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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Learn To Manage Your Money This Month

November is dedicated to helping you learn how to take control of your cash.

It's Financial Literacy Month in Canada and Marissa Rignanesi of the Financial Consumer Services Commission tells CHSJ News part of using credit responsibly is knowing yourself and your habits so you can make smart decisions. She also says we should be learning how to be responsible with our money so that the younger generation can learn from our good habits.

A financial literacy expo is happening tomorrow at the UNB Saint John campus, at the Baird Dining Hall in the Thomas J. Condon Student Centre from 11am to 3pm. 

TD Announces Creation Of More Than 275 Positions


Some good news on the job front for a change and in the beleaguered call centre industry.

Mayor Mel Norton, Premier David Alward and former Premier Frank McKenna announcing 275 jobs over the next three years at the TD Insurance call centre on Rothesay Avenue. More than 120 positions have already been posted on the TD website. Alward says the insurance sector in the province is a significant economic driver.


The expansion will contribute about $40 million annually to the province's gross domestic product when all the jobs are filled.

Iron Mountain and ExxonMobil both announcing the closure of their city call centres in the Loch Lomond Mall next year. ExxonMobil is moving its operations to Moncton and some of the Saint John workers may be transferred.

HHN Wants Feedback from You

Did you have an experience at a Horizon Health facility you think they should know about?  Here is your chance to tell them about it.

Horizon Health Network President and CEO John McGarry says over the 15 to 20 years with more regionalization they have distanced themselves from patients and communities.

He says they want people to give them a call and they'll sit down with them and talk about their experience. He adds they are not looking for a blow by blow of there event in the hospital but the overall experience.

McGarry says they will inform the board about their progress and try and institute some of the common themes were are hearing about.


He adds they are looking  at everything from the admission process, the care received to parking.

To contact Horizon Health to get involved, call 1-855-661-0661.

Too Many Ice Rinks, Too Little Money

Saint John's got a lot of ice rinks for a city its size, which means some of them are falling into disrepair.

Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News he still thinks it would make sense to build a 4-Plex recreational facility somewhere central like Long Wharf.

Norton says it naturally depends on whether or not the money is there--but a modern facility would mean tournaments stop going to places like Moncton and Fredericton and that we aren't missing in on sports tourism dollars.

Province Looking For Expressions Of Interest For Potash Rights


The provincial government is launching a request for Expressions of Interest for potash rights in New Brunswick.

Minister of Energy and Mines Craig Leonard rising in the Legislature to formalize the request, saying these are areas of potential potash deposits in the province that haven't yet been developed.

Leonard says they're being proactive in making the request in hopes it will bring more investment, jobs, and opportunities to New Brunswickers.

Notoriously Awful Roads Looking Somewhat Better This Year

Saint John has been known for its warzone-worthy roads for many years now--but with the investment of 7.1 million dollars into roads and sidewalks this year they're looking a lot better. 

Acting City Manager Bill Edwards says 14.6 kilometers of curb and 5.7 kilometers of sidewalk were replaced.

Mayor Mel Norton saying he's impressed with how far the investment has gone--and since there's still more to be done in the years to come, he'd support another substantial investment.

Cardy Calling On Grits & Tories To Join Forces Against Senate

Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy is calling on the Liberals and Conservatives to follow what they did at the Saskatchewan Legislature and pass a vote calling for the abolition of the Senate. 

Premier David Alward indicated earlier he wanted to see an elected Senate but Cardy tells CHSJ News that was then.


A recent poll by Corporate Rsearch Associates found nearly half of people in the province who gave any thought at all to the Senate wanted to see it abolished.

Police Seize Drugs And Cash At Uptown Home

Drugs and cash being seized in the uptown by City Police.

Sgt. Jay Henderson says a search warrant was executed at a home on Orange Street just before 8pm and a 23-year old man was arrested. 

He is being charged with possession for the purposes of trafficking both cannabis and hashish and the possession of property obtained by crime. He will be in court today.

McKenna Back In Saint John For Job Creation Announcement

Fresh from his lunch meeting with Mayor Norton in Toronto yesterday, former Premier Frank McKenna is in the Port City today for a job creation announcement.

It's happening this afternoon at the TD Insurance call centre on Rothesay Avenue.

The Premier will also be on hand.

McKenna is the deputy chair of the TD Bank Group.

Traffic Disruption Near Lorneville

Traffic being disrupted along Highway 1 near Lorneville after a tractor trailer wound up on the median after leaving the highway. 

The fire department was called to clean up the fuel that spilled. 

One lane going westbound is blocked for the time being. Both lanes going eastbound are open but the tractor trailer will have to be towed and, when that happens, traffic going eastbound will also be disrupted.

Mayor And Business Leaders Selling SJ In Toronto

Mayor Mel Norton made it back just in the nick of time for common council after a big trade mission to Toronto yesterday.

Business leaders from Saint John including Richard Currie and representatives from the Oland and Irving families also attended those meetings in the Big Smoke, which were geared at bringing business to the Port City.

Topics included the Port, our broadband infrastructure, shale gas, and the Energy East Pipeline.

Too Many Playgrounds Means Some Are Falling Apart

You might have noticed  broken swing-sets and overflowing garbage cans when you take the kids to your local playground.

There's a reason for that, according to Michael Hugenholtz of Saint John's Leisure Services department: a city the size of Saint John should have about 14 playgrounds, but we have over 70 meaning some are falling into disrepair. 

Hugenholtz explains under newly-adopted PlaySJ community groups will have to maintain smaller playgrounds--but Common Councillor Ray Strowbridge has concerns that in areas where community groups don't exist playgrounds that are well-used won't be maintained.
 

Hugenholtz says there are 42 playgrounds that could potentially be phased out and it makes more sense to invest in flagship playgrounds like the one at Rockwood Park that serve a lot of families.