Centre Re-named After City Staffer

The North End Community Centre getting a new name.

The 32 year-old building on Victoria Street now called the C. E. Nicolle Community Centre after Nick Nicolle, a city staffer who was instrumental in the construction of the community centre in 1979.

In his 31 years with the city, Nicolle worked as the Director of Recreation and Parks, and also championed for the Charles Gorman and Stewart Hurley arenas, and six of the city's community centres.

The North End centre is set to undergo extensive interior and exterior renovations this fall.

Investing In Uptown Key, Irving Says

President of Commercial Properties John Irving says the uptown is definitely undergoing a renaissance.

Irving recently picking up a trio of awards at the Live Life Awards, which celebrates contributions to the improvement of uptown Saint John.

His honours include Heritage Project of the Year for the Saint John 225 Clock.

He says it's absolutely vital for the entire city to grow the uptown, and he has a particular affinity for it because he used to walk through it to get to school.

Bystanders Perform Water Rescue

The quick action of two bystanders saving a mans life in the early morning hours.

At quarter to one in the morning city fire receiving a call that a vehicle was in the water at the end of Millidge Avenue near the RKYC yacht club.

District Chief Gerry Morris says crews arrived on scene to find a truck submerged about 100 feet off shore.

Morris says two witnesses who were in the area heard the driver yelling that he couldn't swim, and swam out and brought the man to shore.

The man was checked out on the scene but did not need to be taken to hospital.

The truck was pulled out by local residents using their boat and their pick-up truck.

Police seized the vehicle while an investigation is ongoing.

Col. Nase Suggested For New School Location

Colonel Nase Boulevard being suggested as a possible location if District 8 decides to build a new elementary school in Grand Bay-Westfield.

The District has talked about the possibility of closing 3 schools to build one larger one, and Mayor Grace Losier says the current schools don't have the necessary infrastructure to sustain a larger student body. 

Losier says the District is looking at a 300 person school and the new commercial drive has the services for waste water treatment and enough space for proper bus pull-offs.

She says if the school was built on the new commercial drive it could become the anchor for the community and development could go up around it.

Local Golf Course Off To Rough Start

The grey and rainy skies over the past few weeks has cast a huge grey cloud over the cash register at the Rockwood Park Golf Course.

Owner Gerry Connolly tells CHSJ News people business is down by the thousands of dollars and it is the worst start to the golf season he has ever seen.

He says even though there were some sunny days, golfers still stayed home simply because the forecast called for rain.

Grand Manan 5 Returns To Service On Tuesday

The Grand Manan V ferry will be back in service by next week.  Transportation Minister Claude Williams says work on the Grand Manan V is wrapping up and going through inspections before the ferry can be approved to set sail back to New Brunswick. It will leave the Quebec shipyard about 4 am tomorrow and if everything goes according to plan the ship will return to service on Tuesday.
The ferry is being repaired at a dry dock in Quebec after losing its steering capabilities and getting moored on a ledge near the wharf in Blacks Harbour.  For more information, call 506-662-3724 or click here

Harbour Passage Fans Get An Alternate Route

Fans of Harbour Passage have an alternate route to walk this summer while repairs are made to the Harbour Bridge.

The City of Saint John telling CHSJ News the route along Main Street is now complete.
You should follow the red dashed line to walk from Uptown Saint John to the North End or Douglas Avenue to access the other end of Harbour Passage.

There are now signs showing the alternate route posted at connection points to Harbour Passage and fluorescent pedestrian crossing signs are in place on the Viaduct.
Traffic and Pedestrian Services is working with the province's Department of Transportation to have a cycling route approved for Main Street--a provincially designated highway.  For more info, call the City of Saint John at 658-4455.

Fredericton Firefighter Calendar Benefits Local Cancer Patients

Half-naked firefighters from Fredericton raising big bucks for those struggling with breast cancer.  The Fredericton Fire Department bringing in over $22,000 dollars with their 2011 calendar.   Jeff Gillies tells CHSJ News it all came about because they wanted to raise money for a combat training tower and help out a charity.

He says a firefighter calendar proved to be the best option and the hospital recommended the Erin Appleby Breast Health Fund because it was local.
The fund recently receiving a cheque for over $6800 thanks to the success of the Fredericton Firefighters Calendar.

Walk To Cure Diabetes Breaks Local Fundraising Mark

Last Sunday's Walk for to Cure Diabetes at Rockwood Park bringing in over $116,000 beating the highest fundraising total by over $11,000.
Organizer Kelly Hare tells CHSJ News they will continue to hold fundraisers until the end of the year and expect to exceed $125,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation chapter in Saint John.   The organization bringing in over $415,000 including Saint John, Campobello Island, Oromocto and Moncton.

Last year JDRF funded 50 human clinical trials in their work to find a cure.
Over 45,000 people took part in the walk last weekend across the country with the event raising $7.5 Million.

Rookie MLA Reflects On First Session In The Legislature

The spring session of the legislature is over and rookie MLA for Saint John Harbour Carl Killen says it has been quite the experience.

Killen tells CHSJ News one of his most satisfying experiences from his first session in the ledge was enacting the province's distracted driving law.
 
He says being an MLA is definitely a challenge as you're literally learning on the job but he says he has no regrets.

Ugrades To Point Lepreau On Track

An update on the Point Lepreau refurbishment: according to the latest release from NB Power, more than 60 percent of the calandria tubes are installed  -- with a completion date of August -- and fuel channel installation is set to be finished by December.

The plant is on track to be up and running by the fall of 2012.

The refit was originally to be completed in September 2009 but was hit with several delays.  

Costs are one billion dollars over budget.

School District 8 Superintendent Says Budget Cuts Had To Be

An estimated 15 per cent of teens in Saint John have sought help for mental health issues. District 8 Superintendent Susan Tipper tells CHSJ News the school system can't tackle those needs by itself and the double digit figure should be a concern to the entire community.

Tipper says students should be getting the same messages about proper behaviour 24/7 not only at school but also from their parents and in the workplace as well.

Unlike francophone School District 1, District 8 has implemented the provincially mandated 2 per cent budget reduction which amounts to over 2 million dollars. School

Superintendent Susan Tipper, while conceding budget flexibility to move money around if need be has been lost, says judging by the province's dire financial situation, it had to be done.

Waste Commission Wants More Composting Done

The Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission is trying to keep people from putting compostable yard waste in the garbage can.

General Manager Marc MacLeod tells CHSJ News the Commission wants to charge a higher tipping fee for garbage that shows up at the landfill with yard waste in it.

MacLeod says other provinces can ban the throwing out of compostable material but that's not the case in New Brunswick. He says such a ban would help make composting mandatory.
 
MacLeod concedes voluntary composting seems to have reached it's peak

Duck Poacher Pinched

A 32-year-old Fredericton man pleading guilty in a Burton court for hunting too close to migratory birds.

Sameul Keith F. Drummond given a $1000 fine for hunting migratory game birds within 400 metres of where bait was placed and he is also suspended from hunting for a year or being near anyone hunting the birds.
Drummond also had to surrender all hunting bait along with the birds he hunted and killed to the Court.

Unionized Workers At Airport and Air Canada Call Centre Back To Work

The Canadian Auto Worker's Union and Air Canada have reached a tentative agreement, meaning unionized employees at the call centre in Millidgeville and at the Saint John Airport will be going back to work.

Local union rep Cheryl Robinson tells CHSJ News everyone is happy the ordeal is over.

She says employees will be going back to work as soon as tonight.

The deal comes after the federal government introduced back-to-work legislation seeking to force the customer service agents back to their posts.

Community Groups Get Major Funding

160-thousand dollars worth of cheques being handed out to eight priority neighbourhood organizations.

The money is part of the city's Neighbourhood Development Stimulation Grant Program.

Tammy Calvin of ONE Change receiving a cheque for over 22-thousand dollars and she tells CHSJ News the money will go towards paying for their full-time staff member, who plays a pivotal role in their group.

Other groups receiving funding include Vibrant Communities, the Teen Resource Centre, and the Crescent Valley Resource Centre.

Commercial Development By Airport Not A Priority

Agree to disagree -- the city's planning department isn't seeing eye to eye with the Saint John Airport with regards to future development of land around the airport.

Saint John Airport President Bernie LeBlanc says commercial and retail space needs to be grown around the airport as it can't live on passenger fares alone.

But Ken Forrest with the city's planning department tells CHSJ News it's more of a priority to encourage that kind of growth in the uptown and surrounding areas.

He says the city does support the growth for air-related business out by the airport, like cargo or exporting.

Prison Term for First Time Offender Who Robbed

A 23 year old man from Baxter's Corner who, on the spur of the moment, after having an argument with his parents and drinking a pint of Fireball whisky, robbed the Dolan Road Circle "K" has been sentenced to 2 years and one month in prison.

David Ryan Chamberlain's lawyer, David Rogers,  argued for a conditional sentence, which would mean no jail time at all, saying he had never been in trouble before, is not a danger to others and has fantastic support from both family and respected members of the community including Mayor Ivan Court's Executive Assistant Al Rouse.

Judge Bill McCarroll agreed Chamberlain doesn't pose a danger but determined a conditional sentence, under the Court of Appeal guidelines, would not be appropriate.

Chamberlain had been out of work and still had not received his first E-I cheque when the blowup occurred.

The judge also went out of his way to tell the parents they shouldn't beat themselves up over what happened.

Rothesay High Students Study The Stonehammer Geopark

Students at Rothesay High taking part in a variety of projects relating to the Stonehammer Geopark.
Teacher Jayne Kingston tells CHSJ News it was linked with the physcial geography curriculum.
She says they looked at rocks and how they impact our lives and the kids could do their project on anything related to the geopark. The student projects include a movie and many power point presentations.
You can tour the Stonehammer Geopark exhibit tonight at the New Brunswick Museum. The event runs from 5-7 tonight at Market Square.

Arrests In Saint John After Break And Enter In Hampton

Three people, two men and a woman arrested at a house on Thornborough in the North End arising from a break and enter that occurred in Hampton.

The investigation hasn't concluded yet and Police are on the lookout for more suspects.

A Small Increase In Gas Prices

A slight rise in gas prices after the weekly setting with self serve regular now at $1.24.5 in the city and diesel is being sold for an even $1.31 a litre.

 There's no change with propane which remains at $1.13.2.

Chief City Planner Optimistic City's Population Will Grow

City planner Ken Forrest says all of this development planning for the city will not be in vain as it is anticipating a population boom in the coming years.

He tells CHSJ News there will be an influx of people when the baby boomers retire because they'll likely remain in the city and their jobs will have to be filled by new people. Forrest predicts the influx will begin around 2017.

He says the city can attract workers because it has large industries that aren't easy to move like the pulp mill and the refinery.

According to studies done by the city as part of the development of the new municipal plan, the city's population will surge by about 10-thousand over the next 25 years.

Saint Johnners Appear To Like New Direction In Future Development

Plan SJ hosting an open house where the draft municipal plan was presented to the public.

About 80 people coming out to view the plan, which outlines the growth strategy of the city over the 25 years, and it was met with positive praise.

Lyn Van Tassel lives by Treadwell Lake and she tells CHSJ News she likes the focus on uptown growth and less on rural development. Dee Stubbs-Lee of Germain Street listened to the summary by city planner Ken Forrest and she tells CHSJ News she likes the future direction for the uptown. Sean Gillis of Orange Street likes the plan but he hopes people don't see it as a magic bullet for the city's future.

The city is taking public input on the draft for the next 4 weeks and will present a final version of the plan to Common Council by the end of the year.

Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation Wants Votes For Online Contest

Who would have thought that signing into your Facebook page can help the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation win some cash?

The foundation is currently second in the region for the Vivint Gives Back Project, an online charity contest where the top vote-getter in each region gets 100-thousand dollars.

Voting is done via connecting to the Vivint Gives Back Project website with your Facebook profile.

Foundation Director Victoria Clarke tells CHSJ News the money would be a huge boost for The Give Campaign, which is raising 680-thousand dollars for stem cell treatment.

The charity that rakes in the most votes overall will also get 225-thousand dollars.

You can vote here.

Confessed Robber Might Not Go To Prison

A Baxter's Corner man who pleaded guilty to robbing the Dolan Road Circle "K" May 4th will find out tomorrow morning if he will have to serve any time behind bars. 22 year old David Ryan Chamberlain also pleaded guilty to having his faced concealed while committing the holdup. 

His lawyer, David Rogers is pressing for a conditional sentence which would mean no prison time calling the robbery ludicrous, bewildering and out of character. He told the court Chamberlain doesn't have a criminal record, was not armed, he actually apologised to the victim while committing the robbery and confessed shortly after being arrested. 

The court has also been given letters of support from stellar members of the community who are speaking up for Chamberlain. 

The victim's father told the court his son accepts Chamberlain's apology but Judge Bill McCarroll says he wants to hear from the victim himself before making his decision.

Former Jail Guard To Serve 15 Months

47-year-old Joseph Patrick Allen receiving 15 months in jail for two counts of sexually assaulting an inmate.
The former jail guard earlier plead guilty to both incidents, the first of which occurred between 2003 and 2005 at the jail on Old Black River Road, the second at the city lock-up between 2009 and 2010.

Allen maintained the sex was consensual and his lawyer asking for a conditional sentence so he could receive therapy for sexual addiction.

The judge awarding jail time on the grounds that Allen was in a position of authority when the act occurred, and he did not seek counselling for his illness until after he was charged.

Allen will also serve two years of supervised probation.

Pain and Suffering Insurance Cap Consultations Begin This Week

Public consultations on a review of the injury cap on pain and suffering awards start this week.  The Auto Insurance Working Group holding its first sessions in Edmunston and Belledune but will visit Saint John on the 27th.
The focus of the working group is the $2,500 cap on pain and suffering awards for minor personal injuries and the legal definition of what constitutes a minor personal injury.
Meantime, the Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company has been ordered by the New Brunswick Insurance Board to rebate more than 14 thousand New Brunswickers a total of 360 thousand dollars for their auto insurance. Each customer will receive something like 25 dollars each.  For more info click here

Crews Respond To Small Fire At A Hydrant Store

If it had been a little more serious, this might have been helpful.

Fire crews responding to smoke at Clow Canada in the industrial park on the East Side which sells fire hydrants and fire supression equipment.   The building at 245 Industrial Drive was quickly evacuated and smoke could be seen in the vents.
No one was hurt.

SWN Resources Looking For Natural Gas Deposits

A business audience in Saint John hearing about the exploration plans of SWN Resources Canada at a Board Of Trade breakfast.
The company made a discovery in Arkansas which now employs over 11, 000 mostly local people.
General Manager Tom Alexander tells CHSJ News it's too early to predict how much natural gas may be found in this province.
He says each location can have 20 wells and in Arkansas they had 500 locations but he says there are spread out to minimize impact.
Alexander says a lot of the concerning the impact of fracking to find gas deposits is just plain wrong.  He claims the film "Gasland" which is very critical of the industry is made by a filmmaker and not a documentarian.

Bay of Fundy Still In Race Of Wonders

A special event being held to raise awareness for the Bay of Fundy as the site competes to be one of the world's 7 Wonders of Nature. 

Terri McCulloch with Bay of Fundy Tourism tells CHSJ News, as part of this year's Canada Day celebrations everyone is invited to the Coast Guard site on June 29 to form a giant human seven. 

She says they'll be taking a picture to promote the Bay of Fundy, and they're hoping to get at least 777 people out. 

McCulloch says the Bay of Fundy is one of only 28 sites left in the competition, and is up against places like the Grand Canyon and the Dead Sea. 

This is the last leg of the race, with the 7 Wonders of Nature being announced November 11. 

To vote for the Bay of Fundy go to http://www.votemyfundy.com/ or text FUNDY to 77077 (25 cents per text).

Fatal First Street Likely Began After Electrical Problem

The City fire department and police department releasing a joint statement on the cause of a deadly fire in the North End last month.
In a release, they tell CHSJ News the First street fire originated between the ceiling of the main floor bathroom and the floor of the top floor bathroom and is likely to be electrical in nature.
The investigation is now over into the May 1st blaze that claimed the life of Sarah Connell.
Connell's family is asking they not be contacted by the media and they are still dealing with the loss.

Airport President Not Happy With Draft Municipal Plan For City

The President and C-E-O of Saint John Airport says there is a disconnect between Plan SJ's draft municipal plan and the future sustainability of the airport.

Bernie Leblanc says There needs to be an alignment between the city's land use policy and Saint John Airport's ability to grow.

He argues the airport will need the ability to diversify and have a variety of businesses around its area with offices and shops and he wouldn't want to see the municipal plan prevent that from happening.

LeBlanc says, according to the draft municipal plan, the land around the airport was designated primarily for transportation use and that that won't be sustainable because it generates very limited revenue.

He cites as an example of diversity at the airport could be housing the coast guard helicopter once the coast guard site is gone as well as allowing for commercial development.

You Can See Draft Of New Municipal Plan Tonight On Future Development

The public being invited to an open house tonight to help review the city's draft municipal plan.

Jacqueline Hamilton with Plan SJ says staff will be available to answer questions and a there's also a workbook to help guide people through the document.

Plan SJ is also presenting the draft plan to developers and outlying municpalities this week.

Tonight's session goes from 5:30 to 9 at Saint John High School with a presentation starting at 6pm.

The thrust of the new municipal plan is to have more development taking place closer to the urban core without an influx of big high rise buildings being constructed but the goal is to have greater density of population in a smaller area to reduce costs for the city.

Port Days Told The Provincial Government Can't Be "The Bank Of New Brunswick"

2011 Port Days coming to a close with Finance Minister Blaine Higgs speaking on how the province shares the vision of the port as a shared asset.

President CEO Jim Quinn tells CHSJ News he has a unique approach to our many financial challenges and it's essential to have the provincial government's support on major projects.

Higgs told the Port Days delegates the Province can't be the "Bank of New Brunswick" and that everyone must be part of the solution. The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan winning the Saint John Port Award of the Year.

The company is the port's largest revenue generator and has won the top award twice in 12 years.

Some Advice For Air Travellers To Avoid Delays

Passengers who will be flying out of Saint John Airport are being advised to arrive early, check in online if possible and bring less baggage than normal if they want to avoid delays because of the strike.

Unionised workers at Air Canada in the city are walking the picket lines at the airport and Millidgeville call centre after the airline and Canadian Autoworkers Union failed to reach agreement by the strike deadline.

Picket Captain Aaron Van Wart tells CHSJ News the mood of the strikers is positive and while run of the mill workers are being asked to give up benefits, Air Canada's C-E-O is guaranteed a pension of 300 thousand dollars and just received a bonus of 4 and a half million dollars.

The federal government is giving formal notice it will table back to work legislation within 48 hours, perhaps as early as tomorrow, if the two sides don't reach a deal.

Chair Of NB Power Board Defends Hiring Of Consultant

The Chair of the Board for NB Power is sticking up for a recent decision by the CEO that has drawn some political fire.

NB Power has hired Alexander Proudfoot, an international consulting firm with ties to former conservative Premier Bernard Lord, to do an operational review on the company.

Liberal Donald Arseneault says the move is a favour for a political friend of Premier David Alward.

Chair Ed Barrett says since the  province has mandated NB Power in January to operate itself like a business and Alexander Proudfoot has great experience in finding operational efficiencies, the board stands behind the CEO's decison.

Finance Minister Higgs Finds Potential Lawsuit Unfortunate

The Province's Finance Minister says you can't re-shuffle the deck and give savings from one department to another. Blaine Higgs responding to a call from the Opposition Liberals to give $60 million in savings from the Department of Transportation to scale back cuts to education.
In response to a CHSJ News question, Higgs tells us he is disappointed to hear the province's Acadian society is considering legal action over the cuts to education.

He says he finds it unfortunate that is the line of defence saying these groups decide to sue the government instead of working to be better than they are today. Higgs says spending more money is not the answer but, spending it in a more efficient manner is how things will change.

19-Year Old Pleads Not Guilty to Robbery Charges

19 year old Anthony John Beckingham pleading not guilt to several charges in connection with an armed robbery that occurred on Sunday night.

He's facing two charges of robbery, assault causing bodily harm and uttering a threat.

Beckingham was arrested yesterday after an investigation by the city's Major Crime Unit.

He will be in provincial court on June 27th.

Man Charged In Stabbing Will Argue Self-Defence

A 31-year-old Charlotte Street man will argue self-defence for charges of attempted murder when he goes to trial in September. Nicholas Wayne Welsh earlier pleaded not guilty to stabbing a 53 year-old-man in the neck.

The man was found bleeding near the corner of Duke and Charlotte Street on May 19th.

Welsh also faces charges for failing to report his change of address to the Sex Offenders Registry. He has been sent back to jail until a three day trial scheduled to start September 13th.

Trio In Court For Using Funny Money

3 Sussex area people pleading guilty to passing counterfeit 100 dollar bills March 9th at stores on the east side after being identified by surveillance photos at McAllister Place Mall.

24 year old Cory Duncan, 20 year old Kerry Ann Lewis and Cody Bartholot Myers, also in his early twenties, will be sentenced July 28th. There are related charges to be laid in Sussex.

The court was told Duncan got the idea from a movie he saw on TV. The three have started paying restitution.

Port Authority To Be More Inclusive

President and CEO of the Saint John Port Authority Jim Quinn says one of the strategies the port is taking is to reconnect with the community.

He says the port is a major asset to both the city's economic engine as well as uptown development  -- the Port Authority wants to break down any negative pre-conceived notions by speaking to the public about its future plans and development.

He says with all the work going into diversifying the working port, such a building a small craft harbour on the city's west side, it's prudent to engage the community.

Liason Suggested For Enterprise Saint John

The city's economic task force recommending a new position is created for someone to act as a liaison between Common Council and Enterprise Saint John. 

The suggestion is one of four recommendations to help the two bodies align their priorities and improve communication. 

Councillor Donnie Snook says he doesn't want to make a decision until he knows what it's going to cost the city.  He says anytime you add a new position it's going to cost the city money.

Councillor Gary Sullivan says the city put the task force together for a reason, and if everyone says a new position is needed than that's what council should do.

Description Of Bank Robber Released

City Police have released a more detailed description of the suspect they're looking for in the robbery yesterday afternoon of the Scotiabank in the north end.
 
He's described as being white, in his thirties, approximately five feet 8 to 5 feet 10 inches tall, between 150 and 160 pounds, wearing a black hoodie, ball cap, sunglasses and blue jeans.
 
He got away on a bicycle with an undisclosed amount of money. Police say he gave the impression of having a weapon without showing anything.

The Major Crime Unit is looking for your help. If you have any information regarding this incident, call 648-3333 or Crime stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Picket Lines Up Outside Airport And Millidgeville Call Centre

Air Canada workers in Saint John, members of the Canadian Autoworkers Union, were out early walking the picket lines outside the airline's call centre in Millidgeville and at the entrance to the airport.

The picket captain in Millidgeville Aaron Van Wart tells CHSJ News the workers have given up alot of concessions over the years but enough is enough when you consider Air Canada's C-E-O will be getting a 300 thousand dollar pension and just received a 4 and a half million dollar bonus.

Van Wart described the mood on the picket line as positive although they didn't want to strike.

Air Canada managers are helping passengers cope with the inconvenience of a strike by customer service and sales agents. Minor delays are reported across the country. The union points out Tuesday is the lightest travel day of the week.

Passengers are being advised to check in online and take less luggage if they don't want to be held up.

CUPW Workers Picket On Rothesay Avenue

About 100 Canada Post letter carriers walking the picket line in front of the Rothesay Avenue offices today.
CUPW spokesperson Wally Moore tells CHSJ News after the company scaled back mail delivery to three days a week, when workers came in today they were told there was no work for them.


Moore says they are locked out based on a decision by the national arm of the Canadian Union Of Postal Workers. Moore claims there are over 600,000 peices of mail in the Saint John office that will not start moving until tomorrow. He adds rotating walkouts could still impact this city starting this week.

North End Bank Robbed

The Scotiabank in the North End was held up yesterday afternoon by a robber who then escaped on a bicycle.

The robbery, around 2:00, is being investigated by the Major Crime Unit.

Police say the robber is described as between 35 and 45 years of age and about 5 feet 8 inches tall.

Picketer Struck At Airport

Air Canada's customer-service representatives, including those who work at the call centre in Millidgeville are out on strike.

A strike began a minute after midnight eastern time after talks broke off between the airline and the union representing its 38-hundred customer service agents and other airport workers.

Meantime, one of the picketers was struck by a vehicle at the entrance to Saint John Airport early this morning suffering minor injuries.

The head of the Canadian Auto Workers union says pensions and wages were key sticking points.

But Ken Lewenza says while his last-minute effort to strike a deal was rejected, he'll keep pushing.

Air Canada expects to continue operating a full flight schedule, with 17-hundred managers stepping in at Air Canada's counters and call centres.

Enterprise Saint John Makes Its Case To Common Council

Common Council getting a performance report from Enterprise Saint John showing how much bang the city is getting getting for it's buck.

 Chair Tony Gogan says for every dollar the city contributed to Enterprise Saint John in 2010, it got roughly 6.5 dollars back in property taxes.

Councillor Peter McGuire says Common Council will now be able to measure the effectiveness of the agency from one year to another.

Councillor Patty Higgins says she's not sure the city isn't still getting the short end of the stick because the outlying municipalites also served by E-S-J are getting even more bang for their bucks.

On the other hand, Councillor Gary Sullivan says the numbers are proof investing in Enterprise Saint John is not a waste of money.

The report looked at how many people had been employed in Saint John in the last 3 years because of the efforts of Enterprise Saint John.

Draft Of City's New Municipal Plan Presented To Council

With Saint John's draft municipal plan up for public review, the focus is on developing the city's urban core.

Jacqueline Hamilton with Plan SJ says so far, local developers have cautiously supported the plan.

Hamilton says the draft plan encourages development that uses existing infrastructure as opposed to development on the edge of the city and there are still provisions in place to prevent an influx of high-rise buildings.

The plan calls for high quality design that's active at street level, affordable housing in all areas of the city and balanced transportation options like public transit.

The public will get a chance to see it tomorrow at Saint John High beginning at 5:30 pm.

Environmental Protection Around Spruce Lake Industrial Park

You may think that big industry and an environment group teaming up is pipe dream but that's a reality for Saint John Industrial Parks Limited.

It's teaming up with consulting firm Boreal Environment to document all ecologically sensitive areas in the Spruce Lake Industrial Park in order to prevent future development from harming watercourses and rare habitat.

The General Manager of Saint John Industrial Parks Brian Irving tells CHSJ News they want to prove that they're serious about protecting the environment and that you can still turn a buck while being environmentally conscious.

Irving goes on to say Saint John benefits a lot from protected wet lands and waterways as they prevent flooding.