Issue 43 October / November 2015
• sjcommunitynewspaper@gmail.com •
Prescription Turned Into Regular Y Routine
Crescent Valley Community Garden Had A Busy Summer
Mary Jane Smith enjoying the new Saint John Regional Y (Photo courtesy Nicole Vair) By Nicole Vair When Mary Jane Smith found out she had breast cancer, which spread to her bones, the last thing on her mind was the gym or exercise. But that quickly changed when her doctor recommended she attend the Stay Strong Program at the YMCA. The program provides 12 free weeks of exercise routine at the YMCA for cancer patients of all ages. “At first it was an effort for me to come,” Smith explained. “I didn’t have a lot of strength, but after 12 weeks they tested me and my strength had drastically changed." What started as something she did three times a week due to doctors’ orders has turned into her home away from home. Sometimes Smith visits the Y twice a day. The new Regional Y will be able to provide assistance to more people like Smith, allowing those in a tough situation to feel and be healthier in spirit, mind and body.
Pictured front: Honourable Cathy Rogers Minister Of Social Development. Back row, Kathy Floyd, Karen Rodgerson, Juanita Black and from Social Development Mark Stanley & Debbie McLeod (Photo courtesy Geneviève Audet-Perron) By Karen Rodgerson and Kathy Floyd This year in the Crescent Valley Community Garden we had a busy year. We got five new raised beds, which made it easier for some of our gardeners to plant and enjoy gardening. The Department of Social Development also renewed the entire garden. There was a wellness commercial taped in the garden and it was a very long day, but it was fun and very interesting. We had a garden party, which was attended by the Minister of Social Development, Cathy Rogers. There were guests from Fredericton, Moncton and from Social Development. Garden Captain, Karen Rodgerson and Assistant Captain, Kathy Floyd gave Minister Rogers a tour of the garden and answered some of her questions. We also gave her a beautiful new aerial shot of the garden. We had a light healthy lunch and enjoyed showing off our garden. All the visitors had a great time touring and talking about our garden.
Coordinator’s Comments Juanita Black, 647-4850, sjcommunitynewspaper@gmail.com
Another year for has come and gone with a few changes for Around The Block. We are now hosted by the Human Development Council and for the first time we are publishing 24 pages. We have a good mixture of stories related to our theme and sponsor, The Wellness Branch of Social Development and advertisements that celebrate the seventh anniversary of Around The Block. For me, Wellness has been a more conscious activity. Eating less junk food, eating healthier, especially this time of the year with my community garden plot and walking a bit more. I have lost 40 lbs and counting. Maybe I will even join the new YMCA. For the staff at the Human Development Council, we have been working extra hours to first organize an all candidates forum that took place at UNB Grand Hall on Tue, Sept. 22nd. It was standing room only as Rachael Cave moderated and the four candidates were asked several questions from the floor ranging from poverty, to employment and the environment. And then, we organized a four page insert for this issue of Around The Block about our October 19th federal election. Information that will inform you on everything from making sure you are on the voters list, to advance polls and what our federal government is responsible for and how that trickles down to the province and finally our city. Of all the things I learned while working on this insert, the thing that surprised me the most was that in the province of New Brunswick (with 10 federal ridings), Saint John had the lowest voter turnout. We need to do better when we vote on October 19th. Take a neighbour with you; take your child with you to learn the process, like my mom did with me. But most importantly: VOTE. Thank you to Jenny, Chris, Greg, Barbara and Randy for this election insert.
Be Sure To Check Out The Special Election Information on Page E1 Page 1
ONE Youth Profile: William Davis
Summer Playground Program Was A Tremendous Success
By Nick Sheppard William Davis is a shining example of the positive difference our youth are making in the North End. Will, a student at Saint John High School, has volunteered countless hours to give back to his community whether it is mentoring our youth, pitching in at the North End Food Bank, spending time with our senior citizens or contributing to our many community events such as our Family Fun Day, etc. He enjoys going to Nick Nicolle Centre’s programs to hang out with friends. Will wants to be a graphic designer one day and has sage wisdom to the residents of the North End, “to have fun, work hard and enjoy life.”
Evenings Are Changing In A Big Way
ONE Change Comunity Garden
By Nick Sheppard This school year, The Nick Nicolle Centre will be opening up our evening program to children ages 5-11. Starting Sep 21, parents can now drop off their children to take part in activities ranging from arts and crafts, sports, gym games, cooking, science and so much more! Fridays will be special event nights where we will offer youth dances, family movie nights, and even live music! Programming runs 6-7:30 pm for children 5-11. For youth 12 and up, programming starts at 7:30 pm and runs till 9 pm. Best of all, it’s free! For more information call, 658-2980.
(Photo Courtesy of Nick Nicole Community Centre) This summer, The Nick Nicolle Centre’s summer program continued to grow. We registered over 60 children and youth, which doesn’t include those on the waiting list. A great thanks goes to the City of Saint John for their support, SEED program and of course our amazing staff Bailee Reinhart, Leeann Greaves, Kennedy Cosman, Morgan Burkhart, Matt Brown and Charlene Barry. Our children were able to take part in many wonderful activities they otherwise may not have been able to do. We hope that next year we can bring even more kids to our program. By William “Bill” Davis Hi, my name is William Davis. I am a member of the committee overseeing the community garden located by Elgin St. I want to thank all of the people who helped us this summer, particularly the Nick Nicolle Teen Leadership Program, Horizon Health Network and CVRC. I especially want to thank the North End Fire Department for providing water, and the residents who helped lug it to the garden on those hot days. We hope to expand the garden for next spring and are actively seeking sponsors and more community involvement. Let’s make next year the best yet!
Trevor A. Holder MLA Portland - Simonds Constituency Office 229 Churchill Boulevard Telephone: (506) 657-2335 Email: trevor.holder@gnb.ca
North Neighbourhood Contact Nick Shepard Nick Nicolle Community Centre nickshepard.nncc@gmail.com 658-2980 Page 2
No Reason Not To Work Out
By Maggie Rice The easiest thing to do when living with chronic illness is to get into a rut. Once you are in there, sometimes it seems you will never find a way out. But there is life out there and you need to go get it. I have lived with chronic illness for over 15 years. I've watched my weight go from 95 lbs to well - there's more than two of the old me. I have always wanted to get fit and lose weight, but never seemed to find the right….energy? Desire ? I had the time, but my road was always paved with good intentions and that is where I left it. I never travelled that road until now. On September 1st, the new Re(Pictured: Maggie and her dog gional Y opened in the North End Bean) of our city. I started immediately. I was timid at first, feeling really out of place looking around at all those fit, muscular, trim people, but then I realized they didn't matter, I did! So, I got some advice from the amazing staff and have been going almost every day My illnesses are not gone. They could rear their ugly heads any time now, and send me backwards again, but I'll take that as a detour on my road, but certainly not the end of it. I enjoy this far too much to allow my own body to beat me at getting well, feeling good, being proud of who I am, and what I can do. There are no reasons whatsoever to not go and work out. It improves life so much, even mentally. You feel so much more energetic. Sure, it's hard the first day, but the payoff is awesome! It's harder to fight out of the rut than to work out at the Y. The atmosphere is uplifting, the staff are friendly and encouraging, and I feel so good! I am worth every step of getting better no matter how much it takes, I'm up for the challenge! I am always willing to buddy with others that want to go and get fit. We all start slow, we work and we succeed at what makes us feel good about ourselves. And we are all so worth it!
Comings And Going At PULSE
Summer has come and gone, and our Safe Halloween Event is fast approaching! We will be having our BBQ, treats and hot chocolate! Would you like to buy a $10 window poster in lieu of handing out candy? Call the P.U.L.S.E. office at 632-6807 and we will get one over to you.. Sheree, our VON nurse, is back for Wellness Clinics, but first off, on Oct 20th, she will be giving flu shots from 1:30pm-4pm. Please call 632-6807 for more information. Be a part of the Food Purchasing Club at P.U.L.S.E. The cost? Only $10 for one bag or $20 for two bags. Please bring your reusable bag(s) labelled with your name when you pay for your order. We are also happy to say that we are packaging our orders in house now and we are in need of plastic bags. Perhaps you want to do a ‘Pay it Forward’ deed for the month and buy an order for someone else. Don’t forget we are a Healthy Hair Happy Head pumping station! Do you have an idea that you want heard? Come visit me at the office. We are open: Monday: 9a.m.- 2p.m.,Tuesday: 9a.m.-12p.m., Wednesday: Closed, Thursday:9a.m.-12p.m., Friday: 9a.m.-2p.m. Follow us on Twitter LIKE us on Facebook.
Halloween Safey Tips
By Sgt. David Hartley-Brown 1 - Children should always be supervised by a parent or older sibling. 2 - Make sure you have a flashlight and your children wear reflective costumes. 3 - Remind the children to cross only at intersections and not between cars. 4 - Never go inside any home, stay at the doorway.
PULSE Contest Who wants to see the Moncton Wildcats vs. Saint John Sea Dogs?! Who wants to WIN 4 tickets to watch the Saint John Sea Dogs in action!? Watch for our contest on our PULSE Facebook Page starting October 13th. The Pizza Party is on us! We will even throw in some money for the concession stand!
5 - Remind children to be respectful of residents and their property. 6 - Make sure you check all of your child’s treats before they eat anything. 7 - Make sure you have a GREAT TIME! Gerry Lowe Councillor Ward 3. I am your Councillor for Ward 3. Parts of the Lower West Side, Lower South End, and parts of the East and a bit of the North by the Rockland Road area. I can be reached by phone at 721-5690 and by email at Gerry.Lowe@saintjohn.ca.
WE WILL BE UNDER THE BIG TENT COURTESY OF THE 3700 SERVICE BATTALION.
South Neighbourhood Contact
COME JOIN US FOR A BBQ AND TREATS @ PULSE, 251 WENTWORTH STREET ON OCTOBER 31ST
Mary LeSage Phone: 632-6807 E-mail: pulseinc@bellaliant.com 251Wentworth Street
TIME: 5:00-8:00 COME IN COSTUME!!
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Film Crew In Crescent Valley
CVRC’s Summer Squad Huge Success
Members of Summer Squad receive bike rodeo certificates from Saint John Bike Share program volunteer Bill Consolvo (back row, left). Summer Squad staff back row right (l-r): Justin Shepard, Kathryn Magee, Brittany Skelding. (Photo from CVRC) By Anne Driscoll A very BIG thank-you to the community partners and supporters who made it possible for Crescent Valley Resource Centre (CVRC) to provide free field trips, crafts, meals, snacks, Storytent, and so many more activities for CV and area children this summer. One of the many fun activities the children enjoyed was a bike rodeo organized by the Saint John Bike Share Program. The children learned: how to properly wear their helmets, the rules of the road, and tips to keep their bikes in good working condition.
Family Playgroup In Crescent Valley
Director Scott McClellan (Photo by Geneviève Audet-Perron) By Sylvie Poulin, Regional Wellness Consultant, Social Development On a beautiful summer day, Crescent Valley was transformed into a movie set featuring the beautiful Community Garden and the impact on someone’s life. Juanita Black’s story will soon be shared on TV and online at WellnessNB.ca as part of the Start Your Story campaign. The day was amazing as a whole crew was creating the vibe. Producer, director, cameraman, professional makeup artist, and designer… all very professionally and in a friendly way worked with Juanita and captured an inspirational message. Thank you so much Juanita for being so authentic and so true while sharing Your Story – some people choose to have power in their life and you are certainly one of them. You are a Star!
Money For Breakfast Program
By Anne Driscoll Calling babies, toddlers, parents and caregivers: Family Drop-in Playgroup is in Crescent Valley. The Saint John Family Resource Centre offers a weekly, FREE, family playgroup with snacks, crafts, story time, and a chance to meet other families. Find us at the CVRC on Thu from 10am-12 noon. Playgroup provides infants and preschoolers with opportunities to play and learn in a warm, friendly environment with their parents and caregivers. You’ve got questions? Call Miranda, 633-2182.
Join The Feeling-Fit Challenge
By Anne Driscoll On the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30pm at the Crescent Valley Resource Centre (CVRC), 130 MacLaren Blvd, join us for: tips on healthy, active living, a wellness check-up, and a friendly challenge with your neighbours and friends. Get a ballot for each session you attend and one for each pound you lose. A $50.00 Sobeys gift card (donated by Sobeys Lansdowne) goes to the winner who will be announced in December.
Pictured Right to Left: Ann Barrett, Secretary/ Treasurer of Youth Enhancement Program & Ms. Janet Miller, Secretary of the NB Children's Foundation By Ann Barrett The Youth Enhancement Program is an organization that is PALS with Hazen White/St. Francis School. They look for funding to help with the nutrition programs at the school. They just received $7,500 from the NB Children's Foundation. This will really help in providing a healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks for the students.
Crescent Valley Neighbourhood Contact
This program is free, and is supported by the VON. Our next session is October 13th. Get Feeling Fit!
Anne Driscoll: 693-8513 email: CVRC.driscoll@gmail.com 130 MacLaren Blvd.
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Planting New Trees
Market Place Wellness Centre Updates
Pictured Left – Right: Roy, Harry C, Zach, Harry G, Mike and Jared (photo by Jill Roberts) By Jill Roberts The Carleton Community Garden and residents of the Lower Westside would like to say thank you to this ambitious group of volunteers who worked so hard on a hot Saturday in August to plant some beautiful fruit trees! Hopefully, there will be cherries, pears, peaches, and apples for all to enjoy next summer! Thanks also going out to all of the generous gardeners for sharing their fresh produce with the West Side Food Bank all summer long. The food bank was able to distribute fresh vegetables on a number of occasions. These are 2 great examples of community wellness!
Westside Music In The Park
120 Market Place West. 674-4335. Open Monday to Friday 7:30am – 3:30pm. • Specimen Collection: Tue & Wed, 8am-2pm, by appointment. Call 648-6681. • Food Bank: Tue and Fri, 1-3pm. • Smoking Cessation Program: call 674-4335 for an appointment. • Fundy Fog Chasers: meet Thu at 6:30pm and Sat 9am. Runners and walkers welcome. No charge to participate. There is a Facebook page. • Food Purchase Club: (Clients pays for their bag of fresh produce) 674-4335 for information. • Social Development Case worker: on site Tue 1-3pm or by appointment. • Monthly Foot care clinic: ($35 fee or covered by insurance) 3rd Wed of each month. Appointment needed 657-2773. • Senior-led fitness: program/ Falls Prevention ages 50 and up, “Zoomers”, free. Tue 10am and Fri 11am. Space is limited and registration is required for fall programs. Please call 674-4307. • Gentle Yoga: Thu 10am $6.00 fee applies. • Zumba (slower pace) Mon and Wed 10am $4.00 fee applies. • Pickle Ball: Mon. to Thu 11am, contact Mike 672-9566. • Community Garden Plots: - $15 plus $5 key deposit, first come first serve. • 2 Nurse Practitioners: by appointment only. • Social Worker/Counselling by appointment. • Art Class: – Tue mornings 10am (Goodwill offering).
St. Joseph’s Community Health Centre & West Side PACT Are partnering to offer A FREE WALKING CLUB & WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Get moving and enjoy some nice fall weather and good company, as you exercise from 10am to 11am Learn the tricks of the trade for successful weight management in a supportive, encouraging environment, as you join Registered Dietitian, Bonnie, from 11am to 12noon
This 8-Week Program is being held:
Tuesdays at 10 am, West Side PACT office (200 Ludlow Street, West Saint John) September 29th to November 17th This program is FREE to all participants To register, or for more information, please call 632-5537.
“What a great turnout for Music in the Park Aug, 19th with Delbert. Along with the great music, 130 people enjoyed our barbeque. Lots of great comments. Can’t wait for next year.” (photo from Westside P.A.C.T.)
Dorothy Shephard MLA Saint John Lancaster
Westside P.A.C.T. Updates
Westside PACT has been busy these past few summer months.We held numerous BBQs: Canada Day at Martello tower with Parks Canada, Kents in memory of Cst. Hebert with proceeds going to Bobby’s Hospice, and Music in the Park with Delbert. We helped with a Bike rodeo at the Carleton Community Center with bike inspections, safety instruction, free helmets, and prizes.
640 Manawagonish Road Saint John, NB E2M 3W5 Constituency Office is located at side of building facing Church
We have been passing out tickets for proper helmet use redeemable for a Popsicle!!The Queen Square West Market has had a variety of vendors with a wide range of product and produce. Look for the next one in October! A corn boil to meet the candidates was hosted September 20. Upcoming events include a continuation of the walking club and a community Breakfast Oct 4, 9-1, with the proceeds going to St. Patrick’s lunch program.
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Tel: (506) 643-2900 Fax: (506) 643-2999 Dorothy.Shephard@gnb.ca www.gnb.ca
West Neighbourhood Contacts
Jill Roberts: 674-4307 Jill.Roberts@HorizonNB.ca 120 Market Place
POWER UP 25 and Wellness
Courtenay Bay GardenArmy Gets New Support The Salvation Raised Beds
By The Garden Members This is the community garden in Courtenay Bay. The garden started five years ago and we have 27 plots and two new raised beds that were put in this year. We have 2 garden captains that work extremely hard in the spring to get the garden ready for the residents to plant. On planting day anyone who has a garden gets together and gathers their seeds and their planting needs and gets busy planting. This year we were extremely lucky to have our garden freshened up. We got the two raised beds, two garbage boxes, a wider fence, crushed rock for the walkway and a fence for our pumpkin garden. We also got a brand new shed. I am very proud of our garden and I am glad to be a part of growing nice fresh vegetables. There is nothing like being able to go to your garden to grab some potatoes for supper.
Back row left - r:ight Candice, Michelle, Melissa, Jodi. Sitting l – r: Tammy, Janet, Alana, Cherie, Amanda-Lee (Photo by Benita MacFarland) By Benita MacFarland The POWER UP program helps women realize their self worth and grow to become more involved in a positive way in their neighbourhoods. Part of the program involves a healthy lunch and physical activity. On Thu, Sep 17, the women's wellness activity was walking to the grand opening of Chown Field in the Waterloo Village. The women enjoyed the event and loved the new addition of the stairs to the field. They look forward to using the walking path as part of their regular wellness activity.
Music In The Park
Celebrating Nancy Parsons
By Donna McKee Nancy has been a resident of Courtney Bay for two years. Recently she passed her GED. This was not an easy task for Nancy and she faced many obstacles along the way. As a single mother of 2 small children she put their needs first and often took time away from her studies to care for them. She also took time off to work a full time job. Nancy was determined to receive her GED. She stuck with it and never gave up and today she proudly holds it in her hands. We want her to know happy and proud we are of her by writing this story. The sky is the limit Nancy. This proves that you can do anything you set your mind to and we wish you all the luck in the world.
Financial Tips For Wellness
Pictured left to right - Christine Violette & Marcel Caissie (photo by Donna McKee) By Donna McKee, Brunswick Drive and Courtenay Bay Tenants Association It was another very successful year for Music in the Park for the Courtenay Bay and Brunswick Drive High Rise Tenants Associations. Thank you to all of the talented musicians who entertained us this summer. A special thanks to: Paula and Greg from Penalty Box, Marcel Caissie and Christine Violette, Delbert, Debbie Harrity, Norm Boucher and the band Surrender. The weather cooperated and we had a lot of people that came out to listen every Monday night. Thank you again for supporting this wonderful event. We hope to see you again next summer.
By Tamara Kelly, Credit Counselling Services Want to feel better about where all your money goes? Sometimes we spend money to make us feel better about a situation or to fill a void that we are feeling. This may, after the moment has passed, make us feel worse. So how do you keep your financial wellness in check? 1.Budget: make sure your necessities are covered before you start to spend. 2. Track: where are you spending your money? How much do you spend on things such as coffee? 3. Try: if you do not feel good about the money you are spending, think of ways around it (ex: take cash to avoid impulse buys with credit). 4. Repeat: budgets are not set in stone, make adjustments as needed and track your spending to make sure it’s working. Page 6
Village Neighbourhood Contact Penni Eisenhauer 343-5382 commorg.penni@gmail.com 116 Coburg Street
Summer Wellness ... Chef’s Camp
Healthy Lunch Program At HWSF By Rebecca Doyle Community School Coordinator, Hazen-White/St. Francis School Our hot lunch program at Hazen White St. Francis School (HWSF) is up and running again for another year! We are so pleased to be able to offer lunch every day at no cost to our families. This would not be possible without the generous support of Inner City Youth Ministry/Lunch Connections and the donations received in the spring from our partners. In order to keep our lunches as healthy as possible, we have been able to have homemade lunches three days per week. Holly Singh, from Thandi, makes extra for us so that we can have Pasta Tuesdays and our lovely EA, Mrs. Whittaker, spends two mornings a week preparing delicious meals for the entire school – we couldn’t do it without her!
Making History
Students from St. Pat’s helping with the HUGE cabbage By Krista Turnbull Community Schools Coordinator St. Patrick's School This August, some St. Patrick’s School chefs enjoyed a camp in the new kitchen at our Beaconsfield site. The kitchen, which was installed at St. Pat’s 3 years ago as part of a grant , was put in storage when our beloved school closed last year. Thanks to an amazing group of guys, led by Jim Connors and Norm Seely, we realized the dream of our kitchen coming to Beaconsfield for all students to enjoy. We are so appreciative of the support we received from them in making this happen. Jill Roberts, our amazing community health nurse, assisted me with the 3 day camp where the students learned many new and exciting things about healthy eating. We visited Kimberly at East Coast Bistro for a tour of a real working kitchen (thanks Kimberly for the awesome visit) and bought some fruit and fish at the City Market. We enjoyed some amazing fresh veggies at the Carleton Community Garden with our PALS from Port Saint John (thank you Jim and Paula for joining us). Special thanks to the gardeners who permitted us to pick from their gardens … the kids had so much fun! On our final day, Bonnie, (our favorite dietician), joined us to cook up a storm in the morning of spaghetti squares, broccoli salad and fruit pizza. We also made chocolate chip cookies and delivered them to Bobby’s Hospice for their weekly BBQ. We even made our own chef’s hats!! Thanks to Paul for taking us everywhere on the Kids on the Go Bus!!
By Caitlin Corkum Community Schools PALS Coordinator Centennial School On September 18, Centennial students had the privilege of celebrating the new YMCA building on Churchill Blvd with the community and as one of the first groups ever to play in their brand new gymnasium. Students from Centennial lined up against students from Hazen WhiteSt. Francis for a friendly game of basketball. It was a fun, exciting, and well matched game with the final score being tied! Thank you for inviting us and giving us the honour of christening the gym, we had a blast!
Cooking & Reading Extravaganza By Caitlin Corkum Community Schools PALS Coordinator Centennial School This summer we introduced a new camp, the Cooking and Reading Extravaganza Camp! The girls in this camp spent the week with Mrs. Corkum, Miss Pacey, and Miss O’Neill sharpening up their cooking skills by preparing meals and baked goods for this year’s Breakfast Club.
Partnering from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and Beyond • Partnerships • Volunteering • Mentoring • Role Models • Coaching • Focus on Literacy • Having Fun • Tutoring • Breakfast/Lunch Programs • New Opportunities • After School Programs • Career Exploration • Making a Difference
The second half of each day was spent reading “The Wedding Planner’s Daughter” and doing activities based on the book. We had a great week with the girls and now our freezer is full of lots of goodies for breakfast!
Deborah Fisher fisher.deborah@jdirving.com Susan Tipper tipper.susan@jdirving.com
We ALL have something to offer! Page 7
The Work Room
Zoo News
Cherry Brook Zoo Children’s Halloween Fun Day Sat. Oct 17, 1- 4pm. Come in costume- both kids and parents. This event is not scary and designed for young children. Throughout the zoo meet Muppets, super heroes, princesses, Madagascar cast.Pet the rabbits and guinea pigs with zoo volunteers For the kids: magic beads, treat bags when leaving the zoo, gift basket draw. At the canteen: cake and refreshments, kid’s crafts and games. Explore the creepy Mystery Boxes-if you DARE! Plus more surprises.
With 8 locations in southwestern New Brunswick, The Work Rooms are here to assist you in all phases of career planning and job search, including: • Assistance with resume building. • Cover letter writing. • Computer and internet use for job search & career research • Multimedia career planning tools • Publications on post-secondary training • Complete a mock job interview • Information on essential skills Funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick through the Canada-New Brunswick Labour Market Agreements. Call us toll free 1-855-412-3330 or visit www.careersthatwork. ca
Cherry Brook Zoo presents the 20th year of HAUNTED ZOO Oct 23, 24, 25; from 7- 9pm each night. Very dark – very scary. Guided tours leave every 20 minutes. If you survive the tour, enjoy a warm cup Witch's Brew At both these events regular admission applies. Events created and hosted by the zoo volunteers. All proceeds go toward the Animal Winter Care Budget
Food Purchase Contest
This is issue 43 of Around the Block and our Food Purchase Club contest. We are happy to partner with Saint John Energy to offer 2 - $10.00 fresh fruit and produce orders. You need to locate, hidden throughout Around the Block, two Saint John Energy logos (not including this notice and the Saint John Energy ad). Send your answer to sjcommunitynewspaper@gmail.com or call 6474850. You need to identify the page and location of each hidden logo, only one entry per household. Your name will go into a draw for one of the orders. The contest will end Oct 22 and you will be called if you are a winner with the location of where you can pick up the order. Congratulations to the winners for issue 42 Ausust/September, Frank Rodgerson and Lori Ewart. We will list the winners of this contest on the Around The Block Diva’s - Local Radio Face book page on Thur evening Oct 22.
8 Work Room Locations to Serve You: St. Stephen High School, 282 King Street, St. Stephen, Phone: (506) 466-7691 Ganong Place, 73 Milltown Blvd, St. Stephen, Phone: (506) 466-7518 Fundy High School, 44 Mt. Pleasant, St. George, Phone: (506) 755-4331 Sussex Regional High School, 55 Leonard Drive, Sussex, Phone: (506) 432-7593 Belleisle Regional High School, 1800 Route 124, Springfield, Phone: (506) 485-3118 Simonds High School, 1490 Hickey Road, Saint John, Phone: (506) 643-7422 Agar Place, 1 Agar Place, Saint John, Phone: (506) 658-5580 Kennebecasis Valley High School, 398 Hampton Rd, Quispamsis, Phone: (506) 848-6693
Want To Be Financially Independent
The Saint John Community Loan Fund is pleased to announce the return of their A$$ETS program. A$$ETS is a great opportunity for participants to gain the confidence and skills needed to help them transition to employment. Topics include budgeting, job search, resumes, and much more. Individuals will also learn to save and build financial assets through our matched savings program where the Loan Fund matches the participants savings 3 to 1. Classes are held one evening every two weeks with additional oneon- one meetings taking place once per month. Application deadline is October 9th. Participants must have a connection to Social Development (income assistance, health card, daycare assistance program, etc.). For more information Contact: Liann Bishop, admin@loanfund.ca 133 Prince Edward St. (506)652-5601
Did You Know?
Around the Block has published 393,000 free copies of good news stories.
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Saint John Jewish Historical Musem
The Saint John Jewish Historical Museum is pleased to announce that it will be holding the Second Annual Saint John Jewish Film Festival from Oct 18 to Oct 22, 2015. The films to be shown will be primarily prize winning films that have been featured in prestigious film festivals around the world. The proceeds from the film festival will support the work of the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum to preserve the Jewish history of Saint John. These films will include every genre: including comedy, tragedy, documentary, biographical and historical. They will have a broad appeal and be entertaining while drawing on the Jewish experience. The films will be screened at the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum, 91 Leinster Street. Tickets can be purchased for $10 / film at the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum and the Imperial Theatre box office. The line up for the Saint John Jewish Film Festival is as follows: Sun Oct 18 – Mr. Kaplan, 2 pm. Directed by Alvaro Brechner, Uruguay, 2014 Sun Oct 18 – 24 Days, 7 pm. Directed by Alesandre Arcady Mon Oct 19 – Above and Beyond, 7pm. Directed by Roberta Grossman Tue Oct 20 – Run Boy Run, 7pm. Directed by Pepe Danquert Wed Oct 21 – The Art Dealer, 7pm. Directed by François Margolin Thur Oct 22 – Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story / Hannah Cohen’s Holy Communion, 7pm. Directed by Barry Avrish For more information please contact: Katherine Biggs-Craft, Curator Saint John Jewish Historical Museum, 91 Leinster Street. 506-633-1833; Email : sjjhm@nbnet.nb.ca
50’s Dance For PASAGE PASAGE Saint John in a partnership with the Kennebecasis Lions Club, is proud to present a 50’s themed fundraising dance. Happening on Friday, October 16 at the Bill McGuire Centre in Rothesay, the doors will open at 7pm the dance starts at 8pm and goes until midnight. Music will be played by Saint John’s own, Rocket 88. There will be prizes for best dressed and spot dances, as well as a 50/50 draw and a steak draw. So, make a date with the “88” and dig through your closet and pull out your 50’s garb and come join us for a night of great 50’s music, dancing, and fun! For tickets, contact Joyce Melvin by phone at 642-4035 or by email at pasage@nb.aibn.com or Tim from the KLions at 650-8810. Come and support your Waterloo Village friends! PASAGE is now located at 44 Peters Street.
Voting Information Sessions By Shelly McCready Community Ministries Coordinator Salvation Army Am I ready to vote? Do I know who is running in my area? Does it even matter? What do the different candidates stand for? Am I registered to vote? Do I have the right ID? We are addressing all of these questions and many others every Fri morning at 10:30am in Hope Cafe, 27 Prince Edward St. (The Salvation Army) until the federal election on Oct 19. On the last Fri before the election, Oct 16, we will be hosting a mock election. This will give you an opportunity to register for the actual election as well as practice voting in our pretend polling station that will be set up to mimic the real thing with ballot boxes, voting screens etc. so you will know exactly what to expect when you vote for real. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be provided. For more information: visit 27 Prince Edwards St., call (506) 634-1633 Email: shelly_mccready@can.salvationarmy.org
CMHA, Saint John Office
Canadian Mental Health Association of NB, Saint John Office, is now accepting registrations for our fall education programs. •
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Beginning Oct 20th, we will be hosting Understanding Anxiety & Panic Disorder, an eight-week education program designed for individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety and/or panic disorders. Beginning Nov 5th, we will be hosting Building Self-Confidence, a six-week program designed to help women learn to believe in themselves and to push the limits of their abilities.
For more information or to register please call 633-1705. These programs are sponsored by MindCare New Brunswick. Canadian Mental Health Association of New Brunswick, Saint John Office, Suite 1500, City Hall Building, 15 Market Square, Tel: 506 633-1705 / Fax: 506 633 2892
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Congratulations to the Around the Block!! The paper that keeps on giving back to the residents that it serves. Happy seventh anniversary!!
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Federal Election Special
• Saint John Human Development Council • www.sjhdc.ca At least once every 4 years, Canadians get the chance to make their voices heard by exercising their most basic democratic right: the right to vote. Being a democracy is part For updates and info about the election, local of what makes Canada the great country that it is, but democracies only work if people participate. One of the most basic, and important, ways to participate in a democracy is issues, and how our political system works, like our Facebook page & follow us on to vote. Twitter! On October 19th Canadians will be going to the polls to vote in the 42nd Federal Election. Around the Block and the Saint John Human Development Council want to encourage ev@SaintJohnHDC eryone in our community to get on the voters list, get informed, and get to the polls—and we’re here to help! Saint John Human Development This special Election Insert has information on how to vote, how elections work, what the three levels of government do and who our local candidates are this time around! For more information, including the Canada Votes 2015 Series (with short one page overviews of 14 important elections issues), check out the HDC website: www.sjhdc.ca
Did You Know? You Can Vote Now!
If you want to get voting off your “to do list”, you can head over to the Elections Canada office at 555 Somerset Street North, Suite 118 (across from the Millidgeville SuperStore) and vote now! The office is open: Mon to Fri: 9a.m. - 9p.m.; Sat: 9a.m. - 6p.m.; Sun: 12p.m. - 4p.m. If you have questions, you can call them; the toll free number is: 1 866 209-6481.
Why Vote?
The laws and regulations that our MPs create and pass affect our daily lives in all kinds of ways: how much money the province gets for health care, social programs and education, what is illegal and what happens when you break the law, how many immigrants and refugees we welcome each year and how much social housing we have (ever had to wait on the NB Housing waiting list? This is impacted by politics, too). So, voting will help shape the Canada that we live in, and that our children and grandchildren will inherit. Voting will also shape the Canada that the rest of the world sees--that’s a pretty important job. Vote to make sure that the person you send to represent you in Ottawa is going to help shape Canada the way you want it to be shaped.
We Can Do Better!
Voter Turnout in NB 10 Ridings (%)
In 2011, 42% of our riding’s eligible voters didn’t even show up - we can do way better than that, Saint John! If you did not vote the last time, make sure you do now. It is important that you vote this time and everytime there is an election. Go with a friend that votes, take a family member and a neighbour. Remember: friends don’t let friends forget to vote.
Got the kids? Take ‘em with you! Voting can be fun for the whole family! “Voting is something you should be proud to be able to do, it’s really a celebration. When 2 of my 3 children turned 18, their “first vote” was a big deal & we celebrated! My youngest son, who is 11, has come with me to vote in every municipal, provincial & federal election since he was baby—he can’t wait for his turn!” –Allison Ferris, Housing Alternatives
These People Can Change Everything In the last election voters in the Saint John-Rothesay riding had the lowest voter turnout rate in the province; only 58% of the voters turned up. New Brunswick had the second highest provincial turnout rate of 65.6%, so we did better than most provinces. PEI came first with a rate of 74%. The national rate was 58.5%.
First Time Voting
If you are voting for the first time the Elections Canada website has a “What happens when I go vote” video that walks you through the process of voting! Visit elections.ca to see the video. Page E1
Federal Election Special
• Saint John Human Development Council • www.sjhdc.ca
How To Vote In 5 Easy Steps!
Step 1: Register To Vote
Registering is the first step to having your say in the election. It’s basically signing up to vote. The quickest and easiest way to register is online. You can register to vote, or double check to make sure you are already registered on the Elections Canada website: www.elections.ca
Step 2: Decide When to Vote
You can vote on Election Day, Monday, October 19th between 9:30am-9:30pm. Or There are four advance voting days: Fri Oct 9, Sat Oct 10, Sun Oct 11, Mon Oct 12. Polls are open from 12noon-8pm.
Step 4:Get your ID or proof of address ready
If you forget to register, don’t worry! You can register at the polling station when you go to vote. You have two options: 1) A piece of government issued ID (like a driver’s license, or pro vincial ID card) with your photo, name, and home address on it. 2) Two pieces of ID: One with your name on it (health card, Canadian passport, credit or debit card, etc.) and one with your name and home address on it (bank statement, power bill, etc.) A complete list of acceptable ID pieces is on the Elections Canada website. www.elections.ca
Step 5: Take your ID & Vote!
Step 3: Find Your Polling Station
Head to your polling station to vote. When you walk into your polling station, there will be tables set up with volunteers to take your name and check your ID. They will be there to help you and tell you where to go next! If you’ve never voted before, the “what happens when I vote” video by Elections Canada walks you through the process!
Where you go to vote is called a Polling Station. To find out where yours is, you can look on the back of your voter registration card.
Just like in the example above, your polling station for Election Day is listed first on your voter card, the address for advanced polls is right below. You can also go to www.elections.ca and type in your postal code.
Or, you can call Elections Canada to find out where your polling station is at 1-800-463-6868.
Don’t think you have time to vote? Every Canadian citizen is entitled to 3 hours to vote. If your work schedule does not give you 3 hours in a row while the polling station is open, your employer has to give you time without a fuss or a penalty to pay—it’s the law, under section 132-4 of the Canada Elections Act. Got the kids? Take ‘em with you! Voting can be fun for the whole family! Page E2
Federal Election Special
• Saint John Human Development Council • www.sjhdc.ca
The three levels of government in Canada each have different responsibilities that affect our daily lives. Decisions made at the federal level affect all Canadians, and affect what our province and city are able to do. For example, even though the province is responsible for welfare and health, decisions made at the federal level affect how much money flows to the provinces for these things.
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Federal Election Special
• Saint John Human Development Council • www.sjhdc.ca Rodney Weston is the current Member of Parliament for the Saint John-Rothesay riding and will be running for a third term with the Conservative Party of Canada. Weston holds political experience on the federal and provincial levels, and has also worked in the private sector, owning his own small business. Weston plans to continue along the course of what he has accomplished in his previous 2 terms, featuring a heavy focus on where public spending has been directed in the past. Weston removed the tolls from the Harbour Bridge, and has approved federal funding for projects such as the new YMCA facility and the Hans W. Klohn commons at UNBSJ.
Rodney Weston (MP) Conserative Party of Canada
You can contact Rodney: 506-652-2015 Rodney@VoteRodneyWeston.ca 22 King St. Saint John NB E2L 1G3 AJ Griffin is the NDP candidate in the Saint John-Rothesay riding. Griffin presently works as a Senior Technical Writer with Genesys. The focus of Griffin’s campaign is mainly on fixing the economic conditions that create social problems; she plans to work for seniors, parents and all constituents of the riding to ensure that unemployment and poverty are greatly reduced in the community. AJ is an active volunteer and feels passionately about various social issues, which she hopes to give voice at a federal level for the Saint John-Rothesay region. Griffin would like to give a fresh voice for the riding as an elected MP, stating that problems will not be fixed if we continue going down the same two roads. You can contact AJ: aj.griffin@ndp.ca 12 Charlotte St. Saint John NB E2L 2H4 506-642-3731
AJ Griffin New Democratic Party
Wayne Long Liberal Party Of Canada
Wayne Long is the candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada for the Saint John-Rothesay riding. Wayne has been a lifelong resident of the riding and has been a prominent member of the business community for quite some time, most notably in his role as a founding member and current president of the Saint John Sea Dogs. Long has a wealth of national and international business experience which, if elected, he plans to bring to Ottawa with a stronger voice for the constituents of Saint John-Rothesay. Long feels as though the region has become stagnant, particularly in economic terms, and wishes to bring greater prosperity and opportunity to the Port City. He believes that a healthy economy can work wonders for social problems, therefore his plans focus greatly on working to reduce unemployment in Saint John-Rothesay and to use natural advantages, such as the port, to bring business, jobs and relief to the riding. You can contact Wayne: 506-214-6292 info@waynelong.ca 39 King St. Brunswick Square , Saint John NB E2L 4W3 Sharon Murphy is running as a candidate with the Green Party of Canada in Saint John-Rothesay. Murphy has familial roots in the Saint John business scene and currently helps to run Atlantic Label, a family owned manufacturing business. Murphy is also an active advocate for environmental and social issues in the community, and founded PEACE-NB, a group that facilitates solutions for such issues in the region. Murphy plans to use her experience as an advocate for all social justice issues to her advantage as a representative of Saint John-Rothesay in Ottawa. She intends to ensure that clean drinking water is available throughout the community, and that a strong economy that is focused on sustaining local businesses is created. You can contact Sharon: 506-639-9929 sharon.murphy@greenparty.ca
Sharon Murphy Green Party Of Canada Page E4
YMCA Working To Build A Healthy Community
Canadian Tire West Supports Jumpstart Games
Pictured above left to right; Angelique,Jacob, Gerald & Adrien. (Photo courtesy Sandrine Selway) Students from Hazen-White St. Francis & Centennial School played the first basketball in the Saint John Regional Y during the Community Open House. (Photo by Nicole Vair) By Nicole Vair Communications Coordinator The YMCA of Greater Saint John has 11 locations working to serve the community. With free Drop-In Programs for youth at our Millidgeville and Forest Glen Community Centres, as well as programming for all ages at the Regional Y, there is always something fun to do. On Oct 24th at 11am the second annual YMCA Strut for Strong Kids will take place. This fun 2.5 km walk/run will begin at the old Y site on Hazen Avenue and travel to the new Regional Y on Churchill Boulevard. All proceeds go to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign, which allows everyone to participate at the Y. The official Grand Opening of the new Y will be held following the Strut at 1:00pm For more information, or to get a pledge form for the Strut for Strong Kids, visit: www.saintjohnY.com/community
By Roberta Craft, Community Services Officer, Town of Sussex. On Aug 5th, 2015, 260 kids participated in the first Canadian Tire West Jumpstart Games. The games took place at Shamrock Park in Saint John and ran all day. Mike Feener, dealer of Canadian Tire West, was the lead funding partner that made sure the games were possible and had water, equipment, and lunch. Mayor Mel Norton was present to welcome and encourage the children during opening ceremonies and Jumpstart provided some great takehomes to the kids as an appreciation of their participation. Participants included children from Lorneville, Seawood, Havelock, Boys and Girls Club, Big Brother Big Sisters, St. Rose, Nick Nicole Centre, Carleton, YMCA, Rothesay, Hampton, Quispamsis, and Sussex. Sports included soccer, soccer baseball, and tennis. These games were planned to enable all children to participate in a structured sport and included new and seasoned players.
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Go Girls Summer Expo 2015
Summer Adventures
Go Fundy Events took our Go Girls! kayaking at Stonehammer Geopark (photo by Meagin Huisman)
(Photo by Caitlin Corkum) By Caitlin Corkum Community Schools, PALS Coordinator , Centennial School This summer we had the opportunity to partner with RiverCross Church and Woodstock Baptist Church Youth for a three-day Outdoor Adventure Camp as part of their week-long Youth Ministry, Tidal Impact.
By Meagin Huisman Go Girls! Program Coordinator Big Brothers Big Sisters offered a Go Girls! Summer Expo program the first week of July. The girls were involved in action packed activities that included kayaking at StonehammerGeopark with Go Fundy Events, rockclimbing at Rockwood Park, yoga with Goodlife Fitness; and, a scavenger hunt and BBQ at Irving Nature Park.
Approximately 20 youth spent each morning planning and running lots of fun activities for our 15 students. Students got to tie-dye socks and bookmarks, have water balloon fights, play lots of outdoor games, and lots, lots, more!
We are currently looking for Go Girls! mentors for our school-based program this year. If you are interested in giving one hour a week with a group of amazing middle school aged girls, please contact Meagin Huisman, Go Girls! Program Coordinator, at Meagin.Huisman@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca or 635-1145.
Application Process Now Open Community Support Grants
Grants starting at $1,000 but not to exceed $5,000.
Vital Impact Grants
Grants in excess of $5,000 but not to exceed $20,000.
Any eligible organization may apply for both streams, but not for the same project/initiative. APPLICATION DEADLINE for both grants: Noon, Friday, January 29, 2016 Elements for Consideration for Community Support and Vital Impact Grants: Proposals are encouraged which reflect need in the community, impact a significant number of people, build effective community partnerships, improve organizational effectiveness and plan for continuation of the project beyond initial funding. Visit our website for more information: www.thecommunityfoundationsj.com All applicants must contact the Executive Director to discuss their project before submitting an application.
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BBBS Support Healthy Relationships
By Laurie Collins Executive Director Did you know that mentoring is support, guidance, concern, and encouragement for a young person?
Did you know that within Big Brother Big Sisters, mentoring provides support with a caring relationship between adults and youth and is important in helping young people develop a sense of belonging, acceptance and connection, all important for good mental health and emotional well-being?
The Neighbourhood Police Council Inc (NPC) presented a $1000 cheque to Big Brothers Big Sisters, Kids and Cops program. Accepting were youth from the program and back row left Laurie Collins, Executive Director, BBBS and Fred DeWitt, Chairperson, NPC
YWCA Saint John Youth Council
Did you know that the Go Girls and Game On programs encourage physical activity and healthy eating which helps in preventing obesity, building healthy relationships and reducing stress? Please consider becoming a positive role model for a young person today! Call us at 635-1145
By Melanie Vautour, Director of Development, YWCA Saint John Are you 16-19? Interested in talking about topics such as gender equity, leadership, the power of social media, and more? Enjoy gathering with like-minded folks? Do you want to create change?! THEN WE HAVE THE SPACE FOR YOU! YWCA in Saint John is taking part in the Strong Girls Strong World Project and is interested in gathering members from Saint John for a provincial YOUTH COUNCIL! If you, or someone you know may be interested, contact us at 6083112 or email mvautour@ywcanb.com
The Key To Well Being
Attention Women Do you feel that you are letting life slip by you? - Do you procrastinate - Underestimate your abilities - Feel stuck and don't know where to start Start by registering for
The Key to Well Being And discover that life can be exciting and rewarding
THE KEY
Believe in yourself and make it happen Call today and register for our upcoming course 672-7451
TO WELL- BEING A PERSONAL GROWTH JOURNEY FOR WOMEN
TO PLAY TO WIN WEEKLY a number, fill out a ticket with your name and number, put one part in the box and keep the other
Where Saint Josephs Community Health Centre 116 Coburg Street
weekly by placing the green label with your number on a toonie(s) and drop it in the gold rush box www.sjbgclub.com (506) 634-2011
Childcare and transportation costs are covered by the Dept of Social Development
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New Banner Designed For Neighbourhood Action Group
Salvation Army Receives Regional Wellness Grant
Participants of "K.N.O.W. Meds" listen to public health nurse, Penny Higdon (photo by Shelly McCready) By Shelly McCready, Community Ministries Coordinator The Salvation Army Saint John Community and Family Services recently received a Regional Wellness Grant from the Department of Healthy and Inclusive Communities. We gave the task of developing and implementing (a portion of) a program to our 3rd year nursing students that we host annually from UNB. This is a success all around; the program is well attended by clients and the student nurses fulfill requirements necessary for their schooling. The program is entitled “Get in the K.N.O.W.” (Knowledge Nourishing Overall Wellness). The sessions have covered many different topics such as medications, tenant rights, slow cooking, first aid, foot care, etc. We value this partnership so much and look forward to many more sessions of this program. Call for more information. phone: (506) 634-1633 or shelly_mccready@can.salvationarmy.org
By Ann Barrett The Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) consists of stakeholders from the five priority neighbourhoods. As a group working together we asked freelancer graphic artist, Lindsay Vautour, to design a logo for our group, her company is Pop Studio. After getting information from us she decided on using five unique buildings to represent the five neighbourhoods and also designed our banner. Lindsay volunteered her valuable time to us to do this work.
Lindsay Vautour with our new Neighbourhood Action Group’s banner. (Photo by Ann Barrett)
Our group can’t thank Lindsay enough for the wonderful and professional design she created. Thank you, Lindsay.
Proud Supporter Of Saint John Community Newspaper Around The Block Page 14
SJMNRC Scholarship Winner - 2015
Le Bien-être dans l’eau en pratiquant la Natation
first row, left to right: Mohamed Bagha, Olga Boian, Stacy Wang, Bonnie (one of our volunteers), Li Song last row, l to r: Anne-Audrey Schmitt, Deborah Dugan, Mary Stack, Sandrine Selway. (Photo by Ziteng Guo) By Olga Boian During the summer, I applied for the SJMNRC Scholarship and I cannot express myself enough to show my excitement for being awarded it. This meant a lot to me and I would like to thank SJMNRC. When I found out, I had paid only a third of my tuition and was still working out my budget, so it was a big relief. I also want to thank them for offering this scholarship annually to a newcomer. It means more than just money; it builds confidence, reassures us that we are on the right path as we integrate into a new community and a new life, and creates an overall sense of well-being.
By Gabriel Selway J’ai mis les pieds dans l’eau à l’âge de 3 mois, en France, au Bébé nageur avec mes parents. Ensuite à 6 ans, ont eu lieu mes premières compétitions et j’ai pris goût à ce sport. J’aime la sensation de glisse que l’on peut ressentir en nageant. C’est un sport très complet au niveau physique et bon pour la respiration. Elle m’apporte beaucoup sur le plan mental et sur le plan physique.
WES Program Gave Confidence
J’ai une sensation de bien-être intense quand je franchis la porte de sortie de la piscine après m’être entraîné ! Un moment de plaisir extrême et de satisfaction que j’apprécie à chaque fois.
Activity And Play
By Pat Porter Recently, we added a basketball standard to our Anglin Drive Community Playground and just this summer a new teeter totter. Each day children, youth and parents are seen enjoying the playground. Play is a wonderful way to get exercise and all the warm sunshine and fresh air is definitely a bonus. Summer activities included Music in the Park, Story Tent and our Annual Fun Day and Back to School Street Dance. Special thanks to our awesome event volunteers. The playground and events were a great source of fun outdoor activities and enjoyment for all.
(Photo by Dayna Lutes) By Sandra Phillips My name is Sandra. I am a single mom who was unemployed for almost 10 years before I joined the Learning Exchange as a student in the Workplace Essential Skills (WES) program in April, volunteering at Stone Soup Catering as part of the course. That program gave me the skills and confidence to get back out into the workforce. When the new Stone Soup Cafe at the YMCA came along, I was grateful for the chance to be a part of the team. Thanks to the Learning Exchange, I am making a better life for myself and my daughter.
Congratulations to “Around the Block” on your seventh anniversary of publication. Thank you for sharing our community news. We wish you continued success in the future. SAINT JOHN POLICE FORCE
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Is Your Relationship Healthy
Journey To Wellness
By Tanya Moriarty SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) Coordinator When thinking of mental and physical wellness, you should always consider the relationship you have with your partner. Ensuring that you are in a relationship that is respectful and positive will allow for your life to be free from fear and control. When you are in a stable, healthy relationship, you are able to create personal goals for yourself and feel supported in all areas of your life. Some good indicators that your relationship is healthy are: • You have fun together but enjoy time apart as well. • You feel safe with one another. • You trust each other. • You solve conflict in a safe, respectful manner. • There is absolutely NO threats, intimidation, physical/emotional/ sexual/financial abuse present in the relationship. If you or someone you know needs help dealing with an unhealthy or abusive relationship, please call the Community Health Centre at 6325537.
Congratulations Around the Block on your Seventh Year!
From left to right Gabriela de Austin, Sue Menzies, Lyn King, Beth McCullough, Mary Quarterly, Janet Hooper, Henry. Missing: Kayla Nickerson. (Photo by Judy Murphy) By Danielle Davis A powerful group of Saint John women in the Elizabeth Fry Society’s Journey to Wellness project created social change events to enhance health and wellness. Bridging the Gap…Making Connections encouraged intergenerational sharing between school aged children from the Boys and Girls Club and St. John the Baptist / King Edward School and elderly who grew up in Uptown Saint John. Women also created a photo story to heighten awareness of the mental health needs to be seen, heard, connect and belong by celebrating Uptown Saint John and its people. Women displayed their photos at a public event at the Saint John Art Centre
@SaintJohnHDC
Did You Know?
Saint John Human Development Council
You can find old issues of Around The Block online at www.sjhdc.ca/around-the-block
www.sjhdc.ca
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Journey To Wellness
CVCTA Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Pictured left - right front row, Elaine, Karen, Janet, Councillor John MacKenzie, Mayor Mel Norton and MLA Trevor Holder. Back row l - r Debbie, Mary, Lisa, Cathy and Juanita. (Photo by Helen Bridgeo) By Janet McLaughlin, President The Crescent Valley Community Tenants Association (CVCTA) celebrated their 25th year anniversary on Saturday, September 26th. Celebrating with us were: Eileen Gauthreau from Social Development, Mayor Mel Norton, MLA Trevor Holder, John MacKenize our city councillor, along with a lot of community partners and residents. It was a very warm day with lots of food, pop/water and cake. Delbert played the music for us and everyone enjoyed themselves.
By Stacey Arthurs LINKS is a biweekly ten week after school literacy intervention program being offered at Saint John the Baptist/King Edward School (SJBKES). LINKS: Linking Language to Learning was developed by speech and language pathologists, resource teachers, classroom teachers, parents and personnel from the IWK. It is a specialized literacy intervention program designed for children who are experiencing difficulty in reading skills development and at least one year behind in reading/writing development. LINKS is a program based on the latest research and best practices around emergent readers. This program was made possible through the generous support of the Saint John Community Foundation and Jack Kidd Council #755 United Commercial Travelers. Currently we are looking for volunteers to help with the program. All training and support will be provided. Interested in hearing more? Contact us at links@nb.aibn.com or call 642-4956.
CV Stakeholders Thanks Volunteers
We hope to celebrate many more years to come and keep on doing the work that we so enjoy. I want to say thank you to all the executives of the CVCTA: Eva Feddery, Karen Rodgerson, Richard Northorp, Nancy Savoie and Board members: Mary Doiron, Lisa Clarke, Cathy Sabean and Elaine Orser. Without all of you we would not have our Tenants Association. Here’s to another 25 years - being strong and still going.
YWCA & Wellness For Women By Melanie Vautour, Director of Development, YWCA Saint John YWCA in Saint John is pleased to offer On the Move To…. for women in Saint John and surrounding area. This 10 week, 20 class life skills training is available for women looking to learn more about themselves, share, grow and take their next steps – whether it’s employment, volunteering or just for themselves. The course is divided into 3 key components; Personal Wellness and Growth, Financial Literacy and preparing for employment. Interested women 18 and older are asked to apply by October 13. Contact the YWCA at 506-608-3112 or email info@ywcanb.com.
Pictured from left - right Holly Beaton, Kristopher Saunders and Catherine Sabean. (Photo by Juanita Black) The mission of the Crescent Valley Stakeholders: “ Working in collaboration to improve the quality of life for those living in Crescent Valley.” With that in mind several community partners and residents meet every six weeks and join forces to bring programs and resources to the community. Events that bring pride and respect for all we do in Crescent Valley. After each community event a wrap up meeting is held to talk about any changes we might need to make - to cut the event or plan it as a bigger event. At each meeting, as a group, we recognize individuals who are noticed doing something extra in the community. Holly Beaton donates many hours of time at the CV Resource Centre and both Kristopher Saunders and Catherine Sabean were noticed picking up litter in the area. The CV Stakeholders would like to thank them all for their efforts.
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TRC Youth Stay Fit
ARE YOU READY TO VOTE?
Hey neighbours, meet the candidates for the October 19, 2015 Federal Election !
Talk to them about issues that are important to you, and your neighbourhood. Every candidate will be dropping by each of the Þve priority neighbourhoods for 20 minutes during the evening.
!
MEET THE CANDIDATES: ¥ AJ GrifÞn - New Democratic Party ¥ Wayne Long - Liberal Party of Canada ¥ Sharon Murphy - Green Party of Canada ¥ Rodney Weston - Conservative Party of Canada
!
WHEN:
!
Thursday, October 8, 2015, 6:00 pm-9:00 pm
WHERE:
By Letti Eastwood At TRC, we try to practice wellness in a lot of ways. This summer, we grew our own vegetables, participated in community events, got creative with art projects and music nights, but our favourite area of wellness is being physically active. We hike, we swim, we play sports, and we love being outside, so summer is our time to kick it into high gear. Normally, at this time of year, the youth and staff here at TRC are soaking up every last bit sunshine as the days turn inevitably shorter and colder. This year has been no exception.We have been out enjoying Saint John’s beautiful beaches anytime it’s been warm enough, exploring the parks and as always there is a perpetual game of basketball going on outside as long as it’s not pouring rain. That being said, we are feeling a lot more optimistic about our outdoor recreation time being cut by the winter weather. That is because of the amazing new building that one of our community partners, YMCA, has opened. On September 18th, we finally got our chance. At the open house, we got to see the building from top to bottom and were totally impressed by all the great things it has to offer. On top of that we were lucky enough to be invited to play in the inaugural ball hockey game in the new gymnasium. All in all, we had a great day at the new YMCA - the staff is super friendly, the equipment is top-notch and we can’t wait to go back, especially when the pool opens! If you haven’t been over to see it, do yourself a favour and get there soon. It is the perfect place to get started on the road to a more healthy and active lifestyle. Congratulations to the staff and all of the people who worked to make the new building happen, you did a great job!
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¥ Crescent Valley Resource Centre, 130 MacLaren Blvd., 693-8513 ¥ Nick Nicolle Community Centre, 85 Durham St., 658-2980 ¥ PULSE, 251 Wentworth St., 632-6807 ¥ Waterloo Village, 656 Brunswick Dr., (Community Rm) 642-1942 ¥ Westside PACT, 200 Ludlow St., 672-0228
Get information on where and when to vote. Make sure you are registered to vote. Bring your questions! Be ready to vote on election day.
EVERY VOTE COUNTS, INCLUDING YOURS Coffee will be available.
For more info phone: Penni Eisenhauer - 343-5382, commorg.penni@gmail.com OR Carolyn MacLennan, 642-1942.
!
Sponsored by the Neighbourhood Action Group and the Human Development Council
Kiwanis Club Makes Donation
Just Because
Pictured right to left Roxanne Zinck and Vicki Cosgrove ( Photo courtesy of Andrew Brilliant) By Brenda Murphy Last week, we launched our Just Because…book of poetry. The Saint John Women’s Empowerment Network runs a program called POWER UP! a leadership training program that helps women to take their next step. In the program we use the “Just Because” poem as a tool to help women think about biases and stereotypes they face in their lives. The original Just Because poem was written by Esther Kamkar as a result of discrimination she faced as an Iranian woman living in North America.
Jim Humbley from the Kiwanis presents $5000 to Kelley Hare for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. (Photo by Joe Carr)
Key Industries Receives Donation
The POWER UP graduates who wrote the poems in the book speak of the sometimes soul numbing reality of living in poverty, of the trauma and effects of violence they have experienced in their lives AND they also speak of their strength, their courage, their tenacity to keep breaking through barriers that keep them from making changes in their lives. The “Just Because” exercise has become a creative and empowering way for women to reclaim their voice, to express their feelings about what it is like being judged and criticized, but most importantly, it is an exercise in taking back one’s power. Key Industries CEO Christine Evans receives $5000., from Kiwanis President Dan Soulis. (Photo by Joe Carr)
Around The Block Team (Issue 43) We are currently taking
registrations for POWER UP!
14. Forms Petts. are available at Old North End: Nick Shepard and Christa the St. Joseph’s Community Lower South End: Mary LeSage.Health Centre at 116 Coburg Street. Deadline for and Lisa Waterloo-Village: Penni Eisenhauer, Donna McKee registration is Fri, Aug 24. Chamberlain. Crescent Valley: Anne Driscoll. Lower West Side: Jill Roberts, Stacey Arthurs and Tony Mowery. Proof readers: Mark Driscoll, Belinda Kumar, Cindy Bishop, Sandra Phillips, Rona Howald, Dayna Lutes, Anna O’Hara and Barbara Day. Layout and Design: Chris Hopkins, and Juanita Black. Ad Design: Chris Hopkins and Patricia Porter. Community members: Carl Trickey, Lyn King, Lisa Chamberlain, Ryan Locke and Debbie McLeod.
Proud Sponsors of Around The Block
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Wellness Week October 1 to 7 Have you started planning your activity? Add it to the Wellness Events Calendar at wellnessnb.ca
Semaine du mieux-être du 1er au 7 octobre Avez-vous commencé à planifier vos activités? Ajoutez-les au Calendrier d’activités sur le mieux-être au mieux-etrenb.ca
“CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS CHANGE YOUR LIFE” 6TH ANNUAL SENIORS WELLNESS FAIR AND CLINIC Portland United Church, Saint John November 6th, 1:00 - 3:30
WELLNESS CHAMPION CELEBRATION The Fundy Wellness Network would like to recognize the important contribution that many people make as Wellness Champions in the community by honoring them during New Brunswick’s Wellness Week. For details visit www.fundywellness.ca Celebration event on October 7th for the Wellness Champion nominees.
SKIP CHEFS! COOKING CLUB
We are excited to be starting a Seniors and Kids Intergenerational Program (SKIP) Chefs’ Club. This is a cooking program for children at Centennial School hosted by seniors at Charlton Place/Stephenson Tower. The weekly after-school program will begin on Oct.6, 2015. Thank you to the Wellness Branch of Social Development for providing the grant to make this possible. For more information, contact Debbie at 658-5159.
See what else is happening in the Saint John and Fundy regions by visiting the events calendar at wellnessnb.ca.
New Brunswick Wellness / Mieux-être Nouveau-Brunswick
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