It's a Friday night without power for many New Brunswickers. The lights are out for over 5000 NB Power customers including Rothesay, Fredericton, Moncton and St. Stephen.
The utility tells CHSJ News outages are due to sudden high winds causing tree branches, and in some cases, trees to make contact with the lines.
Crews are working to restore power but, due to the elevated number of outages occurring at this time, restoration times will vary. For more, click here
Yet another funding annoucement in Saint John from the federal government, the third one in the last three days.
Saint John MP Rodney Weston giving $16,000 to the Community Autism Centre to assist in hiring a person with disabilities. Weston says the possibility of an election is nothing new for him.
Weston says it's clear the opposition parties want an election with all of them making demands on Ottawa and if they are not met, we go to the polls.
The Mackay Highway is not expanding to six lanes according to the Provincial government.
Transportation Minister Claude Williams says the government has concluded it is not necessary at this time. Williams tells CHSJ News significant savings will come from amending this project. He says they are at the end of negotiations with Dexter construction and while he doesn't have a firm number he says the savings are in the millions of dollars. The government is pledging to continue with measures that will reduce traffic congestion in the area. Upgrades will be made to the Route 111 interchange and selected ramps along the highway to improve access and safety.
Landowners giving Provincial Environment Minister Margaret Ann Blaney a standing ovation for the changes she announced in wetlands policy. Gone are the predictive layer and 50 metre buffer zone along with the reverse onus requirement for landowners to spend sometimes thousands of dollars to prove their properties don't contain wetlands. Blaney says wetlands provincewide will not be disappearing.
She says they are seeing a net increase in wetlands from 4 to 6 per cent and she hopes to introduce a new strategy early next year.
She also says permits will be required for alterations in or within the 30 meter buffer of a mapped wetland.
Mike Haines of Quispamsis is happy now that he won't be stuck with land he couldn't sell.
He says his family had a life plan set and he says the Department of the Environment with their previous wetlands policy really messed up with their one acre building lot.
David Thompson of the Conservation Council tells CHSJ News there are some issues that have to be addressed.
He says situations have come about in recent years costing the taxpayers millions of dollars particularly in coastal areas where roads and bridges have been built over marshes that are flooding. Thompson is also accusing the city of dumping ten thousand tons of rock on a wetland in Rockwood Park.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the provincial government has to make significant cuts to the public service in Tuesday's budget. The Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey describes it as financially unsustainable. Michel Boudreau of the Provincial Federation of Labour tells CHSJ News that's not what people were saying at the pre-budget consultations back in September.
He says they want a strong public service and he adds it's not about cuts but about revenue.
Boudreau questions whether you want to make cuts in education, healthcare and services for seniors. He says the government should not go ahead with tax cuts that had been announced by the previous Liberal government.
12 people are homeless after a fire in an apartment building at 168 St. James Street.
Firefighters found heavy smoke billowing from the building upon arrival.
No one was injured and the cause is under investigation.
The recent spike in gas prices has many people thinking a corresponding increase in taxi fares might be on the way.
Not yet-that from the President of the City's Taxi Advisory Committee.Christine Saumure tells CHSJ news no official discussion has taken place yet but that could change quickly.
Samure says should gas prices increase, she can see a dialogue happening between the advisory comittee and taxi stand owners to reevaluate the situation.
Many taxi drivers are implementing an anti-idling policy and it's working so well, we are told, one Saint John company isn't feeling the pinch from high gas prices whatsoever.
Saumure says there is no interest at this point in adding the gas surtage to taxi fares in the city.
The provincial delegation at a Florida cruise trade show wrapping up the experience with recognition for the City, the Port and a tour operator.
The Port of Saint John singled out for being one of the most improved port facilities in the world and for being a destination featuring the best tour guides on the final day of Cruise Shipping Miami, the world's largest cruise trade show.
The city of Saint John also gettting kudos for being one of the best organized destination experiences worldwide. Aquila Tours Inc. of Saint John also honoured for the 2nd year in a row recognizing their outstanding service to passengers, crew and ships.
An anti-bullying advocate has been appointed to the provincial Ministerial Advisory Committee on Positive Learning which was set up to deal with this specific issue.
Rob Frenette is co-founder of Bullying Canada tells CHSJ News the worst thing someone who is being bullied can do is keep quiet about the abuse.
Frenette says when you make others aware of what's going on, the bullying stops 90 per cent of the time.
He expects the provincial government will eventually bring forward legislation.
The new provincial wetlands policy will be spelled out tomorrow morning at the Lily Lake Pavilion by Environment Minister Margaret Ann Blaney.
She travelled around the province to hear what people had to say and tells CHSJ News it was tough to find the right balance between protecting the environment and not hindering development.
Without being specific about what the policy is, Blaney believes most people in the province will be satisfied with it.
She vows there will be no reduction in the amount of wetlands which are considered essential in the prevention of flooding.
The lack of nursing home beds in the province is compounding the operating room issues at the Regional Hospital -- that from the President and CEO of Horizon Health Network Donald Peters.
He says surgeries are being put off because there would be no place to put the patient.
He says the government could give him a million dollars tomorrow to fix the operating room crisis but, it wouldn't help if he doesn't have any beds. He says the beds are at 100 per cent occupancy at the regional hospital.
Peters adds the bed shortage hit the Regional Hospital sooner than any other hospital in the province.
Despite all the talk about government cutbacks, Symphony New Brunswick is on the receiving end of more than 85 thousand dollars from the federal government.
That announcement coming from Saint John M-P Rodney Weston who denies it has anything to do with all this talk about an impending election.
The President of the symphony's foundation, Reid Parker tells CHSJ News the endowment fund is quite healthy these days although it has become tougher to raise money privately the last couple of years.
The federal government gives 71 cents for every dollar raised by the symphony.
Bayview Elementary School and Irving Oil putting an official stamp on a partnership that will include upgrades to the school's library.
Principal Jill Baxter says the partnership over the last few years is bringing many benefits to the school including a new playground.
She says the Irving employees come in and sit down with the students, have lunch and talk with them as part of their mentoring.
Refinery General Manager Mark Sherman says this is one of several initiatives they are involved in from healthcare to education.
He says with Bayview school and other schools in the neighbourhood, they have a number of partnerships over the last few years which is important to celebrate.
The partnership with Bayview also includes two class trips per year and an on-site refinery education program. To see video of today's launch, click videos.
There has been virtually no change with gas prices after the weekly setting.
Self serve regular is down by the slightest of margins to $1.19.4 a litre while diesel remains the same at $1.31.
Heating oil rose slightly to $1.18.2 a litre.
The price of oil on the world market has fallen since the earthquake and tsunami devastated the Japanese economy.
ACAP Saint John snapping a pic of a coyote in the wetland near the McAllister Mall on Commerce Drive.
The image taken March 5th with a remote sensor camera.
The environmental group doesn't suspect the animal is a threat to the public or their pets but, they feel obligated to let people know so they do what is necessary to protect themselves.
The images are part of an ongoing project identifying the function of wetland habitats in supporting fish and wildlife during the winter.
You can see more pictures on the ACAP Saint John facebook page.
For the link click here
If your vehicle was the victim of ticketing or towing on January 23..you may be eligible for a refund. On that date the South Central peninsula was under a snow ban.
You may be eligible if you were registered before January 23rd to receive email alerts, relied on the City's website, a parking brochure or text alerts to find out about snow ban declarations.
All application forms and supporting documents must be in to the Parking Commission by April 22nd by 4:30pm.
You can find the link to the application form by clicking here
President of the Medical Staff Organization in Saint John Andrea Garland tells CHSJ News she is pleased with the announcement of a task force that will address scheduling and access issues with the Regional Hospital's operating rooms.
She says it's a great first step in finding a solution to a tense issue.
She adds she is not actively seeking a spot on the force but would join if asked.
A sad story from Pocologan as a man burning brush dies in a fire today.
The 73-year-old man was tending to a brush fire and got caught up in some branches where the fire had spread.
His wife tried to free him but could not and he died in the fire. The woman was not hurt but, some of her clothing burned.
Proposed changes to how much money M-L-A's will receive in their pensions don't hit the mark according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Its Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News the pensions for the M-L-A's are not funded the way pension plans are for other retirees and, even with the changes, will wind up costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year which is money that could be spent on health and education.
Lacey says the Taxpayers Federation would like the M-L-A's pension plan to be changed from defined benefits to a matching RRSP set up.
