Traffic Note

Traffic is moving slow or stopped heading east on the Harbour Bridge.

Unidentified Big Cats Being Spotted In Woods

Officially, there hasn't been a documented mountain lion sighting in this part of Canada since the late 1930s, but many people still swear they've seen or heard the big cats in the woods of New Brunswick. 

Researcher Bill Betty doesn't think they're all mistaken....he's with the Eastern Puma Research Network and he tells CHSJ News there's an even stranger possibility than a new and unknown species...wild house cats, which have been documented to get as big as 56 inches after living outside for generations.

He says the big black cats people have reported seeing could be the Asiatic Leopard which are a problem in Europe but haven't been proven to exist yet here, but we'll just have to wait until one is captured to know for sure.

VIDEO: City Commemorates Battle Of Britain

King and Charlotte blocked off from traffic as veterans, family members, cadets, and members of the public gathering in Kings Square to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Britain. 

John Bampton of the Royal Air Force was born in England but now lives in Sussex. He fought in the World War II battle as part of the 59th squadron. Bampton, who is now 91-years old, tells CHSJ News it's an emotional occasion for him because there aren't very many of veterans left, but it's also a reminder that it's all been worthwhile.

Bampton giving thanks on behalf of the veterans to the people of Canada, and especially the Maritimes, for backing them up in a time of need and helping them get back up on their feet after the war.

Quispamsis Gets $28,000 To Extend Trail System

The trail system in Quispamsis is expanding to become part of the Trans Canada Trail, thanks to a $28,000 dollar grant.

The funding, which comes from the Trans Canada Trail, will be used to extend the Saunders Brook Trail from Doncaster Drive to Lancelot Drive. 

Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News they're always working on the town's trails. He says the money is a good start, and he hopes this is phase one of a larger project that will put a trail right through the community.

Ultimately, the Quispamsis trail will include the rehabilitated Matthews Cove Park and will connect to Rothesay along with Kingston via the Kennebecasis River and the Gondola Point Ferry.

Harbour Bridge Crash

One person in hospital after the car they were driving crashed into a cement barricade. City Police say it happened on the Harbour Bridge just before 4:30 in the morning, going eastbound.

Importing Gas Would Increase PotashCorp's Costs

If PotashCorp can't secure a local supply of natural gas in the province, they'll have to look for an outside source, and that means higher energy costs. 

That's according to General Manager of the New Brunswick division, Stewart Brown, who says they need that local source of natural gas for their growing operation. Brown says if there were no natural gas sources available in the Sussex area, he doesn't believe the Piccadilly mine development would have gone ahead.

He says we have a natural resource available here in the province and need to have clear and transparent regulations so companies that can extract it are able to move forward and we don't have that yet.

95% of the potash production from Sussex is shipped out of the Port City, which is about a million tonnes every year.

Queen Square Farmers Market Gets Postponed

Looks like you'll have to wait until next week to get those fresh veggies and hot coffee.

Organizer Jody Kliffer letting us know the Queens Square Farmers Market has been postponed until next Sunday, Sept. 29. It's been cancelled because of the rain forecasted for tomorrow morning.

Fire Crews Called To The Paramount

A concerned citizen calling City Fire after witnessing what they thought was smoke coming out of the back of an old uptown theatre. 

They responded to the Paramount, which is now undergoing demolition, and Division Fire Chief Gerald Green tells CHSJ News they discovered there was no fire in the building, it was just dust from bricks falling.

Demolition started on the Paramount this past Wednesday. It's scheduled to be finished by November.

SJ Board of Trade Announces Three Award Winners

The best in business will be honoured at an awards ceremony in October.

The Saint John Board of Trade announcing three winners for the Outstanding Business Achievement Awards: Carole Cunningham, the Board of Trade's Event Manager winning the Chair's Award, the UNB Saint John Promise Partnership winning this year's Big Heart Award and the Young Entrepreneur of the Year is Sarah Jones, the owner of Jones Gallery on Duke Street. The rest of the winners will be announced on October 2.

This is the 29th year for the awards ceremony. For more information on the event, call the Saint John Board of Trade at 634-8111. To register, click here.

New Inclusive Education Policy For NB Schools

The province has made some changes so nobody in the classroom is left behind.

The Inclusive Education policy was just announced by Education & Early Childhood Development Minister Jody Carr, and it's meant to make sure all students in New Brunswick schools get the support they need in the classroom. The approach focuses on students' particular strengths and needs and must be implemented by teachers and staff who are flexible and responsive to change.

A similar policy was launched in 1986, when the government established a mandate to ensure the inclusion of all New Brunswick children in their schools.

Fire Crews Battle Rail Yard Blaze

Photo courtesy of Andrew Sanojca

A smoky scene at a rail yard with three boxcars completely engulfed in fire. 

Fire crews called to NB Southern Railway's South Bay yard had to use extrication tools in order to get inside and put out the blaze. 

Acting Platoon Chief Roy Byers of City Fire says the cars were retired from the rails and being used for long-term storage. There were no injuries.

Climb On Trucks Safely At This Event

Here is an event you can be all over...literally!

The 2nd annual Touch a Truck event lets kids and their families get close to big rigs, monster trucks, police cars, fire trucks and ambulances.
Sharon Amirault of First Steps tells CHSJ News the event was suggested to them.

She tells us a friend of First Steps attended a similar event in Boston and thought it would be very popular here.

Touch A Truck runs from 10am to 3pm on Long Wharf.


Tickets are $5 a person and kids under two are free.

Tickets are available in advance at Harbour Station and at the Guardian Drugs locations in Grand Bay, Rothesay and Hampton.

Sea Dogs Home Opener Tomorrow Night

The President of the Sea Dogs Wayne Long would like to put last season behind him as year one of rebuilding following a Memorial Cup championship and appearance in the final. 

Long says they had an excellent draft and training camp.
He predicts this year's version in the second year of rebuilding is young, highly skilled and will be exciting. 


Long says the great thing about having younger players is that they go full out every game and can pull off some surprises.
 
The Sea Dogs' home opener is tomorrow night against the Acadie Bathurst Titan at 7 and they play again Sunday afternoon at 3 against the Charlottetown Islanders.

LaPierre Revelations Call Reports Into Question

It's a question of honesty: if Louis Lapierre was willing to falsify his academic credentials, what else did he lie about? That's the point being raised by Provincial Green Party leader David Coon.

He says the Alward government appointed Lapierre to give its pro-fracking stance some legitimacy but now all that has been cast into question.

Coon says the people of New Brunswick will doubtless want the government to look at Lapierre's reports again, since they supposedly consulted with people and gave a green light for fracking to go ahead.

New Festival For Writers, Readers, And Writer/Reader Wannabes

Local authors, readers and writers will be converging in the Port City in the first week of October to celebrate the written word

It's called the Fog Lit Festival, and the first-time event will feature writing workshops, readings, open mics for writers and more. Organizer Rosalyn Hysslop tells CHSJ News they're tried to gear it toward anyone who likes reading.

You can take a course in writing Science Fiction, listen to live poetry and music, even read your own work out loud. For more information click here

Aquarium To Extend Fall Hours, Reduce Admission

The Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium in St. Andrews staying open from Monday until the end of October due to popular demand. 

The initial plan had been to open by appointment only after September 8, but instead they're opening a daily two-hour window which allows visitors to see the harbour seals Loki and Snorkel being fed, as well as the new seahorse exhibit.

As a special thank you to visitors, admission prices are being reduced by 20% for the period.

Gold Ribbons For Childhood Cancer

The goal is to raise awareness about childhood cancer and raise money for parents of children with cancer who many times have to travel long distances for treatment. 

John Cairns of the Inside Ride Organising Committee tells CHSJ News that's why you see gold ribbons around many of the trees in the uptown.

An Inside Ride event will be held at the Lions Auditorium on October 5th. Moncton M-L-A Chris Collins cycled across the country to raise money for the cause. His son Sean died of cancer in 2007.

Head Of Province's Shale Gas Institute Resigns Amid Controversy

The big question is what the resignation of Louis LaPierre as head of the province's Energy Institute does to the Alward Government's policy on shale gas development. 

He had been appointed to head the province's new shale gas institute earlier this year. 

Provincial Energy Minister Craig Leonard, while announcing the resignation of LaPierre had been accepted, praised the work of the Institute under LaPierre’s leadership.
 
Controversy has erupted over LaPierre's supposed academic qualifications. LaPierre has been a University of Moncton professor for 30 years but now has admitted to misrepresenting his academic credentials. 

He also resigned as chair of the Marathon Panel, a federal environmental review board, citing medical reasons.

  

Suspicious Fire On East Side

An investigation launched into whether arson was the cause of a fire early this morning at Atlantic Home Improvements on Golden Grove Road. 

Fire crews and police were called around 2:00. Two vehicles went up in smoke and a third was damaged by the fire. There was also some damage to the siding on the outside of the building itself. 

A fire investigator has been called in.

Gallant Says It's Not A Real Shuffle

The Provincial Liberal Leader says it's also the same people around the table..it's not a real shuffle.
 
Brian Gallant tells CHSJ News this is an old political tactic when things are not going well politically.

He says it's only changing the roles for a few ministers adding it's like they are playing musical chairs with an extra seat.

Gallant says making Ted Flemming the Attorney General is only because of Marie-Claude Blais's move to education meaning they needed a lawyer in that post.