Fire On West Side

Another fire early this morning at a building off the Dever Road. It was called in shortly before 5:00. 

Firefighters had to be wary in extinguishing this blaze after learning about the presence of propane cyclinders inside the building. 

This is the third such fire on the Dever Road in the last few weeks. The first of those fires destroyed an auto body shop.

A Crash Course In Life After High School

Deciding your career path is a pretty big decision.

Today, Grade nine students in Saint John got to check out their options...at The Unlimited Possibilities Luncheon...an event that goes together with "Take your kid to work day." 

Ryan Witt was one of the three young people who spoke at the event...sharing their personal experiences.

Witt tells CHSJ News, events like this are a great way for young people to see what's out there.

He says it's a great opportunity for kids to come and see what options they have for a career after they finish school.

Crack Falls Out Of Man's Mouth After Foot Chase

46 year old Stephane Giberson pleaded guilty to possession of crack for the purpose of trafficking , breaching curfew, and other charges including assaulting a peace officer and resisting arrest. The court heard officers saw Giberson wandering around the Coburg and Cliff Street area trying the doors or cars and when they ran his name found him to be breaking his curfew.

Giberson then took off running and officers chased him down to Garden Street and then onto another side street. When officers cuffed Giberson on the hood of a car a rock of crack fell our of his mouth. In court Giberson complained he's been having serious medical issues including grand mal seizures for which he needs to get treatment.

Judge Henrik Tonning suggested the running around at 4am with a mouthful of crack cocaine probably wasn't helping the seizures. Giberson has been released on a promise to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.

Seat Sale At Former Paramount Theatre

TransCanada's Alex Pourbaix In Saint John Tomorrow

There will be more talk of the Energy east pipeline and how 2014 looks to be shaping up in our province.
 
The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council annual conference is coming up in Saint John tomorrow.

TransCanada's president of Energy and Oil pipelines will offer the keynote address.

Alex Pourbaix is expected to discuss the important role that energy infrastructure plays in
ensuring that everyone can safely and reliably benefit from our energy resources.
 
A panel featuring the VP of New Castle Hotels and Resorts will be discussing the Algonquin Hotel in St. Andrew's.

Saint John Hosting The Best College Soccer Teams From Across Canada

If you like top notch soccer, you have to chance to see some quality play live at the Canada Games Stadium through the weekend.  Matches are underway.

The U-N-B Saint John Seawolves are hosting a national tournament featuring the best college teams from across the country. 

Seawolves coach Jason Brown says being at home can be an advantage but on the other hand there's a lot of pressure from family and friends to do well. Brown says the Seawolves will have to pick and choose their moments when they want to open up the game. 

U-N-B Saint John will play its opener against Humber College from the Toronto area this afternoon at 5:30. 


Brown says this tournament will afford younger players a gold opportunity to see what they should be aspiring to.

Premier Needs First Nations To Be On Board

If the Alward Government doesn't get the First Nations on board, shale gas exploration isn't going anywhere. That word coming from Carl Wolpin of Hampton Water First who points to the native cases that have gone to the Supreme Court, all of which have been upheld.
 
Wolpin also argues there has been a huge increase in the last couple of years in the number of New Brunswickers who are questioning whether shale gas exploration with fracking can be done safely, rising from 5 per cent to something like 70 per cent.

Stephen Wants To Change His Guilty Plea

A hearing in the case of 65 year old Gregory Stephen....the Saint John man appeared frail in court as he appeared to answer to charges he robbed the Bayview Credit on the West Side.

Stephen telling the court he suffers from chronic liver disease, was sleep deprived and wasn't in his right mind when he pleaded guilty and now wants to change his plea. He says he has periods of psychosis when he goes off the drug diazepam and was hearing voices when he was locked up for the bank robbery.

Stephen was also charged with theft from Shoppers Drug Mart....and says he doesn't even remember being read the charge so he wants to change his plea on that as well.

The robbery on September 3 resulted in the lockdown of 2 west side schools.

West Siders Hear About Future Direction of New Development In City

Reaction was generally positive on the west side at the second of the Zone SJ open houses to let Saint Johnners know what the city wants to do with future development over the next generation. 

West side Common Councillor Bill Farren tells CHSJ News he has heard from people in South Bay who are worried growth in their part of the city will be stymied under the new regulations. 

The meeting also heard a warning about having too much intensive development in the area around Quinton Heights because it might disrupt the existing stability of the land and cause problems for existing homeowners. 

The city was also urged to implement incentives like tax deferral to offset the upfront costs of redeveloping older buildings which can be steep.
 
Another open house will be held tonight at Lorne Middle School with the final one at Simonds High tomorrow night. They start at 5:30 with presentations at 6.

Former CN Employee Raises Rail Safety Concerns

A former machinist with the Canadian National Railway Company expressing his concerns to town council about inspection standards for our railways.

Quispamsis resident Bernard Beukeveld tells CHSJ News they should be inspected to the highest standards since hazardous materials are coming through our communities, but says they are currently only meeting the minimum requirements.

Beukeveld says train derailments like the deadly disaster in Lac-Megantic this summer, and the recent incident West of Edmonton, should be a wake-up call to cities and towns.

Deputy Mayor Libby O'Hara telling Beukeveld she shares his concerns. Council passing a motion to have a Table Top Emergency exercise to evaluate the response capability of the town to a rail incident next year.

Are Fake Cabs Trying To Abduct Women In Saint John?

You might have heard stories on social media about would-be abductors trying to lure women in vans or even fake taxis.

CHSJ News asked Police Chief Bill Reid once and for all what the truth is, and he wants Saint Johners to know there have been no such cases. Rather, he says it's a matter of something as simple as someone in a vehicle making a comment to a pedestrian that gets exaggerated and blown into something it isn't online.

The Chief says while some people find it interesting to speculate about crimes online after listening to the scanner, they actually end up wasting police time as the police then have to try to correct the misinformation.

Alward Government Announces Plans For 2014

Anti-shale gas development protests happening outside of the opening session of the legislature as the government announce their plans for next year.

Lieutenant Governor Graydon Nicholas says the Energy East pipeline project is a once in a generation opportunity and will improve the retain and return our workers. Nicholas says as TransCanada moves forward, the government will keep working with communities in New Brunswick.

He says the project will improve the quality of life for all New Brunswickers, including First Nations people.

Nicholas also touching on health in the province...saying it's no secret that we are facing serious wellness challenges in the province and more emphasis on community and home-based care is needed...he says the final touches are being put on a new home-first strategy.

Schofield Pleads Guilty In Court

44-year-old Brian Schofield pleading guilty to 2 counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The Public Landing resident had a half pound of marijuana, 3 cell phones, 136 meth pills, a Bacchus patch, brass knuckles when he was arrested as part of Operational J-Turmoil in August.

The crown described Schofield's operation as mid-level, while the defence stated he was simply giving pills and marijuana to friends.

The court heard he was buying meth pills in Moncton and then bringing them to Saint John and more information is expected to be given when he reappears in court on December 13.

Former Bacchus member Ryan Wallace also pleading guilty to possession of a firearm he wasn't licensed to own.   

Judge Henrik Tonning pointed out he didn't disrupt the public peace because he wielded the gun to defend his property from intruders...and when he realized it was the police he put it away. 

28 year old Lia Olde Damink also charged in that bust will also appear in court on in the spring. 

She's also charged with stealing medical supplies from her job at the Regional Hospital.

The Poppy Campaign Supports Vets, Students and More

While you may be on our your 2nd, 3rd or 4th poppy this year, no one ever seems to mind because of the cause. 

Proceeds donated for poppies every year go towards the needs of veterans and to pay for the Remembrance Day poem and essay contests and a whole lot more.
 
District Commander for the Saint John Legions Larry Lynch tells CHSJ News the poppy campaign year ends on September 30th.

He says any money left over can be used strictly for things like donations to charities and in the past they have donated to the Bobby's House hospice and to prostate and breast cancer research.

Lynch says the farther we get from the Great Wars and the Korean War..the more important it is to remember all vets including the most recent ones from Afghanistan.

Liberals Skeptical Of Tory Promises To Create Jobs, Grow Economy

Liberal Leader Brian Gallant saying the Alward government is going to use the upcoming session for political strategies.

He tells CHSJ News this means instead of trying to create jobs, and grow the economy...the government will focus on how to win the next election.

He says we'll see a lot of excuses as to why nothing has happened on the job front and social services over the past three years.


Gallant says the the Liberals want to see the economy at the forefront during the session.

Police Save A Man's Life in Champlain Heights

A dramatic scene in Champlain Heights this morning with City police officers saving the life of a man.

Officers got a call about a man with some issues and the officers located him in woods behind homes on Sherwood Drive.

The man was standing on a fort with a rope around his neck.    He jumped and when he did an officer caught him.

He was resuscitated by paramedics and taken to hospital.

Two Teens Face Trafficking Charges

City police arresting two teens for drug trafficking and possession near Simonds High.
 
Sgt. Jay Henderson says just after 10am yesterday (Mon.) police got a call about students with some pot.

He says officers found a group of men behind the Stu Hurley area.    Two of the men were found in possession of marijuana.

The teens also had drug trafficking paraphernalia on them.  

They are both facing criminal charges of possession and trafficking.  

Both have been released and are due before a judge at a later date.

Local Senator Opposes His Own Party

Rothesay Senator John Wallace arguing against his own party's motion in the Senate to limit debate on whether to suspend Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau. 

The motion passed, nonetheless, meaning there will be a final vote today.
 
Wallace along with his fellow Conservative Senators Hugh Segal and Nancy Ruth voted against. Wallace telling the Senate, limiting debate “would be a serious and significant shortcoming of natural justice”.

Wallace, Segal and Ruth argue cutting off debate would not afford the three senators at the heart of the spending scandal the opportunity to adequately defend themselves.

Disturbance At Uptown Subway

City Police responding early this morning to a report of a disturbance taking place at the Subway on King Street. There was some damage caused and a 35 year old man was arrested. 

He is looking at a number of charges which will include assault with a weapon and uttering threats. No one sustained any injuries.
 
Meantime, no one was injured in a single vehicle crash at Hammond River. Rothesay Regional Police say a woman will be facing a charge of impaired driving.

Toxic Chemical Released Into Bay

NB Power is reporting there was the release of light water from a valve on the non-nuclear side of the Point Lepreau plant into the Bay of Fundy Sunday which contained a toxic chemical known as hydrazine. 

NB Power says the levels of that substance were below federally recommended guidelines, above which, marine life and the ecosystem could be affected. 

More testing was done yesterday. NB Power is reporting the level had dissipated to the point where the chemical could not be detected in the Bay. 

Hydrazine is used to help maintain the safety of the steam generators at the nuclear power station.