Another Successful Bare Necessities Campaign

The 11th annual Bare Necessities campaign has wrapped up another successful year of providing basic personal care items like tooth brushes - shampoo - and - soaps for less fortunate people over the holiday season.

Donated items were sorted and wrapped last night by staff from CIBC on King Street and members of the Board of Trade's Women in Business group.

The boxes are now being distributed to various charities around the city.

Concern Over Foster Care In Province

Provincial Auditor General Kim MacPherson pointing out problems at Department of Social Development regarding the foster parent system.
 
MacPherson tells CHSJ News when they randomly tested a sample of files, it was discovered standards are not being fulfilled as they should be and she's concerned about the care the children in the foster home are receiving.
 
MacPherson says in the last 8 years there has been a 40 per cent decline in the number of foster homes around the province while there has been an increase in group homes.

She says when it comes to monitoring foster families, only 3 of 18 files randomly selected contained documentation that annual reviews are being done on a regular basis.

SJFD Assisting At Pulp Mill Fire

You may see a bunch of activity on the west side if you are taking the Reversing Falls Bridge home tonight.

City fire crews assisting Irving personnel in battling a blaze at a smaller building at the Pulp mill on the west side.


Traffic may be impacted in the area.

2013-14 Deficit Has Increased By $38.3 Million

The provincial government has released its second-quarter fiscal update--and despite $113 million in spending reductions, the province is reporting a revenue shortfall of almost $173-million dollars.

The revenue shortfall has caused the deficit for 2013-14 to increase by 38.3 million dollars from the first quarter to $538.2 million dollars.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs is expected to schedule a pre-budget consultation meeting with key stakeholders throughout the province to discuss possible solutions to the revenue problems.

Memorial Tonight For Women Killed In Montreal

A memorial is being held tonight to commemorate the tragic events of December 6th, 1989 when 14 young women were killed at l'École Polytechnique in Montréal.

Tomorrow is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. It commemorates the 14 young women who died in that act of violence as well as a chance for Canadians to reflect on violence against women in our society.

The memorial runs from 7pm to 8pm at UNBSJ's Grand Hall, formerly the Scotiabank Building on Charlotte Street.

Joshua Group Founder Speaks Out On Estabrooks

The founder of the Joshua Group says he sees the devastation former City police officer Ken Estabrooks caused on a daily basis.

Hayes tells CHSJ News he started suffering abuse at the hands of Estabrooks when he was 12-years old and living in the South end and it continued for about three years. He says after that he didn't see Estabrooks again until he was 18-years old and started a job with the City, and Estabrooks became his co-worker. 

Hayes says it's a hard thing to accept when you report abuse to your supervisor and are told to "go in, or go home."

Hayes says Estabrooks abuse a lot of kids all over the city and there are a lot of damaged people living here today. It was recently revealed that the deceased officer may have sexually abused 263 children over the course of nearly three decades dating back to the late 1950s.

Hayes is named as the plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the city of Saint John and he hopes it leads to the victims getting help. You can hear the full interview with Hayes this Sunday by tuning into Pulse NB after the 9am news.

Salvation Army Christmas Feast Serves Hundreds Despite Blackout

The Salvation Army Center of Hope staff braved a blackout to serve lunch to hundreds of folks today for their annual Feast of Christmas event.

Salvation Army Officer Rodney Bungay tells CHSJ News they've seen an increase in the number of people coming in for a hot meal at the Sally Ann--but the news isn't entirely bleak.

He says a friendly chat and smile is the reason a lot of people come in just as much as the hot meal.

Equipment Problem The Cause Of Power Outage

So what was the cause of the power outage uptown today?

NB Power spokesperson Meaghan Garrish tells CHSJ News that a peice of equipment at the end of pole at the end of the causeway malfunctioned.

She tells us the power line runs beneath the causeway and up a pole.  

When the peice of equipment called a lightning arrester malfunctioned it would have caused a big bang that everyone nearby would have heard.

The power outage lasted about 45 minutes.

Power Outage Disrupts Lunch Hour Uptown

To the delight of those working and living uptown and some in the north end,  the power is back.

A power outage just before noon made finding lunch difficult as the City Market, Brunswick Square and Market Square were in the dark and closed.
 
City of Saint John employee Linda Lockhart tells CHSJ News she decided to leave work when the light went out and try to find some lunch.

She tells us she finally found lunch at Tim's on King Street and she had just enough cash to pay it since the debit machines were not working.

Along with the power outage, traffic lights were out in the Uptown, parts of the North end and at Haymarket Square.  

 Police were on hand directing traffic at some intersections.

Auditor General Points Out Discrepancies In Provincial Government Service

NB Power did not adequately address the risks posed by the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant even though it has a rigorous oversight process in place, according to the latest annual report from the auditor general.

Kim MacPherson says even though the decision making process took four-and-a-half years from 2001 to 2005, as late as the spring of 2005, there was still substantial uncertainty about what should be done to meet future provincial electricity needs.

She warns the province has a structural deficit where expenses exceed revenues and if this continues, buildings, roads and bridges may not be maintained and renewed as they should be.

MacPherson notes, in general, to correct a structural deficit, programs and services need to be reduced, revenues need to be increased, or some combination of the two needs to occur.

According to her report, the money owed the provincial government more than doubled between 2002 and 2012, increasing to $2.6 billion from $1.1 billion.

Union Claims Shared Risk Model Is Illegal

The Canadian Union of Pulbic Employees has filed a complaint with the Labour and Employment Board claiming the legislated changes to the provincial pension plan are illegal.

CUPE New Brunswick President Danny Légère says under the Public Service Labour Relations Act, once a notice to bargain is made, the terms and conditions of employment must remain in place until a new contract agreement is reached or a deadlock in negotiations is declared. 

CUPE argues the switch to the shared risk model is a violation of that.

UNB Professors Concerned About Quality Of Education

UNB has to refocus on the classroom and making sure students at the university get the best education they can. 

 That, from Dr. Miriam Jones, President of the Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers. She says programs for people who retire aren't being replaced--and money is going anywhere but into the core mission of the university.
 
The union is threatening strike action in the new year if a new contract agreement is not reached with the university.

City Legions Talking Amalgamation

The legions in Saint John are talking about a possible amalgamation. 

Only two of the 5 legions in Saint John have buildings, they are Branch 69 on the west side and Branch 53 on the east side.

District Commander Larry Lynch tells CHSJ News says the legions members have been declining in recent years.

He says in 2006 they had about 1700 legion members and at the end of 2012 they had about 1100.

Lynch says they plan to have further discussions in the new year about merging into one.

Gas Prices Increase

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

The price of self serve regular around town has gone up from $1.25.2 a litre to $1.26.5. 

Diesel is also more expensive as it increases from $1.42 a litre to $1.43.8 in the city.

UNB Teachers Vote For Strike Mandate

UNB Teachers in Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton and Bathurst voting for a strong strike mandate.

90 per cent of the members on the four campuses voted to strike.

Spokesperson Miriam Jones says over 99 per cent of eligible members voted.

She says its clear the academic staff feel strongly that institution needs to change direction.

She hopes the strong strike mandate will convince our employer that their members are serious about defending UNB's reputation as a credible, competitive, and comprehensive university.

Hayes & Other Victims File Class-Action Suit Against The City

A class-action lawsuit has been launched against the city today by the alleged victims of former Saint John police officer Kenneth Estabrooks.

According to documents filed today by Bobby Hayes, he and other people were sexually assaulted by Estabrooks for decades while--according to the statement of claim--the City and the SJPD ignored the fact that Estabrooks was a predator. Since then, it says the city has demonstrated a "callous disregard and complete lack of care for the Plaintiff and Class Members."

Further, the statement of claims says the abuse caused Hayes and the other victims anxiety, PTSD, depression, loss of income earning ability, psychological injuries and more. Hayes and the other victims are asking for the city to apologize and for compensation and damages.

According to Haye's solictor, John McKiggan, the case could take years to resolve depending on how the city responds--and in similar class-action suits against the Catholic Church, requested damages have been as much as $15 million.

Province Invests In Website To Help First Nation Youth

The province investing $45,000 to help develop an interactive web-based support system for First Nation students.

It's called PSE Helper. The site links students with the information and resources they need to make informed post-secondary education decisions.

It also provides information about gettings scholarships and bursaries and monitors and reports on student and career events around the province.

To learn more about the program,  click here

Highway Winter Maintenance Program: Cuts Or No Cuts?

Things heating up in the Legislature with talk about highway safety during the winter. MLA of Miramichi-Bay du Vin Bill Fraser asking how the province plans to keep people safe with cuts to the highway winter maintenance program. 

 CUPE also accusing the government of cutting 9 million dollars from the winter management program. The President of local 1190 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees is warning there will be 55 fewer pieces of equipment to get rid of the snow with 70 fewer operators.

Transportation Minister Claude Williams firing back saying the facts are wrong. He says
the appropriate equipment will be bought as needed.  

"We don't want to reduce the level of service that we provide on road and highways during the winter." When it comes to salt and sand he says, "We purchased the same level, the same quantity, the same amount as last year."

How Will The Gov't Help Laid Off Potash Workers?

With the announcement that more than a hundred PotashCorp employees will clocking out for the last time at the end of March, Caraquet MLA Hédard Albert wondering if affected workers will get any help from the government.

Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Jody Carr says transition services have been provided to the employees. He says there will be variety of ways the government ensures affected employees are helped with their future plans, including looking at options of re-training, vacancies within the market and looking at support for retirement options.

The General Manager for PotashCorp in New Brunswick Stewart Brown says grim market conditions are the reason for the layoffs.

MLA Pays Tribute To Four Teens Killed In Crash

Four teenagers killed in a car crash remembered as being popular, active and athletic.

MLA for Shediac-Cap-Pelé Victor Boudreau says 18-year old Justin Léger, Sebastien Léger, and Justin Brown graduated from high school last June, and 17-year old Luc Arsenault would have graduated this year. They died over the weekend after their car struck a culvert and went off the road in Notre-Dame.

Boudreau says four future leaders of the community have been lost. He says the support of the people of Cap-Pelé in the aftermath of the tragedy has made an incredible difference for the families.

More than 1500 people attending their funeral on Tuesday.

New Funding Approved For Health Research

The provincial government has announced it's investing $2.4 million for increased health research in New Brunswick. 

Premier David Alward saying the investment will help the province's bioscience sector  and build new partnerships with federal granting councils.

The Department of Economic Development  is contributing $2 million, while the Department of Health is contributing $400,000.

Norton Rides Along With Cops For A Night

Just call him Officer Greg.

Common Councillor Greg Norton joined members of the Saint John Police Department for a ride-along Friday night to get a sense of what officers have to deal with on a daily basis. Norton tells CHSJ News it's a challenge to get enough officers to cover the calls for service that come in--and it often takes more than one officer to deal with things like domestic disputes or potentially dangerous situations.

Norton says the ride-along was definitely an eye-opener for him as council enters its budget deliberations--and also for him as a member of the Board of Police Commissioners.

Tax Base Revenue Declines In Saint John

Saint John will have the dubious distinction of losing the most amount of tax revenue next year of any municipality in the province, 572 thousand dollars, despite receiving a million more dollars in funding from the province.
 
Quispamsis is getting 147 thousand dollars less in provincial grant money but its tax base is rising by 98 thousand dollars. Rothesay will receive 96 thousand dollars less from the province but revenue from its tax base will be 173 thousand dollars higher. 

Hampton is also getting 82 thousand dollars less in provincial money and its tax base will grow by 84 thousand dollars. Provincial grant money for Sussex is going down by 29 thousand dollars with a 62 thousand dollar rise in the town's tax base. 

Grand Bay Westfield will be getting 12 thousand dollars more in funding from the provincial government next year and its tax base will grow by 114 thousand dollars. 

By contrast to Saint John, Moncton saw its provincial funding cut by 1.9 million dollars but its tax base grew by 5.7 million.

Firefighters Rescue Kitty In Unlikely Place

You've heard of fire stations having Dalmation dogs, but....a cat?

Firefighters working on some equipment at the KV Fire Station last night were surprised to find a little grey cat snuggled into a bin of clothing.

A spokesperson from the department says the cat looks like it belongs to someone, and it's not fully grown. They're hoping the owners will come forward and claim the kitty. In the meantime it'll be staying at the fire station.

If the fire-kitty belongs to you, contact KV Fire at 848-6601.

Saint John Drug Dealer Sent To Prison

A three year prison sentence handed a 54 year old Saint John man, Charles Micheal Flecknell. 

He pleaded guilty to charges of possessing cocaine and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking along with possessing the proceeds of crime. 

Flecknell was arrested late last week in a takedown on St. James Street following a month long drug investigation by the Street Crime Unit.

Warning About Cuts To Snow Plowing On Provincial Highways

A warning from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing highway workers in the province speaking out about 9 million dollars in cuts to the winter maintenance program and snow plowing.
 
The President of CUPE local 1190, Andy Hardy claims the Transportation Department will be making do with 55 fewer pieces of equipment to plow the roads. He warns it will take longer to get around to plowing some of the rural roads.

In addition to less snow removal equipment, Hardy charges there will be 70 fewer operators as well as further reductions in the sand and salt budgets but, at the same time, 6.2 million has gone to a consulting firm in Quebec.

Quispamsis Mayor Frustrated With Grant Reduction

Another year, another cutback in provincial grant money for the town of Quispamsis. 

Like last year, the town is seeing a reduction is their Community Funding and Equalization Grant to the tune of more than $147,000 this time around and Mayor Murray Driscoll says that is frustrating.

He says the residents are the only source of revenue for Quispamsis, and the town is mindful of how much money they have to shell out. Driscoll says the reduction means councillors will have to sharpen their pencils and figure out how do the best with the tax dollars they have.

The town getting more than $425,000 in funding this year. No word yet on what, if any, impact this will have on taxes.

Police Chief Speaks Out On Bomb Hoax

Police Chief Bill Reid is warning would-be hoaxsters that wasting police time is a dangerous business, after a series of bomb threats at schools across Canada were found to have originated online.

Reid tells CHSJ News the culprit in last Thursday's scare at Simonds High definitely was not perpetrated by someone in the Saint John area-- but that isn't stopping investigators from looking into the case.

The caller claimed to have weapons and to have planted a bomb in the school, but police found nothing on the site. Investigators have found a number of similar calls have been made across the country via the internet.

Reid says there's no link with the suspicious package that caused a disruption at UNB for much of Monday afternoon.

Port Prez Says Potash Is In An Adjustment Period

Things may be looking bleak on local potash front, but the President of the Port believes it will get better. 

Jim Quinn says we're currently experiencing a period of adjustment but thinks demand will steady in the future. Quinn tells CHSJ News we have a growing global population meaning food demand will continue to rise and potash will become an increasingly important commodity. He says it's the world markets who will dictate how active the Canadian potash mines will be.

Quinn says the port will soon be experiencing a slight decrease in the volume of the potash they move and they will be working closely with PotashCorp, who has just announced more than a hundred job cuts locally, to find out how they can help get their product to the marketplace. He calls the company one of their valuable customers.

Funeral For Teens Who Died In Crash

Four teenagers who died early Saturday morning in a car crash in will be honoured at a funeral service this afternoon in Cap-Pelé. Premier David Alward also offered his condolences in the legislature.

18 year old Justin Léger, Sebastien Léger, and Justin Brown, and 17 year old Luc Arsenault all died when their car struck a culvert and went off the road in Notre-Dame The funeral service started at 3 p.m in Cap Pelé.

Higgs & Melanson Duke It Out Over Shared Risk Plan

Pension reform talks got heated in the legislature today, with Liberal Dieppe Centre-Lewisville MLA Roger Melanson accusing Finance Minister Blaine Higgs of evading questions on the actuarial model the government used to back up its statements on the Shared Risk Model.

Meanwhile Higgs says the research is well-documented and his job is to search for solutions to a problem pension plans across Canada are currently facing.

CUPE has written an open letter expressing concern the SRP actually transfers all the risk to the members.

Layoffs May Be Less Due To Voluntary Severance

The GM for PotashCorp in New Brunswick says challenging market conditions for potash, phosphate and nitrogen are reason as many as 130 layoffs are necessary.

Stewart Brown tells CHSJ News the workforce of their operation in Penobsquis could go from 530 down to 400.
 
Brown says in order to mitigate some of the layoffs they are offering a voluntary severance program.

He says they can take advantage of that in Januauary and that hopefully can lessen the number of layoffs required.

Brown says by February they will know which workers are impacted and the changes will kick in at the end of March next year.
 
He says its a hard time for their employees adding as a business they have to make sure their investment in New Brunswick is here for the long term.

CUPE Warns Less Gear Will Be Clearing The Snow This Winter

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is speaking out on what it sees as the effect of 9 million dollars in cuts to the highway winter maintenance program. 

The President of local 1190 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees is warning there will be 55 fewer pieces of equipment to get rid of the snow with 70 fewer operators. 

Andy Hardy also charges for the second year in a row, sand and salt budgets have been reduced while the province is giving more than 6 million dollars to a consulting firm from Quebec.

11th Bare Necessities Campaign Wraps Up Soon

The Bare Necessities campaign is underway for it's 11th year providing various charities with personal care items.
 
The Saint John Board of Trade's Women in Business Forum made up of 20 business leaders distributes the items collected in time for the holidays.

The campaign's simple focus is in its name...ensuring that over the holiday season the city's most vulnerable citizens have the basics.

Sharon Amirault of the First Steps Housing Project says the Bare Necessities Campaign gives them a much needed boost to ensure everyone has the basics.

The BOT's Women in business forum partners with CIBC on the annual campaign.

There is still time to donate shampoo, conditioner, toothbruthes, toothpaste, lotions, razors, shaving cream, deodorant and combs by Thursday to the CIBC branch on King Street.

Holder Can See Benefits From Public Art

To say the Tourism Minister is a bit excited about the 2014 edition of Sculpture SJ in an understatement.

Trevor Holder tells CHSJ News for some of the smaller communities in our region it will be the first piece of public art they have ever received.

He says in many cases this piece of public art on a main street in a smaller community can create a streetscape effect that can go a long towards other development that happens around it.

After a year off, Sculpture SJ returns late next summer involving 8 communities including Blacks Harbour and Sussex.

Court Ruling Prompts Tire Burning

A judge in Fredericton granting SWN Resources  a two-week extension to its court injunction to keep protesters from interfering with testing for shale gas.
 
The company arguing the injunction, which includes a buffer zone around their equipment, had to be extended in order for it to finish up its work. 

Last night, part of Highway 11 was closed after protestors set fire to tires.

Potash Jobs Being Eliminated

According to a report out of Saskatchewan, Potash Corp will be slashing 130 jobs in New Brunswick. 

The Saskatoon-based company says the jobs are being cut because of soft demand for potash and phosphates, which are used to make fertilizer.

University Campus Reopened

The U-N-B Saint John campus at Tucker Park was shut down for much of yesterday and last night following the discovery of a suspicious package at the Athletics Centre. 

An evacuation was ordered until it could be determined if the package was dangerous. Divisional Chief Mark Wilson says a special unit of the RCMP was called in from Halifax and firefighters remained at the university for 9 hours. 

It turned out the package was not dangerous with shredded paper inside. City Police are now investigating.

Tin Can Beach Will Stay Open To The Public

It's a bit run down to say the least, but many South Enders enjoy visiting Tin Can Beach--and they'll be happy to hear they can continue doing that despite media reports to the contrary.

There had been confusion about the future of the beach as a public space with CN officials saying it would be fenced off at the rail line. CHSJ News has heard, however, that the city is now in talks with the landowners to ensure it remains accessible.

The ownership of the land is complicated--the beach itself belongs to Port Saint John, but other nearby land is the property of Potash Corp and CN Rail; however, the bottom line is the Mayor says the beleaguered beach will stay open.

There's also been talk of linking up the beach with the Harbour Passage--but there are no concrete plans at this point for how that could happen.

ZoneSJ To Address Years Of Unchecked Urban Sprawl

Years of unchecked urban sprawl have resulted in low population density for the city of Saint John--which means we can afford fewer quality services like transportation, recreation, and infrastructure. 

 Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News under the new draft zoning bylaw ZoneSJ we'd be looking more to what successful cities are doing and applying it here at home. Portland, ME, for example has 11,000 people per square kilometer versus Saint John's
70,063 citizens over an area of 315.82 square kilometres in 2011.

Considering three-quarter's of the city's land mass is rural, the mayor says ZoneSJ is about improving quality of life for everyone in the city. Now that the public feedback sessions have taken place there will be further refinements made the the bylaw before it can officially be adopted in early summer 2014.

The CAA Offers Winter Driving Safety Tips

Driving can be tricky when the temperature dips below zero, but the Canadian Automobile Association has some tips on getting around safely this season. 

Gary Howard of the CAA says firstly its important both you and your vehicle are winter-ready. Howard also says you have to remember it's not just you on the roads so when you are driving in bad weather, drive defensively. And you should also adjust your driving to the weather conditions as posted speed limits are only for ideal driving conditions.

He says you should also know you need more braking distance when roads are slippery no matter what type of vehicle you have. For even more safety tips on safe winter driving from the CAA, click here.

$1.5M Worth Of Damages In Unsolved Arson Case

The RCMP in Minto are looking for information about the destruction of some forestry equipment in Hardwood Ridge.

Yesterday morning, a wood chipping machine and a skidder machine were found burned about 13 kilometers out on a logging road between Minto and Chipman.

It's believed the equipmen, which belonged to a private company, was deliberately set on fire. The damage is estimated at $1.5 million.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Minto RCMP at 506-327-1820. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at www.crimenb.ca or 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Mounties Charge One Of Their Own

A 50 year old Mountie is facing charges following a drug trafficking investigation by Nova Scotia RCMP that began in January of this year.

Constable Albert Michelin was charged with one count of trafficking cocaine and two counts of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.  

He has been suspended from duty with pay since earlier this year  because of unrelated code of conduct investigations.

Before his suspension, Michelin has been posted on the Tobique First Nation since 2010.

VIDEO: South End Church Demolished

A disused church in the South End was demolished today to make way for a new shelter for at-risk and homeless youth.

The St. James Anglican Church on Broad Street had been empty for seven years before the Anglican Diocese donated the site to Safe Harbour Transitional Youth Services.


The church was over 140 years old, but wasn't in good enough condition to be saved.

Community Development Coordinator Jenny O'Connell tells CHSJ News it's a much-needed project.

The youth shelter will be the first of its kind in New Brunswick and is expected to be operational by next summer. 

Check out a video of the tail end of the demolition here. 

Fire Department Warning About Portable Heaters

Portable heaters will be used over the next few months by many people to keep warm as the temperature drops but you have to be careful where you place them to avoid setting your home on fire. 

Divisional Fire Chief Mark Wilson says they can be a fire hazard and should be kept at least three feets away from combustibles, things like your furnace, fireplace and woodstove. 

Portable heaters should also be switched off when you leave the house or turn in for the night.

Job Subsidies To Rich Corporations Being Questioned

Some eyebrows being raised over whether the Alward Government should have given T-D a subsidy of 2 million dollars in training costs for the creation of 275 jobs at its insurance call centre on Rothesay Avenue over the next three years.. 

The Atlantic Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News it smacks of desperation on the part of the provincial government and calls it a race to the bottom, saying if you do it for one company, other firms will expect subsidies as well. 

Lacey also points out T-D isn't exactly strapped for cash having reported a profit of 1.6 billion dollars.

He says a better long term strategy is to create a workforce who are so skilled, companies will want to set up shop to take advantage of their skills.

2014 Sculpture SJ Expands To More Communities

Bigger & better...that is the plan for the return of Sculpture SJ next year.     

After a year off, the event will feature more regional locations that will end up with a new piece of public art.

Organizer Dianna Alexander says 8 communities will take part which are Hampton, Sussex, Grand Bay-Westfield, St. Andrew's. Blacks Harbour, Saint John Waterfront Development and the Grandview Avenue campus of the New Brunswick Community College.

Hampton's Jim Boyd will be taking part again next year and two of the artists from the 2012 event will be chosen to be return.   

Sculpture SJ 2014 runs August 7th to September 20th in the Coast Guard parking lot on Water street.

UPDATED: Suspicious Package at UNB Saint John

A tense situation on the campus of UNB Saint John where the discovery of a suspicious package late this morning forced the evacuation of the UNB field house.

Staff Sergeant Mike King of the City Police tells CHSJ News there is a return address on it which they are looking into. City Fire's Haz Mat unit was called in just before 11am.
 
King says they can't say what the package looks like, or what is inside the package at this time, but he does say no threat has been issued.

UPDATE: Platoon Chief Peter Saab of City Fire says a CBRNe unit, which is an RCMP division specially trained to deal with suspicious packages, has just arrived from Halifax and they are getting ready to examine the package.

Saab says the package was isolated in an overpacked barrel in the meantime.

Norton Hopeful Toronto Meeting Will Bear Fruit

The Mayor says last Monday's meeting in the Big Smoke is already bearing fruit.
 
Mel Norton and a business contingent from the City were hosted by former Premier Frank McKenna and Scott McCain.

He tells us both his office and Enterprise Saint John spent time last week reconnecting with the business leads made in Toronto.

He says they sent out an email and will also by following up by phone.

Norton says they are doing everything from asking businesses to bring some jobs here or even think about bringing your company's annual meeting here to fill up the City's hotels and restaurants.

Car Crash In Musquash

The Musquash Fire Department responding to a single vehicle collision early this morning shortly before 6 on Route 790 near the Wetmore Creek Rd in Musquash. 

A car left the road and struck a culvert. The driver was transported to hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries.