Owners say She Supports Association, Not The Levy

Colour Centre owner Dorothy Shepard says she doesn't disapprove of helping move the West Side Business Association forward, she has a problem with the way they are going about it.Shepard says she cannot support something as unstable as a tax or a levy.
Shepard first began voicing her concerns over the proposed levy at the beginning of the month, and has since started circulating a petition to west side businesses asking them to express their approval or opposition.Shepard says rather than shelving the issue if one third of west side business owners oppose the tax, it should only move forward if two thirds support it.

West Side Business Association Continues Pursuit to Pass B-I-A

The West Side Business Association is going to continue to try and have the Business Improvement Area and Levy accepted at common council.At last night's meeting it was put to a vote whether or not the B-I-A is a viable option to pursue--without a single objection.Spokesperson Blaine Harris says a number of the people opposing the proposal were fed wrong information.
Harris says the B-I-A will give west side business owners a voice at the municipal level, and will help the association employ a part time administrator to fight for the west side.

Damaged Wildlife Fencing Fixed

You may have noticed some damage to a section of the new wildlife fencing along Route 7 near the Petersville hill -- the fencing was damaged as the result of a single car rollover earlier this month. A caller to our 648-3000 News line expressed concern the damage could eventually allow moose onto the highway -- we checked with the Transporation Department where a spokesman tells us repairs have been made to the damaged fencing and other sections of the fencing damaged by heavy snow and fallen trees over the winter. And CHSJ News has learned the Department is now developing a policy on maintenance of the fence to outline how often it should be checked and how repairs will be funded.

ILA to take Port Authority to Court

The International Longshoremen's Association have filed a Federal Court Application against the proposed construction of Irving Oil's Headquarters on Long Wharf. Spokesperson, Pat Riley is accusing the Port Authority of giving Irving Oil permission to begin construction on the facility in July. Riley tells CHSJ news he contacted Transport Canada and the construction efforts stopped and that's when he immediately filed court documents opposing the plans.

Riley says the agreement between the Saint John Port Authority and Irving Oil does not comply with federal legislation.

Saint John Port Authority Defends Actions

The Chair of the Saint John Port Authority is refusing to comment on whether or not construction of the Irving Oil Headquarters was really intended to begin in July. Stephen Campbell tells CHSJ news he won't get into specifics while they are before the courts--but--does say he believes they have done everything correctly to get the Long Wharf facility.

Campbell says they will oppose the application in federal court but it may delay progress. The development still needs the blessing of the federal government to allow a land swap between the Port Authority and Irving Oil clearing the way for the complex.

Saint John Man Sentenced For Drug Trafficking

A Saint John man has been sentenced to six years in jail on 10 drug-related charges stemming from an investigation by the RCMP and the Saint John and Rothesay Regional Police. 39-year old Allan Albert was sentenced in court yesterday for charges that include trafficking in cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking, and conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and marijuana.

Eight other people were also arrested as part of Operation Junebug and are scheduled to appear in court in August.

Opposition Leader Turns to Premier for Saint John Energy Plan

The Provincial Opposition Leader is calling on the Premier to come out with a plan for the future of Saint John as a major energy player in eastern North America. Irving Oil announced last week it was scrapping plans to build a second refinery in the Port City. David Alward says the Eider Rock project was the cornerstone to the Premier's self sufficiency agenda.

He says its now up to Shawn Graham to bring together all three levels of government with the business and community leaders to determine where we go from here.

A Shake Up at the Local Newspaper After Apology Issued?

Rumours are circulating about some changes at the senior level of the local daily newspaper. While nothing has been confirmed, this morning's edition is missing reference to Jamie Irving as Publisher and Shawna Richer as Editor of the Telegraph Journal -- CHSJ News placed a call to the paper and we have been referred to a Brunswick News spokesman in Moncton who was not immediately available for comment.

This comes after the Telegraph-Journal apologized to Prime Minister Harper for reporting that he slipped a communion wafer in his jacket pocket at a state funeral. The front-page apology published in today's paper says the story on July 8th was "inaccurate and should not have been published.'' Harper has always insisted he ate the wafer at the funeral for former Governor General Romeo LeBlanc.

Associate Journalism Professor Weighs in on Newspaper Apology

Meanwhile, an Associate Journalism Professor at the University of Kings College says the newspaper apology will help vindicate the reporters who wrote the original story. Kelly Toughill tells CHSJ news it's hard to imagine how the inaccurate changes happened without their knowledge.

Toughill also says the apology still leaves a number of questions unanswered--such as how the changes to the original story came about during the editorial process--and--why the reporters weren't notified before the story was published.

Fish Health Lab Opens in St. George

The provincial Fish Health Laboratory in St. George has officially opened today. It is a joint initiative of the province and the Atlantic Veterinary College to prevent disease and improve the health management of aquatic animals. The lab will also be used to support research and train graduate students.

The laboratory on Mount Pleasant Road includes space for fish testing; virus processing; preparation and storage; and data entry.

HomeLess report card is Released

The first report card on homlessness in the Province has been released and the numbers may shock you. 2300 people have no place to call home and last year, more than 1,100 people stayed in a shelter around the Province. The numbers were added up by the Greater Saint John Homelessness Steering Committee and is the final in a series of report cards released by other communities in the province this year.

The first Homelessness Report Card is a collaborative effort of five homeless networks set up around the Province.

City of Saint John Facing Charges Against Province

Officials in Saint John are scheduled to make their first appearance in provincial court on Aug. 13 to respond to a charge that it violated the Water Quality Regulation of The Clean Environment Act. The Department of Environment alleges that between June 29 and June 30 of last year, the city failed to comply with a term or condition of an Approval to Operate drinking water distribution and treatment facilities.

The province will not give us any further details into the charge saying it is a confidential matter until the charge is read in court next month.

All Milk Cartons Can Now Be Recycled

After working out a deal with the New Brunswick Milk Dealers Association, cardboard milk cartons can now be recycled. This is all part of a new intiative being launched by the Fundy Region Solid waste Commission during the first two weeks of next month. It will see a new five to three bin sorting facility and Public Education Officer Brenda MacCallum tells CHSJ News, trucks will be able to pick-up more product.

The plastic jugs and bags were always recycable. There are close to 1.9 million cardboard milk cartons sold in this region.

Another Bear is on the Loose

Officials with the Department of Natural Resources are keeping an eye out for a bear in the Geary area just outside of Oromocto. Several home-owners have called our news-room to report the animal roaming in their back-yards. DNR tells us they have also received a few calls about the animal and there is a trap set up in the area.

The amount of calls they have received is normal for this time of the year and the bear is spotted when garbage and compost days come around. The bear that was keeping home-owners on the West Side on alert had to be shot.