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‘Rolling with the punches’: Bermuda-bound passengers make the most of Saint John stop

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When Maribel Lopez heard her cruise ship was not going to Bermuda, she even considered cancelling her trip altogether.

“I was definitely a little disappointed and I had second thoughts about even coming to the trip at all,” she said.

Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady launched Saint John’s cruise season Wednesday morning — more than two months ahead of schedule.

According to Port Saint John’s cruise ship schedule, the season was not set to begin until June 20.

The ship, with more than 2,000 passengers on board, sailed Monday from New York and was originally bound for Bermuda, but was forced to divert to Saint John due to weather conditions.

Lopez, who is from Brooklyn, N.Y., said with New York still experiencing cold weather, she had “sadly” not put her winter clothes away when she heard the news.

However, she said the diversion meant she had to think more carefully about what to pack to face the negative temperatures in Saint John.

“I definitely packed more relaxed and warmer clothes,” she said. “Some outfits will not be seeing the time of day here but it’s okay.”

Related: Weather diversion brings early start to cruise season in Saint John

Related: Saint John tourism operators gear up for early cruise ship season

Lopez travelled with her friend Rachel Torres, also from Brooklyn. She said both she and Torres are still processing the change of plans and are “rolling with the punches.”

“Ultimately, I had my time scheduled off, and I was like ‘I’m on vacation, so I have to go somewhere’,” she said.

Lopez said she and Torres have enjoyed their time in the city so far and were glad it wasn’t as cold as they expected.

“I mean, it’s a lovely town. It’s a little different than what I’m used to in New York,” she said. “It seems a lot more quieter and calmer, but I kind of appreciate that energy.”

Lopez and Torres weren’t the only disappointed passengers aboard the ship.

Dorian Bowers and Vanessa Perrineau were looking forward to the 26-degree weather, sunshine and pink sand beaches Bermuda had to offer when they learned the ship would instead divert to the much colder Saint John.

“I love Canada, I used to come up here all the time when I was kid, to the thousand Islands, or camping near Ontario, so I’m used to it, [but] I wanted something warm,” she said. “We just got over the cold in New York.”

Dorian Bowers, left, and Vanessa Perrineau are tourists with Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady. Bowers says they were looking forward to a sunny vacation in Bermuda. PHOTO: KATHERINE DEL SALTO/ACADIA NEWS

Like many other passengers, Bowers and Perrineau are trying to make the best of their vacation.

Bowers and Perrineau’s first stop in Saint John was the City Market, and Bowers said they were excited to continue exploring the city and pick up some maple syrup and maple cookies.

For other passengers, the diversion not only changed their vacation plans, but also their honeymoon destination.

Eric Bates and his wife, Mariam Sultan, from Baltimore, Md., had initially planned to celebrate their honeymoon in sunny Bermuda when they received notification Friday afternoon that the ship would instead divert to Saint John.

“That’s a little serendipitous,” said Bates.

He explained they had originally planned to take a bus to New York City on Friday and spend the weekend there, but at the last minute decided to change their departure time to Saturday morning.

Eric Bates and wife Mariam Sultan. The couple is celebrating their honeymoon in Saint John due bad weather conditions diverting their cruise ship. PHOTO: KATHERINE DEL SALTO/ACADIA NEWS

“Around 4 o’clock on Friday we received the email saying ‘ahoy sailor, we are swapping that out,’ and so we had time to pack,” he said. “It could’ve been much worse in the sense that we would’ve had to invest in cold weather gear in New York City.”

Bates said he and Sultan have enjoyed their time in Saint John so far. The couple went on a trolley tour, visiting the Bay of Fundy and the Reversing Falls, and were also looking forward to stopping by Tim Hortons.

“I think it’s just wonderful that you can just have such a historic port city. There’s just a lot to look at [and] a lot of wonderful history to learn,” he said.

The Valiant Lady stayed in Saint John for one day and departed Thursday at 4 a.m.

Sarah Morton

Bathurst only N.B. municipality to make Atlantic Canada’s top employers list

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The City of Bathurst was the only municipality in New Brunswick selected as one of Atlantic Canada’s Top Employers for 2026.

The city announced the award in a press release Tuesday.

The competition is administered by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and evaluates organizations based on eight criteria, including workplace culture, benefits, training and community involvement, among others.

Sarah Morton, Bathurst’s senior director of corporate services, said the recognition puts the city on the map as a strong employer.

“I think we are proving ourselves as a community where you can work, live and grow, and where you can build an amazing career in such a great corner of the province,” she said.

Other winners include New Brunswick companies like NB Liquor, Brunswick Credit Union Ltd., Horizon Health Network, Irving Oil, and Nova Scotian companies like Killiam Apartment REIT, within others.

However, of the 17 entities in New Brunswick that received the recognition, Bathurst was the only municipality to do so this year and one of 60 organizations named across Atlantic Canada.

In a press release issued Tuesday by Mediacorp Canada Inc. — the company behind Canada’s Top 100 Employers — editors said this year’s winners were organizations that supported employees “through every stage of life and career.”

“What stands out about this year’s winners is their long-term mindset,” wrote Richard Yerema, executive editor at Mediacorp.

“They understand that attracting talent is only the beginning — the real challenge is helping employees put down roots, grow their careers and see a future for themselves in Atlantic Canada,” he wrote.

According to a detailed explanation provided by Mediacorp’s editors, Bathurst’s workplace fitness initiatives, “generous” pension contributions and maternity and parental leave top‑up programs were among the reasons the municipality was selected.

Morton said the programs are part of the municipality’s broader focus on enhancing workplace culture, an effort underway for the past five years.

She added the city is especially proud of the achievement because it was recognized the first time it applied for the competition.

“We knew we were in a great place, and it feels amazing to have that recognized,” she said.

In recent years, municipalities across New Brunswick have introduced new initiatives to retain employees amid challenges such as less competitive salaries and difficulties filling highly specialized roles.

Morton said she hopes Bathurst’s recognition can serve as an example for other municipalities struggling with recruitment and retention.

“We are always open to collaborating and sharing,” she said.

“I think that supporting your employees through programs in their work life as well as their home, day-to-day life is what really keeps employees.”

Prison Bars

Allan Legere, one of Canada’s most infamous killers, dies in federal custody

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Correctional Service Canada has confirmed that Allan Legere, one of Canada’s most notorious violent offenders, has died while serving a life sentence at the Edmonton Institution.

He was 78.

Legere was widely known as the “Monster of the Miramichi,” a serial killer, rapist, and arsonist whose crimes in the 1980s left deep scars across New Brunswick.

He first entered the national spotlight following a 1986 home invasion in Black River Bridge, where an elderly storekeeper was murdered and his wife was brutally assaulted. Legere was convicted and sentenced to life in 1987 for his role in that attack.

His notoriety grew even further in 1989, when he escaped custody while at a Moncton hospital for medical treatment.

Using a concealed metal tool, Legere picked the lock on his restraints, fled the building, and evaded police for months.

During that time, he committed four more murders in the Miramichi region, prompting one of the most extensive manhunts in modern Canadian policing. 

Legere was eventually recaptured in November 1989.

Correctional Service Canada says its internal review will look into the circumstances of Legere’s death, as is required whenever an inmate dies in custody. Both the police and the coroner have been notified. No cause of death has been released.

Legere spent decades in maximum‑security institutions, including time in Canada’s Special Handling Unit reserved for the most dangerous offenders, before being transferred to Edmonton Institution in later years.

He had remained incarcerated for nearly 40 years.

truck

N.B. announces spring weight restrictions

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It hasn’t felt like it in recent days, but spring is right around the corner in New Brunswick.

And with that comes weight restrictions for truck traffic across the province.

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure announced the starting dates for restrictions this week.

In the south, they’ll take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 9.

Northern New Brunswick’s restrictions will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 16.

“These weight limits are put in place each spring to protect our road infrastructure from damage during the annual frost-and-thaw cycle,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Chuck Chiasson in a press release.

“We provide this notice to the trucking community, so they may prepare to reduce their loads or plan for alternate routes during this period.”

The end of the restrictions is currently set for mid-May, but that’s dependent on weather conditions and is subject to change.

For the purposes of the restrictions, northern New Brunswick includes:

  • All areas within the counties of Northumberland, Gloucester, Restigouche, Madawaska and Victoria.
  • The portion of Route 108 within York County.
  • The portion of Gordon Vale Road and Holtville Road within York County.
  • The portion of Route 123 within Sunbury County and Queens County.
  • The portion of Bloomfield Ridge Road between Holtville Road and Route 625.
  • The portion of Route 625 between Gordon Vale Road and Route 8.

a white toy with a black nose

AI fraud costs New Brunswickers more than $6M

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New Brunswickers reported losing more than $6.2 million to investment frauds and scams last year.

The majority were committed online.

According to the Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has opened new avenues for fraudsters to mislead people.

“These days, fraudsters are using AI and deepfakes to make scams look and sound real,” said Marissa Sollows, the FCNB’s director of communications and public affairs.

“You might hear a familiar voice, see a well-known face or receive a message that feels trustworthy, even though it isn’t.”

FCNB’s figure for 2025 is slightly above the $6 million lost to investment scams reported the year before to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), which collects information on fraud and identity theft nationally.

The CAFC estimates only five per cent of fraud is ever reported.

“So the actual amount of money scammed from New Brunswickers could be much higher,” Sollows said.

In an effort to educate the public, and as part of Fraud Prevention Month in March, the FCNB will host a free webinar designed to help New Brunswickers recognize financial fraud in the digital age.

“We’re sharing practical tips to help you protect yourself, your loved ones and the people you support from scams,” Sollows said.

The webinar, Fraud Has a New Face: AI, Deepfakes, and Why Scams Can Be So Hard to Spot, will be held in English on March 17 and in French on March 18 via Zoom.

It will outline how scammers operate and some warning signs to watch for.

Sollows said other tips are available on the FCNB website.

FCNB has also developed two online guides to educate the public.

The first is called Protecting yourself from AI and deepfake scams, featuring overviews of the common types of online scams.

The second, Celebrity Endorsements: Don’t have stars in your eyes, details how celebrities, politicians, journalists and other well-known personalities can have their images or voices manipulated or faked to try to lend legitimacy to offers of goods or services.

Black hockey puck

CBSA vs. RCMP charity hockey game for St. Stephen

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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian Border Services Agency will face off in the Border vs. Order charity hockey game in support of a great cause.

Proceeds will go to the Willow Centre in Charlotte County, which offers programs such as counselling and support groups to survivors of sexual violence.

The puck will drop at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20 the Garcelon Civic Centre, located at 22 Budd Avenue in St. Stephen, N.B.

Tickets will be available at the door and are priced at $5 for adults and $3 for youth and students.

silver fork on white ceramic plate

Tops Eatery to close in February

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A well-known Saint John restaurant is closing its doors.

Tops Eatery will shut down for good on February 8.

A social media post states that they are realigning their business strategy in the current market environment.

Tops Pizza and Restaurant has been a fixture on Union Street since 1895, but it changed hands in 2024.

hollandpowerphoto

Local power company still hands-on in Jamaica hurricane relief

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Hanwell’s Holland Power Services has been assisting in Jamaica since Hurricane Melissa devastated the island on October 28, 2025.

The Category 5 storm was not only the strongest storm to ever hit the country, but also the third most intense hurricane in the Atlantic, causing over $10 billion in damage.

It has been a continuous effort to rebuild Jamaica’s complete access to power and water. Amongst those on the island restoring necessities are 80 New Brunswickers who work for Holland Power Services.

President Steven Hansen just returned to New Brunswick after spending some time in the Caribbean overseeing the process.

“I’ve always liked to get out and spend time with both the clients that we have and, of course, the workers in the field,” Hansen explained. He plans to travel back to Jamaica at the beginning of February.

The aid that Holland Power Services has been providing to the island was not a last-minute decision. Following Hurricane Beryl, which damaged the island in 2024, the company and Jamaica formed a relationship to ensure that there was an increased number of line workers available in the event of another emergency.

“When [Jamaica] got hit quite severely by Hurricane Melissa, they already had an established relationship with us, so we started having conversations about when we would be able to get down to help, and we just moved from there.”

Nick Gilbert, a worker from Fredericton, posing with Jamaican students (Submitted: Steven Hansen)

Nick Gilbert has been with Holland Power Services since 2017 and is a Red Seal tradesman. He is one of many workers on the island who will be cycled in and out every three to four weeks until the job is completed.

This is not the first time that Holland Power has helped in this part of the world, as the utility company responded to the Grand Bahamas back in 2018.

“We’re not a stranger to working in that environment – we would like to establish relationships with any of the other Caribbean nations,” said Hansen, “we’re more than prepared to satisfy the needs of all our customers here in New Brunswick and other locations.”

Joseph Reginald Sears

Warrant issued for arrest of Sackville man

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RCMP are asking the public to be on the lookout for a wanted man.

Forty-three-year-old Joseph Reginald Sears of Sackville failed to appear in Moncton provincial court on September 5, 2025. A warrant was then issued for his arrest.

Sears is facing several charges, including assaulting a police officer. He is also wanted in connection with several other offences in the Sackville area.

He is described as around 5′11, about 170 pounds, with mid-length light brown or dirty blonde hair and facial stubble.

RCMP ask that if you see Sears, do not approach; call 911 immediately.

If you have any information, contact the Sackville RCMP at 506-364-5023 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)

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