Latest news with #KateRogers
CTV News
5 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Fredericton adds 14 security cameras as part of additional community safety measures
The City of Fredericton has appointed an oversight committee to ensure accountability and action on the recently unveiled recommendations in a Community Safey Task Force report. The updates, presented during the City's Committee on Public Safety Thursday afternoon, include the appointment of the oversight committee. The initiative checks off the top recommendation of the Task Force's report. The goal of the task force is to improve community safety in Fredericton by bringing together relevant stakeholders to look at areas like justice, policing, mental health, addictions, and homelessness. The seven-member oversight committee includes officials from both municipal and provincial levels of government, Mayor Kate Rogers, Fredericton Police Chief Gary Forward, and Fredericton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Morgan Peters. The group will work on creating action plans and provide quarterly updates on progress to council through the Public Safety Committee. Other measures include the installation of 14 additional security cameras around the city, bringing the overall total to 42 cameras around Fredericton. The new cameras will be put at various high schools, the northside trail and crosstown trail, the Victoria Circle Roundabout, and in business districts. Locations were chosen based on crime trends as well as the input of the community and police force. The Fredericton Police Force is also hoping to extend the Community Engagement Unit (CEU) beyond its six-month pilot period due to its success. The force is seeking an extension from the unit until the end of 2025. The CEU was launched in February and is staffed by six retired officers who prioritized non-emergency calls like theft, mischief, and overall public assistance. Between Feb. 3 and May 28, the CEU handled 523 lower-priority calls, freeing up frontline officers for an estimated 1,046 service hours. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Free transit offered in New Brunswick Wednesday for Clean Air Day
Transit will be free in New Brunswick's three largest cities Wednesday as part of Clean Air Day. New Brunswick's three largest cities are offering free transit Wednesday to mark Clean Air Day. Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John will offer free public transit all day. Saint John Transit bus A Saint John Transit bus is pictured outside City Hall. (Source: Avery MacRae/CTV News Atlantic) Clean Air Day is an annual event highlighting the importance of air quality and its connection to health, climate, and communities. 'Clean air supports healthy lungs, healthy hearts, and a healthy climate,' said Melanie Langille, president and CEO of NB Lung. 'We're thrilled to see our cities stepping up with free public transit to support both individual well-being and broader environmental goals.' 'Clean Air Day reminds us that we must work together to take care of our planet to mitigate the impacts of climate change for future generations' added Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers. 'The City of Fredericton is thrilled to once again be offering free transit to encourage the community to explore public and active transportation options that reduce emissions and ensure clean air for all.' NB Lung has shipped Clean Air Day event planning kits to libraries across the province as part of the celebrations. They include an event planning guide and items to help raise awareness among children and families about the value of clean air. The association says this year's Clean Air Day comes at a critical time, as smoke from wildfires in western Canada is expected to move through New Brunswick this week. Masks are available to the public year-round through NB Lung's office and its online shop. 'Wildfire smoke affects everyone, but especially children, seniors, and people living with respiratory or heart conditions,' said Langille. 'Clean Air Day is a perfect reminder that we must protect and value clean air, now more than ever.' For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Fredericton safety task force calls for increased police presence in business districts
Fredericton's Community Safety Task Force is calling for an increased police presence in the city's business districts and for a dedicated petty crime unit. Last December, the Fredericton City Council created the task force, which consists of Mayor Kate Rogers, former MP Jenica Atwin, Police Chief Gary Forward, Dr. Heather Logan with Horizon Health, Morgan Peters from the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, Marcel LeBrun from 12 Neighbours Community and more. The goal of the task force is to provide recommendations to city council on actions it can take to improve community safety. The group released its report on Tuesday. The goal of the task force is to provide recommendations to city council on actions it can take to improve community safety. The group released its report on Tuesday. 'Discovered through the work of the Task Force was that, while everyone was well-intentioned, focus was not being adequately directed toward root causes, such as lack of adequate housing, poverty, mental health and substance use disorders,' the report reads. 'Rather, the response was being inadequately concentrated on outcomes, such as crime and homelessness. 'The Task Force aimed to address both the situation that the community is presently experiencing, as well as the root cause.' The task force made 47 total recommendations in its report, looking at areas of housing, access to care, the justice system, policing, crime prevention and public safety infrastructure. The group recommends an increased police and security presence in business districts, along with cameras at transit stops and improved lighting on trails and streets. It's also calling for the establishment of a dedicated unit for petty crime. Other key recommendations include: securing federal funding for security infrastructure developing a public safety camera strategy using business and residential footage enhancing neighbourhood watch programs training businesses and residents in de-escalation and safety awareness renewing a public sharps disposal program research and developing a prolific offender strategy expanding mental health courts provincewide exploring bail reforms for repeat offenders increasing mental health and addiction support services in correctional facilities creating a 24/7 mobile outreach unit expanding detox and rehab bed availability facilitating the construction of 200 ultra-low barrier transitional housing units providing funding for 12 Neighbours Courtyard concept 'In the absence of the type of forward momentum suggested in the recommendations, society will increasingly rely on existing systems to survive and function, leading to higher crime rates and incarceration,' the report reads. 'Youth criminal activities will rise, there will be increased demand for emergency services, and government and police will continue to be reactive. Burnout will occur for those working with this population and the community's sense of safety will continue to erode, increasing the risk of vigilantism. 'In looking at the costs associated with any of these recommendations, we must consider the cost of doing nothing, including both the financial costs and the mental and emotional toll on individuals.' More to come… View of Fredericton Fredericton's Community Safety Task released a report on Tuesday. (Source: Facebook/City of Fredericton Government) For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CBC
03-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Fredericton's College Hill area could see 6-storey apartments under proposed changes
The City of Fredericton wants to make it easier to build taller, denser buildings to help alleviate the housing crunch for university and college students. City hall is proposing changes that would allow developers to construct apartment buildings as high as six storeys in parts of the College Hill neighbourhood, currently reserved for single detached homes. The changes are being made to encourage the construction of more off-campus student housing, and to meet obligations under an agreement the city signed with Ottawa to receive $10 million as part of the Housing Accelerator Fund. "With the vacancy rate less than one per cent … anyone looking for rental units is impacted, but we're certainly seeing it in the student population that wants to be close to campus," said Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers. Speaking to councillors at a recent committee meeting, senior city planner Frederick Van Rooyen said development in the area has been dictated for the past 30 years by a plan that has become "quite outdated." Adopted in 1994, the College Hill secondary municipal plan sought to address neighbourhood concerns about non-owner-occupied homes and significantly restricted permitted uses for properties in that area. The area it governs includes properties within the boundaries of Beaverbrook, Windsor, Montgomery and Regent streets, consisting mostly of single and two-unit detached homes. Van Rooyen said the neighbourhood has seen an 18 per cent growth in population, but the current planning guidelines limit the neighbourhood's ability to accommodate it. "So you have a policy area that doesn't really permit any intensification, yet the area grew 18 per cent," Van Rooyen said. The proposed plan involves repealing the College Hill Secondary Municipal Plan, and changing the zoning of properties to allow the construction of multi-unit buildings. The plan would see the largest buildings allowed on properties on Graham Avenue and Windsor Street between Beaverbrook Street and Kings College Road. On that block, properties would be rezoned to MR-4, which allows buildings of up to six storeys with a maximum 100 units per hectare. Properties on other streets, like the eastern sides of Regent and Windsor streets between Kings College Road and Montgomery Street, would be rezoned to MR-2, which allows for buildings up to four storeys with a maximum of 62 units per hectare. Properties on the western side of Graham Avenue and Windsor Street, as well as the northern side of Montgomery Street, would be rezoned R-5, which allows semi-detached and townhouses. "What's really important is to recognize that this sets the stage to meet those conditions for allowing that intensification similar to the four units [zoning changes]," Van-Rooyen said. "This would be very gradual and really require a substantial lot consolidation to actually come to fruition." Off-campus housing scarce, expensive, says student Camila Baquerizo Bayona knows first-hand how difficult it can be to secure off-campus housing in College Hill, and how expensive it can be. The St. Thomas University student lived on campus in her first two years, and last fall moved into the basement unit of a duplex with three roommates. She said securing the lease felt like a contest pitting her against several other students, all looking to convince the landlord they were the best, most reliable tenants. Then there was the price — about $790 for each of the four roommates. "It's a good price for being right next to university, or at least that's what I'm trying to tell myself," she said. Baquerizo Bayona said she's hopeful the city's changes will result in more off-campus housing near the university campuses. But she said the question outstanding will be whether the units in new buildings will be affordable for students. "Yes, everything on paper sounds fantastic," she said. "It always comes down on how much you actually need to pay for it. "And just to also remember that students are not only paying for housing. Some of them paying for tuition and some of them are paying for, well food and a lot of other things that they need to pay, so... it's not an easy job to keep a balance of all of it." Public consultation coming In April, Fredericton council approved changes to the zoning bylaw to allow homes across the city to accommodate up to four units — a change the city agreed to make in exchange for $10 million under Ottawa's Housing Accelerator Fund. The changes proved controversial with the public, and were met with dozens of letters of opposition and jeering from an audience of residents toward a councillor who spoke in favour of the amendments. Rogers didn't say whether she's expecting opposition to the latest planned changes but encouraged residents of the neighbourhood to attend an information session the city is holding next Tuesday. "I hope people see that they can be, be part of coming up with the ideas and the solutions to delivering more housing," Rogers said. The session will be held at Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne's Beausoleil Room at 5:30 p.m., and the proposed changes will go before council for first consideration on June 9.
