On Thursday’s Tantramar Report:
Fifteen people in Amherst are without a home after a fire overnight on Tuesday. Firefighters responded to a call at a two-story, three-unit apartment building on Gerard Avenue at about 7:20 p.m. Tuesday. Six adults and nine children, as well as their pets, made it out of the building safely, according to Captain John Matthews of the Amherst Fire Department. A number of local efforts are underway to collect donations to support the displaced victims of the fire. Sackville resident Trish Wells and Amherst resident Marlene Clarke are gathering items like clothing, shoes, and cash donations to help the three families.
The town of Sackville will be recognizing a new federal statutory holiday at the end of the month. Sept. 30, widely known as Orange Shirt Day, has been named the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and declared a federal statutory holiday, meaning all federally regulated public and private employees will get the day off. Provinces are taking different positions on the holiday, with Nova Scotia adopting it, and New Brunswick not. The town’s collective agreement recognizes federal holidays, and Sackville CAO Jamie Burke told council on Tuesday that employees were notified last week of the change.
Council and local Sackville firefighters will hear today from consultants hired to look into reports of bullying and sexual harassment within the Sackville Fire Department. Montana consultants have already delivered their report to CAO Jamie Burke, and will be presenting based on that report today.
The Lost Leonardo is a documentary film exploring the story behind the Salvator Mundi, the most expensive painting ever sold, believed to be the work of Leonardo da Vinci. The film is also the opener for this year’s Sackville Film Society fall season, which kicks off next week. We talk with organizer Thaddeus Holownia to learn more about the upcoming season, which is nearly sold out.
Public health reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 in the province on Wednesday. Six of those are in Zone 1, with four of those cases under investigation. There are now 112 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 33 in Zone 1. Five people are in hospital in the province, with four of those in an ICU.
The Corner Drug Store is offering a drop-in vaccination clinic today, and also on Saturday, Sept. 11 and Tuesday, Sept. 14. Vaccinations continue to inch up with nearly 68% of the full New Brunswick population fully vaccinated, and 76 per cent with at least one shot. There are still just under 100,000 New Brunswickers with no shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Nova Scotia announced Wednesday that it will be bringing in a proof of vaccination policy, oft referred to as a vaccine passport, in October. The province will lift its indoor mask mandate and gathering limits next week of Sept. 15, but then on Oct. 4, implement a vaccine passport for non-essential activities. Border measures will remain in place.