On today’s show:

• I spoke with Jo-Anne Elder, Chair of Word Feast, about the upcoming Video Poetry Bash which you can participate in! Send your compositions before September 21 to be included for this online event. Find out more at their website, WordFeast.ca .
• Back in 2015, I spoke with Isobelle & Bianca about their project to talk to youth about their cultural fellowships for The Identity Project.
• And we have more Positive Songs for Pandemics with B Street’s Lainie B. This week, she brings us a song by Mavis Staples.
• Maybe you need to go talk to a fuzzy animal about how to improve frozen food? It was Swap Ideas Day, Alpaca Day and TV Dinner Day. You’re welcome!
• More seriously, today is World Suicide Prevention Day. We’re in uncertain times, and the most vulnerable among us need a sympathetic ear, shoulder and hand even more than ever. If you are experiencing a difficult time, there are people you can talk to for help:
  • GNB site for suicide prevention
  • CHIMO Helpline 1-800-667-5005
  • Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
  • Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS) 1-833-456-4566
  • Hope for Wellness Indigenous Helpline and on line chat 1-855-242-3310 or https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/
• Symphony NB is planning a musical season this year, despite the difficulties that the pandemic precautions have introduced, and season tickets are on sale now. The Symphony will deliver a program of six Virtuoso Series performances and a special silent film event with music by Andrew Miller in addition to three Main Series concerts that will take place in October, November, and December on stages throughout the province.  Due to limited seating, regular subscriber seats may not be available. For this reason also, SNB are asking patrons who may subsequently be unable to use tickets to return them to the theatre. For concert details please go to the SNB website at symphonynb.com.
• FLOURISH FEST continues tonight at 8pm at the Cap with a screening of Digital Dream, featuring Juice Girls, Lil Omar, Arma Epifania, Brick House Babes and Left Hand Girls.

No news update this week! See you tomorrow!

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On today’s show:

• Live long & prosper! It’s Star Trek Day, when the original series first began and changed sci-fi television (and so much more!) forever.
• It’s also a great time to celebrate the people who bring stories to life: it’s Actors’ Day!
• And above all, let’s celebrate stories! Being able to read is important, not only to really enjoy fiction, but also to write your own — and to interact with the wild world of knowledge. Today is International Literacy Day, which means not only to broaden your own horizons and grow as a reader, but also to support programs which help other people expand their reading skills.
• Speaking of literacy, the local celebration of the craft of writing, Word Feast is back again this year! Today we have the first of a series of interviews and programs about the upcoming festival. Today we talk with Jennifer Houle, Vice-Chair about the general shape of the festival this year.
• I also turned back time to last summer, when I spoke to Lois MacDonald-Letyon about her felt art in residence in Odell Park.
• If you’re looking for more games during lockdown, player registration for the Enbicon gaming convention is open.
• After Wednesday at 12:15 you can tune in on Facebook to attend the returning Curator Crunch series from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. This week, your host John Leroux talks about Thaddeus Holowin’s Jolicure Pond.
• The Fredericton Arts Alliance is hosting a Virtual Election Forum online this year. Following opening statements, candidates will be challenged with one of five questions circulated in advance to the parties, after there will be an opportunity for questions from participants. Questions may be submitted in advance to president@frederictonartalliance.ca, or during the event via chat. The FAA has held election forum for all federal, provincial, and municipal elections since 1999, giving citizens an opportunity to discover where the various candidates and parties stand on a wide range of arts and culture related issues.
• And Flourish Fest continues this week, with two performances by Motherhood, alongside FAXES at 6pm at the Cap and with chillteens at 9pm this Wednesday.

News update:

• New Brunswick Public Health reported no new cases of COVID-19 Monday afternoon.
• It’s less than a week away from the provincial election, and two candidates have been ousted by their respective parties.
• Many students return to the classroom Monday, and New Brunswick’s top doctor wants to ease the minds of worried parents.
• A 45-year-old man from Plaster Rock is dead after a motorcycle accident near Perth-Andover on Sunday.
• Police here in Fredericton are looking for the public’s help to identify two suspects following a break and enter.
• The reopening of a Fredericton elementary school has been delayed until next week.  
• NB Power has been given the green light by the Energy and Utilities Board to roll out smart meters across the province.
• And a New Brunswick tradition will be back this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

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On today’s show:

• Today was Trail Mix Day, so celebrate with a mouthful of mixed, dried nuts and raisins!
• Good news: FEST FORWARD is a go for (despite) 2020! They are accepting submissions for the annual emerging artist festival until September 10. See the Facebook group for more information.
• Don’t forget that FLOURISH Fest is coming up this week! Displaced from the spring, but it’s back with two weeks of music and workshops, socially distanced and properly heard. It starts on Thursday night at 6pm with a FLOURISH Zine launch at The Cap and Sardinia at Created Here.
• Earlier this year, I spoke with Peter Hicks of Sleepy Driver about their brand-new collaborative album Northeastern Chorus. We revisit that moment, and get a chance to hear Come Around Lover from the album.
• And the first artist I spoke to in residence at the Botanic Garden this summer was Cat Candow. We chat on the picnic table about her flower weaving projects.

News update:

• There were no new cases of COVID-19 reported by New Brunswick Public Health over the weekend.
• The weekend didn’t stop provincial party leaders from making whistlestop tours to persuade undecided voters.
• Students attending public school might not have a laptop ready for the start of the academic year on Sept. 8.
• New Brunswick’s top doctor is making changes to visits in long term care and nursing homes.
• An Oromocto man will spend the next two years in jail for owning and distributing child pornography.
• Starting tomorrow, all shoppers at Atlantic Superstore locations must wear a face mask.
• And starting on Tuesday, those travelling on WestJet flights must wear a mask or risk severe penalties

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On today’s show:

• Given that Symphony NB has just announced a fall series of performances, including one by Andrew Miller with a performance in front of a silent movie, I thought I’d give you a listen to when I spoke to him and Nadia Francavilla about the time they did this with the classic The Cabinet of Dr Caligari in 2016.
• And to mix mediums exquisitely, I brought out my 2018 interview with Cathy Holtmann about her project called PhotoVoice.
• It was Cherry Turnover Day, so it’s time to get out the pastries! But don’t eat them over your computer, even if it is Crackers Over The Keyboard Day. Trust me on this…
• Saturday will be More Herbs, Less Salt Day, so you’ll be healthier in no time!
• Sunday is Frankenstein Day, so be prepared to make a collection of things into an artistic mess you may regret.
• The Enbicon Gaming Convention has opening up player registration for this year’s online, virtual event coming up on September 25-27.
• This is perhaps the last night for the Delta Drive-in, featuring The Shawshank Redemption tonight at 7:30pm. Get your tickets here!
• Mike Bravener is performing tonight at 7pm at The Tipsy Muse Café. See the Facebook event for more details.
• Certified will be on stage at Dolan’s Pub tonight and Saturday night at 10pm.
• This Saturday is Record Store Day! Show your support for local record stores like Backstreet Records and The Cap, and enjoy Heat $heets at The Cap Patio at 6pm. See the Facebook event for more details.
• This weekend, join Alison Taylor for the launch of her debut novel Aftershock at Westminster Books, Sunday afternoon at 2pm.
  • “Shared trauma has driven them a world apart; they will need to find each other again to begin to heal. Nightmares still haunt Chloe thirteen years after a fatal tragedy led to the disintegration of her family. Her mother, Jules, has a busy tech career, a long history of chronic pain—and little time for Chloe. After Chloe drops out of university to travel for a year, Jules’ OxyContin dependency quickly worsens.Aftershock follows their parallel journeys: Jules struggles to regain control of her life, while Chloe, after a rocky visit with her estranged father in New Zealand, resolves to go off the map and spend some time alone, travelling. When Jules suddenly can’t find her daughter, the feeling is all too familiar. Mother and daughter will need to address old secrets and the emotional impact they have wrought before they can reconcile with each other, and, finally, with themselves.”

News updates:

• There were no new cases of COVID-19 reported by New Brunswick Public Health yesterday afternoon.
• Residents who travelled on Air Canada flight 8918 from Toronto to Moncton on Aug. 14 are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days.
• Provincial party leaders were back on the campaign trail with many promises to undecided voters.
• Parents are learning more about the province’s plan to bring high school students back to the classroom.
• A bail hearing for a Saint John man charged with second-degree murder has been delayed until next week.
• Starting on Sept. 1, shoppers at Atlantic Superstore must wear a face mask.
• According to a new study, over 200 Canadian TV and radio stations could go off the air over the next three years.
• And the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League released a statement last night pledging full support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

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On today’s show:

• Today is Burger Day, so whether you cooked them yourselves, if they were made of meat or veg, I hope you grabbed a handful of the quintessential summer sandwich and enjoyed it.
• Sadly (but unsurprisingly), the Monday Night Film Series has been cancelled for this fall due to COVID.
• However, Symphony NB is staging a Condensed Ensemble to celebrate it’s 70th season, with 10 performances in October, November and December.
• Flourish Fest has shifted from the spring 4-day spring festival to be a 10-day fall celebration! FLOURISH will be held from September 3-13, and ALL projects and programming will be totally free of charge. See the Facebook event for more details.
• 2018 was a good year for artists, apparently. I found my interviews with Bruce Gray (wood artist) and Emily Blair and Emily Kennedy (WARPED).

News update:

• There were no new cases of COVID-19 reported by New Brunswick Public Health yesterday afternoon.
• Provincial party leaders were back on the campaign trail with many promises to undecided voters.
• Drivers will pay a bit more at the gas pumps this week.
• The RCMP Major Crimes Unit is investigating after a homicide on the Burnt Church First Nation.
• Two people have been arrested after police searched a home in Upper Woodstock on Tuesday.
• To help the school population stay safe this semester, St. Thomas University will provide students with reusable face masks.
• And provinces and territories are getting an extra two billion dollars to help ensure kids can safely go back to school next month.

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On the show:

• It was Webmistress Day, so I hope you celebrated the women who make the web.
• I had an opportunity share a thunderstorm with Sasha French in Odell Park on Tuesday to talk about her painting and other arts as part of her residency.
• And, maybe inspired by the rain, I rolled out an interview from 2016 with Rachel Watters, a painter who was in residency in the Barracks that summer.

News update:

• New Brunswick Public Health reported one new case of COVID-19 yesterday afternoon.
• Provincial party leaders continue to make whistle-stop tours yesterday as they gear up for next month’s snap election.
• It’s game on for school sports and other clubs as long as the province stays within the yellow phase.
• The Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP is investigating after shots were fired at a vehicle last Friday.
• One person is in hospital after an ATV crash just outside of Saint John yesterday afternoon.
• The City of Fredericton is seeking a volunteer to fill a seat on the mayor’s community and post-secondary committee to represent wards 9 or 11.  
• And the Royal Canadian Snowbirds are back in the air.

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On today’s show:

• It’s both Kiss and Make Up Day and Banana Split Day. Not sure if these are working against each other, or satisfying some couples’ dreams…
• I just heard about Maggie’s Farm Revival‘s show at Dolan’s Pub tonight at 5:30pm — but it was sold out anyway.
• So, here’s fair warning! Keith Hallett is playing at The Cap on Wednesday at 7pm. (Provided it doesn’t rain…) Get your tickets while they are available!
• I sat down with Tracey Dutt at the Botanic Gardens on Monday afternoon to chat about her artist residency working with textiles.
• And back in 2017 I spoke with Lisa Ann Ross of Solo Chicken Productions about their art show called Shorts & Sweets.

News update:

• New Brunswick Public Health reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, keeping the province’s total number of active cases at nine.
• Provincial party leaders were back on the campaign trail yesterday afternoon.
• Elections New Brunswick has announced there won’t be polling stations on campus for the snap election.
• Police say two men have been arrested and charged for possessing loaded firearms and illegal cigarettes.
• The City of Fredericton is launching a new website for residents to provide feedback to city hall on several topics.
• Police are warning residents about a fraudulent call claiming to represent Service Canada and the Saint John Police Force.
• And a New Brunswick drive-in has received a special honour from Reader’s Digest Canada.

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On today’s show:

• It’s International Strange Music Day, so I present to you New Brunswick’s own SIRR, with the delightful tune Sasquatch. Keep it weird!
• It’s time for a poetic smack down! The Fredericton Slam! is being hosted on The Cap Patio at 7pm tonight. While the ticket is free, they need you to purchase your free ticket in advance in order to facilitate social distancing. Tickets at: https://thecaplive.com/tickets/poetry-slam-august-24th . See the Facebook event for more details.
• Keith Hallett will be playing live on The Cap Patio on Wednesday night at 7pm!
• This Saturday is Record Store Day! So, visit your Friendly Local Record Store to pick up some awesome exclusives, cherished classics and local superstars. And once it’s all over, relax at 6pm on The Cap Patio the Heat $heets Record Story Day Drop Afterparty.
• I’ve loved many wonderful and weird theatre experiences right here in this city, and felt like celebrating a different kind of strange music with words! I looked back on 2019 when I spoke to Corinski and Nate about Theatre St Thomas’ #SWIPERS and UNB’s Alex Pannier and Devin Rockwell about The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble.

News updates:

• New Brunswick Public Health reported one new case of COVID-19 on Sunday to bring the province’s total number of active cases to nine.
• Provincial party leaders are back on the campaign trail this week.
• Police in Saint John are warning the public about a new employment scam making the rounds.
• Police say a 21-year-old Dipper Harbour man is dead after a two-vehicle collision just west of Saint John.
• Despite a global pandemic, the organizers from the Freddy Beach Ribfest had a successful weekend.
• Residents are asked to avoid certain brands of California peaches after a salmonella outbreak in the United States.
• A study by the Canadian Red Cross shows vulnerable seniors require more support during a pandemic and beyond.
• And after three ballots and several hours of delays, the Federal Conservatives have their new leader.

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