N.B. government's out-of-character Instagram post has people talking
CBC
It's not your typical government of New Brunswick messaging.
But a video post on the gnbca Instagram account is getting a lot of attention for that very reason.
The video, depicting a series of eye-boggling "battles" between Omicron and the booster shot and set to Vanilla Ice's Ninja Rap, has voguing dancers as the booster facing off against a variety of hapless characters as the variant. (Spoiler alert: the booster shot slays, every time.)
The video, an edited version of a TikTok video by Best of Vogue, features added captions and a one-sentence message: "Get your COVID-19 booster. Book now at www.gnb.ca/bookavaccine."
It's a striking departure from the account's usual feed, which typically features charts explaining winter-plan restriction levels, posters illustrating mask guidance, reminders to obey speed limits and occasional photographs of New Brunswick landscapes.
"We wanted to do something fresh, something people would notice," Adam Bowie said in an email.
"Since people aged 18 years and older are now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots, we wanted to think outside the box to reach people within such a broad age range."
It appears that gamble paid off.
Followers of the account immediately began remarking on the unusual material, many of them expressing surprise and delight.
"Social media team deserves a raise for this one," one follower commented.
"GNB has no business doing something this fire," another wrote.
"This reel has single handedly convinced me to move to New Brunswick. Give the creator of this a raaaaaaaise!!!!!!
Others commented on the hat-tip to inclusivity, given that the Black, gay and transgender community is widely credited with the creation of voguing as a dance style.
"Something LGBT just happened to me," one commenter said of the gnbca post.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.