Several accidents in the Saint John area

Accidents continue to pile up around the metro area as the drive home is underway. Earlier there was an accident involving a school bus and another vehicle at the intersection of King Street East and Pitt Street. All the children in the bus are fine.

Also, a three vehicle accident has been reported at the corner of Union and Patrick Street involving another school bus. No reports of injuries.

A tractor-trailer is stuck in the on-ramp to the viaduct across from Harbour Station.
Traffic is being re-routed to Market Square.

The roads are very greasy so slow down, give yourself plenty of time to hit the brakes and don't be in a hurry.

The Seadogs gain the top spot in the country

After weeks in the number two position.....the cream has risen to the top. The latest rankings for junior hockey teams across the country has the Saint John Seadogs in the number one spot with a record of 38-7-1-0. President Wayne Long tells CHSJ News, it's a great honor not just for the team but for the city and it's fans as well:

Windsor, which held the number one spot for several weeks has fallen to third with the Barrie Colts now in second place. Victoriaville and Drummondville are the only other Q-League teams to show up in the top ten. This is the first time the Seadogs have been ranked the number one team from coast to coast.

Daytime Robbery at Uptown Restaurant

City Police are looking for two men after an uptown business was robbed during the lunch hour. Sargeant Pat Bonner tells CHSJ News, two men walked into the Ming Market at 78 Prince William Street just after twelve o'clock. One had a weapon and told the clerk to empty the register. She did and both men took off into the snow.

The man holding the weapon was wearing a skeleton mask, is between 20-30 years old and is six feet tall. The second man is very skinny, about six foot four and had a yellow scarf covering his face. No one was hurt.

Driving conditions are slippery on regional highways

(King Street)

(photo by Tamara Steele)

Callers to our 648-3000 newsline letting us know the driving is tricky in parts of the region.
Highway 1 between Hampton and Saint John in both directions is slippery and snowpacked. On Route 102, heavy snow is causing reduced visibility near Brown's Flat and in Grand Bay-Westfield.
Greater Saint John could get up to 15 centimetres of snow before it wraps up overnight.

Future of Canadian Blood Services Still Muddy

(Blood Distribution Center in Saint John)
               (File Photo)

The long awaited meeting between doctors and Canadian Blood Services over the planned closure of the blood lab and production centre in Saint John has taken place but it doesn't appear much, if anything, has changed. That was the impression of Dr. Andrea Garland, President of the Medical Staff Association for the Saint John Region from Sussex all the way to St. Stephen.


Dr. Garland tells CHSJ News the blood centre in Saint John should be enhanced and not closed with the operation being transferred to Dartmouth.

Plenty of Cash for Provincial Schools

There is plenty of cash to go around for schools in the Province with this years capital budget for the Department of Education coming in at $95.7 million. It includes confirmation of a new building to be constructed to replace the aging Kennebecasis Park K-5 School in Rothesay. No word on when construction will get started but officials say it will be finished in time for the start of the school year in 2012.


In District Eight......$1.7 million has been set aside for completion of a multi-year project at Bayside Middle. It's the final phase which includes upgrades to electrical and sprinkler systems and improved drainage ar4ound the building.

Premier Graham Re-Works the Proposal

(Premier Shawn Graham)
      (File Photo)

Details of the new look deal between NB Power and Hydro Quebec has been presented in Fredericton and instead of selling all of NB Power, pieces of the public utility will be sold. Hydro-Quebec will purchase all of the hydro-electric facilities and Point Lepreau for $3.2 billion. The Province retains ownership and control of the utility including transmission and distribution functions. Premier Graham says the Government has listened and acted.


Graham adds the ""do-nothing"" approach by the Conservatives and other political opponents involves far greater risk for everyone in the Province.

Green Party Answers the Challenge

(Green Party Leader Jack McDougall)
           (File Photo)

The Green Party is answering that challenge by Premier Graham releasing it's energy policy. In some of it's six points, the Green Party would provide significant energy supply through a long-term power purchase agreement with Hydro-Quebec. Deliver a provincial energy policy based on maximizing energy efficiency and adoption of renewable sources of energy in all sectors.

They would also re-organize NB Power as a public energy service utility using locally-produced natural gas as a transition fuel, reform the Energy and Utilities Board and targeted industrial subsidies, if justifiable, should be administered through Business New Brunswick on a case-by-case basis.

K-V Fire Department Budget Controversy

Quispamsis is notifying Rothesay an arbitrator is going to be needed to handle the Kennebacasis Fire Department budget issue. Deputy Mayor Emil Olsen tells CHSJ News Quispamsis wants a new firefighter to even out the number of employees at each station. Olsen says the town needs a new fire fighter now and is not willing to wait for K-V Fire Chief Larry Greer to retire before continuing discussions. The debate was sparked after the department needed to cut 100 thousand dollars from it's budget and not hiring a firefighter was one of the cuts.