On Monday’s Tantramar Report:
A report looking into workplace bullying and harassment at the Sackville Fire Department comes with 20 recommendations for change, but will remain secret, according to a town statement released Friday. Local journalist Bruce Wark spoke with former firefighter Kevin Scott, to get his reaction to the report. Scott says he’s disappointed that no one is being held responsible for the way members of the town’s fire department have been treated over the last five years. Read Bruce Wark’s coverage here, as well as previous coverage on chmafm.com.
Advanced polling for the federal election is open today from 9am to 9pm at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre. Today is the last day of advanced polling, but people will still be able to cast their vote on election day, Monday, September 20. There’s also still time to register to vote by mail. To do so, electors need to fill out a form online at the Elections Canada website before 6pm on Tuesday, September 14.
September 20 will be more than just election day in Sackville. Town council will gather for a special meeting to hear from local residents and groups about priorities for the 2022 budget. Last year, town council heard from several previously funded groups and organizations, as well as two residents with ideas for town investment, such as beautification of the exit 506 area, and improvements to the Sackville skate park. Anyone who wants to present needs to contact the town clerk by September 14.
Sackville town council meets tonight for their regular monthly council meeting, and skateboards are back on the agenda. Last month, a revised bylaw that lifts the outright ban on skateboards on town streets squeaked by with first reading. This month the revised bylaw faces second reading. Councillors appear evenly split on the issue, with Councillors Phinney, Tower, Hicks and Estabrooks coming out against lifting the ban, and councillors Evans, Dietz, Butcher and Black in favour. Last month, Bruce Phinney was absent, and so the first reading passed 4 to 3. If there’s a tie tonight at council, the mayor will be asked to cast a vote as a tie-breaker. For more detailed coverage of the proposed bylaw changes, read here.
The Mount Allison Student’s Union is organizing a candidates’ forum for the Beauséjour riding which will take place the evening on Thursday, September 16. The forum will be livestreamed and broadcast on CHMA. Stay tuned to Tantramar Report this week for more information.
Mount Allison University says that 1700 students have registered their vaccination status with the school, and that staff and faculty will be asked to do so starting sometime next week. As of October 1, students, staff and faculty will either need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or they will be asked to submit to twice-weekly testing for the disease.
PEI has closed 19 Charlottetown area schools for 3 days after a number of COVID-19 cases were detected in children at a local elementary school, as well as a high school. In a news release Sunday, public health PEI reported six new cases in people under 19 years of age. Four of those are in kids under 10. The release says this is the first school outbreak in PEI since the beginning of the pandemic.