MISSION: AFGHANISTAN. The voice of the Village of Belledune. 10 th edition November 2009

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1 Wastewater Management Sur vey Point-Counter point See Page 3 The Belledune Messenger Residents will be warned by or voice mail of blasting at Blanchard s quarry Residents near the Blanchard Ready Mix operation off Turgeon Road in Lower Belledune are being asked how they want to be notified of future blasting so they can be prepared for the sound of the explosions. In a flyer sent out to the roughly 50 homes in the immediate area by the quarry operator in the last week of October, residents were given a choice of two ways they could be notified of future blasting. Marc Bouffard, planning The voice of the Village of Belledune 10 th edition November 2009 director at the Belledune District Planning Commission, says residents can be advised either by phone or . People could receive some kind of phone message advising the of blasting by dialling *99 and listening to a message, said Mr. Bouffard. If people want to give us their address, it would also be possible for the company to send residents an . Belledune-raised Cpl. Jeremy E.J. Carmichael, a communications lineman, is looking forward to his mission in Afghanistan. It would simply be impractical for the quarry operator to try and advise residents of blasting by regular mail because the blasting schedule is not known far enough in advance. The flyer sent to homes in the area in October contains a short section which residents are asked to fill out and send back to the company. The notification system is being put in place in the wake of complaints by See QUARRY page 6 MISSION: AFGHANISTAN Belledune soldier heads overseas to aid in peacekeeping A 23-year-old man from Archibald Settlement in Belledune is going to Afghanistan this month as part of Canada s involvement in the peacekeeping mission there. Cpl. Jeremy E.J. Carmichael, who was stationed at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in mid-october, was slated as The Belledune Messenger went to press to ship out to Afghanistan on Nov. 10 for a mission expected to last until mid-september, We re very proud of Jeremy and support him fully on his decision on See CPL. CARMICHAEL page 4

2 2 November 2009 BELLEDuNE Belledune In Brief CAO s vehicle vandalized after council meeting A vandal damaged the Ford Explorer of Village of Belledune chief administrative officer David Hughes sometime after a council meeting in mid-october. I ve filed a report with the RCMP and I took pictures, said Mr. Hughes. I ve been around long enough to know when I see an accident. This is vandalism. After the council meeting of Oct. 19, the chief administrative officer got into the Explorer and went home. The next morning, he got up and noticed the damage on the passenger side. There was a great big scratch and a dent in the Ford Explorer my father gave me, said Mr. Hughes. The chief administrative officer is expected to recommend the installation of a lighting and surveillance system for the outside of the municipal building at a council meeting in November. We re talking about getting increased lighting and video monitoring to keep track of this kind of stuff, he said. We re not going to put up with this. Probably, we should have had that for a long time. There are a lot of trucks out back that are kept outside. Word-by-word reading of council minutes nixed Belledune s council will no longer be poring over the minutes of previous meetings during regular meetings. At the Oct. 19 meeting of council, chief administrative officer David Hughes recommended that the minutes of previous meetings be made available to the mayor and council ahead of the meetings and simply approved or modified in public. Regarding public disclosure, the minutes are posted on the website and we can attempt to do so more quickly, Mr. Hughes wrote in his report to council. Once on the website, they can be downloaded quickly. Of course, once approved, a copy can be Mayor : Nick Duivenvoorden Deputy Mayor : Emmie Flanagan Councillor : Elaine Levesque- Godin Paul Daley Jerry Guitard Mario Lapointe available by staff at the office for anyone who does not use the internet. It can sometimes take 15 to 20 minutes for the clerk to read through the minutes of previous meetings and the change in procedure is an attempt to streamline the operations of council. Lions Club in Jacquet River gets funds The Village of Belledune is giving the Jacquet River Lions Club slightly more than $28,000 to replace all the windows and siding to the club s building. Earlier this year, the village had asked the Lions Club to obtain estimates for the work. At the Oct. 2 council meeting, chief administrative officer David Hughes said he had written the report as if it were a tender which included a recommendation to select a vendor. The Jacquet River Lions Club was simply asking for funds equivalent to the lowest bid and wanted the freedom to choose their own vendor. Last month, the village okayed the request for funding. Council Meeting Schedule These are the dates and times for the Village of Belledune council meetings for this month. Nov. 2, Mon. 7 p.m. Nov. 16, Mon. 7 p.m. Dec. 7, Mon. 7 p.m. Village of Belledune Town Hall: bell001@nbnet.nb.ca Clerk/Treasurer: Brenda Cormier Fax: Arena ice rentals: CDO Andy Flanagan belledunedevelopment@nb.aibn.com

3 BELLEDuNE November Wastewater managment survey Point - Counterpoint West Belledune doesn t need a sewage system Dear Editor: I must comment on the results of the user survey for the proposed wastewater management system for West Belledune. First of all, only 33 per cent (86) of the 260 addresses eligible to hook onto the system were surveyed. It was reported that 51 per cent of the residents surveyed were in favour of a wastewater management system. If you look at the actual data presented, 39 people stated that they were in favour of a wastewater management system. This hardly translates to a majority of residents in West Belledune. The survey actually demonstrates that the majority of residents comply with Department of Health regulations (94 per cent of the homes in the proposed service area have a modern tank and leaching field) and those recommendations regarding septic tank maintenance are observed by the vast majority. The logical conclusion to be drawn from the results of the survey is that a public wastewater management system is not needed and there can be no justification to pursue this project. Cynthia and Mike Robinson A municipal wastewater management system is needed in West Belledune Dear Editor: I would advise anyone interested in the true results of the Belledune West Waste Water Sewage user Survey to go the Belledune web site to read the survey as posted. As the reader you will note that the survey is clearly defined as a representative sample survey and not a vote or a plebiscite. This means that not everyone in the affected area had to be surveyed to project an overall opinion. Similarly, only a tiny portion of the population is surveyed in a national political poll, not every resident is contacted to project the leader. Sometimes as few as 1,000 people are polled out of more than 30 million people in Canada. The survey material explains that 292 addresses were listed in the survey area. However, only 204 of the addresses were privately-owned homes within the potential user zone. The other addresses were commercial, institutional, or rental units or exceeded the maximum connection distance of 50 meters. Time to conduct the survey was limited to six weeks. Therefore, only the privately-owned homeowners were surveyed. The interviewer visited each of the 204 residents. She returned several times to the homes where no one was home. The results, 113, or 55 per cent of the 204 residents were home and asked to participate in the survey. A number of homeowners, 27, or 24 per cent of the 113, declined to answer the survey; 86, or 76 per cent of the 113 homeowners, agreed to answer the survey. According to the 86 homeowners, 10 did not know if the community of Belledune should have a wastewater treatment system. The remaining 76 residents answered as follows; 37, or 49 per cent of the 76 were opposed and 39, or 51 per cent approved of the Belledune wastewater treatment system. Although the survey found that 94 per cent of the respondents had a modern septic system, only 53 per cent were on acceptable-sized building lots of one acre or more. The remaining 47 per cent were located on substandard lots of sizes less than one acre. The New Brunswick Department of Health requires a minimum of a one-acre lot size to properly dispose of sewage on a private building lot. Depending on soil composition this is sometimes 1.5 acres or two acres in some communities. Staff will soon be reporting on testing See EFFLUENT page 5 Police get tough on school zone speeders Speeding motorists are being warned to slow down in Belledune s school zones or face the consequences. For years, many motorists have sped past Belledune School. The highway speed limit drops from 80 kph to 70 kph immediately before the school zone and many motorists seemed unaware they had to further reduce their speed to 50 kph in the school zone. Since his arrival at the Belledune detachment of the RCMP, Const. Ghislain David has issued roughly 30 warnings to speeding motorists. Finally, the Village of Belledune decided something else had to be done. In late September, the village had the 50 kph speed limit posted on the pole with the school zone sign to remind motorists of the speed limits. In November, the times when that speed limit is in effect will also be posted. Motorists must slow down to 50 kph in Belledune s school zones from Monday to Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone caught speeding in a school zone or a construction zone in New Brunswick faces hefty fines. Speeding by less than 25 kph over the speed limit in a school zone comes with the loss of three points and a ticket for $ Exceeding the speed limit by 25 to 50 kph in a school zone comes with a loss of five points and a ticket of $ Speeding in excess of 50 kph per hour over the speed limit comes with the loss of seven points and a ticket for a whopping $1, The extra vigilance by the police is much appreciated by school officials.

4 4 November 2009 BELLEDuNE Continued from page 1 James Messenger Village saves money on credit cards, snow removal Everyone wants to save a few bucks these days and so it s nice to see the Village of Belledune trimming some of the fat on its snow removal budget. At the Oct. 19 meeting, Mayor Nick Duivenvoorden and members of council approved three tenders for snow removal. That s not unusual. What is unusual is the amount approved for those snow removal tenders is $17,000 less than it was last year. Mayor Nick Duivenvoorden explained the cost of snow removal has likely dropped because several tenders were grouped together this year. This is making use of an economy of scale to save money for all Belledune taxpayers. We ve lumped in a number of tenders and that may have helped sharpen the pencils a bit as well, said Mayor Duivenvoorden. This year, the village is also trying to cut costs by making more use of their Scotiabank Visa business credit cards. In the past, the village only had two of these cards, used by the clerk/treasurer and maintenance supervisor. According to Chief Administrative Officer David Hughes, the more costs are put on these cards, the lower the fees will be. There s a neat twist to this extra use of credit cards. With the chief administrative officer and the mayor now each getting a credit card and a floating credit limit of $20,000, the village will get more flexibility in how it conducts its affairs. And Belledune taxpayers will save money. In Afghanistan, Cpl. Jeremy E.J. Carmichael will be laying down lines to improve telecommunications on military bases. Cpl. Carmichael s parents are proud of their son being in the military and going to Afghanistan, said his mother Lilliane Carmichael. Of course, like any parents, we are concerned for his safety. He keeps telling us he is in a secure area - but it is still a country at war. Like most parents, Ms. Carmichael and her husband have only one wish for her son: Come home safe, Jeremy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. When Cpl. Carmichael arrives he will have a flak jacket, a semi-automatic rifle and 9 mm handgun. On a day-to-day basis, though, Cpl. Carmichael s tour is expected to keep him out of the most dangerous areas. He ll install communications infrastructure to allow Canadian military bases to properly use telecommunications equipment. Cpl. Carmichael s parents describe their son as a very hard worker who takes pride in everything he does. Jeremy is a loving person and always smiling, said his mother. He makes friends easily and loves life. His passion would be cars and bikes. Growing up in Belledune, the soldier was into dirt biking and snowboarding. A fairly quiet teen, he went to Dalhousie Regional High School. It was while he was there, in Grade 11, that he first decided to join the army. At first, his mother resisted. But when her son came back the next year and again expressed his desire to go into the army, she relented and helped him fill out the application forms. For two years, Jeremy Carmichael trained with the 2nd Royal New Brunswick Regiment, a reserve regiment in Bathurst. In 2004, he graduated from high school but stayed on with the reserve regiment. In 2006, the soldier transferred to the regular forces and enrolled in a linesman s course. The Belledune soldier who had only ever travelled once outside of Canada to go to Florida, is now going to travel through Quebec, Ontario, and then head on to Cyprus before arriving at his destination. Throughout his mission, he ll be able to stay in touch with friends and family back home by and through Facebook, the popular social networking website. Even though the military has asked him and other soldiers to not put too much information on the Internet for security reasons, Cpl. Carmichael expects to still be able to share a lot of his day-to-day life in Afghanistan. He s confident it ll be well worth the trip. It ll be the experience of a lifetime, he said.

5 November 2009 BELLEDuNE 5 Continued from page 3 Effluent finding its way into Chaleur Bay in eight manholes on the current storm sewer which will demonstrate e-coli above any acceptable limit in every location. In addition, we now have a further report coming from a robot with cameras that shows where the sewer is blocked and hopefully also shows where the septic overflow pipes have been connected to the storm sewer without permission. These pipes are also sending effluent into the storm sewer and David Hughes ultimately finding its way into Chaleur Bay. The only logical conclusion is that Belledune West needs a public wastewater sewage system. Dave Hughes Chief Administrative Officer Village of Belledune Are you scared yet? Well, are you? Students at Belledune School hold up their carved creations, pumpkins skillfully designed during the school s latest Fall Fair held on Oct. 6. In the back row are: Gillian Firlotte, Arron Firlotte, Brandon Hamilton, Victoria Talbot, Robbie Carrier and Owen Arseneault. In the front row are: Shannon Donnelly, Emma Arseneault, Laylynn Landry, Zoe Landry, Merissa Landry and Jenika Guitard. The school s fair coincides with Family Week and was held with the support of Josh Landry, who provided the bales of straw, and Theresa and Robert Dempsey, who provided the pumpkins. Stephanie Talbot brought cookies to the supper. And high school students Josee Jalbert, Justin Peters, Steven Carrier, Andrea Carrier, Brandon Branch, Marco Duguay and Alex St. Coeur helped throughout the event. Talk about Quality Time! Yamaha s Venture Series of snowmobiles offers power and performance, fuel efficiency and dependability alongside a comfortable couples ride. Raised passenger seating, adjustable backrest and tandem hand warmers make up the luxurious accommodation you ve been dreaming of. Hit the road and make the most of your time together. SNUG AS A BUG...ON THE WINDSHIELD! Always wear an approved helmet, eye protection and propre protective riding apparel. Always ride in a responsible manner, respecting the environment as well as all federal and provincial laws. Read your Yamaha snowmobile owner s manual carefully. Do not drink and ride. Yamaha reserves the right to change, without notice, equipment, materials and specifications. Camoplast and Predator are registered trademarks of Camoplast Inc. West End Sports 1327 Main Street Beresford, NB E8K 3X

6 6 Continued from page 1 November 2009 Quarry operator monitoring noise and ground vibration some residents earlier this year that some of the explosions were loud and felt as far as three kilometres away from the quarry. There were a few incidents of blasting from the Blanchard quarry that for some reason were heard, said Mr. Bouffard. The quarry blasts about every two weeks and the explosions on Oct. 16 were well within the acceptable limits for noise and ground movement. But the company and the Belledune District Planning Commission are monitoring the situation. The company has installed two seismographs, one at the edge of the quarry and the other one on Main On Nov.1 at 2 a.m. Street at a person s home. We selected this property because it is one of the closest to the quarry, said the planning director. The data collected by the seismographs will reveal both the level of noise and amount of ground vibration at those two locations and this will then be sent to the Department of Natural Resources and the Belledune District Planning Commission. The nearest home to the quarry is about three kilometres away but the planning commission isn t taking any chances. We want to make sure the impact on the residents of Belledune is acceptable, said Mr. Bouffard. BELLEDuNE Jenika Guitard is the student of the month The Student of the Month at Belledune School in October was Jenika Guitard. The Grade 2 student always tries her very best and is a great helper on the playground, said Theresa Lawlor, the school s administrative assistant. Set your clocks back one hour is published by ACI Media Group Inc. and is distributed free-of-charge, thanks to our sponsors and advertisers. Any reproduction of The Belledune Messenger, in whole or in part using any means without prior written authorization, is strictly prohibited. Publisher: James Risdon Suite 6, 195 Main Street Bathurst, New Brunswick E2A 1A7 (506) acimediagroup@nb.aibn.com How To Pray The Rosary The purpose of the rosary is to help to remember certain principal events or mysteries in the history of our salvation, and thank and praise God for them. There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the rosary, these are divided into the five joyful mysteries, the five luminous mysteries, the five sorrowful mysteries, and the five glorious mysteries. 1) Make the Sign of the Cross and say the Apostles Creed. 2) Say the Our Father. 3) Say three Hail Marys. 4) Say the Glory be to the Father. 5) Announce the first mystery; then say the Our Father. 6) Say ten Hail Marys. 7) Say the Glory to be to the Father. 8) Announce the second mystery; then say the Our Father. Repeat 6 and 7 and continue with third, fourth and fifth mysteries in the same manner.

7 BELLEDuNE November Dec. 5/09 Jacquet River Campground 2:00 to 5:30 p.m. BELLEDUNE extends a warm welcome to everyone in our region to join us at our annual outdoor Christmas in the Park Festival! Bundle up your children or grandchildren for an afternoon of outdoor activities in Belledune s Jacquet River campground. Enjoy a horse and sleigh ride, a sliding party, Santa Claus and much more Don t miss our Yuletide lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Dress warm and bring your own sliding gear. If there is no snow on the ground we will have a wagon hayride and other games. Steaming hot chicken Bouillon, hot chocolate and other concession items will be sold on site. All proceeds of sales will support local non-profit organizations. We re easy to find just follow highway 134 until you reach the campground, across from the Parkview Superette, or on Route 11, take the Jacquet River Drive Exit 351 for 2 km Belledune Community Resources The Belledune Messenger is pleased to provide the following list of important commmunity resources. Should there be others you would like to see added, please acimediagroup@nb.aibn.com Belledune District Planning Commission Belledune Public Library Emergency 911 Environment New Brunswick Emergencies , afterhours MLA Roland Haché - Nigadoo Chaleur Riding , during business hours MP Tilly O Neill-Gordon - Miramichi Riding NB Power - Outages - Streetlights RCMP 911 For emergencies Non-emergency Blue Bin Recycling Program , ask for Sarah Restigouche County - SPCA - Animal Control emergency Roman Catholic churches - St. Gabriel The Archangel & St. John the Evangelist Royal Canadian Legion Durham - Jacquet River Village of Belledune Municipal Office Chief Administrative Officer - David Hughes Community Development Officer - Andy Flanagan Administrative Assistant - Nicole Carrier

8 8 November 2009 BELLEDuNE Belledune Messenger Surveyy Ten months ago, ACI Media Group began to bring you The Belledune Messenger with news and photographs of happenings in this community. Sponsored to the tune of $6, by the municipality and delivered to you courtesy of the Village of Belledune, The Belledune Messenger is your newsletter. Tell us what you like and what don t like about it and where you think we could improve. Then, simply mail your survey to us at: Suite 6, 195 Main Street, Bathurst, New Brunswick, E2A 1A7. Thank you for your time. Agree Disagree 1) Are the stories interesting and well-balanced? ) Are the important stories getting covered? ) How would you rate the photography? ) How would you rate the appearance and design? ) Would you advertise in The Belledune Messenger? ) How would you rate our customer service? Please include any other comments here: You re invited to join us for the next Toastmasters Meeting Let s face it. A lot of the time, it s not so much what you say as how well you say it. How we present ourselves to others counts on the job, in our families and in our communities. Toastmasters provides a safe and secure place to grow as a leader and develop better public-speaking and presentation skills. And, best of all, it s a fun and great way to meet new people! Toastmasters Improve their public-speaking skills Grow as leaders Meet new and interesting people Date: Every Monday Time: 7 p.m. Location: 725 College St., Bathurst Room 248 Contact: James Risdon