The City of Saint John has appointed a new chief administrative officer.
Ian Fogan took over the role Tuesday following a vote at Monday’s Common Council meeting.
Fogan is a longtime member of the senior leadership team in Saint John.
He’s played a significant role in moving key initiatives forward, including long-term financial and capital planning, transit modernization, enterprise risk management and intergovernmental relations.
In a statement, Mayor Donna Noade Reardon said council is confident in Fogan’s ability to lead the organization into the future.
“Ian is a respected leader with a strong understanding of our organization and our community,” Reardon said. “Council is confident that his experience, professionalism, and commitment to public service will help guide Saint John forward as we continue to advance our strategic priorities and deliver services that matter to residents.”
Fogan said in a statement that he’s honoured to take on his new role.
“Saint John is a community I care deeply about,” he said. “I am proud to continue serving residents and working alongside Council and City employees to build a strong and sustainable future for our city.”
Councillors also thanked Kevin Fudge for his work as acting CAO over the past few months.
“Kevin’s leadership during this transition has been invaluable,” said Reardon. “On behalf of Council and the organization, I want to thank him for his thoughtful leadership, guidance and support for the City ensuring continuity of our positive momentum during this consequential period.”
Fudge will continue on in his roles as chief financial officer and chief of staff.
The province is seeking proposals to build 2 eight‑unit public housing apartment buildings in Windsor.
According to a recent release, almost 70% of current public housing tenants are seniors, a factor reflected in the design of the new buildings.
Together, the developments will include 11 one‑bedroom units, 3 two‑bedroom units, and 2 three‑bedroom units. Each unit will feature a private entrance and its own terrace or balcony. All apartments will be equipped with energy‑efficient appliances and heat pumps, and at least two units will be fully accessible.
“This investment gives people a safe, comfortable, and affordable place to live – one less thing to worry about so they can focus on work and family or enjoy their retirement,” says Housing Minister John White.
Employment gaps across the Canadian aviation industry have made the 4th annual Confederation College Aviation Day more important than ever.
Students in the aviation technician/aircraft maintenance and aviation flight management (piloting) programs had the chance to network with over 25 potential employers at the Aviation Centre of Excellence on campus Wednesday afternoon.
The fair also featured events and challenges such as a VR piloting experience and a technician skills competition.
Reps from Pop-Up VR show off their immersive VR piloting experience at Aviation Day (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 11 2026)
“The industry is so short for pilots and aircraft mechanics right now,” said Matt Bunn, Associate Dean of Confederation’s Aviation Centre of Excellence. “It’s such a good time to get into aviation. Ten years ago would have been a different scene, but we’ve got so many different employers that are coming to us and seeking our grads.”
“It’s a very mutually beneficial event for both industry and the students of our two aviation programs.”
Confederation Aviation School of Excellence Vice President Matt Bunn at Wednesday’s job fair (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 11 2026)
Representatives from main line airlines Air Canada and Porter attended the fair, as well as the Royal Canadian Air Force and the OPP.
“5, 10 years down the line, you’re going to see me in the airlines, definitely,” said Oliver Morgan, second-year student in Confederation’s piloting program. “You’re going to hear Captain Morgan on the airways, and I’m not talking about the liquor.”
Morgan will be interning with Perimeter airlines in the summer after graduation.
“You work really hard to be able to showcase your skills at a high level. Being able to get into the industry basically straight out the gate is just fortunate,” Morgan said.
Sean Park, a second-year student in the aircraft maintenance program, echoes Morgan’s sentiment.
Second-year aircraft maintenance student Sean Park at Aviation Day (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 11 2026)
“If I can say anything to the first years or any potential students, I’d tell them to just come and say hi and explore, try new things, get your hands on as many things as you can, and just see where life takes you,” Park said. “I really liked working on things, and I started off working on computers for my friends and family. I started in journalism, but a lot of my friends I met doing that told me to give aircraft maintenance a try. So I came all the way here to Thunder Bay from BC to do just that.”
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says many childcare centres across Nova Scotia are struggling to recruit staff because of low wages and a lack of recognition.
Now, the union is urging the province’s education minister to act, as some Early Childhood Educators (ECE) say they’ve been waiting months for back pay. This stems from Nova Scotia’s ECE wage grid under the $10-a-day childcare plan, where operators await provincial funding to distribute back pay.
In a news release, CUPE 4745 President and Early Childhood Educator Tabitha Warren says, “This delay sends a message that the province doesn’t value the people who make childcare possible. It’s unacceptable, and it needs to be fixed now.”
Union representatives say centres cannot issue the payments without authorization from the department.
CUPE Nova Scotia President Alan Linkletter says “everyone deserves to be paid on time, and our ECEs are no exception. The Minister has the ability and the responsibility to unlock this funding immediately. Delaying back pay only deepens the staffing challenges that already affect the entire childcare sector.”
The union says it is urging officials to release the outstanding funds immediately.
Meantime, Education Minister Brendan Maguire says the money is coming it is just taking time.
He tells reporters it’s not about holding the funds back.
“It really is about going through every single hour for the last few years that people have worked in this province,” says Maguire.
He says it’s very labour intensive and that crews are working around the clock to get it done.
The Dryden Fire Department says it was very busy in 2025.
Fire chief Chris Wood gave his annual report to city council this week.
He says one of the things they really concentrated on was doing more fire inspections.
“We did 96 total inspections in 2025,” Wood told city council at its open meeting Monday night.
“That’s the highest recorded inspections we have on record for Dryden Fire, so that’s an outstanding achievement.”
Wood points out those inspections did lead to a number of fire code violations.
“80 percent of those inspections resulted in 602 violations under the Ontario Fire Code, so that’s not the best story unfortunately, but because our inspections have not been strong in the past, now that we’re really getting through them, we’re really opening things up and we’re finding a lot of violations.”
Wood adds the Dryden Fire Department has been very successful in getting grants for a number of pieces of equipment and projects.
That includes $25,000 from Hydro One under its Energizing Life Community Fund to purchase a portable Fire Extinguisher Prop used to train firefighters, businesses, and citizens.
It also received the Ontario Fire Protection Grant of $33,000 for a Respirator Fit Testing Machine used to fit test the SCBA masks and a PPE drying rack for decontaminating structural bunker gear and PPE.
Schools in the Anglophone East and Francophone South school districts (except Saint John and Quispamsis) are closed today due to hazardous road conditions, while several post-secondary institutions and government offices are delaying their openings.
The New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) will open at 10 a.m., while the offices of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Service Canada, and the Labour Program in Greater Moncton will open at 10:30 a.m.
Forecasters say freezing rain early this morning could create slippery roads and sidewalks. However, temperatures are expected to rise later in the morning, which should cause the freezing rain to transition to regular rain.
Drivers and pedestrians are being urged to use caution while travelling, particularly during the morning hours when surfaces may be icy.
