Conservatives Promise Ferries Will Return

2009-04-20

21:09:33

(Conservative Leader David Alward - photo courtesy CNB)

Some new hope for residents about to lose their ferry services along the Saint John River -- Conservative Leader David Alward is pledging he will restore the services if his party forms the government after next year's provincial election.
Alward making that pledge during a meeting of the Gagetown village council tonight.
The Tory leader tells CHSJ News the ferry services are a vital economic and emergency link for the communities involved.
The Graham government is cutting the Gagetown - Hampstead - and - Belleisle ferries next week as part of its measures to reduce costs.

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Information Session On City's Flood Planning

2009-04-20

21:02:41

If you're worried about the possibility of flooding in and around the city -- there are a couple of information sessions coming up which will be of interest to you.
City hall is holding a session Tuesday between 3 and 8 at the K-B-M on Westfield Road to outline preparations being made to address any flooding issues in the coming weeks.
Reps from the police and fire departments - municipal operations - Saint John Water - Saint John Emergency Management Organization - Saint John Energy - and - Public Health will be attending.
Formal presentations are scheduled for 3:30 Tuesday afternoon and 7 in the evening with another session planned for the North End Community Center on Victoria Street same times Wednesday.

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Local Water Levels Should Remain Below Flood Levels

2009-04-20

20:57:50

(Recent flooding in Grand Falls area - photo courtesy CNB)

Provincial forecasters are predicting the Saint John River won't quite reach flood stage in the local area over the next two days.
They say with the expected warmer temperatures and rainfall -- there will be a marginal increase in water levels - but - no where near flood stage.
Locally -- the river is expected to peak at 2.7-meters above normal by tomorrow and remain near that level through Wednesday -- but -- that's only about half way to flood stage in the Oak Point and greater Saint John area.

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Harbour Bridge Authority Looking for Funding

2009/04/20

16:09:30

The Harbour Bridge Authority is looking for some support to get the financing for the $35 million dollar refurbishment of the bridge.
The Harbour Bridge Authority has been seeking provincial or federal financial support, but to no avail.
They requested, through local M-P's the federal support with the costs of refurbishing the bridge, but to date there has been no money coming in.
The Harbour Bridge Authority is announcing there is no way tolls can be removed from the bridge, because that is the revenue which pays the daily operation of the bridge, and the repayment of any loans incurred for the refurbishment.

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Fraudulent Email Making the Rounds

2009/04/20

15:21:53

The Canada Revenue Agency is asking anyone who receives an email asking for personal information to delete it immediately.
Reports to our newsroom tell us an email has been circulating telling the recipient they are entitled to a $241.34 refund from the CRA.
Spokesperson Heather Cameron tells CHSJ News, this email is fraudulent, and they never request information from people through email.

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Quebec Company Admits to Wrong Doing

2009/04/20

15:12:20

A Quebec based company is admitting to wrong doing after illegally selling securities in this province.
An investigation by the New Brunswick Securities Commission revealed Groupe Financier CTIC had sold over $5.7 million dollars in securities in the province over the past 3 years.
Under the motion commission staff allege CTIC did not comply with the disclosure or registration requirements under the Securities Act, and are prohibited from issuing, registering, or managing mutual funds until the investigation is complete and a final decision is made.

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Canadian Bar Associations Wants Injury Regulations Removed

2009/04/20

13:39:05

A report by the Canadian Bar Association is showing the $25 hundred dollar cap on minor personal injury insurance claims is giving insurance companies excessive profits.
Spokesperson Stephane Viola says the provincial government must eliminate the Injury Regulation adopted in 2003 to help people get fair compensation.
Viola says all injuries short of catastrophic are under the blanket term minor personal injury.

He says since the cap has been implemented the insurance industry is draining the New Brunswick economy of at least a quarter of a billion dollars.

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Update on Teenager Killed Over the Weekend

2009/04/20

12:36:28

RCMP have released the name of the teenager killed over the weekend in Sussex. 16 year old Nevin Tyrell Coates of Southfield lost his life when he was struck by a train at the mid-way point between Main Street and Rosemont Avenue on Saturday.
RCMP say they are unsure how exactly he was struck by the train, but they do know he was walking with another youth on the tracks, and stepped off as the train approached.
Officials are trying to determine what exactly happened.

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Gagetown Ferry Resumes Run

2009/04/20

12:35:02

Flooding on the Jemseg side of the Gagetown ferry is causing a bit of a mess, but service is still running.
Department of Transportation spokesperson Andrew Holland tells CHSJ News, the ferry was off it's run as a precaution as crews worked to clean up tree branches and debris caused by high water levels.
Holland says ice blocks continue to float in the river, which caused the main cable line to break earlier in the month, and says stopping the service was a way to prevent any damage to the newly repaired ferry.

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Rothesay Has a Visitor

2009-04-20:

04:17:49:

The Town of Rothesay is giving the royal treatment to a friend from across the pond. Photographer Judy Parrot arrived over the weekend to spend eight days in the town that bears the same name as her's. Parrot is from Rothesay, Scotland and the two municipalities are connected through the Cultural Connect Scotland Project. Parrot will meet with business, home-owners, seniors, churches to look at the community through the eyes of someone who has never been here before.

This is also the week of the Big Rothesay Read with several things on the go including a visit from the author of the book Ishmael Bee-ah ""Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier"". It was handed out to over 600 students in District Six to encourage reading and get people talking last month.

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Drive is on For New Uptown Housing

2009-04-20:

04:16:30:

The city's new top priority in mixed income housing could be named tonight. The Abbey Saint Andrew project seems to have captured the attention of Councilor Peter McGuire who is advocating the project be named council's top priority in that area of development projects.

City council will sit down at six oclock tonight to discuss the project--- a spokesperson with the project has recently told CHSJ News, they plan to break ground late this month or early next month.

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One City Councilor Wants GPS Technology

2009-04-20:

04:15:10:

Common Council will hear an idea from Councilor Gary Sullivan about installing GPS tracking systems in city vehicles at tonight's meeting. Sullivan tells CHSJ News, installing tracking devices isn't about catching slackers, it's to ensure city services are being followed through with efficiency.

Sullivan says technology is used in other sectors to monitor quality and there is no reason the devices should not be installed.

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Vehicle Chase in French Village

2009-04-20:

04:14:07:

Details are still being ironed after an early morning chase between two vehicles in French Village. It was just after one o'Clock when Rothesay Regional Police were called to the area to find two vehicles chasing each other. Officer's are still taking statements from the nine people involved including seven in one vehicle.

Windows were blown out of one vehicle and one of the people could be facing an assault with a weapon charge. 

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Two Men Dead in Greater Saint John

2009-04-20:

04:13:16:

It turned out to be a deadly weekend in Greater Saint John. City Police were called to the Acamac-Backland Road last night around nine o'clock to find a 41-year old man's body had fallen from an ATV and details on what happened are sketchy. Officer's do tell us there may have been an accident on the bike before the driver came off of the vehicle. No name or age is being released and it could be a few days before it is as most of the man's family is out of Province. 

City Police are still working out the details as well after a body was found in East Saint John on Saturday. It was just after 2:30pm the man was discovered in a wooded area near the McAllister Place Mall. An autopsy has been performed but no name or age are being released. Police believe they know who the man is and there are some missing persons files they still have on record.  

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