Province Expands The Seasonal Flu Vaccination Program

(Deputy Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Van Buynder)

The Province has 300, 000 vaccines for the seasonal flu vaccination program.
For the first time ever, 67 pharmacists will be vaccinating the elderly, children over 5 and others with chronic illnesses.
Deputy chief medical officer of health, Dr. Paul Van Buynder says they expect a mix of all three influenza strains this season.

Van Buynder says the World Health Organization has formulated a mix of three different influenza strains into the seasonal flu vaccine that is now available.
The provincial vaccination program now includes all children and their household contacts after 85 per cent of all children in the province were vaccinated last year in the pandemic.

Deputy Ministers Unveiled

(Premier David Alward Speaks During Recent Campaign)
                           (File Photo)

Premier Alward has announced four acting Deputy Minister Assignments.


Douglas Holt becomes the acting deputy minister of energy.
The term of Holt's appointment will coincide with the recommendations and outcomes of the energy commission which was rolled out last Friday.
Judith Keating becomes the acting deputy attorney general and acting deputy minister of justice and consumer affairs.
The provincial government will conduct consultations on the appointment of a permanent deputy minister/deputy attorney general during the next two months.
Tim Porter becomes the acting deputy minister of Communications New Brunswick and Byron James, currently deputy minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, assumes additional responsibilities as acting deputy minister of education in the anglophone sector.

Nurses Gather In Saint John At The Delta

The Provincial Nurses Union is holding it's annual general meeting in Saint John over the next four days.


President Marilyn Quinn tells CHSJ News, while pleased with the progress, points out more can need still be done to attract and retain more nurses to the Province with 300 jobs currently vacant.


Quinn adds there are matters with the union's pension plan that are being discussed to make sure it will be secure for the future but no changes have been made.
The conference runs until Thursday.

Campobello Island Gets A New Look

         (One View Of Campobello Island)
                    (File Photo)

A new look is coming to Campobello Island.


As of November.1st, the rural community will be incorporated.


The new set-up is very similar to a municipality and among other things means there will be an elected council and mayor.
The provincial government will continue to provide services such as fire protection and garbage collection until the rural community decides to assume these responsibilities.


Residents of Campobello Island will elect a council for the first time on Nov. 15.

New Energy Minister Says Ratepayers Shouldn't Pay For A-E-C-L Training Program at Lepreau

(Provincial Energy Minister Craig Leonard)
          (Photo by Brian McLain)

For the first time since winning the election, Premier David Alward will be sitting down this week with Atomic Energy of Canada to talk about the much delayed refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant.

With Alward will be the new Energy Minister Craig Leonard who says they will be arguing why the province should be reimbursed for the NB Power staff and cost of replacement power.

Leonard says ratepayers in this province shouldn't get stuck with footing the bill for what he calls a training programme by A-E-C-L on how to refurbish a nuclear power plant.

The replacement power alone is costing a million dollars a day.

Water Main Break Forces School Closure

Due to a break in a water main in the Millidgeville area, Millidgeville North School and the School District 8 Administrative Offices are closing at noon.


Parents of students are being called and buses will being arriving to pick up the students at noon.

A-T-V Fatality In St. George And Another Suspicious Fire In North End

The RCMP in St. George reporting a 22 year old man from Campobello is dead after an
A-T-V crash over the weekend in Utopia.

Police say the A-T-V left the road and the driver was thrown off the vehicle. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor and the name of the victim has not been released.
 

Meantime, City police launching an investigation after yet another suspicious fire early this morning in the north end at a vacant building on Elgin Street.

New Finance Minister Says There's No Need To Panic Over State Of The Provncial Economy

(Provincial Finance Minister Blaine Higgs)
         (Photo by Brian McLain)

People take notice when someone of the stature of David Ganong, who chairs tne New Brunswick Business Council, warns the province is in a perilous financial state with the choice facing the new government is to raise taxes, cut services or a combination of both.

The new Provincial Finance Minister Blaine Higgs prefers to take a more optimistic view. While conceding there's cause for concern, he claims there's light at the end of the tunnel.

Higgs says people in the province will have to distinguish between what we need and what we want.

Premier Defends NB Liquor Appointment

(Premier David Alward)

     (File Photo)

One of the first appointments made by Premier David Alward has been criticised as patronage with the Conservative Party's election campaign director, Daniel Allain taking over at NB Liquor with talk of a new business model which could involve selling it.

Alward defends the appointment, arguing Allain is well qualified and says more are coming.

The Conservatives were critical of Dana Clendenning, the former Executive Director of the provincial Liberal Party, when he held the same job as Allain at NB Liquor, accusing him of a conflict of interest.

Fire Budget Could Cause Another Conflict Between Rothesay And Quispamsis

As municipalities get set to to begin budget deliberations, a showdown could be looming between Quispamsis and Rothesay.

Both share the costs for the Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department but aren't on the same page when it comes to a request from the Chief. Bill Ireland has asked both municipalities to roll over what-ever is left from this years budget into 2011.

Instead of refurbishing both of the Rapid Intervention Vehicles, only one will be at a cost of $15,000 dollars while the other is sold and expected to fetch $30,000 dollars. $175,000 dollars had been set aside to upgrade both vehicles.
 
Quipamsis has given it's blessing to the move while Rothesay has turned it down.

No Increase In Tipping Fee Forecast By Waste Commission

The Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission has completed it's budget and the news is good.

General Manager Marc MacLeod tells as it stands right now, there is no projected increase in the tipping fee for the coming year or, for that matter, anytime in the near future.

MacLeod says they hope to get the thumbs up on the numbers from municipalities in Greater Saint John by the tenth of next month and submit the budget to the Province by the 15th.

Bus Service To Q-Plex Being Looked At

(Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop)

       (File Photo)

The Towns of Rothesay and Quispamsis are on the same page when it comes to public transit. Councillors in Rothesay voted to explore the idea of setting up one maybe two new shelters to service a run to the new Q-Plex facility.

Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News, this idea is the brainchild of Quispamsis. The belief is with more people on the route, it's hoped the $60,000 cost incurred every year by Quispamsis can be reduced.

Under the proposal, Rothesay would build two new bus stops with the hope that the people riding the forty foot limo will reduce the cost of the run.
 
Rothesay says it will build the pads for the stops but would like Saint John Transit to provide the shelters.

Any Grade 3 Student In School District * Can Learn To Become A Musician

Starting in Grade 3, any student can take part in the District 8 "Strings" program. Teacher Helen Gollings says if students choose stay in the program they can become well put together musicians by the time they graduate.

Gollings tells CHSJ News they did an exchange last fall with a similar group in Kitchener-Waterloo. The program has three orchestras......... junior, intermediate and senior and some of the students have gone to audition for the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra.

The District 8 "Strings" program only charge a loonie admission for it's annual Christmas concert coming up December 16th at Saint John High.