Free Air Balloon Rides In Saint John & Sussex

You weren't imagining things when you saw a big RE/MAX air balloon in the sky!

The 2012 Atlantic Canada Hot Air Ballon tour is here, offering free air balloon rides to Saint Johner's. The balloon, fully equipped with a wicker basket, can goes as high as 50 feet.

Chief Pilot Scott MacRitchie says it's for big kids and little kids. He adds the shear volume of the balloon is breathtaking, saying it's a 90 thousand cubic foot balloon and 70 feet high.


The balloon will be tethered tonight around 5 or 7pm, at Kings Landing by Water Tower on the West Side. Tomorrow morning it's set for Sussex and will be back in Saint John on Monday at 7:30am as part of it's Atlantic tour. MacRitchie reminds all times and flights are weather dependent and there are no rain dates on the tour.

For more information on the RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc.'s balloon program, click here.

Lepreau Low Power Restart A Success

After being approved by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Point Lepreau has successfully completed the low power reactor restart.

This comes after extensive testing and refurbishments. More test will be done in the future to make sure the reactor components and plant systems are working properly. It'll involve raising and reducing reactor power, along with shifting down and restarting.

The reactor power will gradually be increased to certain levels to warm up the heat transport system, run turbines and sync the generator to the province's electricity grid.

Two Local Students Win Big Award

Two grade 10 students from Saint John have been awarded CIBC Youthvision Scholarships, worth up to $38,500 each.

Samantha Paulin from St. Malachy's High School and Deanna Wilson from Saint John High have the award that targets high-potential youth who might not have the opportunity to go to university or college.

Big Brothers Big Sisters help find the students through their mentorship program. Along with funds, the two students will also get a summer internship for up to six years through the YMCA and contributions to tuition for 4 years.

Every year the CIBC Youthvision Scholarship program gives more than $1 million to help give post-secondary education for youth in need.

Assaults Send Two Men To Hospital

Two separate overnight assaults leaving two men in hospital and another appearing in court tomorrow.

Saint John City Police tell CHSJ news in the first incident a group of people assaulted one man outside his home on Saint James Street West around 1:15am.


Almost an hour and a half later on Catherwood Street, a 30-year-old man was sent to hospital with head injuries after being assaulted by a 40-year-old man with what police say appeared to be a baseball bat.

Neglected Pot Causes Fire

When they say a watched pot never boils, that's not exactly true.

A neglected pot on a stove was the reason fire crews cleared out a 7-unit apartment building at 101 Elliot Road just after 3:30 yesterday afternoon. Crews had to force their way into the apartment and quickly put out the small fire, but stayed an hour to ventilate the smoke.


Fire crews were also busy looking for the source of a propane smell at Canadian Tire West yesterday afternoon. Crews couldn't find the source of the smell, and after everything was deemed safe the store and gas bar opened back up.

Mayor Sad To Hear Of Horne's Death

St. Paul's Anglican Church in Rothesay will be the site of a funeral for former Rothesay Mayor Don Horne this afternoon at 1:00.

Current Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop will be at the funeral. He tells CHSJ news the town's flag is at half mass in honor of his memory. Bishop says he was sadden to hear of his death, adding he was a bright citizen, did a good job for the town and was well respected by those who knew him.

Horne, an active member of the Conservative Party, was Mayor of Rothesay from 1983 to 1995 and pushed for the four laneing of the McKay Highway.