Uncertainty about the provincial finances and a strong Canadian dollar are two factors in the slipping confidence of small business owners in New Brunswick.
Saint John Board Of Trade President Imelda Gilman tells CHSJ News it comes down to the local level too.
She says it's the time of the year where municipalities are doing their budgets and we are still waiting to find what happen with the City of Saint John's tax rate.
Gilman adds this province is export-driven and a strong Canadian dollar may play a role in how small business owners are feeling right now.
Finalizing the city budget is a few weeks away -- that from Mayor Ivan Court.
He tells CHSJ News council still needs to hear from a few groups about how they'll work with their new budgets before they sign off on the city's finances.
He says they will be focusing on the priorities, what they have to do now and what can they delay to make sure they can have a balanced budget.
Court says the tax line will be held and says council managed to drop the tax rate by 1 cent in their first two years.
He says safe drinking water is still council's number one priority.
Councillor Donnie Snook wants community centres around the city to offer some new programming.
Snook says a program based on the PALS program, which has businesses sponor schools and tutor students, should be adopted.
He says the goals of such a program is to help youths in priority neighbourhoods realize their full potential and centres could ask private companies to volunteer their time to help youths with after school tutoring and mentoring.
The city will be doing a feasability study.
Snook hopes a pilot project can be ready by the end of the year.
Two fundraising events for flood victims in the province a great success.
Market Square the scene of a telethon raising about 19 thousand dollars in cash donations with more to come from online and text donations.
Meanwhile, a Flood Relief Benefit Concert at the Eastern Charlotte County Lions Club in Pennfield raising about 10 thousand dollars.
Organizer Paul Evans tells CHSJ News they were seperate events but had the same goals.
You can still contribute to the cause -- a texting campaign called the “Flood Relief Textathon”, where a $5 donation can be made by texting “REDCROSS” or “ROUGE” to the number 30333 goes until days end Jan. 10.
The province says the recovery process continues for homeowners affected by flood waters last month.
More than 11-hundred people have called to register their damages and Public Safety Minster Robert Trevors says inspectors have made it out to most of the homes.
However, about 100 residents are still being housed in hotels or by host families.
January 14th is the deadline to register damages. Doing so allows you to apply for Disaster Financical Assistance and the deadline for that is February 4th.
Details are scarce but Rothesay police say they have 1 person in custody connected to a rash of vehicle break-ins in Rothesay last night.
Police say the person is connected to previous car break-ins over the past few months.
The City of Saint John is advising everyone that Lily Lake is not safe for skating.
You are asked to stay off the ice until the ice surface is officially opened by City officials.
For more information, contact Leisure Services at 658-2908.
Part of the new municipal plan involves developing the upper floors of buildings in the uptown in a bid to boost the population of the city centre.
This has been talked about for years but nothing has happened. Urban strategist Mark Reid tells CHSJ News there will have to be changes with some flexibility and softening of the building code.
Building owners complain one major impediment to developing the upper floors is the cost of installing elevators.
Reid says you don't need to build huge high rises like you see in such cities as Toronto. He maintains buildings that are five stories high work very well as a way to increase population.
The Saint John Board of Trade and the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce teaming up to give anyone the chance to ask the Premier a question.
By going to the Board of Trade website you can submit a question for David Alward that will be asked during the State of the Province Address in Fredericton on the 27th.
BOT President Imelda Gilman tells CHSJ News they encourage their members, the business community and everyone to get involved and post a question. She says the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce will be posting all those questions on their website, shortlist them and on the day of the event have people vote on the questions they would like the Premier to be asked. To submit a question, click here
Emotions run high at another sentencing in a Saint John courtroom.
19 year old Erika Simms of Loch Lomond Road has been handed 3 years in prison with a 5 year ban on driving for impaired driving causing the death of her friend, 19 year old Chad Simon. He was killed on New Year's day of last year when her car speeding along Sand Cove Road went out of control and collided with a hydro pole.
Simms had consumed alcohol, marijuana and cocaine before getting behind the wheel. She was speeding at 91 kilometers an hour in a 50 kilometer an hour zone.
Chad's mother, Cynthia broke down in tears several times reading her victim impact statement to the court telling Judge Bill McCarroll she has a hole in her heart and not a day goes by she doesn't feel haunted and tormented calling Chad the glue that held her family together.
The 3 year sentence was a joint recommendation from the prosecution and defense. While accepting the recommendation, Judge McCarroll says two families have been devastated.
A nice drop in the unemployment rate in the City last month.
It was 6.3 per cent last month down from 7.0 in November.
Provincially, it went down as well from 10.3 in November to 9.4 last month.
Across the country, the rate is unchanged from November at 7.6 per cent.
An additional 22 thousand jobs in December were enough to keep pace with an increase in the size of the labour force.
There seems to be some confusion about when construction will begin on a metal shredder at port property on the lower West Side.
There was a report it would start Monday but a spokesperson for American Iron and Metal tells CHSJ News the company is still waiting for final approval from the province and she doesn't expect construction to get underway until mid February.
Stephen Campbell, who chairs the Board of Directors, at the port tells CHSJ News this won't be as disruptive to the neighbourhood as people fear. In fact, he describes the operation as "cutting edge" and predicts it will revitalise the area.
The Environment Department wants the company to take on an independent noise consultant and monitor the air quality.
WestJet is pulling out of Saint John.
The president and CEO of the Saint John Airport Authority, Bernard Leblanc says the airline told him just before Christmas that it would not be back in May to offer its seasonal service to Toronto.
LeBlanc says traffic was down about 20 per cent last year over previous years.
The airline began offering flights to Toronto from May to October in 2007.
The loss of WestJet means Saint John now has two carriers........ Air Canada Jazz and during the winter, Sunwing.
Saint John Board of Trade president Imelda Gilman calls the news ``disappointing.''
A 12-hour telethon coming up tomorrow at Market Square and other locations to help flood relief efforts began with two Fundy High students. The performers include Gene O'Connor, Steve Waylon, Devin Cook and Ryan Leblanc.
A live webcast can be found at http://www.bellaliant.net/.
Organizer Paul Evans tells CHSJ News he learned about Justin Gosse and Jonathan Barrieau of St. George hosting their own fundraiser in Pennfield through his wife.
Bell Aliant is donating $10,000 to the cause and will be providing the webcast at http://www.bellaliant.net/.
You can donate $5 automatically by texting "REDCROSS" to 30333.
For more info on tomorrow's telethon which begins at 10am, go to our website...country94.ca and click news.
The clean up continues at the Sobey's store in St. Stephen after last month's severe flooding. 80 employees are off the job while work continues to prepare the store for re-opening. Cynthia Thompson of Sobey's corporate office tells CHSJ News the damage to the store is extensive.
She says one point there was between one to two feet of water in the store and now they are looking at a refurbishment and clean-up that will require some time.
Thompson says they expect it will take six to eight weeks for the work to be completed.
RCMP continue to look into the circumstances of a two vehicle collision on Highway 1 at Bethel on Tuesday that killed a Pennfield man.
The investigation showing the 19-year-old Jeremy Kenneth Dougan was texting just prior to the crash which may have distracted him while driving.
He was not wearing a seatbelt and partially ejected from the vehicle suffering serious head injuries.
Two women from St. Andrews in the second vehicle were also hurt and taken to hospital.
The provincial government is coming under criticism on bus safety for students.
Isabelle Hains, whose son was one of the students who died in a bus crash almost 3 years ago outside Bathurst, is angry a Sackville bus company will not be charged for taking students to Nova Scotia on a charter with bald tires.
Hains also wants Provincial Education Minister Jody Carr to ensure the drivers who are taking students around to various events are professional drivers and not just volunteers.
Hains is complaining laws, policies, rules and regulations can be violated and no one is held accountable.
An investigation is underway into the death of a teenager at a Wal-Mart in Grand Falls.
Police Chief Real Michaud says it appears the 17-year-old boy was killed by an electrical shock from an extension cord.
The teen was buffing the floor in the automotive department at the time of the incident.
Police say they are investigating the death along with health and safety officials.
An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow in Saint John.
A machine shop in Penobsquis has been gutted by fire.
The RCMP in Sussex say they don't suspect foul play. The fire began in the rear of Sussex Electric Motor Service.
The fire marshall will investigate to determine a cause.
The business was owned by Carl and Sharon Graham and its loss is being described as a big blow to the community.
Drivers around town will be getting a bit of a price break if you have to fill up today.
Gas prices have fallen a bit after the weekly setting. Self serve regular is going for $1.09.5 in the city, a decrease of a cent a litre.
Diesel is at $1.15.5. That's a drop of almost 2 cents a litre and heating oil is also cheaper at $1.01.5 a litre.
New Brunswickers apparently have something to say about how to deal with the province's gloomy financial picture.
Finance Minister Blaine Higgs tells CHSJ News response to his department's web survey has been strong with over a thousand responses.
Higgs says a number of people are in favor of cuts to spending while just under half of respondents indicate they believe it will be necessary for a combination of spending cuts and increased taxes to deal with the deficit.
A series of public consultations is also set to begin later this month. Higgs is scheduled to deliver his first budget in late March.
A leadership candidate for the provincial N-D-P Pierre Cyr making Saint John the first stop in his tour of the province.
Cyr tells CHSJ News former leader Roger Duguay did a great job putting the New Democrats back on track but there's still a lot of work to be done with better organisation and more riding associations.
He expects the party will win more than one seat in the 2014 provincial election.
Dominic Cardy, who was the N-D-P campaign director in the September election, is also running for leadership.
The party will select a new leader on April 16th.
Some people, including Common Councillor Bruce Court, are wondering how the Saint John Police Department can afford to hire the 5 new officers sworn in this week.
The city force has been asked by Common Council to hold its budget increases to 1 per cent this year and next.
Chief Bill Reid says the spending for the new recruits is already built in.
Reid says they have be aware of the budget constraints bu, they will be doing more hiring as older officers retire.
Over 16-thousand dollars going to Charlotte County relief efforts thanks to the Sea Dogs and their fans.
A fundraising held at the Dog's December 1st game saw fans give 7-thousand dollars. The Sea Dogs Foundation matched up to 5-thousand, and the team donated an additional 4-thousand dollars.
About 100 homes were lost to flood waters month after heavy rainfall in the Charlotte Country area.
The confidence level of small businesses in New Brunswick is down compared to last month and the rest of the country.
The index is down 3 points from 67.7 to 64.4 when compared to last month. The national average sits at 69.3.
Andreea Bourgeois with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business tells CHSJ News 60 percent of business owners are concerned with tax and regulatory costs.
She says small business owners are looking ahead and they see another increase in the minimum wage which increases all employment costs.
She says possible tax increases as well as the dire state of the province's finances weighs heavily on the small business owner.
Five new Saint John police officers are officially sworn in after a city hall ceremony today.
Mayor Ivan Court emphasized the importance of respect in policing.
Constable Dan Olde Damink tells CHSJ News spent 10 weeks doing on the job training last summer as part of his course.
He says he was with a coach officer doing everything a police officer does. He adds the training tests you because at the academy it's all actors and not real life.
Chief Bill Reid says it's a proud moment when as a chief he can invite new people to invigorate the force. The other four new constables are Benjamin MacLeod, Christopher McCutcheon, Pamela MacInnis and Scott Prentice.
A warning from the Provincial Liberals about who's going to pay for the cost overruns with the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant.
Energy critic Brian Kenney says if you listen closely to what National Revenue Minister Keith Ashfield is saying, the province is going to be left with a huge tab to pick up.
Premier David Alward has been stressing since coming into office of the need to work with the Harper Government on this issue.
The Premier and Prime Minister met and talked about it when Harper was in Saint John in late November to announce removal of the tolls from the Harbour Bridge and we were told before the Christmas break he was seeking more information.
An update on the revitalization of Rainbow Park.
Bernie Morrison with the Department of Leisure Services says the splash pad will be ready in June.
The splash pad at Flemming Court will also be ready at the same time.
As for the winter season, the park will be flooded in the next few days to allow skating beginning next week.
A warning from the Provincial Liberals about who's going to pay for the cost overruns with the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant.
Energy critic Brian Kenney says if you listen closely to what National Revenue Minister Keith Ashfield is saying, the province is going to be left with a huge tab of at least a billion dollars and its time to play hardball.
Premier David Alward has been stressing since coming into office of the need to work with the Harper Government on this issue. The Premier and Prime Minister met talked about it when Harper was in Saint John in late November to announce removal of the tolls from the Harbour Bridge and we were told before the Christmas break was seeking more information.
Kenny says the federal crown agency, Atomic Energy of Canada has failed to live up to its side of the bargain.
A 19 year old Pennfield area man is dead after a head on collision yesterday afternoon between two cars along Highway 1 at Bethel in the vicinity of Ozzie's takeout.
His name has not been released. The RCMP say road conditions were good at the time.
A woman and her daughter from St. Andrews were in the other car and they did not suffer serious injuries.
An autopsy will be carried out and both cars will be examined to see if there were any mechanical problems.
It appears another vacant building has been set on fire.......The latest blaze is at an old barn on Sandy Point Road.
Meantime, the cause of yesterday morning's fire at a back shed attached to an apartment house on Clarendon Street is also considered suspicious and police are investigating.
A projected budget shortfall of 945-thousand dollars led Saint John Transit to hike fares and cut service levels to a number of routes.
Riders will be paying about 10% more. Adults now have to pay 2.75 for a ride while an adult monthly pass will be rising from 65 to 70 dollars.
Saint John Transit General Manager Frank McCarey tells CHSJ News certain routes like Martinon, Crescent Valley and South End will see a reduction in service as well.
The increase in cash fares is already in effect while the jump to the pass and punch cards will not happen until the first of February. The Transit commission is also hoping for an increase to ridership by 3 percent.
Five new police officers will be sworn in today at City Hall.
The ceremony to introduce to five new constables gets underway in the council chambers at 11:30 this morning.
Chief Bill Reid will host the event with Mayor Ivan Court on hand as well.
Councillor Bruce Court wonders how new police officers can be brought on board when the department will be limited to a 1 per cent budget increase this year and next.
Former Common Councillor turned M-L-A for Saint John Harbour Carl Killen will be sponsoring the legislative changes necessary for the city to reform its pension plan.
The city is asking the province for permission to delay pension payments for a year and to schedule the payments over 25 years instead of over 15.
The Saint John Police Association is asking the M-L-A's to vote against. Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase, who chairs the city's finance committee, warns there will be a fiscal crisis if the changes are not given the go ahead with the prospect of a 13 cent increase in the tax rate if no services are cut.
It was standing room only in the Sydney Street courtroom for the sentencing of 30 year old Jason Getson of Martha Avenue in the stabbing death last May of his estranged wife, 28 year old Melanie Davis in the parking lot of a Rothesay Avenue tanning salon. Prosecutor Jim McAvity called it brutal and senseless. Mr. Justice Hugh McLellen described the killing as a nightmare and horror for Melanie's parents that words can't convey. The judge accepted a joint submission from the defense and prosecution that Getson, who receives an automatic sentence of life in prison, serve 20 years before being eligible for parole. McAvity calls it the worst murder he has ever prosecuted.
He says with 26 different stab wounds Davis was essentially killed twice, once by having her throat slit and once by having the knife go through her heart.
After sentencing, some people in the courtroom were yelling insults at Getson as he was being led away. When he smirked at them, there were outbursts of anger. Defense lawyer Rod MacDonald told the court Getson lost it when Davis made clear to him their marraige was finally over. The court heard Davis was not only stabbed 26 times but Getson also kicked and punched her while she lay in a pool of blood outside the tanning salon. Getson bought a pair of hunting knives just two days before the savage attack.
The founder of the Joshua group in Saint John is hearing lots of good feedback on his nomination as a Champion of Change.
Bobby Hayes helps city kids struggling with poverty a chance to spend time with other kids, feeds them when needed and gets them a present on their birthday which otherwise would not happen.
Hayes tells CHSJ News the nomination came from his sister and another woman who works with him.
He says they believe the work he does is a great things and Hayes agrees saying it's not about him but the kids and they are worth voting for.
Should he win, Hayes would get another $25,000 for the Joshua Group, he already won $10,000 by making the top ten.
The deadline to vote for Bobby Hayes as a Champion of Change is coming up on January 10th. To find the link to vote, click here
The Alward government resurrecting the Home Energy Assistance Program last fall and is expected to help 55,000 people in the province.
The $100 benefit is available to help low-income families cope with high-energy prices.
The one-time payment will go to those who have incomes up to and including $28,000 in 2009 and cheques will be begin going out this month.
You can apply on the Department of Finance website or by calling 1-800-669-7070.
Forms are also available at Service New Brunswick outlets.
For more info click here
About 15 people forced to flee after a fire in an apartment building in this north end early this morning.
The call came in for the blaze around 3:30 this morning at 3 Clarendon Street was contained mostly to a stairwell and the back of the three-storey building. Fire officials are looking into the cause.
Some tenants hope to be allowed back in the building today but others may be out for some time. Canadian Red Cross volunteers are arranging a play to stay, food and clothing for seven adults and three children from three apartments in the building.
A former Mayor, M-L-A and Common Councillor Eric Teed will be remembered at a funeral service at noon today before he's laid to rest. The funeral service will be held at Trinity Anglican Church. Teed was 34 when he became the youngest Mayor in the history of the city in 1960 and then he also served on Common Council from 2001 to 2004 as well as being an M-L-A from 1970 to 1974.
Teed called for higher density housing in the area south of City Road saying it was the only way you were going to increase the population in the city core. That appears to be the thrust of the new municipal plan.
There were no injuries after a fire early this morning at 3 Clarendon Street off Douglas Avenue. It began at the back end of the apartment house and was reported shortly after 3:30. The tenants managed to leave the building but some people will have to find other accomodation for a while. There's no word on a cause.
A 30 year old east side man is scheduled to be sentenced today for murdering his estranged wife brutally last May.
Jason Getson of Martha Avenue pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the stabbing death of 28 year old Melanie Davis who was handcuffed and stabbed 25 times. She was living on Douglas Avenue at the time.
The two were travelling along Rothesay Avenue in the same car on the morning of May 10th when it pulled into a parking lot of a tanning salon where she was attacked and died a short time later at the Regional Hospital.
The court was told when Getson entered the guilty plea that she thought they were going to see a marraige mediator. The knife used in the savage attack was never recovered.
Mayor Ivan Court is looking beyond the pension crisis and whether the province is going to give the city some slack when it comes to its contributions this year.
Councillor Gary Sullivan wants his former colleague, now the M-L-A for Saint John Harbour Carl Killen to formally introduce the proposed changes in the Legislature.
The Mayor tells CHSJ News a deal is about to be signed which will finally see a long awaited development take place adjacent to Market Square.The Hardman Group proposed a few years ago to build a hotel and condos.
There will also be public hearings scheduled on applications to expand McAllister Place and permit a new shopping centre on Fairville Boulevard.
Common Councillor Donnie Snook wants to increase the number of ward meetings in his jurisdiction.
Snook tells CHSJ News Ward 3 is spread out among the city and he wants to give everybody the opportunity to attend those meetings.
Snook says three out of the five priority neighbourhoods in Saint John are in his ward and access to transportation can be a key issue in those areas.
Snook will be making a motion at tonight's council meeting, which kicks off at city hall at 6 o'clock.
It looks like the Q-Plex will be opening up at the end of this month. That's the latest word from Mayor Murray Driscoll who tells CHSJ News it's being commissioned as we speak.
Mike Cole lives near the Q-Plex and he argues the project seems to have expanded from just adding another ice surface to something far larger and more expensive.
He wonders what the final bill will come to and what the ongoing costs will be to maintain all of the facilities.
Cole maintains the additional parking lot is not necessary.
The selection committee who will choose where the Memorial Cup tournament is going to be held next year tours Saint John February 9th.
Seadogs President Wayne Long is optimistic about Saint John's chances.
Long characterises those as excellent if an objective decision is made.
The early morning snow and rain causing some havoc on the roads today.
A tractor trailer jacknifing on the MacKay Highway going westbound.
The accident occuring shortly after 5 this morning by the Foster Thurston exit. No one was hurt.
Police say black ice is the cause of the accident and seveal other trucks and vehicles have gone off the road on the highways.
They are advising all drivers to slow down.
If you're travelling in the uptown today, here's a quick traffic note: Hazen Street will be closed beginning today for construction work.
The city is doing underground infrastructure improvements.
2010 was a year with highs and lows for the Town of Rothesay.Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News the Oakville Acres flooding problem is one of the big challenges they faced and now some of the work is complete to alleviate it.
Bishop says a highlight would be the 150th anniversary of the naming of Rothesay.
The pace of development in the town of Quispamsis is not expected to slow down in 2011.
A huge chunk of land on Millenium Drive beside Lane Furniture has just been sold and it will be just a matter of weeks before the Q-Plex is opened up.
Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News some of the challenges that come with new development including having an adequate supply of water for everyone.
Driscoll doesn't see regionalisation of water happening anytime in the near future.
The Musquash Fire Department responding to a fire call on South Musquash Road yesterday afternoon.
The call came in around 1:30pm. Fire crews found a shed connected to the rear of a small two storey wooden house on fire and quickly put it out. The shed was destroyed.
Officials say the cause of the fire is accidental and no one was injured.
The Saint John Sea Dogs are riding high going into 2011 and expectations are high having just missed out last season on reaching the Memorial Cup championship tournament.
With the big guns from last year gone, Sea Dogs President Wayne Long tells CHSJ News the team is different this season but hasn't missed a beat.
Long says the team this year has four good solid lines and the younger players have stepped up to the challenge.
He calls is scaling back toward retirement but he will actually be quite busy.
Joel Levesque, the former VP of Public Affairs at Moosehead Breweries is starting his own business in public affairs.
Levesque tells CHSJ News he has always wanted to be his own boss.
Levesque says he will continue to do work for Moosehead Breweries, adding he had a great decade working for the Oland family.
2011 brings with it some new rules including a tougher smoking policy at Harbour Station.
The aim is to reduce second-hand smoke to the users of the facility.
Under the new rules, smoking is not allowed within ten metres (about 33 feet) of the building. The new policy get it's first real test at the Saint John Mill Rats regular season home opener tomorrow.
A spokesperson with the Province's Lung Association thinks increasing the size of pictures of diseased lungs and mouths on cigarette packaging is a good move by Ottawa.
Barb MacKinnon tells CHSJ News research shows people definitely react to the pictures.
She says the same pictures have been in place for 10 years in this country and needed to be refreshed.
MacKinnon adds they hope the images will aid in keeping young people from starting to smoke and help smokers to consider quitting.
Weight loss and becoming fit are the most popular types of resolutions that many people are making today.
A clinical social worker at Addictions and Mental Health Services in Fredericton says people are choose things that are not realistic.
Tom Wellings tells CHSJ News it's easier to keep your resolutions when you have support.
He says it takes about six months for it to become an automatic kind of behaviour.
Wellings adds an action plan with simple steps will help you stick to your goal.
You will need a little more jingle in your pocket to hop on a City bus today.
Saint John Transit increasing adult fares by a quarter to $2.75 as of today, while for seniors and passengers 14 and under will go up to $2.50.
On February 1st, monthly passes go up to $70 for adults, $60 for students and $50 for seniors.
Most of this year will be spent putting together a new municipal plan for the city to guide future development. The late Eric Teed argued for higher density residential development in the uptown and now thnat appears to be the new direction. David Thompson of the Friends of Rockwood Park hopes the plan, when it's presented to Common Council late this year, does not ignore what has come to be known as the greening of the city.
He says they have talked a lot of development but, he believes there should be a focus on conservation and community.
Thompson is concerned most of the emphasis seems to be on development.
Two local police forces were busy with New Year's Eve revellers who went a little too far.
Here in the city, Saint John police receiving over 100 calls mostly relating to assaults with one breathalyser issued.
Officers were also checking for drunk drivers with the RIDE program for a five-hour stretch but, didn't nab any.
It was a similar story in the KV, with Rothesay Regional Police kept busy in the early morning hours with one breathalyser.
2010 was a significant year for natural disasters, according to the Canadian Red Cross. Bill Lawlor, director of disaster management for Atlantic Canada, tells CHSJ News the Red Cross is working to build its network of disaster volunteers to be better prepared in the new year.
He says the bottom line is while they increase there preparedness efforts they also encourage individuals to be ready as well.
Lawlor says people can help out by having an emergency supply kit and an emergency plan in case they need to quickly evacuate their home.
Remember if you're out celebrating the new year not to drink and drive. Rick McNulty, spokesperson for the Saint John Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, tells CHSJ News there are always other options.
He says Operation Red Nose is an excellent program and you can use #TAXI on your phone which will connect you to the nearest taxi.
A recent poll by the Canadian Automobile Association shows roughly 25 per cent of the population admits to drinking and driving, even though 98 per cent say driving while drunk is unacceptable.
A former MLA and Saint John Mayor has died.
Eric Teed was the Mayor of Saint John from 1960 to 1964.
Teed was also a lawyer, and founded Saint John's first legal aid clinic.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1987.
Both Mayor Ivan Court and Premier David Alward have offered their condolences to the family.
If you're looking for something to do on New Year's Eve, you might want to consider heading down to the boardwalk.
Spokesperson Amy Stewart tells us the free concerts begin at 8:00 with six performances including the Playdates, the Brent Mason Band and Monday Night Symphony.
A skating rink will be set up behind the stage again this year for those who bring their skates.
Stewart says the Sea Dogs will also be making an appearance after their game to hand out noise makers and hats before the fireworks begin at midnight.
The number of people dying in house fires in Atlantic Canada has gone up 206 per-cent this year according to the Canadian Red Cross.
Bill Lawlor, director of disaster management for Atlantic Canada, tells CHSJ News house fires are often caused by old space heaters, plugged chimneys or wood-burning furnaces that haven't been used in awhile.
Thirty-three people died in residential fires in Atlantic Canada this year, 10 of them in New Brunswick.
Mayor Ivan Court views saving the Princess of Acadia ferry service between Saint John and Digby as one of the big achievements for the year.
The Mayor tells CHSJ News the ferry service got a reprieve from the federal government for a few years but he wants something more permanent including a new ship being built down the road.
Court says the Princess of Acadia is good for the local economy with 100 jobs and 13 to 14 million dollars in wages.
Court says the city got a boost from 16 million dollars in stimulus money from the provincial and federal government which will not be available next year.
The big challenge in 2011, according to the Mayor, is fixing the city pension plan.
The Seadogs will be doing their part tomorrow night to help the victims of flooding in Charlotte County.
The Seadog Foundation will match dollar for dollar donations made by the fans who will be at the Station to see the Rivalry Cup game against Moncton.
Seadogs President Wayne Long tells CHSJ News the goal is to raise at least 10 thousand dollars.
Long expects the game to be sold out and those people who can't make it can still donate at Bank of Nova Scotia branches or the Charlotte County Credit Union. Something like a hundred homes or so were flooded.
Gas prices in the city taking a jump after the weekly setting.
Self serve regular is now up to $1.10.5 a litre, a rise of almost 3 cents.
Diesel rose by just over 2 cents a litre to stand at $1.17.3.
Heating oil is also more expensive being listed at $1.03 a litre, an increase of just over 2 cents.
The acquittal in late November of 28 year old Crystal Dawn McKenzie on a charge of second degree murder in the stabbing death of her common law husband is being appealed by the prosecution.
29 year old Patrick Thomas was stabbed to death on Alma Street last March. The jury was told the relationship was abusive and McKenzie was dragged along the street by her hair before she got her hands on a knife and stabbed Thomas in the area of his collarbone.
The jury of 9 women and 3 men was told of a stormy relationship but the prosecution maintains McKenzie took things too far.
With all the snow, ski and snowboard lovers are flocking to the slopes. If the weather co-operates, this can be a big time of the year for ski hills.
Poley Mountain General Manager Bill Anderson tells CHSJ News 18 of 30 runs were open to the public yesterday. He says that's great for this time of year considering the weather.
Anderson says Poley will continue to make snow until mid-February.
Uncertainty about the provincial finances and a strong Canadian dollar are two factors in the slipping confidence of small business owners in New Brunswick.
