Monday on Tantramar Report:
As we heard last week from Sackville town councillor Bill Evans, the new facilitator appointed to head up the amalgamation of Sackville, Dorchester and surrounding areas had his first meeting with Sackville town council last week. Former PC provincial candidate Chad Peters met with council, and while many questions about the process still remain, some aspects of the process have been revealed: there will be two committees struck, one with local representatives and one with staff. The meetings of these advisory committees will not be open to the public, although there are intentions for information sharing and consultation.
On today’s show we feature a conversation with Sackville mayor Shawn Mesheau, to find out a bit more about the first meeting and the process going forward.
Plus more news and information briefs:
Vaxx clinic in Sackville today
Booster shots and kids vaccine shots are available at the Sackville Visitor Information Centre today, in a surprise clinic hosted by the regional health networks. As of Sunday night, there are appointments available all day, from 9am to 4pm, with kids appointment available from 2pm to 4pm.
About 185 people got their booster shots at a clinic on Saturday in Sackville. Corner Drug Store pharmacist Charles Beaver says the campus clinic was busy during the morning, but closed early due to the weather. Remaining patients will be able to get their shot at the Corner Drug Store this week.
As of Thursday last week, just over 39% of the New Brunswick population have received a booster or third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 87% of New Brunwickers have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. In the 5-11 year old age group, 55.5% have received their first dose.
Sackville snow
Yet another winter storm shut down the Transcanada in both directions from Sackville over the weekend. Somewhere between 26 and 30 cm of snow fell in the Sackville area, according to data from Environment Canada weather stations in Moncton and Nappan, Nova Scotia.
Total January snowfall this year has dwarfed that of last year, with 149.6 cm registered in Moncton in January 2022, compared to just 45.4 cm in 2021. This January has had the largest amount of snow since 2015, when 153 cm fell in the first month of the year, followed by 168.5 cm in February 2015.
Of course, that’s nothing on 1992, when on February 1-4, a “110-hour-long blizzard with gusts up to 140 km/h brought record snowfall of 163 cm to Moncton, New Brunswick,” according to Public Safety Canada.
Back to school today
K-8 schools in New Brunswick are reopening today for in-person learning. High school students will observe “turnaround days” on Monday and Tuesday, and then return to school in person on Wednesday to begin their second semester.
Two schools in the Tantramar region will have high-efficiency particulate air filters installed as part of efforts to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant.
Dorchester Consolidated and Marshview Middle School both lack existing integrated mechanical ventilation systems, and so will get portable HEPA filters installed by the province.
Pierre Malloy, former CHMA station manager, has passed away
We at CHMA wanted to mark the passing of Pierre Malloy, former station manager at CHMA. Before Pierre took over management of this campus and community radio station back in 2003, he had served as a reporter for the Sackville Tribune Post and had also operated Cinemaniacs, a video rental store in Sackville.
His partner Tara Wells remembers Pierre as “kind, bright, generous, funny, curious, and a stand-up guy if ever there was.”
For CHMA staff, programmers, and listeners, Pierre will be missed. We send our condolences to all his friends and family.