News Highlights for Southwest New Brunswick: October 11-18, 2022

500 years ago, explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the world to prove the earth wasn't flat. This past weekend, visitors to St. Andrews got to see history come to life as a replica of Magellan's famous tall ship, the Nao Trinidad, docked at the wharf. 861 history buffs, both young and old, boarded the tall ship between Friday and Sunday to get a first-hand glimpse of what life was like on the sea five centuries ago.

A large crowd congregated on the wharf on Thanksgiving Monday to watch the Nao Trinidad sail south to its next destination -- Booth Bay Harbour, Maine -- before heading to the Caribbean for the winter.

All three Charlotte County Tim Hortons donated the funds raised from their annual Smile Cookies campaign to a local charity that helps local families in need during the holidays. Daniel Murphy of St. George Tim Hortons and Carl Dow of St. Stephen and St. Andrews Tim Hortons presented Santa's Helpers with a cheque for $16,707 in St. Stephen on Tuesday.

Last year, Santa’s Helpers helped a record number of people: 382 children and 178 families across Southwest New Brunswick. If you'd like to make a donation to Santa's Helpers, tune into CHCO on Sunday December 4 from 2pm to 5pm to watch the annual telethon and make a pledge.

The grand opening of Montreal artist Matthew-Robin Nye highly-anticipated exhibit "Goodnight Moon: a Rhythm, a Tempo" took place on Friday in the Water Street Gallery at Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre in St. Andrews. Kids and grown ups alike got to step right into the life-size three-d replica of the famous children's book, which featured a green screen and other interactive elements. The exhibit is on until October 29th.

Grades 3 and 4 Vincent Massey Elementary School students recently paid a visit to the Charlotte County Jail as part of their participation in Unpacking Charlotte County, a new educational program sponsored by the Charlotte County Archives. Each student is given a small suitcase containing a map and ten postcards featuring photos and descriptions of iconic local historic sites. These kits are being distributed to schools across Southwest New Brunswick as a means to make learning about our history more interactive and fun.

Finally, the Quoddy Quilters presented veteran Warrant Officer Lloyd Greene with a Quilt of Valour in the campground in St. Andrews by-the-Sea in honour of his service. Nearly 20,000 quilts of valour have been handmade across the country by different craft groups and given to war vets as a way to say thank you for their dedication to Canada. This is the second Quilt of Valour to be presented to a vet from the Quoddy Quilters.