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Hamilton Spectator
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Communication during Bocabec wildfire ‘challenging': report
An after-action report released by the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organizations said communication during the Stein Lake wildfire near Saint Andrews in 2023 was challenging. The wildfire burned more than 500 hectares, surpassing the province's 10-year average and was started by an ATV that caught fire, according to Saint Andrews fire chief Kevin Theriault. An investigation by The Courier showed that there was a failure to issue an Alert Ready during the fire. Through a Right to Information request, it was revealed that the province felt it didn't have enough information to issue the alert. 'As an aside, the Alert Ready website describes the type of alerts that should be considered for broadcasting but it does not state any criteria to do so,' an email obtained by The Courier read. 'The criteria is situation dependent and the decision made by the local government with either the RCMP and NB Emergency Measures Organization in support by sending in the Alert.' Former Mayor Brad Henderson said in interviews with The Courier that he was never contacted about issuing an Alert Ready. 'There was no official that ever called me that evening to say, 'What do you think?'' he said in an interview last year. 'I will say that when it was time to tell people to return home, I was consulted then, but the night of, there was no consultation whatsoever, as far as I know.' The new report shed a light on the issues with communication, but said overall the departmental agencies reacted well. 'In retrospect, Regional Emergency Operations Centre (REOC) should have been activated and equipped with the essential personnel to enable the better coordination of reports and situational awareness,' it said. It also spoke to confusion around the evacuation of local residents, which was made by the local fire department. 'There was confusion regarding the evacuation of the rural area of Bocabec. The first responders on scene made the decision to ask the local community to voluntarily evacuate their homes given the immediacy of the wildfire and the time available for action,' the report said. 'Justice and Public Safety (JPS) was not asked to declare a State of Emergency (SOE), thus there was some confusion amongst the supporting groups regarding how to act. It is recommended that all rural districts be informed on the process requesting a SOE declaration.' It said the timeliness and accuracy of the information being shared between the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre and the department, agencies and other organizations 'varied' at times. 'Clear lines of communications, standardized formats for reports and returns, and time limitations for briefing should be developed and implemented to enhance communications,' the report said. No one from the department was available for an interview, but in a statement it said the wildfire presented some challenges for responding, coordinating, and supporting organizations. 'The response was successful, but the participants did learn how to further improve actions regarding response, communications and preparedness,' it said in the statement. All but one of the recommendations have been completed, it said in the statement. The recommendations largely centred around the communication during the wildfire, response and preparedness, with 12 in total. It indicated a need for more specific information and communication between departments needed to improve, including within reports but also formalizing plans to improve the deployment of local emergency operations centres. At least one said Horizon Health only learned of the wildfire through social media 'by a local town official.' Several recommendations described the communication as 'varied, inconsistent and unclear,' especially with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. It said 'road closures and traffic control was not effective,' recommending it review and revise provincial processes and procedures for traffic control as required. The report outlined issues with coordination at the reception centre and the Canadian Red Cross (CRC). 'There was no designated point of contact other than the Reception Centre where evacuees could seek assistance or ask questions,' it said. Recommending it 'readily consider CRC Call Centre activation in conjunction with CRC Reception Centre activation to improve public information.' It said 'information flow between PEOC and Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development (DNRED) appears to be ad hoc with minimal consistency.' Further recommendations dealt with issuing a state of emergency, it said there was confusion over the evacuation of residents and whether an SOE had been declared. 'Readily consider a SOE declaration for rural district response operations. Improve the planning and coordination of evacuation orders,' the recommendation read. It said there was confusion over road closures, where resources were during the wildfire, and updating NB511, which shows various road closures. The report indicated it was difficult to get information out to the public. 'The evacuation order was unclear at times if it was signed or not. No information was communicated to the first responders when residents were allowed to return to their residences. DNRED does not have authority to issue evacuation orders,' it said. It also spoke to radio compatibility issues with the radios. According to the report and the department, all those recommendations have been completed. It doesn't indicate when in the time since 2023 those were finished. Only one remains outstanding, scheduled for completion this month, related to the Office of the Fire Marshal. 'There was no formal policy to mobilize the volunteer fire department to assist in tasks outside of regional associations,' the report read. Recommending, the 'Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) will formalize Structural Protection Units (SPU) Program with DNRED, including agreements with two regional firefighter associations SPU trailer acquisition, and interface training for firefighters.' The final recommendation is slated to be finished July 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? 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CTV News
09-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
New environmental study delays final decision on Saint Andrews, N.B., wharf
A final decision on refurbishing the town wharf in Saint Andrews, N.B., has been delayed until later this summer following the addition of a new environmental impact assessment. The $25,000 coastal study by GEMTEC will investigate how a refurbished wharf might impact the town's Market Wharf and Market Square shoreline areas, as well as water quality and sedimentation in Saint Andrews Harbour. The GEMTEC study will take about two months to complete. Town officials had initially planned for the $7-million wharf refurbishment – a hybrid project using both steel and infill – to be listed for tender before the start of this summer. In January 2024, town council approved the refurbishment's infill/steel plan out of a total of five options presented in public consultations. Outgoing mayor Brad Henderson said the GEMTEC study was a compromise to address concerns about the refurbishment, while keeping it on track. 'It also gives us a path forward where we aren't gambling with $5.4 million,' said Henderson, regarding a deadline for government funding. 'We all know we're running out of time with this funding.' Resident Cindy Kohler said she was happy concerns about the project were being studied ahead of a final decision. 'It would've been a nice thing to start with, but it's nice that it's being done now,' said Kohler, who owns a storefront on Water Street, near the wharf. 'There could be things that have been overlooked, or much more negative impacts than we've anticipated.' Wharf People walk on Market Wharf in Saint Andrews, N.B. (Source: Nick Moore/CTV News Atlantic) For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
06-05-2025
- CTV News
Saint Andrews, N.B., raises concerns about power outages caused by wildlife
Saint Andrews, N.B., is raising concerns about the upcoming tourism season following a power outage caused by wildlife last weekend and a string of unplanned outages related to ospreys and squirrels last year. The latest outage on Sunday began around 11:30 a.m. and lasted three hours, affecting about 2,200 NB Power customers in the Saint Andrews area. NB Power says the outage was caused by wildlife damaging equipment. Saint Andrews Mayor Brad Henderson says a squirrel has been linked to Sunday's outage – the same animal responsible for a power outage last July 1 during the height of Canada Day celebrations in the seaside town. 'It's a serious matter,' says Henderson. 'It cost this community hundreds of thousands of dollars last year in power outages, and we can't have that happen again. 'The concern is, despite how we met with NB Power, we put some solutions in place, we talked about what was happening… the concern is that although we had a break from it, this could be the start of maybe more.' Henderson says last year's wildlife-related power outages began to intensify around this time last year, with ospreys behind most of the incidents. Last year, NB Power reported as many as 15 'blue sky' outages in the Saint Andrews area that were unexpected and unrelated to weather. Some of the unexpected outages were caused by fallen trees and a vehicle collision; most were caused by wildlife. Carolyn Comeau, the owner of a pizzeria in downtown Saint Andrews, says her initial thought once Sunday's unexpected outage began was, 'I wonder if they're practicing for Canada Day.' Comeau says the Canada Day power failure was particularly frustrating because it's traditionally the town's busiest day of the year for tourists. An estimated 10,000 people were in downtown Saint Andrews last Canada Day when the power outage began, forcing several businesses to close. 'All the money that we spent to get ready for Canada Day just kind of went out the window,' says Comeau, who estimated a one-day loss of at least $7,000. NB Power says $60 million has been spent in recent years to upgrade power infrastructure in the Saint Andrews area, adding the utility has regulatory limits on what it can do to remove protected wildlife (including ospreys, who build nests on power infrastructure). Saint Andrews Saint Andrews, N.B., had a power outage last weekend. (Source: Nick Moore/CTV News Atlantic) For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
