Blood Donors Needed

Blood donations are needed in Saint John. 

Michelle Thibodeau of Canadian Blood Services tells CHSJ News 294 appointments to give blood are needed between now and Labour Day with 13 hundred required provincewide.

Thibodeau says there is not a shortage now but concern what might transpire down the road if not enough people step up to the plate.

She says many Saint Johnners may not be aware they can come into the clinic on University Avenue on Saturdays from 9 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon. Only 4 appointments are booked tomorrow out of 45 that are available.

Some Skateboarders Protesting Helmet Law

Some skateboarders aren't happy at at the prospect of wearing helmets at the local skatepark.

Two hundred eight-four people have signed an online petition against the  by-law, which is poised to become law at the next meeting of Common Council.

Local skateboarder Scott Childs tells CHSJ News it goes against the norms of the sport and none of the professionals wear them; further, the laws governing bicycle helmets are rarely enforced.

Childs says most of the accidents involving skateboards are collisions with cars: therefore, in his opinion, it makes more sense to stiffen the penalties for skateboarding on the road than to make helments mandatory.

Pedway To Get Fixed Up This Fall

The Chipman Hill portion of the Pedway will be getting some major repairs in the near future.

Uptown dwellers might remember the late January wind storm that loosened the glass wall in the middle of the daily lunch rush. After that episode, the section of the indoor connection had to undergo some temporary repairs.

Now, the City has issued a call for tenders until September 4 for the replacement of the curtain wall. They stipulate it would ideally be finished by the end of October.

The pedway was originally built in the early 1980s and is Atlantic Canada's longest indoor, climate-controlled pedway system.

Man Flees Bear

A forester who was scouting areas for tree cutting in the Brockway area this week, about 80 kilometers south of Fredericton, says he was attacked by a black bear and barely escaped by the skin of his teeth. 

Natural Resources is now looking for the bear.
    
Pierre Mezzetta tried to run away when confronted by the bear which he estimates weighed over 300 pounds and was chased up a tree.
    
The bear still managed to sink its teeth into his boot and leg before finally leaving.
    
Such attacks by black bears are considered rare.

Half Ton Flips Onto Its Roof Along Highway

Two men are in hospital in Fredericton after their half ton truck went out of control on the the Trans Canada Highway about 82 kilometers east of Fredericton near Young's Cove. 

The RCMP say the truck flipped over onto its roof. 

A 20-year-old man and a man in his 40s, both from Grand Falls, suffered undetermined injuries.

Common Council Still Seen Favourably

What sort of job is Common Council doing more than a year into its mandate?

According to a poll from Corporate Research Associates, 63 per cent of Saint Johnners are satisfied with how Common Council is working. 

400 people in the city took part in the survey. 17 per cent said they were completely or mostly dissatisfed. Another 15 per cent said they didn't know.  

By comparison, 75 per cent of people surveyed in Fredericton and 74 per cent in Moncton say they're completely or mostly satisfied with their city councils.

Cat Shot With Arrow May Recover

The cat shot by a bow and arrow on Tuesday may be using one of its nine lives.
 
It happened in the area of Richmond and Exmouth streets causing shock and outrage in the community.

Melody McElman of SPCA Animal Rescue tells CHSJ News its a male cat about 1-2 years of age and he made it through the surgery.

While it will be a long road to recovery for the kitty, McElman says those caring for him think he will recover and she says she'll know more tomorrow about how he's doing.

Bust Nabs SJ Prez Of Bacchus Motorcycle Club

6 people including the President of the local chapter of the Bacchus Motorcycle club are in custody following a 6 month investigation involving 4 local police agencies.

Simultaneous raids at Nature's Way in Saint John, Shamper's Bluff Road in Kingston and Route 102 Public Landing where meth, pot, prescription pills, guns, bullets, brass knuckles and 4 grand in cash were seized.

44 year old Brian Schofield of Public Landing , also President of the Saint John Bacchus Motorcycle Club,  pled guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking.  He was released on house arrest and will reappear in court for sentencing on September 5th and to plead on other charges.

39 year old Ryan Wallace of Kingston, a former member of the motorcycle club,  faces drugs including possession and trafficking and for having two unlicensed rifles.  He remains in custody and is due in court on Monday for a bail hearing.

28 year old Lia Olde Damink of Kingston faces several charges including possession of percocet for the purpose of trafficking, possession of two unlicensed rifles and with stealing a drug from the Regional Hospital. She has a court date next month.

39 year old Blaine Beddow of Saint John, a former striker of the Saint John Bacchus Motorcycle Club,  faces multiple drugs charges for production, trafficking and more. He's being held in custody until a bail hearing on Monday.

A 32 Saint John woman and a 42 year old Public Landing woman will be in court later to face drug charges.

VIDEO: Saint Johners Celebrate Acadian Day

City hall was a loud sea of red, white and blue flags as the Saint John francophone population celebrate Acadian Day.

Premier David Alward led a tintamarre down King Street and he says New Brunswickers don't realize that just how large the Acadian community is in the southern part of the province including the Greater Saint John area.

Guy Legere of the local francophone association tells CHSJ News he never had any trouble being french in the Port City.

He tells us he moved here in 1996 and says the integration went very well.

Kids taking part in activities at the Museum in Market Square will have their own tintamarre to Le Faubourg on Prince William street at 3 today.

The grown ups will have another traditional parade by car to Millidgeville as the crowd heads to St. Francois de Sales parish for a dinner and concert tonight.

Protests Over Proposed West To East Pipeline

Despite the enthusiasm for the proposed West to East pipeline in Saint John, it's getting a rough ride in Ontario where there have been protests. 

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is promising to address environmental concerns which she says have to be at the centre of any talk about the movement of fuel through the province. 

Eighteen people were arrested at one blockade. They oppose Enbridge's plan to reverse the flow of oil in a stretch of pipeline northwest of Hamilton to Montreal, saying the move could lead to a possible breach.

Speed Limits To Be Reviewed

Should some of the speed limits in the city be reduced? That's going to be looked at in light of a fatal crash more than three years ago on Hillcrest Road which killed a 15 year old girl and prompted some emotional debate. 

Common Councillor Donna Reardon would like to see drivers slowing down for their own safety and the safety of others, saying the Saint John Disability Association has made its concerns known to Common Council.
 
Council members Bill Farren and Shirley McAlary wonder how you could enforce lower speed limits with existing police resources.

Still A Long Way To Go For The Joshua Group

The Joshua Group is hoping the 100 thousand dollar contribution from the Potash Corporation will be the boost it needs in its fundraising campaign.

Kathy Curwin, who chairs the Joshua Group, tells CHSJ News there's still a long way to go to raise enough money to renovate an existing building on Sandy Point Road into a mess hall that would feed 100 young people as well as building an addition.

Curwin says the total cost of the project will be something like half a million dollars and the 100 thousand from Potash NB has to be matched by the Joshua Group.

Another toonie drive is planned for next month. The last one raised 20 thousand dollars in a week and Curwin is hoping to double that this time around.

Another Drop In Gas Prices

You'll get a bit of a break if you have to fill up.

Gas prices have gone down after the weekly setting. Self serve regular in the city declining by 2 cents a litre to $1.29.5 and diesel has also dropping by just over a couple of cents to $1.31.7 a litre.

Propane is virtually unchanged at 98.5 cents a litre while heating oil is down slightly at $1.15.2.

Prospects Uncertain For Injured cat

The cat that was shot with an arrow through its lung on Richmond Street the other day has undergone surgery but whether it will survive or not remains uncertain.

Taxi Rear Ended In The Valley

3 people taken to hospital with neck injuries after a taxi was rear ended while on the side of Hampton Road at Palmer Brook Road.

Former Sea Dogs In Court

A couple of former Sea Dogs appearing in court in London, Ontario on assault charges. 

Montreal Canadiens defense prospect Nathan Beaulieu and his father, former Sarnia Sting coach Jacques Beaulieu pleaded guilty and were given conditional discharges. This means they will not have criminal records which allows them to continue their hockey careers. 

The two were charged back in April after some sort of altercation at a house party during which two people suffered minor injuries. 

Jacques Beaulieu was fired as general manager and coach of the OHL's Sting in late May because of the incident.

Port City Preparing For Acadian Day Celebrations

The Acadian flag will be flying at City Hall tomorrow to mark National Acadian Day. 

Mayor Mel Norton and Premier David Alward will both be attending the event, which is happening at 12:30pm. 

The day is a celebration of the the culture and history of the Acadian people, and Alana Poirier of New Brunswick Museum tells CHSJ News the province's French roots run deep. Poirier says the whole region used to belong to France and was called Nouveau France, or New France. She says French explorer and navigator Samuel de Champlain was the one responsible for naming the Saint John River. 

The museum is hosting an uptown tintamarre, a traditional noise-making parade, at 3 in the afternoon along with various activities throughout the day. For more details on the events, click here.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch Up For Fredericton and Oromocto

Environment Canada issuing a severe weather bulletin for potentially nasty thunderstorms in the province.

The storms may include large hail, strong winds and heavy rain.

A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for Fredericton, Oromocto, St. Stephen including northern Charlotte county and Woodstock.

Training Camp Opens With Hopefuls From Ontario, Quebec and Saint John

Parents and players are descending on Saint John for the Sea Dogs training camp underway now.
 
Hopeful 17 year old Gabriel Tessier is from Chateaugay, Quebec is trying out for the first time and is good friends with Sea Dog Olivier Leblanc.

He tells us it's exciting but he's also nervous but more excited than anything.

The team's roster will be split into two squads with Team A and Team B playing each other tomorrow morning at 11am at Harbour Station.

One dad here with his son who is trying out tells CHSJ News it was scramble getting here because they didn't know officially until Monday night.

The Dogs' exhibition schedule starts on Saturday at the qplex versus the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Posting Smartphone Pictures & Videos Leaves Trail

When you snap a picture or video and share it online, you may actually be sharing more than you think. 

David Shipley of UNB's IT Services tells CHSJ News nowadays most smartphones have a GPS device built into them, and what many smartphone users don't realize is that location-based services are turned on by default, so that whenever you make a post on Twitter or other social media sites, anyone can see where you are through embedded coordinates.

Shipley says through regular activity on their smartphone, people can unknowingly broadcast a lot of information about their personal lives. He says parents in particular would likely be much more cautious if they knew about the level of data they were putting out there about their children.

Turning off the location-based services is as easy as going into your settings and pressing a button. Shipley says depending on the type of device you have, you can can turn it on or off by application, meaning you could leave it on for maps, but not photos.

Potash Corp NB Will Give $100K To Joshua Group

It's everything they have been waiting for...the Joshua Group is getting a big financial shot in the arm from Potash Corp NB.

The company will make a $100,000 contribution to the charity's building fund.

The presentation is coming up on Friday afternoon at the Joshua Group's new location at 85 Sandy Point Road.

City Records Deficit Last Year With Surplus Predicted This Year

The city's general budget winding up 2012 with a deficit of 451 thousand dollars. 

Ward 4 Councillor David Merrithew points out you can see what the future holds by taking a look at the number of building permits being issued and what sort of revenue that's generating.

There was a substantial drop in building permit revenue from what was projected and Merrithew says that's not what you want to see happening because it's a good indication of a lack of growth taking place.

The deficit, itself, amounts to about one-quarter of one per cent of the total budget and Merrithew claim that means it's almost balanced. 

The city budget this year is expected to record a surplus of 847 thousand dollars even though revenue from permits and parking is expected to be down.

Saint John Water had a surplus last year of half a million dollars.

Search On For Duke Street Home Invasion Suspects

City police are hoping you can help them identify the culprits in a home invasion Monday night on Duke street.
 
About 11:15pm, two men came into the home and a 22 year old was slightly hurt.

One of men is described at between 20 and 30 years of age and between 5 foot 8 and 6 feet tall.

The second man is described as between 24 and 30 years of age about 5 foot 10 and between 150 and 200 pounds. 

On a related note, drugs were seized from this home after a search on Tuesday.
A 22 year old man and woman from the Duke Street residence are due in court at a later date.

If you know anything about this crime, contact police at 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 TIPS.

  

City police telling us this home invasion was not a random act.

Cat Reportedly Shot With An Arrow

A bizarre call to police late yesterday afternoon about a cat being shot from a tree with an arrow on Richmond Street. 

We don't have many details because the report hasn't been completed yet but CHSJ News has been told the cat was handed over to the SPCA.

Weapon Pulled On Cab Driver

A heated argument in the uptown ending with a weapon being pulled on a cab driver.  

City police tell us it happened late yesterday afternoon on Peters Street, just off of Waterloo Street. A 20 year old man got out of the car, kicked the door, took out the weapon before being arrested. The driver wasn't hurt in the incident and no cash was stolen.

Police say they also nabbed two car prowlers in the area of Carlisle Crescent on the east side.

Sea Dogs Training Camp Starts Tomorrow

The Sea Dogs training camp which opens tomorrow will include a couple of Port City boys.

Johnny Erbs played with the Woodstock Slammers of the Maritime Junior Hockey League last season and Riley Craft will get his second crack at the Sea Dogs after attending camp last season.  

Craft split last season between the Slammers and the Saint John Vito's.

The Dogs first exhibition game is coming on Saturday night at the qpex at 7pm.

For more info on the Sea Dog's training camp, click here

Jacobsen To Lead Strategic Services At City Hall

Neil Jacobsen has a full resume and he's bringing his expertise to City hall.
 
He is the new Commissioner of Strategic Services.

CHSJ News asked Jacobsen how his previous experience at Enterprise Saint John and Waterfront Development will help him in the new role.

He tells us economic diversification will be a key focus adding he has seen a lot of success in his previous posts and hopes to see more in the community.

The former commission of Strategic Services, Jacqueline Hamilton, is now the Commissioner for Growth and Community Development Services.

Nicholas Logan Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter

A guilty plea from a Saint John man charged in connection with a brutal beating at an uptown rooming house that led to a 66 year-old's death.

35 year-old Nicholas Logan pleading guilty to manslaughter after Duncan MacDonald died in hospital on April 10 from injuries he sustained from the March 16 incident on the corner of Duke and Prince William.

MacDonald had a broken neck, punctured lung and a severe brain injury. The official cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. 

After the incident, Logan told police he had felt "a strong desire to wipe out everyone in the building." Logan has been undergoing mental health assessments at a hospital in Restigouche, where he's been remanded until his next court appearance on August 30: a disposition hearing before sentencing. 

Judge Henrik Tonning calling cases like this one "very complicated."

Number of Deer-Car Crashes Shocks Town Council

Deer aren't just a nuisance, they're downright dangerous—and the numbers prove it. 

There have been over 700 car crashes this year alone in the Kennebecasis Valley because of deer roaming around— a number confirmed by local police and RCMP. 

Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News town council was taken aback when the results from the KV deer survey, released by the deer committee, came in.

Bishop says they're clearly a danger to the public, and the hope is that the information gathered from the survey will prompt the province to come up with a solution to the deer problem.

It's Crunch Time For City On Clean Drinking Water

It won't be long now before the city finds out whether it will be able to go with the public-private partnership or P-3 model to pay for a water treatment plant on the east side. 

Acting City Manager Bill Edwards says he got an email from P-3 stating a decision could be made as early as next month.

Edwards says P-3 is quite scrupulous wants to make sure the city has the people and resources to see the project through to the awarding of a contract complete with proper specifications  before coming on board.

The application process has been so rigourous, though, consulting fees have more than doubled to over 200 thousand dollars.

Retail Council Has Its Sights Set On Saint John

Now that Fredericton's on board with a change in Sunday shopping, can Saint John be that far behind? Fredericton has decided to let the storeowners decide when they should open and close on Sundays. 

Jim Cormier of the Retail Council of Canada in the Atlantic Region tells CHSJ News he had another meeting with the Saint John Board of Trade's Retail Committee recently. He says they had a productive meeting and now the Board of Trade, which came out against earlier, has a better idea what the Retail Council is asking for.
 
Cormier says what the Retail Council wants is choice, not necessarily longer hours because some storeowners may stick with the status quo.

Meeting Tonight In St. George Over Flooding

If you live in St. George, Lake Utopia or Bonney River and are upset about recent flooding,  there is a meeting you might want to attend.

Charlotte the Isles MLA Rick Doucet is hosting the meeting tonight at 7pm at Magaguadic Place.

Flash flooding two weeks ago raised the sense of alarm in the community creating frustration among residents who want to see plans in place to deal with the potential for high water now that extreme weather is becoming the norm in the region.

Severe flooding back in December of 2010 caused devastation in Charlotte county.

No More Chip Seal On Rothesay's Roads

Residents of Rothesay's East side comparing the laying of chip seal on the roads to putting a band-aid over a broken bone. 

One of those people living there, Jim Hennessey, has collected 500 signatures asking town council to stop the road treatment. He tells CHSJ News he doesn't believe the roads were ever properly built and they're in desperate need of work.

Hennessey says the town should bank the money they save from not laying chip seal, and use it to lay asphalt in the future. However, he says he's not opposed to micro surfacing instead of asphalt, saying unlike chip seal, it's at least rolled out with a steamer.

Council approving a motion made by Councillor Bill McGuire to stop laying the chip seal on any streets in Rothesay, not just the East side.

Home Invasion Being Investigated

City Police looking for two suspects after a home invasion on Duke Street in the south end. 

It happened around 11:15 last night when the two, who were armed, forced their way in. 

One person who was inside got roughed up a bit but police say it was nothing serious.

Police speculate the two might have been scared off and aren't even sure whether they actually stole anything.

Change Coming For City Skateboarders

A city bylaw will be changed to require skateboarders to wear helmets. 

Common Council has given approval in principle. This change is coming about because of Common Councillor Greg Norton after an 18 year old skateboarder Josh Dillon suffered severe head trauma after falling head first into the pavement. 

Norton is hoping the amended bylaw will change of the culture of skateboarding in the city.
     
Josh, meantime, has had a tough time since suffering his injuries and a section of the amended bylaw will be referred to as Josh's law.

Guard Rail Will Be Installed Where Teenage Girl Died

Common Council has voted in favour of installing a guard rail along the section of Hillcrest Road on the east side where 15 year old Kylee Wallace died after the car she was in left the road and went down a steep embankment. 

City Staff recommended against the guard rail. The head of Municipal Operations for the city Kevin Rice points out too many drivers are speeding along that stretch of rural road and he questions how far the city should have to go to protect people from themselves.

Common Councillor John MacKenzie calls it a dangerous section of roadway at any speed. 

Fellow Councillor Ray Strowbridge, who's a paramedic agrees, saying you could be going at 30 kilometers an hour on a winter's day and easily miss the turn which is tight go down the embankment and it would be him bringing you back up on a spine board.

It's expected the guard rail will be up before the first snow falls and the city also plans to put up a sign warning drivers of a curve in the road ahead.

MLA Says Bilingual Requirements For Jobs Driving Grads Out West

Bilingual requirements for jobs are discriminatory and driving English-only new grads out of the province says Fundy River Valley MLA Dr. Jim Parrott.

He tells CHSJ News an English-only person who has just spent the time and money to go through university, and is denied a job because they don't speak French, will likely leave New Brunswick and go out West to find work.

Parrott says the language issue needs to be re-opened and re-examined, and that Premier David Alward could do a better job handling the issue.

Parrott was the guest speaker at a public meeting about the language fairness in government hiring issue in St. Stephen over the weekend. It was organized by Joyce Wright, a Bordertown woman who has spoken out against the Official Languages Act and started a petition.

Malloch Looking For Answers To Flooding Issues

With the clean up pretty much completed in the wake of another flash flood in the St Stephen area - attention is turning to what steps are needed to better deal with changing weather patterns.
Charlotte - Campobello M-L-A Curtis Malloch tells CHSJ News it's time for serious soul searching by trying to determine what to look at - where to look at it - what can we do different as we move ahead with infrastructure.
Malloch says he will continue to push the issue with his government colleagues in Fredericton - he says he also wants to make sure the best support is available to emergency responders and volunteers when dealing with natural disasters.

Former RNS Student Dies At Titan Training Camp

A 16-year-old prospect for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan junior hockey team has died while skating during a training session with the club.
 
The team says Jordan Boyd collapsed on the ice and was taken to hospital.
 
Their medical team tried to revive the boy several times while he was on the ice.
 
The club also says Boyd had a medical evaluation before training camp and didn't appear to have any medical problems that prevented him from participating. 

Rothesay Netherwood School releasing a statement saying they are deeply saddened to hear about the tragic passing of Jordan Boyd. 

He was a student at RNS this past year played for the Varsity Boys’ Riverhawks hockey team.

BREAKING: Man Dies After Suffering Cardiac Arrest On First Lake

 A sad end to a call for help with a person in distress on First Lake before noon today.

Hampton RCMP confirming to CHSJ News that a man suffering cardiac arrest in a boat has passed away.

Saint John Police, Fire and ambulance responding to the scene about 1130 this morning.

CPR was also performed on the man after the other person in the boat managed to bring it to shore. 

Pride Week Underway In the Port City

Saint John's gay and lesbian community are celebrating the 11th annual Pride week.
 
A flag-raising held at City hall at noon today and the proclamation will be read again at tonight's common council meeting.

Brian Boyd tells CHSJ News events began on Sunday and carry on all week long wrapping up with the parade on Saturday.

He says it's full week and they are breaking in a new event tonight called Chase the Rainbow, an Amazing chase-like event, in Kings Square.

You can show up for the Chase the Rainbow tonight at King Square, all you have to do is bring a non-perishable food donation for the food bank.

Other events include an auction at Mahogany Manor on Wednesday and month-long art exhibit.

A complete list of the events can be found on the Saint John Pride Week Facebook page.

Spon To Helm The Mill Rats Again

Rob Spon is heading back to familiar territory.

The Mill Rats announcing Spon will be the team's head coach again.

He helmed the team when they were the Manchester Millrats in 2008-09 and most recently has  coached the Halifax Rainmen and the Quebec Kebs. 

1st Lake Water Rescue

A rescue in the First Lake area after a person suffered a medical event on the water near Sands road and Range road in Baxter's Corner.

Two people were in a boat in the water and one person was performing CPR on the other.

While Saint John police and fire responded immediately, they have since determined it's Simonds Fire and RCMP territory. 

The boat has reached the shore.   CPR is being performed on the person.

Pipeline Project Is Putting Saint John On The Map

When people elsewhere in the country think about Atlantic Canada, Saint John tends to get lost in the shuffle with Halifax and St. John's considered more prominent in the region but will the 12 billion dollars West to East Trans Canada pipeline change that. 

Saint John M-P Rodney Weston tells CHSJ News it's already happening with a new buzz about the city among people who live outside the area.

Weston says he can't emphasise enough how huge this project is and, like the Premier, compares it to the building of the national railway which connected one end of the country to the other.    

Pettingill Road Work Extended By Wet Weather

What was supposed to be a four-week road work project is taking longer than expected. 

Aaron Kennedy, a spokesman for the town of Quispamsis, tells CHSJ News crews from contractor Fairville Construction Ltd., who were installing storm culverts and a new gravity main on Pettingill Road, were slowed down by wet weather.

The road was closed off in mid-July as construction began. The project was supposed to be finished last Friday, but Kennedy says they're now hoping to finish up in the next several weeks—he says he's optimistic work will wrap up before the school season starts.

The road has been closed off to traffic since the middle of July.

Click here to see a map of alternate routes.

Whatever Happened To Poverty Reduction Strategy?

You don't hear too much these days about the poverty reduction strategy for the province that was cobbled together a few years ago in Saint John at a big roundtable discussion by then Premier Shawn Graham and endorsed by then Opposition Leader David Alward with such fanfare. Whether it can be resuscitated with an improving economy remains to be seen. 

Kevin Lacey of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation tells CHSJ News the provincial government is not in any position to be embarking on any new spending programmes, being saddled with a burgeoning deficit and growing debt.

Jean Claude Basque of the Common Front for Social Justice says there are probably more people living in poverty now than when the poverty reduction strategy was announced and he blames a lack of revenue, lower income people not getting paid enough money and fewer people qualifying for Employment Insurance.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs says the provincial economy never did recover fully from the 2008 financial meltdown and is still being adversely affected.

New Idea To Develop Empty Jewish Synagogue

Can the vacant Jewish synagogue on Carleton Street be saved from demolition? 

It has been empty since late in 2008 and now Common Councillor Gerry Lowe is trying to persuade his fellow Council members that it can be put to another use without costing an arm and a leg.

The synagogue building dates back to 1865 when it was constructed in the austere Neo-Gothic style of architecture for use as a Presbyterian church. It opened as a synagogue in 1919 when the Jewish population in the city was alot larger.

Lowe says he has toured the building and believes with what he calls "limited funding", it can be renovated for use as office space by the city and non-profit organisations like Prude, the Human Development Council, senior citizens and the Multi-Cultural Association.

East Side Apartment Complex Evacuated

Light smoke and a strange smell filling an apartment complex causing an afternoon evacuation. 

Platoon Chief Eric Garland says they evacuated everyone in the 48-unit apartment building at 10 Woodhollow Park while crews looked for the source—which they found to be a malfunctioning ventilation system that's now in need of servicing. 

Fire crews were on the scene for about an hour, and everybody was allowed to return home. One older woman was brought to hospital, but Garland says it's nothing serious.

Target Hosting Job Fair Throughout Week

As the Port City holds onto the title of highest unemployment of all cities in a Stats Canada survey, this announcement could bring some hope to Saint Johners looking for work — a major retail chain is doing some hiring.

Target is hosting a job fair throughout the week at Loch Lomond Place. It runs from 8:30am to 5:30 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and from 11:00am to 8pm on Wednesday.

The store itself will will open sometime before Christmas.

Jewish Historical Museum Gets $25,000 Donation

The Saint John Jewish Historical Museum fund has just received a big donation from a man who passed away last week.

Author, lawyer, educator and human rights advocate Lorne Rozovsky has given the group $25,000. In a letter, he wrote that he wanted to make a lasting contribution to the preservation of the history of the city's Jewish community.

Rozovsky died last Monday at the age of 70 after a 15-month battle with pancreatic cancer.