St. Andrews by-the-Sea Celebrates Queen's Platinum Jubilee

This past weekend, St. Andrews played host to one of New Brunswick's biggest Platinum Jubilee celebrations in honour of Queen Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne. From  a performance at KIRA Amphitheatre by the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra to afternoon teas at the Algonquin Resort and fascinator-making workshops at the Wee Fabric Shop, an array of events fit for a Queen took place across town over a four-day period. Even the Queen herself was present in the form of life-size cutouts that made for popular selfie stations across St. Andrews.

Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick Brenda Murphy attended a sold-out Platinum Jubilee gala at Drewhaven Town & Country on Water Street on Saturday night. To pay tribute to the Queen's seven decades of service, the event was a fundraiser complete with an art auction following the dinner for Ukraine. In order to include the entire community in the Platinum Jubilee, Drewhaven owners Andrew Faas and Lee Wells also sponsored a complimentary community lunch and garden party on Sunday in the front yard of the Anglican Parish Hall that hundreds of residents and visitors alike attended. 

"We wanted to make sure that if you couldn't come to the gala, you could still come and pay your respects to the Queen by attending the community lunch," said Wells.

Over on Grand Manan, islanders took a trip to the mainland to protest the closure of the island's only bank at the province's capital. Scotiabank is set to close its doors for good on the island on August 24. When the bank closes, customer accounts will be moved to its nearest branch in St. George, which will require islanders to go take an approximately 9-hour round trip coupled with the cost of a ferry ride just to do in-person banking.

A group of Grand Manan residents travelled to Fredericton last Thursday to continue their fight to keep their only bank open, beginning their demonstration by protesting outside Scotiabank on King Street. 

"If we lose our only bank, it's going to take nine hours round-trip and a $60 ferry ride will be the new service fee," says Grand Manan resident and protest organizer Gregg Russell.

Protestors then marched on to the legislature to voice their concerns to politicians who would listen. Fundy-the Isles-Saint John West MLA Andrea Anderson-Mason and New Brunswick Green Party leader David Coon attended the demonstration. When Scotiabank closes its doors on Grand Manan in August, it will also close its two automated bank machines on the island, leaving islanders and politicians alike currently scrambling for a solution.

MP John Williamson of New Brunswick Southwest has set up a meeting in late June for islanders and himself to meet with Finance Minister Christia Freeland's office to discuss what kind of solutions could be possible.