On a recent episode of This Week Uncut, CHCO-TV’s current affairs program, CHCO-TV News Director Vicki Hogarth and The Courier Editor Nathalie Sturgeon took an in-depth look at the top local stories of the week from CHCO-TV and The Courier. The episode opened with a closer look at a Courier investigation that revealed growing pressure on rural healthcare in New Brunswick. While the show covered a range of issues, much of the conversation focused on the sudden loss of a healthcare provider in St. Stephen and the ripple effects being felt throughout the community.

Sturgeon explained the situation facing the patients of Dr. Bugwandin, who passed away earlier this year. The doctor’s patient records are now being managed by a third-party company charging $95 per file for access. The unexpected fee has raised eyebrows and sparked frustration among patients. “We started receiving calls, even Facebook messages, from patients who were worried it wasn’t legitimate—or that it just wasn’t right,” said Sturgeon.

This issue reflects a broader and more troubling trend: a shortage of primary care providers across the region. “There are almost 18,000 people who have yet to be matched with a primary care provider in Zone 2, which covers all of Southwest New Brunswick,” she added. The lack of access to basic healthcare has left many residents in limbo, and the extra cost to access their medical records only adds to their burden.

The conversation then shifted to the economic front, where trade tensions continue to affect the region. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt emphasized the province’s reliance on cross-border trade, noting that “ninety-two percent of our exports go to the United States.” Her comments underscored just how intertwined New Brunswick’s economy is with that of its southern neighbour as the province works to navigate the changing landscape of tariffs and trade policies.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine was also mentioned during the discussion, having voted alongside Democrats to end tariffs on Canadian goods. Her move was praised as a reflection of the close-knit economic and personal ties between communities on both sides of the New Brunswick-Maine border.

Despite the serious topics tackled in the episode, it ended on a hopeful note with a story of local community spirit. On Grand Manan Island, resident Kyle Mawer’s 100-day cold plunge challenge to raise funds for the local food bank has captured the public’s imagination. “He started off with a goal of $5,000. He’s now around $15,000 with days to go,” Hogarth shared, offering a moment of optimism and solidarity amid the week’s weighty headlines.