Thursday on Tantramar Report:
Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin has been officially re-elected in Cumberland North, but this time as an independent. She has agreed to work with the current Progressive Conservative majority government, but will not look to rejoin them. Smith-McCrossin says she helped write part of the PC platform including the promise to restore more local decision-making in Nova Scotia’s health care system.
Farmer Chris Pierce has started renovating the building at 72 Crescent Street in Sackville, where he has plans to open an abattoir and meat market. Building owner Richard Baughan confirmed that renovations for an abattoir were underway, though Pierce was unavailable to provide details. Sackville town council approved a zoning change and development agreement to make way for an abattoir on January 11. The agreement with the town requires that all activities of the abattoir have to be contained within the building, with no outdoor storage or animal pens. The New Brunswick Department of Health licenses and inspects abattoirs in the province. There is currently no Sackville-based abattoir listed on the Department of Health website.
Sackville residents have until this Saturday to vote on how the town will use $15,000 in prize money the town won after placing first provincially in the ParticiPACTION Community Better challenge. Choices include:
- introducing kayak, canoe and paddle board rentals at Silver Lake;
- enhancing the existing recreational equipment loan program at Bill Johnstone park;
- providing a recreation subsidy for individuals in children and youth sport; and,
- upgrading the Walker Road Trails for hiking and mountain biking.
In July, the Sackville detachment area serviced by the RCMP underwent a rash of break and enters and thefts. The RCMP reported eight break and enter incidents in its daily occurrence reports for the area which stretches from the Rockport peninsula to Memramcook to Cape Tormentine. Ten occurrence reports had to do with theft, four related to vehicle theft and 2 related to break and enters. So far in August, a stolen trailer and one stolen vehicle have been recovered, as well as some other stolen property. Two people were arrested related to stolen property on August 4, though the RCMP report does not say that charges were laid.
New Brunswick public health says 900 people in the province are now self-isolating due to either testing positive for COVID-19, or being identified as a contact of a positive case. 16 new cases were reported yesterday, with eight of those in Zone 1. The Zone 1 total active case count is now 84, and the provincial total is 115.
The town of Sackville and Mainstreet Redevelopment are bringing back the local business passport this fall, and are looking for local businesses to join the program. Businesses interested in participating have to contact the town soon, by August 24th.
The Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area is looking for volunteers to help with the imminent arrival of refugees from Afghanistan. The organization put out a call on social media looking for volunteers to help with shopping for groceries and furniture, moving to permanent accommodations, peer mentoring and family matching, and translating from Dari, Paschtu and Farsi. 400-600 Afghan refugees are expected in New Brunswick, and some people who have already arrived in Toronto will be headed to this province within 10-14 days.