The Saint John Port Authority attends trade show in Brazil

The Port of Saint John sees huge potential for new business in Brazil where a huge trade show is underway. The port's vice-president of business development, Andrew Dixon tells CHSJ News there's already alot of business going on now with the Brazilians.


Dixon says Brazil is our largest tradest partner in terms of potash shipments from Saint John to ports in Brazil. Dixon one area of future business will come with the growth of manufacturing in Brazil.

Q-Plex Construction Making Steady Progress

(Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll)
              (File Photo)

Still no confirmed date as to when the first skates will hit the ice at the Q-Plex in Quispamsis.

Officials felt that by the end of March, they would have a better feel for when the doors might open but Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News, they are still on target.


When pressed for something a little more concrete as far as an opening date, Driscoll says the end of September is a realistic time frame.

Getting Ready For a Provincial Election

Even though it's over five months down the road, preperations for the fall provincial vote are underway.


Returning officers and clerks who will work the election are in Fredericton this week and next to begin training.
Michael Quinn is the Chief Electoral Officer and tells CHSJ News, there are a lot of people who worked the previous vote who sign up again.


Quinn says some of the work they will go over the next two weeks is finding a location for returning offices, finding staff and train people for the actual polling day.


The advanced poll voting days will be held on the Saturday and Monday, a week before the election which is September.27th.

New Program for UNB Saint John

$15,000 dollars is being made available to UNB Saint John by Ottawa to set up a Small Business Internship Program.
It is set up to help small and medium-sized businesses across the country to improve productivity and competitiveness by hiring roughly 400 student interns to help with ICT projects.
Daniel Dorion is Director of the Electronic Commerce Center and says the program is a success.
The program provides companies with a reimbursement of up to 75% for the student's salary and benefit costs.

Rob Moore on the Harbour Bridge

(Fundy Royal MP and Minister of State for Small
          Business and Tourism Rob Moore)

Calling it a great proposal......Fundy Royal MP and Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism Rob Moore is commenting on all the recent banter surrounding the Harbour Bridge.
Moore says residents shouldn't have to pay to get to one side of Saint John to the other.


Minister Moore adds the $150 million dollar figure the Province is proposin as future maintenance costs is off the wall.
Premier Graham and cabinet Ministers are expected to meet with Federal Officials on the issue in the coming weeks.

Blaney Reacts to Provincial Health Report Card

(Rothesay Conservative MLA Margaret Ann Blaney)
                   (File Photo)

The Conservative Health critic and MLA for Rothesay is speaking out about the Province's recent health report card.
Margaret Ann Blaney tells CHSJ News, she is suprised Health Minister Schryer is satisfied with the results, that the Graham Government should be satisfied with an average rating and should be suiting for excellence.
Blaney adds one of the area's highlighted is wait times but questions how the Graham Government is working on reducing wait times when the Health Minister recently stated they don't track them.

Keeping an Eye on Saint John River

(Recent Flooding in Fredericton Area)
              (File Photo)        

The rainfall we are expecting over the next 72 hours is raising the question of what effect this will have on rising water levels along the St. John River.


Karl Wilmot of River Watch tells CHSJ News, they expect water levels to rise slowly but not to the point where there will be major flooding.


Wilmot does tell us the water is up around the soccer fields on Waterloo Row in Fredericton and will continue rising but he doesn't expect any streets to be flooded.

Kiwanis Govenor in Saint John

The Kiwanis Governor for Eastern Canada and Caribbean District is in the Port City today.

Saint John is hosting the Kiwanis District Convention in August.

Gary Levine will also visit with the St. Malachy’s Key Club and Key Industries this afternoon.


At a dinner tonight, the Saint John Kiwanis Club will be giving cheques to the Regional Hospital Foundation and the Key Industries Charitable Foundation. The donations are from fundraisers like the Christmas gift wrapping and the annual cash Calendar.

Provincial Transportation Minister Weighs In On Harbour Bridge

(Provincial Transportation Minister Denis Landry)
                          (File Photo)

As the banter continues to fly between MP Rodney Weston and Energy Minister Jack Keir over the future of the Harbour Bridge, a new voice is entering the mix. Transportation Minister Denis Landry like Keir is confused as to why this bridge is being treated any different than the structures in Ontario and Quebec. Landry says without $150 million dollars from Ottawa to cover future costs, he doesn't see how it is feasable to get rid of the tolls. He adds a lot of the questions still need answers and that might not happen until Premier Graham and several cabinet ministers travel to Ottawa this month to meet face to face with Federal officials.

Deadline To Apply To Be New Fire Chief In Grand Bay-Westfield

(Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Grace Losier)
                      (File Photo)

Today is the deadline to have your resume in to town officials in Grand Bay-Westfield if you would like to be the new fire chief. The position was left vacant when Dan McCoy left the post to become deputy chief for the Kennebecasis Department. Mayor Grace Losier tells CHSJ News, it will take a few more weeks to choose the top candidate and it's not a slam dunk that they will promote from within the department. Losier says a few resumes have already crossed her desk. She's hoping to announce who gets the job at the town council meeting on April 26th.