News Highlights for Southwest New Brunswick: March 9-16, 2021

A New Yellow level of Recovery is now in effect, a welcome change for many New Brunswickers who are eager to expand their list of 'steady 10' close contacts to a 'steady 15". But despite loosened restrictions, there is still no date on the table for a possible return of the Atlantic bubble. Minister of Health Dorothy Shephard  also said at a press conference Friday that out-of province home owners and immediate family members are still unable to visit the province even with a 14-day quarantine plan.

With new variants now at play, the Yellow level as we once new will not return until the vaccine roll out is further underway. With four vaccines now approved for use in Canada, including the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine, the province plans to release a revised vaccine plan including more details on how people can register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days. First-dose vaccine clinics for residents of all long-term care facilities are expected to be completed by the week of March 14th.

Tanner Stewart of Stewart Farms in St. Stephen is among the many New Brunswick cannabis producers who have joined forces with industry associations and the Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Roger Augustin to send a letter to Premier Higgs asking the province to halt the potential sale of Cannabis NB to an out-of-province private company.

The province originally announced plans to sell Cannabis NB in late 2019 during its early stages when the Crown corporation was still operating at a loss. This past year, increased profits have allowed Cannabis NB to recoup its initial startup costs, leaving no reason, according to Stewart and the other 9 signatories of the letter, to sell off the Crown corporation to a private monopoly headquartered outside of New Brunswick, a move they believe would negatively impact local industry.

"I'm not against privatization of the industry, but I do have an issue with giving a single company a monopoly," said Stewart. 
Stewart employs 20 people at his St. Stephen company where he makes a range of products including cannabis topicals such as bathbombs. He expects to employ up to 60 people in the coming year thanks to the current marketplace.

At St. George town council on Monday night, Mayor Faith Avery said council misses the monthly reports once provided to the town by the RCMP. In recent years, the RCMP stopped attending monthly municipal council meetings in Charlotte County, leaving towns to rely heavily on press releases and social media for information on incidences in their community.