Saint John Sea Dogs Teaming Up With SPCA

The Saint John Sea Dogs will be unveiling their third jersey tonight at Harbour Station against Gatineau, but they will also be helping out the SPCA.

They're asking fans to bring donations for the animal shelter. They're in need of canned cat food, animal bedding pellets for cat litter, peanut butter, cheez whiz, cat collars, leashes, Martingale collars for dogs and high quality doggie treats.

Game time is at 7 o'clock tonight.

Over 50 Trucks & Cars At Long Wharf Today

A new event and fundraiser will be rolling into Saint John today.

"Touch A Truck" will feature over 50 trucks at Long Wharf today, and proceeds go towards First Steps Housing Project which helps young mothers.

First Step's Sharon Amirault tells CHSJ news kids will be able to climb in many of the vehicles, which range from antiques, to construction, and military. Amirault hopes to raise between $10,000-$20,000. 

Tickets are $5 which can be purchased at Harbour Station or at the event. Children under 2 are free. The vent is rain or shine and runs from 10:00-3:00 pm.

Test Drive & Help School Programs

You can take a car for a test drive and Ford will donate $20 for Samuel de Champlain school.

Called "Drive One 4 UR School" program, the fundraiser hopes to raise $6,000 to help pay for sports, arts and technology programming.


Ford sales manager David Brown tells CHSJ news there will be 15 vehicles to test drive at the school.


There will also be a car wash, BBQ and soccer tournament from 9 until 3 today.

Mortgage Fraudster Sentenced

49-year-old William Priest-Phillips of Nackawic was sentenced today (Friday) to three years in prison in connection with a mortgage fraud investigation.

William Priest-Phillips and his company, Priest Phillips Management Corp., were both charged with one count each of fraud over $5,000 and one count of uttering forged documents.

The 5-month long investigation was launched after police were tipped off by the New Brunswick Securities Commission, which led its own separate investigation into William Priest-Phillips's activities.

MP Elizabeth May Slams Harper's Economic Policy

Federal Green party Leader Elizabeth May levelling some harsh criticism at Stephen Harper, saying one way or another we're going to have to deal with the "fact" that unconventional natural gas from fracking has a higher carbon content and a bigger impact on greenhouse gases than conventional natural gas.  

May also slammed Harper for leaving Eastern Canadians reliant on foreign oil.

May, who recently participated in an anti-fracking rally in Fredericton, says the federal government needs to think of the future and make opportunities in the Maritimes so young people can stay here.

Bridge Traffic Returns To Normal Until The Spring

It's free wheeling for Harbour Bridge commuters in both directions -- construction crews started to remove pylons blocking one lane westbound Wednesday evening.
A Transportation Department spokesperson tells CHSJ News all lanes in both directions will remain open until some time next spring when work begins on the east bound lanes of the bridge.
Finishing work was carried out this year on the new cement barrier on the west bound lanes and under the bridge after the original contractor went bankrupt earlier this year.
The spokesperson tells us crews will work through the winter to prepare for the major overhaul of the eastbound lanes next year.
The original schedule called for the 35-million dollar make over to be completed in two years -- the Transportation Department remains confident that even though it took three years to complete the west bound lanes -- the work eastbound will be completed in one construction season.

Saint John Man With Brain Tumour Getting Help

The age of 42 is too young to be contemplating your own mortality but that's the situation facing  John Phillippe who is suffering from brain cancer and needs the drug Avastin to stay alive.

A benefit auction will be held tomorrow night at the Aquarius to help him out which Phillippe tells CHSJ News is overwhelming when you consider the number of peopkle coming together to make the effort to extend his life.

Avastin costs 10 thousand dollars or more a month to take but isn't covered in this province yet.   Premier David Alward is promising to bring in a catastrophic drug plan with the help of former Provincial Health Minister Dr. Dennis Furlong.

New Nature Preserve To Open

The Nature Trust of New Brunswick is getting a big gift from Connors Brothers and Clover Leaf Seafood. The company is donating a key piece of property to be used as a nature preserve. 

Nature Trust president Don Dennison tells CHSJ News it's a sizable chunk of land characterized by its rocky shoreline. There will be walking trails developed on the property down the road, says Dennsion, although the Nature Trust is encouraging visitors to simply enjoy the place in its natural state.

Connors also donated Wolf Island, 10km of the shore of Black's Harbour, to the Trust back in June. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site tomorrow from 1:30pm to 2pm.

Run For The Cure This Weekend

The 21rst annual Run for the Cure is gearing up for its big run this Sunday at Harbour Station. The breast cancer fundraiser kicks off at 1:30 and there will be a BBQ and events for the kids, weather permitting. 

Karen McCumber tells CHSJ News the fundraising efforts have made a big difference for a lot of women, with higher survival rates now than ever before.

It's not too late for individuals to sign up for the 5k run or 1k walk. For more information, click here.

More Information To Be Released From Oland Warrants

More from the search warrants in the Richard Oland murder investigation will be released next week...Judge R. Leslie Jackson's written decision saying it's not legal to withhold information from the public just to give the police an advantage, but there has to be a specific and serious risk.

The names of people in the documents who are not suspects or subjects of the search warrants will be released--but there's still the same prohibition on the release of information that would only be known to the killer.

The new information will be released on October 5th.

Fire in Welsford Along Highway 7

Emergency crews clogging highway 7 in response to a house fire in Welsford....

Fire officials responding around 11:30am to reports of a residence on fire. 
Corporal Pat Cole tells CHSJ News emergency vehicles are- limiting access to the highway leading to wait times of 30 minutes to an hour.

Oland Case Back In Court This Morning

A judge is expected to rule today on whether we can see more information from search warrants in the Richard Oland murder investigation.

The prominent 69-year-old businessman was found slain in his office on July 7th last year. How he died has not been revealed. 

City Police insist the investigation remains open even though no one has been charged yet and recently were granted a new search warrant.

Last month, Provincial Court Judge Leslie Jackson allowed seven heavily censored search warrants to be made public along with related documents.

Ward's Creek Teen Pleads Guilty

Guilty pleas to all charges for a Ward's Creek teen after a crime spree through three counties involving stolen vehicles, break and enters and more.

It happened earlier this month when the Mounties learned of 5 vehicles reported stolen between the 11th and the 15th. 
All were left unlocked with keys inside.

A number of thefts from vehicles and break and enters around the same time.
The 16 year old is due in court in December for sentencing.

New Liquor Store Opens Tuesday

Rothesay gets its new liquor store on Tuesday.

The new store on Campbell Drive will replace two outlet stores.

The Landing Court location closes forever on Saturday night at 9 and the Superstore outlet closes permanently at 7 on Monday night.

Mysterious Object On Beach Identified

Experts from CFB Gagetown being called in to help deal with a suspicious object that washed up on a beach near Anthony's Cove Road in Red Head.

The metal cylinder washed up in the Anthony Cove Road area and was found by an older couple out for a walk. Sergeant Jay Henderson of city police tells CHSJ News it wasn't immediately clear what the object was, but it turned out to be a marine location market used to signal while at sea. The location marker produces smoke and flames, like a flare, and could cause burns.

The object was safely disposed of.

Shelagh Rogers Gives Talk On Depression

Long-time broadcaster Shelagh Rogers, host of "The Next Chapter," speaking this morning at a WorkSafe NB conference on workplace health and safety. Rogers, who has publicly struggled with depression, tells CHSJ News technology can contribute to a sense of isolation, particularly when you're not talking to anyone face to face anymore.
 
Rogers also emphasized proper sleep and exercise as preventative measures...but says social stigma is the biggest issue, and will only be removed by talking publicly about mental health issues.

City Police Looking For Missing Woman

Major Crime is looking for a 20 year old woman who's among the missing identified as Shelby Dawn Williams.

She was last seen at around midnight last Saturday and is known to hang around the Waterloo Street area.

Williams is described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall, about 110 lbs with a slim build, hazel eyes and shoulder length brown hair. Williams was last seen wearing a bright green coat.

If you know her whereabouts, you can contact the Saint John Police Force at (506) 648-3333 or (506)648-3211.

Cabinet Shuffle Aimed At Soothing Ruffled Saint John Feathers

Interim Provincial Liberal leader Victor Boudreau tells CHSJ News it's no coincidence Premier David Alward shuffled his cabinet after controversy over the ouster of Fundy River Valley M-L-A Dr. Jim Parrot from the Conservative caucus.

Boudreau claims it's going to take more than shuffling the deck to make things right with Saint John where there is still anger over the appointment of former Rothesay M-L-A Margaret Ann Blaney as C-E-O of Efficiency NB without holding a job competition.


Boudreau wouldn't be surprised if the new Ministry of Healthy and Inclusive Communities was created just to get another Saint John M-L-A into the cabinet, in this case, Saint John Lancaster M-L-A Dorothy Shepherd.

Saint John area members will hold two of the most powerful portfolios with Qusipamsis M-L-A Blaine Higgs at Finance and Rothesay M-L-A Ted Flemming at Health.

Bus Window Smashed

A rock was thrown at a City Transit bus on the west side breaking a window in the Churchill Heights area on Central Avenue.

This type of vandalism happens about 5 or six times a year but Saint John Transit General Manager Frank McCarey tells CHSJ News even more damage is done to bus shelters and when plexiglass was used, there were people who would actually try to burn it with lighters. Tempered glass is now used.

McCarey says it costs anywhere from 350 to 400 dollars to replace a bus window which shatters into little pebbles when smashed. Vandalism costs the bus service an estimated 10 thousand dollars annually.

Potential Explosive Washed Up On Beach

A device believed to be military in nature has washed up on a beach on the east side on Anthony's Cove Road. An older couple were walking on the beach when they came along a cylindrical metal object that appeared to be a missile or marine flare.

A source from CFB Gagetown tells CHSJ News an explosive ordinance disposal team has been dispatched to provide assistance to the SJ Police Force.