Cheap, Unique Entertainment For The Entire Family

Acrobatics, costumes, bagpipes and standup comedy: just a few of the wild and wacky performance styles you can expect at the Port City's most unique theater festival....which you may not have heard of yet.

Fundy Fringe Fest is a brand-new theater festival coming to the Port City. The  titles range from "Morlock the Warlock" to "That Boob Show" and "I Get Naked," and the performers are from all over Canada.

Sandra Bell of the Fundy Fringe Fest tells CHSJ News it's not your usual highbrow theater experience, and there's something at Fringe everyone can appreciate.

The Fundy Fringe Festival festival runs from August 21 to the 25 and a $50 festival pass gets you into 8 different shows of your choice. For more information, click here.

Firefighters Find Cause Of Gas Smell On West Side

Fire crews getting to the bottom of a strong smell on the West side of the city.

The calls started coming in just after 10pm, with numerous West side residents reporting a strange smell in the air—many saying it smelled like natural gas.

Firefighters tracked down the source of the odour—a Maritimes and Northeast substation on the West side that had released a small amount of gas. Wilson says the low atmosphere and the fog at the time made the smell seem much worse than it actually was.

He says there was no danger.

Harper: Feds Will Review Exotic Pet Store Rules

The federal government will review whether or not it needs to play a role in how exotic pet stores are regulated says Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 

Early on Monday, two young brothers in Campbellton were killed by an African rock python that escaped its enclosure in an apartment located above exotic pet store, Reptile Ocean. 

As Harper made the vow yesterday, zoo staff seized 23 reptiles—among them, snakes, lizards and a Cuban crocodile—and euthanized four American alligators belonging to the store. Officials say they had to put the animals down because no zoo would take them.

The species of python is banned in the province unless you have a special permit. Environment Canada spokesman Mark Johnson says the department was enlisted to help transport the python to Reptile Ocean 11 years ago after it was abandoned at the SPCA in Moncton. 

Funeral Today For Brothers Killed By Python

A funeral service is being held today for the two boys killed by a python in Campbellton. 

Four year-old Noah Barthe and his six year-old brother Connor were found dead on Monday morning after a 45-kilogram African rock python escaped its enclosure in the apartment, which is above an exotic pet store.

Preliminary autopsy results show the boys died of asphyxiation.

Campbellton's deputy mayor, Ian Comeau, says the brothers will be buried together in one casket and that the service will celebrate their short lives. The funeral will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church.
  
Both the apartment and store are owned by Jean-Claude Savoie, a family friend, who took the boys shopping and to a farm before hosting a sleepover on Sunday with his son.

Two Hospitalized After East Side Crash

A two-car crack up on the East side of the city.

Division Chief Mark Wilson of the Saint John Fire Department says two people were brought to hospital after the crash, which happened just after nine o'clock in the evening on the corner of Westmorland Road and Retail Drive. 

Their injuries are not life-threatening.

Milltown Blaze Leaves Man Temporarily Homeless

A Bordertown blaze gutting a mobile home in the Milltown area, leaving a man temporarily homeless. 

Crews from St. Stephen and Calais, Maine, responded to the fire which was reported at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. No word yet on a cause. 

The Canadian Red Cross is providing emergency lodging for the man, who they say is focusing on his daughter's wedding today.

Crews Respond To Milltown Fire

Fire crews responding to a trailer fire in Milltown today.

Crews from Calais, Maine and St. Stephen responded to the blaze.

Wet Roads Lead To Hydroplaning

It can serve as a warning to slow down in heavy rain.

Between noon and 3 today, two cars have hydroplaned into a guard rail along Highway 1 westbound between the Rothesay Avenue exit and the Fox Farm road exit.








A section of guardrail replaced earlier today will have to be replaced again.

Between Fundy National Park and Sussex, a rainfall warning remains in effect with 50 millimetres of rain likely by tonight.

Around here, the showers should end by tomorrow morning.

Young People Suffering The Most When It Comes To Unemployment

Young people are, perhaps, the ones suffering the most when it comes to unemployment.

John Hoben of the New Brunswick Student Association tells CHSJ News the 6.4% jump in jobless youth is of huge concern to them, especially since the government hasn't listened to their requests to beef up work placement programs for new grads.
 
Hoben says the answer is to strengthen programs like SEED instead of axing their funding, but so far they've been met with resistance to doing that. Hoben says the 6.4% jump in youth unemployment translates into hundreds more young people out of work this summer.

A Dip In The Jobless Numbers May Offer Hope

Whether it's because more people headed out west or there were more jobs created, who's to say. 

The unemployment rate in the city did go down from 11.2 per cent to 10.9 per cent and it also declined provincially from 11.2 to 10.2 per cent. 

Saint John M-P Rodney Weston believes things will get better starting with the pipeline announcement.

He says Saint John knows the value of a project of this nature because it has an impact on how our community grows.

Even Kevin Lacey, the Atlantic Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, is sounding a bit more optimistic about the provincial economy.

Lacey says good things are happening so if we can get the pipeline built and shale gas on board then perhaps we can grow the economy enough to attack that deficit.

Saint John still has the highest unemployment rate of all the cities in the Stats Canada survey and the only one still in double digits.

Navy Members Bike To Grant Wishes

Members of the Canadian navy will be biking this month to ensure little kids can go to Disney World or the West Edmonton Mall.
 
Bike for Wishes sees two teams raise money for the Children's wish foundation.

Jason Ellsworth tells CHSJ News members from HMCS Moncton and HMCS Fredericton are taking part this year.

He says last year the event brought in $60,000 allowing them to grant 6 wishes across the province.

Ellsworth says across the province is working on 55 wishes for kids with life threatening illnesses between the ages of 3 and 17.

Two teams of up to 9 people each will begin the bike ride in Sackville and in Miramichi.   

The event ends in Fredericton on the 16th.

To make a donation and help grant a wish, click here

NB Strikes Gold In Canada Summer Games

Team NB won four medals yesterday (Thursday) at the Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Que. We enter the final day of competition for the first week of the Canada Games with chances to snag two more medals.

Gold medals have already gone to sailor Fraser Wells of Rothesay and wrestler Elizabeth "Bea" Fagan of Oromocto, while Bailey Theriault of Rexton and Shalina Mason of St. Stephen both got bronze in wrestling.

The men’s baseball team meets Team Alberta in an early-afternoon bronze medal game. We lost 7-0 to British Columbia in a late semi-final game in nearby Coaticook, Que.
In basketball, Team NB squares off against Quebec in the bronze medal match. 

Women’s softball returns to the field against Saskatchewan for fifth place. The team earned the right to Friday’s game after beating Alberta 7-0 Thursday.
After a week in the pool, swimmers head to the open water competition in Lake Memphremagog Friday morning. 

Mary Ketterling of Fredericton, Kelsea Vessey of Fredericton, Gabriel Boivin of Dieppe and David Thibodeau of Fredericton will take part in the 5,000-metre swim.

Exotic Pets Often Abandoned, Can Be Hazardous

There's been a great deal of negative buzz about so-called exotic pets after two boys were strangled by a python last week in Campbellton. Part of that discussion: whether a better screening process needs to exist for anyone who wants to keep potentially dangerous wild animals. 

Linda Collrin of the Cherry Brook Zoo tells CHSJ News there needs to be some sort of oversight even if owners aren't running an official zoo. At the Cherry Brook Zoo, she says the accreditation body requires binders full of information including staff resumes, bills of health, and a record of whenever animals are moved, even within the province.


Collrin says big snakes are a fad pet much like ferrets and potbellied pigs,and people often give them away when they get too big, making them a hazard wherever they end up. 

Environment Canada has confirmed the python than killed the two boys ended up at Reptile Ocean because it was surrendered anonymously to the SPCA.

Work Progressing On Major Interchange Project

Work is progressing on the 75-million dollar One Mile Interchange project.
The project is scheduled for completion this fall and will offer a direct connection between Highway One and Bayside Drive moving truck traffic destined for industrial areas out east off city centre streets.
Crews are completing work on the overpass and are busy with the approach from the intersection of Bayside Drive - Throne Avenue - Loch Lomond Road - and - Russell Street.

Show Your Love For The Market By Voting

Whether it's your regular grocery store or where you grab lunch during the work week, Saint Johners love the City market and here is your chance to show it.

Again this year the market has a nomination in the Great Places in Canada contest put on the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Alex Forbes of C.I.P. tells CHSJ News we are in the Public spaces category.

He says the City market fits a number of the criteria they were looking for in submitting names for great places in the county.

Last year the City market got over 200,000 votes and this year it's the only Maritime public space in the contest.

To vote click here   You can vote once a day for the City market until September 23rd.

CHSJ News Not Given Access To Harper's Visit

CHSJ News would love to tell you about the Prime Minister's visit in Saint John but we were turned away from attending a media event at the Irving Oil Refinery.

An official with the Prime Minister's office denied entry to two local newsroom because they are radio stations claiming the event was a photo-op only. Television reporters and other photographers were given access.
CHSJ News includes pictures with every news story posted to our blog and, at times, video.

The P-M-O has had its own fair share of criticism heaped upon it. Former federal Environment Minister Peter Kent described the so-called enemies list as "juvenile and embarrassing". 

A former Conservative M-P who left the party's caucus to sit as an independent charged the P-M-O treats M-P's like they're "trained seals".

Premier's TV Ad Drawing Flak

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says it should be the provincial Conservative party paying for the new TV ad featuring Premier David Alward. 

He's talking about turning around the economic fortunes of the province and bringing New Brunswick workers back home from out west but the Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News he doubts taxpayers in the province want to foot the bill.

The ad cost 15 thousand dollars to make and another 75 thousand dollars to air. 

A spokesperson for the Premier says they're just trying to be transparent but Lacey views it as the first ad of next year's provincial election campaign.

Gas Prices Rise But Not By Much

You'll have to pay slightly more for gas after the weekly setting. 

Self serve regular has risen by the slightest of margins to $1.31.5 a litre around town. Diesel has gone up by more than a cent and a half a litre to $1.33.9.

Heating oil has risen by almost two cents a litre to $1.15.9 and propane is slightly higher at 98.4 cents a litre.

Bandstand Fountainhead Found Safe

Turns out uptown Saint John can have nice things, after all.

The original 1908 fountainhead from the newly-restored King Square bandstand has been found safe and sound, and will be securely re-attached to the new granite fountain immediately, according to Mayor Mel Norton.

City works employee Jeremy Kilpatrick spied the copper fountainhead laying at the bottom of the Beaver Pond fountain in the Loyalist Burial Grounds when the pool was being drained for its regular cleaning. His foreman, Mark Kincaide, brought it down to City Hall.

The Mayor expressed relief that the fountainhead was recovered, saying with the sense of community celebration in the uptown last week the safe recovery of the historic hardware was icing on the cake. He says the city is also working on installing security cameras to ensure this kind of vandalism isn't repeated.

Report On Chemo Underdosing At Regional Hospital Complete

Health Canada should regulate the mixing of drugs outside a licensed pharmacy. 

That conclusion emerges from a report on why more than 12 hundred cancer patients at the Regional Hospital and in Ontario were receiving lower dosages for their chemotherapy than they should have, some for as long as a year.

P-M Visiting City

Prime Minister Harper will be making a brief stop in Saint John at noonhour. 

He's here for what is described as a photo op with Premier David Alward and Arthur Irving at the Irving Oil refinery. 

This comes just a few days after the announcement that Trans Canada is moving ahead with the West to East pipeline which has the support of the federal government as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil, get more money for Alberta oil and spur some economic activity.

Mayor Makes Plea For Return Of Fountainhead

The mayor making a plea to whoever stole the fountainhead from the brand-new bandstand to bring it back. 

The original copper fixture was reported stolen yesterday and its believed the theft happened over the long weekend, just days after the bandstand's big reveal. 

Mayor Mel Norton says in terms of its monetary value, it's probably not worth very much, but in terms of its historical and symbolic value, it's priceless. Norton calls the theft a violation of the community, saying that the fountainhead belongs to the people to the city.

He says whoever took the fountainhead can return it anonymously, and anyone with any information is being asked to call Crimestoppers. 

Police are following a number of leads.

Brothers Die Of Asphyxiation

Early results from autopsies on the two boys killed in Campbellton by a snake show they died of asphyxiation.

Noah and Connor Barthe, who were four and six years old, were found dead Monday morning.

RCMP Sgt. Alain Tremblay says investigators still have to wait for other test results to come back for the final report.

He adds they recognize that this has tragedy has touched the hearts of people across the world and people want to know how it could have happened.

A necropsy on the snake shows it was in overall good health but a final report will take some time to come back. 

The remains of the snake are still with a provincial veterinarian and will be destroyed.

BREAKING: 20 Years In Jail For Saia Brothers

Brandon Saia gets 8 years in prison while Bradley Saia gets 12 years in prison for their roles in a deadly West side home invasion last fall.

Both brothers must submit DNA while Brandon is banned from owning firearms for a decade and Bradley is banning from owning them for life.

18 year old A.J. Dennison died in the home invasion.

Ronald McCutcheon was earlier sentenced to 7 years in prison for his role in the crime.

Yesterday, Bradley Saia scaled a fence at the county jail sending officials on a short chase before he was recaptured.

Saia plead guilty earlier today to escaping lawful custody.

Ontario Expert Will Remove Pets From Store

The province asking an Ontario reptile expert for help in removing animals from the exotic pet store beneath the apartment where two boys are believed to have been killed by a python.

Bry Loyst of the Indian River Reptile Zoo near Peterborough, Ontario says he and a crew are driving a truck to Campbellton to pick up the animals and take them to accredited zoos elsewhere in the country.

Saias In Court For Home Invasion Sentencing

22 year old Bradley Saia pleading guilty to escaping lawful custody after an attempt to break free at the county jail.

Security is tight in court with an increased police presence with the courtroom full of young people.

Saia entered his second court appearance of the day and showed the gallery his injuries..a bandaged hand and many scratches.
 
He scaled a fence at the county jail yesterday running barefoot through thick woods before being recaptured.

Brandon Saia joining his twin brother for their sentencing regarding a deadly home invasion on the West side. 

18 year old A.J. Dennison died in the November crime.

Brandon is looking at a sentence of 8 to 10 years in jail while Bradley is looking at 10 to 12 years in prison.   Court heard that Brandon was into crack cocaine and was using at the time of the home invasion.

Court is now in recess and when it resumes, the Saia brothers will receive their sentences.

Premier Sends Condolences After "Unimaginable Tragedy"

As the town of Campbellton prepares for a vigil in honour of the two young boys believed to have been killed by a python, the Premier is offering condolences to the community and the family on behalf of the province.

Premier David Alward says they are shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of two lives full of promise and potential. Police say Noah and Connor Barthe were found dead on Monday morning after a 45-kilogram African rock python got out of its enclosure.
 
Alward, a father himself, says after the RCMP present their findings, the province will provide whatever help is needed. You can read the message in its entirety here.

UPDATE: Saia Appears In Court Limping With Scatches and Bandages

Bradley Saia appearing in court today after scaling a fence yesterday and running through thick woods near the county jail before being recaptured.

He entered court today limping with a bandaged hand and visible scratches.

He is charged with escaping lawful custody and has elected to be tried by judge only in the Court of Queen's bench.

Bradley and his twin brother Brandon are due to be sentenced today for their role in a deadly home invasion on the West side last November.

That home invasion resulted in the death of 18 year old A.J. Dennison. 

Alward Government Says It Is Doing Something About Food Insecurity

The Minister of Healthy and Inclusive Communities isn't taking issue with the estimate of 24 per cent of children in the province growing up in homes where getting enough food is a problem. 

Dorothy Shephard, who's also the M-L-A for Saint John Lancaster, tells CHSJ News the Alward Government is not sitting back, waiting for the provincial economy to get better. 

She says the government spends about 1 and a half million dollars a year on 29 different programmes which include community gardens, one of which just opened on land leased to the Carleton Community Centre by the Port Authority.
 
Shephard also says food mentors go into communities to teach people how they can shop well by buying nutritious foods that are cheaper than processed food. She points out the community gardens are full of people.  

A Plea for the Fountainhead's Return

They really want the fountainhead back.  

Mayor Mel Norton along with members of council will make a public plea today for the return of a historic copper fountainhead taken from the King Square bandstand.

A news conference is being held this afternoon.

The newly restored King Square bandstand celebrated its grand re-opening less than a week ago following $100,000 worth of work to return it to its former glory.

Saia Has Two Court Appearances Scheduled Today

Two court appearances are coming up today for Bradley Saia after an attempt at freedom.

Saia got away from the jail and after a chase through thick woods yesterday was recaptured.  He is due before a judge for that runner this afternoon.

Following that, Bradley and his brother Brandon will be sentenced for their role in a deadly home invasion last fall on the West side.

That home invasion resulted in the death of 18 year old A.J. Dennison and injuries to Christopher Reid who also stabbed in the melee.

Ronald McCutcheon was recently convicted in the home invasion and sentenced to 7 years in jail. 

Police Release Identities Of Boys Killed By Python

Two boys killed by a large exotic snake in Campbellton have been identified as five year-old Noah and seven year-old Connor Barthe.

The boys were found dead in the living room of an apartment located upstairs from a reptile store, early yesterday morning. The snake somehow got out of its enclosure, made its way into the ventilation system and into the living room where the two boys were sleeping.

The owner captured the snake, which has been identified as an African rock python, and it has since been put down. It's been sent for a necropsy to confirm the type of snake and to help understand why it attacked.

Autopsies are being performed on the two boys today.

Police Ask Public To Report Suspicious Activity Along Coastlines, Airstrips

If you see anything strange along coastlines or remote airstrips, the police want to hear about it.

The RCMP's Coastal and Airport Watch program asking New Brunswickers to keep an eye out for suspicious or irregular activity like boats operating at odd times and planes landing after hours.

With 550 kilometres of coastline and many remote airstrips, police say criminal activity like drug-smuggling, smuggling of contraband tobacco and human trafficking can happen with little to no public attention.

You can report suspicious activity by calling Crime Stoppers, their number is 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

BREAKING: Saia Breaks Out of Jail

The Saint John police force have Bradley Saia in custody once again after the violent offender escaped from the jail on Black River Road this afternoon.

According to Sgt. Chuck Elgee, police got the call around 3pm that Saia---who is facing charges in connection with a violent home invasion on the West side in November--had jumped a fence and was on the run from jail officers. Police joined in the chase through about a mile of thick woods. At one point, they found some blood and a disturbance in the woods which showed them they were on the right track.

Officers chased Saia across Whitebone Way and into more woods by the industrial park before they caught up with him.

Although he had some fairly serious cuts to his upper body that required medical treatment, Sergeant Elgee said he would still likely being making it to his sentencing hearing which is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Peel Plaza.

Saia has a history of attempting to evade police, having been arrested in Halifax in February after having a warrant out for his arrest since the fall. He is facing charges of forcible entry, robbery and being masked while committing an indictable offence.

Saia's twin brother Brandon was previously arrested on November 6th and also has his sentencing hearing tomorrow in connection with the same incident.

Thieves Steal Fountainhead From Brand-New Bandstand

Way to put a damper on the months-long renovations to the King Square Bandstand--which the community celebrated just last week with a free concert in the historic uptown park.

The Mayor is asking for assistance from the public in recovering the original fountainhead from the refurbished structure, which has already been stolen. Thieves made off with the metal attachment at some point over the past few days.

The device is cylindrical, copper in colour and was attached to the new granite fountain. Anyone with any information or who saw anything suspicious in the Square over the long weekend is being asked to contact the police.

Patient Registry Matches 800 NBers With Family Doctors

A provincially-run registry that matches doctor-less patients with family doctors is showing results.

800 New Brunswickers have been matched with a family doctor or nurse through Patient Connect NB, and another 300 are being matched right now. 2000 people have signed up for the service in total.

Patient Connect NB was established at the end of May. To register for the service, click here.

Councillor Confident Simms CEO Will Help Unemployed Workers

With the announcement the West side icon will be shutting its doors, the CEO of Simms has said he'll help out of work employees find new jobs— and Ward One Councillor, Bill Farren, believes he'll be true to his word.

Farren tells CHSJ News he knows Tom Simms will do his best to take care of those who find themselves unemployed when the Simms Corner factory shuts its doors this fall.

Farren says that's just in Simms' make-up, calling him a man of the people and a good, true businessman.

In a release Simms said it was a tough choice to let go of a team of employees they've worked with for decades. No word on how many people will be out of a job.

NDP Explains Support For Pipeline

Seeing as the NDP has such a strong stance against shale gas, some might be surprised at the party's support for the West-east oil pipeline.

Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy tells CHSJ News it's a matter of short term pain for long term gain, suggesting the money the province makes from the pipeline should be reinvested into renewable energy sources.

Cardy says if the pipeline is going ahead we need to restore the environmental regulations he claims have been gutted under the Harper Tories.

Rothesay Residents Asked To Conserve Water

Rothesay residents are being asked to conserve water during the day for the next two weeks as the town does some work on the water mains.

If you use too much water between 8:30am and 4pm rusty water could enter your water system.

If you water is discoloured you should run the tap until it runs clear. If you have any questions contact the town of Rothesay at 848-6600.

Simms Was Founded By Civil War Vet

The Simms Company had its beginnings in 1866. That's when Thomas Stockwell Simms, an American civil war veteran, invested his soldier's back pay and bonus in a small brush and broom operation in Portland, Maine before relocating in 1872 to Saint John. 

David Goss knows more about Saint John history than just about anyone else and tells CHSJ News Simms played a huge role in the lives of many people on the west side. He says you can hardly meet anyone over the age of 60 on the west side who hasn't had some connection over the years with Simms.

Simms Corner used to be known as Avery's Corner and the company once had a building across the road on the former Centracare property that was used to house up to 60 factory girls who had no where else to live.
 
Simms also travelled all the way to the far east back in the early 1900's to get the best bristles for his brushes and established a Baptist church in India which is still operating today.

The company has been primarily making paint rollers for the last few years.   Most of the brushes have been imported since tariffs increased about 15 years ago.

Harder To Get Public Support For Big Industrial Projects

The rules of the game have changed when it comes to winning public support for big industrial projects. 

John Herron of the Atlantica Centre for Energy says the old argument of compromising the environment for the sake of jobs and economic growth isn't being accepted as readily anymore. 

Shale gas development has run into strident opposition but Herron tells CHSJ News other jurisdictions have managed to get their publics on board with energy development.

Herron says protests occur when people feel they're not being listened to and there have been intensified protests in Kent County with arrests being made.

Partridge Island Development Remains At Standstill

This island just off into the distance is still on Saint John Waterfront Development's radar.

The General Manager Kent MacIntyre tells CHSJ News they still plan on opening up Partridge Island to the public, but unfortunately just after they finished their reports, we walked straight into a recession. 

He says they can't afford to develop the island on their own, but the project could move forward if they could secure partnership funding.

There's been some vandalism on the island—graffiti and broken glass for the most part—but MacIntyre says security would be included in their operational costs.

Saint John Waterfront Development rolled out their 5.1 million dollar plan to restore Partridge Island last year.

Concern Greater In Quebec Over Proposed Pipeline

Provincial Green Party leader David Coon says there might be overwhelming support for the West to East pipeline in Saint John but such is not the case in Quebec. 

He claims there's alot of concern and Quebec Premier Pauline Marois has been hedging on where she stands so as not to alienate her populist base. Coon points out environmental concerns in Quebec have been heightened because of the train disaster with tankers of oil exploding at Lac Magentic last month.

He tells CHSJ News the pipeline project will increase carbon pollution and that will have unforseen consequences, pointing out not many people around here are aware the Bay of Fundy is becoming more acidified because of climate change and increased carbon pollution. He warns that acidification could damage the fishery over the long term.

Python Kills Two Young Boys As They Sleep

Campbellton is in a state of shock........The RCMP say two young boys, aged 5 and 7, are dead after they were strangled by a python that escaped its enclosure at an exotic pet store.   

The RCMP say the boys were sleeping in an apartment above Reptile Ocean and it's believed the snake made its way into the apartment through the ventilation system sometime through the overnight hours.
    
The snake was captured and is in the possession of police.  The boys were visiting the apartment of the pet store's owner at the time.

Autopsies will be performed on the two victims today in Saint John.
  

Order Of New Brunswick Recipients

Premier David Alward announcing ten people in the province being recognised with the Order of New Brunswick. 

They are Joanna Bernard, of Madawaska Maliseet First Nation, for her tireless efforts to ensure the well being and economic prosperity of her community as well as of all First Nations communities in the province.

Édith Butler, from Paquetville, for her remarkable contributions to the advancement of Acadian culture and heritage.

Alida Clément, from Dieppe, for her dedication and volunteer efforts to ensure the well being and quality of life of disabled persons, seniors, and her community at large.

Eugène Durette, from Edmundston, for the impact he has had in advancing business in Edmundston and throughout the province, as well as the many ways in which he has given back to his community.
 
Dr. Dana Hanson, from Fredericton, for his outstanding leadership in the medical profession in New Brunswick and around the world. Dr. Hanson is a former President of the Canadian Medical Association.

Jean Irving, from Rothesay, for her passion and commitment to bettering the quality of life of communities throughout the province.

Freeman Patterson, from Shampers Bluff, for his exceptional talents as a photographer and his passion for sharing his skills and knowledge the world over.
  
Gerry Pond, one time head of NB Tel, for his innovative spirit and for being the driving force behind so many of New Brunswick's information technology and telecommunications success stories.

Gordon Porter, from Woodstock, for his efforts in advancing inclusive education and the rights of persons with disabilities in New Brunswick and throughout the world.

Lionel Poitras, from Saint-André, for his contributions to ensuring the sustainability of the potato farming industry in the province.

Mill Rats Get Fifth Pick In 2013 NBL Canada Draft

To play on the Mill Rats, you can’t just play a good game, you’ve got to have a good personality. 

That’s according to the President and General Manager of the team, Ian McCarthy, and the philosophy he’ll be bringing to the National Basketball League of Canada’s draft later this month as they add a few new faces to the team.

McCarthy tells CHSJ News the players have to be willing to be involved in the community, they have to be amiable and willing to sign autographs for the kids. In terms of on-the-court play, he says the top two things they're looking for is athleticism and talent.

The Mill Rats have fifth pick in the 2013 National Basketball League of Canada draft on Monday, August 19 in Markham, Ontario.

Cherry Brook Zoo Seeks Closure After Tiger's Death

As the Cherry Brook Zoo comes to grips with the sudden loss of its young Siberian tiger, their Director of Zoo Development says they’re focusing on the present before they start to think about the future. 

Linda Collrin tells CHSJ News another tiger will be brought into the zoo eventually—she says it would be a dishonour to six year-old Nyla if they didn't—but first, they want to find out exactly what happened to her through a necropsy.

The tiger became sick on July 18, going blind, having seizures and losing weight and the zoo was forced to euthanize her on Wednesday. While results have shown she had an pneumonia, Collrin says she caught it as a result of being in such a weak state. That doesn't tell them why she became sick in the first place. 

Collrin says they'll be working with the SSP Program or International Species Survival Program again when bringing in a new tiger.

Swimmers Brave Northumberland Strait For Charity

A group of swimmers are back on dry land after diving into the frigid waters of the Northumberland Strait. 

The 34 participants in the Big Swim fundraiser swam a 15-kilometre stretch from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island to raise money for people living with chronic illness and disease.

They brought in more than $130,000 dollars during this year's swim, most of which will be split between Cystic Fibrosis Canada and Brigadoon Village. Since it started three years ago, The Big Swim has raised more than $230,000 dollars for charity.

Todd McDonald is the co-founder of the event, and he says they set two records this year: the largest group to swim the Strait at once and the youngest female swimmer to make the crossing—15 year-old Jessica Plummer from Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia finished her swim in four and half hours.

Smoke From Kitchen Fire Wakes Homeowner

A man and woman evacuating their smoke-filled home as a fire burned in the kitchen.

Platoon Chief Eric Garland says crews were called around 5:30am to 401 Churchland Road and knocked down the blaze. 

Garland says the woman was woken up by the smoke, and she woke up her husband—the smoke detector didn't go off.

The house has some smoke damage and there is fire damage in the kitchen, but nobody was hurt and the fire is not considered suspicious.

Development Of Former Coast Guard Site Called Significant

Development of the former Coast Guard site down by Market Square will take 7 years to complete over 4 phases. 

The General Manager of Saint John Waterfront Development Kent MacIntyre predicts this will have a significant impact for the good on the uptown and tells CHSJ News whenever you have a developer from outside showing confidence in the city, it can build momentum because local businesspeople take note of that.
 
MacIntyre points out there will be a strong residential component to the development and with more people living in a neighbourhood, you tend to get new businesses springing up.