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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Cathedral Of Immaculate Conception Needs $10 Million In Restorations

About 160-years standing and the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception needs some repairs. 

The Cathedral needs a new roof because of water infiltration. That from Bishop Robert Harris, who tells CHSJ news, the restorations come with a $10 million dollar price tag.


The Diocese of Saint John is planning a fundraising campaign, expecting to be launched in the new year. It will be looking for support from the community, corporations and government. 

"We have a good team of people working behind the scenes, getting everything ready," he adds, We're not putting all the expectation on a diminishing number of people who gather in a spot, and actually I'm told that at our Cathedral church, the numbers are growing."


Restoration also includes the inside walls, to take care of the damage to paint or plaster, that may have been caused by water infiltration. The Diocese also hopes to gain recognition for the Cathedral, as a provincial heritage site.

Norton Gives 2013 State of the City

He was fired up and the crowd at the Delta was picking up on Mel Norton's enthusiasm for our city's future.

In his second state of the city speech, the Mayor spoke of recent successes like the last week's water funding deal and the Energy East Pipeline.

Norton says they know business will not invest in a place that does not have confidence adding when Saint Johners have confidence,  that confidence leads to action.  Norton spoke of the more than 30 initiatives underway as part of the True Growth 2.0 strategy and how essential regional cooperation is between Saint John and the outlying communities.

The Mayor also talked of a virtual hug...he says that is when the City meets with a local business and looks them in the white of their eyes telling them we appreciate you and the fact that you are sticking it out with us.

CHSJ News asked the Mayor for his biggest highlight of the last 18 months and he says he would sum it up with three words:  pension, pipeline, water.

Police Looking For Missing Public Landing Man

RCMP calling on the public for help finding a missing man from Public Landing.

60-year-old Roger Taylor was last seen at the Department of Natural Resources office in Welsford Tuesday afternoon. Taylor is described as being 5’8, and weighing about 200 lbs. He has green eyes, gray balding hair, a moustache and wears glasses. Taylor was wearing a dark jacket, a brown felt hat, blue jeans and gray hiking boots. He was driving a silver 2000 Toyota Corolla, with license plate GZV 761.


If anyone has information about the whereabouts of Roger Taylor, they are asked to contact the Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP at 506-757-1020 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.crimenb.ca.

Like Many New Brunswickers, Alward Heads To Alberta

Premier David Alward doing what 15,000 New Brunswickers have already done and heading to Alberta for work--except in the Premier's case. that mean addressing the Alberta legislature about the importance of New Brunswick in the natural resources sector.

The Premier stop about Canada's future when it comes to energy, including the Energy East pipeline and the development of shale gas.

Alward saying future growth and prosperity depends on our ability to responsibly develop resources and find new markets.

Snook Pleads Guilty To Newfoundland Charges


Donnie Snook in court today pleading guilty to charges from his time in Newfoundland in the 90's which include two counts of sexual touching.

Court heard that Snook feigned sleep while assaults took place and he waived his right to a trial.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 17th.

Back in October, Snook got a sentence of 18 years in prison for 46 child exploitation charges relating to incidents in Saint John.

Family Stranded After Road Washout


One rural road is looking more like Beirut than Barnesville after last night's rain......Dianna Cole and her family have lived about a mile up on the Back River Road for the past 25 years, and for the past 4 they've been trying to get a storm damaged culvert repaired by the  Department of Transportation.

After the storm last night, Cole tells CHSJ News she got an upsetting phone call from her
son.


He said he couldn't get to the house and her husband suggested putting a few planks across so he could walk across it. 

He said that it wouldn't work because the washout is 35 to 45 feet wide.




Cole says 4-5 families including senior citizens are now stranded and unable to get off the road even to get to work....and an emergency situation could be disastrous. Judy Cole of the Department of Transportation tells us crews have been out to the site and they're making an assessment for short and long term repairs.

2200 Still Without Power



There are still more than 2200 without power following yesterday's storm.



In our backyard, the largest group affected are in Smithtown and in Quispam.

700 homes and businesses are without lights in Pennfield.

NB Power says the lights will be back on by 10pm tonight in some cases and in other areas an update is pending.

To see the latest numbers, click here




Hospital Patients In Province Surveyed

With Horizon Health asking for patient feedback and Provincial Health Minister Ted Flemming's wish for patient centred care, the New Brunswick Health Council has released the results of its own survey of patients. 

C-E-O Stephane Robichaud tells CHSJ News there could be better communication with patients when it comes to transitioning from hospital to their homes and about the proper use of their drugs.

Robichaud says the main area for improvement would be cleanliness. Only 53.2 per cent of patients across the province say their room and washroom were always kept clean. That percentage is lower than it was in a similar survey done back in 2010.

Three out of four patients give their hospital stay a thumbs up.

VIDEO: Simonds High Evacuated After Bomb Scare

Part of Simonds High school has been evacuated around noon after a student claimed to have a bomb and weapon.

Police have formed a perimeter around the high school and are checking it over as a precaution.

No weapons or bombs have been found and no one has been injured. Police are now dismantling the perimeter and say all the students are safe and accounted for.




Police Release Description Of Robbery Suspect

City Police investigating a robbery on the East side involving a masked man and a handgun. 

It happened around 4pm yesterday, when the man entered the Kwik Way on Golden Grove Road demanding cash and made off with cigarettes. Sergeant Jay Henderson says suspect is described as being about 6 foot, average build and was wearing a grey hoodie and dark face mask.

Police also being called to Acamac Beach Road on the West side for a break and enter. Henderson says a rear window was smashed out and four rifles, a handgun, a safe and a tablet were taken from a home. 

The first suspect is described as being a tall, slim man wearing a light coat with a light blue design and a hood. The other suspect is a man described as short, wearing shorts and a large sweatshirt. Both appear to be in their late teens or early twenties.

If you have information about these or any crimes, contact police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

You'll Pay A Bit More To Fill Up

A slight increase in gas prices after the weekly setting.

Self serve regular is at $126.9 a litre around town with diesel at $1.42 a litre.

Nor'easter Pounds Region

The high winds causing power outages throughout the region with 34, as of early this morning, in the Rothesay region affecting more than 23 hundred customers. Most of the people affected are in Grand Bay-Westfield and Clifton Royal. More than 16 hundred homes and businesses are in the dark in the St. Stephen region including Beaver Harbour, Pennfield and Musquash. NB Power has given no indication when you might get your power back. There are 7 outages in the Sussex area affecting 181 customers.

Wind speed s peaked at 91 kilometers an hour at Saint John Airport and got up to 100 kilometers an hour at Point Lepreau.

Environment Canada reports we received 88.5 millimeters of rain yesterday in Saint John. City Police telling us there was flooding under the overpass at the end of Rothesay Avenue.


A road warrior also telling us a tree has fallen on the road between Baxter's Corner and Grove Hill as you make your way to Barnesville. We're told as well that a stretch of the Back River Road in Barnesville has been washed away.

Rothesay Regional Police report a two vehicle collision late last night in poor visibility at the intersection of Millenium and Campbell Drive. One person was taken to hospital.