A group of locals met at Katy's Cove on Saturday for a community beach cleanup to get the beloved St. Andrews beach and swimming area ready for the 2021 summer season. The gated saltwater cove, which also has a sandy beach, park and playground area, has long been the go-to summer destination for generations of locals and tourists alike. It is now also home to the Saint Andrews Paddling Club and dragon boat team.

Guy Groulx, president of Katy's Cove Inc., a group of community members helping to restore the historic cove, says a new and improved gate that locks saltwater from the ocean into the cove, allowing for the water to reach warm, swimmable temperatures, will be installed this week.
"Katy's Cove Inc. manufactured the new gate, which we donated to the town and they will install in the coming week," said Groulx.

As New Brunswick move towards its the first phase of re-opening next week, provided 75% of the population is vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the Tourism industry is hoping to rebound as well. At a press conference on Tuesday, Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture Tammy Scott-Wallace announced that the return of the Explore NB Travel Incentive Program this summer. The program, which encourages New Brunswickers to travel within their own province by giving them a 20% rebate on receipts of up to $1000 on overnight trips, was a success last year. This year, it will also be open to travelers from neighbouring Atlantic provinces who choose to visit New Brunswick this summer and fall. 

Under New Brunswick's COVID-19 reopening plan, borders are expected to open later this month to people from Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador but Nova Scotians will have to wait a little longer until their COVID-19 numbers stablize. Minister Scott-Wallace said this year, submissions will be processed as they are received this summer, so you can expect to receive you rebate much more speedily than you did for the 2020 season. Travelers can now also submit receipts for multiple overnight trips taken between May 27th and October 31st for up to $1000 in total expenses. 

"With our reopening plan in place, I am optimistic this will be a great tourism season, for both New Brunswickers and our tourism industry," said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Scott-Wallace. "I could not be prouder of what the industry has accomplished over the past year, and how patient everyone has been throughout the pandemic. We all deserve an unforgettable summer and we can not wait to welcome our Atlantic neighbours to join us."

Carol Alderdice, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick, said the silver lining to the Explore NB Travel Incentive Program that was launched last year to help the tourism industry survive COVID-19 is that many New Brunswickers have discovered new corners of their own province for the very first time--places they will like make return trips for years to come.

"We are extremely pleased to see the Explore NB Travel Incentive Program renewed this year," said Alderdice. "This is a program that was recommended by industry and developed by the provincial government last year and was welcomed by both industry and residents. It helped support our tourism operators and provided an opportunity for our residents to truly explore and appreciate this beautiful province."
Finally, it's Disability Awareness Week, and who better to tell you about it than CHCO-TV's Noah Carr. Noah has cerebral palsy, and communicates through sign language and with the help of a language app on his computer. And if you've seen his educational public service announcements on CHCO, you already know that. 

Every week, Noah teaches New Brunswickers a new word in sign language on "Learn to Sign with Noah Carr" on CHCO. He's long dreamed of a career in the TV industry, and by collaborating with New Brunswick Association of Community Living and the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work, CHCO was able to create a job for Noah at the TV station. Every Monday, he and his job coach Emily Ross, who is fluent in sign language, come to CHCO where Noah films a new educational commercial and also assists the news team on field reports. 

"He loves teaching people sign language and sharing his language with them," says Ross.