Couple surprised by high electricity rates

Jan. 28, 2009

When Michael Comeau and his wife Mary-Ellen turned down their heat to try and lower their electricity bill, it didn't take long for their house to get cold.

They left the heat at 10 C for a day and once they turned it back up, it took another day and a half to get the house back to a comfortable level.

"We had company come and we all had to sit here with our coats on," Michael said.

The Comeaus turned the heat down because when they received their first bill from NB Power it was for almost $690.

Michael and Mary-Ellen moved from Ontario and settled into their new home in November as the winter cold started to settle on New Brunswick.

Electric baseboard heaters run along the walls, pumping out heat to keep the house warm.

When the couple got their second bill, it was a little better than the first, but only because some of the services charges from the hook-up weren't included. Their electricity use alone ran them $473.50, not including taxes.

Michael said when the couple moved they expected the first bill to be about $400.

"I went wacko."

When he called NB Power, a representative tried to explain the other charges on the bill, but Michael said it was the price per kilowatt hour that surprised him.

"The price of it was just outrageous for what it is."

The Comeaus used 5,236 kWh of electricity in their first month. They paid 9. 5 cents on the first 1,300 kWh, with a drop down to 8.61 cents on everything above that.

If they were still in Ontario, they would have paid 5.6 cents per kWh on the first 1,000 kWh and 6.5 cents on everything above the threshold.

"I think the worst one we ever got was $390 or $400."

Since receiving their first bill, the Comeaus have turned the heat down in their unfinished basement and the three bedrooms. They leave the thermostats in the rest of the house set to about 21 C.

Although the basement isn't finished, there is insulation along the ceiling from when the manufactured house was used as a model home.

A stack of foam insulation sheets meant to help keep the cold out rested against a wall as Michael showed off the work he did to try and cut down on their power usage.

White foam sheets covered the concrete walls at one end of the basement, but Michael hadn't finished the rest and said he doesn't know if the insulation is having any effect.

"I won't know until next month if that will help it or not."

Michael's slippers kept his feet warm on the cold concrete floor and even with the thermostat turned down to 10 C, the heater against one wall produced a steady heat.

An air exchanger hung from the basement ceiling, idle after Michael turned it off when he walked by a vent blowing warm air outside.

When it was on, the exchanger would blow cold air into the house through ceiling vents and blow warm air out to provide fresh air throughout the house.

Michael said he thought his wife had the dryer on when he first felt the warm air going outside.

"This thing is just pumping hot air out."

The manufacturer told him it would cost 8 cents a day to run the exchanger, but when Michael shut it off and kept track of his electricity usage, it dropped by over 100 kWh the first day, he said.

Michael said he started keeping track of the couple's power consumption for about a month and a half after NB Power's December meter reading.

"Just to see how I could reduce power off it."

NB Power representative Heather MacLean said she couldn't discuss individual customer accounts and she didn't know what a provincial average for usage would be.

"I don't right off because it would be different across the province."

If customers contact the utility, staff can help them look at different ways to lower their consumption, she said.

"Part of it is looking at ways to do things in cold weather."

MacLean said a common myth is the belief thermostats should stay a constant temperature, but customers should turn the temperature down, as long as they aren't cold or the pipes don't freeze.

"We're just talking about a couple of degrees here."

Although it won't reduce electricity consumption, another option is NB Power's equalized billing program which helps spread the cost out over the year and customers could end up with a credit or balance owing at the end of it, MacLean said.

"This helps spread out the payments so you're not having the fluctuations in the colder months when you're using more power."

Solid waste may get private partner

Jan. 30, 2009

A new recycling facility in the Miramichi may be run by a private company if the price is right, says a spokesman for the local solid waste commission.

Northumberland Solid Waste Commission chair Levis Savoie said the commission's board has requested two separate bids for construction of a new facility.

"When we have the price we will decide which way to go."

Both options require a company to design and build the facility, but only one would see the commission run it.

The other would see it run by a private company.

Other regions have tried public/private partnerships to run their waste facilities and have seen mixed results.

In Moncton, the Westmorland Albert Solid Waste Commission reviewed eight proposals in 1994 and chose TIRU to run their facility in Berry Mills. By 1997 the company was out and the commission took over.

The facility's current general manager Bill Slater said one of the issues with a private company running the site was the commission lost control of it.

"When you put out an RFP these companies have to make money."

During TIRU's tenure, they didn't produce any workable compost and couldn't sell the recyclables because they brought in technology that didn't work, he said.

"That's always a scary part that technology don't work in these areas."

Slater said TIRU was supposed to run the facility for 20 years and when they left, the commission spent more than $2 million to replace all the equipment.

"We stripped all the equipment out and redone it."

The Westmorland Albert Solid Waste Commission set out in a contract criteria the company had to meet, which included financial penalties if the criteria weren't met, like a $4 million performance bond, he said.

"When you pick up $4 million from somebody that brings them to attention."

Slater said the community got behind the waste commission after they took over and have been more accepting of the work they do.

"Knock on wood it's still going great."

The Berry Mills site's general manager under TIRU has since been involved with the request for proposals process for the Northumberland Solid Waste Commission.

Savoie said the board sought bids for someone to help put the proposal together and hired Charles Boudreau, who had the lowest bid.

"The board thought he was the best one to help us."

Boudreau had experience running a facility like the one the commission wanted, Savoie said.

"He was just explain to us he knew what the policies, what the thing was that we wanted."

Savoie said the board made the decision that was best for the board and he didn't know if anyone else who submitted bids had experience in facilities like the one they want to build.

"That's how the board decided. This man had ran some facility before so he should know, eh."

Savoie said he didn't know how much the experiences of other solid waste commissions factored into the decision in the Miramichi.

"Me, I can only say so much what the board tell me the decision they make. If they don't I can't tell you anything because they don't tell me."

When contacted for comment, Northumberland Solid Waste Commission general manager Marie LeBlanc said initially the request for proposals was to design and build with the option to operate, but someone in her office corrected her and confirmed it was to do all three.

"I don't have the latest version of the RFP in front of me."

The board is also evaluating what it would cost for the commission to design, construct and operate the facility ourselves, she added.

"It's just something so that we can evaluate both issues and see which would be more cost effective."

Although reports before Christmas indicated the board would have made the final decision by now, LeBlanc said the request for proposals only went out on Jan. 9.

"We have to allow people adequate time to put proposals together."

When asked why the board hired someone involved in the failed Moncton facility, LeBlanc did not want to comment.

"I really couldn't comment on what the situation was in Moncton. I mean I don't work for the Moncton commission. I really have no idea."

She did say the board sought bids for someone to draft the request for proposals.

"They were evaluated and he was the best, the most suitable person."

Moncton is not alone in switching from a private partnership at their waste facility. Restigouche Solid Waste Commission spokesman Ian Comeau said they are going to take over operation of their transfer station from Waste Management on Jan. 1, 2010.

If they stayed with the company, there would be extra costs involved with running the site, he said.

"It's going to be a lot easier for us to offer different diversion programs."

Comeau said they had the option of adding services built into their contract, but it came down to a matter of cost and offering more service for what they pay.

"It's something that we've been looking at the last two or three years."

The initial contract was with BFI, who transferred it to MDI before Waste Management took over. Comeau said there were issues with MDI who didn't do upkeep on the facility.

"We weren't too happy with their service."

But with other facilities around the province, there is enough experience out there for regional commissions to do it on their own, like his commission did through the companies they hired, he said.

"We've gained it from them, now we can do it ourselves."

Savois said when Northumberland Solid Waste Commission board decided to issue a request for proposals, they advertised it online, and added he thought an ad was placed in the Miramichi Leader.

"Most of the thing now is on the Internet."

The request for proposals went out Jan. 9, but Miramichi Leader staff were unable to find an ad for proposals in any past editions. A quick search online yielded only one site with the request for proposals and it only listed the request for operation by a private company.

As of press time the commission hadn't received any bids for the design and construction of the new facility, Savoie said, but added the deadline is Feb. 23.

"Then we will have some news."

Fredericton a model city for pedestrian bridge

Jan. 30, 2009

Marching feet have replaced diesel engines on the old train bridge in Fredericton and if some Miramichiers have their way, the same thing will happen to the Morrissy Bridge.

New Brunswick Trails Council president emeritis Dave Petersen said the pedestrian bridge was so well received by Fredericton residents, about 6,000 of them turned out for the grand opening.

"That's the impact it had at that time on people."

People in the Miramichi who want to save the Morrissy Bridge have used the Bill Thorpe bridge as a model for what the Miramichi's bridge could become, if it can be saved from the wrecking ball.

The Bill Thorpe Bridge has been open for pedestrian use since 1997.

Safety concerns forced the Morrissy Bridge closure in September after an inspection revealed structural problems. An engineer's report stated the cost to repair the 405 metre long bridge could surpass $15 million.

The bridge was slated for demolition, but a community group managed to get the government to wait until an inspection could be done to look into the feasibility of turning the bridge into a pedestrian crossing, like the one in Fredericton.

Although he didn't know much about the Morrissy Bridge's structural integrity, Petersen said his group hired an engineer to check on the train bridge and found there were no problems.

"It's going to be a long time before pedestrians wear this bridge out."

Unlike the Morrissy Bridge, which was still in use when the government shut it down, the Fredericton group didn't have the same safety issues because trains weren't using the bridge in Fredericton at the time, he said.

"It wasn't being used by the railway."

Petersen said once they knew there wasn't a safety issue, it became an issue of community support for the project.

"It isn't like we hade huge numbers coming out and demanding this."

A small group of people spearheaded the initiative, starting with a public workshop that evolved into the NB Trails Council, he said.

"Before you knew it the ball was really rolling."

Fredericton Parks and Trees Department spokesman Harold Boone said a survey of the city's residents showed 87 per cent use the capital's trail system on a regular basis.

"A lot of those would be the train bridge. That's the focal point."

If the Miramichi group succeeds in saving the Morrissy Bridge, the hope is it will provide pedestrians and cyclists with a link to trails on both sides of the river.

Boone said Fredericton was able to create a safe environment for pedestrians, with a lot of older people and residents who are concerned about the environment using the trail system.

"I think also the demographics play a big part."

NB Trails Council executive director Poul Jorgensen said he didn't know how much it cost to resurface the Bill Thorpe Bridge, but a new deck on a bridge in Grand Falls cost just over $100,000 about four years ago.

Jorgensen added the Grand Falls bridge had a span of about 325 metres, but he didn't know how much it would cost to repair the Morrissy Bridge.

"It all depends on what is needed underneath. The worst of it is every time you look at these bridges every one is different."

Snowshoers take to the trails at French Fort Cove

Feb. 2, 2009

While many people were complaining about the cold last week, a few brave souls were out in it for a snowshoeing trip around French Fort Cove.

The freezing temperatures couldn't scare away the regulars who venture out for the hour and half long treks three times a week.

With the mercury dipping below -20 C Tuesday, the group didn't wait long before they strapped on their shoes and started down the hard packed trail at the end of French Fort Road.

With every step each shoe beat down the snow in a solid slap as the group marched into the woods single file.

Vinyl straps squeaked as shoes dangled from the hikers' boots and along with the crunch of snow they were the only sounds in the quiet night air.

It didn't take long for the group to separate in two, with one slower snowshoer falling behind and bringing a few others with her.

Maisie Walkers lead the group at the back of the pack and has been snowshoeing for a few years. As she packed her snowshoes into the back seat of her car at the end of the night, she wasn't worried about holding anyone back on the trail.

"Everybody kind of moves at their own pace," she said.

Incline Sports organizes the hikes every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with the Tuesday night adventure geared more toward beginners.

Like many other sports, it takes time to get used to the equipment. Modern snowshoes are lighter and smaller than the traditional teardrop shaped wooden frames.

Even though they are smaller, it takes a few minutes to adjust to the feel of having a longer, wider foot.

While they are designed to keep people from sinking into the snow, the hard trail made the shoes unnecessary for most of Tuesday's trip.

The group stuck to the trail for most of the night and only made a few stops to catch their breath or get a drink of water.

Jeff Doucet was at the back of the pack for most of the hike and was the only one who used a traditional pair of wooden snowshoes.

On his way back to his truck after the trek, Doucet said he has been snowshoeing for about 30 years and taught himself how to fix the wooden pair he was using.

"I just find, for me, the bigger shoes gives you more floatation."

Back on the trail the snowshoers walked along in the wake of lights strapped to their heads. They were the only source of light in the dark woods and cast a bright circle on the snow around each hiker.

A few times one of the dogs brought along for the walk ran out of the darkness to play with the snowshoers, which lead to a few people jumping from the surprise.

The Tuesday hike is the easiest of the three because there are fewer hills and the one big hill the group tackled was optional, although everyone made the side trip.

Even with the extra hill, the trek was enough to give the snowshoers hearts pumping, but not leave them exhausted.

As everyone headed back to their cars after the hike, Doucet said it was fun to get out snowshoeing with a group.

"It's good to see people get active in the winter. It gives you a head start on your fitness program for the summer."

Arsenic form is safe, says health minister

Feb. 2, 2009

The latest round of test results show there is no health risk from arsenic in Blackville, says Health Minister Mike Murphy.

Murphy spoke at a press conference Thursday afternoon in Fredericton where he said none of the latest test results show any indication of inorganic arsenic.

"I think the residents of Blackville should breathe a sigh of relief."

The test results came after months of fear in the small community since seven confirmed cases of elevated levels of arsenic have been confirmed in Blackville residents since December 2007.

One of those cases involved the toxic inorganic form, while the rest were the organic form, which Health Canada does not consider to be a health issue.

Murphy said 99 people were tested and with more than half the results back, the evidence indicates there is no toxicity.

"There certainly is nothing to indicate a public health risk."

With the latest tests, eight of the urine samples showed elevated levels of organic arsenic and 20 tested for elevated total arsenic, but did not differentiate between the different types.

The health department has done an epidemiological study and worked with the Environment and Natural Resources Departments as they try to pinpoint a source, he said.

"Everything has clearly indicated there is no public risk in Blackville. The fact is, however, that there has been some angst, some concern that has been raised and we have responded to the needs of the community."

During a public meeting held Jan. 22, the province's chief medical officer Dr. Eilish Cleary told residents the government should have done more to deal with concerns in the community.

Murphy said the Health Department will set up a toll-free number for residents to get information about the arsenic situation and the regional health authority will support the Blackville health centre and physicians to help get tests done faster.

"There is no public health risk here, but we will continue to follow suit to determine what has been the origin of the organic arsenic, which is expelled by the body."

Investigators tested water in wells around the initial cases and took ground samples in search of inorganic arsenic, he said.

"There have been no sources of inorganic arsenic found anywhere."

Murphy said the urine samples identified organic arsenic, but blood samples that came back with elevated levels of arsenic will be reviewed to confirm whether it is the organic or inorganic form.

"But based upon all of the samples taken so far, based upon the epidemiological survey, the investigations and all the evidence there is an extreme unlikelihood of any inorganic arsenic whatsoever."

The chief medical officer will continue to monitor the situation and eventually the investigation will come to a conclusion, he said.

"Some times a conclusion doesn't necessarily point to what the cause will be. "

Murphy said a conclusion won't come for several weeks so they can make sure everyone is satisfied, in a good state of health and don't have any concerns.

"At some point we will review all the facts as we see them and make a conclusion."

Blackville councillor Jonathan Brennan said residents are happy to see the results coming back, but are still uneasy about the situation.

"We still don't know what to think about the organic and inorganic."

Village councillors are scheduled to meet with Murphy and Southwest Miramichi MLA Rick Brewer Wednesday and Brennan said he hopes something will come from it.

"There's obviously a source out there. We're very concerned, there's no doubt about it."

Brennan said the toll-free number is a good idea, if they have answers and added he would like to see one place where everyone can go to for further testing.

"It should have been that way with the blood tests."

Weyerhaeuser deal may be dead

Jan. 21, 2009

A deal to buy the buy the Weyerhaeuser mill may be dead because of problems getting a wood allocation.

Arbec's vice-president of finance Serge Mercier said in a story in the Telegraph-Journal the deal expired in December and the company has no plans to pursue a new one.

The forestry company had a conditional deal with Weyerhaeuser to buy the oriented strand board mill, but it was conditional on a sufficient wood allocation.

They didn't get the allocation before the deal expired in early December.

Natural Resources Department spokesman Steve Benteau said his department received letters from Arbec expressing interest in an allocation with rough numbers for the amount of wood they would need.

"We never received an industrial plan or business plan on the basis of what we require."

Mercier confirmed in an e-mail the conditional deal expired and said the company provided the government with a plan for the mill.

"We have presented a preliminary business plan to DNR and MLAs in last August and requested sufficient wood allocations to operate the Miramichi OSB mill on a long term basis." Provincial guidelines set out in the Crown Lands and Forests Act, require a forest management agreement between the province and the person seeking a wood allocation. The agreement requires submission of industrial, management and operating plans.

An industrial plan describes all aspects of the wood processing facility, including investment in the plant, employment levels, production capacity, end product production levels, all expected wood sources, markets to be served and any other information required by regulation over a ten year period.

Benteau said his department told Arbec they would need to submit those plans before receiving a wood allocation.

"Again, we need some detailed information on their proposal."

Any proposal would have to be evaluated carefully, Benteau said and added he couldn't speculate on how long it would take for Arbec to get an allocation if all the documents are submitted.

"We obviously need the information to make the determination."

Benteau said he hadn't heard about Arbec's plans to let the deal with Weyerhaeuser die until he read it in the paper yesterday.

"We would prefer to hear from them directly."

Weyerhaeuser's public affairs manager Wayne Roznowsky said last week Arbec was waiting for the wood allocation, but he didn't have any updates on the deal.

"That's where it's been since."

Because Weyerhaeuser no longer has a wood allocation in New Brunswick, Roznowsky said he didn't know what was happening between Arbec and the government.

"It's between those two groups."

Benteau said his department wants to try to keep the mill open, if possible, and is willing to meet with Arbec to see what their plans are for the mill.

"Hopefully we'll get this resolved."

Natural Resources Minister Wally Stiles contacted Arbec to try and arrange a meeting with company officials and looks forward to meeting with them, Benteau said.

"Mr. Stiles wrote them last week and made that offer to sit down with them."

Health officials look for arsenic source

Jan. 21, 2009

Investigators in the Blackville arsenic cases are looking at common foods eaten by some of the people who have high levels of arsenic, says a health department spokesperson.

Meghan Cumby said they have been speaking with the people from the four original cases and because Blackville is a small town there would be some foods they eat in common.

"Of course there are commonalities."

Last week health officials confirmed more cases of Blackville residents who tested positive for high levels of arsenic, which brings the total to seven since May.

The investigators are working with everyone involved to try to eliminate possible common food sources so the people can be re-tested, she said.

"There's different pieces of it and we have to all work togethere."

Cumby said most food is regulated by Health Canada and inspected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and a lot of the food sold in the Blackville area would be sold across Canada.

"They wouldn't likely be the cause of an outbreak at a local level."

The department is looking to see if any of the people testing positive have anything in common, but Cumby couldn't say if they found anything.

"That's pretty much all I can say right now."

During a conference call with media last week, regional medical officer Denis Allard said the latest cases have been the organic form of arsenic, which is not a health concern because the body is able to excrete it before it causes health problems.

Andrew Grant is an associate professor in organic and bioorganic chemistry at Mount Allison University and said the proper term is organoarsenic and that it isn't as harmful as the inorganic form.

Arsenic isn't alone in having an organic and inorganic form with mercury as another example of an element that can be toxic, but has one form more harmful than the other, he said.

Grant has been following the situation in Bangladesh where he said people are drinking water with high levels of arsenic and have started to collect rain water to avoid it.

"There's literally millions of people suffering from arsenic poisoning there. "

Inorganic arsenic is usually associated with minerals, like table salt, is found in nature and is soluble in water, he said.

"Arsenic would basically be classified as a metal."

Grant said the reason one form of arsenic may be more toxic than another is because of the way they interact with compounds in the body and would gradually would be released over a period of a few weeks.

"It's slowly getting excreted."

One of the suspects in the Health Department's investigation is fish, which Grant said could develop elevated arsenic levels from eating smaller organisms that process inorganic arsenic.

"There must be arsenic in the water, which would be inorganic."

But Grant said arsenic is found in nature with high content in some areas, like Bangladesh where it dissolves in the groundwater.

"It's totally natural in some areas."

Meanwhile there will be a public meeting with Conservation Council of New Brunswick's Inka Milewski, the science advisor for the non-profit environmental group. The meeting is being held at the St. Raphael's Church Hall at 7 p.m.

Bridge pier inspection finished

Jan. 23, 2009

It's not often people go swimming in the Miramichi River in January, but divers were doing just that this week near the Morrissy Bridge.

A triangular hole cut into the snow covered ice let divers with East Dive slip in and out of the water as they inspected the bridge piers on a cold January day.

East Dive supervisor David McFadzen was on the bridge with his crew Wednesday as the last diver stripped off his tank. The diver had to climb a ladder from the ice up to the bridge once he finished an inspection and clumps of snow covered parts of his suit.

The diver spent about 60 minutes in the water, which was about 58 feet deep around the pier he was inspecting, McFadzen said.

"The deeper you go the more time you have down there."

Transportation Department spokesman Andrew Holland said the divers were hired to complete an underwater assessment of the piers and check their structural integrity as the province decides if they will leave the bridge intact for pedestrian use.

"If there's any additional work that is required they would give us that advice."

The Transportation Department awarded the tender for the bridge inspection to Hillside Engineering who supervised the diving. East Dive started the work Tuesday and completed it by Wednesday afternoon.

Department officials invited tenders for the inspection work in response to public requests to look into the possibility of saving the bridge for pedestrian use.

Safety concerns forced the bridge closure on Sept. 12 and it was set for demolition before the province gave it a last minute reprieve.

An invitation for tenders was cancelled in December an inspection could be done looking at the feasibility of leaving the bridge for pedestrians.

Despite the bridge being closed because it is unsafe, the inspection crews parked their vehicles on the bridge deck next to where they climbed down to the river below.

Holland said the department will collect information to bring to the discussion about the bridge's fate.

"To inform that discussion you need information."

Mike Mersereau is part of a group hoping to save the bridge and said the inspection is what they asked for so they will have to wait to see what the inspectors find.

"Well, it's on track."

Although he knew Hillside Engineering was one of the firms being considered for the job, Mersereau said he didn't learn the government chose them until this week.

"Other people in the group knew, but we just didn't connect."

Mersereau said no matter what the divers find during their inspections, there have been positive discussions about the bridge's fate.

"We'll see what the outcome is and we'll take it from there."

When contacted Wednesday, Holland said he expected the underwater inspection to take at least a week, but the divers managed to get enough swims in to check all the piers in two days.

Strings of caution tape surrounded the hole in the ice, warning people away from the open section of water after the divers finished their work.

McFadzen said they were leaving it up as a safety precaution.

"We don't want snowmobilers falling through."

Workshop helps teach debt management

Jan. 23, 2009

When Jocelyne Brown gives a debt management presentation, she brings about $7 million in spending power with her.

She can't use the money because it's in a plastic water cooler bottle filled with credit cards cut in pieces.

Brown is the director of education for Credit Counselling Services of Atlantic Canada and was at the Rodd Miramichi River Monday night to give a debt management presentation.

She said a lot of people who go for credit counselling tell her they are hurting financially and can't get ahead.

"They thought that something was going to fix this problem."

Only one person attended the presentation organized through a partnership with the provincial government as part of an initiative to help people conserve energy and reduce both energy costs and day-to-day expenses.

Credit counsellors will deliver 12 presentations across the province throughout the week.

Brown has been a counsellor with Credit Counselling Services for seven years and said a lot of people think they need to be in trouble to benefit from the presentation, but they don't.

"We're talking about prevention."

The first step Credit Counselling Services takes when helping clients is for the service to approach non-secured creditors, like credit card companies or payday loans, to ask for a reduction in interest and payments. Brown said the clients then make their payments to Credit Counselling Services.

"By us negotiating we become their agent."

The presentation's emphasis is on understanding credit issues with explanations of how different forms of credit work, how to budget, the importance of saving for a rainy day and how credit scores work.

Brown gave an example of someone running into trouble with a payday loan that turned a $12,000 loan into about $22,000 once the total cost with interest was figured out over the repayment period.

"If you're putting money into servicing your debt that's taking away from your cashflow," she said.

Brown said a place to live, electricity and food are the three places money has to go first before people spend it on other things.

"We need to know exactly where our money goes."

By budgeting, people can help stretch their money, even though Brown said it doesn't change how much they have available to spend.

"It's about doing more with what we have."

Brown said Canadians should have three to six months worth of living expenses saved in an emergency fund, but the average Canadian doesn't come close to that amount.

"As Canadians we're just not saving."

The last part of the presentation focused on credit reports and explaining how lendors look at credit history.

Brown said people need to look at how much they owe, which is also reflected in a credit report, even though it might also show payments were made on time.

"It's a false security to think that that's health."

Department of Energy spokesperson Bonnie Doyle said Credit Counselling Services does excellent work and have a history of providing good advice to its clients.

"They're a very willing and positive partner."

The partnership was part of the province's new winter heating package with a positive response from the public, she said.

"I think we're gonna see how we go this year and re-evaluate."

Allocation the issue in Weyerhaeuser deal

Jan. 23, 2009

A deal to buy the idle Weyerhaeuser mill fell through because of problems with a wood allocation, not a business plan says a spokesman for the company interested in the mill.

Arbec Forest Products vice-president of finance and administration Serge Mercier said the company is still trying to agree on a sufficient wood allocation with the province before they finalize a deal with Weyerhaeuser.

"We're still discussing with New Brunswick Business."

Earlier this week, media outlets around the province reported problems with the deal to buy the Weyerhaeuser mill after a conditional agreement between the two companies expired in December.

Representatives from the Natural Resources Department said the province didn't receive the required business or industrial plans necessary when a company seeks a wood allocation.

Arbec submitted a preliminary business plan to indicate to the province their interest in the mill and to get an idea of how much wood was available.

Mercier said the allocation size was the problem for Arbec, not the business plan.

"From our discussion that was not the issue."

Arbec would need about 650,000 to 700,000 cubic metres of wood per year to run the mill, with 30 to 40 per cent of that coming from private woodlot owners.

That amounts to between 195,000 and 280,000 cubic metres, with the rest of the wood coming from a crown allocation.

Natural Resources Department spokesperson Chrystiane Mallaley said Weyerhaeuser required about 600,000 cubic metres, with 200,000 of mixed hardwood from a crown allocation.

Since the mill closed, a portion has been re-allocated to the AV Group for their Atholville operation. Arbec needs hardwood, but could use some softwood in the mill.

Mercier said the amount of wood left from the Weyerhaeuser allocation would only provide about half the wood they need and the company didn't want to buy the mill only to have it close six months later.

"We were clear on that point."

Arbec has never run into a problem with wood allocations at other sites and they were under the impression there would be a lot of wood available in the region after other mill closures, he said.

"That was one of the reasons that spiked our interest in the mill."

Mallaley said the province temporarily reassigned the former UPM allocation, which she thought was a mix of hard and softwood.

"What Arbec was looking for was specifically hardwood."

Umoe Solar bought UPM's assets in New Brunswick, including their sawmills in Blackville and Bathurst. Portions of the former UPM allocation have been re- allocated until the end of the fiscal year in March.

When Umoe bought the mills, they asked the province to roll the allocation for the Bathurst mill over to them, Mallaley said.

"That's been granted."

Mercier said he knew Umoe needed the wood allocation for their operation.

"It seems that they need the wood as much as we do."

Arbec found out they couldn't get the necessary allocation for the Weyerhaeuser mill before the tentative deal expired, Mercier said, but he didn't know exactly when.

"What I can say is we're still in contact with Weyerhaeuser."

Natural Resources Minister Wally Stiles sent a letter to Arbec offering to meet with company officials to discuss the issue. Mercier has received the letter, but said he wouldn't discuss the letter's contents.

"We're not going to divulge the letter."

Although he was out of the office until today, Mercier said the company was going to set up a meeting with Stiles, but he wasn't sure where or when the meeting would be.

"There will be another meeting in a couple of weeks time."

Province's top doc admits:; More should have been done in Blackville

Jan. 26, 2009

The province should have done more to deal with arsenic concerns in Blackville sooner, says the chief medical officer.

Despite snow last Thursday, hundreds of residents packed the St. Raphael's Catholic Church hall for a public meeting about the health scare plaguing their community.

Chief medical officer Dr. Eilish Cleary made an unexpected appearance at the meeting and took a few minutes to address the crowd.

Cleary said she thought it was important for her to attend because there was a need for open communication about the arsenic issue.

"I think when this is all done we have to look back and see, you know, are there things we could have done better, in particular this communication."

After speaking with village councillors, it was evident the communication wasn't getting through to the people in Blackville, she said.

"I fully accept that criticism that we, you know, maybe should have come here sooner."

Cleary said it's not always easy to tell which form of arsenic people have in their systems because preliminary tests only screen for total arsenic and don't differentiate.

"Then depending on those results you need to go back and look further and see what type of arsenic is it."

It takes time to get more detailed results and the Health Department is waiting to see what tests show, she said.

"When we get those results then we'll be in a better position to say exactly what's going on."

The village council organized the meeting and invited Conservation Council of New Brunswick science advisor Inka Milewski to help explain the science behind recent tests showing some residents have high levels of arsenic in their systems.

Milewski answered questions from the crowd as she talked about the different types of arsenic and how they react within the human body.

Arsenic can be found in both an organic and inorganic form, but the body can turn inorganic arsenic in toxic compounds called dimethyl and monomethyl arsenic, which Milewski said testers should be looking for.

"Those are the arsenics that are really quite nasty."

Since May, the Health Department has confirmed tests results for seven people have come back with elevated levels of arsenic.

All but one have been the less harmful organic form.

But Milewski told residents inorganic arsenic can transform into the toxic forms quickly and samples sent for testing need to be frozen right away to get accurate results.

"As it sits around, whatever forms of the arsenic are in your system are constantly under change."

Miramichi Regional Health Authority representative Marilyn Underhill addressed the crowd and confirmed the blood samples were frozen but wasn't sure if the urine samples were.

"My understanding is everything has been frozen."

Recent problems with equipment at the testing lab mean it could be weeks before people get their test results back, which Underhill said she only heard about Thursday.

"We do have a number of tests that haven't come back. Quite a few."

One resident who received her test results stepped forward to give Milewski a copy of her results, which only measured the total arsenic and didn't break it down into the different forms.

"It doesn't tell you anything about how you got it," Milewski said.

Southwest Miramichi MLA Rick Brewer attended the meeting and told the crowd it is important to find the arsenic's source.

"We're not going away until we find what the source is."

Although the meeting was organized to give Milewski a chance to address the community's questions, it also provided the person with inorganic arsenic in his system the opportunity to tell his story.

Fenton Sturgeon said he started to have pain in his feet, nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting about two years ago and a naturopathic doctor ordered tests about six months later.

"When that test came back I had what they commonly call now elevated levels of arsenic."

While he was in the hospital, his wife's levels came back high and the couple had to move out of their house as investigators looked for a potential source.

Sturgeon said he asked regional medical officer Denis Allard for help, but there were only two cases at the time.

"It's not an epidemic therefore it's not anything they can help me with."

Investigators couldn't find a source and when he didn't get answers from the province, Sturgeon eventually spoke with a toxicologist from Toronto, he said.

"The biggest part of the problem is people didn't know and wouldn't admit they didn't know."

Milewski said in her past experience in communities with high levels of arsenic, she explained to residents what she was looking at or testing so they understood what was happening.

"A lot of this could have been avoided if the test results were explained to everyone."

Phyllis Drier used to live on Digby Street where some of the cases have come from and after the meeting said it gave people a chance to get information about what's been happening in the village.

"This really enlightened a lot of people. It should have been done a long time ago."

Drier said her blood and urine samples have been sent to the lab in Ontario and she has accepted that waiting for the results is part of the process.

"What is a bit bothersome is we don't have a place to turn to."

Garth Underhill wasn't happy with everything he heard at the meeting and confronted Brewer about the government's response to the situation in Blackville.

After speaking with Brewer, he said he wanted the province to make a commitment to help instead of just saying they will go back and talk about it.

"I was hoping to hear them make a commitment to do something."

It was an informative night, but he thought the government could send a team to Blackville to help find answers, Underhill said.

"When you keep information from people it makes them more suspicious."

Meanwhile District 6 RCMP in Blackville are maintaining an open file on the arsenic situation, but will not go further with it until the government test results are complete.

Warranty scam hits Miramichi

Jan. 16, 2009

When one of Miramichi Mazda's customers got a call from a company saying her warranty expired, they offered to sell her a new one.

Before the woman committed to anything she wanted to check with her dealership first.

That's when sales manager Justin Somers got involved in a three-way call between the salesman and his client.

Somers said the warranty salesman asked him to honour their warranty so Somers asked them for a credit application or references before he would agree.

"They couldn't tell me a dealer they paid a claim to."

The call was one of many reported in recent weeks by confused car owners around the Miramichi who received dire warnings about their warranty expiring.

When they receive a call, an automated recording greets people when they answer the phone and asks them to respond.

"This is the final call before we close the file. Press 1 to speak with a representative. Press 2 to be removed from the follow up list," the message said on one answering machine.

But in most cases there is no problem with a warranty and the callers seem to be looking for credit card information instead of a legitimate sale.

Somers said in his customer's case, the scammers found someone whose warranty had just expired and was interested in getting a new one.

"They kind of got lucky on that one."

Trevors Hyundai general manager Lindsay Jardine said he heard one of his customers gave her credit card number to the scammer and they charged over $2, 000 to her card.

"It's money she'll never see again."

The company doing the calling is taking people's money and he doesn't understand how they can get away with it, Jardine said.

"How come nothing can be done about it?"

It's a common story around the city as every dealership contacted told of customers checking up on their warranties after receiving a mysterious call.

Miramichi Honda sales manager Come Benoit said he has been called by the scammers about 15 times about his own warranty expiring, although he has never spoken with them.

"They try everybody."

People are scared about what is happening with the big American car companies, which makes them wonder about their own warranty when they get the call, he said.

"Sorry, but it's wrong. You've got a warranty."

At Miramichi Volkswagen, general manager Alden Clark said they have heard from about 10 or 12 customers who received calls about their warranties.

"Where they're getting the names we're not sure."

Miramichi Volkswagen does offer extended warranties, but they don't contact customers about it once their original warranty expires, Clark said.

"Not usually, no."

Jill Atkinson with the Better Business Bureau said they had reports of the scammers hitting Nova Scotia through most of December. She said the scammers would sometimes call to warn people about a vehicle recall.

"It's not true."

The Better Business Bureau received about 10 reports from Nova Scotia and heard some of the people who asked questions about the company had the caller hang up on them, she said.

"They seem to target specific areas at a time."

Atkinson said people should ask a lot of questions when they get suspicious phone calls and shouldn't give out personal information or credit card numbers over the phone.

"It just seems that they are looking for the credit card information."

Miramichi Police Force Cst. Greg Scott said he wasn't sure when the calls started in the Miramichi, but people started reporting them some time in December.

"We did receive a few complaints about it."

Scott had the same message for the public as Atkinson and said depending on what the call is people should be cautious if they think it's a scam.

"This does appear on the surface to be some sort of a scam."

Somers said most legitimate warranty companies reimburse the dealership once approved work is finished and he was tipped off when the scammer told him they would pay for it all up front with a credit card.

"Tomorrow they could deny the Visa and we're out the money."

Ocean Spray draws big crowd in Rogersville : A growing business; More than 270 turn out for announcement

Jan. 16, 2009

There wasn't an empty seat in the house at a public meeting hosted by Ocean Spray at the Rogersville Legion Tuesday night.

People continued to file into the Legion hall well after the planned 7 p.m. start time and struggled to find a place to stand as they waited to hear what the world's largest cranberry juice producer has planned for the area.

Organizers set out 270 chairs and almost all were full at least 30 minutes before the meeting started. It was standing room only after that as people filled every available space.

Ocean Spray's vice-president of corporate strategy Paul Stajduhar was one of the company's representatives at the meeting.

He told the crowd there are beautiful bogs in New Brunswick and commended the province's growers for the work they've done.

"They've had tremendous success growing the industry."

The company organized the public meeting to provide information about a proposed cranberry operation around Lake Despres and to give the community a chance to have their questions addressed.

Ocean Spray is a co-op owned by over 600 cranberry growers and 50 grapefruit growers with their headqaurters in Massachussets.

Stajduhar said Ocean Spray has been succesfull at growing their business around the world and the growers made a collective decision to invest in cranberry bogs.

"We desperately need more fruit."

To help fill that need, Ocean Spray plans to start with 350 acres of berries planted in the Rogersville area. Stadjuhar said they will wait until those acres are established before they move on from there.

"We have a vision for a very substantial cranberry operation here."

Senior manager of supply development Bill Frantz said cranberries need acidic soil, a lot of water, a good source of sand and flat terrain, but they also need a labour force to work the bogs.

"We think we have that here too."

During the meeting, Ocean Spray presented their plan for the area, which, for now, is focused on the first two phases. The company applied for a lease on provincial land around Lake Despres up to South Lake and has submitted an environmental impact assessment for approval.

The engineering concept for the operation is finished and the contruction phase would create about 30-60 jobs. Future growth depends on the success of the first two phases and could create about 50-100 jobs once all the phases are complete.

The company hopes the area around Rogersville could eventually support almost 2,000 acres of cranberry beds.

Ocean Spray hopes to see the plan's approval by March and construction start in April.

When asked about the possibilty of processing facilities in Rogersville in the future, Stajduhar said an area needs to be able to produce about 50-80 million pounds of cranberry concentrate or sweet and dried cranberries to make it worth building a facility there.

"It will be a while."

With Ocean Spray moving into the area, they bring their expertise, but will still need people to work here, Stajduhar said.

"Our desire is for nearly all of those people to be from the local community. "

Premier Shawn Graham was at the meeting and told the crowd all of the money going into the project comes from private investment.

"I want to tell you up front there is no government money being invested in this project."

To help potential employees and the company, Graham said he will bring in someone from the Department of Post Secondary Education and Training to develop a candidate database of people seeking jobs with Ocean Spray.

"I just made this decision after seeing the need expressed."

Graham said he heard about Ocean Spray's interest in Rogersville about 15 months ago and put together a team to win the company over.

"Tonight we're seeing the result of that success."

After the meeting, Rogersville mayor Bertrand LeBlanc said he was satisfied with Ocean Spray's answers and that the company was being conservative with their numbers.

"They don't want to raise expectations up too high."

Rogersville-Kouchibouguac MLA Rose-May Poirier said she thought Ocean Spray answered a lot of questions and is bringing a big opportunity to the area.

"This is good news for the community."

One of the concerns Poirier had before the meeting was how the operation would affect the Lake Despres eco-forest project and she said the project's committee did a presentation for the Ocean Spray representatives earlier in the day.

"That's something that's going to go ahead."

Poirier said everybody wants to work together and the job applicant database is a good idea for people who wondered who they could go to about jobs with Ocean Spray.

"People were waiting for something positive to happen."

Traffic changed since Morrissy bridge closure

Jan. 16, 2009

The Morrissy Bridge closure caused big changes to traffic patterns around Miramichi, says a spokesperson for the city.

City engineering director Csaba Kazamer said he didn't have the exact numbers for traffic in Newcastle and Douglastown, but there has been an increase around the Centennial Bridge end of King George Highway.

"We have had significant changes in traffic patterns throughout the Douglastown area."

When the bridge closed in September, it left the city with only two crossings. Drivers who normally would have travelled along Jane Street have to go a little further to get across the river.

The city initiated a study in October to look at the effects of traffic changes in the areas most affected by the bridge closure, Kazamer said.

"There's an evaluation taking place as we speak."

He said he expects to get a draft copy of the report by around the end of January or early February and the next step would be to look at recommendations in the report.

"They could be fairly broad."

Once the city receives the report, they could update or review traffic bylaws and may work on infrastructure, he said.

"We're anxiously awaiting their input."

Kazamer said the report comes on the heels of a study done before the bridge closed and they are lucky to be able to compare.

"It first gives a snapshot before the closure and immediately after the closure."

The changes mean the city may have to look at traffic flow in all areas of the city in response to the change, he said.

"We're getting hit all over."

Kazamer said he expects to see involvement from the community and will look for input from businesses.

"Part of the consultation of course is getting feedback from that community."

In order to bring levels of service around the city up to acceptable levels, they may need to add infrastructure, he said.

"They are widely accepted guidelines."

Kazamer said data collection takes time and although the numbers are in, they are just waiting to get the report, he said.

"It's all relative to the receipt, to the collection of data."

Although he didn't have the traffic numbers around the Miramichi Mall, Kazamer said a plan for changes to the mall entrance would depend on the study results.

"We're awaiting the recommendations of the experts."

Miramichi Police Supt. Randy Hansen said there seems to have been an increase in accidents where there has been an increase in traffic on the north side of the King George Highway. He added when that part of the intersection was designed, it was for the old traffic pattern.

"Possibly the layout of the intersection or the traffic pattern may not be able to handle the increase in traffic."

Despite the changes in traffic patterns, Hansen said the bridge closure hasn't affected police response times because they have it divided into zones based on the being divided by the river.

"There's always a police vehicle within the area of the call."

Bridge closure affects local residents

Jan. 19, 2009

When Noella Frenette goes to work she sits by a big glass door and watches the traffic.

Since the Morrissy Bridge closed in September there hasn't been as much to watch.

"Now it's quiet. Too quiet," she said.

Frenette lives in Chatham Head on one of the streets near the bridge and works only a short distance from her home. Although the closure hasn't affected her commute to work, it has for her husband Victor.

He works at the Superstore in Newcastle and used to take the Morrissy Bridge to get there. Victor said he takes the Miramichi Bridge and since everybody has to go the same way since the closure, it has caused traffic problems.

"Traffic is really bad there now."

For Noella, one of Morrissy Bridge's benefits was its size because she doesn't like travelling behind big trucks and they couldn't cross the old bridge.

"There was nothing big."

Johnny Vickery also lives in Chatham Head near the bridge and used it on a walk back from Newcastle last week. Vickery said he works out west and still uses the bridge whenever he is home.

"When I'm home I walk it quite a bit."

Although he isn't against the idea of a pedestrian bridge, Vickery said taxpayers would probably pay the bill.

"I don't think we really can afford it now."

Vickery said people think they should have things, but there's no money to pay for them. He added they can't just say fix it and have taxpayers pay for it.

"It all comes down to politics."

If people have to go around to get across the river, they will go around and will have to accept change, he said.

"It's too bad to see it go down, but you know, what do you do?"

Victor said it would be nice to see the bridge stay open for pedestrians or snowmobilers to use.

"Hopefully they keep it."

Noella said there is nowhere for people to walk on the Miramichi Bridge and she thought it was dangerous because people have to walk on the shoulder at the ends of the bridge.

"I wouldn't walk it, that's for sure."

Newcastle Business Distrtict general manager Natalie Bradford said she hasn't had any negative input from businesses in the area around Morrisy Bridge, but there seems to be a change in traffic flow with some days busier than others.

"Overall, the downtown seems to be quite busy."

She has had to deal with traffic in Newcastle and said the situation around Miramichi Bridge can be bad as people try to merge together.

"It can get pretty intense there."

Bradford said pedestrian traffic seems to be lower in downtown Newcastle, and although she said the time of year may affect that, she would usually see some foot traffic.

"Certainly not as many people walking."

David White, one of the owners of Jean Coutu on Pleasant Street, said they haven't noticed any change in business since the briged closed.

"Nothing that we can say has been due to the bridge."

Incline Sports owner Scott Campbell said there always seems to be a lot of traffic on Pleasant Street since the bridge closed, but he didn't monitor the affect of the closure on his business.

"I can't say I notice a difference as far as the bridge being closed."

Incline Sports sells bikes, skateboards, snowboards and clothing and Campbell said his store is the only one of its kind in the area.

"If people are gonna come here they're gonna come here."

Campbell said he has to drive across one of the bridges and although it only adds a few minutes to his drive, he goes through Douglastown to get to his store.

"It doesn't seem as convenient, I guess."

Michael Mersereau is involved with the group trying to preserve the bridge for pedestrians and said an engineer was supposed to inspect the bridge piers, but he didn't know if an engineer was selected yet.

"It's supposed to be done by now."

The group has been getting a lot of positive feedback from the public and there has been a lot of interest in saving the bridge, he said.

"They're pleased that this is being considered."

Mersereau said the city needs to renew its membership with NB Trails so they can get advice and support from them, but it's not a big issue.

"It's a minor housekeeping detail that has to be taken care of to keep this on track."

Miramichi Landings (formerly the Miramichi Open River Eco-Museum) spokesman Paul McGraw said his group hasn't seen any proposals to incorporate the bridge into the eco-museum and they haven't considered it because their emphasis is on using water taxis to link the different sites.

"We're concentrating from the river side to begin with."

He said they aren't going to build walking trails, but may map out existing trails and sidewalks for use by people who want to visit the eco-museum's sites.

Salvation Army helps in tough times

Jan. 19, 2009

When the Miramichi Hospital referred a man who had no place to stay to the Salvation Army, the charity's new directors did what they could to help.

Community resource centre director Cpt. Wilson Sutton said they met with the man, put him up in a hotel and arranged for him to get to a shelter in Moncton.

"I think he was trying to get himself on his feet again."

Since taking over their duties as directors on Jan. 5, Sutton and his wife Darlene have been trying to meet people in the community and get organized as they adjust to their new roles.

The couple have already done approximately eight or 10 applications for a government heating assistance program with the province because the economy has been so rough in the Miramichi, Wilson said.

"That's put people in a rough situation."

Wilson said the Salvation Army will try to partner with other organizations in the Miramichi to help people in need.

"As long as it's done to help meet the needs that's the main thing."

One of those needs is a warm place to sleep for people who might otherwise spend a night on the street.

In the past they have sent homeless people to Moncton by bus, but he said they are looking at getting four beds for a shelter, which head office gave them approval to put in at the back of the building on Pleasant Street.

"There seems to be a need."

Wilson said they will meet with funding partners and he hopes to arrange to get the work done within the next few months.

"There's been a lot of work done over the last year or so."

In the meantime, he said he hopes people will help if they know someone is on the street during the latest cold snap.

"I'm sure in this cold weather no one wants to see someone left outside.

Some of the services the Salvation Army offer in Miramichi include the thrift store, grocery vouchers for people who need food, suppers twice a week and partnerships with oil companies to help people in emergency situations.

Although he said some programs might have been lost in the transition with the last director, the couple will look at all the programs as they adjust to their new position.

"We will see what's needed here and try to revive what needs to be done."

Miramichi isn't a big city, but there is a need out there for the Salvation Army and the couple needs to learn about the area and the people, he said.

"The biggest things is finding what resources there are."

One thing missing from the Salvation Army's ministry in Miramichi is a church, which has been torn down. Darlene said a lot people have been asking them if there will be one in Miramichi again.

"It was a big part of the community."

Even though there isn't a Salvation Army church in the area, they can help meet people's spiritual needs and help them find a church in the community, she said.

"We can direct them."

UPM sale finalized

Jan. 19, 2009

The UPM sign is gone and the last of the company's employees will soon follow after UPM announced the final sale of its New Brunswick mills last Thursday.

UPM spokesperson Sharon Pond said there are still three or four employees left to finish up what is needed to finalize the move.

"They will be gone in the next couple of months."

The company sold its paper and groundwood pulp mills, woodland operations and sawmills in Blackville and Bathurst to Norwegian solar panel manufacturer Umoe Solar.

UPM signed an agreement for the sale of its assets to Umoe Jan. 6, but it wasn't finalized until last Thursday.

Both Umoe and UPM are private companies and agreed not to disclose the final sale price, although a press release issued by UPM stated the company recorded an income of 20 million Euros on the sale as a special item in the first quarter of 2009.

That is the equivalent of almost $38 million (Cdn.).

Olavi Kauppila, UPM's senior vice-president of investor relations, said UPM had already written off most of its assets in Miramichi before the sale was finalized.

"It depends on how much those assets were worth on our balance sheet."

He wouldn't go into details about the financial aspects of the sale, but Kauppila said more information may be released in the company's quarterly results.

"That's all that we can say at this time."

CEP Local 689 president Chris Allison said he was at the union hall yesterday and heard about the sale because people there were talking about it.

"Everybody's just waiting."

Although he didn't know what is going to happen with Umoe, Allison said the government wouldn't have enticed them here without some sort of plan.

"It wouldn't make any sense."

Allison said he heard Umoe may tie their Miramichi operation into their Brazil business and it wasn't clear to him yet what Umoe's plans are for the Miramichi.

"It's hard to fathom what exactly is going to be done."

Pond said the important thing about the sale is it will be a positive thing for the Miramichi.

"Anything that's happened in the past is the past."

In a news release issued last week, UPM said they worked with the provincial government over the past year as they tried to sell the mills.

"We appreciate the support and understanding of the community and government during UPM's time in New Brunswick, and we are pleased to see new hope for all with the sale," said Miramichi General Manager Timo Suutarla.

For Allison, he said UPM looked good when they came to the area, but it's been a roller coaster ride since he took over as the union's president in 2005.

"It's adios UPM."

Rogersville may host cranberry festival; Berries could replace the brussel sprout

Jan. 21, 2009

They're the bane of children around the country and could be on the way out as the focus of a festival in Rogersville.

Every summer the village hosts the Brussels Sprouts Festival, which has become a major event, but farmers in the area no longer grow the small green vegetable. Cranberries may soon replace them as a major industry if a plan by Ocean Spray goes through.

Lake Despres eco-forest coordinator Jimmy Bourque was part of a group that met with Ocean Spray last week to give a presentation on plans for the eco- forest project.

Bourque said company representatives at the meeting mentioned Ocean Spray organizes a cranberry festival that attracts over 100,000 people.

A cranberry festival in Rogersville would help attract people visiting Kouchibouguac National Park, increase tourism and help businesses, he said.

"It would help the economy."

But Bourque isn't just concerned about the financial aspects of the Ocean Spray plan, which is why his group met with the company before a public meeting held last week.

The eco-forest project wanted to do something with the lake because the community used to use it a lot, he said.

"The people around here wanted to revive it again."

Bourque said the group planned to incorporate forestry and the peat bogs around the lake into the project before Ocean Spray's announcement and the cranberry fields would give peopl something extra to visit as part of the eco- forest.

"It even enhances it."

Ocean Spray's operation will be in the same area as the eco-forest project and the company is willing to work with them, he said.

"It means they don't want the people out of there."

Rogersville mayor Bertrand LeBlanc said the Ocean Spray representatives were interested in a festival and might invite him to the one in Massachusetts to see how they do it.

"On a community level they were very interested in seeing it through."

The village council has been very involved with the Brussels Sprout Festival and may be an active partner in a future cranberry festival, he said.

"I think village council would be very open to the idea."

LeBlanc said everything is in place to have the event and with Ocean Spray's plans for the area the numbers are there.

"I think it has all the possibility of being a premier event in the region."

Even though brussels sprout production in the Rogersville area peaked in the 1980s, LeBlanc said the current festival still bears their name.

"We just kept with it because it was familiar and people associated with it."

But with Ocean Spray coming to the area, if Rogersville doesn't have a cranberry festival, somebody else will, he said.

"I think it would be a good idea to go down and see what's going on."

Rogersville-Kouchibouguac MLA Rose-May Poirier said people have been giving her positive feedback about Ocean Spray's plans since the public meeting and there has been talk about changing the brussels sprouts festival for a while.

"Maybe this could be something that could be opening new doors for the community."

Work, community important to former clerk

Dec. 24, 2008

When Willis Dickison worked as the town clerk and treasurer for Newcastle, he told people he was going to write a book about his time at town hall.

After Dickison retired in 1990, former mayor John McKay asked him how the book was coming along.

"I think those secrets are gonna stay with me," Dickison told him.

Many of those stories gathered during his 33 years of service will remain untold. Dickison died of a heart attack Dec. 7 at age 78.

Outside of town hall, Dickison was a charter member of the Kinsmen Club, served on the board of directors for the Miramichi Regional Hospital, was a Cub leader and devoted his time to many other community groups.

Dickison's wife Grace said the Kinsmen Club was very important to Willis and she remembered the time three men from Moncton knocked on their door one day early into the couple's marriage.

The Kinsmen didn't have a club in the Miramichi yet and the men wanted Willis to start one, she said.

"He was always there at the beginning."

Grace said her husband also spent a lot of time at town hall because he wanted to feel like he contributed to how the town changed, developed and improved.

"I think he liked to be part of the community."

In 1992, the Rotary Club recognized Willis' work in the community when they awarded him the Paul Harris Award the same night as Frank McKenna.

"It was a hard act to follow," it is said Willis said of McKenna.

Grace said her husband's work with the town kept him busy and the couple had to plan their social life around the budget when it came down in November.

She remembered one Saturday night when former mayor John Creaghan called him because they had settled a union contract and Creaghan wanted to get it signed right away.

Willis didn't mind getting the call.

"He was happy it was over."

Former mayor Peter Murphy said because Willis went through a lot of councils in his time as clerk, he was a great asset to the town and they missed him when he retired.

"It was a big loss for us."

After so many years as clerk and treasurer, Willis knew all the financial ins and outs and gave Murphy advice on ways to improve the town's financial situation.

"Willis was a great support and a great advisor."

Murphy said he met with Willis every day during Murphy's time as a councillor and they developed a much closer relationship when he became mayor.

"He could usually give me the advice I needed."

Current city manager Doug Chase was assistant treasurer when Willis was at town hall and said Willis was a meticulous bookkeeper who made sure everything balanced at the end of the month.

"Willis was a wealth of knowledge."

Chase said Willis had a great sense of humour and any time he made a mistake, Willis would forgive him. He just didn't want him to make the mistake again.

"He was a lot of fun to work with."

Willis never knew it, but one time Chase spent a week looking for a missing nickel in the balance books because he said with Willis, the numbers had to add up.

"It was as simple as that."

Chase said Willis was his first boss when he started working with the town and he couldn't have found a better mentor to work along with and learn the ropes from.

"I looked up to him in a lot of ways in and out of work."

McKay said Willis was a professional man who was loyal to the community, the mayor and council, which lead to a productive partnership between the two men.

"It worked well."

Willis had an easy way about him, but knew when it was time to work and get things done, McKay said.

"I think he had gained respect by doing that."

Grace said her husband stayed out of the rivalry between Newcastle and Chatham during his time with the town. When he retired in 1990, the town of Chatham staff took him out to dinner.

"He had a great rapport with the town of Chatham."

Murphy said Willis saw the benefit of working together with Chatham and advised him not to get involved in the rivalry. "There was no room for that."

Through his years with the town, Willis had the opportunity to meet dignitaries whenever they came to Newcastle, including Lord Beaverbrook, Prime Ministers' Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, Jean Chretien, several governor generals and even the Queen.

Grace said the couple went down to town hall to meet Trudeau during the height of Trudeaumania. She was impressed by him and said when Trudeau talked to her it was like she was the only person in the room.

"He had that charisma with him."

But Willis was quiet about all the people he met and never said much about his encounters with the dignitaries, she said.

"He wasn't as impressed as I was."

Another possible arsenic case in Blackville

Jan. 9, 2009

Another suspected arsenic poisoning case may have occurred in Blackville as residents continue to wait for answers.

Department of Health spokesperson Meghan Cumby said health officials did receive a report of a possible fifth case and continue to discuss it with the treating physicians.

"We are aware of the possible fifth case, but before we are able to confirm it we have to collect more data."

Since May, four cases of arsenic poisoning have been confirmed in the Digby Street/Shaeffer Lane area of Blackville and no cause has been identified.

Cumby said the field epidemiologist will give a preliminary analysis of the case once he analyzes all the data.

"We're not able to confirm it at this point."

Cumby didn't know when the department heard about the possible fifth case.

Village Coun. Jake Stewart found out about it Tuesday afternoon and said he was surprised to see a story in Wednesday's Miramichi Leader that said officials had no other cases to report.

People need to know if there is arsenic in their blood because they need treatment if it is, he said.

"We just need answers."

Stewart said there are a lot of people who have children in the area where the previous cases have occurred and it's sad they haven't received any answers yet.

"People are scared."

There are people who sent their tests away in November and still haven't received results, he said and added there is still no known source of the arsenic yet.

"That's the most important thing."

As of yesterday Southwest Miramichi MLA Rick Brewer said he hadn't heard anything directly from anyone affected by the latest possible case.

"I hear a rumour."

Brewer said he would like to see the results of all the testing immediately, but the lab is in Ontario and out of his jurisdiction.

"When it's in another jurisdiction it's kind of hard to control the process."

The government has little control over what a lab does in Ontario Brewer said, and added the lab does work for several jurisdictions.

"This is a unique situation."

Brewer said it's a tough situation for people because they don't know what is happening and he understands the issue of not knowing.

"It's tough for the people affected."

He met with Health Minister Michael Murphy Wednesday, but the issue is they are relying on Health Canada for answers, he said.

"Until we have a source it's hard to eradicate the issue."

Tobacco out of sight but not out of mind

Jan. 9, 2009

New regulations calling on stores to hide their tobacco products from the view of customers is causing headaches for some local merchants.

At N & J Convenience, the manager said the province did not give retailers enough time to comply with the new rules.

Manager Nick Pitre said his store would have covered up the cigarettes if the government had given them enough time to get the flaps and coverings necessary.

"They just didn't," Pitre said.

The familiar wall of cigarettes in convenience stores is a thing of the past thanks to new provincial guidelines.

Most customers around the Miramichi were met with a blank wall where the tobacco used to be since the regulations went into effect Jan. 1.

But at Pitre's store the display was still visible while he waited for the covering he expected to receive and install today.

Pitre said he made at least six calls to government officials before the regulations went into effect and was told to do nothing until everything was finalized.

"Basically we were told to wait on it," he said.

While he realizes there may be a fine for not covering the cigarettes, Pitre said he tried to comply with the regulations.

"We have made every possible step to make sure it's taken care of as quickly as possible," Pitre added.

Before the regulations went into effect, one of the tobacco companies was offering coverings to retailers, but Pitre said the contract stated the retailer would be responsible if the covering didn't meet the provincial guidelines.

"It kind of put us in a rock or a hard place," he said.

Pitre said he has heard some retailers have been using garbage bags to cover up their tobacco until they get their coverings in place, but he didn't think it looked professional.

"It looks bad," he said.

Once everything is ready, there won't be much change in the store once and he didn't think it will affect sales, he said.

"There will be minimal change to the display space," he explained.

Pitre said as far as he was concerned he would like to be compliant with the new guidelines.

"I don't want to seem like we're being arrogant about this law," he said.

Bill's Kwik Way is one of the stores that has complied with the changes with a dark curtain hanging over the tobacco display.

Nancy Comeau, the store's manager, said some customers don't know if they still sell cigarettes and the staff can't tell them what they do sell unless a customer asks, so it has affected their sales.

"I find it doesn't seem to be as much," she said of tobacco sales.

The store downsized its display from three racks to two when the regulations went into effect so they wouldn't have to put the curtain all the way across the display, she said.

"Some people don't even smoke [and] they just think it looks ridiculous, Comeau said.

Family Convenience clerk Rhonda MacDonald said it seems weird to have to cover the tobacco and the government should have banned it or limited sales to smoke shops if they didn't want people to see it.

"I don't see a need for it," MacDonald said.

The store's tobacco display is covered by flaps over every shelf and a display window on the front of the counter is covered to hide the tobacco products behind it.

Staff can open the flaps to get cigarettes out for customers, but have to fill the shelves when nobody is there, she said.

"Which is almost impossible," she explained.

Brian Harris, a Family Convenience customer and smoker, said he thought the store looked empty with the wall covered.

"I think it depreciates the look of the store," he said.

Harris knew the cigarettes were there, even though they were covered and said it won't discourage people from smoking.

"If people are going to smoke they're going to smoke," he said.

Harris said not being able to advertise won't stop people from smoking either because advertising doesn't draw people to smoke.

"It's not going to impact anything," he said.

Caitlin MacDonald, another customer and a non-smoker, said she didn't know about the new regulations and wondered why the cigarettes were covered up.

"I think it's good," she said. "It's hid from the younger kids."

She said it should have an impact on kids who would see the cigarettes and wonder about them.

Rhonda said they put the flaps up early in December and haven't noticed a change in sales since the new regulations started.

"It's only been in effect for five days," she said.

The changes infringe on a customers right to buy what they want and it's like people choosing what they want to watch on television.

"It's not a deterrent," she said.

Arsenic poses no health risk: medical officer; More cases found in Blackville

Jan. 12, 2009

More cases of high levels of arsenic have been found in Blackville residents but they don't pose a health risk, says an official with the Department of Health.

Regional medical officer Dr. Denis Allard was busy answering questions Friday as he spoke to Blackville village council in a conference call and later held one with the media to address concerns over the recent cases of elevated arsenic levels.

During the call with the media, Allard said tests were done before Christmas and although they are still waiting for all of the results, three more people show higher than normal levels of arsenic in their systems.

"Some of the results are starting to trickle in."

The latest test results bring the number of people in Blackville who have tested positive for elevated arsenic levels since May to seven, with the first four living in the Digby Street/Shaeffer Lane.

Allard could not confirm if the latest cases were also in the same area.

During the call, Allard said only one person tested so far in Blackville has shown symptoms related to arsenic and investigators usually look at symptoms before they make a link to toxicity.

"It's just preliminary results."

Arsenic can be classified as either organic or inorganic, with the inorganic form considered to be the most toxic.

Organic arsenic is sometimes found in food, most often in seafood or shellfish, and Health Canada does not consider it to be of concern to human health, but it is an issue they have addressed in the past.

Last March, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Loblaws issued a recall of two brands of pear juice found to have higher than normal levels of organic arsenic.

Health Canada told the public they consider short-term exposure as a period of several weeks to several months. They consider long-term exposure to be several years or decades.

Allard said investigators are looking at possible food sources of the arsenic, but Blackville residents have tested with high levels of the organic form and people shouldn't worry about it because the body is able to excrete organic arsenic quickly, unlike the inorganic form.

"If it's food it would be organic and we would not expect to see any symptoms of it."

With the three new cases, however, investigators have only confirmed one had elevated levels of organic arsenic because they jut have a total level which doesn't differentiate between the forms, he said.

"The two other cases we just have a total on the urine so we're still waiting for the lab to provide us with the differentiation."

Allard didn't know what effect prolonged exposure to organic arsenic would have and said he can only go by Health Canada's guidelines.

"I feel if it was a concern they wouldn't put this sort of statement on their website."

Although there are many possible food sources, the investigation's focus is on seafood, which has been known for a long time to contain arsenic, he said.

"That's all I know."

Allard said they will keep testing to try to find a source of the arsenic, even if it isn't a health concern and he hasn't heard when they will stop the investigation.

"I cannot say right now when we're gonna stop."

Blackville councillor Jake Stewart attended the conference call held with the village and said it shouldn't take so long for people to get answers about the arsenic cases.

"It should be a priority."

During the call, council was told they will get more information next week, but people want answers now, Stewart said.

"The whole thing is really grey right now."

New paint recycling program announced

Jan. 12, 2009

The familiar sight of paint splattered buckets piled in garages and basements may become a thing of the past thanks to a new recycling program.

Last week, Recycle New Brunswick announced they are starting the first phase of a new initiative to recycle paint.

Recycle New Brunswick vice-chair Yves Gagnon said producers are responsible for the paint until it is sold, when it then it becomes the consumer's responsibility.

"A lot of it ends up in nature or the solid waste commissions."

But under the new system, it becomes the producer's responsibility to take back and recycle used paint into a product that has value, he said.

"You create a market for recycled paint."

During the first phase, paint producers identified an agent who will submit a proposal to Recycle New Brunswick on how they will collect used paint from consumers. The goal is to set up depots around the province where people can drop off old paint.

Gagnon said the different solid waste commissions around the province treat paint as a hazardous material and they dispose of most of it through burning. People often store the paint until their local solid waste commission has a hazardous waste pick-up day, he said.

"With the new system there's going to be a continuous system in places to recycle paint."

Gagnon said it is the first time in North America paint producers came together to work on a plan to recycle paint.

"That's quite innovative."

People are becoming more concerned about the environment and need to be educated about paint recycling, he said.

"We need to capitalize on the fact that the population is changing."

When reached for comment, Northumberland Solid Waste Commission waste reduction coordinator Amy Muzzerall didn't have any more information about the new program yet than the public did, but said product stewardship programs, like the recycling program, always benefit the people who pay the bills.

"I think it's very positive for all communities involved because it's very expensive to dispose of paint."

The Northumberland Solid Waste Commission collects paint in June and September during their regular hazardous waste pick-up and Muzzerall said she doesn't know yet how the program will work once it is implemented.

"I would imagine there's some cost savings in there, essentially for tax payers."

Muzzerall said the solid waste commission used two different companies in the past to dispose of the paint collected during the pick-up.

"The paint does get recycled."

Since she doesn't know the specifics of the new program, Muzzerall said she is making the assumption the solid waste commission will continue with the hazardous pick-ups until they hear otherwise.

"Since our next event's not until June we have quite a bit of time."

Ocean Spray bringing cranberries to Rogersville

Jan. 12, 2009

A sour berry could soon bring sweet rewards to the Rogersville area thanks to an American juice maker.

Ocean Spray has been working on a plan to use the bogs around Despres Lake to grow cranberries in what could turn into their largest growing operation in North America.

Rogersville mayor Bertrand LeBlanc said the plan would cover over 8,000 acres with an initial company investment of $15 million and a total of $100 million over a five-year period.

"It's a major project."

The road leading to the lake was slippery and snow covered last week and a thick blanket of snow covered the bog around Despres Lake where Ocean Spray plans to set up shop.

LeBlanc first heard about the project around September, but said he wasn't able to talk about it until Ocean Spray submitted their environmental assessment application. He said he spoke with the environment department first, but has since spoken with representatives from Ocean Spray.

"They're real happy to come."

Work around Despres Lake should start around April and create 100 jobs over a five-year period, LeBlanc said, but it all hinges on the results of the environmental impact assessment.

"They need that before they get the green light."

LeBlanc said he will approach the company to have value added to the project, like having juice bottled or packaged in Rogersville.

"We would like to see that in the future."

The Ocean Spray project is a major announcement for the Rogersville area and LeBlanc compared it to the recent announcement from a solar panel manufacturer in Miramichi.

"People are happy about it."

LeBlanc said the village hopes to have a long relationship with Ocean Spray and added what is good for Rogersville is good for the Miramichi.

"We're happy to have them here."

Rogersville-Kouchibouguac MLA Rose-May Poirier said the mood in the area seems to be good with a lot of people stopping by her office to ask about the potential jobs, how to apply for them and how many will be created.

"There's a lot of questions out there."

Poirier hasn't been in contact with Ocean Spray, but said she will be going to a public meeting Tuesday to hear what they have to say and see how the project will affect the area.

"I think that's what we're all looking for."

With the environmental impact assessment still incomplete, Poirier said she doesn't think anybody knows if the project will go ahead for sure until the results are released.

"I think everybody's optimistic."