West Side Business Is Getting A Face-Lift

A long time west side business is getting a face-lift.
Loblaws, the company that owns Superstore, is changing it's Lancaster Mall store to a No Frills location.
It is one of six stores in Atlantic Canada that is changing their logo. In an e-mail, a company spokes-person says expanding the nofrills model in this market allows them to compete more effectively.
No where in the release does it talk about whether this news affects the stores current staff numbers but our news-room was at the store today and many employee's were visibly shaken up.
We asked several for comment but none were willing to speak with our news-room.
The West Side Superstore will take on it's new look in the fall as will four stores in Nova Scotia and one in Newfoundland.

Animal Rights Activists Shower In King's Square

Liberal Party Extends The Olive Branch

(Energy Minister Jack Keir)
       (File Photo)

The Liberal Party appears ready to kiss and make up with Conservative MP Keith Ashfield.


Conservative M-P Greg Thompson has accused his counterpart, of delaying projects to avoid the Graham's government from gaining political points in advance of the September 27th election.


Energy Minister Jack Keir tells CHSJ News, Minister Ashfield is ready to put what he is calling a mis-communication behind him.
Keir adds it is important that instead of getting into a he said she said arguement, it's time to sit down and find a solution.

Earlier this week, Premier Graham accused Conservative Leader David Alward of partisan interference concerning the allegations MP Thompson raised against MP Ashfield.

City Seminar On Domestic Homicide

(Dr. Deborah Doherty and the Silent Witness Red Silhouette)

(photo by Tamara Steele)

Finding the risk factors of domestic homicide the focus of a Lunch and Learn today at the Saint John Public Library.
Dr. Deborah Doherty analyzed 35 cases in the province where women were killed by their spouse or intimate partner.


Doherty tells CHSJ News that in these cases, we need to make sense of the senseless.
She says in most cases there is a history of violence with threats like "i'll kill you if you leave".

Doherty is part of the New Brunswick Silent Witness committee which is a group of agencies that work with communities and famillies to create life-size red wooden silhouettes to represent a woman who lost her life at the hands of her partner.

Animal Supporter Challenges P-E-T-A's Tactics

Catherine Asher has a master's degree in animal rights -- she's a vegan and tells CHSJ News doesn't agree with the organization's approach.
Asher who was a member of P-E-T-A says the hi-jinks like today's shower exploits women at the expense of the real message about the way animals are raised and slaughtered for food.

New Treatment Center Opens

(Main Building of the New Center)
(Photo by Sherry Aske)

Portage, the substance abuse program for young people, is celebrating the Grand Opening of its new center at Cassidy Lake in Norton.

Geordie Gould, Director of the Portage Atlantic Center, says the new facility has a different room for every function.

Gould says the Center is one of the best in the country and hopes it will bring new beginnings for many young people.

Gould also says the new facility can also house 60 people comfortably, whereas the old one could only accommodate 40.

Liam McCarthy is a resident at the center and says Portage has allowed him to reconnect with his parents and sisters.

He's now looking forward to going back to university to get a degree in business management.

Anti-Bullying Summit Called A Success

Despite some misgivings at first, anti-bullying activist Rob Frenette is happy with the way the anti-bullying summit went in Fredericton. He tells CHSJ News more than 200 people showed up which was twice as many than expected and one third were students with plenty of good ideas being voiced. Those included setting up anti-bullying committees at every school in the province. Frenette also says the Red Cross has a good anti-bullying programme called 'Beyond Hurt".
He believes Provincial Education Minister Roland Hache is committed to tackling this issue which is more widespread and broader than first acknowledged.

Sussex Man Dies near Petitcodiac

A 20-year-old man from Sussex has died after a crash early this morning near Petitcodiac.
RCMP arrived on the scene on Route 890 in Cornhill to find the man had already died from his injuries.
His vehicle was found smashed and on it's roof near a broken utility pole.

Police believe he was not wearing a seat belt and that alcohol and speed may have been factors in the crash.
The man's name is not being released at the request of his family.

PETA Supporters Shower For Animals

They drew a lot of looks - and - a lot of people snapped pictures as two scantily clad members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals showered in King's Square over the noon hour.
The demonstrators were promoting how much water would be saved if people stopped eating meat -- and -- one of the bathers tells CHSJ News she thinks they were successful in raising awarness.
The animal rights activists are travelling through eastern Canada with their shower demonstration.

Vandals Hit The Imperial Theater

(Vandals Spray Paint Back Wall Of Imperial)
         (Photo By Jim Hennessy)

The Imperial Theater has been hit by vandals.

The back wall of the building, which was just re-constructed to stop water from leaking, has had a huge picture spray painted on the lower half.

There are no words and it looks more like a mural in black and white.


The money, $2.5 million, to fix the back wall and complete other repairs, was recently raised during the Theater's Keep It Live Campaign.

Premier Promises Voters Will Be Left With Clear Choice Come Election Day

(Political Scientist Don Desserud of U-N-B Saint John)
                           (File Photo)

Voters in the province will have clear choice when election day rolls around on September 27th......Do they want to switch back to neutral or move the province forward. So says Premier Shawn Graham who maintains the election will dictate the future of the province. The Premier maintains this province has done alot better economically coping with the financial downturn than many other jurisdictions, including Ontario. Political Scientist Don Desserud of U-N-B Saint John says there is a danger that the Graham government could be seen as reckless. Graham even concedes his government has not been perfect.

Armed Robbery And Beating Under Investigation

An armed robbery last night on the east side. City Police tell CHSJ News it happened at M and J Convenience store on Bonita Avenue. One man got away with an undisclosed amount of money. The Major Crime Unit is also investigating a beating which took place earlier in the day on Sewell Street. One man was taken to hospital for treatment.

PETA In Saint John For Protest

The one thing you can't accuse People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals of is being boring. Two women representing the the group will shower on King Street at noon today behind a banner that reads "Clean Your Conscience.....Go Vegan."" Spokesperson Virginia Fort tells CHSJ News, the shower is to shine a spotlight on the water the meat industry wastes.
As for just how naked the ladies will be, Fort says they have checked with police and will be as naked as they can be in public according to the law. Fort says to process one pound of meat, 9000 litres of water is used which is equivalent to six months worth of showers. The shower show gets started at the top of King Street at noon.

New Drug And Alcohol Treatment Centre For Young People

(Premier Shawn Graham)
         (File Photo)

A new drug and alcohol treatment centre for youth is opening at Cassidy Lake today.
The dormitory and building on the 165-acre site will accomodate youth between the ages of 14 and 21 who are battling addiction.
Portage Atlantic representatives along with ACOA Minister Keith Ashfield and Premier Shawn Graham will be on hand for the opening at 10 this morning.

Giant Wind Turbines To Move Through City

(Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir)
               (File Photo)

You may have noticed those giant turbines in the port over the last couple of days, they are headed to the Trans Alta wind farm in Kent Hills. The turbines will be transported through the city starting Monday at 6am. Their route takes them along Lower Cove Loop to the intersection of Crown and Union Streets on to Rothesay Avene and the highway. The turbines are 200 feet long and will have a police escort. The deliveries continue until August 20th.
Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir says the 96 mega-watt farm has been producing energy since December 2008.
Keir says the province also gets about 400 megawatts of electricity from the Mactaquac Hydro Dam.