Robbery in the North End

One man is in hospital after what's being described as a robbery in the North End last night.

City police tell CHSJ News a man was at his home ion Adelaide Street the North End when two other men invaded his home around 10pm. They took an undisclosed amount of property or cash. No word yet on whether a weapon was used.

The two men were later nabbed by police and are currently in custody.

Youth to Play For Royals

The young musicians of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra honouring the royals with their own special tribute. The NBYO will be playing a special composition commissioned just for the royal visit. 

Don Matheson, Executive Director of the NBYO, tells us the piece will reflect the unique sounds of New Brunswick, including a native drummer and collaborations with a number of local musicians. 

Matheson says playing for the royals is another major honour for the orchestra. The NBYO won an international youth music festival in the symphony competition last July in Vienna.

Local MLA and MP Excited For Royal Visit

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Trevor Holder is very excited about the royal visit and their special detour to Hazen White St. Francis school, which is in his riding.

He says the school and its partners deserve full credit as their great work with children got the attention of the blue bloods.

Saint John MP is very pleased about the royal visit and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

He tells CHSJ News he wants everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities.

Sea Dogs Lose

The Saint John Sea Dogs lose to the London Knights 5-3 in their first game of the 2012 Memorial Cup.

The Dogs battling early penalties and poor ice conditions in Shawinigan.

The Dogs' goals from Charles-Olivier Roussel, Jonathan Huberdeau and Ryan Tesink. It's the first regulation loss for the Dogs since March 11th. The Dogs play the Edmonton Oil Kings on Monday night.

Namestikov Scores

With 53 seconds left, the Knights' Vladislav Namestikov gets his second of the night. London 5 Saint John 3

Tesink Scores On Power Play

Ryan Tesink scores at 12:01 of the third for the Sea Dogs.
London 4 Saint John 3

London Makes It 4-2

Austin Watson scores in the third to give London a 4-2 lead over Saint John in the Sea Dogs first game of the 2012 Memorial Cup.

Huberdeau Scores

At 17:57 of the 2nd, Jonathan Huberdeau gets a shorthanded goal for Saint John.
London 3 Saint John 2

London Takes A 3-1 Lead

Seth Griffith scores at 12:14 of the second to give the London Knights a 3-1 lead. The Sea Dogs' Maxime Villmaire gets a penalty for elbowing.

Knights Lead By One

London's Vladislav Namestikov scores to give the Knights a 2-1 lead over the Sea Dogs.

London ties it up

Max Domi scores his first goal of the Memorial Cup to even the score.
Saint John 1 London 1

Sea Dogs Score

Charles-Olivier Roussel scores two minutes into the first period in Saint John's first game at Memorial Cup.
Sea Dogs 1 Knights 0

Dogs Play First Memorial Cup Game

The Sea Dogs are gearing up to defend their memorial cup title. Assistant Coach Greg Leland tells CHSJ News it's going to be a tough contest with 4 of the best teams in Canada competing against one another. He tells CHSJ News a major part of his strategy for helping lead to Dogs to victory in 2012 is preparing ahead. 

He says while they're familiar with Shawinigan they're not quite as knowledgeable about Edmonton and London, so they're in the process of gathering information.

Leland says while every coach wants to know as much as they can about the opposing teams it's also key to make sure your own players are taken care of so they can focus entirely on playing.

Boil Order In Effect

As a result of the water required to fight the fire on Victoria Street, there is a low pressure problem at the Highland Road Pump Station and the quality of the drinking water at nearby addresses might be affected.

The boil order extends to Highland Road as well as Narrows Road. The civic addresses affected are 137, 138, 146, 153, 164, 165, 175,, 180, 183, 191, 194, 197, 202, 204, 208, 210 and 215 as well as Narrows Road.

 The Department of Health will notify residents when the boil order is lifted. For more information, contact Jeremy Howley, Operations Manager at Saint John Water. (506) 658-4455.

 

Victoria Fire Update

The fire that raged for nearly 9 hours at 55 and 57 Victoria Street has displaced 7 residents.

 The building, 57 Victoria, where the fire was first reported shortly after 2 p.m. had been vacant for some time. Flames spread to the building next door, forcing out four adults from one apartment and a mother with two children from another unit. There were no injuries although a resident was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

 No word yet on the cause of the blaze. The Red Cross has stepped into assist with clothing, food, and emergency accommodations.

Grow Op Dismantled

A 35 year old Jemseg man has been arrested in connection with an indoor grow up off of Highway 695.

District 2 RCMP searched his home and outbuildings and found hundreds of marijuana plants as well as some dried buds and a weapon.

The Mounties say the grow-op was dismantled as part of a larger sting on marijuana growers throughout the province. The man will appear in court at a later date to face charges.

Fracking Not a Done Deal

With the provincial government rolling out 116 proposed recommendations surrounding shale and natural gas, Karl Wolpin of Hampton Water First tells CHSJ News it's clear they are not listening to the people of New Brunswick. He says going ahead with fracking shouldn't be treated as a done deal.

According to Wolpin 80% of New Brunswickers disagree with fracking and there isn't enough information available for anyone for have an accurate picture of what the recommendations would look like.

Drug Bust on Wright Street

A drug bust on Wright Street in the city's uptown resulting in the arrests of two men. City police tell us a quantity of a controlled substance was found in the home, as well as prohibited weapons.

The men will appear in court today to face charges.

Fire Department Fights Two Fires On Victoria Street

City fire crews battling two tough fires in the city's north end.

The fire department responding to blazes at 55 and 57 Victoria Street around 3 o'clock.

Fire Chief Kevin Clifford says the fire was extremely difficult to fight and the call was made to pull crew members out.

He says while it's optimal to battle fires from the inside, the risk was too great.



He says the old building gave the fire too much fuel.

Early reports indicate 57 Victoria Street was abandoned.  55 Victoria Street had residents but there are no reports of injuries.

No word yet on a cause.

Crews Still Battling A North End Fire

Firefighters are still at it in the North End battling a stubborn blaze.

The fire started 57 Victoria Street spreading quickly to a building next door

Flames could be scene coming from the upper window earlier.

Crews also trying to stop the fire from spreading to 59 and 61 Victoria Street.

Tug Boats Put On Water Show

Three tugs in the Harbour put on a water show in the moments before today's 21-gun salute for Loyalist's Day

21 Gun Salute At Pugsley Wharf

To celebrate Loyalist Day, local reserve soldiers helping Saint Johners celebrate with a 21-gun salute on Pugsley Wharf.

Soldiers from the 3rd field regiment conducting the salute in observance of the landing of the Loyalist.

Three 105mm C3 Howitzers firing a 21-gun salute at noon today.

North End Fire Keeps Crews Busy

A fire is tying up a lot of resources and creating a traffic headache in the North end.

The call came in just after 2 this afternoon at 55-57 Victoria Street.   The building was evacuated successfully.

The blaze seems to be based in the upper floors of the structure.   

City police are providing traffic control in the area.    Barricades are open and some area streets are closed to traffic.

Vandals Strike Peel Plaza Construction Site

The Peel Plaza work site getting hit by graffiti sometime overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sgt. Glen Hayward with the Saint John Police Force tells CHSJ News the locker room area got hit with spray paint.

Hayward says he is unsure how much the damages are.

He adds there is security at the site hired by the construction company but the vandals somehow got through.

Murphy Speaks On Poverty Reduction

Provincial Liberal Leadership candidate Mike Murphy launching his poverty reduction strategy if elected to the head of the party.

Murphy spoke to a crowd of Liberal supporters and citizens at the Carleton Community Centre.

One of Murphy's planks is an earned income tax credit.

He says such a credit will help people who are struggling to make ends meet.

Other initiative Murphy is promising is better public oversight of social development money, more legal rights and options for victims of domestic abuse, and a social entrepreneurship program which makes the government implement social programs developed by community groups.

He says his plans can be implemented within our current budget and could even save the government money.

Fire Crews Battling Blaze In The North End

City fire crews are battling a structure fire in the North End.   The call came in just a short time ago.     The blaze is fully involved at 55-57 Victoria Street.    City police are also at the scene providing traffic control in the area.   Some streets in the area are blocked to traffic.

Big Traffic Volumes Expected At Border

The weather forecast for the long holiday weekend couldn't be any better and that means alot of people will be on the road with border crossings expecting more traffic.

Lynn Burns, a Superintendent with Canada Border Services Agency in St. Stephen, tells CHSJ News you will have a smoother crossing if you have all your documentation at hand.

Burns says it could be alot faster for you, as well,  if you use the new St. Stephen bridge. To get there, you exit Route 9 and follow U.S. Highway 1 until you get to the roundabout where you turn left onto the new bridge.

You can also go online to find how long you'll have to wait at each of the border crossings.

http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/

Chaplaincy Office Won't Operate Drop-In Centre

The drop-in centre at Stone Church, if it reopens at some point down the road, won't be run by the Saint John Community Chaplaincy Office.

That word coming from Phillip Ferris who chairs the Community Chaplaincy for ex-offenders and tells CHSJ News there has been some confusion over why this is happening.

Ferris says it closed because of a lack of funding and had nothing whatever to do with the folks at the Stone Church.

Ferris says it was never their mandate to operate the drop-in centre and it became awkward because of restrictions that were imposed on some of the ex-offenders on who they could be seen with or even be around.

Nature Conservancy Of Canada Looking For Clean-Up Volunteers

If you want to spend part of your long weekend helping out Mother Nature then the Nature Conservancy of Canada wants to hear from you.

The group wants volunteers to help clean up the coastal footpath along the Musquash Estuary.

Spokesperson Andrew Holland tells CHSJ News biologists will also be on hand to educated volunteers about the estuary.

Tasks will include trimming branches, putting up trail markers, and collecting garbage off the beach.

Things get underway Saturday morning at 9.  For more information or to sign up, click here.

Purse Snatching Uptown

A purse snatching on King Street last night around 6 resulting in the arrests of two men in their late twenties. 

They were nabbed on the rooftop of a building along Union Street. 

City Police telling CHSJ News they got help from the public in catching up with the pair who will be appearing in court today.

No one was hurt.

Are You Wearing That Because You Lost A Bet?

Rimouski MP Guy Caron wears a Sea Dogs jersey after losing a bet to Saint John MP Rodney Weston.  The MP of the losing team had to wear the opposing team's jersey in the House of Commons.

Paper Released On New Shale Gas Regulations

Energy companies that violate the province's new rules when it comes to oil and gas industry could face up to a million dollars in fines.

That hefty charge is one of 116 recommendations contained in a paper released by the government -- the paper also addresses issues like well design and the protection of water supplies.

The paper also calls for a greater share of royalties for the province and landowners where natural gas and oil wells would be located.

The public has 60 days to provide input on the paper before it goes back to the legislature this fall.

Monster Truck Demo At Harbour Station

The Monster Spectacular takes place Friday 7:30pm at Harbour Station. Organizers held a demonstration outside of Harbour Station.

Rothesay Police Looking For Suspicious People

Police in Rothesay are asking for the public's help in finding out who was hanging out on a few streets in the town early this morning.

Rothesay Regional Police want to hear from you if you saw some suspicious people or a person on Gondola Point Road, River Road or Pickett Lane between 12:30 and 5:30am this morning.

If you know something, call them at 847-6300.

The Province Invites All To The Victoria Day Celebrations

What the heck is ploye?  You can find out and try it this weekend at the Victoria Day celebrations in Saint John.

The Chief of Protocol Anne Reynolds tells CHSJ News the Royal Visit is less than 24 hours so the province so they had to make it count.

She says they decided they would invite the province to Saint John and they are really showcasing the province in the port and at the terminal adding the 7 major cities have been invited.

Ploye is Acadian dish that is similar to a crepe.  Other tastings include smoked salmon, oysters and fiddleheads. Jessica Rhaye, the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra and Before the Mast will all perform on one of three different stages inside and outside of the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal.   It all begins at 1pm on Monday and runs til 5pm.

To learn more, click here or here

Taxpayers Federation Says Gas Prices In Province Are Rigged

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says it's time the Alward Government stopped rigging the system by taxing the tax on gasoline when it applies the H-S-T on both the provincial and federal taxes.

The Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News this is costing you an extra three cents a litre everytime you fill up and that's on top of the almost 3 cent a litre increase that was imposed last year which means you're paying 6 cents a litre more just in tax now than you were in 2010.
 
Lacey estimates since raising the gas tax in 2011, the provincial government has collected more than 45 million dollars in new gas tax revenue with 29 per cent of the pump price consisting of tax. 

The Taxpayers Federation also estimates the average two car family in the province will pay about $1,260 in gas tax each year.

21 Gun Salute On Loyalist Day

If you've never seen a 21 gun salute in person, you'll get your chance tomorrow to mark Loyalist Day. 

Lieutenent-Colonel Steve Strachan tells CHSJ News it will be taking place at 12 noon at Pugsley Wharf with local reserve soldiers from the 3rd Field Regiment, R-C-A, the Loyal Company. Saint John is the only city in the country allowed to do so on Loyalist Day.

There will be three 21 gun salutes on Monday when the Royal Couple, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla are in the province. 

The first happens at C-F-B Gagetown with the next one at Government House in Fredericton and finally to mark their departure from Saint John.

Former Mayor Will Now Chair Airport Board

Former mayor Norm McFarlane being named the Chair of the Saint John Airport Board of Directors.

McFarlane tells CHSJ News it is an honour to helm the board as growing the airport was one of his major projects when he was mayor.

One of the first things he wants to improve is the first impression people get at the airport as well as renaming the facility to "The Saint John International Airport."

He believes the international moniker would attract more customers.

He adds the board is also seeing if the land around the airport is viable for future development.

Provincial NDP Leader Says Blaney's New Gig Sends Wrong Message

Provincial NDP Leader Dominic Cardy says the appointment of Conservative Margaret-Ann Blaney to the head of Efficiency NB sends a very wrong message to young people in the province.

Cardy tells CHSJ News this kind of patronage can deal a real blow to the future of the province.

He believes when New Brunswickers see jobs being handed out to well-connected politicians, it will drive qualified employees away.

He says Blaney does not appear to have the qualifications to run the agency and believes the job opening should have been posted.

As for possibly running for Blaney's seast in the legislature, Cardy says he is considering it.

Self Serve Is Up But Diesel Is Down

A mixed bag with gas prices after the weekly setting......Self Serve regular has gone up by a cent to $1.28.2 a litre around town, an increase of a cent.

Diesel is cheaper by just over one and a half cents at $1.30.3 a litre. 

Heating oil continuing it's drop to $1.13.8 a litre with the listed price of propane at 99.8 cents a litre which is a decline of four cents.

Province To Create Unified Childhood Services Act

The province is planning to establish a single piece of legislation called the Early Childhood Services Act which would combine all early childhood programs and services.

It would include preschool autism intervention, prenatal support, childcare and early learning.

Changes are also being planned so that licensed childcare facilities use only one of two curriculums provided by the the province.

The province is also looking for a more regional approach for emergency and disaster management.

Under new amendments, regional staff can be placed in communities to work with local authorities and emergency service providers to improve emergency preparedness, which would include training and planning.

Saint John Basketball Player In Danger

A member of the Saint John Mill Rats basketball team finds himself in peril being trapped in Mali, Africa with his wife Mariam and his three year old daughter Cindy.

Modibo Diarra returned home at the beginning of April to rescue his family when a coup was staged by Islamic rebels.

Diarra had wanted to move his family to Saint John in any event but because of the increasing violence and turmoil in Mali, the situation is getting more dangerous.  

Members of the local community are getting together to organise fundraisers with the goal being to raise 15 thousand dollars for visas as well as cover legal fees and transportation costs for the family to move here.

The Timepiece is Back

It's been dried out, sanded, painted and reinforced and now the Market Square Timepiece is standing proud once again. The statue, built by local artist John Hooper in 1983, needed some major repairs.

Cultural affairs officer Bernard Cormier tells CHSJ News it was regularly scheduled maintenance that needs to happen every 14 years as the statue is constantly exposed to the elements. The word was undertaken by woodworker Darren Byers, original concept designer Jack Massey, and Kathy Hooper-- the wife of the Late John Hooper, who helped paint the statue along with her daughter Sue.

The restoration is almost complete and timepiece is looking visibly brighter and refreshed just in time for cruise ship season. The only remaining step is replacing the famous figures at their places on the bench.

Irving Oil Refinery Reaches Safety Milestone

Since it began operations in 1960, the Irving Oil Refinery achieving 365 days without a lost time injury.
 
That means Refinery employees have exceeded 3.5 million workforce hours without a LTI making the Refinery an industry leader in safety performance. 
 
General Manager Mark Sherman tells CHSJ News they are following these practices so people can return to their loved ones everyday in the same condition as they went to work.

He says it's unacceptable to hurt people just because they are going work.   He says its cultural shift not only for Irving Oil but for society in general when years ago it was common for people to be injured or even to see fatalities at work.

Sherman says the results are because of a shift in thinking where safety becomes a core value and factors into everything.
 

Blaney Cites Personal Reasons For Resignation

Citing personal reasons, a longtime Rothesay MLA is leaving the political fray to lead Effiency NB.

Margaret-Ann Blaney will resign as Energy Minister on the 25th and begin her new job early next month.
She tells CHSJ News she is now a single mom and needs to give more time to her family.

She says she didn't feel she was doing justice to being a good mom or in her work.

Blaney tells us politics was the career of choice for her adding she loved it and will miss it a lot.

Radio Employees Vote for Strike Mandate

A feudal system--that's what chief negotiator Dan Oldfield calls Maritime Broadcasting, with its employees voting unanimously for a strike mandate. They cite salaries capped at $28,500 dollars and mandatory unpaid work time as stumbling blocks. 

Oldfield says the offers they've received have been insulting and the broadcasting company has shown no respect for its staff.

MBS is in a legal strike position at of June 1. If a collective agreement is not reached Oldfield says all 3 MBS-owned stations in Saint John will have to outsource their broadcasts from elsewhere.

President and CEO Of YMCA Visits Saint John

The President and CEO of YMCA Canada making a visit to the Port City.



Scott Haldane speaking at the annual general meeting for the Saint John YM-YWCA and he tells CHSJ News his goal is to grow people's understanding of what the Y actually does.


He says that lack of identity can be problematic when raising money as people are unsure what their money is going to.



He says they're trying to position the Y as more of a cause -- which is strengthing the foundation of the community -- than an institution.

Liberals Says Blaney's Appointment Is A Broken Promise

The interim Liberal Leader says he knew something was up because Margaret-Ann Blaney has only been in the legislature a few times this session.

Victor Boudreau says Blaney's appointment to Efficiency NB is another broken election promise as David Alward said he would hold competitions to find the best person for the job.


Boudreau tells CHSJ News says Provincial NDP Leader Dominic Cardy should be put his money where his mouth is and run in the upcoming by-election in Rothesay instead of making comments on Facebook and Twitter.


Boudreau says Craig Leonard and Bruce Fitch will share the responsibilities for the Department of Energy.

Crime Reduction Must Address Drug Problems, Says Weir

High praise for the Saint John Police force from Elizabeth Weir. She's currently a researcher in residence at UNB looking into crime prevention strategies. Weir says when you deal effectively with drug use, a drop in crime will follow--and that means increasing access to methadone and offering services to the families of drug abusers.

Weir declined to comment on whether budget cuts to the police force have had a effect effect on their performance.

Drop-In Centre At Stone Church Has Closed

A lack of funding, at least for the time being, is forcing the Saint John Chaplaincy Office, which operates a drop-in centre and noonhour meals at the Stone Church, to close.

Fern Bennett is a board member and tells CHSJ News an average of about a hundred people were getting meals, Monday through Friday but according to Bennett, what's really sad is the loss of community because the drop-in centre was a place people who are already having a tough time could find a safe haven.

She's hoping the closure is only temporary and those people in the city, who can afford to, will step up to the plate and help with funding.

NB Trying New Strategies to Stamp Out Bullying

New Brunswick getting a nod from a national anti-bullying organization for its new comprehensive strategy to deal with bullying. Rob Frenette of Bullying Canada says new anti-bullying coordinators will help schools develop better policies to deal with bullying.

Under the new policy all incidents of bullying will need to be reported to the superintendent, which was not previously the case.

Frenette says while it's a positive step stamping out bullying remains a complex issue.

Blaney Will Resign As Energy Minister

Margaret Ann Blaney is leaving politics to lead Efficiency NB.     The premier announcing that Blaney will resign as Energy Minister on the 25th.   She will take over as President and CEO of Efficiency NB on June 4th.

Blaney has been largely absent from the political scene since becoming Energy Minister earlier this year in a minor shuffle.

Prior to that, she was the Environment Minister.    She has been in political life since 1999.

Blaney's exit will necessitate a byelection in Rothesay to fill the seat.

Roofing Work Gets A Bit Too Hot

Roofing work was being done when a fire broke out on the second floor of a three storey building at 49 Adelaide Street. 

District Chief Joe Armstrong says the fire didn't spread from an outside wall on the second floor and the lone person inside left the building safely. 

A short time later they were called to the intersection of Somerset Street and Paradise Row where a man was hit by a car and taken to hospital with what turned out to be minor injuries.
 
Earlier in the day, a car left Loch Lomand Road by the Irving Oil Refinery but the driver wasn't injured.

Fundy Linen Employees Hold Protest Over Possible Job Losses

Fundy Linen employees making some noise over possible job losses -- about 25 of them protesting outside of St. Joseph's hospital because Horizon Health Network wants to use disposable linen instead of reusable ones.

Union president Gisele St. Pierre tells CHSJ News the employees plan to protest once a week at various locations, including city hall.

The provincial health department has the final say but no word yet on date.  Such a change would put 19 people out of work in Saint John.

She says the union is also trying to arrange meetings with the both the Environment and Health minister.

McAlary Wants Finances To Be The Early Focus

Councillor-At-Large Shirley McAlary is thrilled to be back in council chambers.

McAlary previously served as mayor of Saint John.

McAlary tells CHSJ News her focus right away will be the city budget, which includes dealing with the beleaguered pension plan.

She believes the first 9 months of the new council's term should be focused on city coffers. 
She adds the city should have adequate services given our operating budget is 144 million dollars.

SJ Chief Talks About Decriminalizing Drugs

Police, academics, and volunteers gathering to discuss drug abuse in Saint John at a panel called Drugs in the City. Police Chief Bill Reid talked about the benefits of intelligence-led policing, which analyses future risks to fight crime. Reid tells CHSJ News there's a lot of evidence to support crime will be reduced if we moved toward decriminalizing certain types of drug use--especially marijuana.

But, Reid said, he's not sure of the time frame and he's also not sure whether more serious steps like safe injection sites are right for Saint John. Other speakers included Bioethics professor Dr Tim Christie and Don McPherson, Director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition.