No Harm, No Foul

Yesterday started out as a pretty average day.
I drove the boys to school then went to the office. I had plenty to do so I got started.

Then, about an hour later, everything changed. My day suddenly became a day that every parent has nightmares about.
I received a text message from one of my sons that Fredericton High School was in lockdown.
A man with a gun had been spotted in the vicinity of the school. I jumped onto the internet immediately to find whatever information I could.

The Fredericton Police had posted a photo taken from a surveillance camera showing what appears to be a man carrying a long gun in what appears to be a gun sock.

It wasn't much to go on but it looked pretty convincing to me that this was indeed a weapon of some type being carried by a man who almost seemed to be trying to conceal his identity with a hat and hoodie.
This scared the hell out of Cheryl and I and every other parent I was hearing from.
The thought of our kids being in danger and us being unable to do anything about it is almost too intense to describe. We've seen far too many stories of situations like this where lives were taken away and no-one could stop it.

Most of all, this made me very angry. How DARE some crazy bastard with a weapon threaten the things I value most in my life! How DARE he??
I'm pretty sure that I was not alone in feeling this.
All we could do was wait and watch as news developed and hope for a good ending to the story.

Photo taken by Ray Borgeois of the Daily Gleaner

You can imagine some of the rumours that were flying around on social media as time went on. I won't even bother saying some of what I heard.
Fortunately, both of my boys and those around them were safe and lying under tables in darkened, locked classrooms. All they could do was stay where they were and wait it out.
At times like this I am extremely grateful that our kids have smartphones and stay in touch with us. I realize there are some folks who don't approve of this but to them I say blow it out your hat. In times like this when nothing is known as fact, the knowledge that our kids are safe is the only thing I want to know and if a smartphone is how I hear it then that's just fine with me.

However, the tension and anger are still there until it's over.

Finally, about 2 hours after it started I received word that the lockdown had been lifted and classes were returning to normal. Both of the boys messaged me and all was well.

And then, something happened and everything changed for me.

A photo was posted of an umbrella that was mistaken for a weapon and triggered the panic.

I certainly understand how it could have been seen as a weapon. It's actually a very cool umbrella to tell you the truth.

It turns out that someone spotted the man with it and a manager at the Canadian Tire store (where my sons both work) captured the above images from the cameras outside the front of the store.

But Sean is what happened that changed things for me.

The Gleaner sent out a Breaking News email alert and everything became very clear.
Sean is a young Fredericton man who just happens to be autistic. He is involved with a wonderful organization called Jobs Unlimited which is located just opposite Fredericton High School. They provide employment and care services to adults with intellectual disabilities. Their website is www.jobsunlimited.nb.ca .
Yesterday morning, Sean was on his way to work at the Giant Tiger store in the mall at the opposite end from Canadian Tire. It turns out that his mother had given him that cool umbrella for his birthday and was the ideal item to have with him on this day. Rain was forecast for the afternoon.

Here is Sean with his cool umbrella.

Photo taken by Ray Borgeois of the Daily Gleaner

When Sean got to work he and the other staff were told to remain safely inside the store. His mother Frances was following the events and was very scared. In the article she tells that her family has always been opposed to firearms. Sean didn't even have a toy gun as a child.
At some point yesterday morning Sean realized that he may be the person the police were seeking. He realized that they were looking for someone walking from Priestman Street and that's where he had been. When he saw the video from the surveillance camera he knew it was him. The police were contacted and everything was cleared up.

This is where the story broke my heart.

The article talked about the concern for stress that Sean is going through over the event and the image that may be transmitted in the city about him. He was anxious at work all morning. He didn't realize that the umbrella could be mistaken for a firearm when he carried it at his side as he did. I wouldn't have thought of this either.
His mother decided that it would be in Sean's best interest if they shared more about him with the public. She says that "If he's recognizable it makes the world safer for him.""Sean is the sweetest, kindest most loving person".

My god. I had been angry at this person. Someone with absolutely no intention of causing any harm to anyone had made me terrified and angry! Sean wasn't concealing himself with his hoodie. He was trying to stay warm! It was cold yesterday morning. I'm sure that Sean kissed his mother goodbye and took off with the goal of doing the best damn job that he could of whatever was asked of him that day.
Then tears came to my eyes. They still do as I write this actually.
I felt ashamed at my thoughts and so sad at the idea that anyone could ever think badly of Sean.

. So, I went to the phone book to looked up their phone number and called his house. I wanted him to know something from me.
A lady answered and I asked if she was Sean's mom. She said yes she is. I introduced myself and asked her to please give him a message.
"Please tell him no harm, no foul. Carry on, my friend. You've done nothing wrong at all".
She said "Aww. Thank you Tim. How do you know Sean?"
I said "I don't, but when the article said you are worried about what people may think of him, I wanted to call and say that I think he's great and not to worry."
She said "Aww" again and we said goodbye.

I felt a lump in my throat for most of the conversation.

I hope that my phone message helped him, even if just a little bit.

Carry on, my friend....


Stay well,
Tim

My Uncle Richard

One of the first memories I have of my Uncle Richard was that I liked him. He was visiting us at our home on Marconi Court in North York and was sleeping on the fold out couch in our den. I think that I was 4 or 5 years old and Richard was in his late teens.
The problem with someone sleeping in the den was that it was the room with the only television in the house. I'm pretty sure that my sister Hayley and I probably made some noise to help him wake up but when he did wake up he watched cartoons with us. Bullwinkle cartoons.
No older person watched cartoons with us.

That was a true sign of an adult that we could trust. The Bullwinkle Bond was strong.

Here is an amusing story similar to the one above.
Years later when I was in my early teens my family travelled to New York to stay with Richard and his family.
My cousin Lisa was just a little thing at the time.
I was assigned the couch in the downstairs family room to sleep on.
Guess where the television was?
My little cousin Lisa was ordered not to wake me up even though she was dying to get down there and watch TV.
I remember as soon as I opened my eyes I was looking directly up at Lisa who was sitting patiently at the top of the stairs staring at me waiting for me to wake up. As soon as my eyes opened Lisa came flying down and turned the TV on and we watched cartoons together.

Another memory I have from when I was small is of Uncle Richard and I cruising down the old Trans Canada highway at night along the Saint John River from Fredericton towards Moncton listening to Johnny Cash on the 8 track player. I specifically remember listening to "Ring of Fire".
I remember that I liked it a lot and even being as young as I was I knew that the whole situation was very cool.

It's funny but on the day Johnny Cash died I remember being woken up with the radio playing that song. As soon as I heard it I thought of that night driving along with Richard. I still do actually.

One time our family travelled to Clinton, New York where Richard and his family lived and he was playing hockey with the Clinton Comets. We really enjoyed that game. I still have the program somewhere.

Here is Richard's career information from www.hockeydb.com.

Rich Scammell
Wing
Born -- Fredericton, NB
Height 6.00 -- Weight 200

1963-64 with Peterborough Petes of the OHA - 17 GP, 3 G, 0 A, 3 Pts, 0 PIM
1964-65 with Peterborough Petes of the OHA - 27 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 Pts, 0 PIM
1966-67 with R.P.I. of the ECAC - 24 GP, 27 G, 29 A, 56 Pts, 63 PIM
1967-68 with R.P.I. of the ECAC - 22 GP, 23 G, 23 A, 46 Pts, 24 PIM
1968-69 with R.P.I. of the ECAC - 21 GP, 19 G, 16 A, 35 Pts, 28 PIM
1970-71 with Clinton Comets of the EHL - 18 GP, 8 G, 3 A, 11 Pts, 9 PIM
1971-72 with Clinton Comets of the EHL - 45 GP, 16 G, 21 A, 37 Pts, 8 PIM

Speaking of programs. This photo is from the 1980/81 Les Canadiens book which the team gave out to detail the team and stats.
As often happens, they missed one of the "L"s in Scammell. Ah well. At least it's a good photo.

As you can see, Richard became a scout with the Montreal Canadiens. I decided that since he is family and I liked him that Montreal was going to be my favourite team.

I should mention that I've been the kind of hockey fan that a team doesn't want to have.
I was a Minnesota North Stars fan when Danny Grant played there since he is a good friend of the family.
I was a Toronto Maple Leafs fan until Richard worked for Montreal.
However, I also loved Boston because Bobby Orr was there.
I cheered for Toronto to win their games unless the game was against Montreal. Then it flipped to Montreal.
Richard left Montreal several years ago so my loyalty there was reduced after that.

As I mentioned, one of Richard's best friends and Scammell family pal is hockey legend Danny Grant.
Danny and another hockey star, Buster Harvey, used to put on a summer hockey school here in Fredericton.
Several times we came from Ontario to Fredericton for vacation to visit family and stay with my grandmother and I would go to the hockey school.
Richard was one of the instructors along with other NHL players such as Gilles Gilbert and Fred Barrett.
It was a great school but I'm afraid it didn't do much to improve my minimal hockey skills.
It was pretty cool telling my friends that I was going to a school in New Brunswick that was taught by professional hockey players and my uncle was one of them!

The photo above is, left to right, Danny Grant, my friend Lyle who came with us from Ontario that year, power skating instructor Harold Joyce, Buster Harvey, myself, Gilles Gilbert, and Richard.

These days I don't think I even have a true favourite team. It depends on what's going on.
I liked the Leafs last season while they were doing really well but after the stunning crash and burn in the playoffs that felt like a kick to the gut I hated them. I still haven't gotten over that.

I'll tell you something though.
It was always much easier to be a Montreal fan in Toronto when I was young than being a Leaf's fan. Montreal was regularly winning the Stanley Cup while the Leafs haven't been close for years.

My father has always been the fan a team wants. He's a diehard Leaf's fan and will watch every single game. When we lived in Ontario if he happened to go to a game he would still record it and watch it when he got home!
Even when his brother was with the Montreal organization Dad stuck with the Leafs.

I don't recall how it came up but a few years ago Richard and I were talking about the Fredericton Sports Wall of Fame and wondering why Richard had not been nominated for it before.
I also discussed the matter with another of Richard's best pals and former Fredericton Mayor Les Hull and we set out to gather information and submit a nomination.

This was about 3 or 4 years ago I believe.
We didn't hear anything until this year.

Back in March Richard called me asking if I would be able to attend a press conference at the Fredericton City Club for the announcement of this year's inductees on his behalf. It made no sense for him to travel up from New York for a press conference.
Of course I attended. It was an honour to represent him.

Here is the press release about Richard from that day. As you see his greatest accomplishments may not have been what he did himself but what he did for others.

2014 INDUCTEE WALL OF FAME BUILDER

Richard Scammell

Fredericton native Richard Scammell played in the Fredericton minor hockey system and in junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey Association's Peterborough Petes before attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on a hockey scholarship from 1965-69 where he led the team in scoring twice. He played two professional seasons with the Clinton Comets of the Eastern Hockey League before suffering an injury which ended his playing career at age 26.
He then turned his attention to scouting for the Montreal Canadiens, a position he held for 28 years. Scammell scouted seventy-three players that went on to play for the Habs. The team won six Stanley Cups in his time on the scouting staff. He also refereed Division 1 hockey in the Troy, NY area for nine years, including two games in which the U.S. Olympic team faced off against RPI in 1976 and 1980.
Richard has been inducted into the RPI Athletics Hall of Fame as well as the Capital District Hockey Association Hall of Fame. However, his most enduring legacy is the founding and development of a girls' hockey program in upstate New York. He started the Troy-Albany Ice Cats in 1993. The program now encompasses five teams at different age levels that have won five New York State championships in their 20-year history. The program has sent more than 65 girls on to university hockey programs at the Division 1 or Division 2 level. Two others have gone on to play lacrosse for national championship teams and one plays softball at the NCAA Division 1 level.

On May 3 the induction ceremony took place at the Delta hotel (which is also the location of the wall).
Cheryl and I attended as well as my father and step-mother. We were seated at a table right at the front of the room near the stage. Also at our table were Danny and Linda Grant and of course Uncle Richard and my aunt Denise.
What a great ceremony! We had a blast!
I’ve been to more big dinners than I can count for various associations, organizations, weddings or political things and usually have a hard time keeping focused on the stage. This time was completely different. The stories told by presenters and the recipients themselves were fantastic.
It was the largest attendance in the history of the event.

Click on the picture below to see the full size of the room.

The Room.

Richard and a few of the other recipients.

Richard and Danny Grant.

All of the recipients of the evening

Linda Grant, Richard, Danny Grant, my aunt Denise Scammell

Rather than try to detail the event I’ll let you read Bill Hunt’s article from the Daily Gleaner the next day.
Great work with reporting and the details, Bill. Awesome job.

Record turnout for Wall of Fame inductions

BILL HUNT Fredericton Daily Gleaner
May 4, 2014

For Richard Scammell, it was good to be home.
The 67-year-old Fredericton native is already a member of three sports halls of fame in his adopted home town of Troy, N.Y. But there’s something special about being a hero in your hometown – as Scammell and the other members of the Fredericton Sports Wall of Fame class of 2014 discovered at the 23rd annual induction ceremonies at the Delta Hotel on Saturday night.
Before a record crowd of 400 guests – who combined for an unofficial record eight standing ovations, including the one for recently crowned world senior men’s curling champions Wayne Tallon, Mike Flannery and Chuck Kingston – Scammell and friends took their places among the growing list of Fredericton sports immortals.
Scammell’s sporting exploits as a hockey player, scout and founder of a thriving girls hockey program have earned him membership in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Athletics Hall of Fame, the Capital District Hockey Association Hall of Fame and the Friends of the 112th Street Sports Hall of Fame. Prestigious honours all.
But “it’s my hometown, so I’m going to say (this is) number one,” said Scammell, who left Fredericton at age 16 – two years after the death of his father – for Peterborough, Ont., where he joined Danny Grant with the Petes.

Their paths diverged from there: Grant went on to a long National Hockey League career and Scammell went on to a scholarship at RPI, where he played hockey, graduated and has worked since 1965. He is currently the Director of Research Administration at the upstate New York school.
Through it all, he incorporated a full and fruitful 28-year career as a scout for the Montreal Canadiens which saw 79 players he recommended be drafted by the Habs, 29 of whom made it to the NHL, and the founding of a girls hockey program in upstate New York, the Troy Albany Ice Cats. He founded the program 21 years ago, in 1993, two of his three daughters played in it, and next year, his nine-year-old granddaughter Emily will begin in the U12 rung of the program.
“I look around and I see so many people that I know and that I haven’t seen for years,” said Scammell, who thanked the guests who were there to help him celebrate and said he planned to visit the Pine Grove Nursing Home on Sunday to tell his mom, 102-year-old Annie McCullough, of the honour.
“It’s great being back home so I can share this evening with my family and friends,” he said. “Everybody should be proud of all the inductees tonight. I think they’re a very good example of what people from Fredericton are and can be.”

The class of 2014 ran the gamut, from track and cross-country athlete Wayne Stewart, who drew loud cheers from some 60 supporters in the track community who were there to recognize a career highlighted by his competing as a member of the Canadian cross country team at the world championships in Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1977; to golfer Kathy Meagher, still building on a resume that includes at least one provincial championship in each of the five decades in which she has played and titles in each of the junior, amateur, senior and super senior classes; to Fredericton’s dominant senior softball squads in the first half of the decade of the 1980s; to Intermediate Fredericton Caps hockey sniper Billy Hughes, who helped make the B line, with Bob Mabie and Bev Bawn, such a force through the decade of the 1960s.

It also included a nod to both the present and the future in the selection of volunteers Mike and Margie Reed as recipients of the Dr. Bill MacGillivary volunteer of the year award, for the longtime, and ongoing, service to sport, currently with the Fredericton Office Interiors Caps junior team but extending back to peewee, bantam and midget hockey when their own children played; and to Virginia Hokies women’s soccer goaltender Dayle Colpitts, who won the Myer and Jack Budovitch Award as Fredericton’s athlete of the year for a record-setting season in leading the Hokies to the NCAA Division 1 semifinals.

Meagher, ever the epitome of class, hit all the right shots – as she has for half a century on the golf course – thanked the founding organization, Fredericton Sports Investments, “for your continued support of the Sports Wall of Fame and for all that you do for sport in our community. Your legacy is part of what makes Fredericton such a great city in which to live.”

That’s a theme that surfaced throughout: that Fredericton is a special place, a fact stated by all the inductees in varying degrees of eloquence this night.
Family was prominent too: Meagher tracing her Miramichi roots in the game, when she was Kathy Whitty, to thanking her daughter and playing partner Kathryn, “my biggest cheerleader” and, incidentally, her playing partner on eight mother-daughter provincial championship teams.
“It’s very special that I’m joining my late husband John, who was inducted in 2010,” she said. “Among many things, we shared a love of sport ... and now membership on the Wall of Fame.”

Catcher Sonny Phillips, inducted on the wall for his own brilliant career in 1999, was joined on Saturday by all but five of the 30 team members from the 1981-84 teams that captured four straight senior titles and hosted nationals at newly constructed Prospect Street Park in 1984.
In addition to speed, pitching and defence, which the team had in spades, Phillips said “we had a great time for those five or six months (every year) we were together. We found that’s what it was all about ... people, people, people, relationships.”
They were reborn at a private team function on Friday, the night before the official induction ceremonies, said Phillips.
“There were a lot of three-run homers and no-hitters. We’re not sure if they happened, but we sure had a good time,” he said.
“This Fredericton Sports Wall of Fame is really special to us,” he said. “The efforts of FSI really emphasize why the city of Fredericton is such a great community to live in and retire to and give back.”

The softball crowd was exceeded only by the track crowd, which greeted the mention of anyone on track, whether it be Mel Keeling or Peter Richardson, both previous inductees.
“This is great,” said Stewart in humble tones, who counted one little known kilometre among his career highlights – the first one from Parliament Hill in Ottawa in the direction of Montreal and the opening ceremonies of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
“Many thanks to all the athletes who I coached at UNB, who I trained and competed with,” he said, pointing in their direction in the crowd and deadpanning “pretty much all right there.”

Hughes was represented by son Terry: Billy remains on his native Prince Edward Island due to ill health. Terry said his dad wanted to thank all his teammates for their roles in his success.

Colpitts became the 10th female winner of the Myer and Jack Budovitch Award after the 22-year-old led the Hokies to previously unattained heights. They lost 3-2 to the Florida State Seminoles in the NCAA semifinal, ending a season in which she managed 11 shutouts, 19 wins and a 0.77 goals against average and a career in which she set school records with 29 shutouts, 49 wins and a 1.15 goals against average over four years.
Colpitts was humble in accepting the trophy and to be “in the presence of so many distinguished athletes and sports people,” she said.
She called her early years in Fredericton, spent on the rinks, courts and fields of Fredericton, “obviously the best years of my life,” she said.
After playing ringette, volleyball, basketball and soccer in her formative years, she turned exclusively to soccer at 16, starring at Fredericton High School, the Canada Games and beyond.
“But I didn’t do it by myself,” she noted, thanking her parents, family, coaches, teammates and the community.

Margie Reed, speaking on behalf of the couple, said she and Mike were “honoured but also a bit embarrassed” when initially told they were receiving the MacGillivary Award as “Fredericton’s outstanding sport volunteer and community worker.”
“But we’ve had time to let it sink in and are now enjoying the moment,” she said. “Volunteering has become a big part of our lives,” she said. “Most people who ask us to help them out in whatever situation know that if they ask one of us, they’re going to get both of us.”
They’ve lent that spirit and expertise to the Fredericton Youth Hockey Association, the Brendon Oreto Foundation and to teams from peewee, bantam, midget, junior and high school girls hockey over the years, working alongside some 28 coaches and for the benefit of countless young players over their careers, “and we’d like to thank every one of them for taking us along for the ride,” she said.
“It’s funny, because you think at the time that they don’t realize that you’re there,” she said. “But if you meet them in a grocery store or a mall and they give you a big hug ... that’s our paycheque.”

All of the award recipients were fantastic and completely deserving of their awards.

Richard received a very nice silver ring to honour the occasion.
Here is a photo of it along with one of his Stanley Cup rings that he received while scouting with the Canadiens.

I’ll tell you, it was a great night to be a Scammell in Fredericton.

It was also a great night for the city of Fredericton to show my uncle Richard that they are very proud of him and everything that he has accomplished.

Almost as much as I am.

Stay well,
Tim

Not Bad at All

The last two years have been pretty interesting for our family sports-wise.
With the exception of an incident last hockey season which is also affecting us this season (I’m not going into it here), I believe the boys are doing well and having a great time.

In the winter of 2011-2012 both of our sons were attending the practices/tryouts for the New Brunswick Junior Selects baseball team. Pretty early in the process T decided that he would rather not continue the process and stepped out which was perfectly fine.
B stuck with it for a while but eventually realized that it may not be for him either. We weren’t too fond of all the travelling that we were doing and was going to come if he made the team.
No worries.
We did agree though that the boys wanted to play a higher level of baseball than the Recreational level at New Maryland. So we said goodbye to our beloved New Maryland baseball and headed to Fredericton to try out for the Bantam AA team.
Both boys made the team and the season began.

It was going along really well for B. He’s a leftie that pitches and plays first base so he was always right in the action.
I wish I could say the same for T. He’s a great player with a great arm and good hitting skills. Unfortunately a great arm like his is best utilized in the outfield where he can rocket the ball back to the infield to make the play.
He wasn’t having a lot of fun and was often bored out there. I can’t say that I blamed the poor guy. It’s a long game when nothing is coming your way.

So T came to us and said that he didn’t want to play anymore. Initially I was of the mind that if he made the team and was on the team he has to stay on the team. But I realized that no good would come of that and he would come to despise the game. He talked to the coach and there were no hard feelings.

Both guys still played summer hockey at Base Gagetown in Oromocto.
If I haven’t mentioned it before it’s a great little league that runs for 10 games. The players are made up of all skill levels from first timers and Rec players to AAA. The main rules are that they have fun and that no one player is allowed to score more than 3 goals in a game. If they do they get a penalty.
I love that rule. It ensures that the stars on the team pass the puck and involve the other players.
We’ve done this for a few summers and I love coaching. I just open the doors and the kids play the positions that they want. Great fun.

So with B’s AA ball last year we were pretty busy and did a fair amount of driving. Nothing crazy though. We had long weekends off from games. The team did pretty well.

In the fall 2012 the boys started high school. B decided to try out for the Fredericton High School Men’s AAA ball team and made it. That’s pretty good for a guy in Grade 9 who has played Rec and AA ball.
The coach of the team is a really nice young guy named Phil who plays on the Fredericton Senior Royals as well as being a substitute teacher.
Our family has always enjoyed watching the Senior Royals play. It’s as close as you’ll get to a professional baseball game in Fredericton. These guys are really skilled and put their hearts into the game.

We haven’t been to a game in a while though. I’ll tell you why just because I’m in the mood for a REALLY long blog entry today.

In the summer of 2012 my best pal Mike was visiting us from Ontario for a week as he does most years.
One evening we decided to take in a Royals game over at their home field on Baseball Hill in Marysville. They were barely able to start the game before the clouds rolled in and a massive storm ensued.
The game was rained out and everyone was given a raincheck to be used for another game.
We were pretty busy and didn’t get a chance to get over for another game in the regular season.
The senior playoffs rolled around and we decided to get over to see one of the games.

Cheryl knew the guy who looked after the tickets and administration of the team so she sent him an email asking if the playoff game that night was going to be in Fredericton of away. We wanted to head over and use our rainchecks.
Nope, he replied. We weren’t allowed to use the rainchecks for the playoff games.
Oh, okay. No big deal. We’ll just use them next season then and pay for the playoff game.
Nope, they’re not good for next year he told her.
Pardon?? It didn’t say that anywhere on the raincheck that it wasn’t good for playoffs or the following season!

That’s just the way it is.
That left a bad taste in our mouth so in the summer of 2013 we saw exactly zero Senior Royals games.
Think about this.
We paid our full admissions to see a game that wasn’t played.
By refusing to allow us to use the rainchecks they saved the price of 2 adult and 2 student admissions that we would have used.
In doing so they lost a chance to gain the numerous admission fees that we would have paid in the summer of 2013 to see several games.
That doesn’t seem like very good business sense to me.
Maybe they didn’t even notice that we weren’t at any games in our usual spots that we watched the games from?
Perhaps someone did notice but has no idea of this backstory? Oh well.

Anyway, Phil has a great baseball mind and a really good style of coaching. If there’s a screw up he’ll deal with it but in a calm manner.
The boys had a pretty good season and a good time. They didn’t make it to the Regional playoffs or the Provincials but that was something to strive for again next season.
The best thing about the FHS ball was that B had a chance to play with and against guys that are AAA level and up to 4 years older than him. He did a good job.
Also, he made new pals in various grades at his new school.

The 2012-2013 hockey season was a wild ride. For the most part the boys had a good time and made more new friends.
These things are good for Cheryl and I as well for meeting new folks and making new friends.

One really cool thing during the season was that the coach of the Fredericton AA Canadiens saw B play and asked him to be an affiliate of the team for the season. This would allow him to play on that team if they ever needed a spare player for a game.
As it turned out they only called him up for one regular season game and the Provincial playoffs series.
Keep in mind that B had NEVER played in a game before that had bodychecking in it. The recreational levels don’t allow checking here.

He held his own pretty well though and wasn’t hurt at all. He gave some decent checks and took some doozys.
During the final Provincial playoff game a kid from the Oromocto team came over when B wasn’t paying attention and smoked him with a dirty shot to the head that put B on his back on the ice. It still hurts to watch the video I have.
Amazingly though, B stood right up and skated along as if nothing had happened and wasn’t injured at all!
The Oromocto kid got a major penalty for the headshot though.
Oh, the Canadiens won that game and became the Provincial champions!
What a great experience. That was the biggest sports victory our family has been involved in to date.

This spring B tried out and made the AA Bantam Royals team again.
T decided that he would play the summer hockey at Base Gagetown again but would sit the baseball out.
He did this a few years ago and came back to baseball so I wasn’t worrying about it. If he decided to come back to the game that would be great but it’s up to him.
As a matter of fact, T was dragged around all summer with us watching B’s games and decided that he will try out for the Midget AA team with B as well as the FHS team. He said that he had to go to the games anyway so he may as well try to get on the team to play.

This year the Bantam AA Royals came even closer than last year to winning in the Provincials.
Close doesn't count though and it doesn't make a kid feel better to tell him that “close” is pretty great too.
As the expression goes close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades.
Holy cow were we busy this summer though! We were everywhere.

I don’t know how or why but it seems that we had so many more teams to play against than last season. We played regular games in Taymouth, Miramichi, Saint John, Moncton, Sackville, Lancaster, Oromocto as well as tournaments in Sackville, Nova Scotia and Oromocto. I can’t imagine how much more travelling we would have done if the weather hadn’t been so lousy this summer. It seems that we were getting rained out constantly.

This year's Fredericton High School ball team was fantastic. There were a few of Grade 9 and 10 kids but unfortunately much of the stronger players were Grade 12 guys who will be leaving the school after this year.
This season was the last kick at the can for these guys and we were really hoping it would be the season they went all the way.
To tell you the truth, the division that FHS is in is very mismatched.

The strongest team for the last few years has been Leo Hayes High School which is in Fredericton as well but is across the river on the north side of town.
The rivalry between FHS Black Kats and the Leo Hayes Lions in everything has been thick for many years now.
Matches between the two schools are affectionately known as "The Battle of the Bridge" events.

We had a very difficult time against them last year. I don't believe we were able to beat them at all.
FHS didn't make the playoffs in 2012 but Leo Hayes went all the way to Regionals where they were beaten out.

I'm pretty certain that they were following the same path this season and won every game they played.
They beat us pretty soundly a few times.

When it came time for our division playoffs this year the games were to decide which two teams from our division would be heading to Saint John the following weekend for the Regional playoffs.
Leo Hayes being the division leader played the 4th (last) place team from Woodstock.
Woodstock didn't put up much of a fight. We beat them in every game we played against them.
It was sad to watch really. Woodstock would start off a game pretty solidly but when it came time to move into other pitchers and switch they just didn't have any real depth in their bullpen.
A game would just fall apart after a few innings for them.

We had a tougher time on our plates.
FHS was 2nd in the division over Oromocto but not by much.
In fact, last season Oromocto beat us in the playoffs and went to Regionals where they were beaten out in the first game.
One nice thing about these playoffs is that there was no "best of five" or "best of seven". The season is too short for all that and the weather is always a challenge.
When a team lost out they were done for the season. With the exception of the second Regional game. Both teams in this game were already heading to Provincials in Moncton the following weekend but the game would determine where each team would be placed in the ranking.

Our game against Oromocto was a close one and a tough battle.
One thing I find about most Oromocto teams we come up against is that they seem to be somewhat abrasive. There is far too much heckling and trash talk from their bench than I feel is warranted in these games. This has been in the AA summer ball as well as hockey too.
Thankfully, our guys don't retaliate. Rather than chirping the other team in a bad way our guys yell support to their own players. I've always been very proud that all of the teams our boys have played on have usually been this way.

In the playoff game Oromocto was loud and obnoxious for most of the game.
It made it that much sweeter when we beat them. They became pretty quiet after that.

So for the first time in several years the Fredericton High School Men's AAA baseball team was heading to the Regionals.
What would happen there was anyone's guess really. There were going to be two other very strong teams from the other Division to battle. It was not going to be easy.

On the Monday before the Regionals I was at a Parent School Support Committee meeting at the school.
I mentioned to the school principal how exciting it was that the baseball team was heading to Regionals!
He didn't have a clue what I was talking about. He, like most of the people at FHS, didn't pay any attention to the baseball teams. I should also mention that the school has a pretty great girl's softball team on which B's girlfriend is a player. They also headed to Saint John the same day but unfortunately were beaten out.
If it wasn't hockey or football most people in FHS didn't have a clue.
Which prompted me to send this tongue-in-cheek letter to the Editor of the Fredericton Daily Gleaner.
I tell people that I was "seriously joking" or "jokingly serious".

YES, FHS HAS A BASEBALL TEAM, AND THEY ARE AWESOME
THE DAILY GLEANER
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
03 OCT 2013 04:32PM
Re: FHS baseball

Here is a conversation with almost every student/staff/administrator at Fredericton High School.
“Hey! Great news about the FHS baseball team!”
“Oh yeah! Everyone at the school is totally thrilled about our football team.”
“No, the baseball team. After all these years, the FHS AAA men’s baseball team is going to the regional playoffs in Saint John this weekend!”
“No, you’re mistaken. They can’t be going to the playoffs already. The hockey season is barely getting started.”
“Baseball! I’m talking about baseball!”
“Ohhh right. Baseball. Yeah that’s awesome... Uh, FHS has a baseball team?”
Sigh...
Good luck guys! We’re proud of you no matter what happens.
I am a proud baseball dad.

Tim Scammell
New Maryland, N.B.

So off we went to Saint John.
Our game was against the Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders.
Just like the game against Oromocto, it started out very close.
Fortunately, our pitcher was a grade 12 guy who had been playing on the NB Selects for a few years as well as on a AAA team plus, had pitched for New Brunswick this past summer in the Canada Games.
He pitched a solid 6 innings but reached his pitch limit and had to be pulled out. We were well ahead by this point and it looked in the bag.
The reliever came in and everyone became a little nervous when he started out by walking several batters.
Eventually he settled into his groove and took care of business.
We ended up winning 7-2. B had a hit and an RBI.

I was wondering if B would perhaps consider pitching if it ever looked like the team would be strapped for pitchers.
He said that he would probably not and was happy being a great first baseman.

A strange thing happened with B this year with his pitching. I don't mean good strange either.
He had been a pretty solid pitcher for several years.
While playing for the AA team in the summer one of the coaches told us that he was going to have to change his pitching style or he would never last to pitch in Midgets next year.
He told B that he was going to have to change certain things in his pitching technique.
He told us that there was most likely going to be a rough spell where B would probably not throw very many strikes. It would get better though.
This didn't really happen. B had his rough spell but it didn't seem to ever end!
Even when B tried to throw his usual pitches as before he was not having much luck.
I'm afraid that this period has made him gun shy and he has lost his interest of pitching. I'm not going to force the issue with him. It will be a shame if a great leftie thrower like him never takes the mound again but if he chooses to hone his skills and be the best first baseman he can be then good for him. As long as he enjoys himself.

Anyway, we had locked in our spot for the Provincials in Moncton!

Leo Hayes played their game against a team that was lower than us in the ranking and actually came close to losing to them. The other team was starting to roar back with a nice rally before Leo Hayes managed to finally shut them down and win.

That meant that we had to play Leo Hayes that afternoon to determine where we would each be in the Provincial's ranks.
You know what? We almost beat them! We were ahead for most of the game when an error in our outfield allowed them three runs to take the lead. In the end they won 6-4.
We gave them a nice scare for the first time that I had seen in our games against them.

The Provincials the following weekend in Moncton were a Fredericton vs. Miramichi battle.
The ball field was the nicest one we have ever played on. I was very impressed. It's the field where Moncton's senior men's team plays their games and was completely renovated and refurbished fairly recently.

We played against James M. Hill in the first game of the day.
We had another of our grade 12 pitchers who had also played in the Canada Games. He did a great job.
Unfortunately we had six errors which ended up hurting us. There were also a few calls which raised many eyebrows and several tempers.
It was a really close game but we couldn't quite pull it off. We lost 5-4.
Of note, Leo Hayes ended up playing James M. Hill if the final game and lost 7-3.
What a great job our guys did though! For the first time in 14 years the FHS Black Kats went to the Provincial playoffs.
That's a heck of a lot to be proud of.
B played a great game and had the best baseball experience of his playing career.

That's B in number 6 heading to the plate.

This year for the first time we were still involved in a baseball season in the middle of October and enjoyed it!

Next year T has said he wants to try out again for the AA summer team and the FHS ball team. I was glad to hear this.
This will be very important since so many of the team will be graduating this year. We will need a few players to make a proper team. At least Leo Hayes will be in much the same boat with their senior players so hopefully the season will be a close matched one next year for FHS.

By making it to the Regionals and Provincials I am hoping that the school awareness of the baseball teams has increased and next year more people will show an interest in them.
B has just played his best season with the highest caliber of players that he has ever played with and against. He rose to the occasion and although didn't pitch he was the best first baseman out there.
He made a bunch of new friends and played for a great coach.

Plus, it's looking hopeful that next year I will finally get to see both of my star boys play baseball together again. I've missed that so much.

That's not bad at all, is it?

Stay well,
Tim

Short and Sweet

I know many bloggers don't like to quote or refer to newspapers or other media sources but I make exceptions when I'm the one being written about.
I don't think the Gleaner would mind since I have praise for them in this post.

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Heather McLaughlin of the Daily Gleaner to talk about my last blog. She had a couple of questions about my decision to not seek re-election in the spring.
We spoke for a few minutes and I left it to fate to see how it would play out.

(You recall that in the past some news sources have taken my words and I haven't always come out looking so well.)

I was very pleased when I saw this in the Gleaner on Monday October 10.
Heather did a very nice job of keeping the details of our conversation short and sweet to which I am thankful.
Here is a link to it.

Gleaner article

If for some reason the link above doesn't work I have copied and pasted it here as well.

Scammell won't reoffer
Published Monday October 10th, 2011
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN

New Maryland Coun. Tim Scammell says he has decided not to reoffer when municipal elections roll around next spring.

Scammell said he's enjoyed his experience on council.

"I would encourage anyone to offer themselves for public office, but I really recommend that they evaluate the time commitment and determine if it fits into their lives or not," Scammell said.

The married father of twin boys, who will be 14 by the time May elections roll around, said he wants to spend more time with them during their teenage years.

Scammell said he wanted to make his intentions known early so that anyone interested in running in the next municipal election has a headstart.

"I know of a couple of guys who have expressed their interest in it and if they do, it will be great. It would be an awesome council if they got on," he said.

Scammell said he'd be happy to share his thoughts with any candidates who want to know what the job of councillor entails, and he's not ruling out a return to local politics if the timing is right.

This appeared in the Comments section on the web version of the story.

"But Tim, you are the one who should be running for Mayor! If anyone can get some GOOD things happening for the village, it would be YOU. Too bad the younger blood and voices are being chased out. Wish you would really stay on!"
A Reader, Fredericton on 10/10/11 11:02:10 AM ADT

I appreciated this and replied to it.

"Thank-you very much for the kind words and confidence A Reader. I appreciate it more than I can tell you.
Please don't feel that I'm being chased out though. I don't feel that way.
I plan on staying involved with Village matters and would like to remain on at least one of the committees that I'm presently on if the upcoming Mayor and Council will permit.
It wasn't an easy decision to make but it's the right one for now.
However, in 2016 my sons will be 18 and most likely quite independent of their dear old dad.
That may be a good time to consider seeking office again. (If the voters would have me).
Thanks again.
Tim"
Tim Scammell, New Maryland on 11/10/11 12:05:38 PM ADT

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by what A Reader said.

My pal Charles posted my last blog on his blog site and I was stunned by the level of nastiness that spilled out of the comments section.
If that venom was left here I would not allow them to be posted but Charles censors very little on his blog.
I won't bother repeating them here but I was saddened that there are people who could look at what I had written and blast me for it.
I've blown it off now thanks to good words from good friends who put it in perspective.

Anyhoo, now I carry on with the last few months of my term on New Maryland Council.

There's some busy times ahead with the upcoming budget and the new year coming.

Carry on.

Stay well,
Tim

The Horror in Your Head

To start this one off I will have to begin by giving a short summary of some recent world events in the news.

On Sunday May 15th approximately one-third the town of Slave Lake, Alberta was destroyed by a horrendous fire. The blaze originated in the forests outside of town and was pushed closer and closer to the town by winds up to 100 km/hr.
Despite the best efforts of fire-fighters and civilians the perimeter of the town was breached and 95% of the 7000 residents were forced to evacuate.
By the time it was over, City Hall was burned, many businesses vanished and two hundred residences were destroyed.




In the United States a wingnut named Harold Camping who is president of Family Radio, announced that the rapture and Judgment Day would take place on May 21, 2011 at 6 p.m.
He based this stupidity on his calculations and conclusions from passages in the bible.
Sadly, this loon was given far too much coverage on the world stage and some folks actually felt that the Apocalypse could actually take place.
Happily, here we are 3 days later.
Doofus was wrong but now claims that he made an error and the event will actually occur on October 21, 2011.
Wouldn't it be nice if this guy had no access to media from now until then and we wouldn't have to hear about it again in a few months?


Over this past weekend more than fifty twisters were reported across seven midwestern states in the United States.
The worst hit was Joplin, Missouri where on Sunday a single twister killed at least 116 people, and the figure is expected to rise as debris is cleared.
Hopefully they will find some survivors as well.
This was considered to be the deadliest tornado in the United States in almost 60 years.


That's quite a bit of scariness and bad news for a short period of time isn't it?
At what point does it become too much to bear?
When does the horror of the world smash around inside our brains and finally cause it to collapse into itself?

I remember watching the movie "The Fisher King" starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges and feeling so sad for Robin's character.
Following the death of his wife, William's character slips into a catatonic state and remains there for a few years.
When he emerges he becomes obsessed with the tale of the legend of the Fisher King and most of the movie follows his hallucinations as Jeff Bridge's character tries to help him.
I won't bother going into full details but my point is that sometimes things happen that cause someone's mind to go into another place which is a different reality than what the rest of us know.

On the other side, I think that at times a mind which has been worn down by time or altered in some way may take what it sees, good or bad, and twist it around into another reality.

Perhaps this isn't always a bad thing.
If we can take a whole bunch of messy things and turn it into something nice in our mind what harm is there in that? Especially if it is in our later years and we don't have a lot of time left on the Earth?

That's the nice side.
What about the scary side?
What about when someone takes several things and turns them into a horror in their head?

I think that I witnessed this yesterday when we were visiting my grandmother at her nursing home.
To start I want to mention that the home is a beautiful place in the Village of Gagetown. It's cozy and overlooks the water.
No matter what time or season I have been there the view and scenery are always great. This is very important as Granny loves watching the world from her window.

During our visit yesterday Cheryl went down the hall while the boys and I stayed in the large TV room with Granny.
A few minutes later Cheryl came back and asked me if I had heard anything about a disaster involving 200,000 people in Ontario. An elderly man had just said something to her about it.
Holy moley. I'm pretty certain that I would have heard about something like this!
Even if I had never turned on the TV or radio I would certainly have heard something through Twitter or Facebook.
I had not heard of any disaster of this magnitude.

A couple of minutes later this gentleman came into the room and told us that 200,000 people were watching a football game and were sucked up into the sky to their deaths.
He then said something about a bus with thousands of people that was destroyed.
Then he said "I'll show you the paper. Hold on." and scurried out of the room.

When he returned he held up the front page of the Daily Gleaner.
He pointed to a photo of Prime Minister Stephen Harper touring the destruction at Slave Lake with the Mayor.
I started to say something about the fire at Slave Lake, Alberta but he interrupted me and pointed to the remains of a building in the photo and said that was where the 200,000 people had been watching the football game when they were killed.

The entire time this fellow was speaking it was in such an urgent and distressed way as if he had witnessed something terrifying.

Then he sat down on the couch beside my son.
He told us that from the morning to the evening yesterday he couldn't bear to watch the TV anymore from the terrible things that he was seeing. Then he covered his face with his hands.

I confess that at there was a moment that I felt some amusement listening to this man since I knew that what he was saying wasn't true.
If it had been real it would certainly have been horrific.

But here's the thing.
To this elderly man, I think that it WAS real.

I think that he had heard about the news items such as what I mentioned above and his brain put them together into an event of death and destruction like no other.

His tone of urgency and sorrow convinced me that he really believed that what he spoke of had actually transpired.
I don't think that anyone could convince him otherwise.

Perhaps he is like that all of the time? Maybe it was the first time that this had happened to him?

I don't know but it did not appear that anyone in the place was concerned about it.


On the way to the van I told Cheryl how sad it was that if the mind creates another reality why does it have to be such an awful one?
Why not something happy and peaceful? That would be so much better, wouldn't it?


As I write this I feel more sadness for this man than I did yesterday.

I'm hoping that when he opened today's paper he found some good news.

Stay well,
Tim

Water you looking at?

Hello again. This one is one of my "political" blogs but it's actually pretty interesting if you stay with me and follow along.
As some of you know the Village Council of New Maryland presented our annual budget Wednesday night in our regular Council meeting at the Village Council chambers.
It was read by Councillor Scott Sparks who chairs the Finance Committee who did a great job. Scott usually does.
The gist of the budgets is to officially provide details publicly of the municipality's capital and operating costs as well the tax rate that will be charged to the residents. Information of the New Maryland budgets is available here http://www.vonm.ca/mayorandcouncil/budget/ . The new budget hasn't been posted yet but will be shortly.
Also included in the budget, which I am directing this blog at, is the rates which will be charged to the Village residents that are connected to the Village water and sanitary sewage system.
This falls under my care as I am the Chair of the Water and Wastewater Committee.
Our committee is charged with the task of beating about figures in order to come up with rates that are fair to the users and are sufficient to cover all operating costs associated with these systems. We are not allowed to operate under a deficit situation.
New Maryland is unique in that not all residents are connected to the municipal water supply.
It's slightly higher than one third of the Village's households that are.
The difficulty that this presents is that any and all costs associated with the water system must be paid by those that are on it and not by the other residents who are still on their own wells. (I am on my own well.)
Over the last couple of years the Village has undertaken the task of installing water meters on the properties connected to the system.
There were a few reasons for doing this but the two major reasons were
1. to provide an incentive for the municipal system users to reduce water consumption and conserve where possible and not be wasteful and
2. to make those users that choose to use excess water pay for doing this.

It's not very fair that a household with one or two people should pay the same amount for their water as a household with ten people in it, is it?
At the end of 2008 the majority of the homes getting meters had them installed.
The Water and Wastewater Committee, Council and Village staff then needed to figure out what amount per cubic metre to charge in order to cover the operating costs of the system and allow those reducing water consumption to realize a savings.
In order to do this we needed to gather historical data of the water consumption and calculate from there.
Unfortunately there was not very much historical data available at the end of 2008 to work with. Even so, we did our best and came up with what we believed would work.
I'm not going to rehash the fun of last year when there were differing opinions of what the rates should be. It was done and we did as well as could be expected.
One would think that by the end of 2009 it would be pretty easy to work out the rate for 2010 with a whole year of data available to us.
Almost easy.
A couple of things arose which we felt needed to be taken into consideration.
What about a household which uses absolutely no water over a certain period of time? An example of this would be residents that travel south during winter months.
Currently the only thing they would be required to pay would be the $5 per quarter fee for the actual meter. (This amount is to reserve funds for replacement of the meter at the end of its lifecycle.) Everyone pays that who has a Village meter.
But what about the costs of the system itself? Even though one household may not use water in a given period the costs to operate the system continue in order for the system to still be there for when this household does use it again.
You have no idea how tricky this process was! There were many things to consider and we knew that whatever we came up with had to be totally fair for those who chose to do their civic duty and conserve water.
I'll make this long story shorter here.
My committee with help from Village staff worked tirelessly through several meetings and worked out an amount to recommend to Council for the 2010 water rate.
There was a little back and forth corresponding between Council and the committee but in the end we did it.
I felt pretty darn good about it too. In my mind I am convinced that the new rate is completely fair and will enable the system to operate soundly.
Those who choose to conserve and reduce water consumption will be rewarded accordingly by realizing a savings in their water bill.
The 2010 water rate was set and announced on Wednesday night as part of the budget. This was followed by a motion presented by me to amend By-law No. 40-01-2009 Water Rates and Sewer Rentals By-law to reflect the new rate. This rate is to take effect on January 1, 2010.

I'd like to detail this just a little.

Prior to the new rate taking effect, users of the municipal water system in New Maryland are being charged $1.60 per cubic metre of water metered. In addition there is a charge of $5 per quarter for the meter itself as I mentioned above.
As of January 1, 2010 the water rate will become $1.30 per cubic metre of water as well as a flat fee of $35 per quarter (to allow for all users to contribute to the system's operating costs).
The charge of $5 per quarter for the meter remains in place.
In reality the new water rate is less than the current one.


I would like to use a scenario to illustrate.


Let's take an example of a household which which uses 250 cubic metres of water in a quarter (three month period).

At the present rate of $1.60 this household will pay:


250 cubic metres @ $1.60 equals $400. Adding the $5 meter fee and their charge in this quarter is $405.


The same household at the new rate of $1.30 and $35 per quarter flat fee will pay:

250 cubic metres @ $1.30 is $325. Adding the $35 flat fee and $5 meter fee this works out to a total of $365 in this quarter.

To summarize, $405 based on the current rate and $325 at the new rate as of January 1, 2010.


I am very happy with this. I was very happy with this on Wednesday night.
In my entire time as a Councillor I have never come out of a Council meeting feeling so positive and convinced that we had done a top notch job for the residents.
I truly felt great.

I'm thinking that perhaps it also had something to do with the fact that I had decided to dress nicely in my suit and festive Christmas tie for the meeting. Perhaps by dressing nicely I subconsciously created a positive vibe within me?

It was a good night.

Yesterday morning I read the Daily Gleaner article by Shawn Berry covering our budget. It's at http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/search/article/892787 and as you'll see Mr. Berry has done the professional job I have come to expect from him.
He interviewed Councillor Sparks immediately after the budget was presented and gathered additional facts and opinions right away to complement the details he already had.
This is why I have come to really admire Shawn and the work he does.


As I drove to work I listened to the news on the radio. The report spoke of the Village's new tax rate and several other details.
Then he said "residents of the Village will be paying more for water."

For crying out loud...

That's all I'll say about that.

Stay well,

Tim

But you didn't hear it from me!

I'm not saying but I'm just saying.
This is on the front page of today's Daily Gleaner.
I did speak to Mr. Berry yesterday and gave him my comment for him to use when he ran this piece.
Plus, it's been on every radio station this morning.
Geez, even Premier Graham couldn't wait until it was official before saying something!
I'm just passing along the message.
That's not really telling is it?
:)

NB Liquor makes tracks to station

Published Friday September 11th, 2009

Deal | Crown corp. says new store to be twice the size of old one on King Street A1 By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

Fredericton's historic train station is getting a new lease on life.

Better days ahead: NB Liquor is taking over the York Street Train Station, where it plans to build a liquor store.
The provincial government has given NB Liquor the OK to rent the Fredericton landmark owned by J.D. Irving Ltd."
A deal has been negotiated with JDI for NB Liquor to lease the refurbished York Street Train Station," said Fredericton-Silverwood MLA Rick Miles on Thursday.
The York Street Train Station has been a focal point of debate over heritage properties in the city. In recent years, residents have grown concerned that the roof would collapse in winter under the weight of heavy snow.
Details of the lease deal weren't available Thursday.
While a media conference is expected next week, Premier Shawn Graham let out word of the deal during a funding announcement Thursday for the Fredericton YMCA.
"We're going to be back here soon for another important announcement for a little railway station down at the bottom of the hill," he said.
Officials from J.D. Irving said they continue to pursue a development on the site that will facilitate the restoration of the train station.
"We are hopeful of good news in the near future. We are unable to comment further," said company spokesman Geoff Britt.
NB Liquor CEO Dana Clendenning confirmed there's an agreement, but he wouldn't discuss specifics, such as the price.
"The terms and conditions are still being kept confidential,'' he said. "They're not finalized. We will have a press conference next week.''
Clendenning did say the location will be run as a corporate store that will have a unique design and unique services.
He said the Crown corporation likes the location given the easy access, ample parking and the store's proximity to the downtown, residential areas and university campuses.
NB Liquor was criticized for its decision to abandon the downtown when it closed its store on King Street last year.
The new store, he said, will be about twice the size of the King Street one.
The liquor store deal, which will see the property rejuvenated, is expected to help spur commercial development on about eight acres of surrounding land, Miles said.
"It's hoped that this project will stimulate redevelopment in that area of the city," he said. "It's been eyesore for too long."With the cost of restoring the train station pegged at $2 million, J.D. Irving said it would need to redevelop the property in the context of a larger business venture.
Mayor Brad Woodside said it was time for something to get done.
"I think this is as good as it gets in terms of news for Frederictonians. I say that because we have been subjected to this eyesore for so long," Woodside said from Collingwood, Ont., where he's attending meetings of the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Woodside has been vocal about the need to do something to the property.
"I meant what I said ... People have been upset with me every time I stood up and made it an issue, but I was determined to see a resolution."
Under the Heritage Railways Stations Protection Act, the owner of a historic train station isn't obliged to fix it up, but must get a ministerial order from the federal Environment Department to alter the structure or demolish it.
The nature of the federal legislation left the city powerless to intervene, Woodside said.
"There was absolutely nothing that I could have done. If there was, I felt seriously enough that I would have taken someone to court."
Tim Scammell, president of Fredericton Friends of the Railway Inc., a community group that has pressed decision-makers to keep the station from crumbling, welcomed the news.
"I think that's absolutely wonderful. We've been waiting six long years for this," he said Thursday.
"I always said I don't care who goes in and takes care of it, as long as it's fixed. I'm glad it's going to be saved because otherwise we were heading down that track of being lost forever."
Members of Branch 4 of the Royal Canadian Legion were reportedly working on a proposal to buy the station.
The choice was logical, members said, given that the last glimpse of home for many local servicemen who served in the two world wars was the train station.
Clendenning said NB Liquor acknowledges that the station played a pivotal role in the lives of many New Brunswickers and especially those who headed off to war.
"We are discussing ways of recognizing the role that the station played in the transportation of veterans to and from the Second World War."

There.
For the record, I am totally on side with what is being discussed here and have advised all stakeholders that I am willing to be there and assist every step of the way.
A few years ago I did criticize Brad Woodside for what was (was not) going on to preserve the station but we have long since pitched tents in the same camp and gave joined forces.
But this isn't anything official!

Stay well,
Tim

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