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Tantramar Report: Mt. A reports 5th case; the proposed new pedway project; the case for reviving NB Trails Association

Students walking on a pathway in front of an old stone building.
Students on campus at Mount Allison University. Photo courtesy of the Mount Allison University website.
Erica Butler - CHMA - Sackville • NB | 15-12-2021
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Listen to Tantramar Report for the following stories:

Mt. A reports five cases and cancels in person exams

Mount Allison University is reporting another case of COVID-19 in its off campus community, making five active cases currently at the school. In response to the recent cases and the arrival of the Omicron variant in New Brunswick, Mount Allison is making major changes to operations, including cancelling all in person exams scheduled for the rest of the week. Students planning to travel home for the break are being asked to do so as soon as possible. The library will move to online service, and the athletic centre and Owens Art Gallery are closed. Access to campus is being restricted to staff, students and faculty only. More at the web story here.

The latest on a $2 million pedway proposal

At Monday’s Sackville town council meeting, CAO Jamie Burke told councillors that town staff had already reached out to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure regarding the recently revived proposal for a pedway over the Transcanada highway where it bisects the Transcanada Trail. Burke said the town’s plan is to consult the provincial department, and then come back to council for a formal endorsement of the project if necessary. Last week, the Sackville Footbridge Working Group told council they had secured a $1 million anonymous donation to go towards the construction of the pedway, about 50 per cent of the projected cost.

Interview with former head of NB Trails Association, Jane McCulloch

Tantramar Report speaks with Jane McCulloch, former executive director of NB Trails and national director of trails for the Trans Canada Trail, now working as a private consultant. CHMA called up McCulloch back in October when concerns were being raised in Sackville about vandalism of trail gates and ATVs damaging trails. We talked about about why NB Trails went defunct, and why a new trails association for the province is needed.

Sackville in good financial shape

On Monday, Sackville treasurer Michael Beal told council that the town is ending 2021 in a good financial position, and recommended depositing just over $1 million into the town’s reserve funds.  The town spent less than budgeted in certain areas due to staffing vacancies, the cancellation of the Fall Fair, and last minute extra funding under the federal Safe Restart program that was unbudgeted. Council approved the transfer of $100,000 to its operating reserve, and $900,000 to its capital reserve. For more details check the web story here.

COVID-19 Update

A blue and white graphic with a COVID-19 update for December 14, 2021 that includes numbers on vaccination rates and active cases in the province.

The COVID-19 Update for Dec. 14. Image courtesy of the Government of New Brunswick.

On Tuesday, Public Health announced two more deaths from COVID-19, and 109 new cases of the disease in the province. The active case count is now 1,052 in the province, with 187 of those in Zone 1. The lion’s share of new cases continue to be reported as “under investigation” by Public Health, meaning its not known where the infection came from.

59 schools in the province are currently impacted by COVID-19 cases. In the Tantramar Region, the Port Elgin Regional School is the only one impacted, and remains in online learning for the rest of the week.

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