Council and Enterprise Saint John To Form Economic Task Force

A new beginning for city council and Enterprise Saint John -- that from Mayor Ivan Court.

The two will be forming an economic task force to explore what is the best model for economic development for the city.

This comes after heated comments around the council horseshoe with several councillors saying Enterprise Saint John isn't pulling their weight.

Court says it's time to look ahead and put the fighting behind.
It's being recommended that the mayor, several members of council, the Chair of Enterprise Saint John, the Vice-President of UNB Saint John, and others make up the board with a report completed by April 30th.

Coast Guard Plans To Stay In City

The Coast Guard plans to maintain a presence in the city even though Common Council has approved an agreement to purchase the high profile property on Water Street.
A spokesman for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans tells CHSJ News the agency will continue to operate at the current location - at least for now.

The city is purchasing the property in two phases -- and -- the spokesman says the department will eventually call for tenders to lease a facility -- a process that could take up to 15-months to complete.

The Hardman Group is waiting to finalize a deal to begin retail and commercial development at the site as early as later this year.

Conservation Officers Bust Black Market Moose Meat Business

A number of people and businesses in the eastern part of the province are facing charges under the Fish and Wildlife Act after a crackdown on an illegal moose meat operation.

Provincial Natural Resources officers have seized over 15-hundred pounds of moose meat - moose parts - cash - and - various butcher shop equipment.

The bust is the result of an 18-month special investigation by conservation officers.

Don't Leave Pets Outside In Cold Weather

Fluffy and Spot should not be left outside overnight in the winter months.

The SPCA Animal Rescue League alerting the public to the dangers of leaving your dog or cat outside in bone-chilling cold or in a storm.


Executive Director Kari Poore tells CHSJ News pet owners should be aware of how long their pet is outside.
She says their fur coat doesn't protect them all the time, watch they don't stand on snow and ice for too long as that can lead to cracked foot pads and bleeding or frostbite. She adds you can buy booties for your pet's feet and creams to heal the cracking.
You can adopt two cats for the price of one this month with a single $50 dollar donation to the Saint John SPCA Rescue League.     For more info, click here

We Think We Are Healthy But, We Are Not

We think we're healthy but 90 per cent of us have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. That's the disconnect according to the latest report from the Heart and Stroke Foundation which concludes we're in a state of denial. Saint John registered dietician Christine Roherty tells CHSJ News changing your diet and eating five servings of fruits and veggies a day isn't as hard as you might think.

She says they want to look at this in a positive way and have people eat more fruits and vegetables, reduce the salt and eat more whole foods and less processed and packaged foods.


A good rule of thumb is that half your dinner plate should be taken up with vegetables and one glass of tomato juice, for instance, accounts for two servings of veggies.

One Man Dies And Highway Closed At Lawrence Station

One man is dead after a transport truck failed to make the turn where Highway 3 meets route 127 at Lawrence Station.

The highway had to be closed and the area evacuated as a precautionary measure until it was determined how dangerous the chemicals on the truck were.

The people who had to leave their homes were allowed to return last night.

The name of the driver who died has not been released yet.

Sale of Coast Guard Site Complete

The city now holds the deed to the coast guard site on Water street, paving the way for condos, a hotel, and retail development on the waterfront property.

City Manager Pat Woods says it's a major step forward for waterfront development.

The city paying 2.8 million dollars for the land, which includes all of the buildings.  Work is expected to begin later this year.

Friends of Rockwood Park Happy with Decision

The Friends of Rockwood Park, a group that has been very much against encroachment into parkland, is very happy with the death of the project.

Joan Pearce tells CHSJ News the next step is to have the boundaries of the park legally defined.

She says the current boundaries are very arbitrary and needs to be researched.  Until that is done, she adds, the threat of development on park land will always be there.

No Development Along Rockwood Park

Common Council putting to bed the hot button issue of residential development along Rockwood Park.

Land around University Avenue, the Cherry Brook Zoo, and Sandy Point road being considered for development but council voting not to go ahead with a public hearing on the matter which quashes the project.

Councillor Gary Sullivan says while he's in favour of the project, there has been a lot of public outcry against it.

However, Councillor Chris Titus says a public hearing is the most democratic process and making decisons based on public emails is a disservice to the institution of council.

Titus and Councillor McGuire voting against shelving the public meeting.

A Sweet Visit To St.Stephen

Your school or hockey team can take a sweet trip to St. Stephen any time of the year.
The Chocolate Museum offers groups tour all year round and open for the season on March 1st.
Manager Sarah Goulding tells CHSJ News when you come in you are greeting by a tray of chocolate.

Goulding says the Ganong Brothers have several firsts to their credit including creating the first chocolate bar and the first heart-shaped box which was put for Christmas not Valentine's Day.
For more info,go to www.chocolatemuseum.ca

Man Faces Charges For Driving While Drinking And Suspended

RCMP responding to a disturbance in Sussex yesterday discovering a pickup stuck in a snowbank.
A 27 year old man from Apohaqui was arguing with two women outside the truck.

The man failed the Breathalyzer blowing over twice the legal limit. Police later learning he was also suspended from driving.
He was held until he was sober and is due in court at a later date.

Deadline Approaching To File For Disaster Assistance

If you registered damage to your home from the December storm's, the deadline to submit your form is coming on Friday.
All completed application forms must sent to the Provincial Emergency Measures Organization to apply for financial assistance.

Over 1,700 people have registered their damages with all properties being inspected. Of the 400 people submitting their applications for financial assistance, about one-third of the claims have been settled.
Adjusters continue to assess damages and examine claims and the provincial government is asking for patience as this process takes time.


If you need help completing the forms, call the Emergency Measures Organization at 1-800-561-4034.

Common Councillor Comes Out In Support Of Redeveloping Part Of Lower West Side

The city wants to focus time and money on redeveloping Market Place West down by the port on the lower west side. The street takes a hammering from the big transports coming off the Princess of Acadia.

Common Councillor Chris Titus grew up there and says the fundamentals are in place for redevelopment with the squares, the ball field and the Carleton Community Centre with a playground already there so the city doesn't have to start from scratch.

The plans also would see new sidewalks. Titus says there is potential to attract new people to the neighbourhood.

City Police Investigate Shots Being Fired

City police were called to the lower west side last night after getting a report of shots being fire.

They arrested a man and woman. The man remains behind bars awaiting an appearance in court later today on a firearms charge.

Early this morning, police seized another firearm from a vehicle in the same section of the city that had been stopped for a breathalyser.

Mayor Plans To Seek Another Term

Saint John M-P Rodney Weston says he will be seeking your vote if there is a federal election this spring or summer as expected.

Even though it's some time off yet, Mayor Ivan Court tells CHSJ News he plans to seek another term when the next municipal election rolls around.

While acknowledging not everyone will agrees with the decisions he has made, Court says Saint John has to move forward or else this will be an old city for a long time.

He believes this will be a good year despite budgets being under pressure both for Saint John and the provincial government.

 His optimism is based, in part, on the number of inquiries being received by his office from businesses wanting to set up shop in the city.

Enterprise Saint John Says Raise For G-M Was Justified

A big bone of contention between Enterprise Saint John and some members of Common Council was the 21 thousand dollar raise given to General Manager Steve Carson at a time of belt tightening around City Hall.

Tony Goguen, who chairs Enterprise Saint John, tells CHSJ News that raise was in the works for sometime even though the optics were bad.

Goguen says Carson had not undergone an external salary review for 17 years and it was determined by an independent human resources consultant that he was being underpaid for the job he was doing.

Goguen does admit, in hundsight, Council should have been part of those discussions before the decision was made.

Open House On Shale Gas Exploration Generates Huge Interest

Hundreds of people turning out on the weekend in Sussex to hear about shale gas exploration. The big concern is what effect this will have on groundwater supplies.

While saying the number one priority is water, Natural Resources Minister Bruce Northrup tells CHSJ News the potential benefits for the provincial economy are huge with millions of dollars in royalties possible.

The big concern is with the hydraulic fracturing process in which water laced with chemicals and sediment is pumped into the ground to break up the shale.

Enterprise Saint John Holds Wellness Meetings

Enterprise Saint John teaming up with the Board of Trade and the Heart and Stroke Foundation for a workshop focusing on wellness at work.



Gina O'Rourke-Mackay tells CHSJ News part 1 was held last Monday.


She says they have a packed house with over 20 employers and she says the response is positive from a wide variety of industry who already have some wellness programs in place at their offices.


For more information on the workshop, you can email Gina O'Rourke-MacKay at gorourke@enterprisesj.com, call her at 648-4648 or visit their website at www.enterprisesj.com

Saint John MP Holds Pre-Budget Meetings

Saint John MP Rodney Weston and Senator John Wallace having a sit down with social, economic, and community groups in the city as part of the federal government's pre-budget consultations.

Weston tells CHSJ News the Prime Minister wants input from all communities as the federal budget shifts away from stimulus spending and it's certainly not lip service.

He says common themes gathered from the meetings include the need to reduce duplicity in service delivery, improve access to capital for small businesses, and more spending on infrastructure.

History Being Recorded

The first day of the Saint John 225 City Stories project goes today.

The idea is to have citizens share a story or memories about the Port City -- scribes will take it down and the tale will be uploaded to the City Stories website.

The event goes today from 10am to 12pm at the West Branch Library at Lancaster Mall.

You can also participate online at http://www.saintjohn225.com/