(Energy Minister Jack Keir)
(File Photo)
The Energy Minister is going right to the source in his search for answers on the refit at Point Lepreau.
Jack Keir has written a letter to the Minister of Natural Resources asking for a straight answer on how much longer the work is going to take telling CHSJ News, in the letter he says rumour and innuendo is no way to operate this project.
Keir says the latest "rumor" he has heard is that NB Power will take over the reactor in October and begin generating electricity by February.
Just last week, NB Power released a refurbishment update saying the project is 75% complete and the problem is with a seal to stop leaks with the calandria tubes.
(South-West MP Greg Thompson)
(File Photo)
Depending on what side of the issue you sit on, this is either good or bad news.
The sole financial backer of the controversial Calais LNG proposal has pulled out and now the question is out there......is the proposal dead?
South-West MP Greg Thompson tells CHSJ News, Ottawa's stance on this project has been quite clear so this is good news.
Calais LNG told state regulators last week that if Goldman Sachs can't sell its ownership interest by August 11th, all permit applications will be withdrawn.
They only other application left is Downeast LNG which wants to build its project at the mouth of the St. Croix River.
(Lions Club Member Harriet Hutchinson)
(Photo by Jim Hennessy)
The ribbon has been cut on Inglewood Manor in Grand Bay Westfield.
It is a seven unit housing project, six of which are designated affordable housing. Harriet Hutchinson with the River Valley Lions Club says this may not be the end of the project with between 10 and 14 people on a waiting list for this style of home.
The original design for the building called for eleven units and was completed at a cost for one million dollars.
The project received just over $400,000 dollars from the Province and Ottawa.
(File Photo)
A search of Queen Street South has resulted in a major drug haul for the police.
Sergeant Pat Bonner says at a search Friday night police seized 32 grams of crack Cocaine with a street value of over $6000 dollars.
Bonner says a 19-year-old man has been charged with Possession of Crack Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking and also faces violation of parole.
He will appear in court on Monday afternoon to answer to the charge.
(Barry Ogden)
(File Photo)
Erin Brockovich was the guest speaker at a conference on community leadership in Boston attended by Barry Ogden who chairs the city's recreation committee along with his involvement in seeing the Marco Polo tall ship constructed.
The conference dealt with how the grassroots in cities and towns can mobilise to get things done for the better in their communities.
Ogden says he was impressed with what Brockovich had to say as she stressed the importance of being tenacious because bureaucracies are always resistent to change.
(Common Councillor Patty Higgins)
(File Photo)
A rezoning application has been approved to allow for more parking in the south end on Ross and St. James Street for the students attending a dental assistant's school. Not everyone is pleased about this. Common Councillor Patty Higgins remembers there was a planning study report which determined there wasn't a need for more parking in that part of the city.
She also points out it's also close to Rainbow Park which will see alot of money spent on it and where Harbour Passage is being extended to. Common Councillor Donnie Snook doesn't like to see parking where there could be multiple housing units.
One of the biggest concert events to hit Saint John is just ten days from getting started.
The Reunion 2010 Music Festival as part of Saint John 225 get started on August 5 and runs til the 8th.
Spokes-person Lisa Hrabluk tells CHSJ News, she is hearing from a lot of people who can't wait to check out Harbour Country and Rocks shows at Fort LaTour.
Hrabluk adds there is something for everyone's musical taste including Jazz on Princess, Harbour Rocks and Country at Fort LaTour and classical Saint John at the Imperial Theater.
Tickets are available at the Imperial, on it's web-site or by calling 674-4100.
(New Look Hydrant on King Street)
(Photo By Jim Hennessy)
No doubt you have noticed the fire hydrants in the South Central Peninsula are sporting a new color.
The tops are blue and Acting District Chief Richard Marks tells CHSJ News, this is a new regulation from the National Fire Protection Association.
Marks says the light blue hydrants let fire-fighters know they can expect over 5600 litres a minute when battling a blaze.
The other colors in order of water pressure are green, orange, and red.
(Saint John Airport)
(File Photo)
Sunwing Vacation is already making plans for it's fifth year at the Saint John Airport after another successful spring.
Starting next spring, there will be two weekly flights to Varadero beginning March.18th til May.10th.
There is also a weekly departure to Cancun beginning March.27th until May.15th.
No word at this point on the passenger volumes Sunwing had over the spring.
Country music and up to date news is being enjoyed on the south shore of Nova Scotia at 100.7 CJHK Hank FM.
The new radio station is up and running and is owned and operated by Acadia Broadcasting which also owns Country 94 and sister station 97.3 the Wave.
Company Vice-President Jim MacMullin says it is exciting to launch our new station after two years of planning, approvals and construction.
Hank Fm is sharing broadcasting space with it's sister station, CKBW.
The launch of the new station coincides with another exciting event for the Bridgewater stations a move into new state of the art studios and offices.
(City Manager Pat Woods)
(File Photo)
A solution to the long term financial problems facing the city's pension plan should be ready by early September. That, according to City Manager Pat Woods who warns this is no time to panic and make rash spending cuts.
According to Woods, the pension fund has more than 325 million dollars to meet its obligations for years to come. The solution he's talking about will deal with what's going to happen 30 or 40 years down the road.
There's a new billboard on McAllister Drive asking people to call 911 if they see an impaired driver. The sign was put up thanks to Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Saint John Police Force.
Rick McNulty is President of MADD Saint John and tells CHSJ News it's a very successful program with 30 per cent of impaired driving cases brought before the courts being the result of 911 calls.
McNulty says Saint John is the second jurisdiction in the country to adopt the 911 program against impaired drivers.
Film and television production appears to be on the rebound in some Canadian provinces, including this one, thanks to enhanced tax credit regimes and a strong stable of domestic producers. Ghislain Labbe, who handles financial services for New Brunswick Film, says there is optimism in many areas of the country despite the high value of the loonie and increased competition from U-S states.
Labbe says the bulk of New Brunswick's film production is French, which is thriving in part, because of assistance of federal funding for French language projects shot outside the province of Quebec.
Tim Hogan, of Fredericton-based Dream Street Pictures, says extra help from federal and provincial funding sources is key in an increasingly competitive landscape but he doesn't see much potential for growth for New Brunswick's English language companies who currently aren't getting enough business from Canada's large private broadcasters.
Halifax-based independent filmmaker John Wesley Chisholm believes the challenge is to produce interesting stories. His company, Arcadia Entertainment, specializes in ocean-related documentaries and specials. Chisholm looks at the proliferation of specialty channels as more opportunities than ever existed before.
(Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir)
(File Photo)
Another affordable housing project opens today. Energy Minister Jack Keir and Greg Thompson, MP for New Brunswick Southwest, will both be in Grand Bay-Westfield for the of the project at Inglewood Manor. Things get started at 2pm.
