Is this microphone on? 2 broadcast pioneers remember when CBC Fredericton flipped the switch
Ross Ingram, Joe Wood were there at the beginning, when CBC Radio went live in the capital city
Sixty years ago, in a small spot out of the old Risteen building in downtown Fredericton, Ross Ingram was the first person to speak live on air at CBZ — the CBC station established in Fredericton in 1964.
"I remember that up until 10 minutes before we went on the air for the first time, we didn't know [if] we were going to go on the air or not," he recalled, citing a problem surrounding permission to broadcast that he and his manager, Harold Hatheway, were waiting on.
Ingram said it was about 6:57 a.m. before Hatheway got the green light to go to air at 7 a.m.
He said the whole operation was different than the CBC people knew at that time.
"We were pioneers," Ingram said.
"I mean, we were doing things here that CBC had never done before."
Ross Ingram, left, Harold Hatheway are seen here in a March 1965 photo taken at CBZ. (Provincial Archives of New Brunswick/P14-2-8817)
Ingram said he worked 28 years with the public broadcaster, starting in Halifax in 1958.
The Fredericton station opened out of a temporary space on Queen Street while the permanent headquarters on Regent Street were being built, which the team moved into three years later.
In the beginning, the station was staffed with about 20 people, including two news reporters, six on-air announcers and four technicians.
Ingram said at first, there were some audio interference issues from another station on the dial, which had people calling the CBC for help tuning their radios.
"Some of these radios were vintage 1930, you know, and really you couldn't do much with them ... That went on for a whole year," said Ingram, until the signal was shifted.
Joe Wood was another of the first voices to air on the new station, which had the call letters CBZ.
Just 22 at the time, he hosted the local afternoon show for a while, which was only about 15 minutes long — just enough for a small newscast and two pieces of music.
When he wasn't doing that, he was out in the field with a technician and a portable tape recorder, looking for people to talk to.
Ingram, seen here seated behind a microphone in an undated photo, worked at the CBC for 28 years, starting in Halifax in 1958. (Aniekan Ehutube/CBC)
In those days, Wood said, they were on the air 24 hours a day.
"You'd start a shift at 11 o'clock at night, finish at six o'clock in the morning, go home, go to sleep, get up the next day. You do that for seven days straight, have a couple of days off, work the weekend, do a morning show on Saturday, so on and so forth. And then it was like a three-week rotation."
In 1970, Wood said Information Morning started, and there was a full team covering what was happening in the community and around the province.
'Oh, by the way, the premier hates you'
Wood said everyone who worked at the station had the desire to do the best they could, and considering the feedback they received, he believes they made an impact.
Wood said his team would sometimes interview the sitting premier, which wasn't a regular tradition at the time.
One time, after doing an interview with a political scientist, Wood was told, "Oh, by the way, the premier hates you."
Surprised, he asked why and was told the premier wasn't happy that he kept asking questions, not taking "the words of his cabinet ministers as gospel."
Wood remembers an interview he did with the minister of highways one time. He asked a question and received a response that had nothing to do with what he asked.
An article from the Daily Gleaner in 1964 shows the new staff for CBZ ahead of its debut. (CBC Archives)
"So I asked the question again. Did the same thing with a different answer. I asked the question the third time. There was dead silence," Wood said.
"He said, 'Mr. Wood, are you looking for a fight?' And I said, 'No, sir, I'm looking for an answer.' And he finally answered the question on the third time around."
The future of radio
Ingram said he's watched over the years as broadcast technology has advanced. He can remember when the CBC hired an aircraft for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth and developed the film on the way back to Halifax.
At that time, he said that was as close to live TV as possible, but now, there is around-the-clock live coverage of major events, he said, pointing to CNN's coverage of the recent hurricane in Florida.
Still, he said despite advancements, radio "is always going to be with us."
"It really doesn't take a lot of participation to listen to the radio. You can be doing your house work, you can be out in the yard mowing the lawn — you can be wherever you are now," said Ingram.
An ad in the Daily Gleaner explained how to tune into the new station and included best wishes from local companies. (CBC Archives)
Wood agrees. He retired at 55 but looking at the radio industry now, he said there is a lot of competition with the ease of getting information online and on social media.
But, he said the question is — is that information the right information?
"One thing I know about radio and television from our history, is that if it's not right, it's not getting on the air, and if it does, we apologize later," said Wood.
"So I think that radio as we know it, it may change, but I think it will go on.
"I think the future is pretty good."
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With files from Information Morning Fredericton
'We're going to move fast,' Liberal premier-designate says
Susan Holt says legislature will convene next month to act on key priorities, including nurse bonuses
New Brunswick premier-designate Susan Holt says she'll convene the new legislature before the end of November to begin moving on several of her key election promises.
Meeting her new caucus of 31 Liberal MLAs, Holt said she is already getting briefings from the civil service on several of the key issues awaiting her when she is sworn in on Nov. 2.
"We're ready to get after the work that needs to get done as a team — urgently," she said.
"We're going to move fast."
Holt revealed that she would be meeting with departing Premier Blaine Higgs on Thursday afternoon for more discussions about the transition.
Members of her team have already been meeting officials, and she said they relayed that the final meeting of Higgs's Progressive Conservative cabinet had happened Thursday morning to tie up loose ends.
Holt said she plans to act quickly on:
- Getting $10,000 nurse retention payments — the first phase of a two-year initiative — "out the door" by the end of 2024.
- "Looking to see if we can accelerate" the removal of the provincial sales tax from electricity bills, a process that would normally take until next April 1.
- Removing the tax from new construction costs to spur more housing.
- Implementing a rent cap.
- Repealing legislation that forces the Energy and Utilities Board to shift the cost of federal clean fuel regulations — 4.3 cents per litre of gasoline currently — from producers to customers.
But she said that "carbon cost adjustor" may not be completely eliminated before Christmas.
She said she would be getting briefings on "how quickly it can go and what pieces are in place."
Holt said her government would also amend Regulation 84-20, which prohibits Medicare funding of surgical abortion services outside hospitals, to make the procedure more accessible.
That change does not require legislation. It only takes a cabinet order.
Claire
Johnson, Moncton South, Alexandre Cédric Doucet, Moncton East, and John
Herron, Hampton-Fundy-St. Martins, speaking Thursday. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Broader access could include offering it in some of the 30 community care clinics the Liberals have promised to establish before 2028, she said.
Holt also pledged to quickly restart contract talks with the New Brunswick Nurses Union, whose members voted just days before the election call to reject a tentative agreement negotiated with the Higgs government.
Some newly elected members of the Liberal caucus said health care is a top issue for them and they're looking forward to contributing.
"New Brunswickers have high expectations, and they should have high expectations," said Dr. John Dornan, the former Horizon Health CEO who was elected in Saint John Portland-Simonds.
"We should be able to deliver it better. For the amount of money that New Brunswickers spend on health care, we should get better results."
Claire Johnson, a health policy researcher and expert in food insecurity at the Université de Moncton, said she wants to bring her passion for data to the table.
"We've got all this data that's supposed to be guiding our decision-making policies and the way that we govern, so that's exactly what I want to do," she said.
"That's the key, and the contribution I'd like to make."
Many of the newly elected Liberals greeted each other warmly as they gathered at a Fredericton hotel less than 72 hours after their decisive win.
The Liberals won 31 out of 49 seats on Monday with 48.2 per cent of the popular vote, the largest share since PC leader David Alward's 2010 victory.
Tania Sodhi, who defeated Ernie Steeves, the PC finance minister, by 225 votes in Moncton Northwest, called the campaign "a roller-coaster ride [with] lots of struggle.
"Everything was new for me, but we did it. I'm happy, but I'm nervous as well," she said. "I just want to make everyone proud, and I don't want to let anyone down."
Liberal
election winners Luke Randall, Fredericton North, and Tania Sodhi,
Moncton Northwest, are expected to be sworn in in November. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Sodhi, the first Indo-Canadian MLA elected in New Brunswick, said Moncton's immigrant community was rooting for her to succeed.
"They're quite proud of me, and everyone's excited and happy. Everyone's thrilled. It means a lot for them."
Holt said her team is working on making the Nov. 2 swearing-in at the legislature as open to the public as possible, raising the possibility of creating spillover viewing areas outdoors or in the nearby Fredericton Convention Centre.
She and her colleagues acknowledged the buoyant mood of this week will soon give way to the challenges of governing — though Holt said her briefings from the civil service have not included any unpleasant surprises so far.
"I say 'not yet' because we all think they're coming," she said.
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Election 'challenging' says Sask. Party's Moe, as NDP's Beck addresses her party's rural prospects
Both party leaders were in Saskatoon Saturday making final appeals to voters
Saskatchewan's 2024 provincial election campaign is close to the finish line and the leaders of the NDP and the Sask. Party are making their final appeals.
Monday is the last day of voting (polls are closed on Sunday) and Elections Saskatchewan says results deciding who will govern the province — should be out by midnight that day.
The leaders of Saskatchewan's two main parties were in Saskatoon on Saturday renewing their pitches to voters.
Speaking to reporters after a noon-hour event, Sask. Party leader Scott Moe responded to questions about recent provincial elections outside of Saskatchewan.
That includes the New Brunswick election that brought an end to six years of Progressive Conservative rule.
The Liberals won after taking 31 seats there. In B.C. the race after an election earlier this month remains too close to call and counting resumed on the weekend with NDP maintaining a narrow lead.
"I would say incumbent governments have had it tough, and that's likely the case we're having — a challenging election, I would say here in Saskatchewan. That being said, we have 61 of the finest candidates," Moe said Saturday.
He also addressed some of the unexpected issues that have popped up on the campaign trail.
That includes a report that came out mid-campaign that former Sask. Party MLA Gary Grewal breached conflict of interest rules by owning motels that profited from government contracts.
There was also some confusion over damage to a Sask. Party campaign office that Moe initially said was caused by gunshots. Police later confirmed the damage was not caused by gunshots.
Then there were defections from one-time party loyalists, including Randy Weekes, former Sask. Party MLA and Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature.
Weekes made a series of allegations on his way out of the party and in recent days was among those putting his support behind the NDP and Carla Beck.
Moe says despite the challenges, his team has waged "a very strong campaign."
"There's been various discussions in the media and questions asked of which we've always right to provide the clarity. And we feel it's important for us as a party, for myself as a leader, to provide clarity to the people of Saskatchewan," Moe said.
He said the party is focused on forming a majority government and planning for a vibrant economy.
Sask. NDP Leader Carla Beck speaks at a rally outside the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon on Saturday. (Trevor Bothorel/CBC)
Meanwhile, NDP leader Carla Beck was holding an event outside the Royal University Hospital to talk about health care.
Political experts have said the New Democrats need a breakthrough in rural constituencies to boost their chances of winning the election.
Speaking to reporters, Beck argued that that the issues her party is focusing on resonate in rural areas as much as they do in urban cities.
"Our message is not just for urban Saskatchewan, it's not just for a select few voters. These priorities — delivering relief on the cost of living, fixing our healthcare system, investing in our kids and their education, dealing with crime, mental health and addictions which are rising right across this province — these are issues no matter which community you're in," Beck said.
Beck said the NDP sat down with the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses to discuss the challenges they face in the healthcare system. She says she has a plan to invest more in health care, hire more workers, and reduce wait times.
"When we look at health care, rural Saskatchewan is facing some of the highest numbers of closures. Women giving birth on the side of the road, people going without care, lab service is closed, people being forced to get in their car and drive down sometimes, over two hours with symptoms of a heart attack," Beck said.
She said she's not ruling any constituencies out in rural and urban Saskatchewan.
"My whole family lives in rural Saskatchewan I've seen the impact on health care ... this is a message for all people in the province, we can deliver that change," Beck said.
She said if elected her priority would be providing relief on the cost of living, fixing the healthcare system, investing in education and dealing with crime, mental health and addictions.
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NDP widens lead but B.C. election remains too close to call
2 ridings destined for recount over weekend, still no clear winner after Saturday's updated results
There is still no clear winner in the 2024 B.C. election after counting resumed on Saturday, but new numbers from Elections B.C. show the NDP gaining some ground.
The party now leads over the B.C. Conservatives by 106 votes in the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding, up from 20, and 178 votes in Surrey City Centre, up from the previous 93.
The NDP has also tightened the race in Surrey-Guildford, now just 12 votes behind the Conservatives, instead of 103.
The updated numbers came throughout the day Saturday as elections officials began tallying the 65,000 absentee and mail-in ballots that had not yet been counted. Those tallies, as well as several riding recounts, are set to continue on Sunday and Monday.
Prior to Saturday, the B.C. NDP were leading or elected in 46 seats, the B.C. Conservatives in 45 seats and the B.C. Greens were elected in two seats. In the B.C. Legislature, 47 seats are required to form a majority government.
No ridings were flipped due to the updated results, but CBC News upgraded four ridings it had the NDP leading in to projected wins, as well as as one riding the Conservatives were leading in to a projected win.
The full results of the 2024 election will not be made official until two recounts are conducted on Sunday and Monday.
Those will be in the Juan de Fuca-Malahat and Surrey City Centre ridings, where the NDP made gains on Saturday, but the original margin of victory was under 100 votes.
Week-long cliffhanger
British Columbians have been waiting all week to learn who their next government will be.
That's because Elections B.C. had to count around 65,000 absentee and mail-in ballots that were sent in after the close of advance voting, and was mandated by law to wait until Saturday to begin doing so.
While most ridings' results this weekend will be counted by electronic tabulators, the recounts in the Juan de Fuca-Malahat and Surrey City Centre ridings will be done manually.
The final tally will then be completed on Monday with the counting of more than 22,000 absentee ballots. Results will be updated on Election B.C.'s website hourly that day.
Any district where the margin of victory is 100 votes or less is subject to an automatic recount. Parties can also request a recount in close ridings.
A
sample voter card is seen being used to demonstrate new electronic
tabulators, which were used in most B.C. polling stations during this
year's provincial election. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)
In response to a question from CBC News about whether Surrey-Guildford — where the margin of the Conservatives' lead has shrunk to under 100 votes — would also see a recount, Elections B.C. said they will know the answer on Monday.
"Once final count is complete on [Oct.] 28 we will be able to confirm if a district will go to an automatic judicial recount," spokesperson Andrew Watson said in an email.
"If the difference between the top two candidates following the conclusion of final count is less than 1/500th of the total ballots considered, there will be an automatic judicial recount in that district."
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With files from Maryam Gamar and The Canadian Press
Nova Scotians heading to the polls Nov. 26 after early election call
PC Leader Tim Houston turns his back on fixed election date he passed into law in 2021
Tim Houston has called a snap election to be held Nov. 26.
The Progressive Conservative leader is trying to win a second term, despite legislation he personally introduced three years ago that gave Nova Scotia a fixed election date of July 15, 2025.
Houston visited the lieutenant-governor Sunday to dissolve the current House.
Breaking from tradition, he did not take questions from reporters as he left the lieutenant-governor's residence. Houston then entered a blue bus with the message "Vote PC" on it.
Why Houston called an early election
At a rally Sunday afternoon in Bedford, Houston spoke about why an election needs to be held in advance of the fixed election date.
He said there are two reasons, one being the high cost of living. Houston said his party is ready to make significant investments to improve affordability and the housing crisis.
"But before we enact that plan, I feel it only right that Nova Scotians should have their say," said Houston.
He said the second reason to hold an election now is to ensure it won't conflict with a federal election.
NDP, Liberal, Green reaction
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Houston has broken promise after promise.
"What people need is for health care to actually improve, what people need is to be able to afford their homes, what people need is to be able to afford their lives and the premier has delivered on none of that, despite his big election promises," Chender said at a rally in Dartmouth.
Liberal
Leader Zach Churchill says the party has filed a complaint with the
province's chief electoral officer over a 21-page brochure the PCs have
mailed out to Nova Scotians. (Hanny Banny/CBC)
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill criticized Houston's decision to call an early election, as well as a 21-page brochure the government sent out to Nova Scotians highlighting the party's work on health care.
Earlier this week, a Health Department spokesperson said the booklets were ordered in July as a way to better inform the public about the government's Action for Health plan. The cost to make them and mail them to 480,000 households was $158,000.
"Tim Houston cannot be allowed to continue to spend Nova Scotians' hard-earned money on his partisan playbook," Churchill said at a Liberal event.
"It certainly shows a lack of respect for voters, for taxpayers, and I do think it shows that he will do unethical things as long as he thinks he can get away with it."
Earlier Sunday, the party filed a complaint with the province's chief electoral officer over the brochure.
Green Party Leader Anthony Edmonds said he was disappointed Houston broke his promise of a fixed election date.
"Elections Nova Scotia has reported that an early election call will increase their costs," he wrote in an email to CBC News. "I fear that a snap election will see many voters stay home, which is disheartening in this era of record low turnouts at the polls."
The party was not holding events Sunday.
Early election call could be issue, says political scientist
Cape Breton University political scientist Tom Urbaniak expects the early election call to dominate the debate during the first few days of the campaign but suggested it may lose ground to other issues.
But Urbaniak warned it could linger as an issue, if the opposition parties are able to make the case Nova Scotians cannot rely on Houston to keep his word.
"There is a chance that this question can seep into other discussions," he said. "If voters are having a tough time trusting the incumbent government, that becomes part of the narrative.
"It feeds into a credibility issue. If that starts to dominate the discussion then … the broken promise around Bill 1 [setting July 15, 2025, as the fixed election date] will become part of the larger conversation."
An
Elections Nova Scotia worker is shown Friday moving a pallet of
election materials that will be transported to one of the province's 55
constituencies. (Submitted by Elections Nova Scotia)
When Houston spoke on Oct. 14, 2021, during the House debate about a fixed election date, he said it would ensure fairness by not allowing the governing party to call elections at times that would be beneficial for them.
"Nova Scotians want to have confidence in their electoral system," he said. "Parties in opposition want a level playing field, and Elections Nova Scotia, Mr. Speaker, they want to be able to prepare as effectively and efficiently as they possibly can for general elections."
The PCs go into this campaign having held 34 seats, three more than the party won in the 2021 general election. That's because of byelection wins and two defections from the Liberal ranks.
The Liberals held 14 seats at dissolution, the NDP had six and there was one independent.
Changes already
Five PCs are not re-offering, including Allan MacMaster, who was finance minister and deputy premier.
There are also four Liberals and a New Democrat not re-offering. Two former Liberal MLAs — Brendan Maguire and Fred Tilley — are now running as PC candidates.
In anticipation of an election call, Elections Nova Scotia shipped campaign supplies to all 55 electoral districts. Nova Scotians who want to cast their ballots early will, for the first time, be able to vote electronically at early voting sites.
Unlike the most recent municipal election where voters in many municipalities were able to cast their ballots on a secure internet site, e-voting will happen on tablets at returning offices across the province. That will allow for those results to be counted and reported on just after the polls close on voting day.
In the 2021 election, those 176,793 early votes were on paper ballots that had to be counted by hand. In some constituencies that made the manual count a two-day process.
In all, 421,001 Nova Scotians voted in the last election, 42 per cent of them before the Aug. 17 election day.
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