Wireless Amber Alerts

Canada's Amber Alert system is hoping to reach millions of cellphone users by going wireless


The country's cellphone industry is joining with the RCMP and other police forces to offer free Amber Alerts to most wireless phone users. The alerts, which are issued to the public after a reported child abduction, will be sent as text messages to those who sign up for the service. 12 Canadian wireless providers are taking part so far.
 
To sign up:   go to http://www.wirelessamber.ca/

Canadian Blood Services C.O.O. in Saint John.

(Canadian Blood Services in Millidgeville)

A non-partisan Task Force Report released by the Province on the future of Canadian Blood Services recommended the service be enhanced not reduced.
The blood distribution centre in Millidgeville will relocate to Dartmouth in two years.


Ian Mumford, Chief Operating Officer for Canadian Blood Services tells CHSJ News that they made some changes to their plan.

He says an inventory of blood product will remain in Saint John and apharisees platelet collection will continue here as well.

The move is coming in 2012 and will impact 17 jobs in Saint John.
Mumford says they want to work those employees to help them find other jobs at CBS or in a hospital or assist them in retraining to add new skills.

Temporary Aquarium Now Open in St. Andrews

(Huntsman Marine Science Centre)

(submitted photo)

The Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews has a temporary aquarium, with harbour seals Loki and Snorkel as well as lobsters, sturgeon, a touch pool and tanks on the same site for the public to visit.

The old aquarium was torn down to make way for the new discovery centre.


The temporary aquarium is now open daily until September. Seal feedings still take place at 11am and 4pm and there will be a Meet the Lobsters event every day at 1pm. There is also a display on the new discovery centre and a gift shop on site.

A public birthday party for Snorkel the Seal and World Ocean Day celebrations are both coming up next month.
Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.
For more information or to book tours call (506) 529-1200.

New study shows high level of contraband cigarettes

(The Atlantic Convenience Stores Association speaks about contraband cigarettes)
(Photo By Sherry Aske)

The Atlantic Convenience Stores Association says the problem of contraband cigarettes is steamrolling itself across Atlantic Canada.

A new study that looked at the level of contraband cigarettes in 43 Atlantic Canada locations showed that the amount of illegal cigarettes is close to 20%.

Association President Mike Hammoud says they hope to bring that number down to 10% so that the illegal market cannot exist.

The study included four Saint John locations, and Hammoud says he was quite pleased that two local high schools had relatively low contraband rates.

St. Malachy's High came in with 14% of illegal cigarettes, and Saint John High only had 6.1%.

Lily Lake Receives Provincial Cash

(Lily Lake Pavilion)
    (File Photo)

$200,000 to establish an endowment fund for Lily Lake at Rockwood Park from the Provincial Government.
The funding is from the Regional Development Corporation and will be used to sustain and improve the physical infrastructure of the Pavilion.
With the improvements to Rockwood Park, the pavilion is being revitalized will be available for tourists staying at the Rockwood Park campground, cruise ship passengers and the local community.

Liberals Choose Candidate To Run In East Saint John

It was a landslide vote last night that won Kevin McCarville the Liberal Nomination for the riding of Saint John East. McCarville beat out John O'Kane and Common Councillor Bruce Court on the first ballot by withg 182 of the 324 cast votes. McCarville, who wants to take over from longtime M-L-A Roly McIntyre who has retired and concedes he's got big shoes to fill but is ready for the challenge.
Locally, he says he hopes to improve the environment in East Saint John and secure more jobs. The Conservatives in the riding earlier chose former Fire Chief and Common Councillor Glen Tait as their candidate.

Harbour Passage To Remain Closed

(Harbour Bridge)
   (File Photo)

There is no way Harbour Passage can remain open while the repairs are being made to the Harbour Bridge. The city's rep on the Harbour Bridge Authority, Chris Titus warns there's a danger people could be struck by chunks of concrete weighing between 6 thousand and 8 thousand pounds. Titus goes on to say each portion of the bridge will be subjected to what is called hydro-demolition with the existing concrete being blasted by high pressure water. He likens it to sandblasting. Titus says the outer third and side of the bridge will be demolished completely and replaced with new concrete.

City Hall To Be Reformed Over The Next Two Years

(Common Councillor Peter McGuire)
             (File Photo)

City Hall will be changing the way it does business over the next two years. City Manager Pat Woods is promising a series of reforms will be implemented to make the city more efficient and place it on a sound financial footing by 2012. Common Councillor Peter McGuire wants to see economic development done better and one person to be in charge of interacting with the other two levels of government so the cityh doesn't lose out on much needed grant money from Ottawa and Fredericton.
Woods says he will be presenting Council with a plan to fix the deficit laden municipal pension plan by the beginning of September.

Common Council Hears How Much It Will Cost To Reduce Flooding In Glen Falls

(Common Council in session)
          (File Photo)

Its going to cost anywhere from 48 to 91 million dollars over the next 25 years to reduce the flooding in Glen Falls. It will now be up to Common Council to decide whether it's worth it to spend that much money. The head of Municipal Operations, Paul Groody concedes there will always be flooding there. The storm diversion system consists of a network of pipes that would divert storm water during especially heavy downpours and runoffs to Drury Cove and the Kennebecasis River.
There will be a ward meeting in Glen Falls next month to hear what the residents have to say. There are an estimated 70 to 80 homes in Glen Falls which get flooded continually.