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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Boil Water Order Lifted

The boil order that has been in effect for Hillcrest Trailer Park since last week has been lifted.

Residents can stop boiling their water effective immediately. 

Person May Have Gone Over Side Of Bridge

You may have noticed emergency crews and traffic slow in the Harbour Bridge area this afternoon.

Police and rescue where called to the are after reports of someone going over he side of the Harbour Bridge.

The report has not yet been confirmed.

Ladder Truck Could Have Helped In Sussex Fire

After reviewing the handling of the September 4th fire that gutted a sizeable chunk of downtown Sussex, Mayor Mark Thorne says criticism of the fire department don't hold water with him. According to Thorne, a ladder truck would have made a difference in the fire...but the truck they've ordered isn't set to arrive until 2013.

None of the fire departments from surrounding areas have a ladder truck either, so Thorne stresses it isn't as if the fire department neglected to call in all the available resources.

There had been criticisms levelled at the SFD on social media for not calling in firefighters from Millstream--but Mayor Thorne says they had enough water and manpower to do everything that could have been done.

New Heart Technology For Regional Hospital

Potash Corp in Sussex giving 75 thousand dollars to buy three new machines for the Heart Centre at the Regional Hospital. 

The Clinical Department Head for the Heart Centre, Dr. Marc Pelletier says the surgical procedures are becoming more complex and this new technology is a game changer because it helps patients get off the heart-lung machine easier and helps their heart function better and stronger after the surgery. 

The new machines are considered crucial to open heart surgeries.
 

The Regional Hospital Foundation has announced The Give has reached 86 per cent of its 750 thousand dollar goal with 100 thousand dollars still to be raised.   

12th Floor Smoke Forces Guests & Staff Out


A dramatic interruption to lunch, business meetings and possibly sleep as smoke on the 12th floor forces the noonhour evacaution of the Hilton hotel.


District Fire Chief Peter Saab says the source of the smoke was a chair on fire which was quickly exstinguished and the ventilation process began.

Saab says the full fire response is standard until they know what they are dealing with.

He says other calls coming in would be handled by the District Chief on duty and the apparatus that is left would be divided up depending on what is coming in at the time.

Officials began letting staff and guests back into the hotel before 1pm.  The scene has been turned over to fire investigators and City police while elevator technicians and more assist the hotel in returning things back to normal.

Board Of Trade Announces Winner of "Chair's Award"

The Saint John Board of Trade announcing their choice for the 2012 “Chair’s Award”.

Non-profit organization Credit Counselling Services of Atlantic Canada is the winner for changing lives, giving back and being a great employer according to Board of Trade Chair Larry Hachey.

The community service supports and educates people in solving debt problems.

The award will be presented at the 28th annual Outstanding Business Achievement Awards dinner on October 3rd at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre.

Rothesay Putting Foot Down On Sewage Problem

A letter is being written to Quispamsis from Rothesay council to fix their lift station immediately.

Rothesay Council says whenever it rains the Quispam lift station pours raw sewage into brooks at the back of people's properties at Oakville Acres -- an area where a lot of children play.

Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ news Quispamsis does have money in their budget to redesign the lift station, but they plan on implementing it 5-10 years from now. Bishop says the health hazard is to great and it needs to be fixed now.

Bishop adds along with the letter they'll be sending photos so there's no doubt what the problem is.

Mayor Wants Any Regionalisation To Build Stronger Cities

The city is encouraged by the promise of greater regionalisation but there are still alot of unknowns and that's why Mayor Mel Norton would like to see more clarity from the province on its plans.

Mayor Mel Norton acknowledges the financial woes of the city will be a fact of life for sometime and regionalisation won't solve that. He also doesn't see regionalisation doing anything about the divergent tax rates between what's charged in the city as opposed to the outlying communities.

He does believe there will be opportunities to save money with planning and recreation sooner rather than later and then down the road have a look at policing and fire.

The Mayor would like to see the city given greater taxing authority because he says the ability of people in the city to keep paying more is not limitless.


Chair On Fire Evacuates Hilton

Firefighters have discovered a chair on fire on the 12th floor of the Hilton.

The hotel has been evacuated.

The hotel will have to be ventilated.

Housing Starts Remain Soft


The latest numbers from Canada Mortgage and Housing show new home construction remains soft in the greater Saint John area -- the survey reports a 35-percent drop in the number of new units started to the end of August compared to the same eight month period a year ago.
The federal agency says the biggest drop is in the number of multiple residential units started this year while single family units are almost on par with last year.
By contrast -- both Fredericton and Moncton are showing increases in the number of new units started this year compared to last year.

Car Hits Moose Near Lepreau

One person taken to hospital after a car ran into a moose on Route 790 at the Lepreau exit and that caused some delays. 

Traffic heading northbound towards the highway was being detoured through the village while southbound traffic was allowed to go through but it proceeded slower than normal.

After 8:00, there was a three vehicle collision westbound along Highway 1 at the Fox Farm overpass which ground traffic to a halt.

(Photo Courtesy Of Andrew Sanojca)

Rothesay Residents Standing Up Against Residential Development

Over fifty residents flooding Rothesay council opposing a proposed residential development.

Not a single one of them was in favour of 12 duplexes proposed to be built at 20 Gibbon Road.


Resident Frank Ervin tells CHSJ news he understands why people would want a high density area, but they like their peaceful neighbourhood. He says it's a low density area filled with single family residents and they don't want to see it's character changed by squeezing in more homes. He says many of the trees in the area are over a hundred years old and thirty feet high.

Many people were also concerned about flooding, construction noise, losing privacy, and fire danger with the proposed housing being so close to each other. One woman mentioned there's no need for new houses since there are so many on the market and not selling.
Mayor Bill Bishop understands most of the people were opposed to overcrowding the small piece of land. Rothesay council is following the recommendation from the planning advisory committee and are asking the developer to go back and look at the project, make changes, and then council will go back to it.

Development Plan

Major Change For North End Community Center

There's going to be more than just ball hockey at the North End Community Center....the center on Victoria Street has been approved for Phase 1 of a $3 million revitalization project. Scott Crawford of One Change tells CHSJ News the community's needs have grown since the center was built in the 1970s.

Among the problems are that the building is too cold in the winter and too hot in summer, lacking natural light, and generally run down.

Crawford says he anticipates the money will also go toward new programs like prenatal counseling for parents and mental fitness for young people.

MMA Battle Continues At City Hall

Full contact combat could be coming to the LBR...or could it? 

Common Council discussing once again whether mixed martial arts should have a home in the Port City. Councillor Raw Strowbridge questioned why every other city in the Maritimes seems to be hosting MMA when it's supposedly illegal, saying we're behind the times. He suggested perhaps other cities are regulating the sport through the boxing or wrestling leagues.

Strowbridge asked legal counsel Francois Beaulieau to explain what the legal issue is but says he isn't satisfied with the answers.

A demonstration to bring MMA to Saint John was recently held in front of City Hall.