Break-In at Scotiabank on Westmoreland Road

A break in occurring at Scotiabank on Westmoreland Road around 7:30 this morning.

Two men were spotted on security footage doing something to the key pad of the ATM.

The suspects fled when the alarm went off. Police responding to the scene saw that the door to the bank had been pried open.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious around the bank this morning are asked to contact police.

911 Hoax Lands Mispec Teen in Hot Water

Don't fool around and make false emergency calls.

That message from the RCMP after an extensive search in Mispec was prompted by a hoax. A teenager who claimed to be wounded at a camp is now facing a charge of making a false 9-1-1 call. 

Corporal George Parisella tells us this is no joke, and that 911 is only to be used for emergencies.

The RCMP say the youth called 9-1-1 and sounded very agitated when he claimed to have injured himself while cutting wood and was not able to give clear directions to where he was.
The teenager was eventually located none the worse for wear in a camp off West Beach Road.

Air Miles Will Now Have Expiry Date

Air Miles is imposing an expiry date on reward miles starting today. It says participants in the Air Miles reward program will be required to use their existing miles before December 31st, 2016. 


Reward miles earned after New Year's Eve will only be valid for five years after they're first posted. 

Until now, the miles never carried an expiration date.

Zoning By-Law Will Be Reviewed, says PlanSJ

Passage of the city's new municipal plan next month is only the first step to charting a new direction in future development around town. 

A comprehensive review of the zoning bylaw will be undertaken along with other initiatives, including the recreation master plan and Fairvale Boulevard corridor study, says Jaqueline Hamilton of PlanSJ.

Hamilton says the current zoning regulations are outdated and she's promising extensive public consultation before a new bylaw is ready for approval by Common Council in the summer of 2013.

Compensation for Agent Orange Victims at CFB Gagetown

The federal government has decided to approve more payouts under the compensation program for those people affected by the spraying of Agent Orange at C-F-B Gagetown.

The Canadian Press has learned approximately 30 people will now receive payments for exposure to the defoliant in the 1960s.

They were eligible for funds but filed an application too late.

Government sources say the rules were reviewed after it received several complaints when a number of families went public with their bureaucratic battles.

City Zoning Bylaws Are "Outdated"

Once the new municipal plan is adopted by Common Council, city staff will ten embark on a comprehensive review of the zoning bylaw. 

Jacqueline Hamilton of Plan SJ calls the current zoning regulations "outdated" and in need of revamping to coincide with the new municipal plan that will be the roadmap for future development over the next generation.

Hamilton says the plan calls for the new zoning bylaw to be ready for approval by the summer of 2013. She also promises there will be extensive public consultation. 

While the new zoning bylaw is being drawn up, work will be done on a master plan for recreation and future commercial development along the Golden Mile on the west side.

Fire on Raymond Road

A blaze that started in a shed early this morning in French Village has proved costly.

Rothesay fire officials getting the call around 2:45am. Once they got to the address on Raymond Road they found a shed ablaze. The shed, containing a number of ATVs, snowmobiles and motorcycles, was a write-off.

Although no one was hurt, the damage is estimated to be around $20,000 dollars. Fire officials are looking into what caused the blaze.

Province Told To Turn Off The Tap

The provincial government has been on an unprecendented spending binge over the last four years........That charge being levelled by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation which says the time has come to cut spending. 

The Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News the government can also do something else to reduce the ocean of red ink and that is sell some assets such as NB Liquor. 

Lacey says in just the past four years, the number of provincial government employees earning 100 thousand dollars a year or more has doubled and spending has increased by 1.7 billion dollars.

Police Warn Against Making False Emergency Calls

An extensive search in Mispec was prompted by a hoax and a teenager who claimed to be wounded at a camp is facing a charge of making a false 9-1-1 call.  

The RCMP say the youth called 9-1-1 and sounded very agitated when he claimed to have injured himself while cutting wood and was not able to give clear directions to where he was. 
 
Various emergency personnel began a search including Emergency Medical Technicians, City Police, Saint John Fire and the Department of Public Safety's Off Road Vehicle Enforcement Unit .
 
The teenager was eventually located safe and sound in a camp off West Beach Road, in Mispec through the use of G-P-S coordinates and satellite imaging. 

Police quickly determined the boy was not actually injured at all.
 

Chimney Fire Extinguished

There was an early morning chimney fire on Route 820, Baxter’s Corner.  

When crews from the Simonds Fire Department responded around 6:00, they found there were hot embers coming from the chimney.  

Fire crews quickly extinguished the fire.  The home had to be ventilated. No one was injured.

Homeowners are being advised not to burn their Christmas wrapping paper in the fireplace because it can can chimney fires.

Hitch Hiker Charged With Attempted Robbery

A 20 year old man from St. Stephen, Bradley James Johnson has been charged after being arrested by the RCMP in St. George after an attempted robbery on Highway 1 near Seeley's Cove Road in Pennfield Wednesday afternoon.

Police say a man picked up a hitch hiker and then had a weapon pulled on him and was ordered to hand over his money. A struggle reportedly ensued but the driver was eventually able to pull off the road and managed to push the hitch hiker out of his vehicle.

No one was seriously injured.

Saint John MP Says We Can Keep Control in P3 Deals

Saint John MP Rodney Weston says the city does not need to fear losing control of it's water in a public-private partnership.

The city is currently exploring P3 deals in order to pay for costly upgrades to our drinking water infrastructure.

Weston tells CHSJ News the city is in the driver's seat as far as how much control it can give to the private sector.

He says we can build our own model and there are private partners out there willing to play by our rules.

He adds there is a stigma attached to P3 deals but discussions with various city councillors seem to indicate they are coming around on the issue.

Joshua Group Founder Will Press On To Find Home

The search continues for the Joshua Group as it looks for a place to call home.

Founder Bobby Hayes was hoping to get his hands on an old provincial building on Paradise Row but the province has sold the building.

Hayes tells CHSJ News he wasn't surprised that the building was sold but he is still disappointed.

He says the group does not need a large or extravagant building and he will press on to find a place for the children.

The Joshua Group provides activities and support for underprivileged children.

MLA Margaret Ann-Blaney has worked with Hayes on the project  but she says the building on Paradise Row would have required costly upgrades in order to be a suitable place.

Former Liberal Cabinet Minister Launching Leadership Campaign

Former Liberal Health Minister Mike Murphy will be officially launching his campaign for leadership of the provincial Liberal party.

The launch will take place Thursday, January 5th, 2012, at 11:00 a.m., at the Christ-Roi Golden Age Club in Moncton.

Murphy served under the Graham Government in 2006 but resigned from cabinet in 2010.

Belledune mayor and dairy farmer Nick Duivenvoorden is the only other declared candidate in the Liberal leadership race.

Year End Interview With Premier David Alward

Premier Dismisses Criticism Over Industrial Energy Policies

Premier Alward is deflecting criticism of his government's new energy pricing and policies for heavy industrial users.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling the new energy pricing and surplus power purchase plans nothing short of corporate welfare at the expense of average New Brunswickers.
But -- in a year end interview with CHSJ News -- the Premier says it will help keep large companies competitive avoiding the loss of heavy industrial customers for N-B Power -- and -- that will help to keep power rates stable for New Brunswickers.
Alward also says his government is changing policies for business investment to make the process more open and accountable.

Taxes To Go Up January 1st.

If you're working, more money will be taken out of your pay cheque for employment insurance and Canada Pension in the new year. The increase will amount to 323 dollars a year for employees and employers.

The Atlantic Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Kevin Lacey calls that one of the single largest increases since 2002 and tells CHSJ News, the Harper Government claims the programme is now underfunded but there were actually huge surpluses in years gone by but the federal governments of the day managed to spend that money.

Lacey likens any increase in payroll taxes to a job killer at a time when the provincial economy is in such a fragile state.

Mixed Income Housing Is Key To Ending Poverty

Improvements on housing and slight declines in the rate for seniors and kids sound good when it comes to eradicating poverty in Saint John. But, Human Development Council Executive Director Randy Hatfield tells CHSJ News says there is still a lot of work ahead in 2012 and beyond.

He favours mixed income housing like the St. Andrew the Abbey project and the new announcement for Churchill Boulevard.

He says the biggest hurdle in housing is the price adding the current provincial and federal governments housing agreements in place are not as generous as they need to be in order to prompt private sector involvement.

As for a tiny dip in the numbers for child and senior poverty, Hatfield says you have to be very careful with stats on poverty when the numbers relate to money because of other factors at play including education and literacy.

Most New Year Resolutions Focus On Health

A new survey finds past failures are not stopping Canadians from making New Year’s resolutions. The survey for Sun Life Financial finds almost eight-in-ten Canadians are making resolutions for 2012.

Sun Life Financial Senior Vice-President Kevin Strain says the vast majority are focusing on their health, such as losing weight or eating better.  

But Strain adds only 25 percent of people have kept their resolutions in the past.
 

The Ipsos survey also found almost one-third of Canadians have resolved to pay down debt in 2012.

Regular Self-Serve Goes Up

Gas prices taking a small jump at the pumps today -- regular self serve has gone up to $1.25 at litre, although most stations are selling it for $1.22 a litre.

Diesel also going up to $1.35 a litre but most places sell it for a few cents lower.

Meanwhile, furnace oil taking a slight bump to $1.14 a litre while propane going down a few cents to $1.10 a litre.