Chop Chop Food Festival Launch

The opposition Liberals are calling on the new Conservative government to protect the province's interests in the proposed takeover bid of the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan.


MLA Donald Arsenault tells CHSJ News at 1.7 billion dollars, the new mine the company is building, is the largest infrastructure project in the province right now.


With a major takeover happening right now, they just want to make sure the Alward government keeps an eye on it.
Arsenault says the Potash Corporation has been a major employer for 30 years and the new mine will provide up to 500 good-paying jobs for years to come.

K.V. Chamber Of Commerce Hands Out Awards

Several KV businesses bringing home some hardware after the Chamber of Commerce annual awards gala last night.
HomeStar Inc. won the Volunteer of the Year Award for their involvement in the one item food drive.
Culligan of Rothesay got an award recognizing the company 25 years in the town.

The Emerging Business of the Year Award winner was The Girls Bra Shop while McPhee's Home Bakery wins the Business of the Year.
Dairy Queen win the Community Impact Award and the Young Entrepreneur Award went to Jonathan Flemming of Maritime Truck and Trailer.

The awards handed out last night at the Riverside Golf and Country Club.

Body Found On Beach

Plenty of questions are being asked after a body was found on a beach on Grand Manan.

Someone was walking along the shoreline Monday when they found the remains. 
 

The body is at the Regional Hospital as forensic tests try to figure out who this person is along with the cause of death.

Traffic Change On King Street In Uptown

There is another change in the traffic pattern in uptown Saint John you should be aware of.

If you're coming down King Street past City Hall, you can no longer make a right hand turn on to St. Patrick Street when the light is red.

City Staff evaluated the area after getting several requests to do so and they feel this new rule will reduce the risk of someone getting hit trying to cross St. Patrick Street. 

A new set of traffic lights was installed and signs are supposed to be up as a reminder as well for drivers.

Mayor Applauds Initiative Of New Minister Of Local Government

(Mayor Ivan Court)
    (File Photo)

The new Minister for Local Government Bruce Fitch has announced he wants to move ahead with the Finn report which has been sitting on the shelf since 2008.

It was set up by the previous Liberal Government to bring forward recommendations on reorganising local government.

Mayor Ivan Court tells CHSJ News this is good news for Saint John if it comes to pass because it will improve the city's bottom line. Court says the report recommends greater regionalisation but not amalgamation with the exception of Campbellton.

The Mayor goes on to say the unincorporated areas have not been paying their fair share of taxes.

Blood Services Unions Meet In Saint John

Blood Service worker representatives from across the country are meeting in Saint John over the next two days.


Many issues are up for discussion including the pending move of Canadian Blood Service's production lab out of Saint John to Dartmouth.


Cupe rep Mike Davidson tells CHSJ News, he isn't convinced this is a done deal yet.


Davidson says in recent talks with both Provincial Government and Medical officials, neither side is wavering on it's belief the lab should remain where it is in Millidgeville.


The meetings continue at the Hilton until tomorrow.

Quispamsis Comments on The Cherry Brook Zoo

No takers from one municipality on the issue of the Cherry Brook Zoo becoming part of the Regional Facilities Commission.


The zoo made a presenation to Quispamsis council this week and when a motion was called for on the issue, no councillor would show support.


Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News, he realizes the zoo needs some financial stability but points out if the town does or doesn't give them cash for the coming year, that in no way indicates whether or not they are in favor of them becoming part of the Regional Facilities Commission.


The Zoo's Director Lynda Collrin says the zoo needs stable year to year funding to be accredited. Last year, it received 60 thousand dollars from the city.

Gas Prices In City Go Down

Drivers in the city are paying less for gas after the weekly setting. The price of self serve regular is going for $101.4 a litre, down by over a cent. Diesel is also less expensive by a cent a litre at $107.3. Heating oil is at 93.5 cents a litre, which is a bit of a reduction, but propane is higher with the maximum listed price at $108.5.

Study On Depression Underway In City

A Saint John doctor is conducting a study on depression to find the most effective treatments for it.
Dr. Rachel Morehouse tells CHSJ News it's for significant depression.

She says it's not for a little sadness but the kind of depresssion that prevents people from working and being able to function.

Morehouse says people wouldn't hesitate to tell their doctor if their have pain in the knees but, are ashamed or guilty to tell their doctor about how they can't eat or sleep due to depression.

For more information on the study, call 648-7176.

The Saint John Volunteer Centre Is Looking For Volunteers

The Saint John Volunteer Centre hosting its annual recruitment fair today.

Over 30 agencies will have representatives on hand over next two days at Brunswick Square.

Eileen McLaughlin tells CHSJ News if someone comes in offering to volunteer, the centre has many options for them.

She says on any given day they have 150 volunteer jobs to choose from.

The recruitment fair runs from 10am to 5pm both today and tomorrow on level one of Brunswick Square.

For more information, check out: http://www.volunteercentresj.com/index.aspx

Blueberry Hill Meeting

The Nature Trust of New Brunswick and the Friends of Blueberry Hill want you to attend a meeting on restoraton projects for the area.
The Trust took over ownership of the project last July and began a major project of removing culverts from Henderson Brook.


The groups have news on future plans and how the public can help move the project forward.

The meeting gets underway in the Grand Bay-Westfield centrum at 6:30.

Home Sales Down Last Month

The Saint John Real Estate Board says home sales for last month are just below levels last September but, the decline was smaller than in the previous two months.

Home sales numbered 169 units last month, down 7 per cent from a year earlier.

President of the Saint John Real Estate Board, Jason Stephen says while the improvement in September sales is a sign demand is starting to stabilize, activity remains below where it was earlier this year.

Cherry Brook Zoo Says It Needs Stable Funding To Be Accredited

Cherry Brook Zoo is making the rounds asking municipal councils in Greater Saint John for funding as it seeks to be accredited.

The zoo's Director Linda Collrin says Cherry Brook needs stable year to year funding for that to happen and claims 150 thousand dollars in total municipal funding would be enough. She made her pitch to Quispamsis town council which referred the request to its finance committee. The town gave the zoo 5 thousand dollars this year. The city gave the largest amount ........60 thousand dollars.

Collrin points out the zoo raised over 300 thousand dollars so it's not depending solely on the public purse. The zoo is holding a Scary Brook Zoo fundraiser this weekend for young people prior to Halloween.

Conservation Council Denounces Federal Approval Of Pesticide

The Conservation Council is raising the alarm bells over federal approval being given for use of the pesticide "Alpha Max" to kill sea lice at salmon farms in the province.

Matt Abbott of the Conservation Council tells CHSJ News Environment Canada had been concerned about its use and what sort of effect it will have on the marine life in the Bay of Fundy. Abbott complains about having difficulty in getting information about the pesticide prior to its approval.

He also claims the sea lice infestation is a sign of the unsustainability of aqualculture. Abbott charges the pesticides being used in aquaculture are posing a threat to the multi-million dollar traditional fishing economy of coastal communities.

Cruise Ship Passengers Quarantined After Getting Sick

Something like 49 people out of more than 3000 on board the Caribbean Princess which will be docking in Saint John this morning have come down with what is described as a flu-like gastrointestinal virus.

They will be quarantined and have to stay on board. Harbourmaster Captain John McCann tells CHSJ News Health Canada is well aware of the situation as is Public Health. Not all of the passengers can be screened so tourism operators in the city have been given the heads up to take precautions.

Tourism operator Beth Kelly Hatt, owner of Aquila Tours, says there are risk management procedures in place whenever something like this happens, especially on a ship where illness can easily spread. If about 15 per cent of passengers were sick, the ship would not be allowed to tie up.

Another Potential Candidate Is Eyeing Seat On Common Council

(John Campbell)

   (File Photo)

There may be two candidates running for Carl Killen's vacant seat around the horseshoe at Common Council.

John Campbell is considering a municipal run.

Campbell tells CHSJ News says many people have told him it's the logical next step after running unsucessfully in Saint John Harbour as an independent candidate.

Small business owner Anne Marie Mullen, who has also given provincial politicics a try, has confirmed she is running for the seat at Council after being urged to do so by people in the riding.

Campbell says he decide for sure over the next couple of days.

December 13th is the unofficial byelection date.

Dumpster Fire In The North End

A lucky break when City fire crews returning from another call in Millidgeville came across a dumpster fire in the North end.
The dumpster is located across from 177 Adelaide street and had the crews not spotted it, may have caused a nearby building to catch fire.

Acting District Fire Chief Mark Wilson tells CHSJ News with the number of vacant building and recent fires in the North end, they are being extra vigilant.
The owner of the dumpster is being told to remove it from the area for being too close to the building.

Doctor Says Our Rivers Are In Crisis

Rivers in New Brunswick and around the world are in severe crisis because of pollution, dams, loss of wetlands, agricultural runoff and a changing climate. That message will be delivered tomorrow night by Dr. Stuart Bunn at U-N-B Saint John. A sobering new report, co-authored by Dr. Bunn, has been published in the journal "Nature".

He says the threat is moderate to low in this province and the maritimes because it doesn't have the same level of land use or urbanization of other parts of the world.

Having said that, Dr. Bunn says the concern over the disappearance of wild Atlantic salmon shows steps have to be taken locally. He will be speaking at the Hazen Hall Lecture Theatre tomorrow night at 7.

Open Letter Goes To Councils

The pension plans of Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton is on the mind of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in an open letter.


It is in regards to the growing cost of public sector pensions and what they say is the courage required to reform them.
The group also points out that asking taxpayers to close the shortfall in public sector plans at any level of government is not the way to do this but de-indexing is a start.
City Manager Pat Woods says short-falls left un-resolved in the City pension plan could result in a nine to ten million dollar additional yearly payment which translates to a tax hike that could reach as a high as 17 cents.