Renowned Heart Surgeon Defeats Liberal Cabinet Minister In Fundy-River Valley

In one of the biggest upsets of the campaign, A Conservative doctor has defeated an incumbant Liberal cabinet minister.

Dr. Jim Parrott defeated former Energy minister Jack Keir in Fundy- River Valley by a sizeable margin.

Dr. Parrott, a renowned heart surgeon, tells CHSJ News, the support was incredible especially since he was out of commission with a foot injury and couldn't really campaign door to door.
 
The new M-L-A will recuperating at home for 3-4 weeks after a foot injury.

Two Time Liberal Incumbant Defeated In Saint John Lancaster

(Saint John Lancaster Conservative M-L-A Elect Dorothy Shepherd)
                        (Photo by Brian McLain)

A West side business owner is responsible for another of the city's biggest upsets.

Dorothy Shepherd beat longtime Liberal M-L-A Abel Leblanc, who had won two consecutive terms, to win Saint John Lancaster for the conservatives.

Shepherd tells CHSJ News it's an exciting victory. Shepherd is thrilled with a conservative majority saying she found a lot of voters were undecided at the door with the big concern being property assessments.

One of her priorities is to increase use of the Lorneville Industrial Park.

Former Provincial Cabinet Minister Easily Re-Elected In Saint John Portland

(Saint John Portland Conservative M-L-A Elect Trevor Holder)
                           (File Folder)

The MLA for Saint John Portland is returning to the Legislature but this time he will be on the government side.

Trevor Holder defeating Liberal Dan Joyce to keep the riding for the Conservatives.

Holder tells CHSJ News he is looking forward to being on the government side again having served as a cabinet minister under then Premier Bernard Lord.

Holder goes on to say he feels good because he thinks the win is about building a better community and being on the government side is a better place to accomplish that.

He believes voters want a government that is focused on health care, poverty reduction, education and the provincial debt.

Conservatives Reclaim Saint John East With A Familiar Name

(Saint John East Conservative M-L-A Elect Glen Tait)
                  (File Photo)

A former fire chief and Common Councillor is now a newly elected Conservative M-L-A.

Glen Tait won the seat last night formerly held by Liberal Roly McIntrye.

He tells CHSJ News it will be new for him setting provincial policy.

Tait says going door to door he kept hearing of the desire for change with anger being voiced about Shawn Graham.
 
 Tait decided to run provincially after coming to the conclusion city councillors really don't have all that much clout when it's all said and done.

Longtime M-L-A Easily Re-Elected In Hampton-Kings

Longtime M-L-A Bev Harrison, described by some as an icon, was the first Conservative elected in last night's election.

Harrison tells CHSJ News this is his biggest win in the riding of Hampton-Kings in six or seven elections.
 
Harrison adds he thinks David Alward will make an excellent premier because he has a style that is consultative.

Saint John Harbour Goes Down To The Wire

(Saint John Harbour MLA-Elect Carl Killen)
         (Photo By Jim Hennessy)

For the time being, Conservative Carl Killen is the MLA-Elect for Saint John Harbour, beating Liberal Ed Doherty by nine votes.
The margin of victory means there is an automatic re-count. Killen tells CHSJ News, his exposure to municipal politics is one of the reasons for his decision to make the leap provincially realizing you do have very little power to change policy at the municipal level.


Killen says Saint John Harbour is the most interesting, challenging riding in the Province with great candidates and a wide demographic. No word yet from Elections NB as to the process for the re-count.

Saint John Fundy Has A New Face

(Glen Savoie Surrounded By Supporters)
        (Photo By Jim Hennessy)

The Conservative banner is flying again in Saint John Fundy.


Glen Savoie beat Liberal Gary Keating to re-claim the seat which hasn't been blue since Saint John MP Rodney Weston held it.
Savoie tells CHSJ News, as a new-comer to the political scene, he is expecting a lot of hard work.
Savoie says while going door to door, he was hearing a lot of discontent and people that wanted their voices heard.

Blaney Grabs Her Fourth Term

 (MLA-Elect Margaret Ann Blaney)
      (Photo By Jim Hennessy)

The riding of Rothesay has re-elected Conservative Margaret Ann Blaney for a fourth consecutive term.
Blaney defeated Liberal Victoria Clarke and says one of the issues she kept hearing at the door is rising property taxes.


Blaney says there are some good models out there the party will look at and bring the issue of property taxes it into the 21st century.

Upset In Quispamsis

(MLA-Elect Blaine Higgs And Wife Celebrate)
           (Photo By Jim Hennessy)

In what has to be considered one of the upsets from last night, Conservative Blaine Higgs beat Liberal Mary Schryer to take the riding in Quispamsis.
Higgs says he was greeted with a lot of resentment for Shawn Graham and the Liberals while going door to door including the failed NB Power-Hydro Quebec deal.
Giving all of the credit for his win to the campaign team, Higgs says he is ready to hit the ground running and wants to tackle the issue of the Province's rising debt right away.

Strike Lingers On For Armoured Car Workers

(G4S Secur-Cor Cash Solutions On The Picket Line)
               (Photo By Jim Hennessy)

It's day five of strike action by armoured car workers from G4S Secur-Cor Cash Solutions.


Members of the teamsters union hit the picket line last week after contract negotiations broke down. Union spokes-person Phillip Comeau tells CHSJ News, no sign of a deal at this point.

Comeau says he hopes the people working in the banks understand and would like to see both sides get back to the bargaining table tomorrow, at the latest Wednesday.

The union is looking for a three year contract, better wages and there is a 13% wage increase that is still out-standing from the now expired contract.


Workers are also refusing to be forced to take a polygraph test.

Common Council Defends Decision To Move Ahead With Meeting

The show must go on. That from Mayor Ivan Court as Common Council meets tonight for it's regular session depsite the Provincial Election.

Many are wondering why the meeting couldn't be held over with so many important issues on the agenda like the proposed parking garage for Peel Plaza.


Another matter is two council members, running in the Provincial Vote, won't be around the horseshoe.
Mayor Court tells CHSJ News, it's up to council to make decisions. '

Mayor Court adds with the Province putting up millions of dollars for the proposal, to him, this is a no-brainer.

More Discussion On Peel Plaza Parking Garage

Whether the proposed parking lot as part of the Peel Plaza development will go ahead comes up for a vote tonight at Common Council.
The Parking Commission is in favour.
Councillor Chris Titus chairs the Commission and tells CHSJ News he's hoping any of his fellow Council members who might be reluctant can be persuaded otherwise.
Titus also argues the new parking garage will not be a cold grey concrete structure but will have alot of colour and is mean't to better blend into the city's landscape.

Voting Day Around The Province

You have until 8:00 tonight to cast your ballot in the provincial election and to make it faster, you're being urged to bring along your voter information cards to the polling station.


Chief Electoral Officer Mike Quinn tells CHSJ News judging by the last provincial election in 2006, this Province has relatively high voter turnout.
Quinn is hoping to have a higher voter participation rate this time with the new measures that were undertaken to make voting easier and more convenient.
CHSJ News will have live coverage when the polls close with Bruce Weaver and Jason Stephen anchoring the desk and reporters all over Greater Saint John bringing you lots of reaction as the numbers start to roll in.

Sussex Health Center Getting Some Work Done

Crews have begun construction work at the Sussex Health Center, so the Horizon Health Network is giving heads up to anyone visiting the facility or is there for medical reasons.


The work is affecting public parking but not interferring with access to the Emergency Department and ambulance entrances.

Warning For Voters In Province From Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Voters in the province should forget about most of the promises they heard during the election campaign according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News there's one thing the winning party should do after taking power even though it may be a forlorn hope and that is to cut spending.

Despite denials to the contrary, Lacey says he wouldn't be surprised to see the H-S-T raised. Lacey says without hesitation, the province is broke.

Push To Be Made To Get CFL To Come To Saint John

(Chair of City"s Recreation and Leisure Services Committee Barry Ogden)

                                       (File Photo)

Now that the smoke has cleared from yesterday's CFL game in Moncton, the Chair of the City's Recreation and Leisure Committee wants officials to keep Saint John in mind.

Barry Ogden tells CHSJ News, why couldn't we host a game at the refurbished Canada Games Stadium. Ogden believes the artificial turf the Canada Games Stadium has gives us the advantage to hold all of the celebration in the same spot where Moncton has had to spread things around the hub city

A letter has been sent with the proposal to Mayor and Councillors along with the Destination and Marketing Board.

Regional Hospital Fundraiser Doing Well

It was unveiled back in April and today we get an update on ""The Give"" You might remember it's the Regional Hospital Foundations fund-raising campaign to replace the Rally Of Hope.

Executive Director Tim Cameron tells CHSJ News, the end is in sight. "The Give"" wraps up at the end of next month and Cameron says they are closing in on $600,000 dollars.

Cameron says everyone has really embraced what ""The Give"" is all about and the over-all costs are substantially lower which means more cash can go where it is needed.

The goal is $754,000 dollars to go toward the emergency and trauma departments. Cameron concedes ""The Give"" may not be as high profile as Rally but the overall costs are lower.

Some Close Races Are Expected In Saint John Area

(U-N-B Political Scientist Don Desserud)

                      (File Photo)

The speeches are over, the buses are parked and now it's up to the voters to decide who they want to be in charge of the Province for the next four years.

Political Scientist at UNB Saint John Don Desserud tells CHSJ News, the biggest factor is have voters been engaged over the past month.

Desserud says when he looks back at the campaign, he never saw a real debate on the serious issues and the two front runners, Shawn Graham and David Alward were overly cautious with what they said and did knowing how volatile the voting population is.

Desserud is speculating voter turnout today will be lower than it was four years ago but he expects some tight races in the Saint John area.

Voters In The Province Get Their Say Today

Elections NB is ready for what-ever the day brings as the majority of eligible voters head to the polls to cast their ballots.

Chief Electoral Officer Michael Quinn tells CHSJ News, allowing people to cast their ballots since the writ was dropped last month has proven to be a winner. Over 46,000 people cast a ballot in the advance polls and the overall numbers show there could be a record turnout.

Quinn reminds all voters to bring their information cards with them today as it makes the process go much quicker. The polls open this morning at ten and close tonight at eight o'clock.

CHSJ News will have live coverage when the polls close with Bruce Weaver and Jason Stephen anchoring the desk and reporters all over Greater Saint John bringing you lots of reaction as the numbers start to roll in.



Hunter Shot To Death

The moose hunting season finished up on the weekend with a tragic shooting. The R-C-M-P say a hunter died over the weekend about 160 kilometers northwest of Fredericton after he was taken to hospital after being shot by another hunter.

Police says they were called to the Perth-Andover Hospital o investigate what they describe as a ``hunting incident'' near the small community of Beaconsfield.

The Mounties say the unidentified 50-year-old man from Kilburn died in hospital as a result of his injuries.

Corporal Theirry Malenfant says police plan to interview five or six witnesses over the next few days but their initial belief is the shooting was most likely an accident.

Malenfant says two groups of hunters who knew each other had gone into the woods.

They were nearby each other at the time of the incident.