NB Border Crossing Reducing Hours

A New Brunswick border crossing with the US near St. Stephen will no longer be open 24 hours a day. Starting August 20th, the Milltown Bridge crossing will be closed at 11pm each day and remain closed overnight until reopening at 7am. The move mirrors similar reductions in service hours on the US side of the border. The Milltown crossing was seldomly used at night and the crossing in nearby St. Stephen remains open 24 hours. The closure has sparked some concern as fire departments on both sides of the border use the Milltown bridge to respond to emergencies.

Maine Vaccinating Raccoons to Prevent Rabies Spread in NB

Wildlife officials are boosting a program to vaccinate raccoons in an effort to prevent the spread of rabies in Maine and northward into Canada. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is distributing 350-thousand oral vaccination baits across northeastern Maine. Maine’s state veterinarian says the program’s expansion is meant to prevent the northern spread of raccoon-variant rabies. Doctor Michele Walsh says cases have been identified in parts of Canada, including New Brunswick, where rabies had largely been absent in recent decades.