Fire Department Fights Two Fires On Victoria Street

City fire crews battling two tough fires in the city's north end.

The fire department responding to blazes at 55 and 57 Victoria Street around 3 o'clock.

Fire Chief Kevin Clifford says the fire was extremely difficult to fight and the call was made to pull crew members out.

He says while it's optimal to battle fires from the inside, the risk was too great.



He says the old building gave the fire too much fuel.

Early reports indicate 57 Victoria Street was abandoned.  55 Victoria Street had residents but there are no reports of injuries.

No word yet on a cause.

Crews Still Battling A North End Fire

Firefighters are still at it in the North End battling a stubborn blaze.

The fire started 57 Victoria Street spreading quickly to a building next door

Flames could be scene coming from the upper window earlier.

Crews also trying to stop the fire from spreading to 59 and 61 Victoria Street.

Tug Boats Put On Water Show

Three tugs in the Harbour put on a water show in the moments before today's 21-gun salute for Loyalist's Day

21 Gun Salute At Pugsley Wharf

To celebrate Loyalist Day, local reserve soldiers helping Saint Johners celebrate with a 21-gun salute on Pugsley Wharf.

Soldiers from the 3rd field regiment conducting the salute in observance of the landing of the Loyalist.

Three 105mm C3 Howitzers firing a 21-gun salute at noon today.

North End Fire Keeps Crews Busy

A fire is tying up a lot of resources and creating a traffic headache in the North end.

The call came in just after 2 this afternoon at 55-57 Victoria Street.   The building was evacuated successfully.

The blaze seems to be based in the upper floors of the structure.   

City police are providing traffic control in the area.    Barricades are open and some area streets are closed to traffic.

Vandals Strike Peel Plaza Construction Site

The Peel Plaza work site getting hit by graffiti sometime overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sgt. Glen Hayward with the Saint John Police Force tells CHSJ News the locker room area got hit with spray paint.

Hayward says he is unsure how much the damages are.

He adds there is security at the site hired by the construction company but the vandals somehow got through.

Murphy Speaks On Poverty Reduction

Provincial Liberal Leadership candidate Mike Murphy launching his poverty reduction strategy if elected to the head of the party.

Murphy spoke to a crowd of Liberal supporters and citizens at the Carleton Community Centre.

One of Murphy's planks is an earned income tax credit.

He says such a credit will help people who are struggling to make ends meet.

Other initiative Murphy is promising is better public oversight of social development money, more legal rights and options for victims of domestic abuse, and a social entrepreneurship program which makes the government implement social programs developed by community groups.

He says his plans can be implemented within our current budget and could even save the government money.

Fire Crews Battling Blaze In The North End

City fire crews are battling a structure fire in the North End.   The call came in just a short time ago.     The blaze is fully involved at 55-57 Victoria Street.    City police are also at the scene providing traffic control in the area.   Some streets in the area are blocked to traffic.

Big Traffic Volumes Expected At Border

The weather forecast for the long holiday weekend couldn't be any better and that means alot of people will be on the road with border crossings expecting more traffic.

Lynn Burns, a Superintendent with Canada Border Services Agency in St. Stephen, tells CHSJ News you will have a smoother crossing if you have all your documentation at hand.

Burns says it could be alot faster for you, as well,  if you use the new St. Stephen bridge. To get there, you exit Route 9 and follow U.S. Highway 1 until you get to the roundabout where you turn left onto the new bridge.

You can also go online to find how long you'll have to wait at each of the border crossings.

http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/

Chaplaincy Office Won't Operate Drop-In Centre

The drop-in centre at Stone Church, if it reopens at some point down the road, won't be run by the Saint John Community Chaplaincy Office.

That word coming from Phillip Ferris who chairs the Community Chaplaincy for ex-offenders and tells CHSJ News there has been some confusion over why this is happening.

Ferris says it closed because of a lack of funding and had nothing whatever to do with the folks at the Stone Church.

Ferris says it was never their mandate to operate the drop-in centre and it became awkward because of restrictions that were imposed on some of the ex-offenders on who they could be seen with or even be around.

Nature Conservancy Of Canada Looking For Clean-Up Volunteers

If you want to spend part of your long weekend helping out Mother Nature then the Nature Conservancy of Canada wants to hear from you.

The group wants volunteers to help clean up the coastal footpath along the Musquash Estuary.

Spokesperson Andrew Holland tells CHSJ News biologists will also be on hand to educated volunteers about the estuary.

Tasks will include trimming branches, putting up trail markers, and collecting garbage off the beach.

Things get underway Saturday morning at 9.  For more information or to sign up, click here.

Purse Snatching Uptown

A purse snatching on King Street last night around 6 resulting in the arrests of two men in their late twenties. 

They were nabbed on the rooftop of a building along Union Street. 

City Police telling CHSJ News they got help from the public in catching up with the pair who will be appearing in court today.

No one was hurt.

Are You Wearing That Because You Lost A Bet?

Rimouski MP Guy Caron wears a Sea Dogs jersey after losing a bet to Saint John MP Rodney Weston.  The MP of the losing team had to wear the opposing team's jersey in the House of Commons.

Paper Released On New Shale Gas Regulations

Energy companies that violate the province's new rules when it comes to oil and gas industry could face up to a million dollars in fines.

That hefty charge is one of 116 recommendations contained in a paper released by the government -- the paper also addresses issues like well design and the protection of water supplies.

The paper also calls for a greater share of royalties for the province and landowners where natural gas and oil wells would be located.

The public has 60 days to provide input on the paper before it goes back to the legislature this fall.

Monster Truck Demo At Harbour Station

The Monster Spectacular takes place Friday 7:30pm at Harbour Station. Organizers held a demonstration outside of Harbour Station.

Rothesay Police Looking For Suspicious People

Police in Rothesay are asking for the public's help in finding out who was hanging out on a few streets in the town early this morning.

Rothesay Regional Police want to hear from you if you saw some suspicious people or a person on Gondola Point Road, River Road or Pickett Lane between 12:30 and 5:30am this morning.

If you know something, call them at 847-6300.

The Province Invites All To The Victoria Day Celebrations

What the heck is ploye?  You can find out and try it this weekend at the Victoria Day celebrations in Saint John.

The Chief of Protocol Anne Reynolds tells CHSJ News the Royal Visit is less than 24 hours so the province so they had to make it count.

She says they decided they would invite the province to Saint John and they are really showcasing the province in the port and at the terminal adding the 7 major cities have been invited.

Ploye is Acadian dish that is similar to a crepe.  Other tastings include smoked salmon, oysters and fiddleheads. Jessica Rhaye, the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra and Before the Mast will all perform on one of three different stages inside and outside of the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal.   It all begins at 1pm on Monday and runs til 5pm.

To learn more, click here or here

Taxpayers Federation Says Gas Prices In Province Are Rigged

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says it's time the Alward Government stopped rigging the system by taxing the tax on gasoline when it applies the H-S-T on both the provincial and federal taxes.

The Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News this is costing you an extra three cents a litre everytime you fill up and that's on top of the almost 3 cent a litre increase that was imposed last year which means you're paying 6 cents a litre more just in tax now than you were in 2010.
 
Lacey estimates since raising the gas tax in 2011, the provincial government has collected more than 45 million dollars in new gas tax revenue with 29 per cent of the pump price consisting of tax. 

The Taxpayers Federation also estimates the average two car family in the province will pay about $1,260 in gas tax each year.

21 Gun Salute On Loyalist Day

If you've never seen a 21 gun salute in person, you'll get your chance tomorrow to mark Loyalist Day. 

Lieutenent-Colonel Steve Strachan tells CHSJ News it will be taking place at 12 noon at Pugsley Wharf with local reserve soldiers from the 3rd Field Regiment, R-C-A, the Loyal Company. Saint John is the only city in the country allowed to do so on Loyalist Day.

There will be three 21 gun salutes on Monday when the Royal Couple, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla are in the province. 

The first happens at C-F-B Gagetown with the next one at Government House in Fredericton and finally to mark their departure from Saint John.

Former Mayor Will Now Chair Airport Board

Former mayor Norm McFarlane being named the Chair of the Saint John Airport Board of Directors.

McFarlane tells CHSJ News it is an honour to helm the board as growing the airport was one of his major projects when he was mayor.

One of the first things he wants to improve is the first impression people get at the airport as well as renaming the facility to "The Saint John International Airport."

He believes the international moniker would attract more customers.

He adds the board is also seeing if the land around the airport is viable for future development.