Coming up on today’s show:
CHMA hears two local voices who addressed New Brunswick legislators last week as the government considers revisions to the province’s climate change plan. David Gordon Koch listened in to the standing committee on climate change and environmental stewardship, and brings us highlights today.
And CHMA hears from Mt.A researcher Matt Betti, who is planning a study looking into New Brunswick’s mysterious potential new brain disease, as well as journalist Matthew Halliday, whose October 2021 story in the Walrus magazine cast light on New Brunswick’s handling of the possible new disease.
Plus, more local news and information:
Updated floodplain mapping tool released
The province has released an updated floodplain mapping tool that can help identify areas prone to one-in-20-year and one-in-100-year floods. The tool predicts flood zones based on present day risk, as well as future risk, considering the effects of climate change and sea level rise. The map is searchable by address or property ID number, can show several layers of information customizable by the user. The image of downtown Sackville shows a town divided in terms of flood risk, with areas to the east of Main Street mostly included in flood risk zones, and areas to the west of Main, mostly spared.
The Department of Environment is hosting sessions this week to introduce citizens to the new tool.
20,000 vaccination appointments available, 115 in hospital
New Brunswick Public Health says it has more than 20,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments available for all eligible age groups this month, and it’s adding more. Booster doses are now available to everyone 18 and older, as long as five months have passed since their second dose. In Sackville, RHA clinics are held periodically at the visitor information centre, with one slated for Jan. 24. To sign up email vnb@gnb.ca or go to gnb.ca/bookavaccine. Booster appointments are also available at local pharmacies, including the Corner Drug Store, which asks people to register online at its website, thecornerdrugstore.ca.
Since Friday, five more people have died from COVID-19 in New Brunswick, and the number of people in hospital with the disease has grown to 115.
Online and in person learning means double duty for teachers
Some New Brunswick teachers are doing double duty, teaching kids both in their classrooms, and online at home, which New Brunswick Teachers' Association President Connie Keating says isn't sustainable. Source: New Brunswick Teachers Association's Twitter account.
While online learning continues today in New Brunswick, there’s also in-person learning going on. In an attempt to meet the needs of some students who can’t participate in at home learning, the department of Education has designated some students for in school instruction.
In some schools, up to 20 per cent of students are coming in to school, to be taught by teachers and educational assistants. That means some teachers are doing double duty, teaching kids both in their classrooms, and online at home.
Last week, the president of the New Brunswick Teachers Association (NBTA) told CTV News that the situation couldn’t continue. According to social media posts by the NBTA, president Connie Keating said that “schools were directed to increase their numbers of in person attendance” while public health was asking everyone else to reduce their contacts by 30 per cent.
Keating said the effect is “demoralizing and confusing for teachers, students and parents.”
CHMA reached out to the Anglophone East School District last week to find out how many Tantramar area students have been attending school in person, but the District has yet to provide an answer.
Times and Transcript to stop printing Monday edition
According to CBC News, the Moncton Times and Transcript will stop printing its Monday edition at the end of the month.
The CBC obtained a memo detailing the change that went to people who deliver the daily papers published by Brunswick News.
The move will apply to all of BNI’s English dailies: the Times and Transcript, the Daily Gleaner and the Telegraph Journal.
Listen to the Tantramar Report below: