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Thursday, April 1, 2010

Keir Says Bridge Funding Not About Politics

New Set-Up for Tele-Care



Nothing but praise from the Health Minister concerning the new 8-1-1- telecare service.
The Province announced the new set-up earlier this week and Mary Schryer tells CHSJ News, they will keep both lines active for 3 maybe 4 months while people make the transistion.
Every year in the Province, close to 65,000 people use telecare with the main goal to cut back on the amount of visits to emergency rooms.



















Minimum Wage Is Up Today

Minimum wage is up by 25 cents as of today, rising to $8.50 per hour.


This is the sixth increase since October 2006, when minimum wage was $6.70 per hour.
More increases are on the way as will with a 50 cent raise going into effect on September.1st, another 50 cents a year from today and yet another 50 cents on September 1st of next year.


That means minimum wage in this Province by Labour Day of next year will stand at an even ten dollars an hour.
With today's increase, someone working 40 hours a week will earn a minimum of $340 per week.

Board of Trade o Harbour Bridge







Now that the loan for repair work on the Harbour Bridge is locked up, the Board of Trade is hopeful a similar deal can be ironed out on a long term deal with Ottawa.


President Imelda Gilman tells CHSJ News, upcoming meetings with Premier Graham and Prime Minister Harper should be a success.


Harbour Bridge General Manager Ken Anthony tells CHSJ news, construction will get started in June and finish up by October.

Changes to city services for the Easter Long Weekend

The City of Saint John offices will be closed tomorrow for Good Friday and again on Monday.
Garbage and compost collection will follow it's regular schedule.


Saint John Transit will operate on a holiday/Sunday service on Friday and Monday's service will follow a Saturday schedule.


The Comex service to Grand Bay-Westfield, the Kennebecasis Valley and Hampton will run as scheduled on Monday.

Old DVA Property is Listed

At $1.99 million dollars, the realtor who has the old DVA property listed is confident a buyer is out there.


Judy Mitchell tells CHSJ News, there are some people interested right now but are taking their time to make sure everything is lined up before they move forward.


Right now, there are ten, three level town houses on the property not finished but the over 3 acres is approved for 64 town houses or garden homes.

KV High School Losing It's Principal

It's the end of era at Kennebecasis Valley High School.


Bob Munroe, who has been principal at the school for the past 20 years, is stepping down at the end of this school season.
Munroe tells CHSJ News, his teaching career actually spans 35 years, three provinces and many stops along the way.


Munroe says he hasn't heard yet on whether there will be a going away party but he very shy about those things.


No replacement has been named yet.

More Illegal Smokes Off the Streets

The flow of illegal cigarettes into Nova Scotia has been dealt a serious blow.

RCMP stopped a vehicle in St. Leonard this week and arrested a 65-year-old man from Nova Scotia for being in possession of contraband cigarettes.


260,000 smokes have been seized and the man is due in court June.2nd.



Hit and Run in St. George














A hit and run is under investigation by St. George RCMP.

It happened on March 18th between eleven in the morning and noon.

A 26-year-old man was walking along Highway 778 in Beaver Harbour when a vehicle traveling north from Blacks Harbour hit him causing minor injuries.


The vehicle didn't stop and the person who was hit didn't get a look at the vehicle.

Essay Winners Are Announced











(Mothers Against Drunk Driving Vehicle)
               (File Photo)

Five high school students from Greater Saint John make up half of the ten winners from around the Province who have won $1,000 in a provincial essay contest.

The cash will go toward their costs to attend the annual Canadian Youth Against Impaired Driving Conference in May in Regina.

The winners include Sara Long and Rebecca Van Snick of Simonds High, Deanna Winter of Hampton High along with Gillian Graves and Alana Totton of Bellisle Regional High School.


The contest was developed by NB Liquor and open to all Teens Against Drinking and Driving members from high schools around the Province.



Harbour Bridge Gets 11th Hour Reprieve On Repairs












              (Harbour Bridge)
                  (File Photo)


The Provincial cabinet is taking action to get the money needed for repairs to be made to the Harbour Bridge by approving a 35 million dollar loan guarantee.

Harbour Bridge Authority General Manager Ken Anthony tells CHSJ News, that means there shouldn't be any need for lane closures or weight reductions.

He concedes it will be tight in order to get the work done during this construction season but believes it should happen with work starting in the eastbound lanes in late May or early June.

Anthony acknowledged it hasn't been fun with all the wrangling that has gone on but this is what the Harbour Bridge Authority wanted to happen all along.

The long term solution is still seen as a joint funding agreement between the federal and provincial governments.

Premier Shawn Graham has said the province is willing to take the bridge over but certain conditions would have to be met by the federal government.

Saint John M-P Rodney Weston has said those conditions were not acceptable.

West Side Property Described As "Urban Nightmare"















                 (Common Councillor Peter McGuire)
                          (Photo by Brian McLain)

An urban nightmare........That's how Common Councillor Peter McGuire describes the old D-V-A property across from Olsens where a housing development was started a few years ago but then abandoned. McGuire says he is anxiously awaiting a report from city staff on what can be done to turn this eyesore around. McGuire warns the first thing retailers, who are thinking of setting up shop along Fairville Boulevard, ask about is new housing development.
McGuire says the potential for vibrant residential housing is being lost and that also means the city is also losing out on alot of property tax revenue. McGuire goes on to say it's just wrong for a developer to just walk away.



Concern Over Passing Along Loch Lomand Road















             (Common Councillor Bruce Court)
                    (Photo by Brian McLain)

There's a section of Loch Lomand Road between the Airport and Hickey Road where the speed limit drops from 70 kilometers an hour down to 50 and then back up to 70 again. It is described as an accident waiting to happen. The residents who live along there say drivers get impatient and pass one another on a solid line creating a dangerous situation. Common Councillor Bruce Court says he has been passed himself more than once and as recently as last weekend.
Court says now that the school is closed, the speed limit should be 70 kilometers an hour the entire way.