Tantramar NB

Three tiny black and white houses on a gravel surface in front of some trees.

Sackville resident proposes change to make small homes more practical

October 29, 2024 by Erica Butler

A Sackville resident is asking Tantramar council to change the way they regulate the size of dwellings in the former town.

Right now, Sackville dwellings must have minimum dimensions of 20 feet by 20 feet, which is too wide for buildings to be constructed offsite and transported on provincial highways to their final destination. Natalie Donaher is proposing using the equivalent in area, 400 square feet, for the minimum size requirement, thereby allowing for rectangular-shaped small homes that can be built elsewhere and transported to Sackville.

Donaher believes the type of change she’s proposing would be part of a municipal plan review when Tantramar takes one on, but the affordable housing advocate decided to apply for this change immediately, covering the $1500 application fee out of pocket. “I didn’t think we should wait that long,” says Donaher, “because it seems the housing crisis is much more urgent than that.”

A young man wearing a white baseball cap and a blue hoodie stands in front of a bar and a beer menu posted on the wall behind him.

Sackville Farmers Market considers downtown and uptown options for winter location

October 28, 2024 by Erica Butler

It’s almost time for the Sackville Farmers Market to move out of Bill Johnstone Park and on to its winter location. But this year the move is slightly delayed as the market board considers two potential locations — the Sackville Commons on Lorne Street, where the market has spent winters since 2021, and the Sackville Visitor Information Centre on Mallard Drive, outside of the market’s usual downtown territory.

“Every year we have to move from our summer home,” says Anthony Maddalena, owner of Bagtown Brewing and chair of the board with the Sackville Farmers Market. “This year we’re just exploring if there’s any other options… We’re getting information from both the Commons and the town and looking those two different sets of information.”

a room full of people seated, holding up glasses, facing a woman standing in a green dress

‘We did it!’ — Mitton celebrates re-election in Tantramar

October 22, 2024 by Erica Butler

There were plenty of cheers in Green headquarters in downtown Sackville on Monday night, as newly re-elected MLA Megan Mitton thanked her supporters, and said “bye bye Higgs”, in reference to the defeat of the PC government led by former premier Blaine Higgs.

“I’m so proud to represent all of you and the whole riding, and to fight for the whole province,” said an emotional Mitton, “because we still need to build. We still need change. We still need to fix the crisis in our health care system. We still need to eliminate patronage and corruption from our political system.”

Mitton won just under 2500 votes in Tantramar, 48.9% of the 5068 votes that were cast in the riding, a margin of over 1000 votes from both her closest competitors.

CHMA caught up with Megan Mitton after the formalities on election night, as well as defeated Liberal candidate John Higham.

A woman in an orange shirt sits at a table with a laptop with an NB NDP sticker and campaign materials around her.

NB NDP candidate Evelyne Godfrey talks campaigning for ‘party of the left’

October 16, 2024 by Erica Butler

The last time Evelyne Godfrey ran for the NDP she was vying for a federal seat in parliament. This time, the Port Elgin archeologist is running for the New Brunswick NDP as they attempt to rebuild their position as a significant third party in the province.

Godfrey says it’s going well so far, even suggesting that NDP leader Alex White might beat Blaine Higgs in the Quispamsis riding. “I think [he] has a good chance of defeating the current premier and taking that seat,” says Godfrey.

Last Thursday CHMA stopped by the Mount Allison campus to sit in with Godfrey on a campaign event, and hear about her campaign plans and policies.

A man in a blue crew neck tshirt stands outside in a park in front of a gazebo.

Sitting down with PC candidate for Tantramar Bruce Phinney

October 16, 2024 by Erica Butler

Progressive Conservative candidate for Tantramar Bruce Phinney says he’s playing catch up after joining the provincial election race at the eleventh hour.

Phinney stopped by CHMA to talk about his campaign and PC party promises so far this election season.

“I finally got recognized as a candidate later than everybody else,” says Phinney. “It’s one of the stumbling blocks I had to deal with, and I’m dealing with it the best way I can.”

Phinney says that his door-to-door canvassing will be limited to some stops in Cape Tormentine and in his downtown Sackville ward where he was elected to Tantramar municipal council in 2022. “I’m not going to get around to everybody,” he says, “there’s no way realistically, but I will continue to run into people, ask for their vote.”

Architect's rendering of a building with 3 floors in red brick below and 4 floors in white material above.

Increased height allowance requested to allow for new 7-story building in downtown Sackville

September 26, 2024 by Erica Butler

A construction crane currently set up behind 131 Main Street in Sackville might just remain part of the town’s skyline a bit longer, if zoning changes go through to make way for a new project involving local developer John Lafford.

Lafford and his partner Mike Wilson are hoping to build a seven-storey building at the corner of York Street and Ford Lane. But the current zoning bylaw only allows for buildings of up to 50 feet, or roughly five storeys. So Lafford has applied to Plan 360 for a change to the zoning bylaw, extending the allowable height in the mixed use zone to 75 feet.

Planner Lori Bickford presented the request to Tantramar council at their committee of the whole meeting on Monday, and CHMA caught up with John Lafford after the presentation, to find out more about what he’s got planned.

a man stands in front of a map pinned to a wall

A peek behind the scenes as Elections NB prepares to count your vote

September 18, 2024 by Erica Butler

The machinations are underway to hold another New Brunswick election on October 21. The writ has not been dropped yet, but because New Brunswick has fixed election dates, it is imminent.

CHMA catches up with local returning officer Garth Zwicker to find out how the vote will go down in the riding of Tantramar.

“Elections NB is being incredibly proactive on this,” says Zwicker, “so I’m feeling confident.”

After students had difficulties at the polls in 2020, this time around Elections NB has brought back on-campus polling, which means students and other Mount Allison community members will be able to vote ahead of time. Local staff will also work on helping residents of nursing homes vote in advance.

A closeup of two men sitting on high backed chairs behind a table with microphones in front of them.

Garbage, recycling pick-up changes coming as regional commission takes over

August 22, 2024 by Erica Butler

There are changes coming to garbage, recycling, and compost collection throughout Tantramar and the southeast region in February 2025.

At a special meeting on August 15th, Tantramar council voted to approve an agreement with the Southeast Regional Service Commission, to allow them to proceed with contracts for waste collection services in 2025.

Tantramar’s public works director Jon Eppell told council how the province’s forced amalgamation of municipalities in 2023, as well as major cost increases in the garbage collection industry, precipitated the move to have the commission take on the role.

A covered bridge against a blue sky and green grass. There is a sign in the middle of the road saying "Road Closed" and cement barricades and orange and black horizontal barriers to prevent motorists from using the bridge.

Indefinite closure of Wheaton Covered Bridge brings up fond memories and current concerns

July 19, 2024 by Erica Butler

The Wheaton Covered Bridge on High Marsh Road is one of about 59 covered bridges left in the province. In addition to being a picturesque spot on the marsh landscape, the bridge connects an important transportation route for the region’s farmers. But the bridge is now closed.

Phyllis Wheaton can remember driving through the bridge with her parents, honking the horn, something she still does. “Everybody honks the horn going through the bridge because you can’t see if there’s somebody on the other side,” says Wheaton. “It’s just a lot of memories. And it’s not just me, it’s the whole town. Everyone in the rural area has tons of memories of that bridge.”

CHMA speaks with some of those farmers, as well as MLA Megan Mitton, to learn more about the closure of the bridge and its impact.

A smiling woman wearing a black dress sits behind her desk in front of a bookshelf. Next to her on the wall is a bulletin board filled with pictures and colourful artworks and cards.

How $26k in scholarships grew from a $2500 commitment from MLA Megan Mitton

July 17, 2024 by Erica Butler

Memramcook-Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton had a short timeline to create a medical scholarship program for the region, and so she committed some of her own personal funds to get the project started. That’s resulted in four scholarships worth about $26,000 available this year for students who agree to come practice in the region when they graduate.

Mitton says the timeline to set up the scholarship was tight, and since Tantramar could not commit immediately, she decided to committ some of her own money, to avoid missing out on the opportunity for this coming school year.

“This is really important,” says Mitton. “I wanted this to move forward, and so I was willing to, like I said, sign on the dotted line.”

A road crew at work with a digger and shovels in a roadway.

Boil water advisory continues after Tuesday water main break

July 3, 2024 by Erica Butler

A boil water advisory is still in effect for a large number of households and businesses on and off Main Street in Sackville, between Mackol Avenue and St Paul’s Anglican Church.

Water customers in the area are being asked to keep water at a rolling boil for one minute before using it for cooking, drinking, or brushing teeth. Tantramar staff delivered notices to each residence and business affected by the advisory on Tuesday.

The boil water advisory will remain in effect until two consecutive sets of clear water test results are returned and New Brunswick’s Public Health Office lifts the order.

The advisory is the result of a water main break at 165 Main Street on Tuesday, right in front of the Drew Nursing Home. CHMA spoke with Tantramar public works superintendent Michelle Sherwood to get more details.

A woman with short light brown hair and wearing a grey cardigan sweater site at a desk with papers and a coffee cup in front of her. She is sitting behind a microphone and appears to be speaking in the photo.

Loitering bylaw back on the agenda for Tantramar council

June 26, 2024 by Erica Butler

The Tantramar clerk’s office is bringing back a bylaw that was rejected by council in June, but this time clerk Donna Beal is hoping council will approve the proposed ‘By-Law Relating to Loitering and Soliciting in Tantramar’.

Beal says that the changes were inspired by other municipal bylaws. It replaces the word ‘begging’ with ‘soliciting’, and removes the outright ban on the practice of simply asking for money. Instead, the new bylaw bans repeated soliciting after a negative response, and also bans soliciting in a way that might obstruct or impede traffic.

Councillor Josh Goguen expressed concerns about both the loitering and begging components of the original bylaw on June 11. He told council Monday he was happy with the changes. “I think the wording is a lot better than what it was initially,” said Goguen, “so I definitely have no issues with with approving this.”