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Click on image to enhance the page larger.   Above: HarveyHall Exterior (Photo:Tracy Munson Photography) For this month the Community Member of the month is not just one person, but a whole committee! The board members of
Harvey Hall have been working tirelessly to bring the historical Harvey Hall back to life. The work they have been doing has allowed the to update the interior of the Hall from a dilapidated building to an excellent and useful Community Centre. They have held cleanups, fundraisers, yard sales and multiple shows. There have been local musicians and artists as well as guests from afar, like the comedian James Mullinger and musician David Myles.  Congratulations to Rhonda Babineau
The winner of the 1st BACH Rafflebox 50/50 draw - $102.00 Next draw is Wednesday, July 19th – be sure to purchase your tickets at https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/bachcf The Bennett and Albert County Health Care Foundation (BACH) is hosting a Rafflebox 50/50, which started June 1st. Proceeds will be used to enhance community health services and primary health care throughout the catchment area served by the Albert County Community Health Centre.
Water Conservation Residents are asked to conserve water to protect the integrity of our water supplies through Fundy Albert. Surface water and groundwater levels are lower because of heat and minimal rainfall. Water consumption may reach non-sustainable levels. It is crucial that residents take extra steps to ensure the Village is able to maintain a safe and reliable water supply. Your household can help by conserving water in the following ways:
We need residents to join a collective effort to help reduce water usage. We appreciate your cooperation. Thank you!
Lots of changes happening with Forest Dale Home! After the annual general meeting on June 7th, we have a new Board of Directors. We welcomed Kathy Weir as the Chair (Zone 2), Paul McKinley as Vice-Chair (Zone 1, Strategic Planning Committee Chair), Amanda Carson as Treasurer (Zone 5, Finance Committee Chair), Alicia O’Hara as Secretary (Zone 1, Public Relations Chair).
Directors include Sean Blewett (Zone 1, Building Committee Chair), Ruth Anne Conway (Zone 2, Employment, Policy and Bylaw Committee Chair), Bill Balser (Zone 4, Workplace Health and Safety Committee Chair), Amy Goodine (Zone 2, Workplace Health and Safety Committee Co-Chair), Rhonda McKinley (Zone 1), and Rebekah Friesen (Zone 2). The Forest Dale Home Board can have 15 members, and we are always looking for community members who have an interest in the future of our facility. Our current Executive Director, Vicki Cassie, will be retiring in September. Our recruitment committee posted the position and conducted interviews over the past two months. We are happy to announce Patrick Kemp will be joining the team on June 26th as Executive Director. He will work with Vicki over the summer to ensure a seamless transition. Patrick comes from the Saint John area and plans to reside in our community with his two young children and his father. Patrick has a strong background in human resources, banking, project management, and business ownership. He also has been involved with several charitable organizations. Congratulations to Mindy Holmstrom who has accepted the position of Support Services Manager. Mindy has been with the management team as the Executive Assistant for the past 12 years. Best of luck! We also want to welcome Lori Anderson from Waterside as our new Executive Assistant. She’ll be one of the first faces you see when you come into Forest Dale! Stay tuned for regular updates about our beautiful home.  As the days get longer and warmer, many are drawn to spend more time outside exploring. Whether it’s for a family drive down to Point Wolfe or a hike on the East Branch trail, Fundy National Park is a great Spring experience.
As we prepare for another great 2023 season, we are excited to offer events and activities for all ages. Rural Upper Fundy Partnership Local operators and other housing and workforce stakeholders convened on February 28th for a Housing/Workforce Innovation Day. A series of actions was identified to address the immediate need for housing for the 2023 peak summer season while we collectively develop permanent housing solutions to address year-round opportunities. The idea of establishing a billeting system to relieve the pressures for local operators in the short term was brought forward.
We are looking to connect operators with housing needs to billets willing to house summer staff. We are requesting your assistance to get this information out to your network. If you are interested in being a billet, you can fill out this short form and we will be in contact! https://forms.gle/gjDt1AA3vgMW8CVy8 You can also email community@friendsoffundy.ca to express interest or ask questions.  Wanda enjoying her surprise 90th birthday party amongst her family and friends. Wanda joined the Royal Canadian Legion on November 5, 1990 and she became a lifetime member in 2012. She is presently the Secretary / Treasurer of the branch, but that is not all. She is a bartender, and works with the poppy campaign, membership, and awards for school graduates. During covid, she made sure all proceedings were carried out to keep the Legion open.
She has been with the Ladies’ Auxiliary Branch #32 for 59 years and has held many positions. She was the president for 16 years and treasurer for many more. In 1965, she started to reactivate the Auxiliary by organizing Bingo, yard sales, bake and craft sales, pancake breakfasts and suppers. In our old Legion, which burnt down, we catered to many weddings. Do you know a person or business in the communities within Albert County who go above and beyond what is expected of them? Who supports the community whenever the opportunity arises and who is always willing to help people or groups in need? Why not nominate that person or business for some small recognition in print in the new columns in the Connecting Albert County “Community Member of the Month” and “Community Business of the Month.”
Did you know that there are many ways that you can contribute to our monthly newsletter? Young or young at heart, we invite you to share your own writing, poetry, photos, or other forms of print to our editor for submission to the printed newsletter. You can do this by emailing info@connectingalbertcounty.org.
If you are a business (especially a new business) and you would like to get your name out into the local community about your work then advertising is the way to go. Email info@connectingalbertcounty.org for more information or see page 13. Also, if you have an event to share with the community (especially those who don’t necessarily have access to social media), then please email our calendar directly at connectingalbertcountycalendar@gmail.com. This will get your event posted directly to the website and then included in the monthly print version. Please consider advertising our newsletter or sharing some of your writing with our readers!  by Alan Demaline
The 2023 curling season at the Fundy Curling Club (FCC) has come to a close and what an absolutely fantastic season it has been. With spring in the air, it is now time to get you caught up on what has been happening at Albert County’s one and only curling club and what to look forward to in the future. January got off to a great start with our ‘Get Acquainted Bonspiel’. With lots of new members at the club this season, the event brought new and long term members together for a day of fun filled games and laughs both on and off the ice. Thanks to our local Girl Guides, their leaders and parents for supplying the delicious lunch for the event. At the end of the day, between proceeds from the lunch as well as tips, the FCC was able to contribute $460 to our local group of Girl Guides.  The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal created to mark the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II?s accession to the throne in 1952. The Platinum Jubilee Medal is a tangible and public way to acknowledge the work and dedication of those who are actively contributing to their province and country. The Medal is being awarded to 3,000 deserving New Brunswickers, ensuring an equitable representation of all regions and all fields of endeavor.
In Canada, six provinces instituted their own Platinum Jubilee Medals: Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. It is the first time in Canadian history that a royal occasion has been commemorated with provincial medals. by Lise Guignard
The Board of Directors had its first meeting of the year on Tuesday January 31st (which had to be postponed from January 24th due to bad weather). During this meeting, the Board accepted the request of the office manager, Lise Guignard, for a 4-day work week. Beginning the week of February 6th, 2023, the office now has extended hours from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Thursday, and is closed on Fridays. The standing committees of the NBSCF are all established and have already had the first meetings to discuss changes and modifications to the Strategic Plan and to the policies of the Federation. The government relations committee wants a meeting with government officials in February to discuss the 2022 resolutions. The representative for Albert County is our Maple Leaf Zone President Doris Pauley (who is also second vice president of the Federation and chair of the Marketing and Revenue Generation Committee). She lives in Hillsborough and can be contacted by phone at (506) 734-8808 or email at pauleyd@outlook.com  The Albert County Chamber of Commerce (ACCC) is pleased to announce that the 6th Annual Business Excellence Awards will be held on Thursday, May 11th. After a successful return to an in-person celebration at Broadleaf Guest Ranch in 2022, the Awards have returned to traveling throughout the County! This year's event will be hosted at Holy Whale in Riverview at the Chocolate River Station.
It's always a pleasure to formally recognize and celebrate the distinguished business and community leaders within Albert County. This year's celebration continues to honour our elegant, personalized and community-focused history attendees know and love. The event will include our signature awards by Glass Roots, local, live music by Fundy Ceilidh, a silent auction featuring beautiful local items, and door prizes - all whilst telling the stories of our local business community.  This month's community member of the month is Kathy Tower. Kathy has lived and worked in our community for her whole life. She is a compassionate and caring person who spends the bulk of her spare time giving to others who are in need. She has always been an active member in local fundraisers and supported local groups who were raising funds for various activities. Kathy is a wife, mother of two, grandmother of two, daughter and sister. She makes everyone she meets feel like they are a member of her family.
When Covid-19 shut everything down a few years ago, Kathy noticed that many of the local organizations were struggling to maintain their fundraising efforts and Kathy found a way to fill this need for not just one but multiple local organizations. She began an online, weekly, Facebook bingo. She continues to host this bingo and to date has raised over $15,000 for local groups, organizations and people or families in need. Many of these organizations would not have survived the pandemic without her tremendous efforts. Although she was always involved in fundraisers before Covid, she truly saved some of the organizations in our area with her efforts during and after the pandemic.  by Kelly Taylor
Urban/Rural Rides is a volunteer driver service that assists seniors in the area who do not have access to transportation to get to medical appointments. Seniors living in rural communities who do not have family handy and are unable to drive themselves find it difficult, and in some cases, impossible to access the medical care they need. Urban/Rural Rides seeks to fill that gap by offering a safe, affordable option by using volunteer drivers. Volunteers use their own vehicles and are reimbursed $.46/km for the expense of using their vehicle. Volunteers undergo a simple screening process before driving clients to appointments. Becoming a volunteer driver is a great way to give back to your community and to make an impact in a real and tangible way. Many volunteers find that helping others in their community this way enhances their lives as well and often creates new friendships and connections within the community. If you would like to volunteer as a driver and help change lives one ride at a time, please call 506-962-3073 or visit http://urbanruralrides.ca for more information. Do you know a person or business in the communities within Albert County who goes above and beyond what is expected of them? Who supports the community whenever the opportunity arises and who is always willing to help people or groups in need? Why not nominate that person or business for some small recognition in print in the new
columns in the Connecting Albert County "Community Member of the Month" and "Community Business of the Month." All nominations are being received via email to info@connectingalbertcounty.org. Please include the name and address of the person you are nominating, as well as your own name and address. Also include a description of what makes this person or business special and a pillar in the community. If possible, please include a photo as well. We look forward to hearing from you.  by Dawne McLean ~ President of Albert County Historical Society
May 2023 bring you happiness, peace and prosperity! With the beginning of the New Year, it seems appropriate to reflect on the past year of the Albert County Historical Society (ACHS) and the Albert County Museum, which included commemorative celebrations, bus tours, school visitations, special events and accomplishments. Gracious thanks are extended for the support received from all levels of government, community organizations, volunteers, Society members and visitors in contributing to a successful 2022! The year 2022 celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Albert County Museum, which was established by the Albert County Historical Society and officially opened in May 1962. The ?2022 Official Opening on May 21 included a re-enactment of the ribbon cutting ceremony held in 1962, displaying the same museum artefacts, as well as the Museum's 1962 Guest Book. For the 60th anniversary, a commemorative ornament of the Court House was designed by Aitken's Pewter as a keepsake and to initiate the fundraising campaign for needed conservation repairs to the Court House. by Hanna Downey Chief Administrative Officer
The founding councillors of the newly formed Fundy Albert took the Oath of Office at a special ceremony December 19, 2022, at the Community Hall in Hopewell Cape. Hon. Mike Holland was present to offer congratulatory words to the group who were elected on November 28, 2022, as part of the local governance reform initiative. Mayor Robert Rochon stated during his inaugural address, It's now time to begin to chart a positive path forward for our community. One that strives to leverage our individual strengths and capitalize on partnerships with community groups and organizations. We will also need to engage citizens and work collaboratively with other levels of government to make Fundy Albert the vibrant and successful community it so rightfully deserves to be. The Council of Fundy Albert is composed of six councillors and one mayor, who will take power of the entity on January 1, 2023. Statements submitted by some Council members follow this article. Information and updates about the newly formed Village of Fundy Albert can be found on the Facebook page at Village of Fundy Albert | Facebook  January - Teresa O'Hara
Teresa O'Hara is a person who is always there for everyone and no one is more deserving than she to be honored for her generosity and going that extra mile for her friends, neighbors and community. Words from Riverside-Albert Volunteer Fire Department "Behind every man stands a great woman." In the department, Teresa is the lady behind the scenes helping keep things in order as the Secretary/Treasurer of our fundraiser funds, assisting on medical calls when she is not on shift at Ambulance New Brunswick (ANB), first aid training officer for our team for over 30 years, and is always looking out for the welfare of our team. She puts her heart and soul back into her community through her work and experience as a paramedic. Our community members always know they can call on her for medical assistance. No matter the time of day she will always answer their call. When families are doing at-home hospice care, she will check in with the family, sit with them at the end and help through the process in any way she can. Teresa O'Hara will always be a valued member of our department and community. She always goes above and beyond the call of duty and expects nothing in return.  Christmas Market at the Old Church Farmers Market Dec. 3rd & 4th 9am-3pm Visit your favorite vendors at the Market one last time this year at our annual Christmas Market. Keep your gifting local and come support our unique local makers. With hot Buddha Bear coffee on the go and lots to see, you’re bound to have a wonderful time and find something for everyone on your list! We look forward to seeing you. “Christmas on the Farm” Open House Saturday, Dec. 10th from 10 am to 4 pm Farmer Brown's invites you to join us as we celebrate our third annual “Christmas On The Farm” event. Enjoy a day at our farm - visiting with the animals, participating in our candy cane hunt, face painting, cookie decorating, Build a Bear, Christmas crafts, tobogganing (if weather permits) and more. For young and old alike, there just may be a special visit from the North Pole! Cost in $2.50/person or $10.00/family. The pizza oven will be fired up and we will be serving freshly made pizzas with farm grown ingredients along with a variety of other food options, all from the farm. Hot and cold beverages will be available as well. Washrooms will be on site. Bring friends and family and join in the merry activities as we celebrate "Christmas On The Farm." Lots of photo ops available for young and old alike. So bring your camera! Farmer Brown’s is located at 371 Osborne Corner, Dawson Settlement, approx, 12-14 minutes straight out Pine Glen Road.  Christmas in the Country Christmas in the Country is proud to present this year’s official list of events! Mark your calendars. This year we celebrate over two great weekends; December 3 & 4 and December 10 & 11. Grab a friend and your shopping list and help us to support local. Copies of this fantastic list of events are now available at a location near you. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for contests, giveaways and details on what’s to come. We hope to see you there.  Stop by and shop our Fundy Studio Tour members this holiday season. 1. Farmer Brown's Greenhouse 2. Village of Hillsborough 3. The Old Church Farmers Market 4. A Victorian Christmas at the WH Steeves House Museum 5. "The Village Crafters" at the Kiwanis 6. Wacky Wonderful Waffles 7. Briggs Maples 8. The Bird Garden 9. Fundy Farms 10. Farm Life Studio 11. Albert County Clay Co. 12. Wendy Johnson Pottery and Art Effects Fine Craft Gallery 13. Albert County Museum 14. The Pink Church 15. Hopewell Rocks 16. Broadleaf Ranch 17. The Maplegrove Inn 18. CCRC Christmas Fair & Market 19. Fundy Coast Sea Soap & Sea Salt 20. Studio on the Marsh 21. Old School Antiques & Woodworking 22. Waterside Winery 23. Fundy Flutes - A Flute for Christmas 24. Sapranos Pizza 25. Village of Alma Activity Centre 26. Collins Lobster Shop 27. Friends of Fundy Outpost East and Outpost Alma 28. Fundy National Park 
Submitted by Lise Guinard
For months now seniors have been entering a new reality. For some, it's a release because they can go back to their daily routine. For others, the situation causes even more anxiety, in particular because it is difficult to respect physical distancing. Now many seniors are getting out and quietly resuming their old lives. Many were able to resume their activities - meeting at the 50+ clubs, playing cards, visiting family and friends (especially in nursing homes), going to the grocery store or pharmacy, and participating in social activities. Unfortunately, many people don't feel like being exposed to too many others at a time. They accept visits, but prefer to be in small groups only. Also, even though the restrictions have been lifted, not everyone is comfortable going on extended outings in public. This is somewhat the situation experienced by the 50+ clubs in the province. Many have reopened their doors and resumed their activities, dinners and card games, while others are still fearful of gatherings. We are hopeful that everything can return to normal soon. Our seniors are so in need of socialization, especially after all the isolation of the pandemic.  “Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!” by Dawne McLean President of Albert County Historical Society
This vintage “pop-up” Christmas card is a personal family treasure that was sent to my Wright grandparents by my great aunt Bessie who lived in Massachusetts. I wanted to share this special card with my Christmas greeting. I did my best to photograph this detailed heritage pop-up card to show its 3-D dimension. Vintage cards are so beautiful! As 2022 draws to a close, on behalf of the Albert County Historical Society and Museum, I wish to extend “Christmas Greetings” and “Grateful Thanks” for the support received from Society members, organizations, businesses, volunteers and friends within the Albert County communities and region. The year 2022 celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the Albert County Museum, as well as other memorable celebrations, historic commemorations and enjoyable community events. This resulted in a successful year due to community attendance and participation, and the dedicated work of the Board of Directors and Museum Manager. Special acknowledgement is given to the Government of Canada for providing support to publish the book titled “A Glimpse of Past Days” so that noteworthy pieces of Albert County’s past history can be shared and preserved. Christmas traditions are important in passing on family heritage and creating lasting memories. Enjoy a “Merry Christmas” filled with the joys of the season, the warmth of friendship and the love of family! |
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