In Nova Scotia, maximum regular self-serve prices range from about $1.85 to $1.89 per litre, while diesel is selling for between $2.37 and $2.41 per litre.
On Prince Edward Island, the maximum prices are $1.98 a litre for regular self-serve, more than $2.56 per litre for diesel and above $1.93 per litre for home heating oil.
Hard deadlines today for those wanting to run in the upcoming municipal or local school board elections.
Your nomination papers must be submitted no later than 2 pm on Friday, April 10.
Elections NB Chief Electoral Officer Kim Poffenroth says it’s not unusual for New Brunswickers to wait until the last minute in municipal elections to submit their nomination paperwork to get their name on the ballot.
Several new names were added to the candidates’ lists just this week.
You can visit the Elections NB website to see who is running.
The wildfire season has launched in New Brunswick, but it comes earlier than anticipated. There are concerns about record-low precipitation, a lack of snow, and prolonged drought conditions.
The province is spending $6.7 million to help support forest protection and fighting wildfires.
Premier Susan Holt and Natural Resources Minister John Herron announced the news at the Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre in Fredericton on Wednesday.
Funds will be divided among the groups involved in protecting New Brunswick from wildfires.
Holt said that being prepared is her government’s top priority, which is why they are committing funds to support personnel, equipment, and training for this year’s wildfire season.
Premier Susan Holt speaking at Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre / Image: Wilfred Fraser
$1.725 million will be invested annually to convert 74 forest ranger positions to year-round positions, according to Holt.
“These are people who spend their winter months increasing their readiness, preparing warehouses and equipment, doing robust training and deployment opportunities,” said Holt. “These are the people who kept New Brunswick safe last year, and our government is committed to supporting them and making those positions permanent.”
Holt also mentioned 16 signed agreements that will provide municipalities with wildfire fighting equipment kits and the required training. She says her government will continue to roll these agreements out into 2027.
$2.6 million will help develop community wildfire resiliency plans, of which 24 are already in place.
$484 thousand has been allocated to the North Shore Tribal Council, the Wolastoqey Tribal Council, and the MAWIW Tribal Council to support their communities in preparing for wildfires.
Premier Susan Holt sitting in a new piece of equipment at the Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre / Image: Wilfred Fraser
“We have made $6.4 million in capital investment for 2026-27 to build up our provincial fire equipment warehouse and fire hose processing facility in Fredericton … important facilities and equipment to rebuild. We need to rebuild and relocate our fire-retardant storage facility as well,” listed Holt.
Holt also mentioned upgrading reloading bases in Fredericton and Miramichi, as well as four more reloading bases across the province.
“We have allocated an additional $3 million to Forest Protection Limited in our contract with them for 2026-27 to make four fire boss planes available in New Brunswick,” she said.
These four new planes can skim water from lakes and rivers to drop upon burning brush and trees, which will aid in the faster suppression of fires when they are identified.
Holt said a forest ranger has been designated to each district in the province to lead preparation for the season under guidance from the wildfire ranger lead.
“These positions are going to help ensure that preparation for the season occurs consistently across all districts within the department so that we are ready everywhere,” said Holt.
Natural Resources Minister John Herron at Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre / Image: Wilfred Fraser
Minister Herron acknowledged the work of forest rangers and firefighters who kept the province safe during last year’s wildfire season before speaking about the funding.
“We had a very arduous season last year. Because of the immense skill that our firefighting team has, we did not lose a single structure throughout the entire summer,” said Herron, “so that is a testament to the strength and skill that these men and women have.”
“You had our back, so the very least we can do is that this government and this Premier have your back,” said the natural resources minister.
Herron warned that Climate Change Canada has projected that the summer months in the province will be among the hottest years on record, with above-average temperatures as a result of climate change.
“On behalf of our wildfire prevention officers, I encourage people to continue to enjoy the outdoors while being vigilant with backyard fire pits, motorized vehicles, hunting, fishing, camping activities, and to report fires so that action can be taken quickly,” said Herron.
The provincial government has also launched a Fire Watch page, which New Brunswickers can refer to here. It will be updated at 2 p.m. daily, according to Herron.
Six teams of talented under-18 AAA girls hockey players from across Canada will be in Dieppe later this month.
The city will host the Esso Cup from April 19 to 25, and it’s the first time it has ever been held in New Brunswick.
It’s a national tournament sanctioned by Hockey Canada. It’s the equivalent of the Telus Cup, which many know as the tournament for the boys.
This year’s hosts of the Esso Cup are the Moncton Rockets. The Northern Selects will represent Atlantic Canada, the Winnipeg Ice for the western region, the Red Deer Chiefs for the Pacific region and a team for Quebec and Ontario, which are still to be determined.
“It’s a very fast moving and high calibre hockey at the U18 level,” Co-Chair Melanie McGrath explained.
McGrath added that women’s hockey has seen a lot of growth over the last few years, “There’s actually more growth right now in numbers in female hockey than there is in the male hockey. It’s exciting to see that girls’ hockey is growing at a fast pace. And the game is also growing exponentially compared to what it was five years ago. Just when we look at New Brunswick, we now have a U13 AAA girls team. We have four U15 AAA, I think they have four in the province and U18 AAA, we have three. So the game is getting a lot faster, and there are a lot more players who are at the elite level.”
She also explained that a lot of work has been done at the Hockey New Brunswick level with the various associations for the younger levels.
Girls who are starting to play the game at five or six years old now have the opportunity to play just with a girls’ team, whereas that wasn’t the case just ten years ago.
“You can now develop your game and stay with the girls’ team from start to finish of your career. And the PWHL, which is the Women’s Professional League, provides a new goal for the players to even continue to play hockey, later on. At the same time, there’s a U22 league, there’s the college, and there’s the university league. So there are a lot of opportunities for girls,” McGrath explained.
All of the games at the Esso Cup will be played at the Uniplex in Dieppe.
“We’ll have three games per day, one at 11, one at four, and the last game at 7 pm. We’ll have the host team every night, so it’s a round-robin format. The host team will play all teams at 7 pm, starting on Sunday, April 19th. The semifinals are going to be on Friday, April 24th and medal games on Saturday, April 25th,” McGrath said.
Spectators will need to buy tickets online before the tournament or in person on site before each game.
The Government of New Brunswick is investing $423 million in strengthening public safety, modernizing justice services, and ensuring the sustainability of department programs.
New Brunswick RCMP will receive $7 million to implement body cameras for officers, salary increases, and to counter rising operational costs.
Technical Inspection Services will receive a $1 million increase in funding to hire more electrical inspectors and to support housing development through improvements to permit and plan review capacity.
The Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) will receive $1.1 million to fully fund the organization. The release says this also includes support for Indigenous representation.
Justice system improvements like the launch of virtual bail hearings and the introduction of the Addictions and Mental Health Court Program in Moncton are some ways the government is working to better support communities.
Justice Minister and Attorney General Rob McKee says modernizing the province’s justice system is about making it more accessible, timely, and responsive.
“These initiatives will help ensure people get the support they need while improving outcomes for individuals, families, and communities,” said McKee.
Robert Gauvin, public safety minister, says these targeted investments will support policing, enhance enforcement, and modernize the justice system.
“Investing in public safety means making sure our law enforcement agencies have the tools and resources they need, while also strengthening accountability and improving how services are delivered,” said Gauvin.
Fee adjustments
The government will be increasing the number of fees related to numerous provincial acts to adjust to the service delivery cost. Most of these adjustments will come into effect on July 1 and are expected to generate $45 million annually in provincial revenue.
“Through our pre-budget consultations, we were clear with New Brunswickers that there would be difficult decisions ahead, and adjusting fees was one of the options on the table,” said Gauvin. “Many of these fees have not been updated in years, over 20 in some cases. This step helps ensure we can continue delivering the quality services people rely on every day.”
Some notable fee adjustments would apply to the NB 911 service fee, which will be increased to $2.59 per month starting Aug. 1.
Liquor licensing, vehicle registration, and driver’s license renewal also would face adjustments.
One example provided by the Department of Justice and Public Safety is that drivers will pay an extra 20 cents per month for their driver’s license, or $2.40 per year per person. Vehicle owners could pay anywhere from an extra $5 to $15 annually for vehicle registration.
Changes are also expected to probate fees, which have not faced adjustment in more than two decades.
“We know fee increases are never easy and that is why we have taken a careful, balanced approach,” McKee said. “We are making sure fees better reflect the cost of delivering services, are comparable to other Atlantic province, and limit the impact on New Brunswickers.”
A Moncton man is being memorialized a century after his tragic death in a fire at the Capitol Theatre.
On March 26, 1926, a major fire broke out, and Alexander “Sandy” Lindsay, a member of the Salvage Corps, attended the scene to fight the fire along with other members.
A brick wall collapsed near an area where the capital adjoins the Empress Theatre, and his skull was crushed. Lindsay was taken by ambulance to the hospital, and they tried very hard to save him, but while waiting for surgery, he passed away.
Moncton fire Capitol Theatre dedication (March 2026) IMAGE: ACADIA BROADCASTINGMoncton fire Capitol Theatre dedication (March 2026) IMAGE: ACADIA BROADCASTING
“He was an incredible man who was well-known across the region for his time selling advertising with the local daily paper of the time. He was really involved in the community. He was a member of the Rotary Club. He was a member of the Moncton Curling Association. He had a wife, Emily. They had a son, John, who was 18. It was a true loss that he lost his life volunteering to save the Capitol Theatre,” Managing Director Kim Rayworth told our newsroom.
The theatre has dedicated a seat in Lindsay’s honour, with a plaque.
Rayworth says 100 years later, his presence can still be felt at the theatre.
Moncton fire Capitol Theatre dedication (March 2026) IMAGE: ACADIA BROADCASTING
“I feel him. And I think it’s beautiful in a way that he gets to be here with hundreds of people daily. He was said to have been an amateur musician and performer. He was a member of the choir. And I think how great it must be for him to feel everyone’s energy and excitement for coming together here. There is no greater sacrifice, so for me, it touches me a lot. I’m really happy when the paranormalists want to come in here and study it. I’m really happy that his memory stays alive. This is just another small way we can do that by putting a plaque on a seat,” Rayworth expressed.
Moncton Fire Deputy Chief Keith Guptill says this is a huge deal for them
“It reminds us of what the ones that are here today, of what we do and why we do it. To see the appreciation that these folks are sharing with us, with the City of Moncton, with the Moncton Fire Department and the local community, is such an encouragement to us,” Guptill explained.
Moncton fire Capitol Theatre dedication (March 2026) IMAGE: ACADIA BROADCASTINGMoncton fire Capitol Theatre dedication (March 2026) IMAGE: ACADIA BROADCASTING
Minimum-wage earners in New Brunswick are officially getting more for the hours they work.
A pay bump went into effect on April 1.
Workers are making 25 cents more, taking the wage from $15.65 to $15.90.
The minimum wage rate is indexed to New Brunswick’s consumer price index, rounded to the nearest five cents. The consumer price index grew by 1.7 per cent in 2025.
According to the provincial government, five per cent of all employees in the province were earning the minimum wage in 2025, down from six per cent in 2024.
Environment Canada has issued special weather statements for the province.
They are calling for the possibility of significant snowfall, ice pellets, and freezing rain on Tuesday night.
“It looks like to the north, mostly snow, to the extreme south, I want to say, mostly rain, and then everything in between will be a mixture of everything. We’re looking at 15 to 20 centimetres of snow up north. In terms of freezing rain, we’re looking at maybe 5 to 10 millimetres over several hours through central and southern parts, including Moncton through to Fredericton. Then down south, Saint. John, St. Stephen, it looks like it will be maybe initially some freezing rain or ice pellets, but mostly rain after that, and they’re looking at from 10 to 20 millimetres,” Meteorologist Jill Maepea told our newsroom.
Snowfall and/or freezing rain warnings may be required, and Maepea explained those could come later today.
Scatter precipitation is expected to begin tomorrow afternoon, in the form of flurries and showers, but Mapea said they’re anticipating the system will intensify more on Tuesday evening and Tuesday night.
Conditions are expected to improve for Thursday, but Maepea added they are monitoring another similar system for Friday.
Bill Riley was the first-ever coach for the Wildcats.
He was also the third black player to play in the NHL, with the Washington Capitals in the 1970’s.
Hockey Nova Scotia says the Amherst native played over 139 NHL games with the Capitals and Winnipeg Jets and “embodied everything a teammate and competitor should be”.
