RCMP in St. Stephen are investigating an early morning fire as arson.
Police responded to a fire call on Milltown Boulevard at approximately 4:05 a.m. Friday.
The abandoned building was on what’s known to many as the Star Shine property, next to the Charlotte County Museum.
Fire in an abandoned building in Milltown on Friday morning.
There’s an increased use of fireplaces, wood stoves and wood-fired furnaces in the wintertime.
The question is, have you had your chimney cleaned?
Moncton Fire Deputy Chief Keith Guptill says creosote can build up in the flue, “It really can create a lot of issues. If enough wood-burning product is placed inside your stove, furnace or fireplace, the creosote can catch fire because of the heat that’s building up behind it. Smoke is actually heat. So, as the smoke isn’t able to dissipate properly and it collects in those areas, it’ll do a couple of things. It’ll push smoke back down in the home, which, of course, could cause carbon monoxide poisoning. It can also retain heat and create issues, which can set a house on fire.”
Guptill adds that the fire department responded to at least two chimney fires this week alone.
“If a homeowner suspects a chimney or a flue fire, they need to call 911 right away. You need to make sure you rectify that as soon as possible,” Guptill adds.
Some of the signs of a possible chimney fire include smoke coming back down into the home, or ashes and sparks flying from the flue or the chimney on the outside of the home or business.
He asks that if you are driving by a home and notice sparks or embers coming from the chimney, to call 911.
“You should also pause and take a moment and go knock on the door of the residence and express to them the same thing, because we wouldn’t want them to stay in the home and not know what was going on.”
Guptill says autumn is when most homeowners look into getting their chimneys cleaned. Online sources state it should be done at least once a year.
For the first time in almost 10 years, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) has welcomed a new K9 team to its ranks.
Constable Daniel Birch and his nearly-three-year-old Police Service Dog (PSD) partner, Becks, were officially introduced during a news conference at NAPS headquarters in Thunder Bay on Thursday, January 8.
Birch earned the position through an internal competition in 2025 and completed a 21-week training program before being paired with Becks.
The duo graduated from the OPP-led General Service Dog course on December 5 and were deployed the following day.
Since then, Birch says the pair have “created quite a special bond.”
Becks is trained in a wide range of specialized tasks, including:
Birch says that having a service dog “brings a whole different element to the work we do.”
As a Belgian Malamois, Becks has a nose that simply outclasses anything a human can smell, which “allows him to locate people a lot faster than just humans,” the constable explains.
Birch greatly respects his canine companion: “I’ve always had a passion for dogs, and always admired their abilities,” he says.
NAPS first launched a K9 Unit in 2009, but its previous canine member, Pax, retired in 2016.
Terry Armstrong, NAPS Chief of Police, says that the service had to go without a K9 replacement for many years because “as the world knows, we were drastically underfunded at the time.”
He feels that the service would have found a replacement earlier had they been able.
“The chiefs have been asking for years about reinstituting the K9. It was always something we’d hoped to do after the retirement of Pax,” he adds.
NAPS plans to recruit another two canines to their new K9 unit, so that one can be assigned to each of the three regions NAPS polices.
The reintroduction of the unit is expected to strengthen policing services across the 34 Northern communities NAPS serves.
But Armstrong stresses that the K9 unit is not only for NAPS.
“There really aren’t boundaries when it comes to helping people and public safety,” says the police chief. “When other agencies need our help, just as when we lean on them, it’s great to be able to cross-pollinate to help out with those things.”
Birch and Becks have already responded to about 15 service calls, with both NAPS and other police services in the area.
The first baby for 2026 in the Fort Frances area has arrived.
And it’s a boy!
Riverside Health Care reports Hayden Kelvin Croswell was born Thursday morning at 8:30 at LaVerendyre General Hospital.
It is the third child for parents Chelsea and Kelvin Croswell.
Riverside offers its congratulations and best wishes to the Croswell family, and to all families welcoming new babies in the new year.
It also gives thanks to its obstetrics care team.
“Riverside Health Care is deeply grateful for our exceptional obstetrics care team at La Verendrye General Hospital, who guide families through labour, delivery, and newborn care with compassion, expertise, and reassurance every step of the way,” states a release.
“Their dedication leaves a meaningful imprint on the lives of the families we serve.”
Remember Jersey Shore? Paramount+ is bringing it to Canada, sort of.
Ten Canadians with larger-than-life personalities will be featured on ‘Canada Shore’.
Three of them are from Atlantic Canada.
Emmy is an aesthetician from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Keyaira is a dog groomer from Halifax, Nova Scotia and Ryleigh is a marketing professional from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.
Others featured on the show are from Toronto, Ontario, Calgary, Alberta and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Canada Shore brings together the ten singles for romance, friendships and fun.
The series was filmed last summer on the shores of Kelowna, British Columbia.
The show debuts on January 22 on Paramount+.
There are just a few days to go before Moncton becomes a hockey mecca, and the excitement is getting to an all-time high.
That’s according to Michelle Duffie, the co-chair of the Hockey Day in Canada festivities.
“We’ve been planning since April,” she said.
While the puck officially drops on the celebration of our national sport on Thursday, Jan. 15, a last-minute announcement this week revealed a famous guest would be in the city a few days early.
Duffie said the Stanley Cup would be on display and available for photos on Saturday, Jan. 10. The toughest trophy to win in professional sports will be at Downtown Place next to the Avenir Centre from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is free, and open to the public.
The city is expecting significant economic benefits, Duffie said, as tourists come to take in all the events.
“That’s looking really good,” she said. “We’ve had lots of conversations with the hotels that are downtown and they’re getting full.”
Saturday, Jan. 17, is the big day, with hockey of all kinds being played around Moncton and Riverview, including the Eastern Regional Blind Hockey Tournament at the Coliseum, a Timbits Jamboree at the Byron Dobson Memorial Arena and the Wildcats hosting Chicoutimi.
Anyone attending the U Sports matchup between the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues and Dalhousie University Tigers could be part of a record.
“We’re trying to break a record to have the highest-attended Atlantic University Sports game,” Duffie said.
To do that, she estimated they’ll need about 3,000 attendees.
Duffie said that game will feature a ceremonial faceoff with Hockey Hall of Famer Jennifer Botterill and longtime Team Canada player Rebecca Johnston.
“We’re really focusing on women’s hockey, girls’ hockey,” she said.
The Saturday festivities will get going with a parade from Moncton Market to Downtown Place.
Duffie said organizers want to see fans participate in the parade, wearing their favourite hockey jersey.
“They just need to go to the Moncton Market by 11 in the morning,” she said. “It will leave at 11:30 and make its way up Main Street and then arrive at the Oval where (Hockey Night in Canada host) Ron MacLean will be waiting for us.”
Of course, the day will include a live broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada starting at 6:30 p.m.
A complete schedule can be found here.
The OPP in the northwest region have released their stats for the Festive RIDE program.
In all, 139 motorists were pulled off the road for impaired driving charges.
12 other were in the warn range.
OPP officers in the region were involved in 3,746 hours of RIDE checks stops from November 20th until January 1st.
The forecast in the Bay of Fundy will keep the MV Fundy Rose in port later today and tomorrow.
Bay Ferries posted on social media Friday morning that forecast wind and sea state conditions have forced the following sailings:
Forecasted wind and sea state conditions have caused us to cancel the following sailings of Fundy Rose:
— Bay Ferries (@BayFerries) January 9, 2026
Friday Janaury 9
• Depart Digby 16:00
Saturday January 10
• Depart Saint John 09:00
The Saint John Police is asking the public for help identifying two males involved in a home invasion in the city’s south end.
According to police, on Dec. 29 at approximately 4:38 a.m., officers responded to a 911 hang-up call in the 100-block of Mecklenburg Street.
When they arrived, officers found an unconscious female in the residence. She was treated at the hospital and later released.
After investigation, police learned two males had entered the residence and assaulted the female.
Police don’t believe the residence or the female were the intended target.
One suspect is described as a white male in his late 30s, standing 5-7 to 5-9, medium build, with a reddish beard and moustache. He was wearing dark clothing with the hood up over a ball cap.
The second suspect is described as a white male in his 20s, short stature and slight build, wearing dark clothing.
Anyone who may know the identity of the suspects or has information about the incident is asked to contact the Saint John Police at 506-648-3333.
Anonymous tips can be given to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-8477, by submitting a secure web tip at Anonymous Tips – N.B. Crime Stoppers / Échec au crime N.-B., or by using the P3 Tips app.
Dips for fuel this week, but they’re not going to have a huge impact on your wallet.
The Energy and Utilities Board made its weekly price adjustments overnight.
The maximum for regular self-serve dipped just half a cent, to around $1.32. Stations usually sell for a few cents less.
Diesel is down 1.2 cents a litre to a maximum of $1.68.
Furnace oil decreased 1.5 cents to a maximum of $1.60.
In Nova Scotia, regular self-serve ranges from $1.27 to $1.31 per litre, while diesel is selling for between $1.54 and $1.58 per litre.
On Prince Edward Island, the price for regular self-serve is around $1.39 per litre, diesel costs around $1.65 per litre, and home heating oil is selling for a maximum of $1.21 per litre.
The New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board adjusts prices every Friday at 12:01 a.m.