Partner Content iFrame wrapper (do not delete)

Translate video
To translate this video to French or another language:
  1. Start playing the video
  2. Click CC at bottom right
  3. Click the gear icon to its right
  4. Click Subtitles/CC
  5. Click Auto-translate
  6. Select language you want

St. Andrews Council Highlights Importance Of Local Media And Acknowledges Welcome Centre Success

Video Upload Date: September 14, 2023

In the regular council meeting for the month of September, St. Andrews council discussed a wide range of topics. The meeting began with attendance being recorded. With Mayor Brad Henderson and Councillor Marc Blanchard being absent, deputy Mayor Kate Akagi presided over the meeting. 

One important discussion revolved around supporting CHCO TV. The local independent television station based in St. Andrews and serving Southwest New Brunswick has been blocked from distributing news through Facebook due to Meta's response to Bill C-18, also known as Canada's Online News Act. Council unanimously agreed to have the mayor write a letter of support and gather signatures from other municipalities for CHCO Television to bring to the CRTC in the late fall in Ottawa expressing their support for the continuation of local independent media in the otherwise under-served community. Council recognized the importance of supporting CHCO TV and its contributions to the community, emphasizing its role in disseminating news and information throughout Charlotte County.

Council also received letters from the Chamber of Commerce updating them on the success of the Welcome Centre and expressing gratitude for the support received. Councillor James Hirtle Tuesday, read a letter written by St. Andrews Chamber of Commerce executive director Julia Halbleib. The letter gave an update from the chamber's Welcome Centre, which has welcomed nearly 10,000 visitors to the community this summer, offering them tourism and accommodation advice. That's nearly triple the amount from 2022.

"10,000 visitors to the community over the course of summer is something to recognize and I want to thank them for their work," said Hirtle in response to the letter. In May, council granted the chamber $18,860 to cover unexpected expenses needed to operate the welcome centre.

Another topic of discussion was the request to extend the St. Andrews Brewing Company's Oktoberfest peddler permit from one day to four days. Concerns were raised about the impact on businesses in the area and competition with surrounding restaurants. Some council members expressed support for the food truck, which will be operated by Char and Chowder Restaurant, while others had reservations.

Council also discussed allowing food carts at the Oktoberfest event, with an amendment proposed to limit the operating days of a food truck to Friday and Saturday. Council approved the amendment and the original motion, as amended.

Other topics covered included the naming of the new outdoor exercise park and the ongoing issues related to the establishment of an off-leash dog park in the community.

Comments

We encourage comments which further the dialogue about the stories we post. Comments will be moderated and posted if they follow these guidelines:

  • be respectful
  • substantiate your opinion
  • do not violate Canadian laws including but not limited to libel and slander, copyright
  • do not post hateful and abusive commentary or any comment which demeans or disrespects others.

The Community Media Portal reserves the right to reject any comments which do not adhere to these minimum standards.

Add new comment

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.