Field House for Exhibition Park

(Preliminary rrecommendations for Exhibition Park)
(Photo By Sherry Aske)

The Exhibition site in East Saint John may have an indoor field house in its future.

Wendy Donovan is a consultant with DMA Planning and Management and says they're looking at an artificial turf field and three lane walking track for the building.

Donovan says neither the Exhibition Association nor Harness Racing NB wish to rebuild a stadium just for harness racing so for the time being they plan to leave that section of the property as is.

Province Issues Call For Proposals To Build New Housing In North End

(Provincial Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock)
                         (File Photo)

The Provincial Government is calling for private developers and non profit organisations to come forward with proposals to build new housing in Crescent Valley. Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock says he's looking for diversity with the initial request for a minimum of 60 units for seniors, 30 of which would be suubsidised and a minimum of 56 for families, 28 of which would be subsidised.
Lamrock says the province has been talking to developers and he maintains there is interest in getting involved but the transformation of the neighbourhood into a community will take a number of years.

Holder Denies Charge That Conservatives Want To Take Jobs Out Of Saint John

(Saint John Portland M-L-A Trevor Holder)
                    (File Photo)

Saint John Portland M-L-A Trevor Holder is refuting the charge that Provincial Conservative Leader David Alward wants to move healthcare jobs out of the city. The accusation was made by Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir after Alward told reporters in Dalhousie the Liberals gave 150 jobs at Facilicorp to Saint John when the northern part of the province needs more employment. Holder tells CHSJ News the Conservatives don't want to take jobs out of Saint John and he would never support that.
Holder is accusing Keir of trying to deflect criticism of him over the failed NB Power deal by turning the tables. Alward will be making what is termed a major campaign announcement concerning health care tomorrow in Fredericton.

Province Provides Loan Guarantee for Processing Plant

The Province is providing a $3-million forgivable loan to Connors Brothers in Blacks Harbour.

It's part of a $12-million project aiming to keep 1000 jobs in the southern half of the Province.


Premier Shawn Graham says it's one of the oldest seafood producing plants in Canada.
Connors Brothers has been in operation since the 1890's.

Another Chance For Agent Orange Payment

The federal government has opened another window of opportunity to apply for a 20-thousand dollar one time compensation payment -- and -- Carol Brown Parker of the Agent Orange Association tells CHSJ News there is an additional piece of information required -- a note explaining why you didn't apply the first time the compensation was offered.
She says she thinks those who didn't apply originally probably hadn't heard about the compensation program.
Parker says there is a short time frame to apply -- the application must be in no later than September 17th -- you can get more information here.

Mom And Baby Hurt in Belleisle Accident

A young mother and her baby have serious injuries after a single vehicle rollover near Belleisle Creek.

RCMP and ambulance responding to the scene about 1:45 on Route 870.
Police tell CHSJ News the 20-year-old woman driving failed to negotiate the turn.

New Chair For Enterprise Saint John

Business in Saint John is moving forward by building on the relationships it already has.

Tony Gogan is the new chair for Enterprise Saint John and says the best way to grow the economy is to work with the home team folks.

Gogan says the city still welcomes major projects, but diversifying the city's economy has worked very well because not all the eggs are in one basket.

Gogan says one area that is really expanding is the health and sciences industry. He says the new medical school opening in September is going to provide huge opportunity in research alone.

The First PANB Candidate Nomination Meeting Tonight

The first candidate from the Province's newest political party will be nominated in Lorneville tonight.


Ed Hoyt who was the independent candidate for the riding of Fundy-River Valley is expected to be acclaimed for the People's Alliance of New Brunswick.

Leader Kris Austin says the party is very excited about having its first official candidate.

The nomination meeting gets underway at 7 tonight at the Lorneville Community Centre.
Hoyt will be running against incumbent Liberal Jack Keir and the Conservative nominee Dr. Jim Parrot.

Task Force Trip A Disappointing Journey

A disappointing journey-that is how Rothesay Conservative MLA Margaret Ann Blaney describes the Health Task Force trip to Ottawa to speak to Canadian Blood Services.


The group is opposed to the planned move of the Millidgeville distribution centre to Dartmouth in 2012.


The opposition health critic tells CHSJ News that could have feigned interest and they didn't.
Blaney says they basically told the six member group to go home and not to worrry about it.

Blaney adds the next step for the Task Force is to look at going it alone or teaming with HEMA Quebec.

Funding To Fix Forest Hills Ballfield

A giant hole at Forest Hills School will soon be a new playing field for students. The provincial and federal governments are putting almost $600,000 into the project which will allow for a new parking lot and field to be ready for the fall. Roly MacIntyre, MLA for Saint John East, says the kids are really excited for their new field.

MacIntyre says the old field was closed nearly nine years ago when the timbers supporting the field collapsed.

Sudden Death On The Highway In Rothesay

This doesn't happen all that often. Rothesay Regional Police telling CHSJ News they pulled a van over along the highway by the scales which isn't that unusual and then, without any warning, the 61 year old driver died instantly behind the wheel. Police are calling it a sudden death.

Also, City Police say the problem of drunnk driving continues unabated as they report three more drunk drivers were nabbed over a span of a couple of hours, two in the uptown and the other on Loch Lomand Road.

Gas Prices Take Another Jump In City

Drivers in Saint John are paying more for gas after the weekly setting. Self Serve regular has risen by more than 3 cents a litre to 99.6 cents and diesel is more than 2 cents a litre higher at $1.02.5. Propane is listed at $1.01.9 a litre.

Conservative Leader Accused Of Begruding Jobs To Saint John

(Provincial Conservative Leader David Alward)
                      (File Photo)

Another politicial storm is brewing...this time over Health Care jobs awarded to the Port City through Facilicorp which is the shared health services agency.
The Conservative Leader said in Dalhousie that the Liberals gave those jobs to Saint John over cities in the province's north. Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir accuses David Alward of begrudging 150 Saint Johners their jobs.
Keir wonders if Alward would say that in Saint John and thinks the Conserverative leader shouldn't be pitting the north and south of the province against each other over jobs.

Oil Spill Exercise Taking Place In Bay Of Fundy

80 people are participating in an 8-hour exercise today in preparation for an oil spill should it ever happen in Saint John.
The 15th annual exercise is timely given the effort to clean up the mess after an oil rig exploded in April causing a BP well to leak oil on the Gulf Coast.
The Atlantic Emergency Response Team or ALERT is conducting its exercise from Courtenay Bay to Lepreau.
The spill exercise is one of many proactive measures ALERT organizes all year that are regulated by Transport Canada and in partnership with the Coast Guard.
No actual product or materials will be placed in the water during any of the activities.
In Courtenay Bay, several hundred feet of orange boom will be deployed and then recovered from the water, to simulate this emergency measure in the event of a 10,000 ton oil spill from a ship.

Major Announcement Coming For Crescent Valley

(Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock)
                      (File Photo)

It's being called a major announcement from the Department of Social Development. A public housing announcement will be made today and it will impact Crescent Valley. Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock and Mayor Ivan Court will be on hand for the annoucement this afternoon at the Somerset Community Centre. The provincial government has made a commitment to revitalise that neighbourhood with the goal being upgraded housing and one thousand new homes. Deputh City Manager Andrew Beckett says the neighbourhood has huge potential but it will take from 20 to 25 years for it to be fully transformed.