Issue 7, Vol. 152, The Brunswickan by Brunswickan Publishing Inc

VOLUME 152, ISSUE 7, MARCH 2019

Editorial Board

About Us

Editorial Policy

Letters to the Editor

General Operations Manager Luiza Lima

The Brunswickan, in its 152nd year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

While we endeavour to provide an open forum for a variety of viewpoints and ideas, we may refuse any submission considered by the Editorial Board to be racist, sexist, libellous or in any way discriminatory.

Letters must be submitted by e-mail to editor@thebruns.ca. Include your name, since letters with pseudonyms will not be printed or posted online. Letters must be 500 words at maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m.

Creative Manager Maria Nazareth Araújo News Editor Alexandre Silberman Arts & Lifestyle Editor Isabelle Leger Magazine Editor Brad Ackerson

Staff Multimedia Editor Cameron Lane Marketing & Sales Coordinator Samantha McCready Copy Editor Natasha Williamson Reporters Ally Buchanan Marlowe Evans Patrick Donovan Photographers Cameron Lane Maria Nazareth Araújo Volunteer Jack Sparks

We are an autonomous student publication owned and operated by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a nonprofit, independent body. We are also a founding member of the Canadian University Press. Now a magazine, we publish monthly during the academic year with a circulation of 4,000. We publish weekly online at thebruns.ca.

The opinions and views expressed in this publication are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Brunswickan, its Editorial Board or its Board of Directors. All editorial content appearing in The Brunswickan is the property of Brunswickan Publishing Inc. Stories, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the express, written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

@Brunswickan Front Page: Next UNB President Paul Mazerolle, speaks to The Brunswickan before an introductory town hall on March 14 | Photo by Maria Nazareth Araújo Design by Maria Nazareth Araújo Correction: In our Feb. issue, we misidentified the media fee amount. The fee is $7.50 per term for full-time students. The Brunswickan apologizes for the error.

T H E

B R U N S W I C K A N

I S S U E

Incoming thoughts from the incoming Editor-in-Chief by Brad Ackerson

News briefs by Alexandre Silberman and Jack Sparks

Eddy Campbell: Reflections from a decade as president by Brad Ackerson

Things to do in Fredericton this month

New Beginnings: Paul Mazerolle returns to New Brunswick to serve as UNBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next president

by Brad Ackerson

by Alexandre Silberman

What to know about UNBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s massive email data breach by Ally Buchanan

Wave of closures hits downtown Fredericton

22 24

Local computer programmers giving back by Ally Buchanan

by Ally Buchanan

26 22

Choir hopes vocally-challenged musicians leave on high note by Isabelle Leger

UNB athletes of the year by Brad Ackerson

From the archives by Brad Ackerson

17 3

Words by Brad Ackerson

It was a bit of a fluke that I ended up at The Brunswickan two years ago. Sure, I have always enjoyed writing and had previously considered a career in journalism before starting university, but I had long since given up that idea. The possibility of getting involved with The Bruns had not even crossed my mind until the end of my second year, when I stumbled across a job posting on social media for an open reporter position and decided to send in my resume on a whim. I had no relevant experience or training and wasn’t even sure the job would be a good fit for me but I hated the job I had at the time and wanted to try something - anything - different. This spontaneous decision has proven to be a pivotal moment in my life. I quickly fell in love with everything about the job, and a career in journalism once again began to feel like something worth pursuing. I loved having a job that forced me to stay involved on campus and in the community while doubling as a creative outlet. I loved having the freedom to explore interests or report on things that I believe are important. Above all, I simply loved being part of The Brunswickan and having the opportunity to try to add to its long history. My love of The Bruns has only continued to grow over the past year while I’ve served as magazine editor. Although 2018-19 has been a very challenging year 4

after our previous editor-in-chief resigned early in the fall, the way everyone on our team responded by picking up the slack and continuing to produce quality content despite the leadership void was incredible. I’m extremely excited to see what our team can accomplish over the upcoming year with more stability and increased financial resources. With that said, I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve as The Brunswickan’s next editor-in-chief in 2019-20 and to continue working and growing alongside our great returning staff as well the new members who will be joining us. I look forward to ensuring that The Bruns continues to deliver accurate, high quality journalism while providing students and community members with a place where they can share their stories and opinions. None of this was part of my plan when I first applied to be a reporter in 2017 but I am very grateful for all of the opportunities my involvement with The Bruns has afforded me and I can’t wait to get started next year.

Are you looking for a job for the 2019-2020 academic year?

OPEN POSITIONS: BUSINESS MANAGER HEALTH & LIFESTYLE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR MULTIMEDIA EDITOR NEWS EDITOR

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO EDITOR@THEBRUNS.CA BY APR. 5.

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Words by Alexandre Silberman and Jack Sparks

UNB repeats as AUS champs The University of New Brunswick Reds scored early to power past the St. Francis Xavier X-Men 7-1 on March 6, for their second straight Atlantic University Sport title. The Reds started with a goal by Cam Brace in the first period. Olivier LeBlanc and Tyler Boland scored later in the period. “We wanted to try and get the lead and protect it as best we could,” said Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall. “We had a couple key penalty kills in the first period and then were able to extend the lead as the game went on.” Four and a half minutes into the second period Fredericton local Oliver Cooper found his way to the front of the net and scored on a wrap-around to give UNB a 4-0 lead.

The UNB Reds, 2018-19 AUS men’s hockey champions. Photo by St FX Athletics 6

The home team responded at 8:19, with captain Mark Tremaine cutting down the Reds’ lead to 4-1. In the final three minutes of the period, Kris Bennett scored on a breakaway to put the Reds ahead 5-1. Boland, who was named the Subway player of the game, added two more goals in the third to earn a hattrick. Bennett was named the most valuable player of the 2019 AUS men’s hockey playoffs. The conference championship is the 16th for UNB and the sixth in the last decade. Both UNB and St. FX will represent the AUS at the Cavendish Farms University Cup in Lethbridge, Alberta from March 14-17. “The national championship is the next step, and we’ll see how the rankings go,” said MacDougall. “We’ll get in a couple good days of practice and we’ve got an opportunity in front of us, but it is all about being best prepared for game number one.”

Green Party leader Elizabeth May visits Fredericton The snow couldn’t keep Elizabeth May and the Green Party away. On Wednesday, Feb. 13, after most of Fredericton had shut down for the day due to snowfall, around 50 people packed into a side room at the Wilmot United Church to see the leader of Canada’s Green Party. Fredericton was the fifth stop on May’s nationwide Community Matters tour. The east coast leg ran from Feb. 7–15 and included Montreal, Quebec City, Moncton, Charlottetown, Fredericton and Halifax. A west coast leg will commence in Prince George on March 2. May opened with a short speech, mostly focused on the struggle of working in a party-based system. “Partisan politics does get in the way of good decision making. Ideally, as Greens, we like working across party lines for better solutions,” she said. On “corrupt business,” May was questioned about how we can disengage ourselves from these businesses when people are so intertwined with them. “People elected to office need to take responsibility and make sure we exemplify the kind of values, conduct and integrity that restores public trust in our institutions,” she replied. “You need to take people who have broken the law, and regardless of who they know in the system, they have to be responsible, and if they’ve committed a crime, they have to go to jail.” May also called for electoral reform, including the elimination of “first-past-the-post” voting, where the candidate with most number of votes wins the seat. “It accentuates hyper-partisanship, it rewards combativeness, it rewards the wedge issue, it punishes co-operation, and it punishes consensus,” she said.

May said the current voting system makes the NDP “aggressive” towards the Greens. The biggest theme of the night was climate change, and more than half the questions asked of May involved the topic. The last question of the night came from a woman concerned about the contentiousness surrounding the carbon tax and how it is seems to distract from more important issues. “My intention is if people ask about the carbon tax, I will say no, I want to talk about the climate crisis, I want to talk about what needs to be done to avoid climate catastrophe, and I want to talk about the new economy, all the jobs, the positive things that will happen when we start responding to the issue,” May responded.

UNB to host Indigenous language celebration with songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie The Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre at the University of New Brunswick will host an Indigenous language gathering celebration on campus from April 5-7. The event titled Nikana’tunej (carrying language forward) / Namkomihptune ‘Ciw Weckuwapasihtit (carrying language forward for the ones not yet born), will be held at the Richard J. Currie Centre. Iconic songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie will be opening the gathering with a sold-out concert. Doors will open to the public at 6 p.m. for an opening ceremony with Elder-in-residence Imelda Perley and St. Mary’s First Nation Chief Allan Polchies Jr. The gathering, which occurs during UNESCO’s Year of Indigenous Languages, will honour teachers, learners and language carriers. The focus will be on Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey language revival through learning activities, language revival presentations, and celebration through song, stories, dance and more.

Words by Brad Ackerson Note: Here you will find our recommendations for things you can do over the upcoming month to experience some of the best Fredericton has to offer. While this is far from a complete list, we try to provide a well-rounded mix of everything from events to attend, places to go and things to try. Something you’d like to see included in an upcoming edition of Things to Do? Send your suggestions to editor@thebruns.ca!

Mar. 22: Red ‘n Black Revue New Brunswick’s longest running annual show is back for its 70th year! One of UNB’s oldest traditions, the Red ‘n Black Revue combines local cuisine, music, dance and poetry for an unforgettable night with fellow students, faculty, staff and alumni. Tickets are $15 for students and $30 for faculty, staff and alumni, and attendees will enjoy a three-course New Brunswick-inspired dinner. The show and dinner will start at 7:30 while cocktail hour begins at 6:30. Student Union Building, 7:30 pm.

Mar. 23: We Are One Multicultural Fair Celebrate the diversity in our community with an evening of food and performances, presented by the St. Thomas University International Students’ Association. Attendees will have the opportunity to try over 20 different dishes from around the world in addition to watching international students perform songs, recite poetry and model traditional clothing from their home country. Tickets are $10 for students or children and $15 for the general public. They can be purchased by emailing stuisa@stu.ca. Kinsella Auditorium (St. Thomas University), 5:30 pm.

Apr. 04: UNB MWC Pow-Wow The Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre is hosting its fifth annual celebration of Indigenous culture, music, dancing and drumming in early April. There will also be a number of vendors set up selling a range of First Nation, Inuit and/or M etis handicrafts. The event is free, kid-friendly and open to the general public. Currie Center, 10:30 am - 3 pm

Apr. 11: Tokyo Police Club Concert UNBSU Campus Events has partnered with The Capital Complex to bring multiple-time Juno award-nominated indie rock quartet Tokyo Police Club to the cozy confines of the Boyce Farmer’s Market. The show will be opened by Prince Edward Island-based pop group Sorrey. Doors open at 7 and the concert is scheduled to begin at 8. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased online through etixnow or at the etixnow kiosks located at Grimross Brewing, Graystone Brewing and Backstreet Records. Boyce Farmer’s Market, 8 pm

Apr. 14: Feast of Thrones Game of Thrones fans rejoice! With the show’s final season about to begin, the Delta Fredericton is hosting a celebratory feast followed by a big-screen viewing of the season’s premiere episode. The multi-course feast will be prepared by Executive Chef Greg Godfrey and will include themed dishes such as “boar ribs of Bravos” and “Gendry’s bowls of brown.” Tickets for the event are a bit on the pricey side at $39 per person or $234 for a table of 6. They can be purchased through eventbrite.ca. Doors open at 7:30, the feast begins at 8 and the viewing party starts at 10. Delta Hotel, 7:30 pm.

he University of New Brunswick is on alert after email addresses were released during a massive data breach in January. UNB email accounts were found in a large-scale data dump referred to as “Collection 1.” Erik Denis, the senior cyber security officer at UNB, offered some explanation of the event for the uninformed. “Collection 1” was not a single breach, but a compilation of thousands of breaches over a few years that involved millions of unique email addresses and passwords. David Shipley, CEO of Beauceron Security, said the collection demonstrates just how widespread the organized “cybercriminal underground” is. “It demonstrates that, when it comes to cybersecurity, the world is in a far worse state than the average consumer would ever imagine,” he said. “It is going to take the better part of a decade before we can really see improvement.” Shipley said cybercrime is a “booming business” and data breaches occur all the time. A second, third and fourth iteration of this type of collection have already been released.

same password for multiple accounts, as that gives hackers a way in to other websites and more personal information. He said if your information has been compromised once, you are at a high risk to be a victim again. “The risk is when hackers see certain address or people who are part of a breach, they are targeted more,” Denis said.

Denis said the university’s system was not hacked. The emails found in the collection are a result of people using them for accounts on various websites.

Universities are often targets of cyber attacks as they have access to vast amounts of data. The University of Calgary paid a $20,000 ransom to hackers in 2017 after malware encrypted critical files and shut down access to the school’s wireless internet network.

When a website is hacked, the hackers can gain access to the login information of users, which can then be tested against other servers, according to Denis.

The University of Alberta and Carleton University have also experienced cyber attacks.

It is possible that there were attempted breaches against the UNB system, but were unsuccessful as none of the passwords were compromised. Denis said the danger arises when an individual uses the

Source: Right to information request, filed by The Brunswickan

UNB has sustained its fair share of breaches. The majority have occurred as a result of human error. A right to information request filed by The Brunswickan found 70 breaches between Jan. 2016 and Nov. 2018.

Sources of UNB data breaches over the past three years

Source: Right to information request, filed by The Brunswickan

Shipley said human error is the most common cause of data breaches, whether through mistakes in attachments and carbon-copying on emails, compromised login credentials or maintenance of systems.

A small portion of breaches are a result of criminal activity, but when those cases do arise, it is highly unlikely the criminals will be caught. This includes the “Collection 1” data breach.

Shipley recommends the use of password manager services to increase cyber security. He also noted the website “Have I Been Pwned,” which allows users to enter their email addresses to see what public breaches have been acknowledged and what information has been collected.

“It is somewhat akin to the wild west in its sheer lawlessness and chaos,” Shipley said. “Individuals are really on their own in protecting themselves.”

While Eddy Campbell’s term as UNB president is nearing its end, his passion for the school and what it symbolizes remains as strong as ever. Sure, his decade leading the university’s two campuses had its share of ups and downs - Campbell cites the “nasty” strike in 2012 (see From the Archives on page 31) as the low point of his professional career - but he is still left with overwhelmingly positive memories. “There’s a lot of noise in administration,” said Campbell in an exclusive interview with The Brunswickan. “I’ve always tried to remember what’s really going on.” To him, this means choosing to focus on the experience of being part of the UNB community rather than the more formal parts of his job. Being a visible presence in the university community and at events is a large part of being president, and this is an area that Campbell has embraced. Whether at a hockey game, a conference, or any other major events on campus, there is a good chance you’ve seen Campbell there, his UNB Reds scarf draped loosely around his neck, observing and enjoying all the atmosphere and energy of university life. “All of my best memories are around student events… Universities are great places to work. I think the reason they are so wonderful is they’re full of all these students with enormously high potential, great enthusiasm and they’re not yet ground down.” It’s not that Campbell sees his more formal administrative tasks as unimportant - although he note that he finds board and senate meetings to be “entirely forgettable” - rather, he believes enthusiasm within the community is a key indi14

Photo from UNB communications

cator of a healthy institution that will produce successful people. Attending events and meeting students, alumni and other members of the university community face-to-face has served an important and practical purpose. Campbell says meeting and picking the brains of successful alumni is something he found particularly interesting in his role as president. In doing so, he noticed that the one common thread was their passion and enthusiasm for the work they were doing. Following this logic, ensuring that students are enjoying a fulfilling and well-rounded university experience should increase the likelihood of producing enthusiastic alumni who were able to find a passion.

“Very few of [the most successful alumni I have met] recounted being exceptional students. They would say things like ‘I hope you haven’t seen my transcript!’” Campbell said, laughing. “Successful people are happy people and I believe that’s one of the reasons they become successful.” Outside of his positive memories of the overall university experience, Campbell said there are many other accomplishments from his time at UNB that he is very proud of - although he stresses that he isn’t trying to take the credit as there are many other people involved. These included surpassing recent fundraising goals by $15 million and increasing student bursary support by 600%. He is also very proud of UNB’s exceptionally high rate of first-generation students, a measure by which the school is among the leaders in the country. He notes that many of these students would not be able to attend without the free tuition program as well as tuition relief for the middle class. Looking ahead to the future, Campbell believes

that UNB is in a very unique position to help revitalize a stagnant New Brunswick economy, something that has been one of his major focuses as president. “I have a particular question that I’ve been asking since I’ve come here: what would we be doing if our name was University for New Brunswick, rather than University of New Brunswick? That question has, at this point in time, a collection of truly exceptional answers. There are literally dozens and dozens of examples where the university is able to work with stakeholders or anyone around an issue looking to make things better.” Leading the charge in this regard will be incoming president Paul Mazerolle, who Campbell says he has spoken with recently and came away impressed with his personality and overall demeanor. Campbell adds that he hopes and believes Mazerolle will carry on this legacy of working to fix what ails the province.

Eddy Campell believes that attending events and meeting students, alumni and other members of the university community face-to-face has served an important and practical purpose. Photo from the Brunswickan arquives

Eddy Campbell at the ceremony installing Amanda Reid Rogers as Piluwitahasuwin at UNB. Photo by UNB Media Services

In the meantime, the outgoing president says he is looking forward to having the chance to take time off before deciding what is next for him. He and his wife, who sadly passed away in October, had discussed returning to live in St. John’s, NL, but he is now thinking about moving to a more central location where it will be easier to see his children who are in St. John’s, Halifax, Ottawa and San Francisco. One thing Campbell is certain about, however, is getting back to spending more time with his passion for mathematics research, where he works in the areas of algebra and geometry. He does not plan to take on a position at any other universities, but says it’s possible he could take on another job in the future after he has had a chance to decompress. “You do as much as you can [while president] but inevitably you pay a toll, so I am looking forward to having the opportunity to recharge,” he said.

The toll of ten years at the helm of two university campuses aside, Eddy Campbell is leaving with a very positive outlook on where UNB stands and where it is headed.

Isabelle Leger contributed reporting.

aul Mazerolle’s new job as the University of New Brunswick’s next president and vice-chancellor is a return to his roots.

Queensland College of Art, the Griffith Film School, the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and seven research centres.

The expat New Brunswicker grew up in Nashwaaksis and attended Fredericton High School. He graduated from UNB with a bachelor of arts in 1989.

After years abroad, he’s looking forward to returning to his home province. But Mazerolle said getting re accustomed to New Brunswick winters may take some time.

After his undergraduate degree, he studied in the U.S. before moving to Australia to work in academia.

“I know that I’ll have to go purchase a whole new wardrobe,” he said.

“It feels terrific to come back after three decades and to make a contribution, and so it’s a real privilege and opportunity I’m very much looking forward to,” Mazerolle said in an interview during a visit to campus on March 14.

Mazerolle said he wants UNB to be a university that continues to contribute to local, national and international communities. His vision includes a commitment to equity, inclusion and engagement, both internally and externally.

Following his sociology degree at UNB, Mazerolle went on to complete his master’s degree in criminal justice at Northeastern University in 1990 and his doctorate in criminology at the University of Maryland College Park in 1995.

In his current role, Mazerolle said he has developed experience in matters of reconciliation with Aboriginal communities in Australia and has led community efforts for employment expansion opportunities.

He currently serves as pro vice-chancellor of arts, education and law and is the director of the violence research and prevention program at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. He has held this role since 2009, which includes overseeing more than 400 faculty, 13,000 students, the

He said he will work to balance the importance of accessibility and student financial challenges along with the recognition that universities are “expense enterprises” that have an impact on people’s futures. Mazerolle said he wants to ensure people understand the university’s value as an “investment vehicle” worth supporting for its role in community renewal, economic growth, innovation and addressing social issues. “Universities are in my view in the business of changing the world, and UNB has done that for 235 years and I want to make sure it continues to do that going forward,” he said. Arts and humanities programs often see the most cuts or are not considered as important as science, technology and engineering. Mazerolle, who has an arts background, said he isn’t sure at this point if there is a problem at UNB of undervaluing that area of study. He said changing professions due to technological advancements have evolved the field of post-secondary education. “What’s crucial is not just being on top of that wave and those changes, but also knowing the value of

Incoming president and vice-chancellor Paul Mazerolle speaks with faculty during a meet and greet on the UNB campus on March 14. Photo by Maria Nazareth Araujo

humanities-based education and arts-based education,” Mazerolle said. “Those are the kinds of skills that will weather some of the changes with artificial intelligence. It’s not that arts-based and humanities-based education won’t matter, they’ll actually be more important going forward.” The search process for the next UNB president began over a year ago. UNB’s joint nominating committee, tasked with hiring the new president, determined Mazerolle as its finalist to recommend to the Board of Governors. His appointment was announced on Jan. 28. The process sparked some criticism when the joint nominating committee decided to hold closed sessions with the candidates and selected community members in order to respect their privacy. Historically, UNB has held open town halls where any student or faculty member could pose questions to candidates.

When asked about his approach to addressing tension between faculty and administration, Mazerolle said he is committed to having all voices at the table, hearing what the issues are and trying to develop collaborative solutions. “My own view is the university benefits when we all try to pull together, and work in the same direction,” he said. Mazerolle has spent the last week visiting the Saint John and Fredericton campuses, holding town halls and meet and greets with the UNB community. His first day of work will be July 1, after current president and vice-chancellor Eddy Campbell steps down at the end of June after a decade in the position.

Reads is one of the businesses that suffered from the wave of closures in downtown Fredericton. Photo by Cameron Lane

Downtown Fredericton has suffered a wave of closures as many favourite businesses and community staples have shut their doors for good. These closed businesses include Owl’s Nest Books, Second Spin Record, Things: The Hippie Boutique, Reads and Tilleul Boutique. The causes of these closures have been long speculated, leading to a general sense of a crisis in the downtown core. Bruce McCormack, general manager of Downtown Fredericton Inc., denies any such crisis and says the downtown core is stronger than ever. “Where some of these businesses have closed, there are new businesses coming in that are good for downtown. To date, those spaces that have closed have pretty much been filled,” Mc20

Cormack said, and mentioned the expansion of Savage’s Bicycle Center and Radical Edge into the spaces left by Bellboy Dry Cleaners and Owls Nest Books respectively. McCormack alluded to a number of unannounced developments coming to Fredericton in the next few years, but says they “aren’t his story to tell yet.” He attributes much of this change to the city centre plan put in place by the City of Fredericton in 2015. “[The plan] aims to reshape how Frederictonians experience the city centre by placing greater emphasis on the quality of the urban environment,” states the official city centre plan outline. This plan will include expanding the limits of the city centre beyond its current border at

Brunswick St. Its primary focus is on infrastructure to improve economic development, culture and tourism. McCormack says the plan accounts for large growth in the downtown area over the next decade. This kind of growth often means “refreshing” the existing business community. When asked about specific closings downtown, McCormack offered little comment, saying that it is not his place to tell the stories of others. “Some of these businesses are closing just because it is the time for them to close. For others, the story is not quite so simple,” he said. Backstreet Records has been a part of the downtown community for 30 years and has so far remained safe from the wave of closures. Eric Hill, the store’s manager, calls the mass closures a simple coincidence. “The way we see it is that it was just kind of a coincidence that they were all so close together,” he said. “Things just kind of rebalance themselves over long periods of time.” Hill says the closures of some long-time Fredericton staples have drawn attention to the issue and prompted the speculation of some sort of crisis downtown. Instead, he cites Fredericton’s large seasonal population as a reason for the distinct ebb and flow of business. “Fredericton has a tendency to patronize certain places over a short period of time and then drift away from it,” Hill said. “Partly it’s just the population of Fredericton, you have a lot of people who work for the universities, and work for the government, that maybe don’t live here year round and so traffic flow changes routinely.” Hill said the recent construction of Regent St. and Queen St. is also referred to as a reason behind the closures, but he affirms that the downtown has stabilized since then. Jackie Veinott, owner of Things: The Hippie Boutique (a business of 26 years that closed its doors last month), is not so positive. “The construction cost me my business,” she said. “It started with the construction of the

parking garage on King St. And then they spent three years on the hotel. It was a basic crumple and decline of the downtown core.” Veinott says the city’s construction and poor maintenance of the streets and sidewalks deter potential customers from venturing downtown. She says that this, combined with the rising popularity of online shopping, has a detrimental effect on small businesses. “The ones that supported me, supported me like crazy. But you can only have so many loyal customers,” she said. “Frederictonians don’t like to support Fredericton.” Veinott believes that the City of Fredericton can do much more to facilitate business downtown. She states that although growth is important, infrastructure should not take precedence over the livelihoods of business owners. “The merchants can only do so much, and the city hasn’t done a good job. You’re playing with people’s lives,” Veinott said. She says that a city’s downtown area is crucial to its sense of community. These closings thus have the potential to cause a negative impact on the downtown community. “It is sad to see long-time businesses leaving the downtown core. It becomes your community. It’s like a town within the city. If you don’t have a strong downtown core you’re not going to have that sense of community like a city needs,” Veinott said. 21

Have you ever sang at the top of your lungs in your car? Would you be mortified if anyone heard your pitchy vocals? Singing is something that a lot of us tend to enjoy - it makes us happy and liberates us from daily stressors. But, for those of us who aren’t musically inclined, we tend to sing only when there isn’t a risk of being heard.

noticed an increase in community choirs that welcomed everyone and wanted to start one of her own.

A community choir called the Paper Bag Singers will be coming to Fredericton on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Anybody is able to join, even those who can’t carry a tune.

Melanson said singing has benefits other than being fun; it is good for your heart, your brain, and makes you feel less alone because of the community environment. “It’s a stress buster,” said Melanson.

Their tagline is, “Individually we can’t carry a tune in a paper bag. Together, we sound great.” The choir aims to create a friendly environment where anyone can sing and harmonize with others. The goal is to have fun and relieve stress. Lynn Melanson, Paper Bag Singers Organizer,

“Somewhere in my travels I started hearing about these groups for people who had either been told they couldn’t sing or shouldn’t sing,” she said.

Two retired nursing professors from UNB, Elaine Kenyon and Patricia Davidson, feel similarly about choir singing and the positive impact it has had in their lives. Kenyon first began singing in a junior choir and glee club throughout her time in high school

and at McGill University. She then continued to sing in several church choirs, including the local Fredericton Ladies Choir. Kenyon said singing was her way of relieving stress and forgetting about worries when she was in university. “It takes you to a different space,” she said. She emphasized that younger generations should be open to singing in choirs. “I’ve come to see so many young people who love music,” said Kenyon. Kenyon said her son would often come home and head straight to the piano. “With him, that music playing was a good de-stressor. It just takes you away from all of those things that tend to bother you,” she said. Davidson said there’s something special about harmonizing with a large group of people, describing it as a “spiritual experience.” A harmony is also able to cover a wrong or pitchy note when needed.

When Davidson was a nursing student at UNB, she would often juggle six or seven classes at a time. “I needed to go to choir practice because it gave me something different to concentrate on,” she said. Kenyon and Davidson were able to enjoy singing in choirs because they were graced with musical talent and made the audition cut. But, for those of us who are insecure or have pitchy vocals, this wouldn’t have been possible. The Paper Bag Singers choir, which meets every Monday evening at Christ Church Cathedral, is opening this opportunity up to those who can’t sing. “I don’t have a great voice, I don’t sing in choirs,” said Melanson. As Kenyon and Davidson explained, singing in choirs can be especially helpful for students. “It takes you away from everything else, any other trouble that you’re carrying around or any stressful things that you’re worried about. You can’t think about that when you’re singing,” said Kenyon.

Davidson said singing is good for your lungs and helps to lower blood pressure. “You learn to breathe and that’s probably de-stressing as well.”

Local computer programmers giving back Words by Ally Buchanan

Civic Tech is a non-profit organization that brings together software developers and computer programmers from cities across Canada to give back to their communities. Tech professionals donate their time and skills to construct websites, apps and other tools for local non-profit organizations. Everything they develop is free and open source to Civic Techs across the country. The Fredericton branch originated in Nov. 2017 following a Code for Canada conference in the city, during which the concept was introduced to the local tech community. They called for champions of the initiative in the area, and from there a small collective of tech professionals and community organizers began. Civic Tech Fredericton has now grown into a prominent community organization, comprising of members from IBM, Bluespurs, GeoNB and the Institute of Research Data and Training, as well as students from NBCC and UNB. Sandi MacKinnon, the organizer and soul of the group, helped found Civic Tech Fredericton and has seen it grow since its inception. She said it is easy to attract new members, and involvement with the team can often offer further opportunities. The branch includes members from all around the world, many of 24

whom have found their place in the community because of it. “You wouldn’t believe how many of these new Canadians found work through here,” she said. MacKinnon said involvement with Civic Tech is very high because the city’s active tech industry wants be involved. “People in our IT community want to give back. But they don’t want to sell tickets, or fundraise,” she said. “They want to use their skills.” Branches have been developed in Saint John, Halifax and Charlottetown, but the Fredericton team remains a leader in the area. Products developed here have been shared with Civic Techs in communities across Canada. “We were the first in Atlantic Canada, and even now we are the go to for the most experience,” MacKinnon said. The first project they launched was the River Watch mobile app, a flood forecasting system that’s the first of its kind. “It is the only provincial government tool that is mobile friendly. And we created that,” MacKinnon said.

Civic Tech Fredericton has grown into a community organization, where software developers and computer programmers construct websites, apps and other tools for local non-profit organizations. Photo by Sandi MacKinnon

The team is currently developing a community service coordination tool called the Caring Calendar. Their next project is expected to be a meal planning tool, in collaboration with the Greener Village Community Food Centre, which will link provided recipes to a grocery database so users can plan and budget their shopping.

basis, and encourages support of an organization that is leading so many positive projects in the community. MacKinnon describes the Civic Tech team as a tight-knit group of friends. “It’s like a club,” she said. “Like a family.”

She said Civic Tech Fredericton welcomes individuals of all experience levels on a voluntary 25

Words by Brad Ackerson

Another busy season of sports at UNB has come to a close and once again there was no shortage of great action and storylines worth following. Here are six Reds student-athletes who captivated us with their play this year while being major contributors towards their team’s success.

Of all of the great stories to come out of the return of the Reds women’s hockey team this year, Kendra Woodland’s emergence as one of the best players in the AUS in her rookie season has to be near the top of the list. The Kamloops, BC native quickly established herself as the backbone of her team during the Reds’ impressive run to a fourth place finish in their conference, while finishing the season ranked first among all goaltenders in the AUS with a .945 save percentage. She was rewarded for her stellar play by being named AUS women’s hockey Rookie of the Year.

Ibrahima Doumbouya enjoyed a breakout season in his second year at UNB. The forward from Calgary, AB established himself as a key presence for his team at both ends of the court, finishing the season leading the AUS conference in total rebounds and ranked sixth in total points scored. For his efforts leading the Reds to a second place finish in the regular season standings, Doumbouya was nominated to the conference’s all-star team.

In what could be his final season at UNB, Chris Clapperton put up his most impressive season yet of what had already been an illustrious career at the U Sports level, notching 14 goals and 33 assists to lead the AUS in total points. His 47 regular season points also placed him second in the country behind only Ryerson’s Matt Mistele, who had 50 points. The veteran Reds star from Cap d’Espoir, QC was named AUS Most Valuable Player and will almost certainly have options to continue his hockey career at the professional level once he is done at UNB.

The Reds women’s volleyball team had an incredible bounceback season after going winless in 2017-18, and Siobhan Fitzpatrick was one of the major reasons why. Although this was her fifth and final year of eligibility at the U Sports level, it was her first year at UNB after the Kelowna, BC native transferred from UBC Okanagan where she played her first four seasons. Fitzpatrick played a key role in the Reds attack while leading the AUS with an impressive 3.44 kills-per-set.

Dan Walker was the top striker on the 3rdranked Reds team this season, notching six goals and six assists in 12 regular season games. His importance to his team may have been most evident during the post-season however, where he was a major force in the Reds’ run to the conference finals. Walker scored the game-winning goal in their quarter final matchup against the University of Moncton while also helping to lead his team’s attack against St.FX in the semis.

Leah Smal put on an incredible show at the February AUS swimming championships in Halifax, sweeping the three womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backstroke events while also taking home a silver medal in the 50 metre freestyle event, even setting UNB record times while threatening AUS records. Smal then followed her AUS championships by representing UNB at nationals where she placed 6th in the 100 metre backstroke, 7th in the 50 metre backstroke and 8th in the 200 metre backstroke. For her efforts, Smal was named UNBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s female athlete of the month for February.

Words by Brad Ackerson Photo by Maria Nazareth Araujo

Each month, we’ll take you back in time with a historic moment from The Brunswickan’s archives.

Jan. 13, 2014, five days after the release of the photographed issue of the Bruns, when 550 faculty members walked off the job citing wages and working conditions.

The UNB professors strike of 2014 stands out as one of the most trying periods in the university’s recent history and was listed by outgoing president Eddy Campbell (page 14) as the worst experience in his professional career.

The two sides reached a tentative agreement to suspend the strike and lockout approximately two weeks later on Jan. 30, with the AUNBT calling the deal a win for professors. The agreement saw the university’s professors receive a 2.5 per cent increase per year for two years.

Although UNB administration and the Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers (AUNBT) had agreed to a truce over the exam period, the threat of a strike loomed large in early Dec., 2013 as professors demanded a 7 per cent increase in salary each year over two years while UNB countered with an increase of 1.5 per cent per year over a four year period.

With the strike in the rearview mirror, Eddy Campbell discussed the issue of rebuilding relationships and trust with faculty after the ‘nasty’ strike that included the faculties of arts, business, science and engineering passed motions of non-confidence in the administration, saying their confidence in university leadership was “shaken.”

With no resolution in sight upon students returning for the winter term, the UNBSU asked students to not pay their tuition until there was a guarantee that classes would continue past the first week. The strike officially began on

“For some there are some bitter feelings left behind and I think we can do a better job of involving the faculty in the allocation of resources at the university and telling them more often what we’re up to.” said Campbell at the time.

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