Certain big industrial facilities in New Brunswick--like those belonging to Irving--currently get their natural gas directly from the distribution system, bypassing the general franchise; however, that's going to change according to Energy Minister Craig Leonard.
Leonard says while those users have been instrumental to getting the system up and running, their contribution isn't currently proportional to their natural gas usage.
Charlotte the Isles MLA Rich Doucet questioned why the Gas and Distribution Act of 1999 is only being amended now, just a short while before the election. The change means that big users like Irving will be paying more.
Earth Day is a time when people think about cleaning up the trash that's been collecting in the woods and on the sides of road through the long winter. Graeme Stewart-Robertson of the Atlantic Coastal Action Group tells CHSJ News they give schools and other groups help on how to conduct a clean up and many are held this time of year.
He says it could be schools like Millidgeville North who is hosting one day and another clean up is taking place around UNB Saint John and the Regional hospital.
Stewart-Robertson says they are getting calls from people wanting to organize clean ups later in the week or next week.
For more info on ACAP...click here and for more on Earth Day...click here
The circus is coming to town--but not everyone is pleased about it.
Event planner Mark Burnett tells CHSJ News he certainly won't be going to see Cirque Mondo when they come to Harbour Station in June, because the circus uses elephants, buffalo, monkeys and other exotic animals.
We asked Burnett whether a circus can ever provide animals with a good life--to which he responded that these are wild animals and there's more to caring for them than simply having good intentions. A call to Cirque Mondo for comment has not yet been returned.
Even though things look pretty bleak right now with the state of the provincial economy, Yves Bourgeois of U-N-B Saint John's Urban Affairs Institute tells CHSJ News he's optimistic about the long term future if the province plays its cards right.
He goes so far as to say he thinks New Brunswick could becoming a driving economy in the country but it won't happen for another 10 to 15 years. The belief that a turnaround can happen in the next four years is unrealistic.
Economic Development Consultant David Campbell of Moncton says the province needs more information technology growth and there are some interesting initiatives happening in the cities.
He argues the role of government is to create the environment for new companies to start up and do well........It's not to do industry or even pick industries. Campbell says he's cautiously optimistic about the future economic prospects of the province.
Another delay in legal proceedings against the young man accused of robbing the Garden Street Circle K with a knife on April 4th.
The case of Stephen John William Hall has been set over until Thursday morning while he seeks legal advice. Hall, who is from Saint George, came into the gas station with the weapon and demanded cash. A police officer was injured when he slipped on the ice trying to track Hall down.
Well known Saint John businessman Robert McIntyre died unexpectedly at the Regional Hospital on Easter Sunday. He would have turned 67 next month. McIntyre was the owner and operator of McIntyre's Moving and Storage on St. James Street and it was said he may have moved half the city over the years. His funeral will be held at Brenan’s Chapel on Paradise Row this Friday morning at 10. You can drop by tomorrow for visitation from 6 to 8 in the evening and Thursday, from 3 in the afternoon to 8 at night.
With temperatures above zero for the next 48 hours. rain and continued snow melt over the next number of days, water levels could be increasing and staying above flood stage.
Locally, voluntary evacuation orders have been rescinded in Perth Andover--but ice jams along the Nashwaak River could move and cause flooding. There's a risk that the road to Darling's Island will be cut off by rising waters, but a plan has been place for residents to ensure they can get on and off.
Drivers should be on the lookout for deer and moose that may hang around roads if it provides them with a dry shelter. Stranded animals may swim to safety should they feel threatened. The public are asked to not disturb wildlife.
Many are pinning hopes on the construction of the Energy East pipeline but seem to forget the part where it doesn't actually have the green light yet. TransCanada will be submitting a formal regulartory filing to the National Energy Board this summer.
David Thompson of the Provincial Conservation Council says many questions will be answered when the NEB hearings take place.
He says the project will have to go through these legal hearings where people will have to register as intervenors if they want to participate in the hearings.
Thompson tells CHSJ News the NEB hearings won't to take place before the fall or even next year.
While the hysteria over the Heartbleed bug seems to be winding down, many of us are left scratching our heads wondering how or even if we can protect our personal information online.
David Shipley of UNB's I-T services says users should be taking online security into their own hands by educating themselves.
He tells CHSJ News there's a lot of information available to consumers about the security and privacy policies of the companies they're doing business with but many users just brush over terms and contract agreements and don't pay attention to the details.
He says some of those contracts can be pretty scary, giving companies permission to do a lot with your personal information.
Two university students are hoping to soon see their business plan for an aquaponics farm in Fredericton come to fruition.
Jake Wildman-Sisk of U-N-B says he and his partner Kristen Olsen haven't secured an investment yet but they've received several offers for their idea, which would produce fresh veggies and farm fish at the same time.
He tells CHSJ News he's surprised more people are using aquaponics systems, which is self-sustaining and environmentally friendly, but they're hoping once they implement their plan in the city, the idea will start to take off.
He says they will have to make some decisions but they are very excited about the opportunities and options they do have and to see what the summer brings.
Glass hanging star lanterns from home store Pier 1 Imports being recalled by Health Canada because they pose a fire hazard.
The recall affecting the red, amber and clear coloured lanterns sold from August of last year to February of this year. A metal tea light cup sits inside the metal and glass star which can melt the solder and cause the lantern to break.
More than 500 were sold in Canada. Pier 1 Imports getting four reports of the solder melting in the U-S and one in Canada. Health Canada has not received any reports of injuries.
The Chief Medical Health Officer for the province, Dr. Eilesh Cleary says you should be wearing rubber gloves while cleaning up after a flood and washing your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Use a good soap or detergent and lots of hot water when cleaning walls, solid floors and ceilings but not household bleach which can be ineffective because of what's contained in the flood water.
Solid wood or metal furniture may be cleaned with a household detergent solution. Water-soaked walls and insulation should be removed.
Wastes from the flood should be buried at least 15 metres or 50 feet away from the source of your water. Lime may be used before the wastes are covered with soil.
It might not be front-and-center on the radar of the average taxpayer, but it's still important
City Finance Commissioner Greg Yeomans says there are a number of city-owned buildings and garages that have fallen into a serious state of disrepair--and while they might not be visible, they're still important and a potential hazard.
Yeoman's referred to the expenses you don't see as the "ugly ducking" or the "poor cousin" of more high-profile, visible projects.
Frustration from a man who has spent the last 20 years living in Darlings Island over a decision to not bring in a shuttle boat as the community is under threat of flooding.
Ed Crossman tells CHSJ News there has always been a service to bring the residents to and from the mainland and he thought that was the case until receiving a notice the other day saying otherwise.
He says residents should have been given a week's notice and he would like to see a government official visit the island so residents can talk to him/her about the situation. Crossman says someone really dropped the ball on this one.
Darling's Island is currently under a voluntary evacuation.
Despite a lot of hand wringing about the number of young people who are leaving New Brunswick because of a perceived lack of opportunity, it may not be such a bad thing provided they don't abandon the province altogether.
Yves Bourgeois of the Urban Institute at U-N-B Saint John tells CHSJ News he has seen the expertise they learn elsewhere and the contacts they make be put to good use in New Brunswick for the benefit of the provincial economy with new businesses being set up.
The University of Moncton's David Campbell, author of the weekly blog "It's the Economy Stupid", says for every young person who leaves, you want to be attracting two others to the province. Campbell points out it's not all that unusual for young people to have wanderlust and seek adventures elsewhere.
Both Bourgeois and Campbell say those people who decide to leave the province shouldn't be made to feel guilty.
River Watch is reporting water levels will remain high and above flood stage in several areas but there's some good news for people in Perth-Andover.
Water levels remain high in the entire St. John River basin.
A large ice jam broke into two blocks in the upper St. John River and began moving. Water levels began going down along the river at Perth-Andover yesterday afternoon.
Water levels in Fredericton, Maugerville, Jemseg, Grand Lake, Sheffield-Lakeville Corner and Quispamsis are forecast to stay above flood stage over next two days.
The docks at Renforth and Rothesay after underwater but no streets have been closed in the Valley. The water levels remain high at Oak Point.
In the city, Beach Road, Ragged Point Road, Dominion Park Road and Lawrence Long Road have been closed.
