Brewery Projects How Much Beer NBers Will Buy This Weekend

It's no surprise New Brunswickers love their suds, but what might surprise you is the number of brews we're projected to buy over this long weekend.

Moosehead Breweries says it's expected that 130 to 140 thousand 12-packs of beer will be purchased during the New Brunswick Day weekend.

NB liquor will be open during regular hours tomorrow, but will be closed on Monday. You can visit their store locator site for the complete list of store locations and services available.

Police Increasing Presence On Roads During Long Weekend

Stay sober, buckle up and don't answer that call. Long weekends mean more traffic on the roadways, and police are heightening their presence to crack down on dangerous driving. 

Sergeant Claude Tremblay of RCMP's Traffic Services tells CHSJ News some people say they don't need to wear a seat belt because they're not driving very far, but Tremblay says statistics show that 80% of people drive within 25 to 30 kilometres of where they live, so that argument doesn't hold water. 

He says if you're not wearing a seat belt in a crash, you'll be knocked around or ejected from the car, and if you're ejected, 95% of the time you'll be seriously injured or killed.

The percentage of fatal crashes where the victims weren't wearing a seat belt has gone up, from 23 per cent last year to 40 per cent so far this year.

Charges Laid In Cochran's Country Market Robbery

All three involved in the armed robbery of a small grocery store in Rothesay have now been charged. 

On July 16, three people with weapons entered Cochran's Country Market on Hampton Road, bound two employees and made away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

27 year-old Blake Andrew Smith, 26 year-old Stephen Corey Richard and 47 year-old Keith Oliver Dixon have all been charged with armed robbery, wearing a disguise, and unlawful confinement. 

Smith and Richard will be back in court on Tuesday, and Dixon will be in court again next Monday.

Fire Crews Battling Concession Stand Blaze

An old, vacant concession stand in Quispamsis going up in flames.

Rothesay Regional Police say the stand at the old drive-in near Carpenter's Pit off of Parkside Road was set on fire around 3am.

Fire crews from the KV Fire Department battling the fire were able to get it under control, and nobody was hurt.

Boardwalk Rescue

An early morning rescue on the boardwalk.

City police say a woman was brought to the hospital with at least one broken leg after falling off of the boardwalk railing and onto the rocks below.

Crews spent nearly an hour and a half on the scene rescuing the woman.

M-L-A Praises Efforts Of First Responders

Charlotte-Campobello M-L-A Curtis Malloch is singing the praises of emergency personnel in the wake of last week's flash flood in the St Stephen area.

Record rainfall dumped on the area causing road washouts and flooded basements - and - Malloch can't say enough about the efforts of volunteers and first responders trying to help those affected by the rising water levels.

Malloch says he toured a number of businesses and homes in the area - the flooding wasn't near the disastrous levels experienced in the December 2010 flooding - but - he says it did cause damage and upset for a lot of people.

Man Pleads Guilty In Child Porn Case

60-year-old Eugene Marshall of Moncton has pleaded guilty to breaching probation by accessing the Internet for something other than work, as well as breaching a prohibition order by communicating online with someone under the age of 16.

He will be remanded until sentencing on September 5, 2013.

Marshall pleaded not guilty to luring a child under the age of 16 over the Internet. His trial has been set for late October.

Simms To Cease Operations In Saint John

It's the end of an era.

Simms has announced it will stop manufacturing, warehousing and shipping on the West Side of Saint John this fall.

In a release, CEO Tom Simms said it was a tough choice to let go the team of employees they have worked with for decades, and they will be looking to find the affected employees new jobs. No word yet on how many employees will lose their jobs.

Saint John will remain the site of Simm's home office, and the company is saying there won't be any interruptions in their cusomer service. Simms has been a family business since it was founded in 1866.

Calls to Simms for comment were not immediately returned.

Provincial Green Leader Opposes Pipeline

The Council of Canadians and Greenpeace aren't the only opponents against the proposed 12 billion dollar pipeline from Alberta to Saint John. 

Provincial Green Party Leader David Coon is also opposed and he tells CHSJ News most of the crude coming from Alberta, much of which will resemble cold molasses, won't be processed at the Irving Oil refinery because an upgrader is so expensive.
 
Coon says the pipeline project will increase carbon pollution and, as such, make extreme weather like the recent flooding in St. Stephen more likely. 

On the other hand, provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy is supporting the proposed pipeline.

Talk Of Expanding Oil Refinery Is Premature

One big question over the pipeline announcement is how much of the 1.1 million barrels of Alberta crude a day will actually be processed at the Irving Oil refinery. 

Irving President Paul Browning concedes the refinery can't handle all that without an expansion. It has the capacity, at the moment, to process 300 thousand barrels a day
 
Browning says its way too early to talking about any upgrade or expansion of the refinery because the pipeline itself won't be completed for another five years.

Vandals Cause Blackout, Damage To Electrical Equipment

Clearly someone wasn't listening to Louie the Lightning Bug.

Around the end of June vandals destroyed $20,000 dollars worth of equipment on NB Power property in Durham.  Police and NB Power are now looking for your help finding them.

The damaged to the electrical equipment caused a lengthy blackout for some customers, and NB Power reminds the public that handling electrical equipment can lead to deadly consequences.
They're asking anyone who has any information about this crime to contact them at 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). You can also provide information anonymously on the NB Crime Stoppers Website: www.crimenb.ca

Tory MLA Responds To Accusations From NDP

It's turning into a bit of a war of words between provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy and Fredericton Silverwood MLA Brian MacDonald.

Yesterday, Cardy issued a press release accusing MacDonald of buying publicity photos by handing out portraits of the Queen to senior's centers.

Silverwood tells CHSJ News Cardy cherry-picked quotations to make him look bad and effectively mislead the public.

MacDonald says the entire point of his original quote was that he gives out the portraits to schools, the military, and many other institutions--and it has nothing to do with where he can court the most votes.

TransCanada Says Environmental And Safety Concerns Top Priority

The official announcement about the west-east pipeline is only a day old and already environmental concerns are being raised about the 12-billion dollar project.

TransCanada President of Energy and Oil Pipelines - Alex Pourbaix - says the pipeline proposal is environmentally friendly and will existing pipe and rights of way as much as possible.

Pourbaix says electric pumps along the route will reduce noise and air pollution with the line constantly monitored by the company's high-tech monitoring centre on a 24-7 basis.

He says TransCanada is spending billions on improving safety making the Energy East pipeline proposal the most responsible solution to the country's current and future energy needs.

Well Known Lawyer In City Passes Away

One of the most colourful lawyers in the city has died. 

Defense lawyer Wilber MacLeod was 72. He was born in Glace Bay but moved here in 1954 and graduated from Saint John High. 

MacLeod served in the Merchant Marines and travelled around the world, before attending St. Mary's University and then Dalhousie Law School. 

He started as a lawyer in 1976 and handled many high profile criminal cases. 

There will be a funeral service on Sunday afternoon at 3 in Brenan's Funeral Home Chapel at Paradise Row with visitation tomorrow from 2 to 4 in the afternoon and 7 to 9 at night.

Great Things Being Predicted For Saint John

With the announcement of the pipeline and marine terminal, Premier David Alward says New Brunswick is poised to become an energy powerhouse with Saint John as the anchor.

Irving Oil President Paul Browning calls this the beginning of a new era for Saint John with the export of crude oil through the marine terminal. Browning also predicts there will be more opportunity in the future.

Fundy Royal M-P and federal cabinet minister Rob Moore says right now more than 80 per cent of crude oil deliveries to refineries in Atlantic Canada come from places like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela but that's going to change.

Cardy Takes Aim At Fredericton-Silverwood MLA

Constituency budgets aren't for buying votes, according to provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy.

He's calling for greater transparency on how the funds are spent after Fredericton-Silverwood MLA Brian MacDonald revealed he spent 10% of his riding budget on portraits of the Queen to be given to groups in exchange for publicity photos.

Constituency funds are supposed to transcend party lines--meaning everyone is entitled to the same services no matter who they vote for.

VIDEO: Donors Unveiled, Hundreds Turn Out At Major Bandstand Celebration

Hundreds turned out in King Square this  afternoon to hear something Saint John hasn't heard in decades: the sounds of live music playing from the upper level of the King Square bandstand.

The iconic bandstand had fallen into disrepair after it was donated to the city by the City Coronet Band in 1908. The work, financed by donors John Irving and Dr Richard Currie, included installing new supports and flooring on the second level, cleaning and restoring the copper roof, installing a granite slab and ladder for access to the second level, painting, sandblasting and cleaning the structure and fittings, and upgrading all the electrical and lighting hookups. 

Mayor Mel Norton addressed the crowd thanking donors and citing the project as a true indicator that we live in the so-called "Renaissance City."

Uptown Saint John will be hosting a concert series at noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays throughout August at the newly renovated structure. 

No word on the overall cost of the project--but the mayor would say it was well in excess of $100,000 dollars.

TransCanada To Boost Energy East Pipeline Capacity

TransCanada is calling it the biggest capital expenditure in company history - the 12-billion dollar Energy East pipeline that will bring Alberta oil through to the Irving Refinery here in the city.
TransCanada President Russ Girling says demand by potential customers exceeded the original plan for 850-thousand barrels a day to Saint John - so - the design has been modified to accommodate more than 1.1-million barrels a day to the city.
The pipeline proposal will use existing TransCanada pipe through to Quebec City with construction of a new leg from there to Saint John - it still must receive regulatory approval with the company expecting to complete the Quebec to Saint John portion by 2018.

Another Sculpturing Symposium In Saint John

Sculpture Saint John is getting a financial boost from the province to the tune of 50 thousand dollars to stage another symposium in 2014 on the heels of last year's successful event on the waterfront. 

It drew more than 35 thousand people to see the sculptors at work including 5 thousand on the final day and turned out to be the largest event of the year in the province. 

Diana Alexander of Sculpture Saint John tells CHSJ News next summer, there will be 8 sculptors instead of 6. Applications have already come in from around the world.

Alexander says the sculpting will be taking place at a different location which has yet to be determined but she promises it will be visible. 
 
Her vision will see a total of 72 sculptures in various communities along an international sculpture trail from Bangor to the Kennebecasis Valley by 2020.

New Marine Terminal To Be Built For Western Oil

Irving Oil says it plans to build a $300 million marine terminal following the announcement from Trans Canada to proceed with its Energy East Pipeline project estimated to cost about 12 billion dollars.
 
Irving says the Canaport Energy East Marine Terminal would handle the 1.1 million barrels of crude oil flowing from western Canada through the pipeline each day and export it to world markets.
 
Engineering and design work would begin in 2015.
 
The pipeline project, itself, still requires regulatory approval.