The U.S. government is selling a former border crossing facility in Madawaska, Maine, across from Edmunston, New Brunswick.

An

online auction for the property

starts on Wednesday, Aug. 20. The asking price is US$25,000.

Bidding for the old Port of Entry (POE) will increase in $1,000 increments, says the U.S. General Services Administration in a press release about the sale. (The GSA is the U.S. government’s shared services arm, managing a real estate portfolio of over 360 million rentable square feet.)

The almost

one-acre property

is located along the Saint John River. The intention behind the sale seems to be for a buyer to simply convert it into a local business.

While the commercial space listing has primarily been used as an office, the real estate ad suggests other potential purposes: m

anufacturing, warehouse, storage facility, garage/shop.

“GSA is transforming an underutilized border facility into an opportunity for community and economic development,” said Public Buildings Service Regional Commissioner Glenn C. Rotondo in the release.

The first floor of the building is 2,900 square feet. There is also a 2,900 square foot finished basement.

The southern portion of the property is flat, paved and has a one-storey brick building with two canopies, a guard shack and shed for a generator.

The northern half of the property is on a floodplain and can’t be built upon. Instead, it consists of a steep, wooded slope leading from a retaining wall down approximately 50 feet to the water line of the Saint John River. The river surrounds the northern edge of the property. A paper mill with a rail line is situated on the other perimeters.

The 1959 facility was closed last year when U.S. Customs and Border Protection ceased operations there and relocated to the new Madawaska POE and International Bridge. The new facility will include room for increases in traffic. The new facility, worth roughly $73 million, is also aiming to be include administrative offices and training space.

Parts of the old bridge were saved by the town, according to Maine newspaper

The County

. A local artist pitched a plan to create a 20-foot sculpture of an Acadian star out of materials from the bridge to celebrate the Francophone cultural connection shared by the two countries, across the old bridge created.

Acadians are descendants of French settlers who originally settled in Canada’s Maritime Provinces in the 17th and 18th centuries. Aroostook County later became

a hub of Acadian culture

, with a large population still maintaining their heritage.

The invitation for bids and additional information about the property can be found on the auction

webpage

. Only registered bidders will be allowed to inspect the property by appointment.

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OTTAWA — Canada’s largest union is suing the federal government to stop it from ever again invoking the controversial legal tool the Liberals used to order striking Air Canada flight attendants back to work.
 

In a lawsuit filed on Monday, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) — which represents over 750,000 members including Air Canada flight attendants — laid bare its outrage towards the airline and the Liberal government.
 

The union accused Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu of disregarding, undermining and nullifying the flight attendants’ constitutional right to strike by invoking section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order an end to the strike.
 

The lawsuit asks a Federal Court judge to quash the minister’s decision and declare that the power she invoked is both unconstitutional and exceeds her jurisdiction. In the meantime, CUPE is also seeking an emergency injunction against Hajdu’s order.
 

“In issuing her direction, the Minister overrode, abrogated and effectively precluded the Union’s ability to exercise its legal right to strike and its only legal means of asserting and leveraging economic power within the scheme of the Canada Labour Code,” CUPE argued in the lawsuit obtained by National Post.

“The Minister erred in law, inappropriately exercised her jurisdiction, authority and/or discretion, based her decision on erroneous findings of fact that she made in an arbitrary and abusive manner and/or issued an unreasonable decision” when she issued her order on Saturday, CUPE added.
 

The federal government has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit. A spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
 

The controversial section says the minister can direct the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to do what she deems necessary to “maintain or secure industrial peace” or create favourable conditions for a deal during labour disputes.
 

In recent years, the Liberals have taken that to mean that they can order the board to declare a strike illegal, compel federally regulated employees back to work or mandate binding arbitration between parties.
 

Since 2024, they’ve invoked the power to end numerous port and railway strikes as well as a work stoppage at Canada Post in December.
 

On Saturday, barely hours after 10,000 flight attendants went on strike for better pay and hundreds of Air Canada flights were cancelled, the federal government again invoked section 107 to demand the CIRB order pickets back to work and parties enter binding arbitration.
 

Hajdu’s decision even earned condemnation from Liberals such as her caucus mate Kristina Tesser Derksen.

“I am disappointed by our Government’s decision to trigger Section 107 and the speed at which it occurred,” she wrote on social media. “While we are not in complete alignment, I acknowledge the Minister is in a position were she must consider the unprecedented uncertainty that our country faces.”

Saturday, Hajdu rejected accusations that her government is anti-union.
 

“We believe that unions are an essential part of a healthy and growing economy. However, in a case like this, where multiple efforts have been made to conclude an agreement that satisfies both parties and it is clear that they are at an impasse, it is very clear they need some help in arbitrating the final items,” she said.
 

But after the CIRB ordered flight attendants back to work Sunday, CUPE leadership publicly ripped up the decision and called on members to continue striking. On Monday morning, the board declared the strike to be illegal, but it continued regardless as the Canadian Labour Congress voiced its support for CUPE.
 

Then early Tuesday morning, CUPE announced that it had reached a tentative agreement with Air Canada and that the strike was over.
 

CUPE’s lawsuit also alleges that shortly after flight attendants overwhelmingly voted for a strike mandate in early August, Air Canada “ceased bargaining” and focused on lobbying the Liberals to block the strike.
 

“On August 12, 2025, Air Canada presented a detailed brief to the Minister requesting that the Minister intervene and preemptively order that the Union and its members not be permitted to exercise their legal and constitutional right to strike,” CUPE wrote.
 

“Relying on anticipated intervention from the Minister, Air Canada withdrew from any genuine effort to reach an agreement through good faith collective bargaining.”
 

An Air Canada spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was relieved Air Canada and the union had reached a tentative agreement.

“It is my hope that this will ensure flight attendants are compensated fairly at all times, while ending disruption for hundreds of thousands of Canadian families, workers, and visitors to Canada,” he wrote.

National Post

cnardi@postmedia.com

• Flight attendants won’t be ‘returning to the skies’ after ongoing Air Canada strike deemed ‘unlawful’
• Chris Roberts: Bid to quash Air Canada strike shows Liberals don’t care about workers’ rights

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A “cop hater” ticketed for chirping his tires in a noisy truck has lost his appeal to the Nova Scotia Police Review Board where he claimed the officer who pulled him over in July 2023 had been stalking him due to his involvement the year before in a protest at the province’s border with New Brunswick.

Thomas Everett asked the three-member panel to review a decision made last spring by the chief of the Amherst Police Department dismissing his complaints against Cpl. Derek Hebert.

The officer, a 16-year veteran on that force, testified he was called in as back-up on July 24, 2023, to help with a traffic stop.

“During the short time he was at the scene, Mr. Everett drove by, travelling in the opposite direction. According to Cpl. Hebert, Mr. Everett slowed his vehicle as he proceeded by, then sped up, loudly revving his engine (with a loud, after market muffler, designed for noise) and ‘chirped’ his tires as he continued on his way,” said the recent decision.

• ‘I’m not a cop hater’: Quentin Tarantino responds to police boycott
• Matt Gurney: Sorry, cop haters — bullets aren’t magic

The high-pitched squeaking caused by stomping on the gas caught the attention of a couple walking by, according to the officer.

“Cpl. Hebert also testified that the acceleration posed risk to a vehicle ahead of Mr. Everett,” said the decision.

“Mr. Everett denies that he ‘chirped’ his tires, although he agrees that he slowed, then sped up, and that his truck is equipped with a loud, after market muffler.”

Everett argued that Hebert had already “characterized him as a ‘cop hater,’ arising out of Everett’s possible involvement in some sort of citizen protest at the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick border in 2022.”

The decision doesn’t delve into the nature of the protest and the officer’s lawyer said Monday that wasn’t at the heart of the case.

“Hebert was aware of (the protest), and at some point, heard the expression ‘cop hater’ describing Mr. Everett. He testified that he had never met him before, but knew where he lived, and what he looked like,” said the review board decision.

After the tire chirping incident, Hebert followed Everett’s truck and pulled him over.

“Portions of the traffic stop were recorded on the dashcam in the police vehicle,” said the decision. “As well, Mr. Everett’s wife recorded the interaction on a phone, which was intentionally live streaming the events to some Facebook group.”

When the officer asked for Everett’s licence, insurance, and registration, the driver handed over a plastic envelope containing the paperwork, said the decision, dated Aug. 8.

The officer asked him to remove the documents from the envelope, but Everett “declined to do so, several times, and so Cpl. Hebert, remaining by Everett’s truck, removed the documents one at a time, and then tossed them back into Mr. Everett’s lap.”

Hebert then handed Everett a ticket. “There was no overt aggressive, or angry, behaviour visible by either Cpl. Hebert or Mr. Everett.”

Tossing the documents back into Everett’s lap, “which may have been born out of frustration, does not amount to conduct that could be considered a disciplinary violation,” said the decision.

“We also have to bear in mind that Mr. Everett was live streaming the interaction, making this something of a performance piece, intended for an audience in a Facebook world.”

Everett testified Hebert was “stalking” him on June 14, 2023. “He relates this to the idea that Cpl. Hebert saw him as a ‘cop hater.’”

For his part, Hebert said he was patrolling Amherst’s Mission Street that day, when he thought he heard someone call out to him from a social gathering beside Everett’s duplex.

“He reversed, and video evidence shows a woman quickly coming from the Everett side of the building, shouting at him,” said the decision.

“She was angry about a traffic ticket that he had issued to her, saying that he had reported the ticket matter to her social worker. There was little interaction between Cpl. Hebert and the woman, and none with Mr. Everett who was apparently part of the social gathering.”

While the two men didn’t interact that day, Everett argued that “the mere presence of Cpl. Hebert was improper, and was part of the ‘stalking,’” said the panel’s decision.

“While Mr. Everett sees his minor (if any) involvement in a citizen protest in 2022 as making him a target, and subject to surveillance by APD, we disagree. There is no evidence that Mr. Everett had any prior involvement with the criminal justice system, or otherwise with APD. It seems very highly unlikely that Cpl. Hebert, or the APD, would have any interest in the activities of Thomas Everett. He hardly seems to be a crime figure, or even a ‘serial protester,’ if a protester at all.”

The review board rejected “any possibility of Cpl. Hebert targeting Thomas Everett.”

Hebert “had a valid reason to be on Mission Street,” said the decision, which notes he was looking for someone wanted by police.

The panel also found “there was no misconduct” relating to the chirping incident. “We reject any suggestion that there was any targeting of Mr. Everett underlying that event. It was within Cpl. Hebert’s discretion to respond to the actions of Mr. Everett on that occasion by issuing a ticket.”

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

A “cop hater” ticketed for chirping his tires in a noisy truck has lost his appeal to the Nova Scotia Police Review Board where he claimed the officer who pulled him over in July 2023 had been stalking him due to his involvement the year before in a protest at the province’s border with New Brunswick.

Thomas Everett asked the three-member panel to review a decision made last spring by the chief of the Amherst Police Department dismissing his complaints against Cpl. Derek Hebert.

The officer, a 16-year veteran on that force, testified he was called in as back-up on July 24, 2023, to help with a traffic stop.

“During the short time he was at the scene, Mr. Everett drove by, travelling in the opposite direction. According to Cpl. Hebert, Mr. Everett slowed his vehicle as he proceeded by, then sped up, loudly revving his engine (with a loud, after market muffler, designed for noise) and ‘chirped’ his tires as he continued on his way,” said the recent decision.

• ‘I’m not a cop hater’: Quentin Tarantino responds to police boycott
• Matt Gurney: Sorry, cop haters — bullets aren’t magic

The high-pitched squeaking caused by stomping on the gas caught the attention of a couple walking by, according to the officer.

“Cpl. Hebert also testified that the acceleration posed risk to a vehicle ahead of Mr. Everett,” said the decision.

“Mr. Everett denies that he ‘chirped’ his tires, although he agrees that he slowed, then sped up, and that his truck is equipped with a loud, after market muffler.”

Everett argued that Hebert had already “characterized him as a ‘cop hater,’ arising out of Everett’s possible involvement in some sort of citizen protest at the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick border in 2022.”

The decision doesn’t delve into the nature of the protest and the officer’s lawyer said Monday that wasn’t at the heart of the case.

“Hebert was aware of (the protest), and at some point, heard the expression ‘cop hater’ describing Mr. Everett. He testified that he had never met him before, but knew where he lived, and what he looked like,” said the review board decision.

After the tire chirping incident, Hebert followed Everett’s truck and pulled him over.

“Portions of the traffic stop were recorded on the dashcam in the police vehicle,” said the decision. “As well, Mr. Everett’s wife recorded the interaction on a phone, which was intentionally live streaming the events to some Facebook group.”

When the officer asked for Everett’s licence, insurance, and registration, the driver handed over a plastic envelope containing the paperwork, said the decision, dated Aug. 8.

The officer asked him to remove the documents from the envelope, but Everett “declined to do so, several times, and so Cpl. Hebert, remaining by Everett’s truck, removed the documents one at a time, and then tossed them back into Mr. Everett’s lap.”

Hebert then handed Everett a ticket. “There was no overt aggressive, or angry, behaviour visible by either Cpl. Hebert or Mr. Everett.”

Tossing the documents back into Everett’s lap, “which may have been born out of frustration, does not amount to conduct that could be considered a disciplinary violation,” said the decision.

“We also have to bear in mind that Mr. Everett was live streaming the interaction, making this something of a performance piece, intended for an audience in a Facebook world.”

Everett testified Hebert was “stalking” him on June 14, 2023. “He relates this to the idea that Cpl. Hebert saw him as a ‘cop hater.’”

For his part, Hebert said he was patrolling Amherst’s Mission Street that day, when he thought he heard someone call out to him from a social gathering beside Everett’s duplex.

“He reversed, and video evidence shows a woman quickly coming from the Everett side of the building, shouting at him,” said the decision.

“She was angry about a traffic ticket that he had issued to her, saying that he had reported the ticket matter to her social worker. There was little interaction between Cpl. Hebert and the woman, and none with Mr. Everett who was apparently part of the social gathering.”

While the two men didn’t interact that day, Everett argued that “the mere presence of Cpl. Hebert was improper, and was part of the ‘stalking,’” said the panel’s decision.

“While Mr. Everett sees his minor (if any) involvement in a citizen protest in 2022 as making him a target, and subject to surveillance by APD, we disagree. There is no evidence that Mr. Everett had any prior involvement with the criminal justice system, or otherwise with APD. It seems very highly unlikely that Cpl. Hebert, or the APD, would have any interest in the activities of Thomas Everett. He hardly seems to be a crime figure, or even a ‘serial protester,’ if a protester at all.”

The review board rejected “any possibility of Cpl. Hebert targeting Thomas Everett.”

Hebert “had a valid reason to be on Mission Street,” said the decision, which notes he was looking for someone wanted by police.

The panel also found “there was no misconduct” relating to the chirping incident. “We reject any suggestion that there was any targeting of Mr. Everett underlying that event. It was within Cpl. Hebert’s discretion to respond to the actions of Mr. Everett on that occasion by issuing a ticket.”

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

The annual

National Ride for Mental Health

, organized by Wounded Warriors Canada, is taking place on Aug. 23 to raise funds to support veterans, first responders and their families.

The funds raised at the two main rides in Edmonton, Alta., and Orillia, Ont., as well as the many individual and community rides across the country, will be used to support mental health programs provided by Wounded Warriors Canada.

Ambulance Paramedics of BC (APBC), which represents B.C.’s 6,000 paramedics and dispatchers, released this month a statement saying that 30 per cent of their members are either off work battling mental health challenges or working while receiving treatment. A report from 2024 also reveals that up to 10 per cent of war-zone veterans in Canada will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

National Post spoke to Ian Norman, a firefighter in Leduc, Alta., about the importance of the mental health fundraiser and how it has impacted his community.

What is Wounded Warriors Canada?

Wounded Warriors Canada is a nationally recognized charity that develops and promotes programs that focus on operational stress injuries and post traumatic stress disorder in veterans (serving as well as retired), first responders (that would be fire, ambulance, police) and also their families.

What is the National Ride for Mental Health?

The ride for mental health is a national charitable ride. We have multiple locations across the country. The Edmonton ride is my local stomping ground. You can head out to the Garrison here on the CFB Edmonton, climb on your bicycle, and there’s a couple different routes that are fully supported. One is 54 kilometres, the other is 90 kilometres. Sounds like a long distance, but not really if you’re supported, riding with a group and chatting the whole way. That allows you to immerse yourself in not only the Wounded Warriors culture, but also get an opportunity to speak with similar individuals.

It’s completely open to everybody. The ask, of course, is that you generate some sort of charitable fundraising in terms of support for Wounded Warriors Canada. But the ride for mental health isn’t just about riding in a group or riding on that specific day. You can actually ride as an individual on your base or around your own neighbourhood

How long has this ride been around?

This is the third year that the ride for mental health has been in place. It was originally a two-day ride on the Highway of Heroes from Trenton, Ont., to the Parliament Buildings in Toronto. But Wounded Warriors Canada thought it would be a great means of engaging the entire nation, for those that couldn’t make it out to the Highway of Heroes ride.

What is the goal?

The fundraising goal right now nationally is $500,000. Last year, in 2024, they raised $450,000 in a single day of riding. That’s always the goal (to raise) more. We have warrior kids programs, we have service dogs. All of them have been proven to help people cope with the trauma that comes from that operational stress injury. Now, there’s no cure for PTSD or occupational or operational stress injuries, but there’s ways to handle that trauma and ways of developing strategies so that you can help mitigate some of that damage and then reformulate families, rebuild them.

How did you get involved?

In 2014, I came across the battlefield bike ride. It’s this ride in France, at the time. You raise money, you pay your own way, you get to see some sites, but you also have an opportunity to ride with other veterans and first responders and just kind of engage. And at this point, I had been a first responder for about 14 years, and I thought it was important.

I grew up in a military family. My father was a military policeman for 22 years. I’d lived all over the country. Both my grandfathers were serving members of the Canadian military. And I thought it was really important to get invested into something, like Wounded Warriors Canada, because I wanted to promote not only the charity, but the mission of what Wounded Warriors was. And it just seemed like the most logical step. And then after the ride, I was, for lack of a better phrase, absolutely bitten by the cause. It becomes one big, amazing family. I’ve been committed to it for 11 years now, and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.

What are some of the impacts you’ve seen within the community?

I have met hundreds of people that have had the opportunity to work within those programs and seen a categoric change in their personality.

The nice thing is, once you begin investing your time with them you develop a very strong family-orientated environment. I know that I can make a phone call at any point in time to anybody if there’s ever an issue that arises within me.

How can people help?

You can volunteer,

you can donate

, you can participate, you can actively promote in the public. Anytime we get a single person to join the movement to try and motivate people to this cause, it’s a moment of celebration for us.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.