how thousands of litres of fuel leaked undetected  

More than two months after being detected, the environmental cleanup of a massive diesel spill at an Irving truck stop on Beardsley Road in Woodstock continues. 

The full scope of the spill, initially detected on Dec. 12, only became evident last week when CBC unveiled information garnered through a freedom of information request from the New Brunswick environment department. 

Emails and reports from government officials and others gathered through the CBC’s fact-finding search indicate as much as 100,000 litres of diesel escaped from the storage tank into the surrounding environment. 

The far-reaching impact of the cleanup and mitigation efforts continues to affect businesses and homeowners surrounding the truck stop and restaurant, including ongoing water testing of neighbouring properties. 

Documentation gathered by CBC shows that the fuel leak issue was first brought to the attention of the Department of Environment and Local Government following a report from the Tim Horton’s franchise, which sits in the parking lot of Murray’s Irving Restaurant and Truck Stop on Beardsley Road in Woodstock. 

After customers and staff raised concerns about the petroleum odour in the restaurant’s bathroom water, Tim Hortons contracted Gemtech to test its treated and untreated water. 

On Dec. 12, the company collected samples, confirming the testing results on Dec. 14,

“They have received the results today and confirmed the presence of gasoline in the untreated water,” the Department of Environment environmental inspector stated in a Dec. 14 memo. 

The discovery kicked off a massive undertaking to determine the source, amount, cleanup, and mitigation of the spill. Officials quickly discovered that a fuel leak had already contaminated the Tim Horton’s well and the well serving Murray’s restaurant and Irving truck stop. 

The businesses immediately closed their doors, and environment officials, Irving staff, and numerous consultants and contractors poured into the location to address the matter. 

As confused area residents and customers watched a steady stream of equipment roll onto and around the Irving business lot and a level of activity increase daily, company and government officials offered little public explanation. 

Meanwhile, the documentation secured by the CBC information request demonstrated growing concerns among environmental officials.

With the Irving underground fuel tanks pinpointed as the source of the contamination, the company immediately hired Dillon Consultants to identify the problem and develop a mitigation strategy. 

The investigation soon discovered that what Prosser initially estimated (a potential 5,000-litre leak) appeared exponentially larger, possibly surpassing 100,000 litres. In addition to breaching the nearby wells, the free-flowing fuel put surrounding wells at risk. It infiltrated the groundwater and flowed overground downhill towards the nearby Trans Canada Highway. 

Environmental inspector documents indicate that surface water in the nearby highway ditches contained 90 per cent fuel. 

Tim Hortons immediately closed its business following the discovery and remains closed almost three months later. Meanwhile, Murray’s Restaurant and the Irving gas bar reopened after a few days, using potable water trucked into the businesses. 

The Town of Woodstock confirmed that an Irving contractor is purchasing water from its town well and trucking the business. 

Soon after trucks, heavy equipment, vacuum trucks, and crews converged around the Irving site to collect contaminated water, Irving-contracted water-testing crews spread out through the immediate area to contact neighbouring property owners. 

Hilary Stockford of Stockford Reefers, a trucking service company located in the industrial park just north of the Irving truck stop, said Irving contractors “are doing regular water testing” of their wells. She said they are doing the same for other businesses and homeowners throughout the area.

Stockford acknowledged her deep “concern” about the situation and said she appreciates the attention given to ensuring their water quality. To date, she added, all test results have returned clean, and she hopes that continues. 

The size of the spill shocked many, including environmental officials. Investigators identified the cause of the leak as a cracked elbow attached to one of the Irving underground tanks. 

Despite identifying the apparent cause of the leak, investigators noted in their reports and emails that they couldn’t determine whether the diesel leaked slowly over a long period of time or flowed quickly into the surrounding ground. 

“Investigation is ongoing as to why the release didn’t trigger any sort of alarm and there may be no way to know if it was a small leak over a few months or something larger with a shorter time frame, explained Mallory Gilliss, a manager of contaminated sites with the Department of Environment, in a report issued on Dec. 23. 

How that much fuel could leak undetected bewilders many people familiar with the intense record-keeping and safety protocols surrounding fuel tanks. 

“It’s mind-boggling,” said an operator familiar with fuel storage. 

He and other operators explained that service stations or anyone operating fuel depots must maintain precise records showing the amount of fuel flowing in and out of the tanks. 

Operators are required to do daily reconciliations and be prepared for audits at any time. 

The Department of Environment officials declined to answer questions surrounding its investigation of the nature of the leak, directing the media to the company owner. Irving officials have not responded to media inquiries. 

While cleanup and mitigation efforts continue, neither government nor company officials have offered a report about the spread of the contaminant, including whether it reached the surrounding watershed or dispersed into the groundwater tables. 

The post Documents indicate larger-than-expected diesel spill at Beardsley Irving first appeared on River Valley Sun.

The Port of Belledune is trying to reinvent itself as a green energy hub, with plans to use biomass, wind, solar, hydrogen — and maybe even small modular nuclear reactors — to replace fossil fuels.

Sugar shacks around the province are busy tapping trees and getting ready to welcome scores of visitors looking to indulge their sweet tooth.

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Police are investigating a report of shots being fired early Saturday at a residence in Sunnyside Beach, on the west side of Grand Lake near Fredericton, the RCMP said Sunday.

The Minto detachment of the RCMP issued a news release Sunday about a shooting incident its officers are now investigating in Sunnyside Beach, about 60 kilometres east of Fredericton.

“On March 1, 2025, at approximately 1:25 a.m., shots were fired at a residence on Route 690 in Sunnyside Beach, N.B.,” it said.

“The resident was home at the time of the incident and witnessed a white, newer style SUV driving away northbound on Route 690. The resident fled his home and was not injured during the event.”

The matter was reported to police about 10 hours later, around 11:30 a.m., the release said, and officers are investigating it and feel it’s an isolated incident.

“The incident did not meet the criteria for an Alert Ready [message],” it said.

Officers remained in the area Sunday as the investigation continued.

Anyone with relevant video footage, who may have witnessed the shooting, or otherwise has information that could aid the investigation is urged to call the Minto RCMP at 506-327-1820.

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

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

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Ukrainians living in New Brunswick say they are concerned, but proud, after Friday's fiery exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Over a six-week period, Bill Gould of Fredericton cross-country skied 1,000 kilometres — that’s approximately the driving distance from Fredericton to Ottawa.

A group pushing for a new name for New Brunswick's only francophone university is presenting some possibilities for the public to consider.

By Julie Stone, community volunteer

Volunteer of the Month

The Volunteer of the Month for February is Peter Sawatzky. Since moving to Nackawic with his young family, Peter has become involved with the Library Family Game Night and Family Skate, offering guitar and ukulele lessons.  

Peter offers computer support at The Gathering Place (TGP) and is willing to work with others who want to gain computer skills. Thank you, Peter, for supporting TGP, Nackawic, and Area Wellness initiatives. Your volunteerism is appreciated.

Pancakes and Conversation

St. Clements Anglican Church in Dumfries, NB, will host a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at the Church Hall on March 4, 2025. More details, including the menu, time, and price, will be released in March. Suppers like these are great places to meet up with old friends, new faces, and even relatives to share stories and comforts that mean so much to families in small communities. Mark the date on your calendar and make a point to be there.

Slow Cooker Meal

There will be a “Slow Cooker Class” and meal on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 10 a.m. Bring yourself and your crock pot to the Lions Club and enjoy the comradery and instruction on how to cook a delicious treat for you and your family.

To register with cash, simply put $6 in an envelope, write your name and SLOW COOKER CLASS on the outside, and put it in the box outside the meeting room door at TGP. Or, e-transfer $6 to [email protected] clearly stating “Slow Cooker Class” in the note section.  

J-Lynn’s Independent Store

On Monday, a large group of people met at The Gathering Place to honour J-Lynn and John, owner-operators of the Independent Store in Nackawic.

The attendees included folks from Loblaws head office, who were there to film and share with the public that the company chose the couple for an award for their work and service, not in the store, but in the community where they now reside. J-Lynn’s was the only Independent Store in New Brunswick to receive such an honour.

Whenever a cause needs attention in the Nackawic-Millville Rural Community, you can be sure that J-Lynn and John are there and upfront with their support. Sometimes, that support is in fundraising or the provision of food—or whatever way they choose to respond, they can always be counted on to help.

This couple is well deserving of the award. A more formal acknowledgement will be made at Loblaws Annual Working Conference, which will be held in Punta Canta at the end of February.  Congratulations to you both. We are very proud of you and glad to have you in our beautiful community.

What is happening to me?

This is the question that Debbie Bragdon asked herself a million times until she was finally diagnosed with a rare disease called Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA).

MSA causes people to lose coordination and balance or become slow and stiff. It also causes changes in speech and loss of control of other bodily functions. It is related to Parkinson’s disease and is not due to heredity.

Unfortunately for Debbie and the 49 others in New Brunswick who have this disease, MSA is not curable. When first diagnosed, “I was told I had one year to live so I came home and began to live my life in Palliative Care”. She was then told 6 years, then 3, and now does not think about the end so much but rather copes by concentrating on what time she has left.

When Debbie first began to feel unwell, she thought she had vertigo and sought medical support and advice for that condition. But soon, other symptoms started appearing, and consultations and testing with other doctors were needed. Debbie says, “MSA is a fast-moving disease.” After many such consults, it became evident that something was wrong.

MSA caused her cerebellum to shrink and break away from the brain stem. She began to experience headaches, lack of balance, liver disease, speech difficulties, vision problems, digestive problems, shortness of breath, loss of bladder control and a general loss of bodily strength. These difficulties did not happen all at once but began to occur one after the other as the disease progressed.

Debbie and her husband Gary have renovated and adjusted their home to accommodate Debbie’s growing needs. Debbie says that she saved for her retirement and “this is it, so I am spending the money this way.” She can now live on one floor and move freely throughout the space in her walker and wheelchair.

Assistive devices have been installed in their bathroom, and Debbie is able to do a few chores that help Gary, as he is now her care provider. She cannot get to the laundry room but can fold the clothes when ready. She does a few dishes and other simple activities that make her feel she contributes. In the summer, she bought an electric scooter and could drive around the property. She even took it on the road a couple of times. She says, “I can’t do that anymore as it is now too difficult, but it was really fun”!

Debbie is thankful she could go with the family to Niagara Falls in the summer and was thrilled to fly to Ottawa to attend a Prayer Breakfast with her son Richard. who is Tobique-Mactaquac MP. Debbie says it was great to see him in his official role.

Debbie is very proud of all her beautiful children and knows that someday soon, she will rest beside her son Alex, who died of cancer so very young. Daughter Julie is a Nurse who works for the Anglophone West School District, and daughter Amy is a Real Estate Agent in the surrounding area. Debbie feels blessed to have them all so close by and said they gathered 26 people at her house at Christmas time.

Debbie said that it took five years in all to get the final diagnosis of MSA. She hopes that by sharing her story, others who might have similar symptoms will not give up but will continue to seek help from the medical profession so that the disease is not able to progress as far as hers has.

“It is important to push when you have to.”  Debbie confided (with a grin on her face) that she has a Do Not Resuscitate wish listed with her family and is determined that they honour it. “If I have worked this hard to get this far, I do not want anyone trying to hold me back.”

Thank you, Debbie, for sharing your story. It is sure to help a lot of people who might be wondering, ‘what is happening to me?’

The post COLUMN: In and Around Nackawic-Millville – Pancakes and Conversation first appeared on River Valley Sun.

U.S. President Donald Trump's rush to change course on the environment has marine wildlife experts nervous about water and wildlife off the East Coast.

A Grade 11 student decided to create a space for Black youth from four different Moncton area high schools to be able to share their experiences and interact with some keynote speakers, including the City's Mayor and New Brunswick's Education Minister.

Chilling Germination News …

By Michelle Corcoran, President, Florenceville-Bristol Garden Club

Ever have those special seeds that you hoped by starting early would be ready for that special garden spot and then – nothing, not even one, sprouted?  It may be down to some extra preparation – called seed stratifying.  There are different stratification processes, but I’m just reviewing the cold one for this article.

Why do seeds need stratification?

Seeds drop in the wild in the fall and have winter and spring conditions to grow. Cold stratifying provides seeds that “winter” experience of dormancy. It involves exposing seeds to cold, often damp periods, like in nature. Temperatures below 5 OC on a damp surface for about 2-6 weeks (fridge or freezer). Some seeds may need longer; do your research. Dormancy isn’t just about cold — it protects them from growing in less-than-ideal conditions. Cold helps break down the protective seed coat and allow water in for germination. We can artificially convince seeds that winter has come and gone, and it’s time to sprout!

Some seed packets may not include stratification info, so do your research. Some seeds helped from stratification (there are MANY) – coneflower (Echinacea), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), primrose, milkweed, butterfly weed, delphinium, Bee Balm (Monarda), false indigo (Baptisma), hollyhocks, lobelia, some herbs like thyme, lavender.

What you’ll need:

Plastic baggies that zipper closed, damp medium, labels, and seeds. IMPORTANT: Read seed labels/ websites for seed-specific processes.

Steps for Cold Stratification:

• Soak seeds for 1-2 hours (room temp)
• Some seeds need help breaking down the hard seed coat, research. Scratch edge of seeds with some sandpaper
• Coat the seeds in a damp (not wet) vermiculite/ garden soil/ sand, or paper towel. I have used the damp paper towel with good success – it’s easier to see seeds. Use a double layer, one on the bottom of the seeds and one on top.
• Place in sealed baggie, label type of seeds/ DATE, put in the fridge
• Put reminders in your phone/calendar to check for mould/ rotted/ squishy seeds. Squishy seeds are not viable, pick them out.
• Take them out when FULL time has passed, OR they have started to sprout. Pot in potting soil.

It’s time to share seeds! Some tips:

Label your seeds!  Use small plastic or paper envelopes. Include info about:

• • annual (only grows one year), perennial (comes back year after year)
  • name/ variety of seed, pictures
  • hybrid or heirloom – hybrid seeds may not be true to parent plant
  • year saved – the older the seed, the less viable it may be
  • light/ soil needs -full sun, part shade, dry or wet area
  • IMPORTANT – info about spreading. No invasive plants!

We are planning our Seedy Saturday event for March 15 – stay tuned for more info!

The post COLUMN: Weeds, seeds, and garden deeds first appeared on River Valley Sun.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered a new trade investigation that could heap more tariffs on imported lumber, adding to existing duties on Canadian softwood lumber and 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican goods due next week.

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A Young’s Cove man who was reported as missing to police Friday hasn’t been seen for weeks, the RCMP reports.

The Sussex detachment of the RCMP issued a news release Saturday, seeking tips from the public on the whereabouts of Gerald Kelly, 63, of Young’s Cove, located about 80 kilometres east of Fredericton and 50 kilometres west of Sussex.

“Gerald Kelly was last seen during the first week of February 2025, at a residence on Route 10 in Young’s Cove. He was reported missing to police on Feb. 28,” the release said.

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

Kelly is described as being about 5’7” (170 centimetres) tall, weighing about 190 pounds (86 kilograms), with blue eyes, grey hair and a full, grey beard.

He sometimes wears glasses, police noted.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to call the Sussex RCMP detachment at 506-273-5003.

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

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

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Town of Saint Andrews Special Council Meeting for February 24, 2025 on CHCO Television.

Emily Al-Harazi began her business during the COVID-19 after needing to find an escape, which she discovered among books. Al-Harazi speaks with Nathalie Sturgeon about the challenges of starting a business, the pressures of social media and bringing people joy through books.

Original Broadcast Date: February 21, 2025

Southwest Magazine is an original production of CHCO-TV filmed on location in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

Saint Andrews Mayor Brad Henderson discusses the proposal for repurposing the Courthouse by the Saint Andrews Civic Trust, updates to the vehicular traffic by-law, and an unfounded formal complaint lodged against him on an all-new February 2025 edition of Your Town Matters.

Original Broadcast Date: February 26, 2025

Your Town Matters is an original CHCO-TV production taped on-location at the CHCO-TV studio in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

Artists in Fredericton who recreated Mi’kmaw regalia from the early 1840s say the work taught them many lessons.