Acadian Bus Lines Negotiations Fail

Photo taken by me in Sackville, New
Brunswick.

Almost a month went by with no news showing up from the Acadian Bus Lines in the news, or on their FaceBook page. The this showed up out of nowhere after I checked on February 4th: Acadian Lines Employees Pick Up Work (PEI CBC News). This basically told everyone that the works of Amalgamated Transit Union 1229 employees are picking up work at other establishments to make money, which is great for them but it really isn't what the public wants to see, and it was quite infuriating.
Two days later on February 6th another article was released from the local newspaper on Prince Edward Island called "The Guardian." Bus Line and Locked Out Workers Going Back to the Negotiating Table (The Guardian - PEI) ATU 1229, and Acadian Lines Respresentatives went back to the table on February 11th with the help of a mediator, and negotiations lasted all day, and continued into Sunday. The workers, and Acadian have not spoken since November 25th, and the lockout and strike had lasted since December 2nd.
According to this article: Acadian Line Contract Negotiations Continue (PEI CBC News), Acadian lost around $2 million dollars running the intercity coaches in New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island in the last year. This is not surprising because there are so many routes that are unneeded, and unprofitable in the province of New Brunswick where as there are two daily trips to one stop on Prince Edward Island. But in the two plus months that there was no service in either province quite a bit of revenue was lost because it was one of the busiest time of year being the Christmas/New Year season. Acadian has probably received their share of angry emails, and even on FaceBook you can see people are angry, but a lot of stupid/amusing things are said. The workers did want to work this out from the beginning. The economy is horrible, and the price of living has increased, and honestly I do not think it is fair that the Nova Scotia, and Quebec workers received a raise while New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island were left high, and dry. The strike/lock out is always the worst way to deal with these types of problems though.
We are in the third month, and after the negotiations this weekend it failed horribly, and I quote "In fact we feel that there is a lack of seriousness, and willingness to resolve the issues on the part of the union. No dates are set to return to the table." The company was better run when Irving owned Acadian, and even when we had the Greyhound buses in the province. This is getting quite ridiculous, and I cannot believe they are still going to leave two provinces with an intercity bus system." To wake up to this this morning is ridiculous. Acadian Lines Talks Fail to Resolve Dispute (CBC News PEI)
During this strike shuttles are available so I peeked on the prices, and the bus is a lot cheaper, and so is the train if you are lucky enough to live in a town, or city with a train. The prices for a shuttle are ridiculous considering you had to book it, and share it with people but it is hard to find people who would be traveling to the same place. Also they are the 15 passenger vans that have been banned in New Brunswick after an incident  in 2008 that killed seven school students, and the wife of the coach from Bathurst High. I won't go in any van bigger than a standard size myself after hearing about that incident. I was in high school myself at the time in grade eleven, and it was a horrible tragedy.
For previous information on the strike I have written two other blog articles:
Acadian Bus Lines New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island Strike
Acadian Bus Lines Possible Arbitration - Update

School, Work, and Hobbies

Life has been rather slow as of recent sadly. It is only the beginning of the year too.
I have mostly worked on my school work, gone to school, and work, and gotten sick once.
Work has been really slow, and I am not even working the Buy One Get One this week at all, which means I have the weekend off. A rare, but lovely occasion though I would rather be working sadly.
I have been just chugging through my reading list, and I am now upon a book that around a year ago I ended up rage quitting because I could just not bring myself to finish the book because at the time I felt it was slow. I am going to finish it this time though.
I am just in love with the Hunger Game Trilogy. It was such a great series, and I am very excited for the movie in March.
I have begun to watch Lord of the Rings for the first time ever, and it is the super extended version I have been watching. I really want to read the books, and read The Hobbit before it comes out in December so I have plenty of time.
One of my roommates, and I traded bookshelves, and it is two of the ones I had, and I still need another bookcase! It is insane, but the other one will have less on it so it can be used for more than books after I purchase it.
I have also been watching TrueBlood, and I love the series. It just gets weirder, and weirder but I still love it. I just finished Season 2.

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Blog Name, and URL Change Again

This change is more for when I get my website up, and running, and I am working on a website.

LIGHTS Concert with Nightbox Opening

LIGHTS with the opening act of Nightbox was in Fredericton January 19th, and Moncton January 21st.
I attended the standing concert in Fredericton which was held at the Boyce's Farmer's Market which is quite a large venue. The wait outside was very cold, and I could barely feel my feet when I got inside, and I also got two friends who were with me lost before hand (of course). I went with a group of five friends, and it was great. The venue unfortunately kicked everyone out before we could get autographs, or anything. I also had the problem of not being able to see so I sat on a booth to the side, and kept getting removed from it, and it was very frustrating as I am so short, and everyone else is so tall.
Moncton's performance was even better! I managed to score front row seats back in November for a friend, and myself. This time there was no cold wait outside, and we got in fairly early to be close to the front of the line. Nightbox was amazing there too, they did signings after their part but LIGHTS came on so I went back in. She asked us to stand, and we went forward to the stage. I pretty much freaked when she came on stage. She got us to sing "Drive My Soul" with her, and I had tears in my eyes. I did not get to high five her I was too short to reach her when she held her hand out. She did not stay for autographs at this one.
I hope she feels loved by the Maritimes because she has a lot of fans here.
I have never really heard of Nightbox before recently, and they are really good. I have know LIGHTS for quite a while though I can't remember when I first started liking her music. They were both superb performances, and if LIGHTS has another tour I hope she comes back to the Maritime provinces. (And of she does I hope she brings Owl City with her again.)
I now own all of LIGHTS CDs, and I bought Nightbox's music on iTunes. I also have the Tiger shirt.

LIGHTS Official Site || Nightbox Official Ste

Opening, and Encore from the Fredericton Show

Video Footage Filmed by: ThoughtsBySol

Enterprise Fawcett (Updated)

 Enterprise Fawcett is located in Sackville, New Brunswick, and was built in 1852. It was a small business started by R.M. Dixon. They specialize in wood stoves, and sell other appliances at current as well as refrigerators, and air conditioners. In 1908 part of the building was ravaged by a fire, and rebuilt.
The place has been through a lot in the last 20 years including a strike/lockout because most of the workers wanted a raise. In 2009 Mike Wheaton the owner passed away, and the company was passed onto his brother Darren. In 2011 the roof collapsed in two places (over the molding shop) due to heavy snowfall. A worker was in the building but no where near the collapses. It is one of the last foundries in Canada, and is a heritage site.

Snow Causes Collapse at Enterprise Fawcett Foundry in Sackville - The Sackville Tribune Post

This evening the piece that collapsed the year previously "burst into flames." Sackville firefighters arrived but Amherst was also called in. There were two explosions from propane, and the flames were very angry looking. From what I have heard the flames are quite nasty, and it won't stop so the building will be gone by morning. After more is found I will be updating the situation of the fire. In the end the old molding shop previously destroyed, and the offices were taken out by the blaze. The fire started at 7:30, and went well into the night.

Photos by: Dannika Phinney

Video by: JohnSPower

Sackville N.B.'s Enterprise Foundry Burned to the Ground (The Guardian)

Personally I have had a few experiences with the foundry. Several of my family members work there, and one still currently does. I would go into the office as a child, and the boss would tease me, and I would see my Aunt. There was a few times I did get to go in the actually foundry including the molding shop. This was the only place I managed to get a bursary from when I graduated high school. The place remotely smells of soot, and ash, and was a smell I became familiar with because of my Father. Though this place scared me from time to time with my Father coming home with injuries, and ultimately angered me when fellow co-workers of the union during the strike made fun of him because he still worked despite the lockout, and the strike. My father still owns a stove by them, and my grandmother owns a wood stove from them as well. This is another heritage building in the city of Sackville, New Brunswick we have lost due to fire.

Photos by: Coldwar_Bonnet

Enterprise Fawcett Official Site