✅ Who you voted for

Good morning, Saint John! We’re scrubbing in for National Nurses Day today, and prescribing a healthy dose of appreciation for nurses everywhere.

Here’s the lowdown for the day:

Let’s get it!

-Geoff Walsh, Publisher

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🗳️ Same mayor, very different council

Saint John voters sent Donna Reardon back to the mayor’s office Monday night, but just about everything else at City Hall got shuffled like a deck of cards at a family cottage game night.

Reardon won a second term over Barry Ogden and Blaine Harris, while voters also sent seven new faces onto council. Gary Sullivan, Greg Norton and John MacKenzie were the only incumbents to survive re-election night, with newcomers Gina Hooley, Sherri Colwell-McCavour, Brian Wyatt, Eric Savoie, Ryan Moore and Paul Dempsey all winning seats. Former councillor David Merrithew is also returning after stepping away in 2021.

Meanwhile, incumbents Paula Radwan and Mariah Darling both lost their seats, capping off a night that clearly showed voters were in the mood for a reset around the council table.

The new council officially takes over later this month, which means somewhere in the city there were probably already several people Googling “municipal procedural bylaw” overnight.

📍 Around the region

It was a busy night across the region too, although a few mayors had a much less stressful evening than others after getting elected by acclamation and presumably enjoying a reasonably normal Monday night for once.

In Quispamsis, Mary Schryer becomes mayor, while incumbents Kerrie Luck, Mike Biggar, Noah Donovan, Kirk Miller, Beth Thompson and Emil Olsen all held onto council seats. Doug MacDonald grabbed the final spot as the lone newcomer.

Rothesay also acclaimed a new mayor with Matt Alexander stepping into the role, while Tyler Davis was the lone new face elected to council alongside a largely returning group of incumbents.

Hampton voters kept Dewey Doucet as mayor by acclamation, while David Goucher unseated incumbent Karin Boyé in Ward 3. Jeremy Salgado and Todd Beach held onto the at-large seats.

Grand Bay-Westfield saw Brandon London and Laura Weil join council in Ward 1, while Keri Burpee returned by acclamation in Ward 2.

And in Fundy-St. Martins, voters chose John Cairns as mayor over incumbent James Bedford, proving once again that even in smaller communities, election night can still get spicy.

🍺 Beer Mile plans are brewing

The Port City Beer Run may be sold out, but the warmup lap is very much open.

The Port City Beer Mile returns May 29, sending people on a self-guided trek through six uptown breweries to enjoy a 12oz drink included at every stop, a passport stamp card, and a chance to win a $100 gift card for completing the full route.

“It turns out that it’s basically a mile to walk to all of the breweries uptown,” said organizer Nathalie Nadeau, who shared that the idea originally came from former organizer Gill Nadeau. What started as a way to promote Beer Run weekend has now become its unofficial kickoff party.

Participants will hit Picaroons, Union House (Trailway), Big Tide, Pigeon Brewing, Gahan, and Wasted Day, while Sumac and Thyme are joining in this year with food along the route for anyone smart enough to realize six brewery stops on an empty stomach could be risky.

Nathalie said the goal is to “get people moving around and celebrate how walkable our little city is,” though she does recommend one tactical decision early: “Start at Picaroons and hike up to Trailway’s Union House. From there, everything is downhill.”

One way to make it a little more challenging?  “You have to run from spot to spot!,” Nathalie explained, which sounds ambitious somewhere around brewery number five.

💃 First City School of Dance keeps growing

First City School of Dance is making a major move this fall, expanding into a new 5,500-square-foot space at Place 400 in the north end.

The school, which launched during the pandemic, has grown to more than 500 students across its Saint John and Quispamsis locations. The new studio will be roughly five times larger than its current Union Street space and will include three separate studios, giving the school room to expand class offerings and accommodate growing demand from both kids and adults looking to dance.

The Quispamsis location will remain open, while the Union Street studio is expected to close at the end of August ahead of the move. The new Place 400 location is scheduled to open in mid-September.

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The YMCA’s Red Triangle Awards Gala returns May 14, celebrating local leaders while helping raise money for YMCA programs that support youth, families, newcomers, and seniors across the region. This year’s honourees are Jim Shaw and Leader to Watch recipient Joelynn Annoh-Kwafo.

The gala happens Thursday, May 14 at 6:30pm at the Saint John Regional YMCA, hosted by SJ Today’s Geoff Walsh. Tickets are $125, or $1,000 for a table of 10. Basically, one of the few nights where dressing up and doing something good for the community happen at the exact same time.

🎭 Theatre Talk Tuesday 

Symphony New Brunswick: Rhythmic Lines | May 13
Symphony New Brunswick returns to the Imperial Theatre Wednesday night with a program pairing Mendelssohn’s lively “Italian Symphony” alongside a marimba and vibraphone concerto featuring guest artist Joël Cormier. Basically, if you’ve never seen someone absolutely cook on a marimba before, this might be your night. Starts 7:30pm.

Why We Sing | May 13
St. Mark’s United Church on Dexter Drive hosts this spring concert Wednesday at 7pm, bringing together an evening of choral music focused on community, connection, and uplifting performances. Admission is by donation online or at the door.

The Big Band Benefit | May 16
The Imperial Theatre swings back in time Saturday night as local musicians, business leaders, and politicians take on big band classics in support of the New Brunswick Heart Centre. Expect brass, jazz standards, sharp suits, and the very real possibility of seeing someone from local politics suddenly belting out “Build Me Up Buttercup.” Starts 7pm.

Carleton Choristers Spring Concert – Remembering When | May 19
The Carleton Choristers bring their spring concert “Remembering When” to Portland United Church Tuesday at 7:30pm, featuring a lineup of familiar songs and nostalgic favourites designed to feel a little like flipping through a musical scrapbook. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students, and free for children under 11, with tickets available at the door or through choir members.

Mamma Mia! | May 20-24
Saint John Theatre Company celebrates its 100th performance at the Imperial Theatre by bringing back one of its biggest crowd favourites: Mamma Mia! The ABBA-powered musical returns for five days of huge vocals, dancing, questionable romantic decisions, and songs you absolutely know whether you admit it or not. Evening and matinee performances run May 20-24.

_{^{*Nothing in this section is sponsored, just things you need to know. We’ll always let you know if items are sponsored.}}

📸 Stephen Buchwitz-Reed | 📍 Kingston Peninsula

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-Geoff Walsh - Publisher