City Hotel Offers Free Stay For Those With A Sick Loved One

Saint John's Delta hotel is again offering free lodging for those who are travelling this week to visit a family member in the hospital.
Delta Brunswick General Manager Paulette Hicks they have been involved for 22 years now in the Home for the Holidays program.

It runs from December 22nd to the 30th and they provide free accomodation to take a little pressure off famillies as they go through a difficult time.

Hicks says it is a national program and their staff works closely with the Regional hospital and St. Joe's to roll out this program every year.

On The Vine Store In Rothesay Closes Up Shop

Sad news with 6 days before Christmas..the On the Vine store in the Kennebecasis Valley has closed its doors.

The Hampton road store opened two years ago.

No word on how many employees are impacted but the East Saint John location will remain open.

Apply Soon For Help With Home Heating Bills

If you plan on applying for the 2012 Home Energy Assistance Program, the forms will available on Thursday.
 
The $100 benefit will help low-income families cope with high-energy prices.  It's for those with incomes up to and including $28,000 this year and the benefits for those who qualify will be issued within 2 to 4 weeks of submitting a completed application.

You can apply by going to the Department of Finance or Service New Brunswick websites or by calling 1-800-669-7070 and the forms are also available at Service New Brunswick outlets.   For more info, click here
 

Grand Manan RCMP and Crimestoppers Seek Help In Solving Arsons

Crimestoppers and the RCMP in Grand Manan are looking for whoever is responsible for a series of arsons on Grand Manan Island over the last three years.

Between 2008 and August 2011, Grand Manan RCMP and local firefighters have responded to several suspicious fires. The culprits are targeting abandoned buildings and storage sheds resulting in thousands of dollars in damage.

If you have any information, you could earn up to $4500 in rewards between Crimestoppers and the village of Grand Manan.

For more information, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or click here

To see video, click here

City Wants More Commercial Development On West Side

There's already alot of commercial development along Fairville Boulevard on the west side but the city is looking at even more in the years ahead. 

Chief City Planner Ken Forrest wants a plan to be ready for Common Council next summer. 

West side Councillor Bill Farren tells CHSJ News people in that part of the city want more commercial development but only in moderation........They don't want to see as much congestions as there is on the east side.
 
Farren says this type of growth along with refurbishing the Trade and Convention Centre are what you have to do in order to create jobs.

Common Councillor Wants Public Transit Strengthened

Common Councillor Donnie Snook coming up with suggestions to strengthen city bus service which is facing cuts a week from today.

His ideas include asking the province to get rid of the fuel tax for public transit as well as relieving the property taxes at the transit building which amount to 378 thousand dollars this year, the imposition of a so-called congestion tax on vehicles entering the city, establishing a water bus service from the west side, bike rentals and charging higher rates at the new parking garage which is being constructed as part of the Peel Plaza development.

Farren Calls for Refurbished Trade and Convention Center

Saint John needs a refitted Trade and Convention center to help boost its economy: that according to councilor Bill Farren.

Farren says council has received reports for years that the center needs to be refurbished. An updated center would create service industry jobs, as well as bringing in business to the airport, hotels, and restaurants. The center has only 4 shows schedule for 2012--and that's unheard of.

As it is, other Maritime centers are attracting the trade shows because they have modern facilities. If we wait to upgrade our center, he says all the more business and jobs will be lost.

New Brunswickers Mark Anniversary of the Battle of Hong Kong

New Brunswick historians and veterans marking our local connection to the Battle of Hong Kong. 70 years ago this week the historic battle, which took place during the Pacific Campaign of World War II, came to an end.

Saint John history teacher Barry Ogden explains what happened 70 years ago this week, that reservists from New Brunswick were defending Hong Kong, and that many of them were killed and taken prisoner.

Soldiers from Norton, Apohaqui, and the Bay of Chaleur fought in the Battle of Hong Kong. Ogden says that it's a part of New Brunswick history that we should all be proud of.

In memory of New Brunswick's involvement with the battle, the village of Belldune unveiling plans for monument to a dog named Gander. The canine soldier died defending troops in that battle by carrying a live grenade away from them in his mouth.

Saint John Businesspeople Call For Action On Child Poverty In City

The poverty rate for children under the age of six in Saint John is at 34 per cent. Tom Gribbons, who chairs the Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative, is alarmed by that, calling it frightening.

The business group is calling for the early childhood learning programme at St. John the Baptist school be made permanent and other such programmes be set up at schools around the city.

Gribbons says there should be three or four around town.

He warns unless steps are taken to help young people succeed from cradle to career, the city could find 34 per cent of its potential work force that is unprepared 20 years down the road.

Future Of Pulp And Paper Mill Under Threat

Although J-D Irving says it's generally supportive of the proposed new municipal plan as cobbled together by Plan SJ but is raising concerns over the proposed designation of three of its properties in the city.

Planner Holly McMackin with Dillon Consulting says the most serious threatens the long term future of the Irving Pulp and Paper mill with a proposed 30 metre wide park and natural areas designation along the coastline of the site which has been used for marine industrial purposes.

McMackin says the company wants that designation removed.

Changes are expected to be made by the time the final draft of the plan makes its way for adoption by Common Council in the new year.

City Planners To Shift Their Attention To West Side

Now that the Plan SJ exercise on developing a new municipal plan for the city is drawing to a close, city planners want to embark on a new venture which is being called the Golden Mile Corridor on the west side along Fairville Boulevard.

Chief City Planner Ken Forrest would like a plan on that be ready for Common Council next summer.

Meantime, Peter McGuire is urging his fellow common councillors to support what he's calling a strong financial investment on roads in the city during their budget deliberations.

McGuire has sent a letter to Council pointing to the results of the citizens survey which shows the condition of roads to be the one of the most significant issue of concern for Saint Johnners and the level of satisfaction is declining.

RCMP Say Social Responsibility Is Next Step In Battling Drunk Drivers

According to the RCMP, the next step in battling drinking and driving is infusing people with a sense of social responsibility.

Spokesperson Claude Tremblay tells CHSJ News he wants it to become the norm when drivers will call 911 when they spot a drunk driver.

He says several campaigns have been attempted over the last 20 years to curb drinking and driving and this is the next step.

He adds in many cases a drunk driver will have been seen on the road by several people but many don't make the call.

MacLeans Ranks Saint John Sexual Assault Capital of NB

Most of us think Saint John streets are fairly safe--but should we think otherwise?

According to the magazine, Saint John has the highest rate of reported sex crimes in the country.

The rate in the city is 132 per cent above the national average at 97 per 100,000. And our provincial capital, Fredericton has the third-highest rates in the country after Belleville, Ontario. 

The numbers don't necessarily mean that Saint John and Fredericton have more sex crimes. It does suggests that more people report the crimes here compared with other places.

UNB Charters Buses in Response to Bus Strike

The University of New Brunswick working a little Christmas magic for students stranded by the strike at Acadian Coach lines. In response to the lock-out at the bus company, the UNB Student Union chartering buses to get students home for Christmas Break.

Rides will be leaving on December 21 from the Student Union Building in Fredericton and heading to Saint John, Moncton, and Amherst. Tickets will cost between $40 and $25 depending on the destination. Contact the Student Union for more details.

More Controversy Over Prescription Drug Co-Payments

More controversy in the provincial legislature about the Alward government's decision to charge seniors more for their prescription drugs.

Cecile Cassista, Executive Director of the Coalition for Seniors, says that there are other options out there.

She says they're urging government to work with pharmaceutical companies, and seniors, to find different solutions. Seniors in the province are often over-medicated, says Cassista.

The coalition presented its series of recommendations to health minister Madeline Dube when the changes were first announced earlier this month.The Alward Government has proposed doubling yearly prescriptions costs for seniors from $250 to $500 per year.

According to the health minister, the change will save the province $3 million per year.

Fire on Ellerdale Street

A fire breaking out on Ellerdale Street this afternoon.

A wall in the apartment on the corner of Margaret Street and Westmorland street caught ablaze after some work was being done on the pipes in the walls.

The fire department put out the fire after demolishing the wall to determine whether it had spread. Despite the damage, no one was injured. Killam Properties is moving the residents displaced by the fire to another unit.

Body Discovered in Market Square Parking Garage

A man found dead in an uptown Saint John parking garage.

On Friday evening, police responding to reports that someone appeared to be laying trapped beneath some furniture in the garage.

When city police arrived on the scene, they found the body of a 50 year old man behind some items which were being stored there.

Police are looking into what happened. They also say they're not treating the death as suspicious at this point.

Province Launches Taxpayer Website

The Alward government looking for your input on how to help balance the province's books.

They have launched a website called Taxpayers FIRST, which gives snapshots of our fiscal woes as well letting you submit ideas on how to turn things around.

The schedule for the 2012-2013 pre-budget consultations are also on the site -- the Saint John meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 16th.

To go to the site, click here.

Harbour Passage Reopens While Several Parks Close Down For The Winter

Good news for Harbour Passage fans: it is open for the winter

A release from the city says there will be ongoing work under the bridge during the winter which may close the walking trail from time to time.

Closure of Harbour Passage is expected this spring when construction on the Harbour Bridge resumes. The Main Street Bike Lane will be open when Harbour Passage is closed next year.

Conversely, several parks are also closing up for the winter except in the case of certain winter activities: Fort Howe, Dominion Park , Little River Reservoir, and Tucker Park.

Conservation Council Wants Inquiry Into NB Power Spill

The Saint John Chapter of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick is calling on the Premier to hold a public inquiry into the recent heavy water spill and other incidents at the Point Lepreau generating station.

Chairwoman Sharon Murphy-Flatt tells CHSJ News details about the spill have been left out, such as clean-up workers being trapped in the radioactive area due to an air locked door failure.

She says the company has a culture of secrecy and cutting corners as it also took them 3 weeks to inform the public that chemicals had leaked into the Bay of Fundy.

She believes the safety incidents point to a larger problem and must be addressed.