Overview
- On Oct. 28 the Crown offered no evidence in the trial of Andrew Minifie after prosecutors said they could not meet Stinchcombe disclosure obligations, and the judge entered not guilty pleas and dismissed the charges.
- Stinchcombe requires the Crown to give the defence all relevant evidence; prosecutors told the court missing material from related files prevented a fair trial which forced the Crown to abandon its case.
- Two men charged in October 2025 in the Berry Mills home invasion that left Brian Justin Johnson dead remain before courts and an Elsipogtog woman, Kelsey Clair, is charged as an accessory and intends to apply for bail.
- About 50 Miramichi residents protested on Oct. 28 over proposals for large AI data centres after Faster Than Light pitched a 375‑megawatt campus, and the mayor said council has put proposed bylaw changes on hold pending more information.
- Regional planning and policy efforts continue with the Restigouche RRSC hiring ACFOR for a Wildfire Resiliency Plan due as a draft by mid‑March and the Public Policy Forum warning that Atlantic Canada’s economic momentum is slowing largely because of immigration shifts.