Dorchester is getting set once again to kick off the New Year in style – and everyone is invited to come on out and join in the fun.
The Greater Dorchester Moving Forward Co-op will be hosting its 34th annual Polar Dip on Jan. 1, jumping into 2026 with a splash.
Hundreds have taken the plunge into Palmer’s Pond over the years to help ring in the New Year – including local residents, Mount Allison students, people visiting during the holidays, and anyone wanting to find a unique way to celebrate the coming year.
Over the years, the dip has attracted anywhere from only a handful of jumpers to a record-setting 85 last year – and some participants now even come dressed in costume to add to the fun.
Members of the Dorchester Fire and Rescue team are always on hand to ensure safety, with firefighters pulling the jumpers out of the water after their dip.
The event also serves as a fundraiser, with this year’s funds going to the Dorchester Fire Department and Station 8.
Organizers encourage all Tantramar residents to come out and watch the fun, even if not participating in the jump. There will be hot chocolate and a barbecue, and a best-dressed costume contest.
Participants are asked to get their pledge sheet early by emailing admin@station8nb.ca and are asked to collect a minimum of $25. Registration is at 12:30 pm on January 1 and the dip is at 1 pm.
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The municipality now has a plan in its hands to make the Tantramar Veterans’ Memorial Civic Centre a much more efficient facility.
Jamie Ferguson, Manager of Active Living & Culture, told Tantramar council at its November 24 meeting that a Net Zero Plan for the civic centre was recently completed by WSP, a global engineering firm. The plan, developed free of charge in partnership with the Canadian Urban Institute and the Climate Change Advisory Committee, was a recommendation stemming from the Tantramar Climate Change Advisory Committee earlier this year.
Ferguson said WSP used existing utility data, the previously completed energy audit report, and information about the condition of the building to complete their assessment and recommendations.
He said two primary approaches have been identified to help the civic centre reach a net zero goal by 2032. The first includes several building improvements to the existing infrastructure that would have been required over time anyway, among them improvements to the rooftop ventilation units and replacement of the existing refrigeration plant. The second approach is being called the Decarb option, which has identified extra items that would improve the efficiency of the rink “over and above the business-as-usual items,” said Ferguson. These include a flood water deaerator, an ice rink automation system, heat pump rooftop units, and a lighting control upgrade.
The upfront capital cost of the business-as-usual scenario is estimated at approximately $1.2 million, while the Decarb option is $1.94 million.
Councillor Michael Tower said the bonus with the second scenario is it could hook into government grants that will reduce the costs for the municipality.
Deputy Mayor Matt Estabrooks agreed, saying “the Decarb option for 2032 is something I think we should take a look as we head into next year’s budget and if there’s funding available we can reach out for, that’s a good thing.”
Ferguson noted that having WSP’s Net Zero Plan in hand, the municipality now has a document it can use to approach those granting agencies for funding more energy-efficient operations.
“We have a grant-ready application to be able to pursue any of those upgrades, if available,” he said.
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Sackville’s Fire and Rescue Department is seeing a record number of calls in 2025, a fact that drew some concern from Tantramar council recently.
After hearing from Sackville Fire Chief Craig Bowser, who reported that his department responded to 20 calls for service in a one-month period in October, Councillor Allison Butcher questioned whether there is a need for more volunteer firefighters.
“With so many calls for service, is this something that we should be having on our radar moving forward? Are we starting to outgrow having a volunteer fire station, or do we need to enlarge how many fire members we have?” Butcher asked.
Chief Bowser responded by noting that the department, compared to last year’s call volume, is already up 78 calls for the same reporting period.
“Last year was our biggest call volume at 223, I believe. We’re at 275 calls for service right now. We’ll well surpass 300.”
“So to answer your questions, our members are tiring,” said Bowser, who pointed out that volunteers not only respond to calls but also train every Thursday night for up to three hours.
And while some of the calls result in nothing of significance, Bowser acknowledged that the volunteers do often have to leave their place of employment for up to an hour or more. Some employers are not allowing them to leave as freely as in the past, he said, many times waiting until a second alarm has been called.
Deputy Mayor Matt Estabrooks said 20 calls in 31 days, plus weekly training nights, is definitely a lot to ask of volunteers. So maybe it is time to look at something different, he said. For now, though, recognizing that calls are up and appreciating that the firefighters get to the scene every time, is important.
“I think sometimes we simply forget to say thank you to those volunteers. That’s a lot.”
Sackville Fire & Rescue currently has about 36 volunteer firefighters, 7 below the full complement of 43.
