Most Canadians Like Their Job

It turns out most of are pretty satisfied with our jobs according to a recent study by the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling.

Jeff Landine, an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at UNB, has reviewed the study and found we also have a better balance between work and our personal lives than most countries.

The study shows a whopping 81% of us are satisfied with our jobs, 86% like the work we do and 78% are happy with our overall lives It also found 88% of us like our coworkers and 62% are content and don't plan to switch jobs. Landine isn't surprised by the numbers explaining the more control we feel we have in our jobs, the happier we are.

The downside? 39% of us feel we aren't paid fairly. Landine says when you look at pay, perks or interest in work, that can lead to dissatisfaction.

Gondola Point Ferry Should Be Fixed By Christmas

The folks at Gondola Point will be getting a gift by Christmas.

That's when the ferry William Pitt II should be fixed up, according to the Department of Transportation.

Since the ferry's been sent out for repairs in Nova Scotia, it has been replaced with the smaller F-79 Woolstock ferry that holds 8 fewer vehicles than the Pitt.

The smaller backup ferry has experienced a few mechanical problems itself, which D-O-T says is due to overuse.

Two Christmas Parades Today

 You could go to two parades in one day.

The Lancaster Santa Claus parade on the west side will get underway this afternoon at 1:00pm. It moves along Manawagonish Road to Main Street and then down Ready to Catherwood before making the turn onto Fairville Boulevard, finishing up at the former Co-op store. Non-Perishable food items will be collected during the parade for local food banks as well as letters for Santa. The awards for the best floats will be handed out at 4:00 in the lobby of Sobeys.

In the KV, the parade starts at 6:00pm. It'll make it's way down the old Hampton Road to the intersection of Marr Road and Clark Road. Aaron Kennedy from the Town of Quispamsis tells CHSJ News it's the 14 year for the event. Non-perishables food items will be collected for the KV food basket along with letters for Santa.

Funeral For Firefighter Today

The funeral of Saint John firefighter Dale Clinton taking place today.

A graduate of Saint John High School and UNB, he served as a firefighter since 1999. The 39-year-old was also secretary of the Saint John Firefighters Association Local 771. He's survived by his mother Lynn Doyle, his brother Chris, and aunts and uncles.

According to Castle Funeral Home, a funeral liturgy will be held at 10:00 am from the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Waterloo Street. Interment will take place at Greenwood Cemetery.

Clinton died after falling from a hydraulic lift in Ottawa on November 16th while attending a Canadian Political Training Academy in Ontario.

Inquest Into Smith's Death Will Be "Broadly Based"

A coroner ruled Friday that an inquest into the prison death of a New Brunswick teenager will be broadly based despite objections raised by several doctors who treated her.

The three Ontario doctors argued the inquest should focus only on the last days of Ashley Smith's life at the Grand Valley Institution in Kitchener, Ontario.

Smith's family, backed by other parties, wanted the coroner to examine much more, including how Smith was treated at other prisons in other provinces long before her death.

The 19-year-old Smith choked to death in October 2007 as guards essentially stood by.

(Courtesy of the Canadian Press)

Irvings Rank #3 As Canada's Wealthiest

It may not come as a surprise, but the province's oil giants the Irvings are among the wealthiest Canadians.

That's according to Canadian Business magazine's annual ranking of Canada's wealthiest, putting industrialists James, Arthur and the late Jack Irving at # 3 on the list.

The trio have a combined net worth of about 8-billion dollars.

Topping the list was the Thomson family, owners of Thomson Reuters, at more than $20-billion dollars.

Making Science Less Intimidating & More Fun

Making physics a little less intimidating and a lot more fun.

That's the goal of Physics–Ploration, a series of exciting physic presentations and experiments at the Saint John Free Public library. 

UNB Saint John physics professor Dr. Li-Hong Xu sets up and explains the experiments to get students from elementary to high school curious about the science. She says very few people get into physics because they think it's hard, but Xu stresses that anything is hard and just like anything you have to work on it. She says physics is part of our everyday life and it's interesting to understand the world you're living in.

The experiments are designed as hands on activities for students. Today's session will focus on forces. Xu describes some forces as visible -- such as push and pull -- while others are invisible like electromagnetic and gravity. Other sessions in the past have even focused on physics in the kitchen, like how a microwave can measure the speed of light.

Today's presentation will run from 1:00 until 2:00 pm in the multipurpose room on the second floor.

Algonquin Hotel Gets Major Renovations

The Algonquin Hotel is getting way more than a new coat of paint.

When renovations are completed by June 1st of 2013, the resort in St. Andrews will have private balconies along the second floor, an indoor pool with a two-story water slide, along with energy-efficient wings conditioned for all seasons.

Vice President of New Castle Hotels and Resorts Guido Kerpel tells CHSJ News it's a unique and iconic property.

Kerpel adds both sections of the hotel will now match, with the same color white paint, and the Tudor-style trim will reach from end to end.

Mayor's Tree Lighting Set To Begin

The Mayor's tree lighting ceremony has become a Christmas tradition and it's taking place tonight at 6:00 in Loyalist Plaza. 

We hear from the city there will be refreshments and giveaways for children. 

City staffers will also be on hand to collect non-perishable food items and the carolling will begin at 5:45.

Santa To Visit West Side Tomorrow Afternoon

People on the west side will be able to take in the 8th annual Lancaster Santa Claus parade tomorrow afternoon starting at 1:00. 

The parade will make its way eastbound along Manawagonish Road to Main Street, turning at Ready Street down to Catherwood and then making another turn onto Fairville Boulevard before winding up at the former Co-Op store. 

Non-Perishable food items will be collected during the parade for local food banks as well as letters for Santa by Canada Post. 

The awards for the best floats will be handed out in Sobeys at 4:00.

Unprecedented Meeting Between The Port And The Airport

It's being called the dawn of a new era of co-operation between the airport and the port to boost the number of visitors to the city. 

Tourism Minister Trevor Holder is pressing forward with promoting the Bay of Fundy as a world class tourist destination. 

Port Authority President and C-E-O Jim Quinn tells CHSJ News the Bay of Fundy was in the running a couple of years ago to be one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. 

He says if Saint John becomes the starting off point for cruise ships, it would not only mean passengers spending more time in the city before the depart but could result in more flights in and out of Saint John because they would have to get here somehow.

Honouring Our Vets Beyond Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day has passed, but our veterans aren't forgotten.

Saint John MP Rodney Weston announcing a contribution of up to over $20,000dollars to restore a memorialhonouring those who served in the First and Second World Wars, the
Korean War, peacekeeping operations and modern missions.

The monument will be cleaned and polished, and various parts of it will be updated and replaced.

Point Lepreau Is Finally Running Again

It's been a long time coming, but the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is back online as of today.

The facility is expected to provide 25 to 30 years of power to both New Brunswickers and export customers.Gaeten Thomas, president and CEO of NB Power, tells CHSJ News the customer rates will level out in the long term despite the project's widely-broadcast cost overruns.

There have been seemingly endless delays in the refurbishment project, which began in 2008. Tests and monitoring will continue during the early weeks of the plant's operation.

Shirley McAlary Speaks On Controversial Sex Worker Motion

There's been a significant amount of buzz around around Saint John about the idea of fining sex workers for jaywalking

In fact, at least 75 people protested Thursday in support of sex workers rights on the back of a controversial motion floated by Councillor Susan Fullerton last week.

Councillor Shirley McAlary tells CHSJ News she's heard from a lot of constituents and none of them have been in favour of singling out one group when enforcing the by-law. McAlary, who voted against the motion, says police have better things to do and at the end of the day it's up to them. 

Further, she says the only reason the motion got so much support among her fellow Councillors is that they probably didn't fully understand it.

14th Annual KV Parade Goes Tomorrow

Organizers, spectators and participants are hoping for good weather for the 14th annual KV Santa Claus Parade tomorrow.
 
It's a joint effort between the towns of Quispamsis and Rothesay.
 
Aaron Kennedy of the Town of Quispamsis tells CHSJ News this year's theme is "Christmas Around the World" and will feature a whole lot of floats coming down the Old Hampton road.

He says they have over 50 entries in the parade adding a lot of the familiar favourites will be there.

Non-perishable food items will be collected for the K-V food basket along with letters for Santa.
 
The parade begins at 6pm from K-V High on Saturday night. 

For more info, click here

Enterprise Saint John Could Have New Role

The Saint John region doesn't need mega projects in order to prosper according to the General Manager of Enterprise Saint John Steve Carson.
 
He says companies here can generate alot of work by tapping into the mega projects that are happening elsewhere in Atlantic Canada and building the components that are needed for these projects in Newfoundland, Labrador and Halifax. Carson adds he has been told providing supports for these projects has the potential of becoming a real gold mine. 

Research has shown Saint Johnners overwhelmingly want their own community based economic development agency instead of relying on the province. Carson says its role will be determined by the Mayors and Councils in the region.
 
Saint John is seen as being strategically located as a gateway with affordable housing and the potential to have a skilled workforce led by U-N-B Saint John and the New Brunswick Community College.

Charting The Renaissance Of Saint John

True growth in the Saint John region is being revitalised with a call to action from Deputy Mayor Shelly Rinehart who says "It's a new day. We're back on the boat rowing together again in the right direction". 

She says a comprehensive economic development plan will be put together in the new year which will include aggressively seeking out new business from elsewhere. 

Rinehart admits Saint John has not done a good job of promoting itself elsewhere and she warns we need a ready and capable workforce but shortages of skilled workers are looming as the baby boomers retire.
 
Rinehart says the aim is to create the environment for economic growth to make it happen. She sees lots of opportunities for economic growth in I-C-T, Health Sciences and financial services.   

Man Accused In Rockwood Park Attack Back In Court

Another court appearance for a 27 year old Saint John man on charges arising from an attack on a jogger in Rockwood Park early last month. 

Nathan Dean waived his request for bail and was remanded until Monday morning when a trial date will be set.

The woman was confronted on a trail by a man with his face covered and armed with a knife but managed to fight him off.

Homeless Youth Get A Helping Hand

Today marked a big announcement from the folks at Safe Habour, an emergency shelter for homeless youth that's looking to open its doors in 2013.

The shelter will be built on the former site of Saint James Anglican Church on Broad Street. Coordinator Colin McDonald tells CHSJ News they hope starting to build the shelter will get Saint Johners thinking about how they can help all our marginalized groups.

The 10-bed facility will house at-risk youth for up to six months as they transition from street life to a more permanent home. It will also make counseling and other services available to help the young people transition back into society.

BREAKING: Fire On Westfield Road, Building Destroyed

The storage building that has been on fire for the past several hours on Westfield Road is now all but destroyed.

Some propane tanks were reportedly inside the building as well as number of boats and RVs.

The blaze appears to be getting under control. 

BREAKING: Fire On Westfield Road

A significant fire has been reported on Westfield Road this afternoon; fire officials got that call shortly after 1pm.

According to early reports heavy black smoke is billowing from the storage building and fire fighters are preparing to begin taking off the roof to fight the blaze.

It's thought to have originated between the floors of the building, which contained a number of boats and RVs.

NB Power and Saint John Water have also been called to the scene.

Jaywalking In Support Of Sex Workers

"Take back the streets" was the cry as over 70 loud and proud protestors jaywalked their way from King Square to City Hall in support of the dignity and human rights of street-based sex workers.

North End Community Activist Tammy Calvin tells CHSJ News politicians don't have the right to look down on their citizens, no matter what they do for a living.

The protest was against a motion recently put forward by Councillor Susan Fullerton to fine sex workers under jaywalking bylaws. The motion was passed by council, but according to Councillor Shirley McAlary (who voted against) it's unlikely to be put into effect because the police simply don't have time to enforce it.

Meet The Winners Of The Home Lottery

Dwight Ough, Suzanne Cline & Anita Cline

Three things filled the NB Hospital Home Lottery Grand Prize Showroom today: smiles, shock and winners.

The Grand Prize Showhome in Rothesay, worth $775,000, was won by Dwight Ough, Suzanne Cline and Anita Cline. The three will sell the house, meaning along with cash they'll walk away with $275,000. Dwight is an audiologist and Suzanne is the office manager of a private hearing clinic in St. Andrews, while her sister Anita does accounting at the Atlantic Salmon Federation. 

All 3 winners had never been to the show home before they won it, and for Anita it was her first time buying a ticket. She was the one who received the call from Donna Gates, the VP of the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation. Anita tells CHSJ news she blacked out for a few minutes, and it took her 10 minutes to convince the other two that they won. 

So what are their plans for the money? Dwight says he's got financial obligations, Anita will extend a trip to Thailand with her husband, and Suzanne is going to buy a dirt bike and ride to Argentina. She says it's sad to sell the house, but would think it'd be difficult for the 3 of them to "live happily every after" in it.

Helen Brown and her husband Jack

Saint Johnner Helen Brown won the early bird prize, a Mercedes-Benz. She says when she first got the call she thought it was a hoax. She works at the hospital in a recovery room, and says she's going to take the $60,000 instead of the car to help build her new home.

Mario and Claude Mallais

Claude and his son Mario Mallais from Tracadie-Sheila won the Lexus. They've been buying tickets for years and never thought they would win anything big. The two are going to sell the car and split the money which they both plan to save and invest. Mario works as a pharmacist in the Bathurst Chaleur Regional Hospital, and a large chunk of his family works there as well.

Heidi Price

Heidi Price from Sussex Corner had a strong feeling she was going to win something, but says pandemonium took over her house when she found out she won $200,975 from the 50/50 draw.  She tells CHSJ news she bought her ticket when she heard it was 90% sold out, and kept telling her husband for weeks they were going to win something big. She and her husband are going get a new car and take their 5 and 1-year-old to Walt Disney World and Italy. 

Over $900,000 from the lottery will support priority programs and equipment at the Saint John Regional Hospital, New Brunswick Heart Centre and Mindcare New Brunswick.

Tanning Beds Targeted By Provincial Liberals

The Opposition Liberals want the use of tanning beds in the province by those young people under 19 banned.
    
Liberal Health critic Donald Arsenault points to research from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It shows the risk of skin cancer increases by 75 per cent when tanning bed use begins before age 35. 

The Liberals will be tabling a bill aimed at banning the practice but even Arsenault, a former Deputy Premier, concedes opposition bills are rarely made law. That's why he's calling on Health Minister Ted Flemming to take the bull by the horns.
   
Arsenault says a ban could also save scarce health care dollars as well as lives down the road.
  

Hospital Home Lottery Picks Winners

There are 4 big winners in the Hospital Home Lottery. Anita Cline of St. Andrews wins the 750 thousand dollar Grand Prize Showhome in Rothesay.

The 50/50 cash prize of almost 201 thousand dollars was won by Heidi Price of Sussex Corner. 

The early bird prize which is either the Mercedes Benz or 60 thousand dollars went to a Saint Johnner, Helen Brown and the 2013 Lexus was won by Claude Mallais from Tracadie-Sheila.

Gas Prices Change But Not By Alot

The price of self serve regular has taken a bit of a dip after the weekly setting. 

It's selling for $1.24.1 a litre which is a drop of almost 2 cents. 

Diesel, though, is more expensive at $1.36.1, an increase of almost one cent a litre.

Heating oil has gone up slightly to a maximum price of $1.17 and the price of propane has declined by two cents to a max of 97.4 cents a litre.

Jaywalk Flash Mob Set For Noon Today

Get ready to see some reckless jaywalking uptown today.  

The Great Jaywalk is coming up at noon in Kings Square to support dignity and human rights for people who work in the sex trade.

The Jaywalk flash mob is a response to Common Council's move to use City by-laws regarding jaywalking and sidewalk use to rid the street's of sex workers.
 
The motion was put forward by Councillor Susan Fullerton and passed by council at the November 13th meeting and will go before the Saint John Police Commission for further examination.

The move sparked a negative response particularly from AIDS Saint John which feels forcing sex workers in the City to pay fines will mean they have to work more in the sex trade to cover the cost.

The Jaywalk flash mob is meeting in Kings Square at noon today jaywalking across Charlotte to King where they plan to march down peacefully before jaywalking again to end up at City Hall.

Students Have Their Say On How To Improve North End

Grade 12 Students from Saint John High looking into the past, present and future of the Old North End.

Teacher Barry Ogden assigned his Canadian History class into 3 groups to find out how it changed from a vibrant community into a centre of urban poverty.

Carly Galbrith's group was responsible for the history of the area, which they discovered was full of thriving businesses. Her group traced the history of the urban renewal experiment in the 1960's, which demolished buildings and changed the look of the neighborhood.

Student Jonah Uhryniw says there's a lot of great community leaders in the North End who believe it can be something. He points to One Change, who've reduced crime by bringing the community together. Uhryniw adds just cleaning up the area would engender pride and was surprised so many people looked at the area in a negative light.

Meagan Williams believes small changes can make a big difference like bringing in more community events such as tree planting, geocaching and organized sports.

Andre Basque tells CHSJ news getting local artists to paint murals in the area would really add some beauty.   He says not only would that promote local artists, but it wouldn't cost the City more money.

The students have also suggested filling vacant lots, enhancing Fort Howe, and even adding a mall to brighten up the area.



 



Map of Old North End



Huge Deer Harvest This Year

Great news for hunters, but bad news for deer in the province: the recently completed deer season was the highest harvest since 2008.

The number of deer harvested has gone up by over 6,000 animals, or 26%

Part of the reason for the big numbers is the 550 additional antlerless deer permits were given out this year. The final harvest numbers will be available in early 2013.

Homelessness Hurts The Port City

Living on $500 per month or less would be a major stretch for most of us but, that's the harsh reality for those on social assistance.

Local teens are learning about the importance of affordable housing at a youth conference hosted by the Human Development Council and Safe Harbour. 

Colin McDonald of the HDC tells CHSJ News there are a lot of run-down buildings in this market, which aren't safe or healthy places to live. 
He says home should be a place where you can can recharge and when you're denied that right your overall well-being suffers.

The high school students sat in on sessions on housing for homeless youth and mentally ill individuals and created works of art on the topic.

You Might Be Shocked To Hear How Your Water Is Treated

Clean drinking water is one of the city's top priorities, after all, so you might be interested in knowing exactly why your H20 doesn't taste so great. Commissioner of Environment Bill Edwards describes the not-very sophisticated process water goes through before it comes out of your tap. 

"Currently we take the sticks and debris out of our water and we put in some chlorine that disinfects [it]. Once we add the chlorine there are other disinfection by-products that form as a result. That happens because of the nature of our water, the leaves, the vegetation, the animal remains that are in the surface water, the length of our pipes, we get by-products as a result of the chemicals that we put in. They are a recognized Canadian health hazard. We need to improve the treatment of our water such that the water delivered in your tap doesn't have any of those harmful, or potentially harmful, by-products."

Mayor Mel Norton says it's clear that's not the way you should be treating water in 2013, and we clearly need to do better.

Child Poverty Rate In Province Is Lower

The child poverty rate in the province is dropping but there's still a long way to go according to Randy Hatfield of the Saint John Human Development Council.

In actual numbers, more than 22 thousand children in the province lived in poverty in 2010 according to the annual Child and Poverty Report Card.

Using the Low Income Measure, the rate of child poverty was 16.1% in 2010 which is down from 24.6% in 2006.

Watch Out For Virus Email From Fake Canada Post

If you've recently received an e-mail from Canada Post, you might want to think twice before opening it.

A fake Canada Post e-mail is circulating around the country that's asking you to open a document or to click a link to get tracking information on a package. Canada Post has issued a warning on their website to delete the viral e-mail and that it's no way related to the company. 

They stress if you do need to track your package, to go to their website and enter the tracking number.

Straight Talk From Mayor Mel Norton At State Of The City Address

Saint John is as big hearted as it is two fisted, according to Mayor Mel Norton and we're more than a match for the challenges we face.

The Mayor gave a bird's eye view of the hurdles the Port City is encountering, as well as the victories we have already achieved, before a crowd of about 150 at his first State of the City address. 

Norton freely admits growing the economy and facing our fiscal woes won't be easy. He cites the pension deficit and our current economic rut as the biggest obstacles to our future success as a municipality.

Norton offered some folksy wisdom as a challenge to his constituents. He'd like the people of Saint John to take an opportunity each day to talk about the ways we're succeeding as a city. It is only, the Mayor says, by changing the coffee shop conversation that we are going to see real progress.

2 Men Charged With Drug Trafficking

Two men convicted drug trafficking being sentenced in court.

46 year old Hung Tan Nguyen of Fredericton will serve 8 years in prison on eight counts of trafficking marijuana.

50 year old Kevin Karl Chase of Bull Creek, near Woodstock, was sentenced to 8 months in jail on one count of trafficking marijuana.

Both men are prohibited from owning a firearm, weapon, or ammunition for a period of 10 years.

The two were among 7 people arrested in August last year as part of a two-year drug investigation in the Fredericton area.

Energy Drinks Could Be Deadly, Says Health Critic

Energy drinks are a common pick me up these days, especially among teenagers and shift-workers but the Opposition Health Critic wants to see the Alward government review how the caffeine loaded beverages are marketed to people under 19.
 
Liberal M-L-A Donald Arsenault tells CHSJ News it's a safety issue.

He says if you believe in reducing future health care costs and in the safety and protection of young people then this is an issue that should be important.

Arsenault points to the number of deaths that have been linked to energy drinks as a reason to review the legislation.

Councillor Suggesting 3 Areas To Kick Start Plan SJ

Common Councillor Donnie Snook wants to get the ball rolling with Plan SJ in the Old North End, Lower South End and Waterloo Village.

The Ward 3 Councillor tells CHSJ news he'd like to see restoration of old buildings, roads fixed, increased public safety, a new waste management program and work be done with community groups to improve the area.

Snook believes for Plan SJ to get started, we need to point out what specific areas need the most work.

Mayor To Give State Of The City Address Tonight

Mayor Mel Norton will be giving Saint John its first-ever State of the City Address tonight at the Trade and Convention Center.

It's a presentation on where we are currently as a municipality, and where we're heading in 2013. It will hosted by the Board of Trade and the cost is $35 for non-members, $25 for members.

The State of the City Address kicks off at 5pm.

Police Arrest Man In Fredericton Relating To NS Confinement Case

A 63-year-old man has been arrested in the investigation into the alleged sexual assault and confinement of a 16-year-old boy in Upper Chelsea, Nova Scotia. 

The Nova Scotia man was arrested Monday evening in Fredericton. The accused was without handcuffs when he was taken into the justice centre in Bridgewater through a public entrance.

 John MacKean of Lower Sackville is facing a charge of sexual assault and a prostitution-related charge and is due back in court on Thursday.

47 year old David James Leblanc has already been charged with seven offenses in the case, including sexual assault and forcible confinement.

Police launched an investigation in September after a woman in Upper Chelsea reported that a barefoot teen who was chained at the wrists and ankles, showed up at her doorstep seeking help.
  

Building Being Demolished On Union Street

You may have noticed the demolition work going on near the corner of Union and Charlotte Streets.

An old building is being taken down carefully as it sits between two structures.

CHSJ News has learned the property owners were issued a demolition permit.

The City is telling us the work is not in a heritage area and not a City project.

Missing Artwork Found Undamaged On Church Steps

The artwork that was stolen from a home in St. Andrews over the weekend has been found.

Around 9 this morning RCMP received a call from volunteers at St. John the Baptist Anglican chapel in Chamcook, just outside of St. Andrews. The volunteers found 11 pieces of the stolen art, including the portrait "Angel" by Herzl Kashetsky, on the steps leading to one of the entrances to the chapel.

None of the artwork was damaged.

Mayor Stressing Co-Operation When It Comes To More Regionalisation

Mayor Mel Norton vows Saint John will not be the gorilla in the room as more regionalisation of local government is taking shape with meetings of the interim boards of the Regional Service Commissions.

One such meeting being held today at City Hall to talk about a draft budget for the commission covering the Saint John region. 

Norton tells CHSJ News he doesn't see any problem with all the communities in the Saint John area working together to make the region stronger because the other Mayors realize the city has to be doing well for the region, as a whole, to do well.

The Mayor acknowledges Saint John will have a lot of influence on what's decided because of its population which will affect the outcome of votes.

Conflict At Council Over Filling 5 City Positions

Some Common Councillors don't see eye to eye on hiring what are considered 5 key positions in the city.

The positions vacant are in human resources, communications, Commissioner of Water and Commissioner of Growth and Development.

Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart believes if we're going to grow our community we'll need the manpower. Common Councillor Donnie Snook strongly disagrees, saying we shouldn't add to staff unless it's for front line services.


Councillor John Mackenzie doesn't believe 5 positions is too much and says the jobs need to be filled. West Side Councillor Bill Farren disagrees, saying that every year before budget he's receives a list of positions that have to be filled and is fed up with it. He says if they're asking for Saint Johnners to do more with less, so should city staff.

Mayor Mel Norton supports the hirings and says it's filling positions that are already in place, not adding new ones.

Saint John Firefighter Remembered

Dale Clinton is being remembered by family, friends and Mayor Mel Norton as a dedicated firefighter who pursued his work with passion. 

The 39 year old Saint John firefighter passed away in Ottawa last week after an early morning incident at a construction site. The Mayor offered words of sympathy before Common Council for a man described as dedicated and passionate about his work.

Clinton joined the Saint John Fire Department in 1999. His brother, Chris, is also a firefighter.

Tap Water Leaves A Bad Taste In Taxpayers Mouths In More Ways Than One

Bad tasting tap water is as much of a cliche in Saint John as the potholes.

And now, Common Council is hearing the time has likely come to increase water rates for taxpayers in order to pay for the upgrades we need. 

The Commissioner of Environmental Services Bill Edwards is recommending Common Council raise the water rates by 7.4% to cover the cost of updating the infrastructure.

Councillor at Large Shirley McAlary and others agree, saying it makes sense to increase the rates gradually rather than giving rate payers a big price shock all at once down the line.

The proposed rate increase works out to about $74 per year, per household, and it could go up as soon as 2013. 

Council is also looking at using more meters which would let you pay only for what you use.