After a number of years without a club, ATVers in Grand Bay-Westfield have a new organization to represent their interests. The Grand Bay-Westfield ATV Riders with 40 members has just been accepted into the New Brunswick ATV Federation.

Donald St-Pierre of the Musquash Club and a Region 6 Director of the ATV Federation

At a meeting at the Centrum on January 28th, Donald St-Pierre of the Musquash Club and a Region 6 Director of the ATV Federation, told about 35 people in attendance if they don’t organize a club of their own they’re going to be left behind in terms of trail access. He says every region is working on trails right now and they need a trail link between Musquash and Grand Bay-Westfield. Last year the Musquash Club built a bridge over Henderson Lake Brook. St-Pierre says everybody is using that bridge and because of it, they’ve created interest in a local club here.

The town used to have the largest ATV Club in the region but some of the key members lost interest and the club went defunct. St-Pierre says it’s great to see this renewed interest and he expects by the summer the club should grow to about 60 members.

St-Pierre says the key is to have a managed trail system that you control and he says they can work with all groups and want everybody to have access to it including walkers and bicycles. “We have to be responsible now. There’s no room in our oganization for these clowns anymore,” says St-Pierre. “We have to be responsible and maintain these trails. I think we can share with snowmobile clubs and others.”

Right now there are no managed ATV trails in the immediate area but the club has plans to develop a connector route around region six from Grand Bay-Westfield to Musquash and St. George.

January 25, 2010

The mayor was away and the meeting was chaired by Deputy Mayor Tammy Archer. The River Valley Senior Citizens Club presented the town with a donation of $500 for use of the Community Centrum for meetings. This donation is made every year.

Councilor Brenda Murphy explained how expropriation procedures have started to allow the town to move forward with Colonel Nase Boulevard, the new core collector road. This action is being directed toward two landowners who have yet to reach an agreement with the town. Murphy says once the expropriation notice is in the public domain they are allowed to be on that land. She says they need to be able to get on the land and do some clearing before birds begin nesting. Murphy says property owners will be compensated at market value for their land.

Council approved the payment of bills totaling $326,280.33.

February 8, 2010

Mayor Grace Losier and several councillors walked a few laps around the Centrum prior to the start of council to recognize Grand Bay-Westfield as an official In-Motion Community.

Corporal Rob Landry of the RCMP presented council with the crime statistics for January. Landry says the police are keeping a closer eye on traffic in town. 82 traffic warnings were issued and 34 tickets given out. In the rural area there were 26 tickets issued and 26 traffic warnings given. Landry says there were three traffic accidents within the town in January and all were attributed to driver error. In the surrounding rural area there were 15 collisions reported. January was fairly quiet in terms of other policing issues. There was just one report of a break and enter in both town and the rural area as well as a single case in each zone of impaired driving.

Council was advised the new chair of the Planning Advisory Committee is Ralph Stevens and the vice-chair is Linda Estabrooks.

The town received thank you letters from the River Valley Baseball Association for the new batting cages and from Westfield Scouting for attending their 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Council accepted the tender from Matt Harris & Sons Ltd. of just over $24,000 for site clearing for Colonel Nase Boulevard. Council also approved two new building lots on Country Club Drive. Mayor Losier says the 2 acres in question, owned by Joanne Kelly, was home to an incredible garden that was often on the garden tour and a regular stop for the Communities in Bloom judges.

Council approved the payment of bills totaling $279,693.13.

THE ROUND-UP by Murray Gault

My son Jim was about four years old when Raymond Francis sold me the little calf which we named “Henrietta”. He told me it was a pure Hereford and the markings would lead you to believe this was true. I wanted a Hereford so I wouldn’t have to milk it when it got older, but as it grew the genes of what appeared to be a Jersey started to show themselves in its posture and in her hooves which were starting to point outwards instead of straight ahead. However we kept her anyway and she and Jim got along famously. When she first came, I tethered her out in the yard on some grass, but she didn’t eat. It was a hot day in the spring and Bentley King, who lived directly across the road called me on the telephone to tell me that I had better put Henrietta in her stall. I immediately thought of a cougar or a bobcat threatening her but he said she would get sunburned out in the hot sun without her coat being very thick yet. He also said that he thought she wasn’t weaned yet which was why she had not eaten the grass. I bought some feed for calves and took some milk out to her. I then dipped my hand in the milk and then in the feed and let her suck my fingers and hand. I did this for a week or so until she got the idea to eat it herself. It was easier to raise the two kids than to raise Henrietta. One day Jim came running into his mother crying. She asked him what was wrong and he said that Henrietta had butted him and knocked him down. Hilda asked him what he had done to her. “I was only trying to nail a board on her,” was his reply. We had a great laugh about that when I got home from the store.

Later that summer, Ron Barry drove in the yard with his truck which had two cows on it. Ron made his living by buying and selling livestock so he was here to sell me the two animals. They were fully grown but not very old and like Raymond Francis, he told me they were pure bred Herefords. Because they were fully grown, you could tell that they were definitely Herefords. Besides I had great respect for Ron Barry and trusted his judgement. I bought the two heifers. Ron said that he thought they were old enough and ready for breeding, so I made arrangements with Charlie Francis who had a farm on Darlings Island with a pure bred Hereford bull. Both Raymond and Charlie were brothers of Marshall Francis who was my partner in the Hardware store. All three heifers spent the winter in the big barn and I dug a hole in the comer or the pasture which filled with water so they could get it whenever they wanted it as I had taken the door off their end of the barn.

When spring arrived, I could see that there was not enough pasture to feed the three animals all summer and still have enough left for their hay next winter. I had been told that some people turned their stock out on the Nerepis marsh (the high ground part) just across the river from my place. I felt that this was the answer so I put a rope around each of their necks and walked them down the driveway, down the road and down the lane by Bentley’s boathouse. He was with me so I wasn’t trespassing. We got them to the river and proceeded to push them in with some help from switches. They would go in the water, swim away from us, then turn around and swim back to the same side they had just left. There seemed to be only one solution, so I took off all my clothes except my shorts, took an end of each rope and swam across to the other side. Then Bentley pushed the cows in the river again, one by one, and I pulled them over when they tried to turn around. They got up on the shore quite easily and took off into the bushes and disappeared. During the summer I only visited about four times, hoping that their calves had been born and that they were O.K. They were getting pretty wild but I saw they were fine and I got a glimpse of one calf which hid when I appeared and I hoped that there were two. While they were over there, we cut the hay with the little International Cub tractor and Ed Vallis came with his baler and we baled the hay and stored it in the barn hayloft. Over on the Nerepis interval, Bob Yeomans was busy building the new Sunset Valley summer cottages not far from where the cows roamed and sometimes got in their way. There were several more than my three over there.

Autumn was fast approaching and it was time to bring the cows and calves home. I didn’t feel it was wise to swim them back due to the new arrivals, so I called Ron Barry again and we decided to truck them home. This was easier said than done as the cows were quite wild by now and the calves had not been around any humans before. We called it a round-up as we had to chase them like the old cowboys out west, only we didn’t have any horses. It took several hours and I honed my lasso skills as we had to get a rope on them to get them on the truck. When we caught Henrietta, I could see that she was pregnant. There must have been a bull pastured over there as well as several other cows. It was in the early spring when her calf was born on a mild and icy day. She was on her way to the water hole, it was very slippery and she lost her footing, one leg going left and the other right. Her calf started to come but was only half out when I arrived with help from the Hogan boys, Jim and Danny. We assisted Henrietta with the birth and I was surprised to see that the calf was in a bag that looked like plastic. Henrietta used her teeth and opened the bag and the calf immediately tried to stand up. I picked it up and started for the barn and Henrietta got up and followed. I took them to a separate part of the barn and made a comfortable bed for them and brought feed and water for the mother. Hilda, Jim and Sandra all came to see the baby which was now standing and feeding off his mother. All three calves were bulls which I found disappointing so I had to make a decision whether to keep them or not. I chose not and sold them to Joe Oliver for a rifle, a rowboat and $800. I wasn’t a very good businessman or farmer, for that matter.

A day of sledding ended suddenly on the afternoon of Jan. 23, when this snowmobile burst into flames on Round Lake. As far as we know, no one was injured in this incident. The black smoke could be seen for quite a distance and the sound of the exploding gas tank reverberated around the lake. Snowmobilers kicked snow on the burning sled, trying to douse the flames. The intense heat from the fire created a pool of water under the machine. Once the fire died down, the smoking remains of the sled were dragged off the lake. Snowmobilers on the scene say the fire resulted from heat produced by running the sled with the emergency brake on. (Photos courtesy Ed Tracy)

Cpl, Rob Landry

Corporal Rob Landry presented council with the RCMP statistics for the month of December. Landry told council that nothing really stands out and again this month there were lower numbers for traffic tickets. He explained that mischief calls were up slightly from the same month last year. Landry told council that mischief can be anything from causing damage to complaints of a loud party. When things get out of hand, he says the police use the criminal code to resolve issues. In December in GBW there were 49 traffic warnings issued and 20 tickets handed out. In the rural area, 43 traffic warnings were given and 13 tickets written. Vehicle collisions reported in the area outside of town was high at 19 compared to only 3 collisions within Grand Bay-Westfield.

Mayor Losier told council the value of new housing starts in the community was up in 2009 over the previous year, despite a slow start. It was 2.7 million dollars compared to 2.5 million in 2008.

Council reminded pet owners that it’s time to pick up a new 2010 licence for your dog. Sewerage bills for the year will be sent out in the latter part of January.

Council agreed to pay 2010 membership dues of $722.63 to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Mayor Losier reminded council that as a result of lobbying by the FCM the town should receive GST rebates and Gas Tax refunds of almost $445,000 this year.

The town agreed to donate its free day at Harbour Station this year to the 2010 Francophonie Games being held at Harbour Station in June.

Bills totalling $354,512.94 were paid.

For the first time, Grand Bay-Westfield will join with other Greater Saint John Area Communities for Winterfest. On Sunday, February 21, the town will host a number of outdoor and indoor events. The schedule is still tentative but plans include a free public skate at the River Valley Community Centre, a demonstration of snowshoeing and x-c skiing at the River Centre, indoor walking, an outdoor family snowball game and entertainment for the kids. Keep an eye on our website at rivervalleynews.ca for all the details when they become available.

Combining Maritimers’ love for the great outdoors and a great beer has turned into a record-breaking marketing campaign for Moosehead Breweries Limited.

Knowing Alpine Lager has a loyal following among hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, Moosehead rolled out a promotion featuring Alpine’s 12-can pack – both the cans and the carton – decked out in a camouflage print. The company coupled the “camo” design with a chance for consumers to win a 2009 Yamaha all-terrain vehicle. The campaign made Alpine’s 12-pack the number one selling beer package in New Brunswick in September.

“Our Maritime customers love the outdoors. The camouflage design and the chance to win an ATV hit home with a lot of people,” says Sarah Tippett, Assistant Brand Manager for Alpine.

Called the “Tear It Open and Win” promotion, each 12-pack carton contained a code that customers texted via cell phone to enter the contest for the ATV. A total of 25,444 entries came in from 163,000 cartons sold, which is a 16 per cent participation rate.

“Those are overwhelming numbers. The industry standard for this type of contest is 5 per cent,” says Tippett.

Curtis Dykeman, 19, of Grand Bay-Westfield, N.B. won the 2009 Yamaha Grizzly 550 FI all-terrain vehicle. Tippett says the company is considering launching similar “camo can” promotions in the future.

In photo, from left, Jim Hanley, McLean Power Sports; Melissa Robinson, Moosehead Breweries; Alpine ATV winner Curtis Dykeman of Grand Bay Westfield.

Moosehead, one of Canada’s most celebrated brewers, traces its roots to 1867 and today is the only Canadian-owned major brewery. The Saint John-based company is owned and managed by New Brunswick’s Oland family, whose members represent the fifth and sixth generation to operate the business. Moosehead sells its beer throughout Canada, the United States and 15 other countries around the world.

A & W – Angus & Winnie

Those of us who travelled on the commuter train to high school or work became a close knit group. Everyone got to know everyone else. In 1948-49, I was in my last year of high school when I became aware of a new presence among the high school crowd, a girl that I had never seen before. She was blonde and beautiful and I could feel palpitations in my chest so loud I felt everyone could hear them. Her name was Winnie Gorham and she lived at Crystal Beach, so she had to cross on the ferry and walk to Westfield Beach station to get on the train. It was also quite a walk from Crystal Beach to the ferry. It’s strange how one’s voice and movements freeze when they encounter a person of the opposite sex who they are attracted to. However, Winnie made it easy for me and I soon relaxed when in her company. We started dating and I spent a lot of evenings at the Gorham home at Crystal, quite often watching wrestling on the telly.

Mrs. Gorham was always very nice to me and brought tea and sweets and talked about life in general. Sometimes Winnie and I would stay in town after school and go to the show, coming home later on the bus. One of her sisters (Elsie I think) sometimes went with us. One of our first dates was to be a drive in my father’s car on a Sunday afternoon. I drove to the ferry but found that it had been unable to cross as the ice was running heavily. I was very disappointed and went to Ivan Kierstead’s store and looked out the window to see if it might eventually come. I waited quite a long time but it didn’t appear. Then,miraculously who should come walking up the road from the ferry landing but Winnie! She had come with some others in a rowboat.

Winnie’s father was Arthur Gorham who was one of the ferry operators and a fine man. He brought his car from his house every day and left it by the ferry landing, just out of sight of the ferry. The ferry didn’t run all night at that time, closing at 11 or 12 PM (I forget which) and the operator left at the appointed hour and went home. If there was an emergency, Bill and Edison Thompson lived very near and would be awakened to look after it as they were both operators. Art Gorham got used to me coming and going to court his daughter, walking the half mile or so to and from Crystal Beach. One evening he took pity on me and told me to use his car and bring it back before closing time. This I did many times until one night when I was very tired and brought the car back to find that the ferry was on the other side. I decided to wait in the car until the ferry came back and promptly fell asleep. Art couldn’t see the car from the ferry so he waited in the cabin for me to appear. He waited for over half an hour past his going home time, then decided to walk. He, of course, only went a few yards when he saw the car and me fast asleep. He wasn’t happy, especially since he had to start up the boat to take me across. My popularity decreased. However, my popularity also decreased with Winnie for other reasons as she had fallen in love with Eddie Leggett and eventually married him.

I met an older man on the train who hailed from Welsford, who sometimes used the train to get to work. Other times he travelled with his brother Stanley Jones by car. In the fall of 1949, after having graduated from Saint John High School, I started to work at the North End Branch of The Bank of Nova Scotia at the corner of Main St. and Douglas Ave. When I arrived the first day, having walked from Union Station to the bank, the manager Harry Burton introduced me to all the staff and lo and behold, there was Angus Jones, the assistant accountant, much to my surprise. It was interesting to watch Angus as he was a real country boy with no pomp or ceremony as he waited on customers and the older women flocked to him for his boyish charm and simplicity. Like all boys brought up in the country, Angus rolled his own cigarettes and these were the days when it was OK to smoke anywhere, even at work in the bank. I watched him one day as he was looking after a well-to-do woman, leaning with his elbows on the counter. He then reached into his jacket pocket and brought out the “makins”. He took out a cigarette paper and held it in his left hand while he poured tobacco into it with his right hand, letting the overflow drop on the counter. He then proceeded to roll the cigarette while more tobacco fell to the counter and he took great pains to lick the paper. The finished product wasn’t very pretty with tobacco sticking out both ends so he used his fingers to clear one end so that he could put it in his mouth. He left the tobacco sticking out of the other end and proceeded to scratch a match on the seat of his pants, all the while talking to the lady customer. When the match lit the cigarette, there was a burst of flame and smoke that got in the customer’s face until the loose tobacco was consumed. Then Angus drew a deep drag which you could tell he greatly enjoyed, and proceeded to blow the smoke into the lady’s face again. She took her hand to brush away the smoke from her face, smiled at Angus and carried on with her business. Angus had charm and he also was very good to me, helping me to learn the intricate workings of the bank and I appreciated his help. His habits never changed while I was there but in 1950 they transferred me to Belleville, Ontario and a whole different world.

The events that I have mentioned happened over sixty years ago, but these and many other incidents still stick in my mind. Imagine, remembering how a man rolled his cigarette over sixty-two years later.