Coming up on the CHMA daily news:
continuing calls for an inquiry into systemic racism in New Brunswick,
Marching for racial justice in Sackville
and Sackville authors up for book awards
But first:
AUDIO RUSSELL 1
“the outbreak in zone five continues today there are four new cases of COVID-19 to report in that region
Chief Medical Officer of Health Jennifer Russell says the four new cases are in two people in their 50’s and two people in their 80’s, all linked to the Manoir de la Vallée long term care home.
Russell says the cases are under investigation.
There are now 29 active cases in New Brunswick, all but one in the Campbellton Region.
Five patients are hospitalized with one in an intensive care unit.
AUDIO RUSSELL 2
“we are continuing to work hard to limit the spread of this virus and when I say we, I mean the people at the adult residential facility lemme Nadella Valley. I mean, the M and V staff I mean public health staff utility and horizon staff all working and social development all working super hard to contain the spread of this virus at the moment
Nova Scotia reported no new cases yesterday.
The province corrected issues with its reported numbers, and confirmed there are 5 active cases in the province, with two people in intensive care.
Nova Scotia also announced it will introduce outdoor visits at long term care facilities on June 15th.
Outdoor visits in New Brunswick long term care homes are already underway.
Last week, a day after the shooting of Chantal Moore by an Edmundston police officer, the Chiefs of the [WOOL-ah-sto-gway] Wolastoqey Nation issued a statement calling on the provincial government to review the justice system in New Brunswick.
Yesterday, the Chiefs issued another statement demanding action.
The statement reads: “The circumstances of Chantel Moore’s death are tragic, but these systemic problems run deeper than this one tragic incident. Only a truly independent process will give people confidence that it has been fully and fairly investigated.”
The statement goes on: “Our people are over-policed, under-served as victims, and more likely to be sentenced and jailed. The Province has a responsibility to act – to address systemic racism in the justice system. We need to end this discrimination.”
The Chiefs ask the government to appoint Indigenous and legal experts to oversee the investigation, pointing out that Non-indigenous people do not have the lived experience to conduct an unbiased investigation of such matters.
On Wednesday, New Brunswick’s Aboriginal affairs minister says he supports an inquiry into systemic racism.
Jake Stewart told reporters that he has encountered systemic racism affecting Indigenous people in the province.
At Wednesday’s press conference, Premier Blaine Higgs indicated he would not be pursuing an inquiry until the investigation of Chantal Moore’s death is completed.
The investigation by Quebec police watchdogs could take several months.
Higgs mentioned the need to understand the issues several times and acknowledged a problem in New Brunswick:
AUDIO Higgs 1:02:
I think it’s very important that we understand certainly what happened in this incident in Edmondson and we are having the full investigation done in that regard. I equally think it’s very important to understand kind of across the board how we can deal with any forms of racism that exists in today’s society. Do we have a problem in New Brunswick? Likely, I guess we need to understand the issues.
Higgs also wondered what kind of actions have been taken on previous inquiries, like the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
The inquiry issued its report one year ago, and included 231 Calls for Justice.
AUDIO: BLM in Moncton
Those are the sounds of a Black Lives Matter protest last Friday in Moncton, where over 1000 people marched against racial injustice and police brutality.
Sackville area residents will have another chance to show their solidarity this Friday June 12th, at 4pm.
The Mount Allison Black Student Union and Caribbean Student Association have put out a call for a peaceful protest against racism and injustice.
The march will begin at the intersection of Bridge, Main and York, in downtown Sackville, and will end at Town Hall.
The organizers are asking everyone to wear a mask, and practice social distancing.
There’s good news and bad news for Sackville in its latest survey of town residents.
Of the two hundred and fifty-nine people who responded to the online survey earlier this year, more than eighty percent said they were satisfied with the quality of life in Sackville.
Survey respondents were especially satisfied with the town’s fire services, garbage collection and its parks.
But there was much less satisfaction with the state of Sackville’s roads and sidewalks and the town’s efforts at economic development.
Only half of those who filled out the survey said they were satisfied with how the town spends tax dollars and how it is governed.
The online survey was conducted in February and March.
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Two Sackville writers are on the short list for this year’s New Brunswick Book Awards.
Chris Eaton’s third novel, Symphony No. 3, is shortlisted for a Fiction award.
Symphony No. 3 follows the life of renowned French composer Camille Saint-Sans [Saint-Saëns] as he ascends from child prodigy to worldwide fame.
Leslie Kern’s book, Feminist City: A Field Guide, is shortlisted for the Nonfiction category.
Kern is a feminist urban geographer, professor, and director of Women’s and Gender Studies at Mount Allison.
Feminist City: A Field Guide combines memoir, feminist theory, pop culture, and geography to expose what is hidden in plain sight—the social inequalities built right into our cities, homes, and neighbourhoods.
The finalists will be announced in a virtual ceremony online, tonight at 7pm.
The non-partisan spirit that allowed Parliament to swiftly pass emergency legislation during the COVID-19 pandemic evaporated Wednesday, when opposition parties refused to give unanimous consent to the Trudeau government’s latest bill.
The Conservatives then blocked the government’s bid to split the bill in two, to allow a promised benefit for Canadians with disabilities to go ahead.
That benefit — a one-time, tax-free payment of up to $600 for Canadians with disabilities — and other measures in the bill are now in limbo.
That’s it for the CHMA daily news.
Thanks to Geoff de Gannes and Bruce Wark for their contributions.
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