City Posts Highest Apartment Vacancy Rate In Nation

It's a mixed blessing if you are in the market for a new apartment - Canada Mortgage and Housing says the city led the nation in October with the highest apartment vacancy rate coming in at 9.7-percent - up four percent from the same month last year.
And while that means more choice for apartment hunters - you can expect to pay more when you find one - C-M-H-C says the average rent for a two bedroom in the city has jumped 20-bucks to 691-dollars a month.
Moncton had the third highest vacancy rate in the country while Regina had the lowest.

Gas Prices Drop

Drivers are getting a bit of a price break after the weekly setting.

Self serve regular is going for $1.17.3 a litre around town, a decline of more than 2 cents. 

Diesel is also less expensive by a few cents at $1.33.6. 

Heating oil is more than 3 cents a litre cheaper at $1.13.1 and propane has a maximum price of 94.9 cents a litre, which is down a bit.

Arts Centre Reveals New Printing Press

Despite all the activity around them with Peel Plaza construction, the Saint John Arts Centre is alive and well.
 
Executive Director Andrew Kierstead tells CHSJ News the local arts community in the City and beyond will benefit from the addition of new Intaglio printing press which is used by artists for etching plates.

He says the plate would be etched in an acid bath and manipulated to create an image and ink is applied to the plate and the plate is put on the press, paper would be placed over the plate and it would be put through a roller.

Kierstead says the metal plate can be replaced with other materials like linoleum and wood. 
He says it's a major investment by Buckley Patterson Asset Management of Rothesay who paid $12,000 for the press and other renovations for the print studio were covered by the volunteer board of the Arts centre.




Kierstead says lots of people are exciting about this adding it's great news for the community. 

For more info, click here







 

Some Rural Areas Getting New Clinics

Some rural areas will be getting new health centers and improvements to hospitals with the announcement of this year's capital budget for the department of health.

Stanley and Fredericton will get a new health clinics, and 1 million will go to designing a new hospital for Perth Andover. Bathurst, Moncton and other communities will balso get a boost to existing health services.

The 2013-14 capital budget will be $53.2 million and the department will be working with commmunities to allocate that money.

Give A Bit Of Canadian Nature For Christmas

For the hard-to-buy-for nature lover on your list, the Nature Conservancy of Canada rolling out a new fundraiser that allows you to sponsor animal habitat in the name of someone you care about.

Paula Noel of the NCC tells CHSJ News you can symbolically purchase a snowy owl or a lynx.Gifts range from $40 to $400 for which the recipient gets a  certificate for the recipient and a 2013 NCC calendar. The calendar featuresscenes of conserved lands from across the country.

In addition to an acre of habitat ($40), two of the species being highlighted nationally reside in various parts of New Brunswick.

=For more information on how you can help conserve NB's nature beauty, click here

Pipeline Would Mean Big Business

President of the Saint John Board of Trade thinks the idea of a west to east coast oil pipeline is an exciting opportunity.

Imelda Gilman tells CHSJ news it's still in it's early phase and only time will tell what could happen. She says regulation will need to be put in place and businesses will need to jump on board. 

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver announced his strong support in creating a pipeline to ship Alberta oil to Saint John yesterday. Gilman believes it would take about a decade to come about but would bring a lot of economic spin offs such as increased business, more jobs, revenue and would bring people back to the province to work.

VIDEO: Big Donation Gives Free Lunch Program A Future

570 kids will have free, hot lunches for the next 2 years, after Potash Corp donated $25,000 to the Chicken Noodle Club. The Chicken Noodle Club provides hot lunches to needy young people and was in danger of shutting down a few weeks back.

Brian Earle has been treasurer for club for over 17 years, he says the donation was a wonderful surprise since they've never had close contacts with Potash Corp before.

Founder and Common Councillor Donnie Snook tells CHSJ news this year they saw a huge increase and demand for the club.  He says the money will go directly towards the food and keep them going for another two years. 

Potash Corp GM Stuart Brown says when they heard the program was close to closing, they jumped on board to help. Brown laughed saying a lot of the kids were asking if they could cash the cheque themselves.

The program provides lunch for 3 different schools, 3-5 days a week.

Libs Have Questions Over Capital Budget

The Opposition Liberals have several questions for the Alward government about their Capital budget.

Of the $466 million dollar budget, $3.5 million is set aside to start new project done considerably from the previous year. 

Liberal Finance Critic Hedard Albert says a lean budget was delivered but they have questions for the Ministers of Transportation, Health and Education on their budgets.

Albert points to a lack of funding for the twinning of Route 11 adding both Premier Alward and Minister Williams have said this is a priority for them yet, they have not been able to secure funding from their feds on this project.

He also singles out the commitment for funding to a Perth Andover community hospital saying the details on the project are scarce.

Albert hopes to get answers to these questions when the Ministers in question deliver their budget speeches today. 

Chicken Noodle Club Gets Helping Hand

The Chicken Noodle Club, which provides hot lunches to needy young people and was in danger of shutting down, has been given a financial boost thanks to a 25 thousand dollar donation from the Potash Corporation. 

A ceremony will be held at noonhour today in St. John the Baptist-King Edward School in the south end.

Pave Paradise, Put Up A Gravel Quarry?

Red Head might be designated a rural resource area but it's still our home  That message was voiced loud and clear to the city's Planning Advisory Committee about a dual application by Debly and Thomas Construction to expand a quarry along Bayside Drive. 

Deborah Kneeland of the Red Head Community Association tells CHSJ News they're worried about their wells, their property values and the noise from blasting. Another resident described how runoff from the existing quarry wiped out her driveway.

Consultant Rick Turner and representations from both Debly and Thomas say they live in Red Head too and wouldn't be pursuing the plan if they thought it would negatively impact quality of life in the neighborhood. 

The rezoning application will go to public hearing before Common Council on January 7th but the PAC is asking the companies to reconsider the depth of excavation, limit work to between 7am and 8pm and complete a report on storm water management.

St. Patrick's Students Cook With Celeb Chef

Students in the St. Patrick's school cooking club learning from a pro--celebrity chef Chuck Hughes.

The school won a $15,000 grant from the Hellman's Real Food Movement and used the money to makeover their kitchen.

Chef Hughes was in the City today and spent time with the students cooking chicken fingers and guacamole.

He says everywhere he goes in this country in a group of five students, one will become the chef.
Hughes adds when the kids cook together they are talking and sharing lunch but they are also communicating on another level which is a gift for life.

Community School Co-ordinator Krista Turnbull tells CHSJ News the kitchen reno last month would not have been possible without the help of their PALS partner Irving Tissue.

School District Superintendent Zoe Watson says it's fun to stand back and watch the kids in their chef's hats and aprons adding it's a positive day for everybody. 

To learn more about the Hellmann's Real Food Movement grant program, click here 

 

Rothesay Delivers 2013 Budget

The tax rate will stay at $1.19 for Rothesay's 2013 budget.

Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ news losing about $100,000 dollars or 25% from the province didn't affect the budget. 

Just under $2 million will be spent to improve roads and sidewalks while half a million will be used to improve storm sewers and drainage. 

The water rate will remain the same but the sewage rate will cost an extra $15 a year due to higher training costs and manhole repairs. The budget also includes the purchase of a new $141,000 truck to plow the streets. 

Rothesay Common will see major improvements with drainage, a stage, washrooms and an ice chiller. 

Recreation upgrades will also include improvements to the Hillside trail and bike lanes. $2 million being spent for design costs towards a multipurpose recreation complex.

Bishop says the $1.19 tax rate includes garbage collection which other towns have to pay for.

PRO Kids Sponsors Recognized

The Mayor hosting a reception to thank the many sponsors of PRO Kids that help children between Grand Bay Westfield, Saint John, Rothesay and Quispamis play in lots of ways.
 
PRO KIDs chair Kathryn Davison tells CHSJ News the kids on their waiting list have wide ranging interests.

She says dance, cheerleading, guitar and piano lessons are popular in addition to sports.

Davison says PRO kids was placing 200 kids a decade ago and last year they reached 1100 children looking for placement in recreation activities. 

In addition to needing more sponsors and volunteers, Davison says she would love to see PRO Kids manager Tammy Desaulniers get some help even if it was part time.

Federal Minister Strongly Supports West To East Pipeline

The Federal Minister of Natural Resources is in favour of a west to east oil pipeline, saying it's in Canada's national interests.

Joe Oliver, speaking at the Irving Oil Refinery today, says a pipeline to Saint John would provide cheaper crude oil and the port is a critical hub for oil, gas and other resource products.

According to Oliver, 99% of Canadian crude oil exports and 100% of natural gas goes to the United States but we need to diversify our markets by exporting to new locations.The U.S. reportedly will be self sufficient in oil and natural gas production by 2020.

Oliver says Saint John is the perfect supply route for countries like India and this will create employment.

Provincial Healthcare Graded

The provincial healthcare system is getting a grade of "C" from the New Brunswick Health Council in its latest report card, which is the same as last year.

The C-E-O of the Health Council Stephane Robichaud tells CHSJ News the provincial healthcare system is very good at acute care when your life is on the line but less so when it comes to managing chronic conditions and then there's getting in to see your family doctor.

Robichaud says some patients are also waiting longer for some surgeries including hip fractures and knee replacements.

Fire Union President Warns City Is Playing With Fire

The fire department is facing a cut of half a million dollars in next year's budget and the President of the Saint John Firefighters Association is speaking out against that prospect.

Paul Stackhouse says the city appears to be targeting firefighters. He suspects it's because of the recent arbitration decision which gave them raises although it was the city whcih opted for arbitration.

Stackhouse claims the number of firefighters in the city is way below what's required to provide adequate coverage and he has no idea how Fire Chief Kevin Clifford will be able to cut 500 thousand dollars without eliminating more jobs.

Fatality Victim Near Sussex Identified

The 29 year old man who died in a head on collision last weekend on Highway 10 near Sussex has been identified as Jeremiah Greenwood of Waterborough.

The RCMP have determined Greenwood crossed the centre line while going eastbound at Long Creek and crashed into an oncoming car. A mother and her two children were taken to hospital.

Alcohol and not wearing a seat belt are seen as contributing to the collision and Greenwood's death. 

North End Fire Forces People From Their Apartments

Fire crews called out last night around 9:30 to a blaze at 126 Main Street North.

Platoon Chief Peter Saab says the fire began in a ground floor apartment of the large three storey building and was contained there but firefighters had to overcome heavy smoke and flames.

All six apartments in the building were occupied and from 10 to 15 people had to find another place to live for awhile because the electrical system was damaged in the fire but there were no injuries.
 
(Photo Courtesy Of Doug Epton)

Public Hearing Angers Rothesay Residents

A large group of Rothesay residents walking home furious from Town Hall after losing their fight to stop a by-law that will see a new apartment building at 11-13 Sierra Avenue.

Their objections were heard at a public meeting for a proposed 15 unit, high quality apartment building with 24 parking spaces. The Public Advisory Committee was not in favour of the project but after council heard from both the public and developer it voted to put it through for a final decision with one Councillor against.

Resident Diane Riley says she feels sold out for taxes and council's decision has put "a nail in her coffin." She fears the apartment complex will be too close to their homes, bring too much noise and car headlights will shine in her windows.

Gary Corscadden says the apartments will decrease their property values and create too much traffic on their street that's 1/2 a kilometer long.

Developer Stephen Perry, from Brunswick Enginering and Consulting, explained to council they would build a barrier fence to block any headlights that would bug residents. 

When it comes to worrying about flooding, Perry says they have a storm water management plan and will put in a stormceptor to remove pollutants. 

Perry tells CHSJ news it's unfortunate residents are upset but with other apartments nearby it's not a detriment to the area. He says the building will also create 70 new jobs.

Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ news when the P-A-C voted the proposal down it was because it didn't have answers to noise and flooding issues, which was addressed in the meeting. Bishop admits there was deviation to the municipal plan, but says as things develop the town must have the ability to make changes. He says it's not too much of a deviation, since the area is not zoned as a single family location but as a residential, duplex, multi-housing area. 

The final decision will be made at the next Rothesay council meeting on January 14th.

2013 Budget Could Look Better Than Last Year

Things are now moving along quickly as the Mayor and the rest of Common Council work to cobble together the city's 2013 budget.

A draft budget was discussed which depends on both pension reform and the deferral of pension payments. If both are successful, roughly 4.3 million dollars in funds would be freed up to bring back city services reduced by the previous Council. Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News it's a better picture than last year when many core city services were slashed to the outrage of many Saint Johnners.

The fire department isn't so pleased with a propsed cut of half a million dollars. City Transit would get a 1.2 million dollar boost and roads remain the number one priority. 

City Manager Pat Woods says creating a better city for people is essential, because even the best infrastructure in the world doesn't make Saint John a vibrant, thriving community.

Council meets again Thursday to see whether it's satisfied with a Memorandum of Understanding which outlines the potential future direction of the pension plan. The budget could be finalized as soon as next week.

We do know what you'll be paying for your water next year and it won't be as much as proposed by Saint John Water. There will be an increase of 3.7 per cent, half of what was on the table, and the flat rate will be increasing next year by 36 dollars.

Police Chief Maintains Violent Crime Isn't Increasing

Police Chief Bill Reid wants Saint Johners to know despite the buzz on the streets, Saint John isn't a dangerous place to live and work. 

He tells CHSJ News a lot of the violent crime we've been seeing are actually just isolated incidents, because we really don't have much in the way of gang activity or turf wars. He says the "one off" crimes are by nature hard to predict.

Still, Reid points out there's been only one murder in 2012 despite a number of suspicious deaths.

Man Sentenced In Brutal North End Death

A 51 year old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, minus remand time of almost a year, for killing a 70 year old man in the north end almost a year ago and then setting him on fire.
 
Stephen Wallace Martin, who has a long criminal record with 35 convictions, 17 for violence, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a brutal attack on Robert Ryan in December of 2011. Ryan's body was found after a fire in his home at 374 Mount Pleasant Avenue North. Martin had been staying there after his release from prison. 

Mr. Justice Hugh McLellen accepted the joint recommendation from the defense and prosecution. 

The court was told Martin had been abusing crack cocaine in the days leading to Ryan's death. He will have to serve half of the sentence before being eligible for parole. 

Martin addressed Ryan's family saying he was sorry for what happened but two of the family members then stormed out of the courtroom. Ryan was beaten to death and then set on fire.

The court was told by the defense that Martin had been abused growing up and lost his temper when he woke up and found Ryan touching him inappropriately. Ryan, though, was described in victim impact statements as kind, thoughtful and generous, who helped people out financially and had an aversion to violence.

Slick Roads Lead To A Few Collisions

Slippery roads in Saint John keeping the fire, police and ambulance services busy today with collisions around the city.
 
Two crackups on Samuel Davis Drive has police busy directing traffic and one vehicle struck a police cruiser.

One motorist did a 360 turn on the causeway but managed to get out if it allright.
Crews were involved in a rescue on the Peninsula where a woman was trapped in her vehicle.

Our listeners telling us Highway 7 was slick earlier along with roads in Prince of Wales and Musquash.
 

Homeowners Get LED Light Makeover

Efficiency NB and Saint John Energy teaming up to "Re-Light Saint John" with energy-saving LED Lights.

Tracey Somers of Efficiency NB tells CHSJ News at their first stop today, 200 Mount Pleasant Avenue, they replaced 10 strings of lights.

She says they estimate the homeowners will save $60 this season and potentially $600 if the lights last about 10 years.

Two more homes on Loch Lomond Road and then Chapel Street on the west side will also get the lighting makeover today.

Sentencing Hearing For Martin Today

A 50 year old man is back in court today regarding the death of 70 year old Robert Ryan last December at his Mount Pleasant Avenue North home.

Stephen Wallace Martin plead guilty to manslaughter in court last month.

Ryan's body was found December 20th after a fire at his home.   He died from blunt force trauma to the head and had a broken jaw, two black eyes and other injuries.

Victim impact statements and a pre-sentence report are due to read in court today.

West Side School To Get Visit From A Celebrity Chef

A celebrity chef is coming to town tomorrow and his destination is St. Patrick's School on the west side. Chuck Hughes of the Food Network is coming with a 15 thousand dollar grant as part of the real food campaign.

Hughes tells CHSJ News his mission is to get families and young people to eat less processed foods which use the cheapest ingredients and more fruits and vegetables.
 
Hughes says the more young people know about real food, the better they enjoy it and sometimes parents are a barrier when they automatically assume their children won't like a certain food. 

He adds there's nothing wrong with chicken fingers but why do they have to be fried.
 

Fatal Collision Near Sussex

A 29 year old man from Waterborough was killed over the weekend in a highway collision near Sussex. 

The RCMP say alcohol and not wearing a seat belt were factors in the fatality which occurred on Highway 10 in Long Creek when a vehicle travelling east crossed the centre line and hit an oncoming car.
   
Four other people were injured and taken to hospital including a mother and her two children.

Be Prepared For A Weird Day Of Weather

Snow, freezing rain and then alot of rain coming our way today.

Jean-Marc Couturier of Environment Canada tells CHSJ News you can expect a burst of snow beginning around 9 this morning which will last from two to three hours with 5 centimeters expected in Saint John and up to ten the further inland you are. The worst of the weather is expected around lunchtime.


This will be followed by some freezing rain and then from 30 to 40 millimeters of rain through tonight with gusty winds.

Couturier says the temperature will be rising to 12 degrees tonight but all that rain will wash away the snow.

Homes Getting A Surprise Lighting Makeover

Some Saint John houses are going to get a holiday makeover.

Efficiency NB and Saint John Energy will surprise and decorate three Saint John homes with LED holiday lighting makeovers this morning to promote the benefits of LED holiday lights which are more energy efficient.

The randomly chosen homes are on Mount Pleasant Avenue out east, Loch Lomond Road and Chapel Street.

Resurrecting Spring Cleanup Won't Be Cheap

Reinstating spring cleanup in the city will cost an estimated 380 thousand dollars next year. That word being delivered in response to a request from Common Council last month about what it would take to bring it back. 

The head of Municipal Operations, Kevin Rice is not staking out a position one way or the other. 

He does say if Council decides to go with it, Rice is recommending it be held later in the year. 

Council is also being told there have been savings this year in solid waste management and even though spring cleanup was popular, some homeowners abused the programme.

Changes Coming At Community Centres And Arenas

It looks like the Somerset Community Centre will be closing down once the new YM-YWCA is up and running in Crescent Valley. 

Discussions are underway according to Parks Manager Micheal Hugenholtz who says community organisations will be taking over the day to day running of community centres.

Hugenholtz says these agreements will spell out what the city expects in terms of programming and hours of operation so taxpayers get value for their money.

There will also be changes coming in what arenas in the city offer during the day, Monday through Friday, because of a lack of demand.

Common Council To Get Draft City Budget Tonight

City Manager Pat Woods will be presenting Common Council with a draft budget for next year and has already said he will not be recommending an increase in the tax rate. 

Common Councillor David Merrithew says it should not be just about cutting back. He would like to see more money spent on roads, vacant and dangerous buildings along with City Transit.

Merrithew also says there are alot of little fixes that could be done to save the city money and he would be disappointed if they weren't followed up on in 2013.
 
Councillor at Large Shirley McAlary would like more money allocated for roads but also would like the City Manager investigate whether it would be cheaper for some city operations to be moved out of the City Hall building.

Port Welcomes New Road Construction

A new road being constructed on the West side near the Harbour Bridge will be good news for truckers, the Port of Saint John and the Province.

Capt John McCann, VP of Operations at the Port, tells CHSJ News longer loads do not currently have access to the Port.

He says the tolls booths served as a natural barrier that stopped traffic but when the highway was restructured the road was raised up and wide loads cannot go up and make the turn on the new highway system.

McCann says eastbound trucks must drive to Lorneville and turn around but under Phase 2 of the project next year, the fixed medians will be moved allowing the eastbound trucks to swing right in.

Red Head Residents Extremely Upset Over Quarry Proposal

People who live in Red Head are furious and hurt over a proposal to expand a quarry from Bayside drive up to the Crown Reserve road.

Deborah Kneeland is chair of the Red Head Community Association, and she tells CHSJ news only a few people were told last Monday they had until this Tuesday to write an objection... which she says is not enough time.

Kneeland says they've all been caught off guard with the proposal and the lack of information shared with them. She says the plans would put the quarry within 50 meters of peoples homes, tear down trees and could effect water wells. 

The application comes before the Planning Advisory Committee Tuesday night at 7:00 pm and Kneeland says the residents will be out in full force.

History Brought To Life By Treasure Hunting

A piece of history is being brought to life in a pretty unique way.

New Brunswickers are geocaching to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the March of New Brunswick’s 104th Regiment.

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting activity that uses GPS coordinates to find hidden containers or iteams of any shape or size. Geocacher and retired military Major Randall Haslett tells CHSJ news they'll use replicated soldiers backpacks as the caches. They'll be hidden along the route and at outpost locations used by the 104th Regiment.

These geocaches will be installed over the next several months and will be activated during the 200th Anniversary activities in March.

In February and March 1813, New Brunswick’s 104th Regiment of Foot marched up the St. John River to Upper Canada in support of the military efforts underway as part of the War of 1812.

Numerous Injuried In Hockey Team Bus Accident

Cuts, bruises and some broken bones were among the injuries of about a dozen people involved in a bus crash on a highway yesterday.

RCMP say the crash happened on Highway 11 near Sainte-Anne-de-Kent.
 
They say a bus carrying about 20 people from a senior men's hockey team from Cap-Pele was driving home from a game in northern New Brunswick when the driver lost control of the bus.

Police say road conditions were icy at the time of the crash.

(Courtesy of the Canadian Press).

Key Industries Looking For Support From Quispamsis

 Key Industries is hoping Quispamsis Council can spare $5,000 in their 2013 budget for the social development group.

For almost 40 years Key Industries has been providing services to adults with intellectual disabilities. President and CEO Christine Evans tells CHSJ news the money would expand their existing programs and help with outreach projects like employ-ability. She says their employ-ability work skills program gives extra support to people who want to work in the community.

Evans says they do receive some government funding, but it's not enough for their needs. She says to date the town of Quispmasis has been excellent, giving $15,000 to the group over the years.

Quispamsis Council has refereed the request to their finance committee.

Giving Animals A "Home 4 The Holidays"

Giving the gift of a forever home during the holiday season.

The Saint John SPCA Animal Rescue League is teaming up with Iams and over 4,000 animal rescue groups across North America to give animals a "Home 4 The Holidays".

To encourage adoptions, the SPCA will give a hand painted SPCA Christmas ornament to whoever adopts a pet with mistletoe on their cage or if you donate to the shelter. If you donate food or a new toy for the animals, your name will be entered in a draw for a gift basket.

Californian Mike Arms is the creator of Iams Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaign, and he encourages people to give an orphan a chance rather than supporting a puppy mill. He tells CHSJ news there's a myth that there's something wrong with animals that are up for adoption, but it's usually just that the previous owner couldn't keep them.

Arms says you need to think seriously before getting a pet, knowing they're a 15 to 16 year commitment. He says people often buy the puppy in the window on impulse, but a shelter will match the right pet for your family lifestyle.


Since the Iam Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaign started 13 years ago, over 7 million orphaned pets have been adopted.

Saint Johners Step Up For Romero House

The 6th annual Romero House food drive is a phenomenal success filling a 53 foot trailer and more.

Donations of food and cash were accepted in the parking lot of Ritchie's on Rothesay Avenue for the soup kitchen's only annual food drive.

Carolyn McNulty tells CHSJ News everything donated will be used to provide meals, to help out in a food crisis, to keep their Mobile Unit on the road and full of supplies and more.

She tells us the operation is a fine balance between getting the food and having enough money to pay her staff who she adds do not make big money.

McNulty says a staff of 6 full time and two part time workers keeps everything going smoothly and in harmony.

Romero House Food Drive Ends At Noon

The 6th Annual Christmas Food Drive in support of Romero House ends at noon today.

The police union just donated $5,000... which Ritchie's has matched. 

If you'd like to donate, Country 94 is on location in the Ritchie's parking lot until 12.

Some of the items needed are:

• hot chocolate
• coffee whitener
• canned meats
• sugar
• peanut butter
• jam
• sweeteners

5 Saint John Projects Set On Improving Our Community

Five regional projects are hoping to get enough votes to win some money through the Aviva Community Fund.

They range from a skateboard park in Hampton to getting a wheelchair accessible bus for the Kennebec Manor.

The SPCA Animal Rescue League is looking to start a new low cost spay and neuter program. Shelter Manager Kathy Illingworth says a win would mean $100,000 - 150,000 for the program.

Click any link below to view a project and cast your vote.

1. Hampton Skateboard Park

2. Ca-R-Ma Cat Rescue Maritimes, Saint John
For a trap, neuter, return program.

3. SJ SPCA Animal Rescue 
For a low cost spay and neuter program.

4.  Joshua Group
Help at risk youth.

5. Kennebec Manor 
Senior facility looking for a new wheelchair accessible bus.

The votes for the semi-finals will be tallied on Wednesday.

Accident Heavy Intersection Looks For A Solution

Ritchie's needs your help, and it's not with the food drive.

A traffic camera is being set up today to count cars making a left hand turn either west or east on Rothesay avenue at the Glen Falls & Ritchie's intersection.

Sandy Ritchie says the intersection is extremely dangerous, with an average of 1-2 accidents a week. She tells CHSJ news they've been trying to get an advanced green light at the intersection for about 5 years, and today's study will determine if it's needed.

Ritchie is worried that a short time frame of 11:00 am - 1:00 pm on a Saturday won't accurately show how messy the intersection is, and is encouraging drivers to take the time and drive through the area to help with the study.

CBS Production & Distribution Move Next April

Staff at Canadian Blood Services learning the start date to move production and distribution to Dartmouth is now scheduled for April, 13th, 2013.

In a release, Public Affairs Manager Paul McGrath says the new production and distribution site in Dartmouth is finished and currently undergoing validation and commissioning.

Halifax functions will begin being consolidated into the Dartmouth site in February and March.
The Dartmouth Production and Distribution Site will be fully operational by the time the Saint John operations move next spring.

CBS is working with the Provincial Medical Society and others to ensure the province continues to receive the same or an improved level of service when Saint John production and distribution move to Dartmouth.

The process will be monitored before and after to ensure service levels are maintained at the same or an improved level.

Listeners Have Their Say On Violence In The Port City

We went to social media to ask our listeners whether they think Saint John is as violent as other cities.

Doris says, "there is crime everywhere there are people: it doesn't matter where you live."

But Leanne says she thinks we have a higher crime rate per capita than Toronto.
 
Kelly tells us Saint John is nothing compared to Prince George...the downtown there is much rougher and she'd never seen so many people on the streets.


Monique agrees: "Violence is everywhere but we Saint Johners should count ourselves lucky. We aren't nearly as bad as some other places. Yes, we have our crimes but I feel safe here in our city compared to others."

Police Chief Bill Reid tells CHSJ News the crime rates aren't low in Saint John compared to what you see elsewhere--but according to Andrea, "of course he would say that."

City Told It Has Too Many Sports Fields

Play SJ is all about consolidation and the city is being told it has too many sports fields, ball diamnnds and playgrounds spread over too large an area which makes keeping them up to par difficult.

Todd MacDonald of Performance Concepts Consulting says that means city workers are spending too much of their time travelling and not enough maintaining the facilities themselves.

MacDonald says Saint John has 25 sports fields versus the per capita requirement of 14, 30 baseball diamonds versus the per capita requirement of 14, 71 playgrounds versus the per capita requirement of 14 and 3 thousand acres of parkland versus the per capita requirement of 14 hundred.

Birders Get Set For the Christmas Count at Fundy

It's that time of year again.    The annual Christmas Bird count at Fundy National park is coming up on December 14th.

The events encourages participation from both inexperienced and experienced birders.

Binoculars are available for rent and to register for the Bird count you must contact the Fundy Guild.

The count begins on the 14th at 8:30am from the Alma Activity Centre. 

The Fundy National Park is one of 20 sites in the Province being inventoried for winter bird sightings.

For more info on the Christmas bird count including how to get involved,
you can call 506-887-6094 or click here
 

Domestic Violence Rates Rise Around The Holidays

It's a sad reality that the holidays aren't a happy time of year for some families in Saint John.

Police Chief Bill Reid tells CHSJ News some at-risk families find the stress of the holidays too much and domestic violence incidents tend to increase.

The Saint John Police Force has a Christmas card campaign to make sure people are aware of the numbers they can call if they need help. They emphasize the police are there to help stop crime before it happens and not simply deal with it after the fact.

The 24-hour line for the Hestia House women's shelter is 506-634-7570
The non-emergency line for the Saint John Police Force is 648-3200

Fusion Celebrates The Work of City Youth

Pointing out the achievements of City youth is the purpose behind a new Fusion event coming up next year.


The group will host an awards ceremony on February 1st to hand out awards in categories like Sports & Recreation, Community Building and Arts and Culture.

Chair Jane MacEachern tells CHSJ News they want Saint Johner's to have a little pride in the good things youth are doing.

She says there are a lot of young people here adding they want to make sure they are recognized for the work they do. She notes some of the awards in the City recognize the more established people in the community.

The deadline to apply for the 1st annual Greater Saint John Youth Achievement Awards is December 20.

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Paying It Forward Could Prevent Crime

A new movement called Pay It Forward Saint John isn't only about loving your neighbour.

Constable Dan Weber of the Saint John Police Force tells CHSJ News committing random acts of kindness could actually help tackle crime. He says it takes a negative aspect to our society and replaces it with a positive, which is always a good thing.

Suggested ways to "pay it forward" include shopping at charity stores, driving friends in need to doctors appointment, or giving a pet store gift card to a homeless person with a pet.

Police Chief Speaks Out On Sex Trade And Violent Crime

Despite all the attention of late on prostitution in the city and whether there should be more of a crackdown, Police Chief Bill Reid argues the sex trade here is no different than any other city and the sex trade workers, themselves, are afflicted with a myriad of problems with drug addiction and mental health issues leading to risky and dangerous behaviour. 

The Chief also maintains Saint John is no more violent than any other city, pointing out there are far more murders happening in places where turf wars are raging over drugs whereas homicides here are what he calls "one offs".