Common Causes Host Rally Against P3 Model For Water

Common Causes hosting a rally happening today at Loyalist Plaza outlying their opposition against a public private partnership to pay for clean drinking water.

Common Council will be discussing the matter at tonight's meeting, which starts starts at 6pm.

Cardy Will Not Run In Kent Byelection

Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy says his hands are already too full to be running in the Kent County byelection....nevertheless he tells CHSJ News he there are several strong candidates who will soon be making their names known.

He says it's just over a year until the provincial election and he is working to build a party province-wide and it's really work on the leader can do.

Cardy tells us since Kent is historically such a Liberal stronghold he understands why Liberal leader Brian Gallant has decided to run.

RCMP & Fire Marshal Examine Bordertown Fire

The Mounties and the Provincial Fire Marshal are looking into a house fire on Queensway Way in St. Stephen early this  morning.

RCMP and firefighters from St. Stephen and Calais responded just after midnight. 

The only person living in the two-storey home saw the fire in a porch area at the rear of the home, but couldn't put it out and went to find help from his neighbours.

The cause of the blaze is considered suspicious.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Stephen RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Medical Event Slows Traffic On King

A medical event on a City bus slowing traffic at King and Germain.

The person may have had a seizure and are being taken to the hospital to be checked out. 

 

One Lane East & West Open On Hwy 1 Near Spruce Lake

A propane truck tipping over this morning is tying up a lot of emergency personnel resources today.

In the latest update, Higway 1 just west of Spruce Lake is open to traffic one lane in each direction.

A technical issue has prevented the removal of the propane at this time.
It was decided it would best to wait until after rush hour to close the roadway.

The roadway will now be shut down after 6pm to remove propane from the truck and remove the truck itself.

Kent County Gets Set To Vote Next Month

Premier David Alward has called a byelection for April 15 to fill the seat vacated by former premier Shawn Graham.

The seat for the riding of Kent officially became vacant last week after Graham quit politics. 

Liberal Leader Brian Gallant will run for the party and the Progressive Conservatives will choose their candidate on Wednesday.    Graham resigned after he was found to be in a conflict of interest over a $50-million loan guarantee his government gave to a construction firm in 2009.

The province's conflict of interest commissioner said Graham should have removed himself from the cabinet discussions about the loan guarantee to Acton because it had ties to his father.
 

Drug Bust in Florenceville-Bristol

The RCMP seizing hash, marijuana, marijuana plants and pills at a house in Florenceville-Bristol after carrying out a search warrant. A 37-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman who lived at the house were arrested on Friday. The two were released and will appear in court at a later date in connection with the drug bust.

Anyone with information on illegal drug activity in their neighbourhood is asked to get in touch with the RCMP or Crime Stoppers, at www.crimenb.ca, or 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Highway 1 Near Spruce Lake Closing For Two Hours

Highway 1 is closing in both directions just west of Spruce Lake for two hours while propane is drained from a truck on its side.

City police and fire and the RCMP are all on the scene.

The truck slipped onto its side about 930 this morning but no one was hurt and no fluid leaked.

Super-force Not A Popular Idea In KV

Merging all the police agencies into one big, regional force ... that idea being tossed around by city mayor Mel Norton, but the proposal's not popular in the valley. 

Quispamsis mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ news that they don't want to combine forces, but they do want to keep on collaborating with the city.
 
Driscoll says the Rothesay Regional Police already work closely with Saint John, sharing staff with the regional emergency tactical team, street crime drug enforcement and canine services, in addition to other areas. He says the current system isn't broken, and doesn't need fixing.

Many City Boards Need Your Spare Time

18 of the 60 organizations the Saint John Volunteer Centre recruits for are currently looking to fill vacancies on their boards.
 
Eileen McLaughlin tells CHSJ News part of the reason is people are so busy these days and have very little free time for volunteering.

She says the workplace is more demanding than usual which is impacting volunteerism because people have less time to give back.

McLaughlin says between meetings, committees and work it shakes down to a 6 to 8 hour time commitment a month.   You can apply on their website.     
For more info, click here

Propane Truck Flips On Highway

City fire crews remain on the scene after a tractor-trailer carrying propane flipped on Highway 1 westbound near Spruce Lake.

It happened about 930 this morning and no one was hurt and the vehicle is not leaking any fluid.

Diesel tanks are being drained and then propane tanks will be drained before the truck can be put upright and towed off the highway.

Plans Unveiled For New Seniors Complex In Millidgeville

Common Council being asked to approve rezoning to allow construction of a seniors complex in Millidgeville being proposed by Shannex.

The project, described as a campus style layout, would be constructed at 80 University Avenue behind Wendy's and Tim Hortons stretching along Millidge Avenue.

It would consist of a five story building with lifestyle apartments for seniors who are more active......A four storey building for traditional retirement living with two meals provided daily......A two storey building for special care and a one storey building for people suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia.

There's no word yet on a construction schedule.

World's Fastest Network Now Available

Smartphone users with Telus can cruise the web at top speed with the launch of the world's fastest wireless technology in greater Saint John. 

It's called 4G Long Term Evolution or LTE, and Ken Power, the director for Telus' Atlantic region says the old network is more like dial-up internet, where the new network is like high-speed.

 Downloads are approximately 75 megabits a second, making it seven to 10 times faster than the old network.

He says any customer with a relatively new smart phone should be on the network, but there's no fee for the upgrade.

Deer Breaks Into Bedroom

Herds of them roam outside in the valley, but one particularly adventurous deer made the jump indoors.

The animal smashed a window of a house on Bel Air Avenue over the weekend, and Corporal Joe Cantelo of the Rothesay Regional Police tells CHSJ news says they got the call after the resident had locked it inside of the bedroom. An officer from the Department of Natural Resources showed up and gave the deer a lethal dose of tranquilizer, after realizing it had fractured its legs.

Organised Labour Says No Need To Change E-I

The Employment Insurance programme is seen by the federal government, regardless of which party is in power, as being its cash cow to be used when needed to reduce the deficit even though it doesn't contribute a nickel to the fund. 

That charge being levelled by Serge Landry of the Canadian Labour Congress who was in Saint John speaking at a town hall meeting and warning workers the appeal process is being made harder.
 
Landry tells CHSJ News the E-I programme doesn't have a funding problem at all. In fact, the C-L-C has suggested there's a surplus and benefits could be increased.

Landry says last year in New Brunswick, there were 35 thousand unemployed workers with only 38 hundred available jobs.

Value For Money Study On Water Completed

Common Council has been told by Price Waterhouse Cooper, taxpayers in the city will get better value for their money by going with the public-private partnership or P-3 model to build the water treatment plant on the east side. 

Common Council has been told there would be a 10 to 15 per cent savings for ratepayers. 

Meantime, former Mayor Ivan Court says the city also has to get some of the big industrial water users to pay their fair share and not the rates they were paying in 1958.

Price Waterhouse Cooper estimates yearly water rates would range from $1,450 to $1,550  by the year 2030 under the P-3 model as opposed to $1,650 to $1,750 a year under the traditional method of funding.

Moore Says People Shouldn't Fear EI Changes

Seasonal workers in the province continue to protest reforms to employment insurance.

Fundy-Royal MP Rob Moore says not a single person has come into his office saying they have been cut off due to the changes.

He tells CHSJ News E-I isn't going anywhere.

He says for people who need Employment Insurance it will be there adding in his riding they have many seasonal workers in places like St. Martin's and Alma.

Moore says E-I staffers doing 1400 drop in visits across the country to ensure claimants are actively seeking work might amount to two visits in his riding.