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JANUARY

After originally allowing for additional money to use to keep the Civic Centre pool open, city council and the Civic Centre agreed to keep the pool open and to not have the ice in place for the summer, as was the original plan.

An RCMP regimental ball in early December 2007 raised a combined total of $6,000 that was donated to local charities early in the New Year.

Consultants from Johnson Controls reported to city council that the energy saving programs the company helped put in place did in fact save taxpayers about $15,000.

A number of ATV enthusiasts attended a meeting of Tide Head council to express their desire to use the portion of the NB Trail that runs through the village.

A Belledune boy, Tim Daley, was one of only four survivors of an accident that claimed the life of seven members of the Bathurst High School boys' basketball team and the wife of the team's coach. A second young man from Belledune, Jordan Lapointe, was a member of the team but was not in the van at the time of the crash.

A Campbellton man was sent to jail for 12 months for walking into the bedroom of a woman's apartment while she slept.

A moose roamed the streets of Campbellton for more than an hour before eventually heading back into the woods.

An Ontario couple filed a human rights complaint saying they were not allowed to bring their service dog into a pair of taxis in Dalhousie.

Then Minister of Natural Resources Donald Arseneault, MLA for Dalhousie Restigouche-East, said wood that was allotted to the AbitiBowater Mill in Dalhousie would not be leaving the area.

Despite the announcement in November 2007 that the mill would be closing, which it did on Jan. 31, Dalhousie was able to maintain a stable tax rate. While it was hoped a buyer of the mill would emerge from Germany, that deal fell through and the mill remains idle to this day.

FEBRUARY

The Atlantic Yarns textile mill in Atholville which closed in late 2007 was supposed to reopen early in the New Year but only a skeleton crew returned to work some six months later after many delays.

Dalhousie doctor Dennis Furlong said that the Campbellton Regional Hospital's designation of a level 3 trauma centre was a win-win situation for the region as a whole.

Led by outspoken city councillor Christian Mercier, Campbellton council asked its lawyers to look into the contract the city signed with Canlan Ice Sports Inc. to run the Civic Centre. City lawyers said there was little the city could do to opt out of the three year deal, which expires this coming August.

The snow that started to fall in October 2007 continued to fall through March, the most in the region in decades. All municipalities ran over their budgeted snow removal costs.

Hyla Lapointe of Black Point was named one of two winners from the province, and 30 in the country, to win a $75,000 Loran Award.

Military reservists from the 2nd Battalion, Royal New Brunswick Regiment "invaded" Campbellton as part of a mock anti-terrorist training exercise.

A Dalhousie family of four was left homeless after a fire destroyed their home.

MARCH

Local critics, led by former Charlo mayor Sonia Roy, expressed concern over plans by the Bathurst Airport Authority to expand its facility while the larger Charlo Airport goes unused.

After being in business for more than 100 years, McRae's Clothing in Campbellton shut its doors. The owner, Rick McRae died in May of a heart attack.

A Campbellton boy died while playing in the snow in his front yard. Austin Dobson, 8, died when the snow tunnel in which he was playing collapsed on him.

Dalhousie comedian Marshall Button took his Lucien act overseas to entertain Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

A career fair in Dalhousie had employers on hand offering more than 400 employment options with more than 700 people taking in the event.

The Campbellton-based Restigouche Health Authority was dissolved by health minister Mike Murphy, along with the rest in the province, in favour of only two health authorities for the entire province in an effort to slim down costs.

A west bound VIA Rail train went off the tracks just west of Matapedia though no injuries were reported.

A barn roof loaded down with snow collapsed in Belledune killing more than a dozen cows on a farm owned by Hubert Duivenvoorden.

Donald Arseneault mentioned the idea of amalgamation for Dalhousie and surrounding areas, though little else on the issue was discussed afterward.

The St. Arthur man who admitted to burning down the building that housed his small woodworking business was sentenced to 18 months for the January 2007 fire.

APRIL

Rogers Communications appealed a previous decision by the Restigouche Planning District Commission to reject its tower proposal near the Charlo Airport. The company lost its appeal but was able to find a suitable location for its tower in an effort to increase its customer base on the North Shore.

Technology mentor Angela Young of Dalhousie spent a month or so in Africa as part of a Rotary Group Study.

Premier Shawn Graham visited Dalhousie and pledged $12 million to develop a community action plan following the closure of the mill. Shortly thereafter, an additional $1.36 million was pledged to the town to help with wharf repairs and a new farmers' market.

Randy Hunter was the only person to file for the mayor's position for Tide Head for the May municipal elections.

A spectacular car crash occurred in mid-April in Campbellton where an unnamed 46-year-old Edmundston-area man was killed after driving his SUV into a house on Ramsay St.

Tide Head's Christine Gregoire was given a commendation by federal Minister of Veterans Affairs Greg Thompson for her volunteer work on behalf of veterans.

An Alberta company was fined $300,000 for the Jan. 13, 2005 death of 21-year-old Jonathan Audit of Jacquet River.

A weeklong coroner's inquest was held in the death of a Campbellton woman found in January 2005. Leona Harquail died of a drug overdose a day after checking out of a detox centre in the city.

MAY

A proposal by Sugarloaf Park manager Greg Dion was started that could see people fishing on Pritchard Lake once again.

Kathleen MacNeil of Dalhousie was honoured posthumously for her tireless work on behalf of veterans with a plaque hung on the wall of the newly opened Veterans Health Centre in Moncton.

Bruce MacIntosh wins the mayor's seat in Campbellton, Clem Tremblay in Dalhousie, Raymond Lagace in Atholville, Andre Carrier in Charlo and Nick Duivenvoorden in Belledune in the municipal elections. Hunter, as noted, won by acclamation, as did Denis Savoie in Eel River Crossing and Hebert Arseneault in Balmoral.

Cpl. Dan Melanson rushed into the frigid water of the Baie des Chaleurs to save a man from drowning after his canoe had tipped over some 100 feet off shore.

Plans were revealed for an upscale condominium project in Dalhousie.

A new project for a park in downtown Dalhousie was started and completed by the end of the summer.

Campbellton announced that for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2007, there was an overall surplus of $109,747 with $59,739 coming from the general operating fund and $50008 in the water utility fund.

Danyka Leclair of Campbellton (whose drawing adorns the current Aliant telephone directory for the region) won an Olympic drawing contest and won herself tickets to Beijing Olympics.

Robert Phillips, 45, formerly of Charlo, was sentenced to 12 months in jail for aggravated sexual assault in the Woodstock area.

Georges Theriault, formerly of Eel River Crossing, was invested as a member of the Order of Merit by Governor-General Michaelle Jean for his work with police forces, most notably the RCMP.

JUNE

A 21-year-old man who held up a Balmoral gas station was sent to prison. Jeffrey McLean used a knife to hold up McIntyre Convenience in the village and got 44 months behind bars.

The Tribune picked up five awards at the awards banquet for the Atlantic Community Newspapers Association in Halifax.

David Walker was named the new manager for the Port of Dalhousie.

The RCMP staged a pair of mock car accidents for students at area high schools to warn them of the dangers of impaired driving.

Former Listuguj chief Allison Metallic won the band council election, defeating incumbent Scott Martin by 300 votes.

A wood pellet plant in Belledune officially opened with Premier Shawn Graham amongst those on hand for the ribbon cutting. While in the region, Graham toured Design Built Mechanical, a Charlo company that got $500,000 from the province to create an additional 12 jobs.

Originally thought to be the man behind the operation, a St. Arthur man was sentenced to 18 months of house arrest for operating a chop shop in the village. Guy Levesque faced about 20 charges stemming from an investigation launched after an associate of his tried to sell parts from a stolen truck to the truck owner's brother.

A Study done by the Societe des Acadiennes du Nouveau Brunswick indicated that not enough French-speaking employees are working in area stores.

The tender for work at the Campbellton Regional Hospital on a new oncology clinic was awarded to a Tracadie-Sheila firm at a cost of $1.22 million.

Gabriel Magill of Ecole aux Quatre Vents won a $3,000 Millennium Foundation Scholarship.

The Port of Belledune saw earnings go up 60 per cent for a net profit of close to $2 million.

Mike O'Toole, a technology teacher at SSHS, received an Award of Excellence from Premier Shawn Graham.

The two Relays for Life held in the region amassed more than $100,000 for cancer research.

Tide Head's Charlene Gerrard was one of 30 national Public Service Award of Excellence winners for her work with the RCMP and in the community.

JULY

A study team determined the soil in the Belledune area was not dangerous. The Conservation Council of New Brunswick disagrees.

Only six people attended a information on tax reform in Campbellton by the Select Committee on Tax Review. A similar number attended a meeting in Dalhousie on changes to the French Immersion program.

As part of Salmon Festival and the celebration of Quebec City's 400th anniversary, hundreds of people from both sides of the bridge joined hands to cross the span in unity.

A local man was killed in a suspected arson in Winnipeg. Kenneth Dunn died in the fire with the girlfriend of his uncle arrested at the home of Dunn's parents in Squaw Cap and charged with arson.

Vanessa Dupere won Miss Salmon Festival 2008 and went on to win the Miss NB title in Woodstock later in the summer. Little Miss went to Caitlin Savoie while Irene Jenkins was the Citizen of the Year.

A Val d'Amour woman was killed when the car being driven by her husband hit a moose near Duff Lake as the couple was heading to Campbellton to watch the fireworks Canada Day.

Jonathan Lavoie, a local man whose last known address was New Glasgow, NS, stabbed two men, then took a police cruiser for a joyride around Campbellton before crashing into a ditch not far from where it had all begun. He pleaded guilty to a slew of charges and will find out in January if he will be considered a long-term offender.

Two local women were temporarily in the Guinness Book of World Records. Hilda DeGroot and Jane Duivenvoorden and 12 siblings were noted as being the largest group of siblings collecting a pension, even though the other 12 live n Holland. Another New Brunswick family with more siblings has taken their spot in the book.

Two women from the region who went missing some time ago, both of Aboriginal descent, have yet to be found. Karen Splude of Eel River Bar was last seen in Halifax in 2003 while Gladys Simon went missing from the Restigouche Hospital Centre in 2004.

Madeleine Bujold was crowned the first ever winner of Miss Charlo Summer Splash.

AV Cell pleaded guilty to a single charge under the Clean Air Act after sulphur dioxide twice leaked from railcars on mill property in Atholville in July 2007. It was fined $65,000 in September.

A fire in a barn in Belledune killed more than 150 cows. It was the same farm that had about a dozen cows killed when a roof collapsed in the spring due to heavy snow.

Gerald Pitre was named Dalhousie's Citizen of the Year during Bon Ami 2008 while Karine Meunier-Pelletier walked away with the title of Miss Bon Ami. Little Miss Bon Ami was Emilie Chamberlain and Little Mister was Gabriel Noel.

Dalhousie's Jean-Claude Paradis was named the tourism development officer for Restigouche.

After some commotion surrounding Streetfest, held annually as part of Salmon Festival, it was decided to look into making changes for next year.

Jack Fraser was Belledune's Senior of the Year while Natasha Lapointe was given the nod for most outstanding youth.

AUGUST

Claude "Bouboule" Levesque was found guilty of a 2007 kidnapping and sent to prison for 29 months after serving more than 17 in jail awaiting his trial and sentencing.

Campbellton's Susan Humphrey was awarded a $5,000 Killam Fellowship and spent the autumn attending university in Massachusetts. Prior to her studies, Humphrey spent the summer working as a guide in Europe.

Rain played havoc on almost every major summer event in Restigouche, from festivals to outings to special gatherings and events.

Balmoral's Carson Marcoux was another area resident to take in the Olympics, one of only a few his age from the country to get the nod.

Residents were outraged over possible RCMP crackdowns on people crossing the river to buy cheaper beer. Later in the summer, police did begin routine searches of vehicles for illegal cigarettes, also cheaper at some outlets on the Quebec side.

Marshall Button was named to Order of New Brunswick.

Luce Lebel, a 49-year-old Campbellton woman was struck and killed by a train at a marked crossing in McLeods.

An eight-year-old Listuguj boy saved a little girls life. Ryder Barnaby-Caplin dove under the water at a lake near the community and pulled a three-year-old girl from the bottom.

Former Campbellton resident Byron Christopher was the first journalist to have an interview with Karl Toft.

Former Dalhousie resident Matthew Corrigan was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Bathurst.

Three months into his term, Eel River Crossing councillor Ron Clark stepped down after becoming frustrated by the lack of jobs for which he had petitioned for six years.

Residents of the Boucher St. area of Campbellton attended a city council meeting where they voiced frustration over not being given answers they demanded from the developer of a proposed subsidized housing project in their area.

Health Minster Mike Murphy was in Campbellton to announce $405,000 for a new digital radiography unit.

After more than a year without an arson reported, Campbellton saw three in two days, including a shed and an occupied home.

At the annual general meeting of the Civic Centre, it was announced the facility had run a deficit for 2007 of $328,278 even though Campbellton kicked in an additional $175,000 for that year.

SEPTEMBER

MP Mike Allen was in Campbellton to announce $293,000 was coming for Career Focus funding for the CBDC.

Dalhousie's Jessie Babin won four medals in the cultural competitions of the national Francophone Games in Edmonton.

The body of a dead newborn baby boy was found in Dalhousie with his mother, Renee Chiasson charged with having concealed.

Dalhousie claimed a pair of properties formerly owned by AbitiBowater.

The developer of a disputed development in Campbellton, the Restigouche Residential Agency, put the plan on indefinite hold.

A household hazardous waste collection day in both Campbellton and Dalhousie had twice as much brought in over last year.

Speeding motorists were a topic of discussion in Campbellton with speed bumps currently on the agenda of an ad-hoc committee.

National Green Party leader Elizabeth May stopped in Campbellton as part of a whistle stop tour of the country via train.

An oil spill occurred at the Port of Dalhousie.

OCTOBER

Paras Satija of Campbellton was named Canada's top cadet and earned a trip to Ottawa for Remembrance Day ceremonies with the Governor-General and the Prime Minister.

A pair of baskets made in Listuguj more than 100 years ago were returned to the community and are on display at the Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Park.

A new $100,000 therapeutic playground opened at the Restigouche Hospital Centre.

Dominika Lapointe of Dalhousie suffered second and third degree burns to about a third of her body after playing with a candle in her bedroom.

Rather than lose his entire garage, Guy Levesque, who pleaded guilty to running a St. Arthur chop shop, ended up being fined $3,000 through the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Jean-Claude D'Amours won his federal seat back during the national election. Tilly O'Neill-Gordon upset incumbent Charles Hubbard in the Miramichi riding, which includes parts of Charlo and Belledune.

A chipper plant for the St. Arthur area was cancelled.

Former Dalhousie mayor Sandy MacLean won the LJ Robichaud Prize for his 24 years of service to municipal government and to the development of the region.

Tide Head's Pierre St. Laurent, a Grade 11 student at the PRP, launched his first CD.

At an Enterprise Restigouche banquet in Balmoral, Brigitte Belliveau was named the female entrepreneur of the year, while Charles Bernard was honoured for his community involvement. VC Renovation was the business of the year and PCI Info. of Dalhousie was given a provincial award.

The Charlo Airport issued an appeal to local governments for financial help and suggested a one cent increase to property taxes in the region.

A rumour that NB East Coast Rail had been sold was confirmed when officials with CN announced the purchase.

Work began on the new NB Liquor outlet in Campbellton at the site of the new Sobeys store. It should open in the spring.

NOVEMBER

For the second time in three months, a man crashed his vehicle into the NBIP Club in Dalhousie.

Former Dalhousie chief of police Michael Quigley and his wife Gail received a Certificate of Recognition from the Crime Prevention Association of New Brunswick for their work in crime prevention and policing.

Donald Arseneault, MLA for Restigouche East, was moved from the Natural Resources portfolio to the Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour ministerial position in a cabinet Shuffle by Premier Shawn Graham.

With the global economic crises in full swing, officials with AV Cell announced that a mill shutdown in the New Year was possible.

Timothy Lavigne of Bathurst pleaded guilty to a break enter and theft as well as to attempted robbery of a pair of Dalhousie businesses and will be sentenced Jan 7.

Former Eel River Bar resident Theresa Seeley was in the community to lay a wreath on behalf of her son Michael who died in Iraq two years ago.

Organizers of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games announced that the torch relay will pass through the area though it will not be stopping for any specific amount of time.

Dalhousie's Dr. Benedict Pothier, the man credited with setting up St. Joseph's Hospital, died at the age of 94.

With the loss of the mill and the PCI chemical plant, Dalhousie council warned of a possible double-digit tax hike at the same time the new water treatment plant was set to go on line, hopefully ending the years of boil water orders the town has had to endure.

Emmanuel Charest, 22, of Val dÀmour died in a car accident in Portage.

The province announced that tax bases for almost all municipalities in the province had gone up, though Dalhousie's actually went down, mostly due to the closure of two main industries there.

DECEMBER

D&L Electric was named the business of the year at the annual general meeting of the Campbellton Regional Chamber of Commerce.

It was announced in the provincial capital budget that Dalhousie would be getting a new provincial jail, though a similar announcement complete with a sod-turning was made years ago with the jail never being built. A new school was also promised for Francophone elementary students in Restigouche East.

A victim of Robert Lavigne, a crossing guard in Dalhousie for more than 30 years who pleaded guilty to sexual assault and sent to prison in 2007, launched a lawsuit against Lavigne, the Town of Dalhousie and the Corps of Commissionaires.

Jonathan Parker, 23, was killed in a diving accident near Miramichi.

Keith Roger LeBlanc, 26, was sentenced to nine years (less one year time served) for a number of breaks and enter in the city last summer.

Premier Shawn Graham was in Balmoral to announce $1.4 million to a Balmoral company to help expand. Al Landry Fabrication produces a one-of-a-kind piece of forestry equipment.

Tide Head was the first of the local municipalities to announce its 2009 budget which held the line on property taxes.

The RCVAA Christmas Telethon raised close to $34,000 for less fortunate families in the county.

The Campbellton Regional Hospital and the Restigouche Hospital Centre both closed to visitors for about 10 days after an outbreak of the Norwalk Virus.

A robbery of a jewelry store in Balmoral remained unsolved with as much as $250,000 in good stolen from Bijouterie Extra D'Or et Cadeau.

Campbellton made it official after a motion at a recent council meeting that the contract with Canlan to operate the Civic Centre would not be renewed.

Work began on a walking track at the Centre, though details of how the $45,000 project were not released.

Dalhousie was looking for ways to save money to avoid a major property tax increase with some departments slimlined with cuts made to almost every department in the town.