The teenage drivers of two stolen vehicles have been arrested after allegedly blocking an ambulance from responding to an emergency Sunday, Saint John police say.

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A Geary man who drove erratically and at high speeds down a rural road, only to smash into another vehicle in traffic last fall, was impaired at the time, a court heard last week.

Clayton Joseph Henderson, 40, of Landing Road, pleaded guilty in Fredericton on Friday to a Sept. 14 count of having an elevated blood-alcohol level within two hours of driving.

Crown prosecutor Victoria Quirk said RCMP officers responded to a report of a collision in Geary shortly after 3 p.m. on Sept. 14.

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The man accused of torching a downtown restaurant in November wasn’t suffering from a mental disorder at the time of his alleged offences that would exempt him from criminal responsibility.

Shawn Allan McLaughlin, 62, of no fixed address, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by video conference from custody Friday for a hearing on his mental state.

He was arrested Nov. 23 on several break-in charges, among other allegations.

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The incidence of child sexual harm is a longstanding issue for New Brunswick — and the crime can have lifelong consequences, experts say.

Tourism stakeholders put trust in the hands of new Tourism Minister Isabelle Theriault of Caraquet.

A lawyer representing Horizon Health Network and two of its nurses says a lawsuit filed against them by the family of a man who died waiting for care at the Fredericton hospital's emergency department in 2022 should be dismissed with costs.

Curbside recycling in St. John River Valley voluntary for landlords

Residents in multi-unit dwellings like townhouses and apartment buildings will have curbside recycling by the summer.

Circular Materials Atlantic, which has the recycling contract for the St. John River Valley, asked multi-unit landlords to sign up for the service by Jan. 31 to ensure their buildings can get recycling pickups in May. Multi-unit owners and managers in the region who may have missed the first deadline can now sign up before May 30 to ensure they get service by Nov. 1.

“Circular Materials is encouraged by the high uptake we’ve seen in this first phase of registrations across the province. We recognize it will be a phased process to make owners and landlords aware, answer their questions and bring them onto the program. That is why the registry will always be open, and we look forward to announcing future service cadences,” said Andrew Philopoulos, Managing Director, Atlantic, Circular Materials.

The organization is encouraging multi-family landlords and managers to register at circularmaterials.ca/NBMultifam.

Leading up to the new service, large community recycle bins located throughout the river valley have been removed, leaving apartment dwellers without a recycling option until late spring.

“It was a board decision, a budget decision,” said Fred Thompson-Brown, Director of Environmental Health and Public Safety for the Western Valley Regional Service Commission.

Seven recycle bins were stationed in Woodstock, Perth-Andover, Florenceville-Bristol, Meductic, Canterbury, and North Lake.

“The cost of that service doubled in price, and there had been issues with them, as well,” he added, noting that regular garbage and items that can’t be recycled, like vinyl siding, were often stuffed into the bins.

Those looking for an alternative way to recycle until the new multi-unit bins are installed in late spring are out of luck.

Even if you live in an apartment and save your recyclables, the Southern Valley Transfer Station, operated by J.S. Bellis, can’t legally accept material ‘off the street.’

“We have machinery in that area all the time. It’s not safe to have folks coming in and dumping recyclables,” said Randy McLean, J.S. Bellis Operations Manager.

Municipalities in the St. John River Valley have not made it mandatory for multi-family units to institute curbside recycling, but Thompson-Brown hopes many landlords register for the service.

“It’s a win-win,” he said. “There is no cost to property owners, and it will reduce their own waste amounts, which will cost them less (for garbage removal) in the end.”

The post Recycling for multi-family units in western N.B. rolling out this summer first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Homemade and imported foods and goods from around the world were brought together under one roof this weekend

Saint John police are testing whether responding to fewer medical calls will improve efficiency and resource use within the force. The pilot program, which began Feb. 1 and will run for a year, will see 911 dispatchers use a set of criteria to determine whether police need to respond to a medical call.

A 59-year-old man from Tilley Road, N.B., died in an ATV crash early Saturday, according to Tracadie RCMP.

While motorists may decry the state of some of the province's four-lane highways, those kind of conditions would have been unheard of in the 19th century, when the Westmorland Great Road was king of over-land transport in the province.

Poet and actor Tallas Munro remembers having to leave his Grade 4 classroom with a brown paper bag because he was having an anxiety attack. He knows something about vulnerability.

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The Fredericton Police Force is on the lookout for a white Toyota driven by someone “dangerous,” and it’s hoping members of the public can help with tracking it down.

The city police issued an alert on social media Saturday afternoon, asking for tips from the public on the location of a 2012-2014 white Corolla with a black front bumper.

“The vehicle was last seen on Woodstock Road in Fredericton earlier [Saturday],” the advisory said.

“The occupant is considered dangerous and should not be approached. If seen, please contact police immediately by calling 911 and report location.”

The police force released a photo of the vehicle, which is a four-door sedan with a rear spoiler.

The alert didn’t indicate who the driver is suspected to be or the reason they’re looking for the Corolla.

People can also provide Information by emailing Cpl. Shane Henderson at [email protected].

Those wishing to provide tips anonymously can do so through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the secure P3 Mobile App or visiting Secure Web Tips online at www.crimenb.ca.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached at [email protected].

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Public to help choose art for R.G. ‘Bun’ Veysey Active Living Centre

Artists are competing to create public art for the R.G. ‘Bun’ Veysey Active Living Centre in Florenceville, Bristol.

The District of Carleton North asked artists to submit proposals for the new centre. Three artists were chosen as finalists: Karen LeBlanc, Cat Candow, and Alanna Baird. Their art has been displayed in the Community Room since last week. The display allows the public to have a look at the art, but also provide feedback.

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, artists will be available for a meet-and-greet from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the R.G. ‘Bun’ Veysey Active Living Centre, 40 McCain Street, Florenceville-Bristol.

The post Artists vying for chance to have art displayed in Carleton North first appeared on River Valley Sun.

Davenport sentenced to federal prison

Timothy Grant Davenport, 46, of no fixed address, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Feb. 6 for sentencing after changing his plea to guilty on six charges laid by RCMP.

Judge Karen Lee sentenced him to four years and three months in federal prison, minus time served. After his remand time is applied, Davenport will have just over two years left on his sentence.

He was also ordered to register with the federal DNA database and was prohibited from firearms for life. Judge Lee also recommended he take advantage of counselling and rehabilitation programs while incarcerated.

Davenport was charged by RCMP with theft of a gun and ammunition, committing mischief by breaking a window, resisting arrest, possession of a prohibited weapon (a loaded sawed-off shotgun), reckless discharge of a firearm, pointing a gun at another man, possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of ammunition while prohibited, and possession of a firearm while prohibited, in connection with a home invasion on Nov. 26, 2023, near Lakeville.

The crown withdrew three charges, and one firearm charge was reduced to a lesser included offence.

The court heard Davenport entered a private residence in Lakeville where he stole a gun and ammunition and then went into the woods and discharged the firearm. A two-hour police search followed with assistance from a police dog. He was arrested near the store in Lakeville but left the gun in the woods.

Judge Lee noted that the incident caused a standoff with police, which closed the highway in Lakeville and frightened community residents.

The court heard Davenport was homeless at the time and struggled with mental health issues and long-term substance abuse. He told the court he planned to return to Alberta after his release.

He appeared in court for a bail hearing on Nov. 29, 2023, and was remanded to jail. His prior criminal record was lengthy.

On Jan. 17, Davenport also pleaded guilty to fraud for an incident on June 17, 2014, in Perth-Andover. The court heard that Davenport deposited empty envelopes into a banking machine at the Bank of Montreal and then withdrew $1,000 from the machine during two separate transactions.

Arrested on witness warrant

Gunner Gray, 24, of Upper Kintore, was arrested on a witness warrant on Feb. 5 and spent the night in jail for failing to appear in provincial court to testify at the trial of another local man.

Gray was released from custody on an undertaking following a hearing before Judge Karen Lee on Feb. 6. He was ordered to return to court to testify at the trial of Jerry Inman, 68, of Kincardine, on March 7 at 9:30 a.m.

Inman was charged with intentionally discharging a firearm into or at a place, knowing another person was present there in connection with an incident on April 27, 2023, in Kincardine. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial began on Dec. 13, 2024.

Gray is expected to testify as an eyewitness on March 7. He told the court he turned himself in to the sheriff at the courthouse on Feb. 5 after police contacted him about his whereabouts.

Sentenced to eight months or time served

Austin Aube, 29, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), appeared for trial in provincial court in custody on Feb. 5 and changed his plea to guilty on two charges laid by RCMP. He was sentenced to eight months in jail or time served and released.

Aube had been in custody since his arrest last summer. He was charged with flight from police, two counts of assaulting a police officer with a weapon (an ATV), resisting arrest, dangerous driving, possession of a prohibited weapon (brass knuckles), possession of a prohibited weapon without a licence, and breach of an undertaking on July 28, 2024, at Neqotkuk. He pleaded guilty to two charges, and the remaining charges were withdrawn. His weapon (brass knuckles) was forfeited to the crown.

At an earlier court appearance, Aube also pleaded guilty to flight from police on July 12, 2024, at Neqotkuk and resisting arrest on May 8, 2024, at Neqotkuk. He agreed to sign a 12-month peace bond in relation to other charges of assault with a weapon (a knife) involving a female victim and assault by choking, both related to the May 8 incident. He was sentenced to 75 days in jail and 12 months of probation.

Bustard sentencing rescheduled

Mason Bustard, 18, of Woodstock, appeared for trial in provincial court in custody on Feb. 7 and changed his plea to guilty on two charges laid by Woodstock Police. He returns to court for sentencing on April 3 at 9:30 a.m.

Bustard was charged with breach of a release order, possession of prohibited weapons (a sawed-off shotgun and brass knuckles), possession of a firearm without a licence, and possession of a loaded prohibited firearm and ammunition without a licence on July 28, 2024, in Woodstock. 

He pleaded guilty to breaching a release order and possession of a loaded prohibited firearm and ammunition without a licence. The crown withdrew the remaining charges. A pre-sentence report was ordered.

Police made their arrest after spotting a suspect on Houlton Street around noon on July 28. The individual fled on a bicycle into the woods and was pursued by officers on foot. During the chase, the suspect discarded various items, including a sawed-off shotgun, brass knuckles, and a mask, which were retrieved later by an RCMP police dog.

Bustard was denied bail on Aug. 8, 2024. At an earlier court appearance, he pleaded guilty to uttering threats against a female on July 24, 2024, in Woodstock and guilty to breaking into a garage on Houlton Street, wearing a mask during the commission of an offence, and assault with a weapon (a knife) on July 16, 2024, in Woodstock. The crown withdrew two other charges. He will be sentenced on April 3.

Bustard was arrested after police received a report of an armed intruder who entered a yard on Houlton Street on the morning of July 16, 2024, and approached a woman while holding a knife. The man’s face was partially covered with a mask or scarf.

He instructed the woman to go inside her house. She immediately complied and locked the door behind her. The man then went inside her garage before eventually leaving the area.

Released with conditions

Kyle Laurie Williams, 36, of Clearview, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Feb. 6 for a bail hearing. He was released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle. He returns to court for plea on Feb. 26 at 9:30 a.m.

RCMP charged Williams with breaching a no-contact order and failing to appear in court. Judge Henrik Tonning imposed a prohibition on firearms as part of his release and ordered him to stay under house arrest at the family farm.

Williams is also awaiting trial on another charge of transmitting intimate images without consent concerning an incident on June 4, 2023, at Centreville. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial will proceed on Feb. 26 at 9:30 a.m.

Held for bail hearing

Tanna Wright of Perth-Andover appeared in provincial court in custody on Feb. 6 and was remanded to jail. She returns to court in custody by video for a bail hearing on Feb. 10 at 1:30 p.m.

RCMP charged Wright with breaching a no-contact order, assault, assault by choking and uttering threats against another woman concerning incidents on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 at Weaver. She also faces a theft charge (a wallet) in connection with a separate incident.

Charged with sexual assault

Jordan Underhill, 30, of Wakefield, appeared in provincial court on Feb. 4 to face two charges. The matter was adjourned for plea until Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m.

Underhill was charged by RCMP with sexual assault involving a female victim and making a visual recording without consent in connection with an incident between Sept. 1, 2022, and Oct. 19, 2024, at Wakefield.

Returning for plea

Kelsey Schriver, 25, of Johnville, will appear in provincial court on Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m. to answer one charge laid by RCMP.

Schriver was charged with possessing a stolen vehicle following an incident on Aug. 4, 2024, in Lakeville. She made her first court appearance on Feb. 4, when the matter was adjourned to the new date.

Plea adjourned to new date

Clay Hargrove, 30, of Beechwood, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Feb. 7 for plea on charges laid by RCMP. The matter was adjourned until Feb. 28 at 9:30 a.m. at the request of his defence counsel. The court heard a resolution is being sought with the crown.

Hargrove appeared in court in custody for a bail hearing on Dec. 17, 2024, and waived his bail until later. RCMP charged him with possession of the stolen vehicle, flight from police, driving while prohibited and driving while suspended following an incident on Dec. 8, 2024, at Tobique Narrows.

He was also charged with breaking into a cabin, theft, and mischief causing property damage to a door in relation to a separate incident.  More charges of aggravated assault involving a male victim and possession of a stolen motorcycle were also laid for an incident on Aug. 27, 2024, at Upper Kent.

In custody on 22 charges

Yves Levesque, 36, of Plaster Rock, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Feb. 7 for plea on multiple charges laid by RCMP. The matters were adjourned until Feb. 28 at 9:30 a.m. at the request of his defence counsel.

Levesque had two new charges laid against him at his court appearance on Friday, bringing his total number of charges to 22. Levesque was charged with uttering threats and flight from police for an incident on Dec. 21, 2024, at McLaughlin, Victoria County. He waived his bail until later.

He was also charged with assaulting a female victim on Aug. 14, 2024, at New Denmark; two counts of assault on the same female between Oct. 1 and Oct. 27, 2024, at McLaughlin; driving while prohibited, uttering threats, assault and assault by choking on Oct. 28, 2024, at Perth-Andover; uttering threats, assault and assault by choking on Oct. 31, 2024, at McLaughlin; uttering threats, assault with a weapon (a helmet), assault causing bodily harm, break and enter at a dwelling house, and mischief causing property damage on Dec. 20, 2024, at McLaughlin; break and enter and theft, and mischief causing property damage at a shed on Dec. 21, 2024, at McLaughlin; and theft of prescription medication and a cell phone on Dec. 21, 2024, at McLaughlin.

Arrest warrant issued

The court issued an arrest warrant for Nicholas Adam Cullins of Ashland after failing to appear for a provincial court trial on Feb. 7.

Cullins pleaded not guilty last April to break, enter and theft at a storage facility on Poplar Street in Woodstock on March 15, 2023. Woodstock Police laid the charge.

Charge withdrawn

Jennifer Chelsea Lee, 32, of Newbridge, appeared for trial in provincial court on Feb. 3 after pleading not guilty to one charge laid by Woodstock Police.

Lee was charged with assault following an incident on July 15, 2023, in Woodstock. The crown withdrew the charge, and her trial was cancelled.

Not-guilty after trial

Nathan Williams, 48, of Beaconsfield, appeared for trial in provincial court on Feb. 6 on a threat charge laid by RCMP.

Williams was charged with uttering threats against another man for an incident on May 23, 2024. He was found not guilty after his trial, and the case was dismissed.

Lansdowne man changes plea

Jonathan Johnston, 48, of Lansdowne, appeared for trial in provincial court on Feb. 5 and changed his plea to guilty on an impaired driving charge laid by RCMP. His sentencing date was set for May 13 at 1:30 p.m.

Johnston was charged with impaired driving and fleeing police regarding an incident on Dec. 10, 2023, at Florenceville-Bristol. The crown withdrew the flight charge. Defence Counsel James Crocco requested a pre-sentence report.

Johnville man awaits sentencing

Ryan Troy O’Donnell, 27, of Johnville, will appear in provincial court in custody by video for sentencing on two charges on Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. He was denied bail on Jan. 9.

O’Donnell was charged with possession of stolen property (cheques) on Dec. 16, 2023, in Beechwood, and mischief causing property damage on Feb. 15, 2024. The RCMP laid the charges. He changed his plea to guilty, and a sentencing date was set for Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m.

O’Donnell pleaded not guilty to sexual assault involving a female minor in connection with an incident in Beechwood between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30, 2021.  His trial date was set for Jan. 16.  After one day of testimony, the trial concluded with final submissions on Feb. 6. Judge Karen Lee reserved her decision until Feb. 27 at 11 a.m.

The court heard O’Donnell was also facing other charges in Edmundston. He has a prior criminal record.

The post Woodstock Provincial Court: Federal sentence for firearm offences related to home invasion first appeared on River Valley Sun.

A research lab focusing on ticks has embarked on a project to assess how effective preventive Lyme disease measures are and hopes people who have been bitten will help.

Susan Harrison was surprised to see a photo of her 16-year-old self appear on social media last week. She was pictured in 1965 walking her pet raccoon down Queen Street.

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are set to begin construction of the first phase of a large joint project they say will help them keep their commitment to phase-out coal by 2030. But some residents who may lose part of their land are not happy.

Six retired police officers have returned to work in a new unit of the Fredericton Police Force, including Stephen Horsman, former New Brunswick justice and public safety minister.

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A Kings County woman is due back in court in Fredericton later this month to enter a plea to a criminal charge alleging she neglected a dog in the capital region last fall.

Alicia Kristen Smith, 29, of Birch Crescent in Nerepis, near Grand Bay-Westfield, made her initial appearance in Fredericton provincial court Wednesday on a criminal charge of animal neglect.

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A consultant’s report says a wall of shipping containers at American Iron and Metal's Moncton scrapyard has reduced noise levels at nearby homes.

New Brunswick’s Child and Youth Well-Being Act has been in effect for a year, and there are contradictory accounts of how it has changed the government’s approach to child-custody cases.

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Court documents show that a McAdam man whom RCMP were hunting for last month was wanted on serious sexual-assault, assault and drugging charges involving the same complainant.

Connor MacIntosh, 20, of Vanceboro Road in McAdam, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by video from the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre on Thursday, scheduled to go through a bail hearing.

However, he opted to forgo that proceeding, though he reserved his right to a bail hearing at a later date, and Judge Mélanie Poirier LeBlanc remanded him again and set his matters over to Feb. 27 for election of mode of trial and pleas.

The McAdam RCMP detachment issued an alert Jan. 14 about MacIntosh, noting he was being sought in an ongoing criminal investigation.

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A Fredericton man was all over the road at the wheel of an SUV last fall, court heard this week, and police soon discovered he had more than quadruple the legal limit of booze in his system.

Rhys Paul Thomas, 32, of Biggs Street, pleaded guilty in Fredericton provincial court Monday to a Nov. 23 charge of having an elevated blood-alcohol level within two hours of driving.

Crown prosecutor Monika Berenyi said the Fredericton police received a call just before 8 p.m. that night about a white SUV that was “all over the road.”

The witness who alerted police to the situation reported the SUV crossed the centre line of the road multiple times, she said.

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Officials were in Shediac on Friday morning to announce federal funding for a universal free breakfast program for all school children.

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A Lincoln man will cool his heels in jail over the weekend pending a bail hearing early next week on charges of assaulting a Mountie and trying to disarm the officer.

Masoud Masoori, 33, of Nevers Road, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone from the cellblock in the RCMP’s Oromocto detachment Friday morning to face three new charges.

He’s accused of assaulting RCMP Const. Matthew Norzil while in the execution of his duty, attempting to disarm Norzil, and resisting Norzil and Const. Jeffrey Cameron.

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Saint Andrews council is thinking about spending up to $300,000 on a fish habitat restoration project quite a distance beyond town limits in order to win approval for long-awaited wharf upgrades.

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Editor’s note: The defendant in this court report and the journalist covering the case share the same first and last names, but they aren’t related or connected in any way.

A Noonan man facing allegations of sexual assault and sexual interference involving two underage girls in Fredericton two years ago has admitted to lesser, included crimes of common assault.

Donald Ashley MacPherson, 65, of Hughes Street, was scheduled to stand trial Monday and Tuesday in Fredericton provincial court two counts each of sexual assault, sexual interference and sexual exploitation, involving two minors.

The first set of charges alleged he sexually assaulted one girl, touched her for a sexual purpose and touched her sexually while in a position of trust and authority between Oct. 1, 2022, and Jan. 1, 2023, in Fredericton.

The other three counts alleged similar offences against a second girl in Fredericton between Jan. 1 and March 1, 2023.

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St. Stephen council is again defending itself as it works to improve its financial operations. 

In September 2024, Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Renaud was appointed acting treasurer following the retirement of long-serving treasurer Tim Tozer. The position is not permanent, Renaud confirmed. 

He also confirmed he has received no extra compensation for the position. Municipalities in New Brunswick are required to have a treasurer under the Local Governance Act. 

Barb Tucker, a St. Stephen resident who lives in Ward 3, took issue with Renaud’s appointment. She told the council she was asked to speak on behalf of several people who shared similar concerns.

“Each role has distinct responsibilities,” she said, speaking to the council during the public comment period. “Combining them could lead to potential conflicts of interests and a lack of dedicated attention to either of those areas.” 

Tucker said an assistant treasurer was hired in 2017 and questioned what happened to the succession plan at that time. 

Workload was another concern for Tucker, who read from a prepared statement. 

“It has been noted by mayor and council that the responsibilities and work being done by the CAO is often extensive and by adding these complex duties of a treasurer that could potentially lead to a burnout,” she said. 

Tucker also drew concern about the incompleteness of the 2023 audit. A municipality is required, also by legislation, to have its financial statements audited.

Reviewed its financial operations

In 2024, the town contracted MNP to do an independent review of the financial management systems. Renaud said in an email that a number of areas where its operations were running inefficiently.

“Administration is working hard to address these areas,” he said. 

Staff are also modernizing the chart of accounts, he explained to The Courier. It will allow for better integration for the Questica Program and to provide “logic based taxonomy to the account coding.”

“This will enhance our ability to pull data from our systems for better analytical reporting and information-based decision making,” he said in the email. 

But Tucker also thanked Renaud, staff and the council for their work on the 2025 budget, which saw a slight decrease in the tax rates, but also some investments in local infrastructure. 

“Thank you again, mayor and council, for listening to these concerns,” she said. 

Mayor Allan MacEachern was quick to respond, despite the public comment period not being a question-and-answer format. Typically, members of the public make comments and ask questions but do not receive a direct response from any member of the council or staff. 

“I want to emphasize, we had our treasurer retire in the midst of all this, trying to get the budget done and we have to have a treasurer by law,” he said. “We have to approve an acting treasurer, that’s acting until we get things straightened out.” 

Chandra Best, another resident of MDSS, also questioned the money being spent by the council. 

“The taxpayers are going to have to pay more than $300,000 for council and administration efforts to sort out this town’s financial situation,” she said. 

The town did spend money on a new budgeting software called Questica at a price tag of about $39,100. Renaud said the work is ongoing with Frank Godsoe, the town’s assistant treasurer. 

Renaud said once the software is operational, it will provide the public better access to the information on budget allocation and spending. 

Best said spending needs to be cut or completely justified, also taking aim at the four per cent tax cut given to the two wards. MacEachern once again responded to the comments. 

‘We don’t take spending money lightly here’

“We worked very hard on that budget to keep the tax rate where it is,” he said. “I don’t hear anyone saying anything about us holding the tax rate even without the support of staff over the last 10 years prior to that.” 

He said the council takes the budget process, which includes setting the tax rates, seriously. 

“We don’t take spending money lightly here,” he said. “It’s not the case. I’d love to lower the tax rate, but that’s very challenging with assessments (not) being even across the board.” 

“We do the best we can with what we got. We need more money, we all know that. But we’re a small community and we do the best we can with what we can work with.” 

MacEachern also said the rationale behind cutting staff and responsibility sharing is a result of the municipality trying to reign in spending. 

“That’s all cost-cutting right now,” he said. “It’s also really challenging finding replacements these days too.” 

He appealed to the community to show some support, admitting he wanted to increase the tax rate to appease the many complaints he and the council receive.

“We need development and I don’t want to discourage that either,” he said. 

Godsoe also defended the work of staff, who have been working on streamlining accounting processes and getting things in order with the audit. 

“We do take our responsibilities seriously as to what needs to be done in regards to the 2023 audit and the 2024 audit,” he said. “The audit has been ongoing now since before Christmas. The statements have been drafted.” 

He said the information being asked for by the auditors is being sent to them within a day or two of the request. 

Renaud confirmed that he expects the 2023 audit to be available within the next several weeks, however, the municipality has no control over the pace and progress of an independent firm. 

As for the 2024 audit, Renaud expects the information to be provided by the end of February, with completion expected before the legislated deadline. 

“At the time, we’re working on a number of things,” Godsoe said. “The Questica, the budget software, and things with that, working on the accounting structure … spent a good part of the day looking at code structures and how we can redevelop that.” 

“There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes that people don’t see until it actually gets brought up here and voted on by the council, but we do take our responsibilities very seriously.”

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A judge rejected a Douglas man’s story this week that he’d only had one or two drinks before he failed a breathalyzer test last fall.

Jaiden William Thomas Macfarlane, 25, of Carlisle Road, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Monday to answer to Nov. 23 allegations that he was under the influence when police pulled him over that day.

He pleaded guilty to having an elevated blood-alcohol level within two hours of driving.

Crown prosecutor Monika Berenyi told the court that a Fredericton police officer took note of a red Hyundai swaying as it made its way along Ring Road shortly after 1 a.m. Nov. 23.

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The long-awaited ladder fire truck has arrived in Saint Andrews. 

The municipal council in Saint Andrews viewed the truck, which extends about 100 feet, as a significant priority. 

Crews, mainly volunteers, have spent three days training on the truck, which cost the municipality around $1.5 million in total. 

“It means we can reach very tall buildings in town,” said Fire Chief Kevin Theriault. “More and more buildings are being built, the higher they’re going and it’s getting harder to reach.” 

Fire Chief Kevin Theriault said the crew is excited to have the truck as part of it’s fleet. (Nathalie Sturgeon/The Courier)

Saint Andrews recently saw a two-story, 42-unit apartment building open on Mowat Drive, with the Argyll Residence slated to be built as a three-story building. The council is also discussing a four-story building for the NBCC Saint Andrews campus. 

Mayor Brad Henderson previously said firefighters had expressed feeling unsafe when piling ladders to reach the roofs of many of the community’s homes. 

Theriault said this makes it much safer. 

“It’s much safer to work off this ladder truck than it is off a ground ladder,” he said. 

The fire truck has several compartments for storage and equipment, like oxygen tanks. It can hold six firefighters inside the cab. 

It is equipment with the Waze system, which automatically alerts drivers of emergency vehicles that are responding to calls on roadways. 

Theriault and his firefighters have been waiting approximately three years to get this truck, but that is very standard, he explained, as trucks are made to order. 

“It bolsters our ability to do more as firefighters,” he said. 

The Saint Andrews Fire Department responds to about 140 calls per year, with about a dozen to 20 of those being working fires. Recently, a prominent Saint Andrews business caught fire, but with the help of mutual aid, The Herring Fire was knocked down quickly. 

Crews are excited about the addition of the new truck. 

“There (is a) feeling of greatness here. That we get to use it and train on it,” he said. 

Before the arrival of this truck, the near ladder truck was in St. Stephen about half an hour away. 

“It’s good to have a couple of these bigger trucks,” he said. “Everything is getting bigger and taller.”

— with files from Vicki Hogarth. 

Meet up at local coffee shop happening from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The post Woodstock event part of Suicide Prevention Month first appeared on River Valley Sun.

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A Jewetts Mills couple accused of meth-trafficking allegations and possession of stolen copper wire is headed to trial, and their lawyers plan to argue police violated the defendants’ Charter rights.

Jamie Kyle Tomah, 41, and Lindsay Rae Tattersall, 42, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Thursday along with the respective defence lawyers, Tim Murphy and Michael Mallory.

The pair face charges of possessing stolen copper wire, the property of Bell Aliant, possessing break-in instruments and possessing methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, all on April 6 in Haneytown, about 25 kilometres southeast of Fredericton.

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In an online poll of 1,600 Maritime residents, roughly 6 in 10 said they will travel to the U.S. less within the next year, over recent tensions between the two countries.

It seems scammers are as busy as ever targeting Fredericton residents according to the city’s police force.

Graphic artist Eric Goggins of Salisbury, near Moncton, spent three hours outside his cottage designing a moose, using only his footprints and some fishing twine.

Town seeking to recoup some of the millions spent on designing and building a second water source, which delivered an unusable water supply

Woodstock has taken legal action to recoup at least a portion of the millions of dollars spent to design and build a failed second well to secure a dependable water source for the next several decades. 

The town filed a statement of claim against Dillon Consulting Limited on Dec. 31 in the Court of King’s Bench in Woodstock. 

While the statement doesn’t specify the amount of money the town hopes to recoup, the suit seeks construction costs, damages for additional expenses, court costs and potentially additional costs. 

The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a project that has been underway for over a decade. The project swung from high hopes to major disappointment as the town sought to secure a dependable backup water source for its main well located on a St. John River island in Lower Woodstock. 

Council launched the search for a second water in 2014 after a severe ice jam knocked out the causeway and power grid to the town’s main well, leaving the town without water. While town and NB Power crews managed to limit the amount of time Woodstock residents spent without water, the experience demonstrated the town’s precarious position because of a single water source.

Woodstock consulting engineer Ken Hannah began searching for a second water source shortly after the 2014 scare. Dillon Consulting became involved after purchasing Hannah’s firm. 

In its statement of claim, Woodstock legal representative Stewart McLevey noted that the town retained Dillon Consulting in early 2017 to design and construct a Grafton wellhouse with a manganese treatment plant, septic system, and water transmission to connect to the Grafton well. 

The town claims Dillon identified Grafton as the most suitable site for the town’s second well. 

The town and Dillon agreed the Grafton well could support the Woodstock water supply on its own if required. 

With Dillon in charge, the town completed the design and construction in 2021. 

With funding support from provincial and federal governments, the town invested an estimated $4 million in the project. 

The project appeared to be heading in the right direction as the work to bring the well online showed initial promise. In February 2020, then-Carleton MLA Stewart Fairgrieve and Andrea Anderson-Mason, the New Brunswick minister for the Regional Development Corporation at the time, joined then-Mayor Art Slipp to announce RDC’s contribution of $800,000 to the $2.4 million portion of the well project at the time. 

The River Valley News story then announced a pending $900,000 in federal funding for the project. 

The story, however, began to sour in 2021, following the completion of the project. According to Woodstock’s statement of claim, Dillon discovered water tests indicating water quality, including high salinity and hardness, fell short of meeting standards. Dillon began remedial efforts. 

The town contends that Dillon confirmed to the town in the spring of 2023 that the well could not be used in its current state.  

In its statement, the town told the court that it contracted CBCL in April 2024 to carry out further tests of the Grafton Well water. The CBCL report indicated that the water was safe to drink only when pumped at a low volume. 

“CBCL further found that the water would not be of a standard expected of residents for the same reasons identified by the Defendant (Dillon), and should not be blended with the existing water supply,” the town said in its legal statement. 

According to the town’s claim, salvaging the Grafton well would require a $5 million treatment plant, which would cost between $300,000 and $400,000 annually to operate. 

Concerns about Woodstock’s deteriorating water supply remain an ongoing issue for staff and council. The town is currently debating water and sewer rate changes, which will result in significant rate hikes for many residents. 

Meanwhile, Woodstock CAO Allan Walker and Utilities Director John Lyons recently updated the council on significant infrastructure projects to address areas of concern. Those upgrades included drilling a test well near, but separate, from the town’s main well but from the same water source. 

Town officials acknowledged that these utility upgrades would drain available capital and hinder finding the available funding to build the required $5 million treatment plant in Grafton, as well as the extensive annual operating costs. 

The town’s statement of claim calls on the court to award the town financial relief from Dillon, citing several failures by the consulting firm. 

The town said Dillon’s failures included 

1. Deciding to continue the construction of the well in the Grafton location despite concerns raised with water quality;
2. Failing to construct a water treatment facility with the Grafton Well to mitigate the water quality issues;
3. Failing to bring the water quality concerns to the Plaintiff (town) in a timely fashion;
4. Failing to employ agents, contractors and/or subcontractors with the required expertise to construct a well and water treatment facility; 
5. Failing to follow the Plaintiff’s instructions with respect to the construction of the Grafton Well, and
6. Such further and other particulars of Negligence as may become known. 

Based on what it identified as the consulting firm’s failures, the town asked the court to award the following:

1. Special damages for the extra expenses incurred by the Plaintiff to remediate and/replace the Grafton Well;
2. Damages for the breach of contract and Negligence; 
3. Damage
4. The cost of this action
5. Such other and further relief as the Honourable Court may deem just. 

Dillon Consulting has not yet filed a response to Woodstock’s statement of claim.

The post Woodstock sues consulting firm involved in failed Grafton well site first appeared on River Valley Sun.

A soldier was sentenced Thursday to six months in jail for assaulting a nurse practitioner at the Base Gagetown health centre. Master Cpl. Nicholas Paulsen had pleaded guilty to forcible confinement, assault with a weapon and mischief causing property damage.

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A soldier who trapped a nurse practitioner in her office and menaced her with a knife has to go to jail so as to deter others from perpetrating violent crimes against health-care workers, a judge ruled Thursday.

Master Cpl. Nicholas Mark Paulsen, 28, of Enniskillen Drive in Oromocto, previously pleaded guilty in Fredericton provincial court to assault with a knife, unlawful confinement and mischief causing damage to property.

The charges arose after a terrifying incident in the office of nurse practitioner Dawn LeBlanc in her offence at the Base Gagetown hospital last year on March 12.

Paulsen was back in court in custody Thursday to hear Judge Nataluie LeBlanc’s decision on sentence.

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It took firefighters about half an hour to get a blaze at a senior centre on Fredericton north side under control Wednesday night, the Fredericton Fire Department reports.

The fire department issued a news release Thursday afternoon about an incident late Wednesday.

“The fire broke out shortly after 11:30 p.m. at the Johnston Avenue Senior Centre,” the release said.

“Firefighters controlled the fire shortly after 12 a.m. The damage was limited to one unit inside the building, and a section of the attic space above the fire. The area was cleared at 1:30 a.m.”

No one was injured in the incident, the fire department reported.

Assistant deputy fire chief David McKinley told the Fredericton Independent on Thursday that the investigation into the blaze was complete.

“... The cause was electrical in nature, and therefore an accidental fire,” he wrote in an email.

“The fire was contained within the wall and burned off some structural members and wiring, but the fire alarm system notified us before it was able to break through to the walls or roof.”

He said workers with the city are already on the job to get the senior centre back into operation.

“The quick action of our members, combined with the early alert from the smoke alarm was key in preventing what could have been a much more dire outcome,” McKinley said in the release.

“This incident underscores the importance of having functioning, monitored smoke alarms.”

Twenty firefighters manning five pieces of equipment were dispatched to the blaze, it said and among the personnel was a fire investigator.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at [email protected].

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It took firefighters about half an hour to get a blaze at a senior centre on Fredericton north side under control Wednesday night, the Fredericton Fire Department reports.

The fire department issued a news release Thursday afternoon about an incident late Wednesday.

“The fire broke out shortly after 11:30 p.m. at the Johnston Avenue Senior Centre,” the release said.

“Firefighters controlled the fire shortly after 12 a.m. The damage was limited to one unit inside the building, and a section of the attic space above the fire. The area was cleared at 1:30 a.m.”

No one was injured in the incident, the fire department reported.

“The quick action of our members, combined with the early alert from the smoke alarm was key in preventing what could have been a much more dire outcome,” assistant deputy fire chief David McKinley said in the release.

“This incident underscores the importance of having functioning, monitored smoke alarms.”

Twenty firefighters manning five pieces of equipment were dispatched to the blaze, the release said, and among the personnel was a fire investigator.

The release was silent on the issue of a potential cause of the fire. The Fredericton Independent has inquired with McKinley about that element.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached at [email protected].

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The U20 Curling Championship for 2025 has begun at the Heath Curling Club in Saint Andrews. 

It brings together the province’s top young curlers and determines who represents New Brunswick at the national level. It’s the second such tournament the club has hosted in a month – holding the New Brunswick Women’s Curling Championship in January. 

The tournament decides who will represent New Brunswick at the national competition. (Vicki Hogarth/The Courier)

Each team was introduced on Thursday, during opening ceremonies. St. Croix MLA Kathy Bockus was there representing the provincial government. 

Heather Curling Club President Roger McNabb welcomed the athletes to the tournament, underscoring the club’s 100-year history in the sport.

The tournament, presented by the Jake Thomas Celebrity Curling Classic, runs from Feb. 6 to 9. 

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A Porter Airlines plane’s tail contact with a runway at the Fredericton airport last year was just the latest instance of an issue with that particular Bombardier aircraft, Ottawa’s safety watchdog reported Thursday.

Porter Airlines flight PTR 2375, travelling Ottawa to Fredericton, experienced a safety issue in its first landing attempt at Fredericton International Airport at about 2 p.m. on June 28.

.The aircraft experienced what investigators called “a hard landing” when its tail section made contact with the runway, prompting the flight crew to resume flying and made a second, successful run at landing.

The incident prompted an investigation by the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada, the federal government’s transportation-sector safety watchdog agency. The TSB released its investigation report Thursday.

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Lobster processors in New Brunswick are breathing a sigh of relief as tariffs on Canadian exports have been postponed.

New Brunswick RCMP have issued an emergency alert as they search for two armed men.

The alert, issued through the Alert Ready system, went out across the province around 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

RCMP said the suspects were reported to be carrying a firearm “with dangerous intent” in Berry Mills, near Moncton

One has been identified as Léo Carrier, 50, while the other person’s name has not been released at this time.

Carrier is described as five-foot-10, weighing 170 pounds, with gray hair and hazel eyes. He has tattoos of a skull, devil, cross and storm on his chest.

The suspects were initially traveling in a black 2018 Dodge Ram 2500 without a license plate. Police are now also looking for a light-coloured Ford F150.

“If you see these individuals or vehicle the please do not approach and call 911 immediately,” RCMP said in a news release.

Police believe two men, considered dangerous, could be in Fredericton area

The New Brunswick RCMP has issued an Alert Ready for the entire province of New Brunswick as police are searching for two armed individuals.

The New Brunswick RCMP issued an Alert Ready at 7:30 a.m. on February 6, 2025. Police are searching for 50-year-old Léo Carrier and another man reported to be carrying a firearm with dangerous intent in Berry Mills, near Moncton.

Léo Carrier is approximately five feet ten inches (180 cm) tall and weighs approximately 170 lbs (77 kg). He has hazel eyes and grey hair. On his chest, he has a tattoo of a skull, a devil, a storm, and a cross. A description of the second individual is currently not available.

The suspects initially travelled in a black 2018 Dodge Ram 2500 without a license plate, heading westbound from Moncton. Police now believe the men may be in the Fredericton area and may be travelling in an older, light-coloured Ford F150.

If you see these individuals or vehicle, please do not approach them and call 911 immediately. The RCMP will provide updates on social media.

https://rcmp.ca/…/alert-ready-issued-two-armed-individuals

The post RCMP issue Emergency Alert for all of N.B. first appeared on River Valley Sun.

An error in a major development on Water Street in Saint Andrews drew significant debate from the council. 

The Argyll Residences are luxury condos being built in the downtown core of Saint Andrews, with retail space along the bottom. 

Developer John Rocca has asked the council for an encroachment agreement – which essentially means the development will be required to use public land – in this case, the sidewalk. 

He said this was necessary because of a mistake made by the engineering firm working on the project. 

“The civil work for this project was done by the engineering firm, unfortunately, using the incorrect survey plan,” he said presenting to the council. “That problem was discovered after construction started when the walls were done.” 

The walls were expected to be at a certain elevation to ensure we were at level with the sidewalk, but that was not the case. 

“The solution is not what I hoped for,” he said. 

He explained it would not be possible for the two to be at grade unless it was delayed, redesigned, and he spent an additional $200,000 to re-do the work. 

Rocca will take care of the cost of redesign. 

No stop-work order was ever issued, according to both Rocca and Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission Planning (SNBSC) Director Alex Henderson – due to the fact the developer was already working toward a solution. 

“If there wasn’t a solution, and we needed to get progress, then a stop-work order would have been issued,” Henderson said. 

A redesign was shown to the council which outlined the exact space of the encroachment.  According to those, the concrete step and ramp would be about 2.29 metres, leaving about 1.66 metres for the remaining sidewalk. 

The engineer, who attended the council meeting virtually, explained these measurements are well over double the code required for barrier-free access. 

The project never came to council in its second form originally because all building permits go through the SNBSC, and it met all the requirements within the town’s bylaws. 

An earlier version requiring several variances under a different developer, which did come before the council, and was rejected. 

Coun. Lee Heenan said he took issue with the fact it never came to the council but has also noticed the height difference himself. 

“A group of us go for coffee every morning across the street from your building and everybody at the table noticed that the height was above the sidewalk,” he said. “That really bothers me, that we, as individuals, could see this and yet a whole lot of people working there did not.” 

The building is expected to be a bit more modern, with a wooden exterior and concrete lower retail space, which is in contrast to the national historic district it will become a part of.

Councillors expressed concerns over the designed ramp. 

“It looks like it is quite extensive,” said Mayor Brad Henderson. 

Henderson expressed concerns about the width of the sidewalk after the encroachment. 

Chief Administrative Officer Chris Spear said the bricks, which line the sidewalks in Saint Andrews and are not meant for walking on, would likely need to be removed to allow for enough space. 

There were also concerns about the ramp being hit by sidewalk plows and potentially creating a tripping hazard for those walking in the wintertime. 

“There is no rail at the front of this, and it jets out so far, it could be a hazard,” Henderson said. 

Spear confirmed a rail is requested as part of the encroachment agreement. 

Coun. Annette Harland and Coun. Steve Neil also expressed concerns about the possible hazards of the small concrete step and ramp and concerns of a smaller sidewalk. 

“I definitely think we have to do something about the bricks on the curbside, but I really just see that as being a hazard,” Harland said. 

Staff and the developer believe any safety concerns can be mitigated by a railing that indicates the step for pedestrians, cyclists, and snow plow operators alike. 

It remains unclear what the council might do, but it is exploring several options including requiring the developer to pay for the land it would use for the encroachment. 

“I think formal encroachment conditions would be appropriate in this particular case,” Henderson said.

The council approved the encroachment in principle but did not outright agree to it.

New Brunswick RCMP are searching for two men reported to be carrying weapons in Berry Mills, which is located northwest of Moncton.

By The Courier

A new housing development in Saint Andrews is providing much-needed relief to individuals and families struggling to find affordable housing.

The Compass, a 42-unit complex on Mowat Drive developed by Compass Housing, officially opened following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 25, 2025 attended by town officials, developers, and new residents.

Mayor Brad Henderson highlighted the significance of the project in addressing the housing shortage in Charlotte County.

“We know that across Charlotte County, many people are struggling to find an affordable place to live,” Henderson told The Courier. “This project has been three years in the making, and it’s a major win for our community. Seeing children at the bus stop and knowing that families are building their lives here is exactly what Saint Andrews needs for long-term growth.”

The town played a pivotal role in making the project a reality, contributing $500,000 in funding, which is expected to be recouped through property taxes in the coming years. Henderson stressed the council’s commitment to innovative solutions despite obstacles such as rising construction costs and limited federal funding.

“There were so many reasons this could have failed,” he said. “But we were determined to make it happen.” He noted that offering development grants for affordable housing was a strategic investment in the town’s future, with benefits that extend beyond the housing sector to economic growth and infrastructure improvements.

For Compass Housing Developer and President Tressa Bevington, who grew up in St. Andrews and wanted to make a difference in her hometown, the project was personal.

“With the housing crisis affecting so many, my father [Compass Housing Project Manager Gerald Ingersoll] and I knew we had to do something,” Bevington said. “We had just completed a project in Saint Stephen, and we wanted to bring that same opportunity to Saint Andrews—a place where families could return, settle down, and thrive.”

The complex is now home to between 70 and 90 residents, including seniors, young families, and students. Rental rates range from $950 to $1,500, with 25 per cent of the units designated as affordable housing.

Bevington emphasized the dedication required to tackle housing challenges.

“If you’re a developer looking to make a difference, you have to be passionate,” she said. “It’s a 24/7 job, but the impact is worth it. There are resources and municipal programs available, but it takes persistence and vision to bring a project like this to life.”

As the housing crisis continues to strain small communities, both Henderson and Bevington hope this project can serve as a model for other municipalities.

“You have to be creative and own your decisions,” Henderson said. “Instead of focusing on why something can’t be done, you need to take action and make it happen. That’s how real change is made.”