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Alex MacLean working through his shift at St. Thomas University, where rising costs are making life harder to afford. (Credit: Suzanne Shah/AQ) Alex MacLean realized something had shifted when a routine grocery trip in Fredericton cost around $150. “I did not expect us to be where we are now,” he said. MacLean works full-time as a cleaner at St. Thomas University. For years, steady employment meant stability. Rent was manageable, groceries were predictable and budgeting felt

Rocky Lemon bakery on Lincoln Road is set to expand with a second downtown Fredericton location. (Credit: Sheldon Poon) Strong community support and creative desserts are helping the Rocky Lemon bakery thrive, with the Lincoln Road business set to open a second location in downtown Fredericton later this winter. Nada Wiltshire, the owner of the Rocky Lemon, first sold her products at the Northside Creators Market in 2020. Wiltshire said the bakery plans to open a second

Tedx speakers, organizers, volunteers and a room full of audience at the Kinesiology Building at UNB for TEDx conference. (Credit: Suzanne Shah/AQ) On Jan. 15, a sold-out crowd filled the University of New Brunswick (UNB) earlier this year as TEDx returned to Fredericton after a four-year hiatus. TEDx is an independent event under the TED organization, a global platform created to share ideas worth spreading, bringing together speakers from different fields to inspire convers

A tunnel of lights brightens Officer’s Square during Fredericton’s annual FROSTival. (Credit: FROSTival official site) For Fredericton locals looking for fun ways to wait out the cold, Atlantic Canada’s largest winter festival, known as FROSTival, has arrived. Running for three weekends, from Jan. 22 to Feb. 8., the festival has a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities for locals to enjoy. During the last weekend of January, three local rinks hosted free skates, with

Cannon's Cross Pub, a Fredericton-based riverside pub has continued operating at the same location since the early 2000s, despite high turnover in the restaurant industry, according to staff and ownership. (Credit: Suzanne Shah/AQ) A pub on the north side of Fredericton has remained open since the early 2000s, relying on long-term staff, local ownership and regular customers in an industry known for high turnover. Located near the Gibson Trail along the Saint John River, the

World leaders gather at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where discussions on peace and global cooperation took place amidst ongoing international conflicts. (Credit: AP News / Evan Vucci) While speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed a “Board of Peace,” an initiative he said would operate alongside existing international institutions. When asked whether the proposal would replace the United Nations, Trump said, “You

Students return to St. Thomas University for the winter semester, marking the start of a new term on campus. (Credit: Sabrina Zabatiero) Coming back to class can be tough. For some, it means returning to a familiar environment, reconnecting with friends and resuming routine. For others, it involves starting over in a new country, adjusting to a different culture, different food and life far from home. While students share the same campus, local and international students of

Asma Abdel Kader, a fellow board member along with Rawia Mokhtar, President of the Manarat Association for Community services. (Credit: Peter Gross) Despite freezing rain on Sunday, Jan. 11, Fredericton residents gathered at the Cultural Centre to support the 13th Halal Food Fundraiser, raising money for humanitarian aid in Gaza and Sudan while also supporting the rural Harvey Food Bank. Approximately 30 vendors filled the wellness room at the Cultural Centre with authentic

Mohammed Ali Akhtar waits at a slippery Fredericton bus stop as winter conditions slow public transit across the city. (Suzanne Shah/AQ) Winter has long shaped life in New Brunswick, but for students without access to a car, the season increasingly dictates how their days are planned. Those concerns intensified after a Fredericton Transit bus slid into a ditch on Hilton Road last December during icy conditions. “I used to catch [a bus] but now … I’d be late, so I have to go o

A Smart Start table displays study materials and information, marking the shift away from STU’s former peer tutoring program. (Credit: STU Communications) When St. Thomas University discontinued its one-on-one peer tutoring program this fall, many students were left confused about how to seek academic support. The Smart Start Study tables were introduced as a community-based alternative, but students who depended on tailored, course-specific help say the shift has created ga

Green and red aurora bands break through the clouds, illuminating a quiet Fredericton neighbourhood. (Credit: Sabrina Zabatiero) This month, a rare appearance of the Northern Lights brought students across Fredericton outside as faint streaks of green and red pushed through heavy cloud cover. The display, brief and partly obscured, was enough to send groups of students toward parking lots, riverbanks and open spaces in hopes of catching a glimpse. For Huzaifa Hameed, a maste

A single tree becomes a season’s announcement. (Photo credit: Huzaifa Hameed) Fredericton doesn’t just enter fall — it leans into it. By early October, the air thins, the light softens, and the city begins its slow transformation into a landscape of red, gold, and quiet fire. For students, longtime residents, and anyone who walks the streets with their eyes open, autumn becomes more than a season. It becomes a conversation.

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with St. Thomas University, delivered Fredericton's Health Care Summit II at the Kinsella Auditorium last Nov. 13. (Credit: STU Communications) On Nov. 13, the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with St. Thomas University, the City of Fredericton and the New Brunswick Medical Education Foundation, hosted the second annual healthcare summit at the Kinsella Auditorium. The summit was composed of three panels whe

Attendees play a round of Mario Kart during the Bridges of Hope fundraiser, which featured video games, crafts, and food to raise money for children and orphans worldwide. (Brianna Lyttle/AQ) Competitive students were in for a treat on Nov. 1 when Islamic Relief Canada’s (IRC) Bridges of Hope event came to St. Thomas University. With a variety of games ranging from Mario Kart to playing cards, shawarma donated by Osmow’s Fredericton, soda drinks, and baked goods, the IRC team

Lori Neily and Crème Brûlée, therapy Labradors, pose with their trainers, Zahra and Steve Neily, during their visit to St. Thomas University. (Credit: Sabrina Zabatiero) On Oct. 20, Lori Neily and Crème Brûlée, along with their tutors, Zahra and Steve Neily, came to spread some Labrador sparkles to the ordinary and stressful routines of students at St. Thomas University. The visit lasted one hour, during which students gathered to watch a small fraction of the many tricks th

A quiet exchange from election night in New York City, captured shortly after the results were declared. ( Credit: ABC News / Good Morning America) On election night, speaking to supporters at a rally in Queens — in a speech later published by Newsweek — Zohran Mamdani didn’t pound the lectern; he told a story. "In the words of Nelson Mandela: it always seems impossible until it is done. My friends, we have done it,” said Mamdani. “So hear me, President Trump … to get to any

Guests fill the dance floor at the Barley Ball, celebrating with swing music and community spirit to support the STU Food Bank and Hearty STU program. (Credit: Sabrina Zabatiero) On Nov. 1, students, staff and community members gathered in the Great Hall at George Martin Hall for the first-ever Barley Ball, a formal fundraiser supporting the STU Food Bank and the Hearty STU program. The evening paired live swing music, dance lessons and student-led service, offering a celebr

President Nauman Farooqi cooked alongside students from Hearty STU, Kaitlyn Hamming, Rebecca Osmond, and STU’s Campus Minister Claire Morrison. (Credit: Gisele Gallibois) Students at St. Thomas University swarmed Holy Cross House (HCH) to get a taste of President Farooqi’s Pakistani homeland cooking on Oct. 23. The lunch menu offered Tahiri, a rice dish with potatoes; raita, a yogurt-based side with vegetables; and Chicken Karahi curry. Farooqi said he “loves to cook,” and

International students at St. Thomas University share stories of resilience, identity, and the challenges of finding a sense of belonging far from home. (Credits: STU Communications) Between rising expenses, cultural adjustment and the federal government capping admission of international students, it has not been easy to attend university as a non-Canadian. Shaun Narine, director of STU’s international relations program, has noticed that the community of international stude

Chef Chris Bruce is serving up the various Latin American cuisine to an attendee, Jack Fogarty. (Photo Credit: Peter Gross) Three hundred students, staff, professors, and visitors indulged their taste buds in Latin American cuisine at the dining hall last Friday, Oct. 21. Saa Andrew Gbongbor, cultural diversity coordinator at STU, is the lead organizer of the Culinary Adventures Series. Gbongbor started this initiative in 2023 and said that the goal of the Culinary Adventure