News from Northumberland County
Abenaki Associates
A small Eel Ground company is hoping to provide a solution to a growing water-management crisis faced by First Nations communities across Canada.
Abenaki Associates, a 10-person software company, hopes its new Safe Water and Infrastructure Management system will help communities manage their water systems more efficiently.
"The main focus is to give tools to those groups to help them do preventative maintenance to manage their water infrastructure," said company president Percy Barnaby.
The program keeps track of every water-management asset in a community, from water pumps to fire hydrants. Users can set maintenance periods and dates for each component, with the program reminding water-management staff of maintenance dates.
It also tracks them by location, allows users to send out online work-orders with a single mouse click and even includes links to manufacturers, precise GPS coordinates and step-by-step disassembly instructions.
Brian Saulnier, one of the program's developers, said many communities allow maintenance of water infrastructure to lapse inadvertently, sometimes relying only on memory to determine when part of the system was last maintained. By using the new system to keep track of everything, Saulnier says, preventative maintenance is assured.
"It's easy to use and would help First Nations communities across Canada save thousands of dollars," he said.
Abenaki's other products — community management software designed to keep track of everything from accounting to social programs — are marketed almost exclusively to First Nations communities.
But Barnaby thinks there is a need for better water-management all across Canada.
"In our research, we found that municipalities have exactly the same problem as First Nations in managing their infrastructure," he said. "This problem is national, so we now have a bigger market than we had before."
He says he has several clients lined up in British Columbia, and hopes to attract more at various water-management trade shows around the country and at a meeting with the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.
Abenaki Associates was founded in 1984, and provides management software to around 150 First Nations.
En français : Abenaki Associates, d’Eel Ground, espère fournir une solution à la crise de gestion de l’eau croissante dont font face les communautés autochtones du Canada.
Eel Ground First Nation school principal receives award
Eel Ground First Nation school principal Peter MacDonald has received the annual LTTA TIME Canada Commitment.
The Eel ground school is also known as the Learning Through the Arts (LTTA) Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey school
"Peter does whatever it takes to provide opportunities for his students to use the arts to learn and grow and contribute to their own community and beyond,” said Peggy Ward, LTTA mentor artist during the presentation ceremony in Fredericton attended by education minister Kelly Lamrock. “His faith in these kids is unshakable and it has been a great joy for me to work and create with him."
LTTA also presented the annual TELUS Innovation Award to the Atlantic Canada’s First Nation Help Desk to Eleanor Bernard, executive director of Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey, accepted the award for the First Nation Help Desk.
Now offered in over 400 schools across Canada and in 12 countries, reaching more than 100,000 students, Learning Through the Arts brings specially-trained artists into schools who, in partnership with teachers, facilitate lessons such as math through dance, history through storytelling and science through visual art.
En français : Le directeur d’école de la Première nation d’Eel Ground, Peter MacDonald, a reçu le Prix d’engagement annuel de TIME Canada.
Proposed bio-fuel plant would help NB Power
A highly placed source with Arcadia EcoEnergies says a bio-fuel project it hopes to establish at the former UPM site in Miramichi would encompass the entire North Shore area and help NB Power reduce emissions at Coleson Cove in Belldune. The source said the company has been in discussions with NB Power to provide “energy bricks” for use in the northern New Brunswick power plant.
En français : Selon Arcadia EcoEnergies, un projet bio-carburant à l'ancien site d'UPM à Miramichi aiderait Énergie NB à réduire les émissions à l'usine Coleson Cove de Belledune.
Immigration essential for businesses, communities
New Brunswick population growth secretariat executive director Humphrey Sheehan told a recent meeting of the Miramichi Regional Multicultural Association it is essential businesses and the community get behind the idea of immigration.
"We certainly need people," he said. "We don't want them to come here and then just go on to Toronto or Montreal or Vancouver. We have to retain them."
En français : Le chef de la direction du Secrétariat de la croissance démographique du NB affirme qu’il est essentiel que les entreprises et la communauté appuient l’idée de l’immigration.
Canadian Forces organizes job fair
The Canadian Forces Recruiting Detachment in Bathurst organized a job fair recently in Miramichi to familiarize the general public with the Canadian Forces and the job opportunities and programs they offer. Five people participated in "test, no file" sessions, in which anyone eligible to join the military could write the Canadian Forces aptitude test and find out what jobs they might qualify for without actually having to submit an application.
En français : Le bureau de recrutement des Forces canadiennes de Bathurst a organisé une foire d’emplois récemment à Miramichi.
Blackville HS students receive top honour
Alex Fiander and Dylan Hallihan, two students at Blackville High School, recently received the bronze Duke of Edinburgh medal. Both students were registered to participate in the program in October 2006 after an initiative was launched for all schools in the province with special needs students. The program encourages challenged youth to reach for their best by learning life skills, doing community service and physical activity on a regular basis.
En français : Deux étudiants de l’école secondaire de Blackville ont reçu la médaille du Duc d’Édinbourg récemment.
City looking at possible increase in tax rate
City manager Doug chase has told council’s special finance committee that despite record growth in other sectors, the closure of the Weyerhaeuser and UPM mills resulted in an $800,000 tax shortfall for 2008. In 2009 the shortfall will be $1.6 million and the city is now looking at a new tax rate that could be as much as $1.77, a 21-cent increase.
En français : L’administrateur de la municipalité de Miramichi a déclaré que la ville étudie un nouveau taux de taxe qui pourrait atteindre 1,77 $, une augmentation de 21 sous.
Miramichi chosen for firefighter training
Government officials recently announced an additional annual investment of $615,000 in volunteer firefighter training at a new training program centred at the Miramichi campus of the New Brunswick Community College. The program will be delivered in both official languages by certified instructors in the nine regions of the New Brunswick Association of Fire Chiefs throughout the province at no cost to local fire departments.
En français : Des fonctionnaires gouvernementaux ont annoncé l’octroi de 615 000 $ envers l’entraînement des pompiers bénévoles dans le cadre d’un nouveau programme offert par le CCNB de Miramichi.
Students at closed MCC protected under Act
Government officials continue to meet with students of the closed Miramichi Career College.
Provincial Post Secondary Education, Training and Labour Department spokesperson Elaine Bell said the students are protected under the province's Private Occupational Training Act. The former private institution, which offered courses for medical laboratory assistant, business development, computer enhancement/repair, contract courses and summer school, is also currently the subject of a police investigation.
En français : Les rencontres se poursuivent entre les fonctionnaires du gouvernement et les étudiants du Collège de carrière fermé à Miramichi.
Eel Ground First Nation aims for self sufficiency
Eel Ground First Nation is aiming for its own version of self-sufficiency. Launched recently as part of the community’s five-year economic development plan, the Eel Ground Business Development Corporation will work to seek out new business opportunities and develop existing companies.
Eel Ground First Nation Chief George Ginnish said that while the corporation will be responsible to the band council, it will operate independently of it.
En français : La Première nation d’Eel Ground cherche à implanter sa propre version d’autosuffisance avec la Société de développement des affaires d’Eel River.
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