🚢 Who's going to Digby?

Good morning Saint John! It’s still flip-flop season, but Starbucks just declared war on summer…PSLs hit menus August 26. Nice try, cinnamon squad, but around here, we don’t even look at a pumpkin until October 1. Let the sun shine. ☀️✌️

Here’s the lowdown for the day:

• Fundy Rose loses a thorn 🌹 

• Sea Dogs just got faster 🏒

• Funny money, not so funny 🚫

Let’s get it!

-Geoff Walsh, Publisher

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NEWS NOTES

🚢 Saint John–Digby ferry fares cut in half

Starting this Friday (Aug. 1), it’ll cost a lot less to float between Saint John and Digby on the Fundy Rose with fares for vehicles, passengers, and commercial traffic all slashed by 50%.

That means a one-way trip for your car drops from $128 to $64, and adult passenger fares sink from $53 to $26.50. If you’ve been putting off a golf trip to or long-weekend loop, your excuse just evaporated.

The move is part of a sweeping federal announcement that also includes chopping Confederation Bridge tolls down to $20 (from $50+), and reducing ferry fares on other federally supported Atlantic routes.

Officials say it’ll boost tourism, help trade (especially seafood exports), and cut costs for everyday travel. We say: your next trip just got 50% more fun.

🚧 Main Street project beats the odds

Hold onto your pylons: the Main Street overhaul is on time and under budget. We repeat..on time and under budget. 

The $3.4 million re-do is trimming the old six-lane speedway down to four, making room for bikes, buses, pedestrians, and some much-needed green space. Project manager Jill DeMerchant says it's a fix for a 1960s overbuild that expected Saint John to explode in size.

So far, no major surprises, no extra costs, and if all goes well, the cones could vanish by mid-September. ($)

⚡ Lightning prospect lands in Saint John

Everett Baldwin is Sea Dogs-bound. The 18-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick (151st overall, but hyped like a top-100 steal) just signed on for the full 2025–26 season in Saint John.

The right-shot defender brings speed, swagger, and enough offensive flair to make forwards jealous. Scouts call him a “dynamic attacker” with “cutback deception”...which, we assume, means he’s hard to catch and fun to watch.

💸 Funny money on the loose

Saint John Police are warning folks to keep an eye out for fake cash, specifically phony $100 bills that have been popping up around local banks. (Insert your own “Monopoly money” joke here.)

Cops say the counterfeit bills are missing the usual security features: no holograms, no raised ink, and windows that don’t shine or show tiny numbers. If it feels sketchy, it probably is.Trust your instincts and take a closer look before accepting big bills.

Pro tip: If your $100 note looks like it came from a colour printer and smells like glue stick, maybe don’t use it at the drive-thru.

Spotted something shady? Call Saint John Police at 506-648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

🎉 Fundy turns 75, still looking good

Happy 75th to Fundy National Park, the coastal gem that Parks Canada once picked specifically so tourists would have to drive through New Brunswick to find it. Strategic!

The park opened on July 29, 1950, with brass bands, softball, and a vision: bring in visitors, boost the economy, and quietly erase any evidence of people who’d lived there before.

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EVENTS
What’s Happenin’

📚 Clear your shelves for good
Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Big Book Sale is back August 21–24 at TD Station but first, they need your donations. Final day to drop off books is Thursday, August 14. No donations will be accepted after that. So if you’ve got shelves to purge, now’s the time. Then come stock up on fresh reads and feel-good vibes every page sold supports local youth. 📚💙

Sea Glass Festival returns | Aug 29-30
The Saint John Sea Glass Festival is back for year four and it’s kind of a big shard.

What started in 2022 as a small, soulful celebration of beachcombed beauty has grown into a buzzy two-day fest, now drawing artists from as far as Puerto Rico and praise from Beachcombing Magazine.

Catch it Aug. 29–30 at Market Square, with live music, workshops, kid-friendly art stations, and enough ocean-made gems to fill your tote bag twice.

The Rock Orchestra to play TD Station | March 6
If Vivaldi met Metallica in a cathedral and started a band, you’d get this. The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight is coming to TD Station on March 6, fusing classical instruments with hard rock anthems in a candlelit, high-drama setting. Expect strings and headbanging with music from Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park, SOAD, and more. Tickets go on sale August 15 at 10am through tdstation.com.

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SIDE NOTES

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Thanks!

Thanks for reading SJ Today - If you found it useful, share it with someone who knows your coffee order ☕️!

-Geoff Walsh - Publisher

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