Category: New Brunswick

The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick has announced a new statistics search platform to help residents quickly and easily find historical records on their own.

The Finance and Treasury Board’s Office of the Chief Information Officer is responsible for the archives.

Finance and Treasury Board Minister René Legacy says the platform launch is a step to modernizing public services through digital solutions to improve how people access government records.

“New Brunswickers expect government services to be accessible, efficient and easy to use,” he says in a provincial news release on Wednesday.

Recent changes to the Citizenship Act have resulted in a surge in requests for historical records from people outside of Canada seeking documentation to support citizenship applications.

The province says the platform will help respond to this increased demand.

The platform will soon allow for online payments, too.

“More than one million historical vital statistics records are now available online, including birth records more than 95 years old and marriage and death records more than 50 years old,” reads the release.

The province says access to historical photographs has expanded from about 2,200 to more than 150,000 in less than a year.

“The archives continues to preserve New Brunswick’s documentary heritage while improving public access to historical records,” says provincial archivist Joanna Aiton Kerr.

“The new platform builds on decades of innovation by providing enhanced digital tools that make it easier for New Brunswickers, researchers and families to find and access the records they need.”

Source: CTV News

For a year and a half now, the Chatham Public Library has been operating out of a former Tim Hortons storefront in downtown Chatham, with just a third of the space it once had.

The reduced size means a reduction in the on-site collection from more than 24,000 items down to about 8,000, and the conversion of one of two bathrooms to a storage closet.

Continue reading “New Brunswick: Miramichi reopens talks on how to replace library operating in former Tim Hortons” →

The Sackville Public Library is too small, and local leaders are looking to fix that with a bigger, better space to serve a growing local population.

The current library is “a far cry” from the 8,200 square feet recommended by the provincial library service, said board chair Merrill Fullerton.

With the basement of the library only accessible by stairs, that leaves the main floor of the small building to host the library’s books, public computer workstations, circulation desk and programming areas.

“We’re only talking about usable space of about 2,600 [square feet],” Fullerton said, “so we’re a fraction of where we should be.”

Continue reading “New Brunswick: Sackville library looks toward a future in a bigger, more accessible space” →

The board of trustees for Saint John’s public libraries is calling for more security after its branches have seen an increase in safety-related incidents which have, in some cases, left staff afraid to be at work.

“That’s the hard part because we are a community area where people come to either read or take part in some of our programs,” said Johanne McInnis, who chairs of the board.

“We should be a safe environment for our patrons as well as our staff.”

Continue reading “New Brunswick: Saint John libraries board seeks extra security as safety incidents spike” →

New Brunswickers can now access free radon test kits at libraries across the province.

The provincial government is partnering with the New Brunswick Research and Productivity Council and NB Lung to provide the free kits, which include a 90-day test and information about radon gas.

The province says radon tests should be conducted during the colder months, when people typically keep their windows and doors closed.

The New Brunswick Research and Productivity Council will analyze the tests and provide the results.

“Our team of radon-certified scientists have been working hard over many years to ensure that families across New Brunswick have access to reliable, accurate radon testing,” said Diane Botelho, the council’s CEO and executive director, in a news release. “We don’t just test; we educate, guide and feel the duty to help protect our communities.”

According to the province, one-in-four New Brunswick homes have high radon levels, with radon exposure being the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada.

“With this program, New Brunswick is poised to be a leader in preventing preventable lung cancer as the first province to implement free access to testing,” said NB Lung president and CEO Melanie Langille. “High radon in a home is fixable, but you must test to know if your radon is high.”

According to Health Canada, radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally when the uranium in soil and rock breaks down. It is invisible, odourless and tasteless. High radon levels in homes can have a negative impact on a person’s health.

Source: CTV New Brunswick

Nearly 100 library workers across three school districts in New Brunswick are once again fighting for their jobs.

Layoff notices went out Friday, just before the Thanksgiving weekend.

It’s the latest move in a months-long battle between the provincial government and the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

“I guess they want to go and fight this out for a third time,” said Theresa McAllister, president of Local 2745 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Continue reading “New Brunswick: Library workers issued notice of layoffs – again – a month into new school year” →