Saint John Police are on the scene after a enterprising criminals used the white-out conditions in the uptown to their advantage. A coin and collectibles business on King Street had its window smashed out and some items were taken.
There was also damage done to the door of an adjacent clothing retailer.
It truly is a dire situation on the roads out there.
Sergeant Jay Henderson of the city police is stressing once again: if you don't have to be out on the roads, you should absolutely not be driving.
There are multiple tractor trailers that have been abandoned or crashed on the highway, as well as many cars abandoned uptown, which could interfere with snow clearing. Police cars have also gotten stuck.
Police services are down to bare bones with 1 car on each zone for emergency calls only, and even tow trucks are being taken off the roads.
About 523 people are currently without power in the province and that number may continue to climb with high winds expected throughout tonight and tomorrow. Throughout the day the numbers have fluctuated from a few hundred to as many as 1,700.
Most of those outages are in Grand Manan although there are some in the Sussex area as well. Gerrish says they've touched bases with local contractors and have crews at the ready to respond as winds and storm conditions intensify.
You can check on the status of current outages using this link
CHSJ's Julia Wright went out
walking in a winter wonderland, capturing the wild winds and dramatic
snowfall we've been experiencing in the uptown today.
Each year an average of 15,500 people learn they have epilepsy....but due to the stigma surrounding the disorder, many are reluctant to admit it or to seek treatment.
Today is Purple Day which aims to increase public awareness of epilepsy.
It's not a day to be driving unless you absolutely have to--and just in time for the latest spring storm, MLA Bill Fraser and Transportation Minister Claude Williams butted heads in Question Period over provincial roads and highways are kept clear enough.
Fraser claims the Tories paid big bucks to a consultant who advised cuts to plows and sanding--but Williams says the Fraser needs to get his facts straight because there haven't been any cuts.
Taxpayers have been complaining according to Fraser....but the transportation minister says CUPE hasn't forwarded the complaints to his office.
Quispamsis Council is supporting the decision to change the role of volunteer firefighters which has caused some controversy in the Kennebecasis Valley.
Mayor Murray Driscoll is hoping Fire Chief Bill Ireland is correct when he estimates the fire department's new model is expected to save 75 thousand dollars.
Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop has questioned whether removing volunteers from front line fire duties will save any money.
Driscoll says one problem has been the availability of the volunteers when they were needed because of their other commitments since you never know when a fire will break out.
The winds have picked up in Uptown Saint John and it's snowing.
Environment Canada reporting wind gusts of 71 km/hour at noon. A blizzard warning remains in effect with 20-30 centimetres of snow today and another 10 centimetres tonight.
City police are telling motorists to stay off the roads today due to poor driving conditions.
Many employers told their workers to stay home today or their offices are closing early.
Flights are delayed or cancelled at the Saint John Airport so best to check ahead before making the trek out in this weather.
To see our growing list of cancellations, click here
Some thieves have been literally ripping off parking meters in the uptown, with 19 meters stolen on Sydney and Charlotte Streets since January of this year alone to the tune of over $10,000. That value doesn't include any of the money that would have been deposited in the meters.
Sergeant Jay Henderson explains the problem seems to be getting worse with 12 meters stolen in the last week, and 5 last weekend.
Police are asking anyone with any information that could assist them in their investigation is being asked to
contact the Saint John Police Force at 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at
1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
All schools in the Anglophone South School District from Sussex to St. Stephen, including Saint John, are closed today. Francophone South has closed its schools and the New Brunswick Community College in Saint John and St. Andrews is closed. Eastern College and Eastern Trades College are also shut down for the day.
In the Anglophone West School District, schools in zones 3 to 9 are closed today in Canterbury, Nackawic, Burtts Corner, Millville, Woodstock, Hartland, Debec, McAdam, Harvey, Stanley, Boiestown, Doaktown, the Greater Fredericton area including New Maryland, Keswick Ridge and Nashwaak Valley, Oromocto, Geary, Burton, Lower Lincoln, Sunbury West, Chipman, Minto, Cambridge-Narrows, Coles Island and Gagetown.
The forecasted storm will disrupt air travel in and out of Saint John today. The airport is reporting only two flights are scheduled to arrive.......The 10:54 morning flight from Montreal and the late one tonight at 11:25 from Montreal. The rest have all been cancelled.
Just three flights will be departing......The first two early morning flights to Toronto and Montreal and the one at 11:15 this morning to Montreal with the others being cancelled.
About seven hundred Saint John teachers and retirees showing up on M-L-A Trevor Holder's doorstep to talk to him about pension plans.
The rally being held outside Holder's constituency office and Peter Fullerton of the New Brunswick Teachers Federation their rallies are to make M-L-As aware there's a proposal on the table they believe is strong and credible, and they want the members to do their homework. According to Fullerton, Holder was given a letter asking him to confirm he's carefully read their pension reform counter-proposal.
Fullerton tells CHSJ News the only way you can solve the current pension problem is through collaboration, and that's what the organization is looking to do.
Provincial Finance Minister Blaine Higgs wants legislation passed during this session of the Legislature to change teacher pensions over to the shared risk model.
The New Brunswick government has announced it's selling off its 2006 King Air B200 aircraft for $2.5 million (U.S.) to part of Alberta's air ambulance service.
According to Transportation Minister Claude Williams, the sale will help the province meet its fiscal challenges.
The plane cost the province about $896,000 dollars annually.
With up to 40 centimetre's of snow on the way and a blizzard warning, Saint Johners need to get ready. Fire Chief Kevin Clifford tells CHSJ News everyone needs to prepare for 72 hours and potentially being without power meaning two litres of water per person and battery operated radios and flashlights.
Clifford says people should also have dry goods and small amounts of money on hand.
A blizzard warning has been issued with the snow beginning in the morning and the potential for near zero visibility.
For more info on how to prepare for the storm, click here and to see how the City is getting click here
A 38-year-old man was left cooling his heels in jail for the night after
causing a disturbance on Foster Thurston Drive early this morning.
City
Police got a call around 12:30 about a man standing in the middle of
the road who was putting himself in danger. When police arrived, the
driver was charged with refusing a breathalyzer and drunk driving.
He's now looking at a mandatory 90 day suspension of his driver's license suspension and a future date in court.
Lobster makes more money for Atlantic Canadians than any other fishery--and a summit kicking off tomorrow in Halifax will determine the future of that industry.
Fisheries ministers from all Maritime provinces, as well as over 200 fishers, processors and industry experts, will discuss recommendations from the Maritime Lobster Panel. The ideas include establishing an independent lobster intelligence institute, developing better marketing, price-setting, and a process for an industry levy.
The New Brunswick barbers and cosmetologists associations could be said to be splitting hairs over a bill determining whether you should can have both a hairdressing and barbering license.; however, for the professionals involved, it's serious business.
West Side barber Blaine Harris says he doesn't see why you can't have both.
Cosmetology student Glenda Grover says the current legislation is keeping her from doing the work she wants, because she has to turn away male customers seeking a shave and send them to a barber.
The cosmetologists say they're willing to amend the bill to make sure it doesn't bar anyone from practicing their chosen profession. A government committee is currently considering the motion in a closed meeting.
A synchronized swimmer, who went to the Olympic games in Beijing and London, offering her expertise to some young swimmers in the region. The Surf City Synchro synchronized swimming club brought in Tracy Little to work with them at the aquatic centre.
Little tells CHSJ News at her first olympics she was the underdog.
She says she has Olympians on her team telling her what to do and telling her how to handle the stress and how to perform and in Beijing she was the leader helping the younger members of the team.
Swimmer Anna Streeter says she joined because her sister was involved.
She tells us she wanted to do it because it looked so pretty.
The Surf City Synchro Club is hosting a national competition at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre in 2015.
A funeral service will be held Friday afternoon for 45 year old Cynthia Irving who was murdered over weekend in the south end. She was found dead when police were called to 205 Carmarthen Street on Sunday.
The funeral service will take place at Forest Hills Baptist Church on Friday at 2 in the afternoon.
Cindy, as her friends called her, worked as a pharmacy technician at the Superstore in Millidgeville and leaves behind 4 children and a grandson.
Her husband, 53 year old Joseph Paul Irving has been charged with second degree murder.
Environment Canada issuing a special weather statement warning of blizzard conditions during the day tomorrow with near zero visibilty at times.
A very intense low pressure system is expected to track south of Nova Scotia, bringing with it strong winds and significant snowfall starting tomorrow morning. The heaviest snow will be in the south and east of the province with amounts up to 40 centimeters are expected.
The storm system will be moving out of our area tomorrow night.
No word on a cause yet but a family at Little Lepreau is now homeless after their house went up in flames. The couple and 12-month-old daughter are staying with relatives.
A van was destroyed by fire on Lakeview Drive early this morning. That blaze also caused damage to the siding and windows of a home that was nearby.
UNB students received a $200 credit on their accounts to balance out the weeks of classed they missed during the strike--but Mount A students might not be as lucky.
The strike at Mount Allison, which is in Sackville, ended February 17th, and the President's Executive Group at the university has recommended the students not be offered any tuition rebate.
The Student Union say they're disappointed with that decision and hope to overturn it at an upcoming meeting in May.
A study launched at First Steps Housing reveals every dollar invested into the program yields about six dollars in social value.
The facility for pregnant and parenting woman and their children received funding to be the province's first Social Return On Investment case study, and Executive Director Sharon Amirault tells CHSJ News many investors are looking for proof that their money is being well spent. The S-R-O-I method evaluates the work an organization is doing based on outcomes, instead of activity like the number of people that are coming through the doors. Through the study, it was also discovered that the long-term value of investing in First Steps far outweighs the short-term savings.
Anne Miller, the Director of S-R-O-I & Evaluation with the SiMPACT Strategy Group says First Steps is an emerging promising practice.
A second degree murder charge has been laid in the death of a woman in the city's South End.
53-year-old Joseph Paul Irving appeared in provincial court in connection with the death of 45-year-old Cynthia Irving who was found unresponsive and not breathing after police were called to 205 Carmarthen Street around noon on Sunday. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of her death.
City Police Sergeant Jay Henderson confirmed the two knew each other.
The matter has been set over until April 14 so Irving can undergo a mental health assessment.
Donating blood is a invaluable gift to cancer patients and their families, as well as people suffering from any number of other deadly conditions.
Katie Mitchell tells CHSJ News her dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given 18 months to live, and blood transfusions made a remarkable difference in his quality of life, as well as the length of time he survived.
The Tim Cameron Gift of Life Blood Donor Clinic will be on Saturday April 5 from 9am to 1pm at Canadian Blood Services. You can make an appointment to donate by calling 1-888-2-DONATE or by clicking here.
The Provincial Liberals will be coming to town next Saturday to hear what you have to say on how to turn the New Brunswick economy around for the better.
They'll be at the university looking for ideas. Provincial Liberal leader Brian Gallant tells CHSJ News from what he has been hearing so far, people around the province are pretty dissatisfied. He says what he hears from people is that the province is heading in the wrong direction right now.
The Liberals have a big policy convention scheduled April 26th in Fredericton and what emerges from that will form the party's platform going into the provincial election.
The New Brunswick Federation of Labour is calling for a moratorium on all shale gas development until environmental, safety and health concerns are satisfied.
Labour Federation President Patrick Colford tells CHSJ News doesn't see a lot of jobs being created by shale gas.
Colford also questions how many local people will be hired because he claims not a lot were when SWN Resources was doing its seismic testing a few months ago. He also says there should be no fracking until the First Nations give their consent to it being done on their traditional lands.
Fredericton police are continuing their investigation into the disappearance of 31 year-old Joshua David Jewett. Anyone with information in regards to his disappearance is asked to call the Fredericton Police Force at 506-460-2300 or Crime Stoppers. Joshua Jewett was last seen on Monday, February 10, 2014, in Fredericton.
He's described as:
· 5’9” tall
· Thin build, approximately 130lbs.
· Most likely has a beard or facial hair
· Has eye glasses, but rarely wears them.
· Brown shaggy hair that may be in a ponytail.
· Does not have tattoos, scars or other distinct features
Anyone with information about Joshua David Jewett is asked to contact the Fredericton Police Force at 506-460-2300 or Crime
An autopsy is being conducted this morning on the victim of an alleged murder in the city's South End.
According to Sergeant Jay Henderson of the Saint John Police department, that call reporting the woman's death came in to 205 Carmarthen Street around noon yesterday.
City Police blocked off the area as a crime scene and a 53 year old man has been arrested.
In an unrelated incident, a 19 year old man was also arrested for uttering threats and assault with a weapon at a home of Shillington Street. A 19 year old woman was injured. The suspect will be appearing in court later today.
What will become of Partridge Island in the future is a question many are now working to answer.
One of those people is Marijke Blok, who is the representative for the Irish community on the recently-formed Partridge Island committee. Blok says the work being done surrounding the island is not only good for the city but a great opportunity for New Brunswick.
The committee Blok sits on will be coming out with a report detailing a vision for the island in October, around the same time an engineering study on the breakwater is expected to be completed. Blok is in favour of fixing up the breakwater and also says she also likes the idea of an interpretation centre being on the island.
Saint John M-P Rodney Weston is throwing cold water on the report released last week by environmental groups that claim the number of jobs to be created by the Energy East pipeline will not be as great as politicians would have you think.
The Ecology Action Centre argues for every billion dollars spent on the pipeline project, just 166 jobs will be created. Weston maintains that sounds low to him which is why he's not putting too much stock in the claims.
The environmentalists say most of the crude coming from Alberta will just flow through Saint John and be shipped overseas unrefined. Weston, on the other hand, tells CHSJ the potential of the pipeline is huge since it will give the Irving Oil refinery a secure supply of Canadian oil.
The more people learn about shale gas, the more they will be opposed. So claims Jim Emberger of the New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance which is why the opponents of fracking have organised a series of public meetings that will start this week.
70 per cent of our listeners who responded to our CHSJ News poll over
the weekend say they don't have enough information about shale gas
exploration to make an informed decision, pro or con.
Emberger tells CHSJ News the industry has never been able to get a handle on the leaks from shale gas wells.
He claims there are wells in Penobsquis that are leaking and 5 per cent will leak during the first year with that rising to 30 per cent after five years. Emberger goes on to argue that's why Quebec instituted the moratorium on shale gas after discovering 19 of 35 wells had developed leaks.
A 53 year old man is behind bars after being arrested in the suspicious death of a woman in the south end.
City Police were called to 205 Carmarthen Street around noon yesterday. They're calling the death a homicide and the area has been taped off as a crime scene.
More details are expected to be released this morning.
Canada didn't win gold but Saint John is a big winner after the massive success of the 2014 Ford World Women's Curling Championship.
It's bittersweet for the local organizing commitee who sees three years of work come to end. An emotional Jeff Lacey, the host committee chair, is sad it's over but thrilled with how it all went.
Lacey tells CHSJ news the event is expected to have an economic impact in the range of 8 million dollars.
In the end, Switzerland beat Canada for gold but a huge red and white crowd at Harbour Station let the Rachel Homan rink from Ottawa know how much they were appreciated.
Canada didn't win gold but Saint John is a big winner after the massive success of the 2014 Ford World Women's Curling Championship. An emotional Jeff Lacey, the host committee chair, is sad it's over but thrilled with how it all went.
He tells CHSJ News he is so proud of the way the community came together to support the event from the volunteers, athletes, sponsors and fans.
In the end, Switzerland beat Canada for gold but a huge red and white crowd at Harbour Station let the Rachel Homan rink from Ottawa know how much they were appreciated.
Transit ridership has decreased by something like 5 per cent because of the downturn in the economy. That word coming from Saint John Transit General Manager Frank McCarey amid questions from Quispamsis Council about whether the town is getting its money worth with the Comex suburban bus service.
The town subsidises the suburban bus service to the tune of 180 thousand dollars a year.
53 per cent of suburban riders use the service on a daily basis. McCarey tells CHSJ News the best way to boost that percentage is by word of mouth because once commuters use the service, they stick with it.
More than 16 hundred people from the K-V work at the Regional Hospital and U-N-B Saint John or take classes at the university but their schedules are all over the map.
The "mean girls" stereotype isn't as true as you might think.
According to new research, boys are more likely to report being instigators of mean or cruel online behaviour, while girls are more likely to have mean things said about them.
37 percent of young people surveyed reported that someone has done something cruel to them online that made them feel badly and 11 percent of students called it a serious problem.
While boys were just as likely to spread online rumours as girls. girls were more likely than boys to post an embarrassing photo or video.
Right now, Charlotte County's Cooke Aquaculture isn't selling a lot of salmon or other seafood products in Korea, but that could change in the very near future due to the recently signed Canada-Korea free trade agreement.
That's according to Senior Executive Ross Butler who says it could be a game-changer. He says Korea is not a market for them today because the tariffs are prohibitive and this will present them with the opportunity to explore that market. Cooke employs about 500 people and produces about 60 million pounds of Atlantic salmon and 2 million pounds of trout each year.
City Police are investigating the suspicious death of a woman. Bystanders are saying she was murdered.
Officers were called to 205 Carmarthen Street around noon hour. One man has been taken into custody and police are taping off the area as a crime scene.
The coroner has been called in, and police forensics are on the scene.
Switzerland, skipped by Binia Feltscher, will be taking on Team Canada for gold at the Ford World Women’s Curling Championship.
The Swiss advancing to the finals after yesterday's 7-3 win over South Korea. The gold-medal game is scheduled for 7:30 this evening at Harbour Station.
The South Koreans will also be hitting the ice again today at noon for the bronze-medal game against Russia.
Six people being transported to hospital after a vehicle rollover on the East side.
Platoon Chief Forrest of the Saint John Fire Department says the people are suffering from various injuries as a result of the single-vehicle incident on Bayside Drive. Crews spent about two and a half hours on the scene.
City Police are now investigating the rollover, and they tell us they believe alcohol may have been a factor. Charges are possible.
