Blaney Says Building On Paradise Row Too Expensive For The Joshua Group

Environment Minister Margaret Ann-Blaney says she wants the Joshua Group to find a new home but a former provincial building on Paradise Row comes with too high of a price tag.

Bobby Hayes is the Founder of the Joshua Group and he recently held a rally at the location in order to drum up support to obtain the building.

Blaney tells CHSJ News an idea was floated that the province would lease them the building renovations to the building would cost at least 150-thousand dollars.
 
Blaney says that was the last conversation she had with board and she is unsure if it took part the rally.

Our newsroom put a call out to a board member but have yet to hear back.

Occupy Saint John Protest Carries On

Some call it a blight on the park, while others want to join the cause but, however you feel the Occupy Saint John protest in King Square carries on.
The peaceful protest involving a small group living in a tent village has been set up since October 15th.
Michael Brideau tells CHSJ News they do want their supporters to remove their money from the big banks.

He says you don't have to hide your money in your mattress but, they do suggest you take it from the corrupt banks and put it in credit unions.

As of this week, some of the protesters do plan to stay in King Square for the winter.

SJ Transit Clears Up Changes To Service On The West Side

Bus service to the lower West side is not being discontinued, it's being combined with the Harbour Bridge route.
General Manager Frank McCarey tells CHSJ News for a few years now they have been operating routes that leave the Lancaster Mall and return back to the mall and another that during peak hour runs across the Harbour Bridge to King Square and back.

He says the new Harbour Bridge bus will run from Lancaster Mall to King Square over the Harbour Bridge and back.

McCarey adds this change will allow bus riders to go either way, to the mall or uptown or both.
He says this new combined route will also make stops in the North end allowing for connections to the hospital and the University.

The new changes go into effect on Boxing Day, December 26th.
For more info, click here

Saint John Man Sentenced To Prison For Drug Trafficking

A 47 year old Howard Court man has been sentenced to 9 years in prison for drug trafficking. 

Wayne Francis McMullin was arrested back in September after police seized over 400 marijuana plants from what has been described as a large and sophisticated grow-op near Garnett Settlement.

McMullin, who has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 1980, pleaded guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking, cultivating marijuana and possession of a loaded handgun. 

The prosecution told the court each pot plant was worth a thousand dollars but McMullin disputed that, claiming 300 dollars for each would be closer to the mark. 

The sentencing judge told McMullin he isn't getting the message based on his record and called him a blight on society for ruining young lives.

Seniors Apartment Complex Coming To Crescent Valley

New affordable housing is making its way to the Crescent Valley.

A 60 unit seniors apartment building will be built next to the new YM-YWCA on Churchill Boulevard.  Half will be open for rental from the public while the rest will be subsidized.

Saint John Portland MLA Trevor Holder tells CHSJ News this project will free up more subsidized housing for families as seniors as currently occupying family units.

Meanwhile, Social Development Minister Sue Stultz tells CHSJ News this announcement is just the beginning of revitalizing housing in the Crescent Valley and more announcements will be made.

The federal government investing 1.2 million in capital and the province will provide 2.3 million in rent subsidizes

Total price tag of the project is about 9 million dollars and shovels are expected to be in the ground by next spring.

City Slashes Two Routes Due To Budget Woes

City Transit will be slashing one bus route and altering another as it tries to deal with budget constraints.

The Latimore Lake will be eliminated on boxing day and the Lower West route will not be cut as it turns out. It will be changed by being combined with the Harbour Bridge route.  The Lower West route has stops at Lancaster Mall, Martello Tower, and the Carleton Community Centre.

There will also be less service at night and on the weekends.

14 employees will be let go in December as City Transit tries to scale back 14-thousand hours of service.

You're being encouraged to submit feedback on the changes.

To see the schedule changes or to submit feedback, click here.

Barry Is The Focus Of A Celebration Today

A well-known Saint Johner is wrapping up her career with a celebration at the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal.
Jane Barry is retiring as the Executive Director of the Greater Saint John Community Foundation.
She tells CHSJ News says she is feeling happy that she is leaving the foundation in very good hands and in good financial shape.

She says thanks to many generous donors in the community the foundation has nearly 9 millions dollars in the bank they can turn over to charitable causes.

Clare Northcott is the new Executive Director of the Greater Saint John Community Foundation.
The celebration of Jane Barry begins at 4:30 this afternoon  at the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal.

Teen Pleads Guilty In North End Death

A 17 year old youth, whose name cannot be made public, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after originally being charged with murder in the death of 29 year old Jason Dow in the north end last March.

Dow was found outside a building on Barker Street.

The teen has been in jail ever since turning himself in to the RCMP in Hampton shortly thereafter and will be sentenced December 2nd.