Province offers Arbec bigger allocation

Feb. 16, 2009

MIRAMICHI - The province is opening up to the idea of providing Arbec Forest Products with a Crown allocation and if that is the case, it may be bigger than the one assigned to Weyerhaeuser.

Representatives from Business New Brunswick, the Natural Resources Department, Arbec and Weyerhaeuser attended a meeting Thursday to discuss the stalled deal for the oriented strand board mill.

Miramichi-Bay du Vin MLA Bill Fraser didn't attend the meeting, but said Friday the province offered Arbec an allocation of 300,000 cubic metres.

"That's more wood than was allocated before for Weyerhaeuser."

The Crown allocation size has been the sticking point in the potential sale, with Arbec saying they need about 650,000 to 700,000 cubic metres of wood per year to run the mill.

What they don't get from the allocation, Arbec would then buy from private woodlot owners.

One of the company's concerns was dealing with woodlot owners and the forest products marketing boards for the remainder, but they used to sell to Weyerhaeuser, Fraser said.

"I'm pretty confident that the local marketing boards will come onboard and guarantee the wood supply that they need."

Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne said it was a positive meeting and gave everyone the opportunity to come together to talk about Arbec's plans.

"I think we all left the meeting with a greater understanding of what the potential was and what the requirements were."

The meeting gave them a chance to talk about the size of the allocation and species of trees needed so Arbec could go back and complete a business plan, he said.

"It certainly helped us move things forward by having that meeting."

Fraser said they were able to give Arbec a bigger allocation because the Umoe deal is done.

"We know what we have to work with now."

Byrne said it was important for the government to know what was required of Arbec's plan.

"We have indicated that we are certainly willing to work with that company."

Arbec wanted to know there was a willingness on the part of the government to work with them and the province wanted to make sure the company's plan was viable, he said.

"That was certainly the message that was sent loud and clear at yesterday's meeting."

Byrne said as a result of the meeting, Arbec is now in a position to put together a business plan.

"Based on all the information they have, they will analyze the business opportunity and if they believe there is a positive business opportunity then they will come forward to government with a business plan."

Arbec indicated they want to move forward and the government will provide any information they need in a timely fashion, he said.

"I suspect they will not waste any time in putting their information together."

In an e-mail sent Friday, Arbec vice-president of finance and administration Serge Mercier said the company welcomed the government's openness at the meeting.

"They made a revised proposition for wood allocation. We need time to analyze it and determine how it fits in our business plan."

Although he knew about the meeting, Northumberland Forest Products Marketing Board president Jean-Guy Comeau said he didn't know much about how the mill sale is progressing.

"We don't know more than the general information from our last contact with them."

But things look better than they did six months ago, he said.

"We really hope we see some little lights at the end of the tunnel."

Thousands watched pond hockey online

Feb. 16, 2009

MIRAMICHI - When pond hockey tournament organizer Greg MacDiarmid contacted one of the players from last year he was told the man wouldn't make it this year.

The player was a soldier from CFB Gagetown's team and is stationed in Afghanistan, far from the Miramichi's frozen French Fort Cove.

When he heard the soldier was overseas, MacDiarmid decided he wanted him to still be able to enjoy the tournament.

"I wonder if we can link something so we could let them watch," he said.

From there MacDiarmid said he spoke with Aliant and District 16 about the possibility of broadcasting a few games to the troops.

"The original focus was to engage the people in Afghanistan and let them watch."

But the broadcasts went far beyond their original goal with almost 13,000 people around the world tuning in to watch the tournament on Aliant's website.

MacDiarmid said when he saw the numbers it blew him away.

"There's a lot more people know about pond hockey around the world."

Although the majority of the viewers were from Nova Scotia, people from 19 countries watched, including in much warmer places like the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago.

Although he hadn't confirmed it with the military, MacDiarmid said he heard about 65-70 people watched the tournament online in Afghanistan.

"I think it was a huge success."

Broadcast journalism students from District 16 handled the cameras while Aliant provided the rest of the technology behind the streaming video, all at no cost to the tournament.

Aliant area manager for the Miramichi Paula Septon said the students did a great job with their camera work.

"It was surprisingly clear and I thought a very professional job on their part."

While Aliant has broadcast events in other parts of the province, Septon said they haven't in this area before.

"It's a first for the Miramichi."

MacDiarmid said the students had a good experience broadcasting the tournament games.

"They seemed to have enjoyed themselves."

District 16 technology mentor Joey Savoy said when MacDiarmid approached him about the idea to broadcast the tournament to the troops, he was interested.

"We thought it was a great opportunity to get the students involved."

Tournament organizers contacted them on short notice and although only two students were able to work the tournament they still wanted to take part, he said.

"It was something, again, we didn't want to pass up the opportunity."

Savoy said the students were happy to do the broadcast for the troops and people who wanted to watch the tournament at home.

"It was great working with the folks from Aliant."

Septon said she expected most of the viewers to be soldiers in Afghanistan or locals who couldn't make it to the games and they didn't know what to expect for numbers.

"We weren't really sure because it was the first time we tried and Greg wanted to try it for the troops."

As for next year's tournament, MacDiarmid said he didn't know if they will try broadcasting it again.

"It's one of those things that can't be answered this minute."

Septon also wasn't sure if they would stream next year's tournament and said a year is a long time away.

"We'll be open to conversations with them again next year for sure."

Journalism student puts lessons to use

Feb. 16, 2009

MIRAMICHI - When his former teacher offered him a chance to work at the Rotary Pond Hockey Torunament Aaron Malley jumped at the chance.

The Grade 12 student at James M. Hill took broadcast journalism in the first semester and was glad to get back behind the camera.

"I felt like it was a good opportunity for me to take."

Malley and current broadcast journalism student Ashlee Arbeau were the two who ran the cameras for broadcasts of three games shown on Aliant's website.

The students volunteered their time to broadcast the games in what was meant as a chance for soldiers in Afghanistan to watch their colleagues play.

Instead more than 12,000 people from around the world watched the games online.

Malley said he was glad to hear so many people watched the games and took what they did seriously.

"When I hear that I'm glad I put my all into it when I filmed it."

Between games the students had a chance to interview some of the soldiers from the military teams entered in the tournament.

"They wanted to give shout outs to people over there and wish them luck and safe trip home," he said.

The soldiers weren't the only visitors to the Miramichi that weekend, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on hand to drop the puck during the opening ceremonies.

Malley said they were able to get close to him as they filmed and only had a few people between them.

"It was definitely a milestone in my life being able to witness the Prime Minister speak."

The pond hockey tournament was Malley's first time covering a sports event and he said his interests are in other non-sports related things.

Malley said it was a lot of fun, but because it was a cold night he had to go warm up by the fire a few times as he covered the games.

"It was quite the challenge."

As part of the broadcast journalism class, the students saw how CBC and CTV operate, but Malley said the tournament gave him a chance to see them in action.

"Seeing how they operate in the field is a really good experience."

Jamie O'Toole is the broadcast journalism teacher and said he tries to get the students involved in real world situations, like the pond hockey tournament.

"I thought it was great. I try to involve them in career related things happening."

Students get to show their class work to the public through their website which is broadcast around the world, he said.

"Everything they do is put out there to the public."

O'Toole said the students' role was to videotape three games and the opening ceremonies using a one camera setup.

"They did a great job."

Broadcasting next year's tournament is a possibility and he said it was exciting to find out they had so many viewers.

"I think it's excellent."

City renewing NB Trails membership

Feb. 13, 2009

While a Miramichi group tried to save Morrissy Bridge for pedestrians, they couldn't get help from N.B. Trails Council to do it.

In order to get advice from the council, the city has to be a member, but when their membership expired they never renewed it.

N.B. Trails Council representative John Copp said his group works with communities to develop trail systems as part of their membership.

"If you're not part of the organization I guess you're not interested."

N.B. Trails Council works to build new trails throughout the province, enhance existing ones and act as a liaison with the Natural Resources and Tourism Departments.

Membership gives access to resources and is important because members can talk to people who have experience developing trail systems, he said.

"You can spend your time tripping and falling over yourself or go talk to the people who've had success."

Copp said the application process is easy and the trails council wondered why the city didn't renew theirs when it expired.

"We sent them a membership application. We were just wondering why they weren't members."

Miramichi Public Works director Frank Duffy said the city's membership expired about a year ago and they are in the process of renewing it, although he didn't know why it wasn't done last year.

"I don't think it was purposely. I think it was probably missed."

During Monday's city council meeting, Duffy told councillors his department was submitting the application to become N.B. Trails members, which will cost $250.

"We just informed them we were signing up again as members of the N.B. Trails Council as sponsors."

Duffy said his department received the application about two weeks ago and the city should be members again within a week or two.

"It would be almost immediate, I would say."

Copp said N.B. Trails Council membership gave other groups around the province access to resources they otherwise wouldn't have had.

"The key to that is, [is] the city interested?"

Other cities have had success in their attempts to build trail systems, including Fredericton where they converted a train bridge for pedestrian use.

Since the Morrissy Bridge closed in September, a local group has been fighting to save it from the wrecking ball. They succeeded in getting a temporary reprieve while they wait for results of an engineering study of the bridge's structural integrity.

Copp said if the Morrissy Bridge can be saved, it would become a part of a larger trail system.

"It's like a stepping stone approach."

The trails council can give the city networking opportunities in the same way organizations like cities associations do, he said.

"It's the same process that we're trying to put into place."

NBCC students talk climate change

Feb. 13, 2009

They were relaxed as they joked around, but the students gathered at the conference tables were there to tackle a serious issue.

Tuesday afternoon 11 NBCC Miramichi environmental technology students gathered in one of the school's classrooms to talk about climate change.

The session was part of the Environment Department's Rock the Boat tour around the province as they try to involve youth in the fight against climate change.

Sara Boyce was one of the students who took part in the session and said it's sometimes hard to make environmentally conscious decisions.

"If everybody could do that it would probably make a difference."

As the session started, facilitators from the New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth asked the students to pair-up and discuss their understanding of climate change.

The organizers jotted every answer down on a flip chart while a third member of their team sat away from the group and recorded everything on a laptop.

Detailed notes from the session would then be used to brief Environment Minister Roland Haché on what the students discussed during the meeting.

When the facilitators asked about some of the impacts climate change will have on a local level Boyce said droughts in Asia mean large amounts of wheat crops will be lost.

"That's directly going to affect us."

A few of the other ideas thrown around the tables were increased coastal erosion, more wet weather and a decrease in salmon stocks from acid rain.

But one of the issues mentioned by every group was the sense the world is reaching a tipping point on climate change.

We will start to see a loss of things like glaciers and ice caps as the world gets warmer, Boyce said.

"Some of these things you can't get back."

Andrew Parsons said taking part in the session was interesting because he got to see what other people thought about the issue.

"We kind of get to learn other people's point of view about climate change."

Jeff Preston said hearing ideas about climate change from different people was a good thing for the government.

"They could develop something around all those ideas."

He agreed the world is headed toward a tipping point and said once we go past that point it will be hard to go back.

"It makes it that much harder to get back to where you're supposed to be."

Preston said the sessions would get people thinking, but because they are studying environmental technology the students know more about the issue than most people.

"If they pick our ideas and kind of expand on that it will make people more aware."

Arbec and government meet to discuss future of mill site

Feb. 13, 2009

The Weyerhaeuser mill sale may be moving forward again after a scheduled meeting between Arbec and government officials yesterday.

During a visit to the Miramichi Wednesday, Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne said he was meeting with Arbec representatives yesterday to find out what their plan is and what their request is to the province.

"Certainly, as you can appreciate, it's going to be important to us to sit down with the company, to look at the business case they're going to present, to look at the markets they see and to look at what specific requests they'll make in terms of any wood allocation or financial assistance, but that is the purpose of the meeting ..., and we'll probably in a position to shed more light following that meeting."

Arbec had signed a tentative deal with Weyerehaeuser to buy the mill on the condition they could get a sufficient Crown wood allocation from the province.

But The deal expired in December when the province told Arbec they wouldn't commit to an allocation without business and industrial plans, but the forestry company won't submit them without confirmation they would be able to get enough wood.

The sale has been stalled ever since.

Miramichi-Bay du Vin MLA Bill Fraser said the government is doing what they can to get it up and running, but they have to do it in a responsible way and can't just allocate wood without knowing what Arbec's plan is.

"I hope that will come to a positive result. I want to see people working at that mill ... there was 160 people employed there at one time."

Dawn MacDonald is a local resident who has been pushing the government to keep the deal moving forward since she heard about Arbec's interest in the mill.

She has a rally planned for tomorrow at the Weyerhaeuser site and said she hopes about 200 or 300 people show up.

"It's kind of hard to judge. You do the leg work and hold your breath."

Last week she sent out 10,000 leaflets urging people to contact their local MLAs and other government officials.

MacDonald said she has been calling former Weyerehaeuser employees and has heard people around town talking about the rally.

"It seems to be the topic of conversation since the mail out went out last week."

She has also sent e-mails to Byrne, Fraser, Miramichi Centre MLA John Foran, and Environment Minister Wally Stiles inviting them to the rally, but said she didn't know if they will be attending.

"I haven't gotten any response."

When asked about the rally, Byrne said he can appreciate people in the area are anxious about the mill deal.

"They're been faced with significant downturns with the closure of the UPM mill and the Weyerhaeuser mill, and obviously they'd like to see a project move forward."

But Byrne cautioned his government would have to see the company's plan before they are in a position to provide support.

"We want to work with the company and create new opportunities here, but again, it's important with us to sit down face to face and deal with the specifics."

Fraser said the province has the same goal as the rally organizers, which is to see the mill in operation, but added they have to do it in a responsible way.

"We can't just carte blanche say, OK, here's a wood allocation and not have a feasibility study and full business plan in place so we know what the plan is for the mill and that wood."

Province seeks youth input on climate change

Feb. 13, 2009

New Brunswick youth can help the government find ways to act on climate change, says Environment Minister Roland Haché.

Haché was at NBCC Miramichi Tuesday to announce the Environment Department will hold 20 sessions across the province under the name Rock the Boat, Our Climate, Our Change.

With a line of Canadian and New Brunswick flags behind him, Haché told a group of about 60 people the Rock the Boat sessions are an important part of the partnership between the government and youth around the province.

"These sessions are a great opportunity for youth to work with government in getting involved in their communities in the fight against climate change and to contribute to a self-sufficient New Brunswick by 2026."

The sessions' goal is to engage youth and get input from them in the province's fight against climate change.

Various communities around the province will host sessions, including Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, Bathurst and Chipman.

New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth member Jordan Graham said his group works on many different issues and has taken part in past Rock the Boat tours.

"Right now we're taking on climate change."

The government needs an inclusive public policy to learn what youth are talking about, he said.

"The youth today are largely going to be accepting consequences of decisions made tomorrow."

But Graham said the province's inclusion of youth in climate change discussions was very encouraging.

"It's a two-way street. If we want to engage with them we have to reach out to them."

After he made the announcement, Haché said he was surprised by how aware kids are about the environment.

"To me I think there's a real action that can be taken today."

Haché said teachers talk about environmental issues in school, kids see them on television or they experience things like floods which have an affect on them and raise awareness.

"They are really concerned by that."

During a visit to one school, Haché met two boys who started picking up garbage around their community. He said that got the ball rolling at their school.

"I have great hope for the future as far as the environment is concerned."

Although he didn't stay for the session with the students, Haché said the facilitators would brief him on the information taken from it.

"We want to hear about their ideas. Youth have a very fertile imaginations."

NBCC Miramichi principal Marie-Paule Theriault said the Environment Department held the session at the community college because of the school's environmental technology program.

"They felt it was an ideal location to have it."

The environmental technology students will bring new initiatives forward, she said.

"The students they bring in a fresh approach to challenges."

Rally to support mill sale; Arbec pledges to use wood for local mill

Feb. 11, 2009

When Miramichiers gather for a rally this weekend it won't be for one of the local sports teams.

Dawn MacDonald is one of the rally organizers who hopes public support will help get the Weyerhaeuser oriented strand board mill open under a new owner.

"Hopefully we'll have a real good crowd of people," she said.

MacDonald has been trying to help bring Arbec Forest Products in to take over the mill since she first heard the company was interested.

Last week many Miramichi residents opened their mailboxes to find a leaflet from MacDonald urging them to contact Premier Shawn Graham, local MLAs John Foran and Bill Fraser, Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne and Natural Resources Minister Wally Stiles.

MacDonald said she sent out about 10,000 of the leaflets last Thursday and Friday to help build support for her cause.

"A lot of people are saying they're glad somebody's doing something on this issue."

This week is crucial for letting the government know people want the mill re- opened and it's important to show public interest in the deal, she said.

"We are very serious here in the Miramichi area. We want these jobs back."

Arbec vice-president of finance and administration Serge Mercier said company representatives are coming to New Brunswick this week to meet with provincial officials, but he wouldn't give more information about when it will be.

"We don't want to be too specific with our meeting with Business New Brunswick."

But even though he wouldn't go into detail about the meeting, Mercier did say Arbec's plan has been the same from the beginning.

"We need to have enough secured wood allocation."

MacDonald said she has heard concerns from Miramichi residents who worry Arbec will ship wood from any potential allocation out of province, but she spoke with Mercier who told her it would stay in the Miramichi.

"He assured me on the phone their intention is to come here and to operate this mill and produce OSB as the mill did before and that's it."

Mercier confirmed Quebec-based Arbec does not plan on using wood from the allocation outside the Miramichi.

"The request for wood is only for Miramichi. No other agenda."

A Crown wood allocation has been the issue holding up any deal between Arbec and Weyerhaeuser, with the province saying they would not commit to an allocation without business and industrial plans from Arbec.

Arbec has said they provided Business New Brunswick with a tentative business plan, but were told they would not receive the allocation they needed to run the mill.

Business New Brunswick representative Deborah Knobs said the company does need to submit the business and industrial plans and it will be one of the topics discussed at this week's meeting.

"They're hoping to get some clarity out of this meeting about what specifically is possible with the Weyerhaeuser mill."

The fact both sides are meeting and talking about the issue is encouraging, she said.

"The intent is to get permanent sustainable jobs down there if at all possible."

MacDonald said she hopes to see community support for the sale with a big group attending Saturday's rally.

"I think the bigger the group the more support we have, the more effective it's going to be for the government to see."

Resident questions high-speed decision

Feb. 11, 2009

The company chosen to expand high-speed Internet to rural New Brunswick says they will deliver the service as promised, but not everyone is so sure.

The province announced last week they chose Barrett Xplore as the company to expand coverage to every part of New Brunswick under their Xplornet brand.

Part of the plan includes using satellite service to reach areas with low population densities.

Fatkat Animation Studios systems administrator Sean McGraw lives in Trout Brook in one of New Brunswick's 39,000 homes without access to high-speed Internet.

He knows people who use Xplornet satellite and said he thinks it is way too slow.

"For me I wouldn't pay for it."

Xplornet was already established as a rural high-speed Internet provider in New Brunswick before the province chose them.

They acted as one of three Canadian resellers for American service provider HughesNet which is facing a class action lawsuit from customers in the U.S. The customers claim the company oversold its service which lead to limited access and speeds.

Barrett Xplore spokesman Allison Lenehan said Xplornet is considered a wholesaler instead of a reseller after taking over HugheNet's Canadian network in November 2008.

"We go buy the capacity and the equipment and we provide the service ourselves. It will be our own business, not theirs."

The company addressed concerns about bandwidth as part of their deal with the province and will be able to handle increased usage, he said.

"We've assured the province that we will."

Bandwidth is the amount of data that passes through a connection over a set period of time. Satellite high-speed service typically doesn't provide the same speeds as traditional providers like Aliant or Rogers and customers had to pay to get faster service.

Under the new agreement with the government, Xplornet's basic service will deliver higher speeds at a lower price than they offered in the past.

McGraw said the satellite service doesn't compare to what the other providers offer, even though the price has dropped.

"The price might be similar, but that's about it."

Lenehan said Xplornet will use three satellites for its New Brunswick customers, instead of just one, which will allow them to upgrade their current customers to a faster service.

"We have ensured we have sufficient capacity to upgrade those customers."

HughesNet launched a new satellite and Xplornet bought capacity on it to accommodate an increase in their customer base, he said.

"We acquired that capacity and can do with it as we choose."

Lenehan said they were limited in what they could offer in the past because they were a reseller, but as a wholesaler Xplornet has more freedom in the packages they offer.

"In essence, the configuration of the package and how it was governed would have been determined by the provider themself."

McGraw said the change in the business doesn't matter because Xplornet is still selling HughesNet's service.

"It's still the same service."

But he didn't know how the extra satellites would affect speeds and said he would have to see once more customers go online.

"I don't think it's something you can gauge until you can compare it to what it was in the past."

McGraw said if the government's goal is to be a leader in innovation, there are better technologies out there than satellite.

"I think there's better solutions that the government could put their money into."

Satellite is only one part of Barrett Xplores plan. The goal is to use fixed wireless to reach the majority of rural New Brunswickers who are currently without service with satellite filling gaps in the network.

Fixed wireless uses transmitters on towers to reach customers within a 10 kilometre area.

McGraw said he didn't know what Xplornet's criteria are for putting in a tower, but he thought there would be enough interest in the area where he lives.

"I'd be more than happy to try it if that was a solution."

Good news for Morrissy Bridge?; Problems found with one pier

Feb. 11, 2009

There may be good news coming for the group trying to save the Morrissy Bridge.

Miramichi Trails Coalition member Mike Mersereau said he spoke with someone at the provincial Transportation Department last week and was told an engineering study showed problems with only one pier.

"It is looking very positive in terms of preserving and salvaging the bridge for pedestrian use."

Mersereau has been part of a group trying to save the bridge since the Transportation Department closed it in September after a study showed the bridge had deteriorated to the point where it was no longer safe to drive on.

It was slated for demolition with a tender ready to go in December, but a push by the public to save it for pedestrian use halted the demolition until further studies are completed.

Several weeks ago divers cut into the ice to conduct an underwater survey of the piers to check their structural integrity.

Mersereau said he didn't have many details about the study's findings because the engineering firm that did the study hasn't released its report yet.

"We hope to have the report by the end of this week."

Transportation Department spokesman Andrew Holland said he couldn't confirm the report's findings because his department hadn't received any documentation from the engineering company yet.

"It's hard to comment on a report we don't have."

Once they receive the study results, department staff will look at the information and take it to the committee trying to preserve the bridge.

"The long and short of it is it's premature."

Mersereau said the bridge wouldn't be able to open as a pedestrian crossing until the pier is repaired.

"It's a requirement to enabling people to cross."

Once they have more information, the trails coalition will have to put together a request for proposals for the repair work, he said.

"It's kind of a quiet time waiting to see that happens with the study."

Mersereau said he was pleased to hear the engineers found only one pier needs to be repaired.

"I don't think it's anything insidious because it was never looked at."

Since they began the push to save the bridge, Mersereau's group has started to hear from people working on trails in other parts of the community who are interested in working together, he said.

"I think the city's lucky that they've got a group that's willing to work with them to make it happen."

Several cities around the province have extensive trail systems, including Fredericton where a citizens group worked with the city to convert an old train bridge into a pedestrian crossing.

Mersereau said his group sent a request to city council to recognize them as the Miramichi Trails Coalition.

"I think it's moving in the direction it needs to move."

The coalition realizes the bridge would have to be part of a larger trail plan and they are trying to get funding for the project, he said.

"The only way to tackle that is to have a trails plan in place."

Mersereau said the trails coalition has been working with several city councillors who have been supportive of their plans.

"The group is more than happy to work with the city to make it happen."

Rivermen lose two in a row

Feb. 9, 2009

MIRAMICHI - The Miramichi Rae's Yamaha Rivermen dropped two in a row with a 5-2 loss to the Moncton Flyers in N.B./P.E.I. Major Midget AAA action Saturday at the Lord Beaverbrook Arena.

Rivermen assistant coach Carl Watters said some of the Flyers' goals came off lucky bounces that managed to get past the Rivermen goalie.

"You take those couple goals out of there, it's a different ball game."

Moncton broke the game open early with three goals in the first period. None of them were soft as Miramichi goalie Julien Daigle faced 36 shots through two periods of play.

The game winner came off a shot that trickled in behind Daigle as he sprawled out and tried to sweep it out with his glove, but caught it just after it slid past the goal line.

Tommy Bezeau scored the Rivermen's first goal with 2:23 left in the first on hard shot that slipped in over the Flyers' goalie Aaron Hamilton's left shoulder.

Moncton struck twice more in the second and shut out the Rivermen to take a four goal lead into the third.

When the teams came back on the ice, Berthier Robichaud replaced Daigle in net and managed to stop all 11 shots in the third period.

The Rivermen scored the period's only goal when Chris Ingersoll's shot hit Hamilton's arm and deflected into the net.

Rejean Martin, Alexander Scully, Sawyer Hannay all scored a goal a piece and Allain Saulnier netted a pair in for the Flyers.

After the game, Watters said it was hard for the Rivermen to come back once they got behind.

"The kids have to be mentally strong enough when they get behind. They have to be able to pull themselves out of it."

Last week the Rivermen lost 6-0 to the Saint John Vitos, but Watters said he didn't think the lopsided loss had much to do with Saturday's game because Moncton is a first place team.

"They played like a first place team."

As for the usually solid Daigle's struggles Saturday night, Watters said he had trouble holding on to the puck against the Flyers.

"He seemed to be fighting the puck a lot."

The loss dropped the Rivermen to 10-17-1 before their Sunday game against the Fredericton Canadiens.

Ocean Spray waiting for environmental assessment

Feb. 6, 2009

Ocean Spray hopes to start work around Lake Despres by April 1 if they can get approval from the government in time, says a representative for the company working on the assessment.

Jaques Whitford engineering company project manager Denis Deveau attended Wednesday's Miramichi River Environmental Assessment Committee meeting to address concerns about the cranberry operation.

The April goal is the company's ideal time to plant their cranberry vines for this year's growing season, he said.

"This is all contingent on getting our permission and approval in place," Deveau said.

If everything goes as planned, Ocean Spray will initially build on Crown land around the lake in two phases, with the possibility of expanding if things go well.

The operation could eventually create around 50-100 jobs once all the phases are complete and would be one of the largest cranberry operations in North America.

Deveau said part of the first two phases is a plan to dig trenches around the area's peat bogs for use as a canal to flood the cranberry beds several times a year.

"This is how they're going to get water to flood. It's basically a closed loop system."

The cranberry beds will need to be flooded about 14 times a year, including during harvesting and in December to protect them from frost.

Jaques Whitford developed the plan based on figures for a dry year and assumed there would be a need to flood, he said.

"If you lose your crop, you lose your crop and they're expensive."

To get the water they need, Ocean Spray may need to draw it from Lake Despres, but it will be limited in how much they can take to ensure the lake's water level doesn't drop more than 50 centimetres.

Deveau said the ground in the area where Ocean Spray plans to plant their beds is good for cranberries because it retains water.

"They don't need to be wet all the time. They need to be moist."

Ocean Spray registered their environmental impact assessment Dec. 18 and the technical review committee has been sending questions back about the project since then.

The public has until Feb. 21 to comment on the project if they have any concerns about its environmental impact, Deveau said.

"That's basically where we stand on the EIA and its status." One of the questions Jaques Whitford is trying to get answers about is whether or not there are fish in the lakes near the proposed cranberry operation.

Gordon Yamazaki has been working on the company's fish surveys and they have found small populations of fish in some of the area's waterways.

"The flows would be reduced during summer conditions and we don't expect fish to vacate."

They weren't able to get in to South Lake when they were doing their initial surveys and the lake is shallow enough it may be frozen straight through, which means the earliest they will know if there are fish in it is some time in the spring, he said.

"We're out there now, but we're going to have to go out there in the spring anyway."

Yamazaki said one method they have been using is looking for a type of invertebrate found only in places where there aren't any fish. It's a new method in New Brunswick and they still have to use other methods, he said.

"You could not hang an assessment on it." Deveau said another area of concern from the public was pesticide use, but cranberry operations aren't like farms where they use pesticides all the time.

"It's only when there's an issue that you use pesticides here."

Ocean Spray wants to submit their environmental protection plan before they receive government approval of the environmental impact assessment, because they don't want it to delay the project, he said.

"Once it's issued we want to be able to start construction."

But Deveau said how soon they start will depend on when the snow is gone and how wet the area is this spring.

"I guess mother nature will tell us if we'll be in there or not."

Family remembers lost child

Feb. 6, 2009

When three-year-old Kayley Janusas was dying in a Toronto hospital, her parents had to decide if they would take her off life support or wait until the doctors did the next morning.

She had the restrictive form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and her body was turning blue from problems caused by a blood clot.

Her father Chris Janusas said her body was basically dying and the doctors left the decision up to them.

"I think the hardest decision for both of our lives was to take her off the life support."

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the second most common form of heart muscle disease. It causes the heart muscle to thicken and stiffen, making it hard for the heart to relax.

Feb. 27 will mark one year since Kayley died from the blood clot that made its way up her leg to block capillaries throughout her body.

As she sat in her kitchen Wednesday, Stephanie Janusas remembered the first signs there was something wrong with her daughter.

She said Kayley seemed healthy at first, but didn't gain any weight after her first birthday, would get frequent ear and lung infections, had stomach problems and was always in and out of the hospital.

"They never even had time to put her folder away because we were in there so often."

Doctors in the Miramichi told her Kayley had pneumonia, treated her and eventually she got better. Christmas and New Years came and went, but it wasn't long before Stephanie had to take her to the hospital again with the same symptoms and stomach pain.

It was during that visit a doctor noticed Kayley's liver was extended and after another doctor confirmed it, they told Stephanie they could tell it was going on for a while because of how extended the liver was.

"I don't know what else to do. I'm in here every week," Stephanie said.

Kayley gained six pounds in one week as fluid started to build up in her body. Her doctors contacted the IWK Hospital in Halifax where they said to get an ultrasound of her heart.

Stephanie said the Miramichi hospital didn't have ultrasound equipment for children so they used the regular ultrasound.

"Clearly it showed her heart was enlarged."

The situation was serious enough for Kayley and her mother to fly to the IWK in an air ambulance. Once there, the hospital conducted more tests and gave her diuretics to get rid of the fluid build-up.

Chris was five days into a six-week tour working in Labrador when he found out about Kayley and flew to Halifax to meet his wife and daughter. He said when he heard the news, he never thought it would have ended they way it did.

"I was OK, it was probably more serious, but I never thought it would result in death."

From Halifax, the family went to the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto on Feb. 14. They put Kayley on the transplant list and while they waited for a new heart, Chris went back to Hardwicke to get things ready to move to Toronto where they planned to live while they waited for a transplant.

Chris said he explained to Kayley he had to leave and gave her a kiss goodnight before he made the drive home.

"I never talked to her again after that, pretty much."

Everything seemed to be going well and Kayley was even riding her tricycle in the hallway the day before he went home. While he was away the blood clot moved up her leg and even though her doctors cleared it out of her aorta, they couldn't clear her capillaries.

Chris didn't know about it until he got home and said when he left Toronto he worried she would go in for a heart transplant while he was away.

"I never thought she'd pass away in that time."

When they couldn't do any more, Kayley's doctors put her on life support to keep her lungs and heart working. Stephanie could tell things weren't improving and although her daughter wasn't conscious, she leaned in and told her it was OK for her to finally let go.

"Sweet pea, you did such a good fight. Mommy loves you. If it hurts too much it's OK to go," Stephanie said.

Kayley died the next day.

Looking back at everything that happened, Stephanie said her daughter wasn't like a regular three-year-old and she touched everyone who knew her.

"The spirit in her was just beautiful."

One of the things Stephanie said she learned from the experience was people think only adults have heart disease and it often gets overlooked in children.

"Be aware of symptoms. Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion."

Stephanie said Kayley's form of cardiomyopathy is genetic and even though there wasn't a history of heart disease in her family it can happen.

"It's just to show that you never think it's going to happen to you."

The Janusas' have a six-year-old son named Owen and Stephanie said when she heard the disease was genetic she was scared he would develop it too.

"I was just petrified. I was praying so much that Owen wouldn't be affected."

So far Owen hasn't shown any signs of the disease, but doctors have been checking him regularly to make sure it doesn't develop.

He understands what happened, to a certain extent, but it was a big surprise for him when they came home without his sister, she said.

"Moms save everybody so not coming home with Kayley was a disappointment."

Stephanie said any time he has questions about what happened they are honest with him.

"You've got to be really straightforward with that boy because he'll see right through you."

For Chris, he still replays what happened in his mind sometimes while lying in bed at night and the decision they made still haunts him at times.

"I'm a little more at peace with it now that say a month after it happened."

Get on with lives, says health minister

Feb. 6, 2009

There is no need to worry was the message at a meeting between Health Minister Mike Murphy and village council in Blackville Wednesday night.

Murphy and several health department officials made the trip to Blackville to address concerns about the arsenic scare the village has been dealing with for over a year.

After the meeting, Murphy said he went through the differences between organic and inorganic arsenic and told council there is no need for alarm.

"Essentially they should get on with their lives."

Since May the health department has confirmed 35 people have shown elevated levels of arsenic, with only one showing signs of the dangerous inorganic form.

The first case received his results in December 2007, but it wasn't confirmed by the Health Department until May.

Murphy said the council still had questions about how harmful organic arsenic is.

"I think after the hour long meeting the mayor and council were satisfied."

Blackville mayor Glen Hollowood said the health minister told council there was no arsenic source in Blackville.

"I feel good. I think it's about time to leave this behind."

Murphy brought a letter with him, which included the toll free number he promised during a news conference last week. The letter also explained some of the potential food sources of organic arsenic, such as fish.

Hollowood said people had a lot of questions and it was good to get answers from Murphy.

"At the end he said don't stop eating any of it."

Murphy and the Health Department officials admitted they were slow in their initial response to concerns from Blackville residents, Hollowood said.

"I think the information was all slow coming to them too."

Councillor Jonathan Brennan was also at the meeting and said he thought it went well, but people are still concerned about the arsenic situation.

"They didn't have a chance to meet with him."

One of the sticking points for many Blackville residents has been the difference between organic and inorganic arsenic with officials saying the organic form is not toxic.

Brennan said he trusts the officials when they tell him organic arsenic is natural and not a health concern for people with elevated levels.

"Their levels would have to be 100 times higher than what we're seeing now to show symptoms."

Blackville residents have been getting a response in recent weeks after admitting they made mistakes, he said.

"People not knowing was the worst thing that could have happened."

Brennan said even though they answered a lot of their questions, there was still one person showing symptoms of inorganic arsenic.

"I know there will be a few people who will question part of it."

Along with the toll-free number, the health department has also set up a nurse practitioner at the health clinic in Blackville, he said.

"I believe she's been there this week."

Brennan said the government has addressed Blackville residents' concerns and he hopes the citizens are satisfied with their answers.

"I hope everything's gonna be OK."

Promoting adultry not for national TV station

Feb. 6, 2009

Every year Canadians moan and groan about not being able to watch American Super Bowl ads.

But this year, when a Canadian company wanted buy air time on CTV for an ad shown in the U.S., the broadcaster said no.

The company is called The Ashley Madison Agency. Sounds classy doesn't it.

A quick look on the company's website tells a different story when you see the simple tag line "Life is short. Have an affair." It's a dating service for married people looking to have an extra-marital affair.

CTV didn't object to the company's ad because the content was offensive. The ads had already run south of the border and they weren't any worse than the late night fare for telephone chat lines or other dating services.

What they did object to was a business that promotes adultery. They said Ashley Madison's ad didn't meet their "standards for the quality brands associated with this premiere television property."

I guess "As seen on Howard Stern" wasn't endorsement enough for them.

Visitors to the site are met with words like discreet and the promise of meeting someone just like them. It even has a link to an infidelity quiz on Oprah's website for people who want to know if cheating is for them, I guess.

Ashley Madison's president responded to CTV's snub by comparing his ads to beer or liquor commercials and challenged the network to stop airing those too.

"That's a product that literally kills tens of thousands of people each year, " he said in a statement last week.

While that may be true, drinking on the whole is a socially acceptable activity. People can drink responsibly, but I don't know of any responsible way to have an affair you don't want your wife or husband to find out about.

Television networks should have the right to decide which ads they want to run and which ones they don't. It's no different than airing shows they find morally acceptable.

CTV is a business and should have a moral code they follow. We all expect companies to act in a responsible way and making a stand on moral grounds, whether or not we agreed with their position is a responsible thing to do.

In this case, CTV's position was absolutely right.

Even though not everyone agrees with drinking, people who think having an affair they hide from the spouse is OK would definitely be in the minority.

And the men and women having affairs through Ashley Madison must not think it's socially acceptable, otherwise they wouldn't be using the company's discreet service to hide it from their significant others.

At least the site's customers can sleep well knowing they aren't just throwing their money away if they don't find a partner.

The company has an affair guarantee. It even says 100 per cent so you know they must be good.

If you don't find someone within three months of buying the affair guarantee package Ashley Madison will refund the $249 dollars it costs to buy the package and have a guaranteed affair.

Of course there are rules that need to be followed and expectations that need to be met. Sounds something like a marriage.

Buying ad time during the Super Bowl is a smart move for Ashley Madison. Football is a sport with a mostly male audience who watch the games without their wives.

Maybe the company bought into the stereotypical idea of the nagging wife pestering her husband to stop watching the game.

There must be a demand for the service because the website says they have over three million members. That's three million people willing to pay money to find someone other than their spouse.

No wonder CTV didn't want any part of it. It's borderline prostitution on a huge scale.

The ad itself was tame. A man and his wife are out at a restaurant for supper. He's being an oaf, checking out other women, burping, picking his teeth and implying she'll get fat if she eats dessert. When he gets up to go to the bathroom she makes eye contact with a handsome man across the room and realizes there are wonderful opportunities out there for her.

It would be a good fit for any other dating site, if the couple wasn't married and it didn't promote infidelity.

Divorce rates are high enough as it is. We don't need television commercials promoting a service that could lead to more.

No where in the wedding vows I've heard did the couples promise to love, honour and cherish with the possibility of a discreet encounter with a stranger arranged online.

Rural high-speed on the way

Feb. 4, 2009

Screeching modems will soon be a thing of the past thanks to the province's plan to get high-speed Internet access every part of New Brunswick.

Last week Premier Shawn Graham announced Woodstock based Barrett Xplore will be the company to implement their plan to provide high-speed access to 100 per cent of New Brunswickers. Full details of the plan weren't released until yesterday when the government pledged to extend access to every person in the province by July 2010.

Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne said in a news release the government understands infrastructure is more than just roads and they need to build up communications infrastructure.

"Providing high-speed Internet access to everyone in New Brunswick is critical to moving this province toward our goal of self-sufficiency."

About 90 per cent of the province has access to high-speed Internet, with about 39,000 homes in rural and low-density population areas not served by high- speed providers like Aliant or Rogers.

Other options exist, like satellite service, but are more expensive than typical high-speed service and don't always offer the same reliability.

Barrett Xplore provides service under the name Xplornet which offers access through two different types of service.

People in rural areas are able to use an Xplornet satellite dish to access the Internet or in areas where there are more people, Xplornet fixed wireless, which uses broadcast equipment on a tower and covers an area of about 10 kilometres.

Barrett Xplore spokesman Allison Lenehan said fixed wireless is cheaper and faster than satellite, but there needs to be enough interest in an area for the company to install the equipment.

"Of course it takes time to build out across the country."

But with yesterday's announcement, Barrett will receive $13 million from the province to expand their network into areas where it wasn't cost effective before.

Lenehan said the first step is deploying satellite service around the province this month.

"It will be readily available right away."

Barrett has already identified areas where they want to provide service, but still needs to work out the details about broadcast equipment placement with property owners, he said.

"We've already identified where we'd like them to be."

The company expects the first towers to come online around May 1 and will provide fixed wireless service to about 30,000 by July 2010. Anyone not in range of a tower would have access to satellite service.

Lenehan said all of the company's existing satellite customers who use their basic service will be upgraded to 1.5 megabyte, which will cost $49.99.

"The 1.5's over $100 today. That's more than half the price."

The typical complaint customers have about satellite service is the speeds aren't high enough, but the upgrade should help, he said.

"That should address a lot of the questions or concerns that they had."

Working with different levels of government is not new to Barrett Xplore who had a deal with the city of Ottawa to get broadband in rural areas around the city, he said.

"We have not done a provincial deal to date."

Lenehan said the company has also worked with communities in Ontario to extend high-speed service to areas that otherwise wouldn't have access to it.

"We've been quite successful on the county or regional level."

Byrne said providing high-speed Internet access to 100 per cent of New Brunswick will solidify the province's reputation as a technology leader in Canada.

"Bringing broadband access to every New Brunswicker will encourage widespread use of this technology as a tool for economic development, ensuring that rural communities can remain the place to be for business success."

Historic homes not protected by laws

Feb. 4, 2009

When John Hubbard's uncle died in June 2008, nobody wanted to move into his house.

It was old, with high ceilings and no insulation to help keep the heat in during the cold winter months.

The almost 150-years-old building on Ferry Road was on small patch of land between two much newer homes until Monday when heavy machinery knocked it down.

John Hubbard inherited the house from his uncle David and said the person who tore it down told him it was the first house he had seen with no insulation.

"No fiberglass. No blown. No nothing."

John said the family got together after David died to decide what to do with the old house.

"In order to make it livable it would have cost an unbelievable amount of money."

The house wasn't the only old building torn down in the Miramichi recently. The owners of the 117-year-old McCombs Farm off King George Highway tore it down over the weekend.

McCombs Farm was built in 1892 in the Neo-classical style and was designated a local historic place for its architecture, its past function as part of a working farm and its association with former owners.

It was recognized as a local historic place on Nov. 24, 2005.

Local historian Francis Malley said the house was always used as a home, but for a time it took in overflow from the Miramichi Hotel.

"At the time it was the premiere hotel in town."

Although it was one of Miramichi's largest homes, its design wasn't unique and it was typical of the era in which it was built, he said.

"It was much larger than the typical home and representative of Miramichi's well-to-do at that time. Whoever built it certainly had means."

Although it was listed on the province's register of historical places, Miramichi doesn't have a bylaw in place to protect historic buildings.

Wellness, Culture and Sport spokesperson Danielle McFarlane said the farm was on the register as a place with a story of note, but the designation didn't provide it any protection.

"It doesn't mean that it's a provincially designated site."

Even if a site isn't provincially designated, some municipalities have bylaws in place to protect historic sites, but Miramichi isn't one of them, she said.

"I know Miramichi doesn't have a bylaw."

There are six municipalities with heritage bylaws in New Brunswick. Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, Caraquet, Rothesay and Sussex all have laws in place to protect historic buildings.

Miramichi city clerk Jim Lamkey said city council passed a heritage bylaw, but it hasn't been approved by the province yet.

"We're just tying up a few loose ends."

McFarlane said the provincial register is a new information tool for people who want to learn about New Brunswick's historic sites with more than 1,000 listed on it.

"It hadn't all been collected and accessible before."

John's house wasn't a provincially designated site either and didn't have any protection from demolition, but some of its features will live on after the rubble is cleared away.

Family members took some of the molding around the door frames, several heavy wooden doors and a few of the other well crafted parts of the house. John said he took an old fireplace he is getting installed in his home next door to the old house.

"Anything that was good, people got out of it what they wanted."

If there had been interest from a family member, the house might not have stayed vacant, but John said it shared a common driveway with his home.

"I couldn't have sold it."

The demolition started earlier than planned when snow brought down the porch after John removed a post he wanted to use to build a gazebo.

"There'll be lots of parts of it around," he said.

John said he didn't know how the craftsmen who built the house were able to do what they did with the tools they had at the time, and some of the features, like the fireplace wouldn't be found today.

"I would say 150 years ago it would have been a pretty fancy house."

Community development and tourism director Peter Murphy said sometimes it's difficult to maintain an old building and it's not always feasible for the owner.

"We certainly hate to see them go, but you have to look at the expense to the owner."'

There are several buildings around the Miramichi listed as provincial historic sites, including Beaverbrook House, Loggie House and the old courthouse.

Other municipalities have commented on the extent of historic site preservation in the Miramichi, despite a lack of involvement from the city, he said.

"I guess it's just the people themselves who see the value in protecting a property."

Chinese students visit Miramichi

Feb. 2, 2009

Some new faces filled the seats around council chambers Wednesday when a group of Chinese students visited city hall.

The 10 students from Beijing arrived in Miramichi Jan. 24 to take part in a week-long winter camp before they headed off to Montreal.

As he sat behind Deputy Mayor Nancy Lordon's microphone, Allen Xi said he made the trip because he wants to go to Dalhousie University in Halifax next year to study business.

"There are some classmates and I will come to Canada for university."

Curling, snowshoeing, tobogganing and going on a sleigh ride were some of the activities the students took part during their stay in the Miramichi.

City hall staff put together gift bags which included a Miramichi hat, pin and tourism booklet for their guests.

District 16 international student coordinator Peggy Gorman-Mitchell said the students were also scheduled to visit local schools before they left so they could see what our schools were like.

"I think it's to learn about our own culture and what Miramichi is like."

In past years, some Chinese students who visited the area returned as exchange students at the high schools and this year some local students will take a trip to Beijing.

Like Xi, Ann Yi said she wanted to visit Canada because she wants to go to university here.

"University in Canada is offering more and can learn something."

But even though she said the people in the Miramichi were friendly and she thought the city was beautiful, she didn't know what the temperature would be like when she left Beijing.

"It's so cold."

Last week, the temperature dipped below -20 C at times, a stark change from highs above 5C in Beijing during the same week. But even with the cold, Yi said the snowshoeing excursion was her favourite part of the trip.

"I think it's very interesting, but in fact it's hard to work."

Xi said everything was white in the Miramichi and he was surprised how much snow the area gets compared to Beijing.

"It's so terrible."

For him, his favourite event was indoors when the group went curling.

"So funny. You must be careful," he said.

Xi also thought the people of Miramichi were friendly and said he wished people from Canada and China would be like family.

"I hope I can spend my next holiday here."

Before they left city hall, some of the students stood together in their identical grey and blue jackets to sing a song about friendship and hope.

As they gathered together at the end of the council tables, Gorman-Mitchell said the program was great for both sides.

"It brings our world together."

People need answers on Arbec, says resident

Feb. 2, 2009

The people of the Miramichi aren't getting the answers they deserve about the Arbec deal, says a concerned citizen.

Dawn MacDonald said she sent a letter to Premier Shawn Graham Jan. 27 because she didn't think she was getting answers about the potential sale of the Weyerhaeuser mill to Arbec.

"I thought it was time to go to that step."

Earlier this year, Arbec signed a tentative deal to buy the mill, but it expired in December after the company failed to secure a crown wood allocation from the province.

The Natural Resources Department said they couldn't confirm an allocation for Arbec because they didn't receive the required business or industrial plans necessary for a wood allocation application.

Arbec said they provided the province with a preliminary business plan and the province was aware of how much wood they need to run the mill.

MacDonald said she has been getting good feedback from the public about her efforts to move the issue forward and is collecting names on a petition to take to the legislature when it opens in March.

"We urge people to get out there and support this because every name counts."

She urges people to contact their representatives in government and said she plans to continue the push for action on the mill sale.

"There's power in numbers, we all know that."

MacDonald said she also sent her letter to Miramichi Centre MLA John Foran, Miramichi-Bay du Vin MLA Bill Fraser, Natural Resources Minister Wally Stiles and Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne, but didn't get an immediate response.

Stiles sent a letter to Arbec two weeks ago offering to meet with the company to discuss the issues surrounding the deal.

In an email sent Wednesday, Arbec vice-president of finance and administration Serge Mercier said the company is still working with Business New Brunswick to arrange a meeting in the coming weeks.

He also said Arbec representatives attended a meeting at city hall in August at which time they expressed their interest in the mill and indicated how much wood they needed.

MacDonald said there was enough wood to operate all the mills in the area when they were on the river and she hopes Arbec can get the mill up and running.

"My hope is the government gives Arbec the allocation it needs to put people in this area back to work."

Arbec needs about 650,000 to 700,000 cubic metres of wood per year to run the mill, but the previous Weyerhaeuser allocation would only provide half of what Arbec needs.

The company will not commit to a deal until they know they can get a sufficient allocation.