CHCO-TV NewsBreak26 with Vicki Hogarth: September 24, 2024

By Vicki Hogarth, CHCO-TV NewsBreak26, St. Andrews, New Brunswick

New Brunswickers Are Heading to the Polls

The 41st provincial general election is officially underway leading up to Election Day on Monday, Oct. 21, with advance voting available on Saturday, Oct. 12, and Tuesday, Oct. 15. Chief Electoral Officer of New Brunswick Kim Poffenroth stopped by the CHCO-TV studio on Saturday to inform voters on everything you need to know before you cast your ballot, including how easy it is to vote anywhere in New Brunswick leading up yo Election Day no matter what riding you officially reside in. 

"Eligible voter can vote at any returning office in the province as of this Thursday just passed, all through the election period right up until the polls close on October 21st," said Poffenroth. "And you can actually register at the same time."

CHCO-TV's full interview with Poffenroth appears on Southwest Magazine this week. Election details can be found on the Elections New Brunswick website or by calling 1-888-858-VOTE (8683). 

In the lead-up to the election, CHCO-TV will be hosting a special event, "Meet the St. Croix Candidates", on October 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Garcelon Civic Centre in St. Stephen. Six candidates have already confirmed their participation in the event representing the Progressive Conservatives, the Liberals, the Green Party, NDP, People's Alliance and the Libertarian Party.

Residents interested in submitting questions for the candidates can email them to candidates@chco.tv by October 1st. The questions will be vetted by CHCO-TV, and the candidates will hear them for the first time during the event. I have the privilege of moderating this informative evening, which will also include an in-person audience. The event will also be recorded for television and streaming and will be broadcast the following week on all our platforms.

Wharf Restoration Postponed One Year in St. Andrews

At Monday night's council meeting for the Town of Saint Andrews, Mayor Brad Henderson announced a one-year delay for the refurbishment of the Market Wharf and seawall upgrades, which was set to begin this October.   

"As we approach the final design, DFO expressed issues on the current design that would have required significant and costly mitigation," said Mayor Henderson during the meeting. "To minimize the risk of going into the 2025 tourist season, we have elected to delay the project for a year. While we are extremely frustrated regarding this delay. We have engaged with our funding partners and are pleased to confirm that all parties are in agreement with the rescheduling of the project for 2025."

The $7.8 million project will now be completed during the 2025/2026 season, with minimal disruption to residents and tourists.

"The issue that we experience with DFO is the fact that the, I guess you could say, footprint of Market Square would be expanded," said Henderson to CHCO-TV. "And there were concerns over mitigation of habitat, meaning that if you're going to take some, you had to find a way in which to replace it. And although that seems like maybe a pretty simple thing to do, maybe you instal a fish ladder somewhere or look at other mitigating factors. The reality is it's not a one done. It's ongoing, and it continues basically forever. And the cost of such a project, we even asked, is this something that's $100,000, $200,000? And they said, We're way off. This would cost the municipality over a million dollars to mitigate the existing plan. So we need to either get this plan approved somehow or we need to alter the plan to something that has less of a footprint on the floor of the ocean. I will say, though, if the municipality was an aquaculture company, this actually would be approved. There's something, an agreement called AAR, and apparently they are exempt from this process, but a municipality is not."

Dragon Boat Festival Brings Teams from Across NB to Katy's Cove

The annual Race by-the-Sea Dragonboat Festival was held at Katy’s Cove in St. Andrews on Saturday, drawing teams from across New Brunswick for an all-day competition. Organized by the St. Andrews Paddling Club, now in its third year, the event saw the Grand Falls Bonitos take home the coveted trophy, a stunning piece crafted by local artist Werner Arnold. However, the true victory belonged to all participants, as the festival raised over $28,000 for mental health and wellness, benefiting the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation and the Charlotte County Hospital Foundation. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Charlotte County Fall Fair Brings Thousands to Ganong Nature Park

The Charlotte County Fall Fair took place on Saturday and Sunday at Ganong Nature Park. The beloved annual event was attended by thousands who came out to enjoy games, vendors, farm animals, hay rides, live music, and more. This year's fair included the new addition of sheep herding presentations by Wooly Ewe Farm. 

St. Andrews' Gabe Smith Plays in First NHL Game

18-year-old Gabe Smith from St. Andrews, NB made a strong impression in his NHL debut with Utah at a sold-out preseason game on Monday night, which saw Utah seal an 3-2 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Kings. Now, Gabe returns to Moncton, where he’ll suit up for the Wildcats' home opener this weekend.