This column previously appeared in the Telegraph-Journal on October 12th, 2010.

The article was written by FUSION Saint John’s Claire Ryan:

On any given day, were you to walk into my apartment, you would be quick to notice the plastic bag that sits beside the actual garbage can that contains the milk cartons, plastic bags, pizza flyers and other odds and ends that are eligible candidates for the blue bins.

More often than not, this bag near overflows before the end of the week while the actual garbage does not usually exceed more than one small bag.

I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not the prettiest set-up, but it’s an easy way to separate the garbage, and by leaving it in plain view I’m more likely to remember to bring it along anytime I’m headed near a set of blue bins. I’m also happy to announce that since implementing this system, there has been a significant decrease in the size of the garbage bag I put to the curb each week.

Ordinarily my recycling habits are not something I discuss – let alone with all of Saint John – but this week it’s timely.

Next week is Waste Reduction Week (WRW), a national event organized by a coalition of 13 recycling councils and organizations from across Canada, including Recycle New Brunswick. Since 2001, WRW has taken place during the third week of October and targets three audiences – schools, local governments and small to medium-sized businesses.

The number of participants has more than doubled in the last six years. This year, FUSION is joining countless other Canadian municipalities and organizations participating in this waste reduction effort, and encouraging Saint Johners to take a look at their own waste reduction practices.

The program’s goal is to inform Canadians about the environmental and social ramifications of wasteful practices. WRW aims to encourage people to take action and adopt more environmentally conscious choices by providing information and ideas for reducing waste and creating solutions for the environmental challenges facing the planet.

FUSION’s Urban Planning and Economic Development Committee will be collecting tips and suggestions for waste reduction over the next week and will be creating a waste reduction tip sheet that will be available online.

Reducing the amount of waste you create doesn’t need to be complicated or time consuming. Your ideas do not have to be wildly creative to be effective – sometimes is as simple as putting your recycling pile in clear sight so as to remember it’s there.

Waste Reduction Week in Canada takes place Oct. 18-24, 2010. You can share your waste reduction tips and experiences, and be included in FUSION’s waste reduction tip sheet by emailing urbecofusion@gmail.com.

Claire Ryan is on the FUSION Saint John board. Reach her at cryan@mtlpr.ca.

Even though Peel Plaza is going full speed ahead against the wishes of the community, we can continue count on Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase to be the voice of reason on city council.

Over this holiday weekend during the Boil Order, Stephen Chase was working hard to help arrange, pickup, and deliver bottles of safe drinking water to local organizations.

This great story appeared in today’s Telegraph-Journal:

In the end, a logistical hiccup kept it from happening.

But a quick response by Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase to a Nestlé Waters Canada email on Friday advising the city it was a position to supply bottled drinking water to vulnerable Saint John organizations affected by Wednesday night’s boil water order reaped both some short-term and long-term benefits.

Thanks to the generosity of one of Nestlé’s retailers, the local Wal-Mart on the city’s east side, Chase, his wife Cheryl, 13-year-old son Brayden and Ward 3 Coun. Donnie Snook were able to pick up and deliver 600 individual-sized bottles of drinking water to elated staff and volunteers at Romero House early Saturday morning.

Chase said it was important for people to remember that those who are served by organizations like Romero House often live in rooming houses where, even if they wanted to, they don’t have the means to boil their water before drinking it.

“I’m fortunate that I can boil water and can go to the store and buy bottled water,” he said. “These people don’t have that means and they get left behind. It’s so meaningful to have Nestlé Waters Canada recognize that and deliver through the generosity of Wal-Mart, one of their retailers.”

Many thanks to our Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase for his continued dedication to the people in Saint John!

As a Saint John resident and municipal water ratepayer, this latest boil order is exceptionally frustrating!

What really bothers me is that the Mayor (and a majority of council) are going ahead with spending millions of dollars on a new police station and parking garage while I can’t drink my water.

Clean safe drinking water is the number one priory for citizens of Saint John – and although it was listed as a priority of Council when they were first elected, they continue to push Peel Plaza down our throats.

Here is an idea, put an end to Peel Plaza and spend the money on water treatment.  The Provincial and Federal governments will come to the table once we show them that we are serious about water treatment.  Let’s be the ones to make the first move!

Saturday’s Telegraph-Journal also had a good article on the subject:

As upwards of 45,000 ratepayers are forced to boil their tap water this weekend, they’re paying some of the largest bills in the province for their troubles.
The city’s flat rate for water and sewage bills was the third highest in New Brunswick last year, next to Bathurst and New Maryland, according to the most recent provincewide report.

Household rates have been soaring in Saint John and rose to $864 this year, a 136 per cent increase over what it was in 2000. Meanwhile, the city has issued its seventh boil water order since 2008, with the latest one affecting residents living east of Reversing Falls.

Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase said he had received a flurry of phone calls from east side residents who were angry about the order, with one writing in an email: “You guys suck.”

“You know what?” Chase said in an interview Friday. “He is right.”

Bonnie Hoyt, an east side resident, said she wasn’t surprised by the recent boil order, but she wasn’t bothered by it either. She doesn’t drink tap water because she believes it’s not as safe as bottled water.

“The water here is terrible – I can’t even drink it,” Hoyt said outside Wal-Mart on McAllister Drive Friday as she drove a cart with jugs and a case of bottled water to her car. “It just makes you gag.”

Sign up for Emergency Notifications

For anyone who wants to be notified (via email, phone call, text message) when boil orders are issues, sign up for emergency alerts here: https://ecc.sentinelsystems.ca/selfsub/?c=saintjohn

The city no longer sends out any useful notifications from the “My Saint John” account feature on their website.

As reported on Moose Calls, Moosehead is creating a Cask Ale just for the Saint John Ale House:

For us, “Labour of Love” is far more than the smash hit 1983 UB40 album featuring the classic wedding track “Red Red Wine”. Over the past four months, it’s how we’d describe the brewing department’s work in developing Moosehead Cask Ale in partnership with the Saint John Ale House.

The guys had approached us several months ago to produce a new product, triggered by what’s been happening with Cask Conditioned ales in the Northeast US and more traditionally, all over the UK.

Based on a personal love of Cask beers, our buddy Mark in brewing took the reins and created a thing of beauty! You’ve seriously got to try this for yourself – although the video below shows a quit snippet of the pour & the beer settling, it’s truly a sight to behold. We’re launching this beast next week (Oct.14/2010) at Saint John Ale House, so mark it on your calendar! Get there early though – they tap the keg at 5PM and there’s only so many to go around.

Today’s Telegraph-Journal, also features a great article on this:  This beer is by the glass only.

Moosehead also invited me to stop in and give it a try earlier this afternoon!

It was a very good learning experience for me, as I knew nothing about Cask Ale prior to this visit.

What really impressed me though was the amount of manual effort that is put into making each cask.  It really is a labour of love!

Below are a few snapshots from my visit (of the cast and the final product):

Be sure to get to the Saint John Ale House quickly this Thursday as they tap the Cask at 5pm – supplies are limited!

This column previously appeared in the Telegraph-Journal on October 5th, 2010.

The article was written by FUSION Saint John’s Claire Ryan:

This month, FUSION will launch its mentorship pilot project, an initiative that will aim to create links between young adults and individuals who have been successful in creating meaningful living and working opportunities for themselves in the city.

The program will target young adults, and will aim to increase their awareness of the variety of career and volunteer opportunities and prospects that exist for them here in greater Saint John, and help create stronger links to their communities and an enhanced sense of belonging with involvement. It will also be an opportunity for an intergenerational dialogue, which will encourage an increased appreciation of the both the similarities and differences between the generations that exist within the different generations that make up the city’s workforce.

FUSION has been working with the New Brunswick Population Growth Secretariat over the last several months to develop the program. A similar pilot project will also be executed in the Chaleur region by the Synergies Chaleur organization.

Applications will be available at the launch event and a handbook has been developed to help guide participants in getting to know each other and set the parameters for their relationship. Successful applicants will participate in a training session scheduled for late November, which will provide opportunities for the mentors and those they are advising to get together over the course of the six-month program. Otherwise, the project is designed to be largely informal in its structure, and participants will be encouraged to establish their own goals for the program in the hopes that it will foster relationships that continue to live beyond the project’s completion. It is hoped that the mentors and those they are helping will continue to learn from one another and share their experiences living and working in greater Saint John.

Mentorship traditionally sees a person learn from an older, wiser colleague. For the purpose of this program, a mentor is defined as a trusted adviser, willing to share their experience and knowledge, and provide support to those they are advising as they set out in their careers and lives. Mentors will be represented by a variety of professions and volunteer organizations so as to bring a wide range of experiences and expertise to the program.

While there are certainly merits to the traditional mentorship experience, this program will aim to nurture a mutually beneficial relationship for both sides. However, more and more, members of different generations are working side-by-side at work and in the community; the program will give participants to find common ground and learn from each other.

The official launch event for FUSION’s mentorship program will take place Oct. 14 at Happinez wine bar, 42 Princess St. For more information, visit www.fusionsj.com.

Claire Ryan is on the FUSION Saint John board. Reach her at cryan@mtlpr.ca.

PlanSJ will be hosting a “Choices for Growth and Change” open house from 4pm-9pm on October 14th, 2010 at Simond’s High School.

Below are additional details from the PlanSJ website:

Who is invited?

Everyone in the Saint John community is encouraged to attend the PlanSJ Choices for Growth and Change Open House on Thursday, October 14th, 2010 from 4:00pm – 9:00pm in the Simonds High School gymnasium.  The event is family-friendly and children are welcome.

Where is it?

Simonds High School is located at 1490 Hickey Road (insert map) and the gym is wheelchair accessible.
What is the agenda?  The Choices for Growth and Change event will include an Open House from 4:00pm – 6:00pm where everyone is welcome to drop in, view displays and information on the Choices and talk to the PlanSJ team one-on-one.  At 6:00pm, the PlanSJ team will give a presentation to explain the Choices as well as the research and public engagement that went into creating them, and will answers questions from the community.  From 7:00pm – 9:00pm there will be interactive workshop on the Choices. We encourage everyone to stay for this part of the event.

Who is the PlanSJ team?

The PlanSJ team consists of our Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) – 13 citizens who are advising the PlanSJ project team and Common Council on community-based issues during the development of the new Municipal Plan, staff from Urban Strategies an urban planning consultancy based in Toronto and planning staff from the City’s Community Planning Service.

What will we be talking about?  The Choices represent different ways that Saint John could choose to grow, change and develop over the next 25 years.  Our research and feedback from the community clearly shows that our current pattern of growth is not sustainable. We are looking for the community to comment on what they like, dislike, and would like to see changed about the Choices presented at the Open House.  The Choices are essentially areas where growth and change will be targeted in the future, and will be shown on maps and explained in other documents.

Download the PDF invitation for more details!

Join in the conversation on Saint John’s Municipal Plan online using: Twitter (via the hashtag #plansj) or the Facebook Group!

This column previously appeared in the Telegraph-Journal on September 28th, 2010.

The article was written by FUSION Saint John’s Claire Ryan:

This week, the local chapter of Canadian Women in Communications (CWC) will host its first event of the season and will open its doors to greater Saint John women interested in learning more about the organization.

The focus of the event is “A-ha moments” and will be an opportunity to meet women from different sectors of the business community who may not otherwise be brought together to socialize, and learn about moments or people who have inspired them to take a particular course or make a change in their lives.

“What we’ve found is that everyone, women in particular, have lots of calls on their time. We want to give them an opportunity to do something that is interesting, engaging and fun,” says Christina Taylor, chairwoman of CWC’s regional board. “Women are quite often looking for a place to have a voice in an audience that is receptive.”

CWC is a national organization dedicated to the advancement of women in broadcasting and communications through strategic networking, target professional development and meaningful recognition; its members attend events and can participate in educational and professional development opportunities. The Saint John Chapter – formed in 2002 – is the only chapter east of Montreal, and was the first women’s networking group in the city at the time; it has since grown to a dedicated membership of 40, with a distribution list of approximately 200 women in the region and hosts five to six networking events each year.

Though it targets women in the communications and ICT sectors, the Saint John Chapter has broadened its mandate to appeal to women in business, from a variety of sectors, careers and backgrounds. The national organization offers programs and educational opportunities for its members from the ICT sector, but the local events have appeal for most working women looking for networking and professional development opportunities. The idea for the A-ha Power Hour had its foundation in a past CWC event.

“What is an a-ha moment? Something that makes you reflect on what you’re doing and causes you to make a change,” says Taylor. “It could be a big thing, or it could be something that reinforces something you knew all along or made you recognize you’ve veered off course.” Special guest speakers Mary Ann Gallagher, owner of Benjamin Books and Shadow Lawn Inn, community volunteer Victoria Clarke and Louise Steward, Irving Oil Refining Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility will share their own a-ha moments, and books from CWC’s ‘recommended reading’ list will be highlighted.

Aha! Power Hour – CWC’s first networking event of the season, will take place on Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Thandi Restaruant, 33 Canterbury Street.

Claire Ryan is on the FUSION Saint John board. Reach her at cryan@mtlpr.ca

The Progressive Conservatives sent Shawn Graham’s Liberal’s packing last night. It was a historic evening as it marked the first one-term government in New Brunswick history!

The Liberal campaign message was “the future matters”; but, for New Brunswicker’s – so does the past!

Building on an early lead as votes started coming in, the Progressive Conservatives finished with 42 seats to the Liberal’s 13.  The popular vote percentage was nearly 49%!

To make things even better, the Progressive Conservatives swept the Saint John region beating out many former cabinet ministers:

Voters in southwestern New Brunswick have beaten the Liberals black and Tory blue.

The Progressive Conservatives won a clear-cut victory on Monday, taking 11 of the region’s 12 seats, after carrying only five in the previous election. The Grits, meanwhile, were reduced to only one seat, after winning seven in 2006.

The Liberals were seemingly weighed down by too many issues unpopular with Saint John electors. The first measure that drew a collective boo was the Graham government’s flirtation with turning the University of New Brunswick Saint John into a polytechnical institute, which even the popular Doherty couldn’t sell as the minister responsible for higher education.

Then there was the end of early French immersion, which was offered at École Millidgeville School, where many of Saint John’s middle class and elite send their children for a bilingual education.

Perhaps most unpopular of all was the energy deal that would have sold much of NB Power to Hydro-Québec, a tough sell in an area that includes the Point Lepreau and Coleson Cove generating stations. The large employer has many high-paying jobs in the region, and Saint Johners were understandably nervous about what would happen to the bread and butter on many tables if the deal went through, no matter how many dollars they might save on future electricity bills.

My riding, Saint John-Fundy, was no exception.  Our PC candidate, Glen Savoie received an amazing response at the door; but, his opponent, Gary Keating did not:

Saint John-Fundy was up for grabs, with the departure of Liberal Stuart Jamieson, who briefly was shut out of his caucus for voting against the controversial NB Power-Hydro Québec deal.

Liberal Gary Keating lost the riding to Tory Glen Savoie. Keating said he didn’t have a good vibe going door-to-door during the campaign.

“You had an uneasy feeling that they weren’t voting Liberal…but they just wouldn’t tell you that,” Keating said. “They weren’t interested in talking about the Liberals and what they would do.”

Finally, below is a message from our new soon-to-be Premier, David Alward:

First of all, I want to thank you for choosing the Progressive Conservative Party as your next government, and on a more personal note, a special thanks to the people in my riding of Woodstock for returning me as their MLA.

I am humbled at finding myself the Premier-elect. I know the work ahead of our government is daunting, but I am confident we are up to the job, especially with the strong team of Tories that New Brunswickers have elected.

As I expect all New Brunswickers are only too aware, we have some serious fiscal challenges that will have to be faced. During the campaign I promised to get our financial house in order, and this will be a top priority. But it will be tackled responsibility, mindful of the necessary balance between reducing the deficit and maintaining key services. We will waste no time turning our attention to this.

Elections are emotional roller coasters for the candidates and their teams. While I am encouraged at the fine group of quality people that have been elected on our side, I want to offer my congratulations to all winners regardless of political stripe. I want to as well, thank those who ran hard but came up short. I especially feel bad for the Tory candidates who didn’t make it because I know you all gave it your all, and would have made excellent MLAs for your ridings, but that’s the democratic process in action, and part of what makes this country great.

I want to thank Premier Graham for his service to New Brunswick over the past four years. While we differ on style, approach and on many decisions, I have never doubted his commitment to the province, and he deserves the gratitude of all New Brunswickers for that. I want to personally wish him well.

In closing, I want to again say a very sincere thank you. I and my newly elected team will take the evening to relax and catch our collective breaths and for the first time in what seems forever. But then in the morning, the work begins. I’m looking forward to it.

Sincerely,

David

This column previously appeared in the Telegraph-Journal on September 14th, 2010.

The article was written by FUSION Saint John’s Claire Ryan:

Campaign season is in full swing in New Brunswick. There are interesting points of discussion and debate surrounding this election, not the least of which being voter turnout.

In the past two provincial elections, approximately 70 per cent of eligible voters took part. Curious about how people are feeling about voting this year, I conducted some quick research last week, and polled ten friends on the issue. Some are born and bred New Brunswickers, others are working or studying abroad, and a few others found themselves here to pursue school or work. What they all shared in common is that they’re eligible to vote on Sept. 27. My survey asked two questions: “Will you be voting in the upcoming provincial election?” and “Why or why not?”

The good news is that everyone who responded plans to vote; unfortunately, there was a common theme among their reasons for doing so. Some of the comments were as follows:

* I feel it is important for people in our generation to get more involved and to stop complaining.

* If I don’t, then I have no right to complain about whatever political decision has just wronged me. Sadly, I don’t care who wins, I just don’t want the voting (or non-voting population for that matter) to continue to lose.

* So I can commend or criticize about the decisions and actions of my local MLA and the premier with the knowledge that I participated in the election.

While it was not exactly inspirational reading, I found promise in the fact that people recognize the importance of casting their ballot. The consequence of choosing not to vote is that you give up your right to have an opinion on the actions of our government officials and the decisions they make. My hope is that this understanding will ultimately get more New Brunswickers to participate in the election process this time around.

As is the case with most things, the decision to take the time to mark an educated “X” has to come from within, even if the motivation stems from dissatisfaction. Apathy is as big a threat to our future as anything that may happen in the legislature. To vote is to make a contribution, however small, to the province’s future; conversely, apathy is the same as saying you just don’t care.

Engaging in an election does not require you to be glued to the news or be on top of every opinion poll. Technology, the Internet in particular, is making it easier for candidates to reach out to voters, and vice versa – you are only one Google search away from a wealth of election information. Most of the candidates have Facebook profiles and the major parties have their own YouTube channels, so information on where a party or candidate stands on a particular issue is not hard to find. I’ve kept up with this election via Twitter. It’s 2010 – there is no reason why we can’t all cast educated votes.

Claire Ryan is on the FUSION Saint John board. Reach her at cryan@mtlpr.ca.

This column previously appeared in the Telegraph-Journal on September 7th, 2010.

The article was written by FUSION Saint John’s Claire Ryan:

As part of Small Business Week 2010, the Saint John Board of Trade is bringing in one of the world’s top business leadership experts for a rare public presentation. Robin Sharma, author of 11 best-selling books, including The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and Life, will be in the city for a public speaking engagement.

He is one of the most widely read authors in the world, his work has been published in more than 60 countries and nearly 75 languages, and he has worked with some of the world’s biggest corporations including Nike, FedEx, General Electric and Microsoft. His talk, Lead Without a Title – The New Way to Win in Business, is based on his most recent book – one of the best-sellers on the business book list today – and will focus on employee leadership at all levels in an organization.

Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.” For many young people in the workforce, being a leader is something we aspire to, rather than how we see ourselves now. We are able to start learning and thinking about these things from the outset of our careers, which puts us in a unique position, since the field of business leadership is one that did not really exist for past generations to the extent it does now. Some of the tips found online in Robin Sharma’s 73 Best Business and Success Lessons blog post include: Leadership is no longer about position – but passion. It’s no longer about image but impact and “lucky is where skill meets persistence.” The ideas are not necessarily new, but it is always helpful to be reminded to reflect on the way we conduct ourselves at work and in the community, and seek opportunities for self improvement.

Having read – and learned from – authors such as Sharma since joining the working world, I think there is a lot of value in the business leadership genre, especially for those of us just starting out in our careers. Many of the lessons and tools are really applicable to all areas of life, whether you work in business or not.

Regardless of the organization in which you work, or the position you hold within it, there are important lessons to be found in the world of business leadership. Many of the world’s business leaders are considered role models not just because they achieved wealth or success, but because they did it in a unique or inspiring way.

The Saint John Board of Trade will present Sharma for a breakfast event on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre. The event will begin at 8 a.m. with registration and networking, followed by Sharma’s presentation. Early bird tickets, available until Oct. 1, are $149 for members of the board of trade, and $199 for non-members. Tickets will be $199 for members and $249 for non-members from Oct. 1 until the event.

Claire Ryan is on the FUSION Saint John board. Reach her at cryan@mtlpr.ca.