Good morning, Saint John! We get an extra hour of sleep Sunday, but we’ll be driving home in the dark to pay for it. Getting outside for some morning sun can help with the adjustment… enjoy some time outdoors this week in the evenings before it’s too late!
Here’s the lowdown for the day:
A lifetime of work makes the grade 🎓
Some help raising the new barns 🏒
Curb your usual Friday plans 🎤
Let’s get into it!
-Geoff Walsh, Publisher
LOCALS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Labour leader gets his letters 🎓
George Vair spent decades standing up for Saint John workers. Last week, UNB honoured him with a doctorate of letters.
George Vair wasn’t convinced UNB’s phone call about an honorary degree was the real thing. Then the paperwork arrived.
“When I started reading it, I said, ‘Geez, this is for real,’” George tells SJ Today.
Last Friday, the Saint John labour leader, educator and historian received an honorary doctor of letters at UNB Saint John’s fall convocation. He hadn’t exactly been broadcasting the news. Even his wife, Carol, found out by reading the letter weeks after he received it.
UNB recognized more than five decades of work defending workers, teaching union members and preserving local labour history. George’s career took him from the Navy to Canada Wire and Cable, then into union representation and leadership. He also wrote books about Saint John’s labour movement and helped establish the Frank and Ella Hatheway Labour Exhibit Centre and Rockwood Park’s Day of Mourning Monument.
His own assessment is considerably shorter. “I did that work for years and somebody had to do it.”
That meant sticking with workers through difficult disputes, even when a victory looked unlikely. “Sometimes I thought it was a losing battle, but you still continue to fight.”
Fifty years ago on October 14, 1976, he found himself organizing what became one of the largest demonstrations in New Brunswick’s history. Thousands of workers marched the streets of Saint John, and thousands more left their jobs for the day. George shared how they believed something important was at stake, and felt a responsibility to make their voices heard. The protest was part of a National Day of Action against wage controls introduced by the federal government. “Change happens when people decide to get involved,” he shared.
On Friday, professors and alumni approached George throughout the convocation at Imperial Theatre and after party at the Saint John Arts Centre to offer congratulations. “I felt pretty good after the award,” he said. By Monday, the honorary degree was hanging on his wall, though he was still getting used to the idea that his working life deserved such recognition.
As for whether he considers the doctorate a big deal, George is coming around. “Well, if I really stop and think about it, I guess it might be.”
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NEWS NOTES
A cool $3 million for the east side 🏒
The Field House’s next-door neighbour just got a substantial housewarming gift.
Irving Oil is putting $3 million toward the multiplex expansion, which will add two NHL-sized ice surfaces and a new home for the East Saint John Branch Public Library. Hockey practice and overdue books could finally share a trip.
The contribution comes with naming rights to the multiplex and its arenas, which will honour K.C. Irving and Arthur L. Irving. It follows the company’s $2-million gift toward the original Field House in 2019.
It may not mean you’re out of the cold this year, but at least there’s something to look forward to for young athletes and their parents too!
More room for seniors 🏠
Eighteen seniors’ apartments are coming to Roxbury Drive with rent tied to income, giving future tenants a little more breathing room in the monthly budget.
The affordable homes are part of a 40-unit building already under construction, with completion expected next spring. Seniors in the 18 subsidized units will pay 30% of their monthly income toward rent, with the provincial housing corporation covering the rest.
The province is providing developer Roxbury Drive Developments Ltd. a $1.23-million forgivable loan, while the city contributed $310,000.
No application details were included in the announcement. We’ll keep an eye out for the part where people can actually put their names down.
KV gets its wheels turning 🛴
E-bikes and e-scooters are getting a closer look in the Valley, where sharing the path shouldn’t require the reflexes of a hockey goalie.
Rothesay, Quispamsis and Kennebecasis Regional Police have formed a working group after hearing residents’ concerns about the vehicles and the rules around riding them.
The group will examine the different types, what they’re capable of and how they can safely share roads, sidewalks and trails. The goal is consistent guidelines across both towns for speed, safety and where people ride.
No new rules have been announced. The towns and police say residents will hear more as the review progresses.
*Nothing in this section is sponsored, just things you need to know. We’ll always let you know if items are sponsored.
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EVENTS
What’s Happenin’
Theatre Talk Tuesday 🎭
Doubt, A Parable | October 27–31
A school principal suspects a beloved priest, and certainty becomes hard to come by. Atlantic Repertory Company brings John Patrick Shanley’s tense drama to BMO Studio Theatre. Check individual dates for showtimes. Tickets are $55 or $45 for students. Mature themes.
JB Smoove | October 30
He’s spent years making Larry David uncomfortable. Now it’s Saint John’s turn. JB Smoove, best known as Leon Black on Curb Your Enthusiasm, brings his stand-up to Imperial Theatre at 7:30pm. Regular tickets are 75–85, including taxes and fees.
Alebrijes Gala Production | November 1
The fantastical creatures of Mexican folk art come to life through dance, music, visual art and storytelling at Imperial Theatre. This original, all-ages production is part of Día de los Muertos Atlantic Canada and starts at 5pm. The show runs 90 minutes. Tickets are $50, including taxes and fees.
Men of the Deeps — 60th Anniversary | November 8
Sixty years of songs from underground, brought to the stage. Cape Breton’s coal miners’ chorus shares music and stories honouring mining life, community and the men who carried the lamps. At Imperial Theatre at 7:30pm. Tickets are $58.75.
Coming soon…
Script Sessions — Death of a Salesman | November 19
Take a part or simply lend an ear. Saint John Theatre Company’s free script-reading series returns with Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman at BMO Studio Theatre at 7pm. Read along or settle in and listen.
*Nothing in this section is sponsored, just things you need to know. We’ll always let you know if items are sponsored.
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📸 Graham Savage | 📍 View of Main Street & West Side (note the new structure at the pulp mill adding to the skyline).
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SIDE NOTES
🌅 7:56am | 🌇 6:19pm
Today’s Tides 🌊
High Tide | 00:42 AM(Tue 27 October) | 7.84 m(25.72 ft) |
Low Tide | 6:54 AM(Tue 27 October) | 0.88 m(2.89 ft) |
High Tide | 12:58 PM(Tue 27 October) | 8.29 m(27.2 ft) |
Low Tide | 7:20 PM(Tue 27 October) | 0.44 m(1.44 ft) |
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Thanks!
Thanks for reading SJ Today - If you found it useful, share it with someone who sees the time change as a chance to enjoy brighter Christmas lights…💡!
-Geoff Walsh - Publisher