Saturday, February 26, 2011

AQUACULTURE: Farmed salmon harvest hits decade high in Maine

By Clarke Canfield
Associated Press / February 26, 2011

PORTLAND, Maine—Maine salmon farmers had their most abundant harvest in a decade in 2010, marking the continued rebound of the state's finfish aquaculture industry.

More than 24.5 million pounds of salmon valued at $76.8 million were harvested from pens in ocean waters off eastern Maine, making it the second most-valuable seafood in the state behind lobster, according to the Department of Marine Resources. It was the highest output since 2001 and is nearly triple the harvest of four years ago, when Maine's salmon farming industry was reeling.

ECONOMY: CTV news report on St. Andrews-by-the-sea lightly researched and misleading.



I've worked in and around St. Andrews for over 50 years. In this border community, the economy has always been on a roller coaster based on events in the US and elsewhere. Road construction, US economics, elections ... all of these things influence the visitors. As for house sales, this is nothing new ... real estate is a "commodity" in St. Andrews and many folks take a shot at selling every year.

The issue is the Algonquin and the Golf Course ... what is the future for this Provincial asset under the new Tory government?

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TOURISM: Contact Smudge at Fairmont Algonquin Hotel

With Reach like this (Malayia), the Fairmont Algonquin Hotel is more than just a classy place to stay. It functions as an icon that leads people to New Brunswick and St. Andrews-by-the-Sea.

Smudge? He's the dog-in-residence. You can email him/her(?) at: smudge.algonquin@fairmont.com

Art

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Golden Labrador Toby 2007Image via WikipediaFairmont goes to the dogs!
By KEE HUA CHEE

Some hotels allow you to bring your own dog but only select Fairmont hotels have resident dogs for guests to walk.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a five-star chain of hotels, has its own inhouse canine brigade. Guests who miss their dogs when they are on holiday can take these Fairmont dogs for walks.

The Fairmonts with Canine Ambassadors have a Canine Concierge who keeps an appointment book for hotel guests to book the dogs on a first come-first served basis. Each guest is allowed to walk the dog for a maximum of two hours and four walks are scheduled each day. The adorable creatures will enjoy a much needed siesta after every two walks. All have been trained to be people tolerant and many are former guide dogs for the blind so they are accustomed to walking through busy streets.
Jordy at Fairmont Richelieu

The Fairmont Waterfront Vancouver was the first in the chain to introduce a K9 ambassador when some guests half jokingly suggested the hotel should have a battalion of resident dogs since many guests were happy to walk them on the waterfront. That was back in 2002 when the hotel took up the challenge by bringing in Morgan, a black Labrador who is now enjoying his dog days in happy retirement. It was such a success with a dramatic increase of room nights that other Fairmonts have followed.



Almost all of Fairmonts’ Canine Ambassadors are large dogs like Labradors or Retrievers. For a sense of comfort and security, it is better to have big dogs as your companion while exploring a foreign city.

At Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club in Kenya, Golden Retrievers Volga and Ducia stay in the courtyard so guests can take them for walks over 40ha of the resort’s property.

Catie, a black Labrador originally trained as a guide dog with the Guide Dogs Foundation for the Blind in New York, changed careers to become a Canine Ambassador for the swanky Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. Now affectionately called Catie Copley, she spends an hour each day with children at the Boston Public Library and is especially good with hotel guests who are ailing.
Santol at Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Montreal.

Catie Copley is the star character in two children’s books, the second of which includes her colleague Santol, a Canine Ambassador from Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac the palatial hotel in Montreal, Canada. The first book Catie Copley was a best-seller when it appeared in 2007 and now Catie Copley’s Great Escape follows the adventure of Catie Copley as she takes her first trip outside the United States to visit Santol in Quebec!

Smudge the golden Labrador at Fairmont Algonquin New Brunswick, Canada, welcomes guests in the lobby by furiously wagging her tail. Marcus of Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies is particularly good at playing fetch. Many play prominent roles as the community’s liaison officer and are called upon during official events just to sit and look glamorous. Each guest is taught the commands the dog knows. However, you are not allowed to bring the dog to your room for sleepovers!

You can also keep in touch with your doggie acquaintances through what Fairmont artfully calls “Ani-MAIL”!

These pooches have their own e-mails, eg mavisthedog@fairmont.com,catie.copley@fairmont.com, beauthedog@fairmont.com,smudge.algonquin@fairmont.com or lcf.santol@fairmont.com! Catie, Santol and Sonny even have their own Facebook pages; can you believe it?

This may be seen as an extra-canine affair so don’t ever let your own dog know you are keeping in touch with his or her rival for your affection!






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TOURISM: Americans bypassing southwest N.B.: officials

Tourism and economic development officials say it's no surprise the Algonquin Hotel in St. Andrews is losing money because too many American tourists are bypassing the region.

The provincial government lost nearly $2 million on the hotel and the nearby golf course in 2009 and this week Tourism Minister Trevor Holder announced Fairmont will no longer manage the property.

Michael Rouse, the executive director of Enterprise Charlotte, said there should be a visitor information centre along the four-lane highway to direct American tourists to the town.

'It's our belief that we need an appropriate gateway to represent the province properly.'— Andreas Haun, Charlotte Coastal Regional Tourism Assoc.

"To not have a tourism information centre that can let people know they're passing through, you know the number one resort community in Atlantic Canada, you're missing an opportunity," Rouse said.

The region lost its highway visitor information centre a couple of years ago when the new highway went in and has been lobbying the provincial government for a new one ever since.

Andreas Haun, the general manager of Kingsbrae Gardens and a member of the Charlotte Coastal Regional Tourism Association, said the entire province would benefit from a new, highway-accessible centre in St. Stephen.

"It's our belief that we need an appropriate gateway to represent the province properly," Haun said.

"With so much traffic on that bridge, it is crucial we have an appropriate visitor's centre there."

Haun said pamphlets on a shelf aren't enough anymore.
Bright future

When Holder announced the Algonquin would no longer be managed by Fairmont, he said he saw a bright future for the Tudor-style hotel that first opened in 1889.

The tourism minister said the number of American tourists is up 10 per cent over the past year.

"That tells me there's a market for selling New Brunswick around the world and throughout the United States and it tells me that a world-class iconic facility like St. Andrews Algonquin is still needed," he said.

The hotel needs up to $20 million in upgrades and together with the Algonquin golf course lost almost $2 million in 2009.

It also employs 250 people in peak season and generates up to $6 million a year for the local economy.

The provincial government leased the Algonquin hotel in 1973 and bought it in 1984.

During pre-budget talks, the provincial government suggested that selling it could be a way to help tackle the deficit.

Media Credit: Art MacKay
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WETLAND: NB Wetland Interests collide.

The New Brunswick Wetland Conservation Policy has been guiding wetland protection since 2002. This past January, the Department of Environment released the operational guidelines that outline how this policy is implemented. As part of the guidelines, a predictive mapping tool has been created. Immediately after this map was released by the DENV, there was pushback by municipalities and developers, claiming that a "new" wetland policy is stifling development across the province. In response to this outcry, the Minister of Environment, Margaret-Ann Blaney, announced a round of public meetings on the topic of wetlands. NatureNB 
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Salt marshImage by WarriorMare via Flickr


Environment minister to engage New Brunswickers on the topic of wetlands11 February 2011

FREDERICTON (CNB) – Environment Minister Margaret-Ann Blaney will participate in public meetings across the province to engage New Brunswickers on the topic of wetlands.


"Wetlands continue to be a topic of discussion in our province and are of particular interest to developers and environmental groups," said Blaney. "This tour will give the government the opportunity to communicate with New Brunswickers and to hear their concerns and comments about wetlands in our province."

The meetings will be held between Feb. 28 and March 10 in Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Miramichi, Tracadie-Sheila, Campbellton, Edmundston, Grand Falls and Woodstock.

"I encourage New Brunswickers interested in the issue of wetlands to participate in these meetings," said Blaney. "I also invite individuals interested to visit the Department of Environment's website for information about what wetlands are, the benefits they provide to our province and the regulations that government has in place to protect them."

The public is also invited to send comments by way of e-mail, env-info@gnb.ca.

The following meetings are scheduled:

Saint John
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.,
Monday, Feb. 28,
Lily Lake Pavilion, Wallace-MacMurry Room,
55 Lake Dr. S.

Moncton (Dieppe)
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday, Feb. 28,
Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, Dieppe campus, auditorium,
505 du Collège St.

Miramichi
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.,
Tuesday, March 1
Rodd Miramichi River Hotel, Cains Room
1809 Water St.

Tracadie-Sheila
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,
Wednesday, March 2,
Town hall,
3620 Principale St.

Campbellton
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.,
Wednesday, March 2,
Campbellton Civic Centre, Banquet Room,
44 Salmon Blvd.

Edmundston
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.,
Thursday, March 3,
Université de Moncton, Edmundston campus, Amphithéâtre Louis-A.-Lebel,
165 Hébert Blvd.

Grand Falls
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.,
Thursday, March 3,
Town hall,
131 Pleasant St., Suite 200

Fredericton
10 a.m. to noon,
Friday, March 4,
Killarney Lake Lodge, Rotary Room,
1600 St. Mary's St.

Woodstock
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.,
Thursday, March 10,
Royal Canadian Legion,
109 Carleton St.

LINK:● Department of Environment: www.gnb.ca/environment

More information on the sessions: www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/news/news_release.2011.02.0147.html The new guidelines and maps can be found at http://www.gnb.ca/0009/Wetlands/index-e.asp More information is also available at www.nben.ca/

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

TOURISM: Algonquin hotel to remain open: minister

Posted: Feb 23, 2011 1:08 PM AT 

Last Updated: Feb 23, 2011 7:30 PM AT 

The Tudor-style hotel originally opened in 1889. (Fairmont.com)The Tudor-style hotel originally opened in 1889. (Fairmont.com)
Tourism Minister Trevor Holder is reassuring people in St. Andrews that the Algonquin Hotel will remain in operation.
The New Brunswick government says the Fairmont hotel chain has decided not to renew its contract to manage the historic Algonquin Hotel and golf resort in St. Andrews.
Holder said Wednesday the contract with Fairmont Raffles Hotels International expires Dec. 31.
Holder said the province will now find a professional real estate firm that specializes in marketing, selling and leasing resorts to look at all options for the Algonquin's future.
"By investigating these options we have a single objective, to ensure that the Algonquin will remain what it is, an icon for St. Andrews and the province of New Brunswick."
The hotel needs up to $20 million in upgrades and together with the Algonquin golf course lost almost $2 million in 2009.
It also employs 250 people in peak season and generates up to $6 million a year for the local economy.
The province leased the Tudor-style hotel in 1973 and bought it in 1984. It originally opened in 1889.
During pre-budget talks, the government suggested that selling it could be a way to help tackle the deficit.
The hotel's website says the guest list has included Sir John A. Macdonald, Theodore Roosevelt and Princess Diana.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

NUCLEAR WASTE: So the media is deciding that it's okay to dump nuclear wastes in New Brunswick!

Well here we go again. Now it's the Federal Government who thinks its okay to locate nuclear waste dumps in NB because our media is supportive! So whatever happened to the plan for the Canadian Shield ... better geology, no population?

Art

*******************Capsule for nuclear waste.Image via Wikipedia

NB: Fed document suggests Sask., N.B. most receptive sites for nuclear waste dump
The Canadian Press - February 20, 2011

[MONTREAL, QE] - The federal government is paying close attention to public opinion in the ongoing search for a nuclear waste site - and it detects some favourable signs in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) kicked off a process last spring to find a community willing to host an underground complex that would serve as a storage dump for all the country's nuclear waste.

Though the selection process could take as long as a decade, federal officials at Natural Resources Canada reviewed the initial phase of the process several months ago.

Obtained by The Canadian Press through Access to Information laws, the document summarizes public opinion in the four provinces that have nuclear-related industries and are the most likely sites of the underground repository.

The document noted that the Ontario government had yet to speak publicly about the selection process. It detected more vocal opposition in Quebec.

“In Quebec, the National Assembly adopted a motion on October 30, 2008, banning the storage in Quebec of nuclear waste that comes from other provinces,'' it said. “There is also public resistance to siting such a facility anywhere in (Quebec).''

But the report cited a more receptive climate for the multibillion-dollar project in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.

The document said, with respect to New Brunswick: “Media reports have been largely supportive of the NWMO's proposed siting process and little public resistance to the NWMO's process has been encountered.''

It went on to say of Saskatchewan: “The Government of Saskatchewan issued a (2009) news release saying it was reserving decision on supporting Saskatchewan communities interested in hosting a waste management facility. Media reports and public comments, however, have been generally supportive.''

The NWMO, a non-profit group mandated by Ottawa to come up with long-term solutions for the country's nuclear waste, wants to build an underground mausoleum for millions of spent radioactive bundles that power nuclear plants in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario.

Though Sasketchewan doesn't have a nuclear power plant itself, it is also being considered as a potential location because of its large uranium industry.

The NWMO says seven communities across the country have formally expressed interest in hosting the underground repository: Creighton, English River First Nation and Pinehouse in Saskatchewan, and Ear Falls, Ignace, Schreiber and Hornepayne in Ontario.

But these communities have only just reached the second stage of a nine-step process that will ultimately decide the repository's location. At this point, they are entitled to receive information about what the project entails and are then vetted for suitability.

NWMO officials stress that communities can drop out of the process whenever they like.

“We've got to take the time to do it right,'' said Mike Krizanc, communications manager at the NWMO.

“It is a decision that will be taken many years from now. Nothing is imminent.''

Wherever the repository is ultimately built, it is sure to transform the local economy.

The construction phase alone could bring as many as 1,000 jobs to the rural, sparsely populated communities that have expressed an interest so far.

“There would be a huge impact on a smaller community,'' Krizanc said. “There are going to be social issues that have to be addressed.''

But before moving forward, officials will check the suitability of communities against criteria that could rule them out - including the presence of groundwater, fault lines or natural resources.

Studies in the past have cited the Canadian Shield as the ideal type of geological formation for housing a nuclear store.

Krizanc also acknowledged that a community wouldn't be chosen without the support of its provincial government.

He said the siting process was designed to incorporate as much input as possible from a wide variety of sources. This includes towns through which nuclear waste would pass on its way to the repository, and aboriginal groups whose treaties may be affected by the repository's construction.

“While the host community has an absolute veto, the question becomes how much say do other stakeholders have, and at what point do they have it,'' Krizanc said.

The decision to build a centralized storage site for Canada's nuclear waste was made by the federal government in 2007. Estimates put the price tag from $16 billion to $24 billion over the life of the facility, which could last 100 years.

Construction will be financed by a trust fund, currently worth $2 billion, which Canada's nuclear energy providers have been paying into since 2002.

Waste from the country's nuclear facilities is now being stored at seven separate sites.

Krizanc says it makes sense to store the waste - which amounts to two million highly radioactive bundles - at a single site.

Not only does it make monitoring easier and more secure, it also allows for the bundles to be retrieved if scientists in the future find ways to tap their residual energy.

But Krizanc adds that it is an ethical concern above all that drives the desire to streamline Canada's nuclear waste management.

“This generation has to take responsibility for the waste it produces,'' he said.






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