District 9 RCMP in Belledune are
looking for the public's help in locating and identifying two men who entered
the home of an elderly couple and demanded money.
At approximately 9:15 p.m. on June
10, 2012, District 9 RCMP in Belledune were called to a break and enter at the
home of an elderly couple. The couple had been tied up by two men who
were demanding money. The man and woman suffered minor
injuries but did not require hospitalization.
RCMP are looking for two men
described as being 5'8" to 5' 10' tall. One was tall and skinny
while the other man is of a heavier build. Both were dressed in black and
wearing face masks. One spoke English, while the other spoke French.
Anyone with information about this
incident or seen two men matching this description on the evening of June 10 in
Belledune is asked to contact District 9 RCMP in Belledune at 506-237-3030
or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Materials at Ashfield's office. Photo: Michelle Davis, ChoraChroma Photographic
On Saturday morning Occupy Fredericton took protest action against the federal government's Bill C-38 at the constituency office of MP Keith Ashfield.
Frustrated with the gutting of the Fisheries Act embedded in the bill, the group made it's concerns known to Ashfield by affixing images and written material to the door of his office.
Photo: Michelle Davis, ChoraChroma Photographic
According to online publication, The Lawyers Weekly, the changes to the Fisheries Act look set to jeopardize fish habitat:
"Bill C-38 makes a significant and controversial amendment to the Fisheries Act
that would repeal and combine the prohibitions against the “harmful
alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat” and against the
killing of fish, with a single new prohibition on any activity that
results in “serious harm to fish that are part of a commercial,
recreational or aboriginal fishery or fish that support such a fishery.”
The new term “serious harm” is defined as “the death of fish or any
permanent alteration to, or destruction of, fish habitat.”
The
narrower provision has raised questions about whether the phrase
“commercial, recreational or aboriginal fisheries” excludes fish in
water bodies such as small streams, tributaries or wetlands. It has also
raised concerns about the effect of causing damage to fish that does
not actually result in death."
Photo: Michelle Davis, ChoraChroma Photographic
The proposed changes to the Fisheries Act in Bill C-38 have so incensed not one, but four former federal Fisheries and
Oceans ministers of both Liberal and Conservative stripes — Tom Siddon,
David Anderson, John Fraser, and Herb Dhaliwal, all privy councillors in
B.C. — that in last
Saturday's Globe and Mail they jointly penned an open letter to
Prime Minister Stephen Harper decrying the changes the bill will bring as it effectively ends the protection of fish
habitat.
That put them in concert with 600 Canadian scientists who have also
urged the prime minister to "abandon this initiative
[BillC-38] as it is currently drafted" because changing the law "would
be a most unwise action, which would jeopardize many important fish
stocks and the lakes, estuaries and rivers that support them."
Photo: Michelle Davis, ChoraChroma Photographic
The Occupy group plans upcoming action on Bill C-38 around the city to bring more awareness of changes that come with the proposed federal legislation.
I
AM OUTRAGED. It started with a tour of the new St. Andrews Biological Station
facility. We, that is, the people of Canada, have invested $71 million and the
results are pretty impressive. But there’s a dark downside: while we’ve got a
new building, we’re losing key people—and a hundred-year-old science legacy.
The
tour ended with a real ending: in the library. It’s a wonderfully spacious
room, long and climate controlled, filled with natural light from skylights
high above, and banks of rolling bookcases, each at a cost of $15,000 or so,
and filled with a collection of science books and research that dates back to
the origins of the station (the first of it’s kind in Canada, founded at the
turn of the last century). As I said, impressive.
Green Party fields candidate in Rothesay by-election
Sharon Murphy will carry the Green Party
banner in the Rothesay by-election, according party president Janice Harvey.
“Sharon was
our Rothesay candidate in the 2010 general election and we are very pleased
that she is excited about representing our party and our vision for a
sustainable New Brunswick in this
by-election,” said Harvey.
Murphy grew up in Saint
John and Rothesay, and moved back to Rothesay from Toronto 10 years ago to
raise her 2 children. She runs her
family business, Atlantic Label, with her brother; sits on the board of the
Conservation Council of New Brunswick, on the steering committee of the
Sustainability Education Alliance and the Children’s Environmental Health Collaborative
and chairs the Saint John Fundy chapter of CCNB Action. She serves as Early
Childhood and Education advocate for the NB Greens. In her spare time she enjoys volunteering as
an organiser for Saint John
freeschool, teaches her children singing and organises awareness for local
music festivals. Currently, she is working on bringing the Ludmila
Knezkova-Hussey International Piano Competition to Saint John in 2014.
“I am honoured to be the voice of
sustainability in this by-election. Folks in Rothesay love their quality of
life but it is threatened. We live in the shadow of a very dangerous nuclear
power plant, are allowing blasting and mountain top removal in our watershed
and if fracking ever materializes, our drinking water could be destroyed for
generations.” said Sharon.
“On top of these serious big picture issues, although we in Rothesay pay big
taxes, we get very little in return. Rothesay
has no youth center, senior center or recreation trails. We do however have youth, seniors and a huge
green space in the center of town that is being subdivided and sold to developers.
Why do we have rails still running along our river? Our quality of life could
be so much better.”
The Green Party was formed in 2008 by New
Brunswickers who were concerned that the critical issues of sustainability,
social justice and democracy were missing from the political landscape.
“We are at a critical point in history,” Harvey said. “This week the United Nations Environmental
Programme released a report that demonstrates that we are nearing a tipping
point in global climate and ecological systems.
Our economic and political systems have to change if disaster is going
to be averted.”
Harvey concluded, “Green parties worldwide represent the changes that can
and must be made both globally and locally.
It is critical that this voice be heard in every riding in the
province. That is what Sharon will do for us in Rothesay.”
Given the government’s fixation with the shale gas industry,
I am constantly reminded of adolescents faced with the everyday temptations to
try some seductive new experience about which they know little or nothing of
the risks and consequences. There is also an adolescent mentality that refuses
to accept personal vulnerability to the scientifically documented risks of the
seductive pleasures tempting their teenage passions.
So it is with New Brunswick, especially with those
adolescents whom we see bickering daily in the hallowed chambers of the
provincial legislature. There is a constant denial of reality, a constant
acceptance of industry ladled prattle on the inadequacy of the science
documenting the environmental, health and long-term ECONOMIC costs of the gas
industry.
A prime example is the government’s refusal to move beyond
accusing the anti-shale gas lobby of depending solely on a “Hollywood Style
Documentary” to counter industry claims about the safety of the shale gas
industry. Perhaps, Premier “Wallboard” should open his eyes, ears and mind
because the anti-shale gas lobby has tabled more science than the shale gas
industry, government and assorted media have assembled combined.
The June 3rd Forum in Moncton was a good example
of government manipulation of the shale gas issue. The talking heads at the
conference seemed oblivious to the fact that:
·
- Exporatory wells in the heart of gas country at
Elgin, drilled by Apache in 2010, produced no gas of economic promise,
prompting drilling giant Apache to withdraw from further drilling in the
province
·- Exporatory wells in the heart of gas country at
Elgin, drilled by Corridor Resources in 2011, produced no gas of economic
promise, leading to a drop in Corridor stock from $7.80 to $0.60 in the last
year.
·
- After 2+ years of seismic testing, SWN has yet
to show one map or estimate of the location, quality or quantity of gas
anywhere in New Brunswick. SWN stock has fallen from $48.70 to $26.00 over the
last year. I am not sure what investor in SWN stock would want the company
investing an additional $20 Million in an iffy venture like New Brunswick. If
New Brunswick politicians are still buying this snake oil, investors are not.
The last point about which the government is saying little
is that given recent comments by company spokesmen, SWN will undoubtedly
default on its license agreement with NB to spend $45 Million in the three
years ending this year. Is the government going to give this company an
exemption, based on a promise to spend the remaining $20 Million in 2013 or
2014 or whenever SWN can get it together? Is the government going to pin its
economic hopes on the whim of SWN to decide if and when it will invest the
remainder of its promised investment, just to see if, by some miracle, gas
turns up? NB has been, and continues to be, a rube for this company’s
investment game.
Moreover, the government has been unable to produce one
shred of evidence that it has conducted a Health Impact Assessment of this
industry, let alone an analysis of the economic cost of those health impacts.
The talking heads at Moncton seemed to have had their heads placed firmly in
the sand on this issue. Economists talking economics without reference to the
biggest segment of the provincial budget does not speak highly of their
competence.
The shale gas industry is not the answer to New Brunswick’s
economic woes, and to dwell on the bogus promise of this industry, and to spend
more useless dollars on saving face when the economic handwriting is clearly on
the wall, speaks to the immature nature of this government and its foot
soldiers. It is time for innovative and creative thinking on energy. Does this
government have the capacity? Thus far, they have not shown it.
Lawrence Wuest is a sculptor and forest ecologist from Stanley, NB.
He has a background in spatial analysis and GIS mapping and was a
participant in the Working Committee on Ecological Land Classification
within New Brunswick. He is a frequent critic of the province's
Environmental Impact Assessment process. He is assisting the Concerned
Citizens of Penobsquis in documenting the impact of mining-induced
subsidence in their community.
The latest stop on the government public consultation tour regarding the development of shale gas in New Brunswick is today in Durham Bridge.
Billed as a way to get feedback from the public on the province's recommendations to regulate the shale gas industry here, government says it will consider adding information it receives from the populace to the final regulations expected in the fall.
The government released a white paper containing the 116 recommendations last month, with 12 guiding principles to oversee the regulation of the shale gas industry in New Brunswick. Natural Resources Minister Bruce Northrup said the recommendations will be finalized over the summer and legislated into regulations during the fall session of the Legislature.
Here are the details about today's meeting in Durham:
WHAT: Open house and public consultation meeting with government on the shale gas industry in New Brunswick.
WHERE: Durham Bridge, Nashwaak Valley School, #747, Route 628
WHEN: Open House begins at 4:30 pm and runs until 6 pm. Members of the government's Natural Gas Group will be on hand to answer any questions the public may have. Information materials will also be available.
From 6:30 to 8:30 pm, the public consultation meeting will take place, during which the Natural Gas Group will make a presentation lasting about 30 minutes. A Q & A session will follow.
WHO: Open to anyone with questions or suggestions on the shale gas industry in New Brunswick.
WHY: To make your concerns or ideas known to the government on the issue of shale gas in the province.
Cardy pledges to stamp out "culture of patronage" in province, while Mulcair talks shale gas
Cardy campaigns for seat in Rothesay today
ROTHESAY – Federal leader of the opposition and New Democrats, Thomas Mulcair, was in Rothesay today in support of provincial New Democrat leader Dominic Cardy in his bid to win the town's upcoming by-election.
Sweeping into the room shaking hands while the crowd of up to 80 supporters applauded enthusiastically, Cardy stepped up to the podium to talk of change, starting with an end of patronage in New Brunswick.
"People on their doorstep tell me they want their hard work to mean more than sweetheart deals. They're tired of the patronage and the lack of imagination that are holding our province back," he said.
Cardy spoke of a once-great province passed back and forth between Liberals and Conservatives who he blasted for squandering that greatness.
"Our Liberals, our Conservatives; they were too often lazy; too often careless, and instead of investing in our province's future, they gave it away. With every patronage appointment, with every broken word, every ridiculous promise made, they gave it away," said Cardy.
He further attacked the "who you know" style of political patronage that has been business as usual in the province for the past 150 years when seeking jobs in the civil service.
"The work that you do should define who you are. Not your family, not your connections - your work; your commitment...we know today that that is not how things are done in New Brunswick; and we cannot build the strong province that our children deserve without talking about the culture of patronage that holds New Brunswickers back. This is an addiction that our province can no longer afford," said Cardy.
New Brunswick NDP leader Dominic Cardy is asked how he'll stand up for New Brunswickers on issue of shale gas if elected to Legislature in a few weeks.
Promising an end to cronyism, Cardy said if elected as MLA, he would present the Rothesay Charter he formulated for the end of patronage to the Legislature.
"...it will become an offence for any elected politician to try and influence the hiring process for anyone in government in any way...," he said.
Cardy said if the Liberals and Conservatives refused to work with him on the Charter, he will spend every day while in the Legislature asking why they refuse to do so because it holds the province back.
Touting himself as the third way for politics to be done in New Brunswick, Cardy cited his experience in politics and business around the world as preparation for office.
"I've managed large offices with multi-million dollar budgets; I've fought for democracy in dozens of countries around the world. I worked with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to secure the release of young political prisoners in Bangladesh; working and advising political parties, leaders and governments from Afghanistan to the south of Sudan," he said.
With the NDP positioned for change, Cardy said he wants to take his experience on getting things done to the capital.
"I want to take the approach of sensible solutions for difficult problems to Fredericton. It's time to get to work, it's time for a change...we're going to end patronage in this province," he said.
When he finished up, Cardy introduced Mulcair, who is on his fifth visit to New Brunswick in the past year.
Thomas Mulcair supports Dominic Cardy in Rothesay
Walking into the room to the crowd chanting, "NDP", "NDP", Mulcair was impressed with the enthusiastic support for Cardy saying, "A lot has been said about the orange wave that came in on May 2, 2011, I guess this is the beginning of the orange tide here in New Brunswick."
Mulcair immediately launched into a theme of leadership, saying strong leadership by the NDP shows Canadians the party is capable of administering the nation.
"New Brunswick deserves a strong leader like Dominic Cardy in the Legislature," said Mulcair.
He also cited voter frustration with the Liberal/Conservative cycle on a national level when 4.5 million Canadians voted for a third choice, the NDP, in last year's federal election.
Taking issue with jobs being shipped out of Canada with a pipeline to the States, Mulcair suggested pipelines be built west to east, bringing work to the Maritimes.
This segued into his description of meeting the leadership of oil and gas lobby the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) while on a campaign swing through Calgary last year. They discussed company disclosure of chemical fluids in the shale gas fracking process, something Mulcair knows is a sensitive topic in New Brunswick.
"...they had a policy that all companies doing fracking had to reveal the contents of the fracking fluid. I said, 'but the companies aren't doing that.' You know what they said? 'Well we can't force them, they're just a member,'" said Mulcair in a tone of incredulity.
He further lambasted CAPP leadership for coming to New Brunswick back in the winter on behalf of industry and claiming regulations will protect the citizenry. Mulcair also pointed out CAPP refused to speak to locals and only talked to hand-picked media.
"...the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers was out here pulling a con job. Trying to make people believe that somehow they had rules that were going to mean something. They wouldn't even meet with anybody other than the individually involved members of the press; they certainly didn't want people asking them tough questions," said Mulcair.
Mulcair questioned why, if the industry thinks the method of getting to the shale gas is safe, companies aren't releasing the chemical contents of the fracking fluid. Answering his own question, he said it was because the fluids contain known carcinogens.
Linking the chemical issue to Rothesay's water, Mulcair said chances shouldn't be taken with the future water supply. He invoked rules of sustainable development to justify his reasoning.
"In a place like Rothesay where you're drawing your water from the ground, and you're getting good pristine water for generations, we're not allowed to take a chance. That's the basic principle of sustainable development called "the principle of precaution" and it should be applied to fracking here in New Brunswick," he said.
Mulcair connected such an approach to being a responsible NDP vision; in favor of development, but in a sustainable way.
Making Cardy's win a priority, Mulcair is sending party lieutenants down from Ottawa in the next few weeks to help secure the seat. He said New Brunswickers are tired of Liberal and Conservative patronage, and looking for a new option.
"For the next fifteen days, let's work together tirelessly for one purpose and one purpose alone, to get our leader into the New Brunswick Legislature!"
