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Zelda's River Adventures

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by Charlene MacKenzie

Plying a shimmery path of golden-green morning light, Zelda McKenzie confidently navigates the tree-lined Kennebecasis River from the back of a pontoon boat. On deck, passengers join McKenzie on a recent inaugural cruise of Zelda’s River Adventures, now operating up to three pontoon tours daily out of Hampton.

McKenzie’s husband, David, built the pontoon boat last year. Sturdy and well suited to its purpose, the watercraft has a 260-square-foot deck enclosed by a metal and chain railing. A canopy for shade and shelter provides plenty of clearance for passengers to move around and there’s a ramp for wheelchair access.

The boat was inspected and approved by Transport Canada and both Zelda and David are licenced to drive it and operate tours. They first put the boat in the river last fall on some trial runs. Initially operating on a quiet Yamaha motor, she planned to soon have an environmentally-friendly, battery-run electric motor.

Cruising at well under the boat’s maximum 10 knots not only protects riverbanks from wake erosion but allows passengers to troll a fishing line or two behind the vessel. There are some basic safety rules, McKenzie said, the first of which is, “don’t everybody stand on one side.”

The boat’s leisurely progress matches the slower pace of life along the river, where blue herons wade among tall marsh grasses, ducks fly low along the riverbanks and eagles and osprey soar overhead. There’s time to savour a coffee, chat with fellow passengers, bait and cast a fishing line, sketch a scene or focus a camera lens on the pastoral scenery gliding by. Nothing rushes but the wings of birds.

The tidal influence on the Kennebecasis River reaches as far as Bloomfield. An advantage of being in a tidal zone is that a fishing licence isn’t required to fish in the tidal waters of the river. While spring passengers may choose upriver trips, for most of the season tours go downriver past Darlings Island.

McKenzie can accommodate up to 12 passengers along with her crew. Customers can bring along picnics and coolers of “refreshments” or, for an additional cost, McKenzie can arrange a catered lunch aboard the boat. She encourages customers to customize their own tour according to their interests, such as birdwatching, family fishing adventures, birthdays, weddings or anniversaries, business team-building outings or fall colour tours.

En francais: Zelda’s River Adventures dirige une excursion en bateau-ponton de Hampton pendant la saison estivale.

Belleisle sports field gets $50,000 boost

Janice Bates doesn’t know how long the committee she chairs would have had to fundraise for a new sports field if not for government help. The Belleisle Bears Community Sports Field committee received a second infusion of cash from the provincial Regional Development Corporation recently. Bates said the money will all but make the new field a reality for the rural community. They have been fundraising since 2004.

“If we didn’t have the help from the province, we’d never get it done,” she said. “This has been a real good boost for us.”

The BBCSF committee received $25,000 in RDC funding last year which was used to finish excavating the site of the second field. This latest contribution, $50,000, will help with topsoil and seeding. If all goes well, Bates said the site will be ready next spring. The total cost of the field will be close to $100,000 by the time it is finished, Bates said. The second field will allow local and school sports teams to host tournaments which can in turn be a fundraising source. That would allow for the repair and upgrading Bates said should probably be done on the existing field at Belleisle Regional High School.

En francais: La province a fait un don de 50 000 $ au champ sportif communautaire de Belleisle afin de terminer la construction de ce dernier.

Canadian Tire opens new home

Canadian Tire opened a bigger and brighter store last month in the Gateway Mall. Manager-owner Steve George said he’d heard plenty from customers about the cramped quarters of the old store at the Sussex Mall.

“This store’s size supports (Canadian Tire’s) confidence in the market,” said George, who’s been with the corporation for 12 years. Canadian Tire’s shift to bigger digs follows a growing trend by many local retailers to upsize their stores here.

Sussex Deputy Mayor Marc Thorne said he believes the trend is a reflection of the level of confidence business has in the area. PotashCorp is perhaps the prime example. Work on the Saskatchewan-based mining company’s $1.7 billion expansion began several weeks ago. “I think that they’ve realized there is a lot of wealth in our area and they’re projecting a successful economy in our region,” he said.

En francais: Canadian Tire a ouvert un nouveau magasin au Centre commercial Gateway récemment.

Fuel price painful for local industry

The annoying pinch local industry says they were feeling from rising fuel prices before is beginning to feel more like a suffocating headlock. Recently the price of diesel increased to a stunning $1,55.3 cents per litre locally, after a nearly 17 cent spike over the previous three weeks. Those in the trucking industry who rely heavily on diesel fuel for their trucks are doing everything within their power to cope.

“Fuel in transportation is probably 60 per cent of your costs,” said R&G Transport CEO Derek Roberts.

R&G Transport, which specializes in transportation of food grade liquid and refrigerated food, has 45 trucks that travel to all corners of North America. When 60 per cent of costs are tied up in fuel, thinking outside the fuel conservation box has become a must. First drivers were asked to slow down on the highway for better fuel economy. Roberts said R&G is now considering purchasing small generators, at a cost of $10,000 each, so drivers won’t have to idle their trucks at night to stay warm or cool.

En francais: Le coût du carburant diesel force les compagnies de camionnage à réduire les dépenses, et ce, même à ralentir la vitesse sur la route.

McIntyre delivers on Sussex Legion funding

As promised, Roly McIntyre delivered a provincial government cheque for $200,000 to the Sussex Legion for its rebuilding project. McIntyre, the Saint John East MLA visited the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 20 at its temporary location at the Sussex Mall last month during its annual general meeting.

The branch was heavily damaged by an accidental fire Dec. 17. The legion and community have been working to raise extra funds for expenses not covered by insurance.

Legion president Ervin Ellis said the branch plans to allocate about $50,000 toward ventilation, a heating and cooling system and insulation; $100,000 toward replacing contents and supplies and another $50,000 for interim and start-up operating expenses.

En francais: La province a accordé 200 000 $ à la Légion de Sussex afin de l’aider à rebâtir son édifice détruit par un incendie en décembre.

Mobile canteen approved

The Town of Sussex planning advisory committee approved a land use variance request from Denise Rowe to operate a mobile canteen on the grounds of Princess Louise Park, O’Connell Park and other public sites. The request was reviewed by the town and approved for one year, subject to various conditions and PAC approval.

En francais: La Ville de Sussex a donné son approbation envers l’opération d’une cantine mobile dans son parc cet été par Denise Rowe.

Turning the sod

The Maritime Motor Sports Hall of Fame in Petitcodiac took another step towards reality when the sod was turned June 7 for the facility. Fundy Royal MP Rob Moore was on hand for the ceremony. The federal government has invested $551,500 in the project through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s Innovative Communities Fund. The hall is expected to draw 10,500 visitors in its first full year of operation.

Visiting motor sports enthusiasts from across Canada and the United States will have a significant impact on the economy of the Village of Petitcodiac. Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame president Ernest MacLean, MLA Wally Stiles and Petitcodiac Mayor Peter Saunders also took part in the ceremony.

En francais: La première pelletée de terre a eu lieu récemment sur le site du futur Temple de la renommée Maritime Motor Sports à être construit à Petitcodiac.

Ultra-effort from SRHS

The Sussex Regional High School entrepreneurship classes held a carnival recently with proceeds going to the Sussex Health Centre Foundation’s effort to raise funds for a new ultrasound unit.

The carnival raised $385 which students Janelle Lucas, Katlyn Moore, Sarah Carson, Marshall Worden, Courtney Steeves, Bradley Stiles and Talitha Knightly presented to hospital foundation president Anthonie de’Hoog.

En francais: Les classes d’entrepreneuriat de l’école secondaire régionale de Sussex ont organisé un carnaval qui a amassé 385 $ pour le nouvel appareil à ultrasons du Centre médical de Sussex.