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Olympics

Six days till torch arrives in province

MONCTON - T-minus 6 and counting. The T is the Olympic torch and the six is the number of days before it arrives in New Brunswick. That means it's also six days until a huge community celebration rocks the new Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium on the Université de Moncton campus. The arrival of the Olympic flame, carried by a special runner as yet to be publicly named, is only one part of the spectacle at the stadium the evening of Monday, Nov. 23, although the moment when that person lights an Olympic cauldron on stage is sure to be a highlight.

Labour

Company announces it will close in 2010

WOODSTOCK - Van Nelle Canada Limited, a cigarette tube manufacturer formerly known as Efka, has announced that it will be closing its Woodstock facility. Factory manager Ted King stated in a release that 47 staff members will be looking for new jobs. Production will cease in March 2010 and the Woodstock plant will be closed in April. Several long-time employees confirmed they were advised of the closure in a staff meeting late Tuesday afternoon. This news comes as a shock to employees, many with more than 20 years of service. Because of a decline in the Canadian tubes market - dropping from 1.9 billion units sold in 2006 to only 440 million sold this year - the move to the increasing American market makes economic sense. While the Canadian market has declined, the American market has had a 50 per cent increase in the same three- year period.

Tribute

Baseball slugger to be honoured

FREDERICTON - The capital city will pay tribute to Philadelphia Phillies' slugger Matt Stairs when he returns to his hometown on Nov. 27-28 as the guest of honour for a Celebration of Success co-hosted by the Fredericton Minor Baseball Association. "When he is here, we will officially name a street next to Royals Field 'Matt Stairs Way'," says city Coun. Mike O'Brien. On Nov. 27, Stairs will be guest of honour at a fundraising social. The next day, he will attend a Y's Men public breakfast in benefit of Fredericton minor baseball. Following breakfast, he will be available to the public, signing autographs from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Willie O'Ree Place.

Immigration

Mayor promotes N.B. in China

FREDERICTON - Mayor Brad Woodside recently spent 10 days in China trying to sell Fredericton as a destination for Asian immigrants. The visits to China have become an annual mission for the capital city's mayor to promote New Brunswick and in particular, Fredericton. The trip was paid for by Canadian immigration firms with offices in Korea and China. The firms want the capital city's mayor along to help them sell Fredericton and New Brunswick to potential immigration clients. "I am willing to go anywhere and at any time, as long as it's not costing the taxpayers anything," Woodside says.

Health

Lung Association sponsoring challenge

FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick Lung Association is hoping to raise awareness about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by challenging people across the province to participate in a step-counting competition. The respiratory disease inflames a person's lungs and can obstruct or block breathing, causing people to create extra mucus and frequently cough, choke and spit. An estimated 714,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with COPD, but studies suggest that many thousands more go undiagnosed.

Municipalities

City may hold line on property taxes

CAMPBELLTON - A slight increase in the unconditional grant by the province to the City of Campbellton may be enough for the city to hold the line on any possible property tax increase for 2010. Campbellton will get a grant of $2,227,973 which will go toward its $10 million budget. The rest of the money comes from property taxes. Most property owners saw their tax bills rise last spring due to an arbitrary increase in assessments by the province, while paying the same tax as 2008.