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Social Action Fair aims to educate and inform on social issues from Indigenous perspective

The Social Action Fair, organized by Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Social Work students, will be held Dec. 1. Photo via Facebook event.

For years now, a group of Indigenous students from First Nations across the Maritimes have been meeting periodically in Sackville to study in a unique program run by St. Thomas University. The Mikmaq-Maliseet social work program offers a way to study social work that’s more conducive to people working or living in their communities. The content of the program also comes from an Indigenous perspective.

Each year as part of the course, the students host a Social Action Fair, designed to help inform and educate people about important social issues discussed in the program. This Wednesday, from 11am to 1pm, the Social Action Fair will come to Sackville.

All community members are invited to drop by Tweedie Hall, on the main floor of the Mount Allison student centre on York Street, to explore the fair.

Dr. Tracy Glynn is a sociology professor who teaches in the Mikmaq Malisee program. She joins us on Tantramar Report to tell more about the program and what to expect at Wednesday’s Social Action Fair.

Stolen items from Gitpu and Woodpecker recovered

Items stolen in two thefts last Monday and Tuesday have been recovered, says RMCP corporal Brian Villers.

Two people broke into Gitpu Gas and Tobacco near Dorchester last Monday morning and loaded bags with items from the store. Later in the week, a stolen vehicle was recovered on a nearby dirt road with the stolen items. The RCMP are still investigating, and awaiting results from their identification section, who checked the stolen items and vehicle for fingerprints and other evidence.

Woodpecker Tree Care had also reported a theft of a customized Vermeer wood chipper on Tuesday. Villers said the chipper was located in Nova Scotia, and the case is still under investigation, awaiting results from the RCMP’s identification section. On social media, Woodpecker credited, “the efforts of an observant community and the active support of Maritime RCMP” with the return of their equipment.

Donald, now a Sackville beer

Bagtown Brewing is releasing a new beer this week, in honour of a Sackville cat. Donald is perhaps Sackville’s most well-known and loved cat, with a Facebook group over over 750 members tracking his wanderings throughout town and campus. The new beer is “a soft and approachable milk stout”, much like Donald himself, and will be available on December 2nd.

Lunchtime skates are back!

Lunchtime skates are back at the Civic Centre, and this year they’re free. From 12:15 to 1:30pm most weekdays, the rink is open to all residents for free skating. Sackville town council voted to lift public skating fees for the rest of the season this past spring, and the practice has been continued into this season. There’s also a free public skating session most Sunday afternoons. It’s best to check the Civic Centre calendar on the town of Sackville website for exact times.

Overnight parking ban starts this week

Sackville’s overnight parking ban will come into effect tomorrow night. As of December 1 and throughout the winter months, residents are not permitted to park on municipal streets or parking lots between 1am and 6 am daily, in order to leave room for snow clearing efforts.

Pedvac’s Christmas Box program enters 35th year

The Pedvac Foundation in Port Elgin is accepting applications for its annual Christmas Box campaign, which provides a helping hand to dozens of local families each year. Boxes includes all the fixings for a Christmas dinner, groceries for a week, gifts for each member of the family, knitted items, and other seasonal items.

Pedvac’s executive director Katie Tower says this time of year is a challenging one for many families and seniors in the area, particularly those struggling with rising heating costs and grocery bills. The economic impact of the pandemic makes the need even greater for some.

Pedvac is accepting self-referrals as well as referrals from community agencies, groups or individuals on behalf of those they feel may be in need of assistance, up until December 8th.

Last year, the organization distributed 61 boxes, helping more than 155 people in the community, including 52 children.

Pedvac is also seeking donations to help support the Christmas Box campaign: food, toys, knitting, and cash donations are welcome. PEDVAC is also looking for volunteers to help wrap gifts and deliver boxes.

COVID-19 update: nearly 800 active cases in the province

The COVID-19 Update for Nov. 28. Photo courtesy of the New Brunswick government.

Public Health reported another 45 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, leaving the active case count at 793. 14 of the new cases were in Zone 1, with six cases still under investigation and eight cases determined to be contacts of previous cases. There are 62 people in hospital, and 17 of them are in intensive care.