Latest news with #UNB
CBC
5 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Free legal advice for tenants available at summer clinics across N.B.
Social Sharing As director of the University of New Brunswick's legal clinic, Jeannette Savoie says some of the most common legal questions she's asked are about how the province's rent cap works. Among the questions: Is the cap mandatory? What if a landlord raises rent more than three per cent? "A lot of time, when we answer questions for people, it's like, 'Huh, I didn't know I could do that.'" Savoie said she has seen even the most experienced renters taken advantage of by landlords, or paying unnecessary fees because of a lack of understanding of how rental laws work. For instance, she said, many people don't know there are costly consequences for improperly notifying a landlord of a lease termination. "I've seen people leave their tenancy without giving notice and then end up getting charged a fee or three months rent." She said a lack of knowledge about legal evictions is also common. "Tenants will come to us and ask questions, 'My landlord slid a note under the door saying I am evicted a certain day. Is that legal?' Well, no, it isn't." It's why she and several UNB law students have partnered with Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick on a tour of the province, answering questions about issues such as evictions, unit repairs, having pets in apartments and other common concerns. "It makes a huge difference," said Amber Chisholm, associate director of the legal education service said. "Being well-informed in a situation of crisis or stress can really help somebody make strategic decisions about their situation and also make decisions that are actually going to be effective for them." The clinics offer free, 30-minute sessions with a law student, who provides summary legal advice, and are supervised by a practising lawyer. The clinics are now underway in northern areas of the province and are scheduled to make stops in the south, ending in Saint John on July 21. Chisholm said the clinics can enable tenants to get legal advice early on during a tenancy to help them gain negotiating power with landlords and to avoid conflict before it escalates further. "Especially with tenants, there is often a sense of a power imbalance or a sense of urgency involved with kinds of legal problems that are affecting somebody's housing." Bridging a gap in rural areas with little pro-bono services Savoie said the clinics were strategically scheduled in areas where New Brunswickers can't easily access free legal help. "If I look at New Brunswick, the northeast probably has the least access to the services that you could find in Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John … just because of the rurality of everything," she said. Most of the pop-up clinics are located in areas that are open to the public, such as community centres and libraries. Nichola Taylor, chair of ACORN's New Brunswick chapter, said legal clinics like these are also crucial for renters with low to moderate income who might not be able to afford someone who can advocate on their behalf during a legal crisis. "There's no one there really to help them," Taylor said. "I'm sure often they feel like they're forgotten." Taylor said newcomers and other first-time renters should inform themselves about tenants regulations that are specific to the province -- but that can be difficult. "If you're a newcomer who may have a language barrier, for example, that's even harder to do," she said. While Chisholm said the clinics don't have official translators on site, they do offer services in English and French. She recommends people who might need assistance in another language bring someone who can help facilitate the conversation between them and the law student. To Savoie, helping tenants become empowered through these clinics is rewarding for her students. "They're there because they want to make a difference, and I think it all comes down to that." The next sessions are happening on Tuesday in Shippagan, and will travel through Tracadie, Campbellton, Bathurst, Miramichi, Edmundston, Woodstock and end at Saint John on July 21. A full schedule of the clinics is available here. As for the two commonly asked questions Chisholm referred to, she said landlords are obligated to comply with the cap in place in New Brunswick that makes it illegal to raise rent prices higher than three per cent per year. Tenants can file a request for assistance with the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office within 60 days of receiving a notice of a rent increase that does not comply with the rent cap, she said. Landlords can defend themselves before the office to justify the need for a greater increase.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Moncton Wildcats coach Gardiner MacDougall seeks yet another trophy at Memorial Cup
One thing is crystal clear when you look at Gardiner MacDougall's coaching career: he's a winner. The former University of New Brunswick coach racked up more than 700 varsity wins and nine Canadian titles. He's also a Memorial Cup winner and a gold medallist on the international stage. In just the past 14 months, he's guided UNB to a national title with a perfect 43-0 record and helped Canada's under-18 team capture gold. And in his first season behind Moncton's bench, MacDougall led the Wildcats to a Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League championship. Now he's seeking another Memorial Cup triumph. 'There's been a lot of positive things,' he said. 'I just hope there's something left in the back pocket for this series coming up.' The Wildcats play their first game at the top Canadian junior hockey tournament Saturday against the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights in Rimouski, Que. The tournament's round-robin began Friday with the host Oceanic facing the Western Hockey League champion Medicine Hat Tigers. MacDougall arrived in Moncton one year ago after 24 sparkling seasons with the UNB Reds, where he recorded the most regular-season wins in Canadian men's university hockey. When the 65-year-old from Bedeque, P.E.I., took over at UNB in 2000, he said it felt like the big leagues. 'And for 24 years it was. It was just a dream come true for me,' he said. 'And when I took the job in Moncton last spring, I said, 'This is my new NHL.' When you walk in the arena and our facilities in Moncton, it's a mini-NHL, it's spectacular.' The Moncton job also gave him a chance to team up with his son, Taylor MacDougall, who joined the Wildcats as general manager. Together, they hit the ground running in Moncton. A well-rounded team headlined by NHL draft prospect Caleb Desnoyers, the Wildcats paced the QMJHL with a 53-9-2 regular-season record in their first season under the MacDougalls. Then came a 16-3 run in the playoffs en route to the league title, Moncton's first since 2010, marking a special moment for the father and son duo. 'It's one of those exhilarating lifetime moments,' Gardiner MacDougall said. He describes his team's playing style as 'fast and faster.' 'We want to be fast with the puck, either passing it or skating it,' he said. 'When we don't have it, we want to be faster to get it back.' Off the ice, Taylor MacDougall said his father is a master of getting players to buy in. 'He's just so passionate,' said Taylor MacDougall, who played five seasons at UNB. 'He's got so much enthusiasm that I think it's contagious.' Dyllan Gill, a New Brunswick-born defenceman who joined the Wildcats midway through this season, was well aware of Gardiner MacDougall's legend in the province when he arrived in Moncton. Growing up, Gill attended UNB hockey camps in Fredericton. His father once told MacDougall he wanted his son to play for the Reds — a moment the coach still remembered years later. 'That was one of the first things that he brought up to me,' Gill said. 'He takes so much pride in remembering everything about little details from all these little kids and all these camps. 'That's what makes him such a special person.' MacDougall also has a reputation for his catchphrases. 'Just getting started' — or 'JGS' for short — is one common refrain. When MacDougall led the host Saint John Sea Dogs to the Memorial Cup as a pinch-hitter coach in 2022, he often thanked a figurative force called 'Lady Mo' — short for momentum. 'We all have special ladies in our lives, grandmothers, our mothers, our wives,' he said during that tournament's round-robin. 'But the key to success tonight was a lady called Lady Mo — Miss Lady Momentum. 'Sometimes she's hard to find. You don't know how long she's going to stay with you. We're lucky tonight that we found her and she stayed with us for a while.' The question now is whether she can find her way from Saint John to Rimouski. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'Let's hope she can travel, and hopefully she finds the right bench here,' he said. MacDougall's success has some saying he should coach Canada at the world juniors after the program's back-to-back quarterfinal exits. There are also rumblings that NHL teams are taking notice. Those opportunities may loom, but for now, MacDougall's sights are set on just getting another win. 'Our goal is to be the best we can on the opening shift on Saturday night,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
India.com
21-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Italy's PM Georgia Meloni can visit India's neighboring Muslim country... it is not Pakistan
Italy's PM Georgia Meloni can visit India's neighboring Muslim country... it is not Pakistan Italian Prime Minister Giordano Meloni may make an official visit to Bangladesh in the last week of August. Her visit will take place a few days after French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly refused to meet Bangladesh government's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus. It is being said that Bangladesh and Italy are considering more cooperation in key areas to strengthen relations. High-level meetings are being held between officials of both countries to prepare for Meloni's visit. Preparations continue for Meloni's Bangladesh visit Officials from both sides are now finalising things to make the visit a success, reports UNB. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who visited Bangladesh earlier this month, told Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus that Italy is ready to hire more people from Bangladesh and will take steps to ensure safe migration from the country. Italy's Home Minister confirmed the visit Matteo told the chief adviser that Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni may visit Bangladesh sometime before September as Rome is keen to 'renew' and 'restart' its bilateral cooperation with Dhaka, the officials said. The chief adviser said Bangladesh is eager to work with Italy to prevent illegal migration and human trafficking. 'Bangladeshis living in Italy are very grateful to the host country and appreciate the way they are treated in Italy,' Muhammad Yunus said. Meloni and Yunus met in September 2024 In September last year, during the High-Level Week of the 79th UN General Assembly, the President of the Council of Ministers, Giordano Meloni, met with Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. During the meeting, Meloni expressed Italy's support for the reform process in Bangladesh and its main goal of improving the social and economic conditions of the population. The meeting also discussed migration, expressing the intention to strengthen cooperation on this issue.
Ottawa Citizen
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Headrick heads East: Garden River forward commits to UNB Reds
Mya Headrick of Garden River First Nation is taking the next stride in her hockey and academic career—committing to the University of New Brunswick for the 2025-2026 women's hockey season. Article content The 20-year-old forward, who spent the past three years playing NCAA Division I hockey at Bemidji State University in Minnesota, is following in the footsteps of her biggest inspiration, her older sister, who spent two seasons at the Fredericton university. Article content Article content Mya is currently studying kinesiology, with hopes of going to medical school to become a doctor. She told the Sault Star she thinks that going to UNB will support her aspirations in hockey and academics. Article content Article content But, no matter how far Mya's hockey career takes her from Garden River, her ultimate goal is to return to her community. Article content 'If I do end up getting into med school, I'd want to come back and give back to my community, make it more accessible,' said Mya. Her 'big picture goal' is to open a doctor's office in Garden River. Article content Her path has taken her from Northern Ontario to Toronto, the U.S., and now the Maritimes. At just 14, she moved from Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury to join a travel team and gain more game experience. She later played for the Etobicoke Junior Dolphins, helping them win Ontario's Provincial Women's Hockey League title in 2022, then earned gold with Team Ontario U16 at the 2018 Ontario Summer Games. Article content In Grade 11, she committed to Bemidji State University (NCAA Div. 1), where she has played for the last three years. Article content Article content This past season, Headrick scored one goal and one assist as the Beavers went 6-30-1 (W-L-T) in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Article content The year prior, she served as one of the Beavers' alternate captains and was named to the WCHA's All-Academic Team for a second straight season. Article content Mya describes herself on the ice as a power forward who goes to the hard areas and can score goals. Article content 'I always give my 110%. I'm a very hard worker. I'm very dedicated and passionate. I also think I bring a good, positive attitude, and I'm a pretty good teammate,' said Mya. Article content Moving away at a young age was the catalyst to Mya's success, but also her biggest challenge. Article content 'I had a dream, and that's what had to be done,' said Mya about leaving her friends and family in Garden River and Sault Ste. Marie to pursue hockey at a higher level. Article content Now, Mya looks to the East Coast of Canada to see what she can accomplish next. Article content 'I just felt like UNB was the right fit for me,' she said. 'It's a great academic school. I'm studying kinesiology and I want to go to med school in the future. I think it's a better fit for me to increase my odds of getting in.'
Forbes
23-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Corruption In Ukraine Spells Potential Trouble For Post-War Economic Rebuilding
Ever since the relationship between former President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, and a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma became public, Ukrainian energy companies have been in the public eye. That remains the case, as the Trump Administration and Ukraine work to finalize a framework agreement where US companies could invest in Ukrainian resources and minerals. This appears to be for the purpose of funding potential reconstruction following the war with Russia. A problem has arisen, however, which appears to show that the Ukrainian government may be seizing assets unlawfully from privately owned companies in Ukraine's gas, oil and minerals sectors for the benefit of the Kyiv central government and certain well-connected individuals. If true, this move could lead to years of court litigation, inhibit future private investment in Ukraine, and limit the nation's ability to produce energy when it is most needed. Among the companies targeted by the Ukrainian state are Enwell Energy, a public company traded on the London Stock Exchange, and Ukrnaftaburinnya (UNB). Since 2022, the Ukrainian government has proceeded systematically to expropriate the assets of these companies, diminishing the interests of private investors, and, in the end, decreasing the amount of energy actually produced. According to Forbes Ukraine, UNB was, at one time, one of the three largest privately owned producers of oil and gas in Ukraine. It was developing the largest field in Ukraine, known as the Sakhalin Gas Condensate Field (no relation to Russia's Sakhalin Island in the Pacific Ocean). By the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022, Sakhalin was responsible for 5% of total Ukrainian natural gas production. Then the trouble started. In 2023, the Ukrainian government began making moves to seize UNB, starting with a seizure of a stake in UNB by a Kyiv Court in 2023, under the claim that UNB was a material witness in a case to which it was not a party. By 2024, the government had replaced the management of the company, placed UNB entirely under state control, held corporate meetings to pass resolutions changing the composition of the company, amended the company's charter, and distributed over $20M of the company's assets as dividends that ended up in Ukrainian state coffers. The original management and shareholders in UNB had no say in these affairs. UNB's shareholders refused to go quietly. To date they have filed approximately twenty litigations in the Ukrainian courts, but few have confidence in the independence of the Ukrainian judiciary, which is moving very slowly on these cases. Shareholders of UNB have told Forbes they have approached international law firms about filing lawsuits seeking over $1B in compensation. Andriy Pasishnyk, CEO of JKX Oil and Gas Group, a British-owned private player in Ukrainian oil and gas, told Forbes that 'unfortunately, as of today, the courts are in no hurry to take a stance in favor of justice and the rule of law, given the administrative pressure exerted by interested parties within the state authorities. New laws were retrospectively created, and artificial justifications for nationalization were invented to legitimize the process. This is not a matter of state policy – it is outright plunder, disguised under lofty slogans.' Oleksy Goncharenko, a member of the Budget Committee of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, confirmed that corruption remains a serious problem in Ukraine and is not limited to energy. 'Partly,' he notes, 'some confiscations are justified because they were the property of Russian oligarchs...,' but this can extend beyond the property of such oligarchs, making it a very big national problem. Further evidence of Mr. Goncharenko's concern is the story of Smart Energy, also one of the top private oil and gas businesses in Ukraine, whose two production companies, UGV and Enwell Energy, saw their production halted last year. Enwell Energy, a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange, shuttered its Ukrainian operations in November 2024 after the Ukrainian government suspended its subsoil licenses by imposing sanctions on certain shareholders. At first, the national security council sanctioned Vadim Novinsky, who has ties to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which the Ukrainian government claims is controlled by Moscow. As Novinsky had transferred his assets to a trust, they also sanctioned the Cypriot-based trustees. Enwell's licenses now have been suspended for ten years, forcing the company to mothball its gas wells. Ivan Gerasymovich, CEO of Smart Holding, said the following when interviewed by Forbes: 'We have repeatedly offered the authorities mechanisms to unblock the assets (without lifting sanctions) while preserving national security interests, which would allow us to resume operations and gas production, as well as prevent job losses. …However, for reasons that are completely unclear, the government is ignoring the business's request and is in no hurry to resume operations.' As all of this is happening, Ukraine's energy issues are becoming more acute. With Russia continuing to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the actions against private energy companies seem irrational. Overall, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe, Ukraine's natural gas storage has fallen to only 12% of its capacity, compared to 56% for the rest of Europe. Taking steps against one's own energy industry at a time of existential peril seems unusual, but it raises the legitimate question of whether corruption in Ukraine is so endemic that it threatens the future of the state itself. JKX Oil and Gas Group, announced in February that it was being raided by law enforcement officers and was targeted by a defamation campaign in Ukraine aiming to create legal grounds for initiating a criminal investigation. Searches without court warrants were conducted at the offices of its subsidiary. Poltava Petroleum Company, and the homes of its senior executives, some of whom are citizens of the United States. Energy is not the only area where corruption threatens the stability of Ukraine. Currently, there is confusion about the status of American military aid to that country, which apparently totals approximately $177B since the start of the 2022 Russian war. Mr. Goncharenko, however, strongly disputes the claim that any military assistance has been misused or lost. All of this is properly accounted for, he insists. Regardless of whether or not huge sums of American aid are missing, the reputation of Ukraine as a country rife with corruption, evidenced by its moves against its own energy sector, absolutely hurts the investment climate. This is at a time when Ukraine needs all of the foreign investment it can get. If the Zelensky government cannot convince investors that their money is safe, Ukraine's troubles may only be beginning.
