New Contract For Bell Aliant Employees

Bell Aliant employee's in Atlantic Canada have a new contract.

The company has worked out a deal with members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Atlantic Communications Council.

76 per cent have voted in favour of the agreement.

Officials with the company say with the new contract now in place, discussion of closing contact centers in Atlantic Canada that took place back in July is now off the table.


The new deal is good until December of 2014.

Saint John MP Firm In His Stance Against Gun Registry

(Saint John MP Rodney Weston)
          (File Photo)

The MP for Saint John is standing firm in his stance to vote in favour of getting rid of the long gun registry despite the pleas from City Hall.

Rodney Weston tells CHSJ news, he assumes this is an emotional subject for Prime Minister Harper because he has been told to get rid of it by voters.


Weston adds MP's should not be worried about the consequences from their leaders but more concerned about those imposed by the voters during the next election.

Saint John M-P Being Pressured on Long Gun Registry

(Mayor Ivan Court, Police Commission Chair Chris Waldshutz and Police Chief Bill Reid)
                             (Photo by Brian McLain)

Saint John M-P Rodney Weston finds himself under the gun to change his mind and vote not to get rid of the long gun registry.

A direct appeal is being made by Chris Waldshutz who chairs the Police Commission. He says the Police Commission is unanimously in favour of retaining the registry after hearing from Police Chief Bill Reid who likens having the information to working either in the light or the dark.

Mayor Ivan Court who's a member of the Police Commission as well as President of the Canadian Association of Police Boards maintains the issue has become too politicised and to vote against keeping the registry on that basis is unjustified to the point of irresponsibility.

Who Was the Winner Of Last Nights Debate

(UNB Political Scientist Don Desserud)
              (File Photo)

If the event was scored on debating points alone, Liberal Leader Shawn Graham is the winner of last night's debate.

That opinion from Political Scientist at UNB Saint John Don Desserud who tells CHSJ News, he wasn't very suprised to see the leaders center on David Alward who held his own.

Desserud adds there were no suprises from either Alward or Graham but was very impressed with what he saw from Roger Duguay, Jack McDougall and Kris Austin.

Knocking On Doors Getting People To Vote

My Voice.....My Vote is the theme of a campaign underway by the Saint John Votes Committee.
In conjunction with Vibrant Communities, they hope to increase voter turn-out in priority neighbourhoods by 10% with a door to door campaign.
Committee member Laura Basque from Cresent Valley tells CHSJ News, many of the people she has spoken with don't or have never voted because they feel their needs are and have been ignored.
Basque adds hidden polling station and a lack of transportation have been reasons for residents in the nrighbourhood not to vote in the past but with the Community Resource Center acting as a polling station, that shouldn't be an issue.

Conservative Candidate Speaks Out on Cresent Valley

With the far end of Churchill Boulevard still sitting vacant after homes in the area were torn down months ago, the Conservative Candidate for Saint John Portland remains focused on revitalizing the area.


Trevor Holder tells CHSJ News, the process for redevelopment of the area needs to ask the people who live there what they want.
Back in February, the Liberal party unveiled a 20-year, five phase proposal that would add over 1300 homes to the end of Churchill Boulevard where the older homes were torn down months ago.

Spotlight On MLA's Pensions

The findings of a new report by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation probuably won't come as a shock to many.


A study of MLA pensions show taxpayers pay close to $16 for every $1 contributed by politicians.


That means MLA pensions cost every person in this Province roughly $7.5 million each year.
CTF Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News, the madness has to stop.
The report makes two major recommendations including replacing the current MLA pension program with an RRSP style system and create a citizens panel to examine MLA pay and benefits.

Elsie Wayne Continues Road To Recovery

(Former Saint John Mayor and MP Elsie Wayne)
                (File Photo)

Learning how to walk again is the final hurdle for a former MP and Mayor of Saint John as she continues to recover from a stroke almost a year ago.
Elsie Wayne continues her physiotherapy and tells CHSJ News, she has been keeping a close eye on the Provincial Vote with no suprise as to who she is rooting for calling the Conservative platform a strong one.
Wayne says she will cast a ballot and loves getting out a few times every week for coffee at Tim Hortons to see people and chat.

Another Holdup In East Saint John

Another night and another armed robbery........City Police looking for one person after the holdup at the Petro Can on Loch Lomond Road.

The robber had his face covered and was brandishing a knife.

He ran off after stealing some cigarettes with no one hurt. 

No Housing Bubble In Saint John

(President of the Saint John Real Estate Board Jason Stephen)
                                (File Photo)

If you've heard recent reports about the housing market bubble about to pop -- don't be too concerned about the impact locally.

Saint John Real Estate Board president Jason Stephen tells CHSJ News the market here has been much more stable than other areas of the country where prices have skyrocketed. As a matter of fact, Stephen maintains buyers have a slight edge in the greater Saint John real estate market at the moment.

A report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is suggesting a lot of Canadians could be in trouble with high personal debt loads and mortgages many will not afford if rates rise to historically normal levels.

Water Tower To Be Built In Rothesay

(Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop)
            (File Photo)

The town of Rothesay's plan to build a second water tower is moving ahead. A deal has been signed with the Province to tunnel under the Mckay Highway.

 Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News, the tower will be built south of the Riverside Country Club on the opposite side of the McKay Highway and says under the Federal Infrastructure Program, has to be finished by March so the clock is ticking. 

Meeting Tonight In The K-V On New Francophone School

Parents with children eligible to attend a Francophone school in the K.V. are encouraged to attend a meeting tonight.

The Department of Education and District 1 have asked the parent group to be part of a school development planning comittee.

Marc Mathurin of the Parent's Group lobbying for the new school tells CHSJ News while they do not have confirmation a school will be built yet, he this calls this a positive step.

The meeting is coming up tonight at Francophone daycare in the KV, La Vallee Enchantee, on the Pettingill Road in Quispamsis.

Things get started at 7pm.

Brief Power Outage In The City Today

It's the kind of power outage you like to have....short.
The lights went out in the North End and Millidgeville for 28 minutes between 4 and 5 this afternoon.

Eric Marr of Saint John Energy tells CHSJ News the problem was a loss of supply with NB Power transmission lines to the Millidgeville substation.
The lines were rerouted and power was restored to almost 4600 residents.

Spreading The Word On The Dangers Of A Potato Gun

            (Picture Of A Home-Made Potato Gun)
                              (File Photo)

As the amount of damages continue to pile up around the metro area because of potato guns in the last month and a half, City Police are pointing out just how dangerous of a weapon it can be for both the victim and the user.
The gun can propel a potato, tennis ball of other objects at a speed that can do some serious damage or injury.
There also a danger to the person using the weapon or that is around it when fired.
Just a few years ago, A 21 year old man was killed in Sioux Falls, Iowa in when a Potato Gun exploded while being prepared to fire.

Grand Bay Westfield Man Is Missing

The search is on by RCMP for a missing Grand Bay Westfield man.


Officers tell us they were called to Nelson Lake last night to find an aluminum boat drifting in the water at seven o'clock.

The boat had two life jackets in it and the man has been missing since Sunday night.


RCMP also tell us the 46-year old man was neither an experienced boater or swimmer.

Highlights Of Speech On Business Development By People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin

Waiting For Word On Rothesay Arena

(Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop)
         (File Photo)

Town officials in Rothesay continue to wait for word from the Province about land needed for an expansion of it's arena.
The proposal has been on the table for years but Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News, until the property is signed over to the municipality, this is as far as it goes.
Bishop met with Liberal Leader Shawn Graham late last week who assured him the land will be handed over to the town.

Talking Business with Leader Of The Peoples Alliance

            (Peoples Alliance Leader Kris Austin)
                            (File Photo)

The leader of the People's Alliance party says it's time to stop offering companies grants to relocate here. Kris Austin says handing out grants isn't working - companies take the money and when the grants dry up - they close up and leave.


He thinks offering companies a tax holiday for a three year period is the better way to go.


Austin is also calling for a reduction of the regulatory jungle faced by businesses.

Update On Stabbing In Rothesay

A bail hearing will be held tomorrow for 21-year old Mary Lisa Carrier.


She is accused of attempted murder after a man was stabbed in the chest of a Scott Avenue apartment in Rothesay during the Labour Day Weekend.
Carrier has under-gone a psychiatric exam and has been found fit to stand trial.


Carrier hasn't entered a plea to the charge and this point.
Sargeant Craig McDougall with the Rothesay Regional Police Major Crime Unit tells CHSJ News, the investigation into the incident and whether the charge will be down-graded should be determined over the next week.

Party Leaders Debates Go Tonight

All five party leaders will take part in English and French debates tonight in what many are calling a decisive day in the Provincial Election Campaign.


Donald Wright is a Political Scientist at UNB and tells CHSJ News, with the latest poll showing a sizeable lead for the Conservatives, the pressure is on David Alward.


Wright adds all the leaders will attack the Conservative platform as well to try and find holes or contradictions.