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Valley Solid Waste Commission

Recycling in Carleton and Victoria counties is gaining greater exposure these days through one simple move.

The Valley Solid Waste Commission has moved its office from Somerville to the busiest corner in Woodstock – the intersection of Connell and Main streets.

“There is much more contact with the public here,” said office administrator Denise Brown at Wednesday night’s grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Without even advertising, people are dropping in for a visit,” she said. “The signage on the windows really helps, it sends the message that we are really serious about diverting waste from the landfills.”

Commission chairman Jim Kennedy said the office’s new location comes at the same time as a few new initiatives for the commission, including more green boxes throughout the River Valley, a continued emphasis on the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) in area schools and the promotion of back-yard composting.

“The commission would not be successful without the help of the general public,” Kennedy said. “And we intend to do a lot more with partnerships in the near future.

“We hope to be the greenest part of New Brunswick.”

Representing the Department of Environment on Wednesday were assistant deputy minister of environment management Perry Haines and Mark Boldon of bioscience and resource management.

“From an exposure point of view this is a busy corner. Exposure ... is half the battle of educating people and making sure they know what they need to do,” said Haines, who has been involved with Valley Solid Waste since its inception in the early ‘90s.

Bowlan noted the dramatic changes solid waste management has seen over the past 20 years.

“The Minister of Environment plays a key focus in solid waste management in this province,” Bowlan said. “He sees us – members, commissions, the departments – as all key parts to solid waste management in the province.”

Woodstock town councillor Andy Leech was on hand to welcome the commission to the downtown core.

“The commission shows if we all want to work together we can,” Leech said. “You ought to be commended for that.”

En français: La Commission des déchets solides de la Vallée sera plus visible auprès de la population avec son déménagement de Somerville à l’intersection la plus occupée du centre-ville de Woodstock.

Barrett Xplore continues to expand broadband Internet Services

Pellett plant approved Nackawic town council passed the bylaw amendments, Sept. 15, which will clear the way for construction of a wood pellet plant in the town.

Businessmen Matthew and Malcolm Fox of York Energy Inc. expect the new plant to generate $20 million a year for the town.

But not everyone welcomes the plant. Randy Roussie, whose home borders the rezoned land, says he and his neighbours will fight council’s decision.

While not opposed to the idea of the new business opening up, Roussie said he doesn’t want it in that particular location.

He fears the plant’s location on a busy corner overlooking homes along the St. John River will have a negative impact on property values and nearby resident’s quality of life.

“I feel there are other lands in town that would be more suitable for a project of this nature,” Roussie said.

He said he spoke with other homeowners who feel the same way and they plan to continue their fight.

Despite Roussie’s objections, others in the region are throwing their support behind the project.

In a letter to council, president of the Mactaquac Country Chamber of Commerce Peter Morrison said the new plant will benefit the town and the surrounding area.

“The emergence of this business is an important economic component of Nackawic, providing 30 jobs within the town,” Morrison said. Jim Woodford, president and CEO of Pellet Systems International, said his company’s partnership with Matthew and Malcolm’s project will allow his company to grow and expand.

“They (York Energy) are building a technology the world is beating a path to our door to buy,” said Woodford.

En français: Malgré les objections d’un voisin, le Conseil municipal de Nackawic a donné son approbation envers un rezonage qui permettra la construction d’une usine de granulés de bois par York Energy Inc.

Spud farmers win PVY-n appeal

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal has overruled a trial judge on the question of liability in a lawsuit over a virus that devastated the province’s potato farms nearly two decades ago.

The result brings more than 180 New Brunswick potato farmers a step closer to collecting on a multimillion-dollar lawsuit launched against the federal government.

Justice Joseph Robertson ruled late last month that the matter be sent back to the trial judge who dismissed the case to assess damages.

“Hopefully this means the government will now sit down with (the farmers) and negotiate a settlement with them reasonably,” said John Friel, the lawyer representing the farmers. “If not, it would not mean recalling more evidence, all the evidence has been heard, it means just re-arguing that portion of the case in front of the Crown judge.”

New Brunswick potato farmers launched an appeal last year after a 14-year court battle with the federal government was dismissed by Judge Judy Clendenning.

Four farmers are named as the test cases in the suit, calling for $2.5 million themselves, but would then set the precedent for the more than 180 other affected farmers.

The farmers hoped to win $70 million in compensation from Ottawa for the way the Agriculture Department dealt with an outbreak of PVY-n virus in 1989.

Though the potato virus poses no risk to human health and doesn’t seriously affect potatoes, it can kill tobacco crops.

An outbreak in a tobacco field at Port Bruce, Ont., in September 1989 was traced to an adjacent potato crop produced from seed from Prince Edward Island.

That kicked off years of costly border closures and the loss of key markets for many New Brunswick farmers.

En français: La Cour d’appel du Nouveau-Brunswick a annulé un juge du procès sur la question de responsabilité dans une poursuite au sujet d’un virus qui a dévasté des fermes de pommes de terre du Nouveau-Brunswick il y a environ deux décennies. La décision permettra à environ 180 producteurs de pommes de terre à poursuivre leur cas contre le gouvernement fédéral à la recherche d’indemnisation pour des décisions entourant le virus PVY-n.

Tourism down in Hartland

The Town of Hartland’s tourism numbers fell again down in August.

The home of the Longest Covered Bridge in the World has seen a steady decline in tourist visits this summer.

August, the summer’s final vacation month, saw 15,893 visitors and 142 buses arrive in town, down six and five per cent respectively from August of last year.

August accounted for nearly half of the summer’s visitors – 36,286 – and over half of the buses to arrive in 2008 – 295.

The summer’s visitors are down 6.7 per cent from 2007, while the number of buses are down seven per cent.

Hartland’s town council attributes the drop to a lack of signage on the newly twinned Trans Canada Highway.

En français: Le nombre de touristes a poursuit son déclin en août à Hartland. Les fonctionnaires de la ville blâment le manque d’enseignes sur la nouvelle autoroute à quatre voies.

Agri-tourism plant gets funding

Carleton County’s newest tourism destination is receiving a half-a-million dollar boost from the federal government on its way to a November opening.

The Covered Bridge Potato Chip Company will establish a value-added facility to produce gourmet kettle potato chips and act as an innovative agri-tourism destination for the region.

Last months, investments by the Government of Canada, through ACOA, provide a business loan of $455,000.

The new facility, located off the Trans Canada Highway at the Hartland exit, will produce gourmet kettle chips for wholesale distribution to grocery and convenience stores in the region.

It will also serve as an agri-tourism destination, complementing other area destinations, such as the New Brunswick Potato Museum and the Hartland Covered Bridge.

Visitors will be able to watch the production process and have an opportunity to purchase their kettle chips and other New Brunswick-made products on site.

En français: L’entreprise Covered Bridge Potato Chip, qui va ouvrir ses portes près de la sortie de la Transcanadienne à Hartland, a reçu un prêt de 455 000 $ de l’APÉCA. Le commerce agro-touristique produira des croustilles dès son ouverture aux visiteurs.