Ignatieff Blasts Harper Government Over Census

(Federal Liberal Leader Micheal Ignatieff)
                 (File Photo)

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff doesn't think scraping the country's long form census is a good idea.

Ignatieff was in town over the long weekend as part of his cross Canada tour and says the whole issue renders him speechless because we need more information about Canadians in order to have a better Canadian government.

Ignatieff says the Conservatives want the country to fly blind, and says he'll be fighting it as long as he has to.

Former Saint John M-P Paul Zed is a long time friend of Ignatieff's and argues the census has nothing to do with privacy but everything to do with New Brunswick getting it's fair share from Confederation.




           

Painting Completed To Mark Rothesay's Anniversary

There will be a presentation of a special painting done by local artist Norman Jackson tomorrow in honor of Rothesay's 150th anniversary.

Jackson tells CHSJ News, it isn't easy jamming 150 years into one portrait but historian Bill Thompson played a huge role in helping get this finished.

The painting is entitled "Rothesay's Journey" and features 28 vignettes from original photographs. James Crosby will present the work to the principal of Rothesay High School, Roger Brown, at 12:30 p.m on the Common.

Michael Ignatieff Tries Moosehead Beer

Fewer Forest Fires This Summer

The number of forest fires around the Province are way down this year and that might come as a surprise to many with the all the hot, humid weather.
 
So far, there have been 120 fires which have burned 110 hectares.
 
Jeff Betts is the Provincial Fire Center Operations Officer and tells CHSJ News, it doesn't seem like it, but the rain is spaced out enough that the woods are not tinder dry and campers are being very cautious to extinguish any fires before leaving their site.
 
Betts says last year, 230 hectares of forest was lost around the Province which is also low with the ten year average being close to 400.

Quispamsis To Host Next Year's Celebration

You won't have to travel far next year to take part in the biggest New Brunswick Day celebration. Quispamsis has been awarded the status as the Provincial Site.

MLA Mary Schryer tells CHSJ News, this is well deserved.

Schryer adds the status also brings plenty of Provincial exposure to the municipality and further details on the celebration will be rolled out in the coming weeks.

Double Robbery in East Side

City police are looking into two robberies that happened in the East Side.

One man was assaulted near the Westmorland Road, McAllister Mall area at one o'clock in the morning on Saturday and had things taken from him.

The second happened just after 2:30am when a cab driver in the East end of the city was robbed.

No further details are available at this time, but both robberies are being investigated by a major crime unit.

Iggy Speaks On Lepreau Refurbishments

(Michael Ignatieff gives a speech at Paul Zed's BBQ)
(Photo by Sherry Aske)

A crowd of people turned up to watch Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff roll into town on the Liberal Express.

Ignatieff was in Rothesay last night for a barbecue at former MP Paul Zed's house.

He spoke about his stance on the Point Lepreau refurbishments, saying his focus as a federal politician is that Stephen Harper has walked away from the Canadian nuclear industry for the past four years.

Ignatieff says we need to make sure we have nuclear technologies and the capacity to repair our nuclear stations.

He says we're losing nuclear scientists almost daily now, and the responsibility for that is ultimately not with AECL, but with the Conservative government.