Last Call For Simonds

A poignant moment today when the Communications Centre in Saint John announcing the last fire call for outgoing city Fire Chief Rob Simonds.
The alarm heard by fire crews, ambulance personnel and the city police service.
In the announcement, the dispatcher thanking Simonds for his many years of service and wishing him best in his new post as Fire Chief in Hamilton, Ontario.

Buses Are Coming Off The Roads

City transit buses are running anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes behind schedule on most routes. The buses are coming off the roads around 6:30 tonight

To see our list of cancellations: click delays under the local news tab.

Storm Update

If you are inland, you may be see a lot more snow for our lastest winter blast.
Meterologist Claude Cote says in Saint John we should see 15-25 centimetres of snow at times mixed with rain.

He says the brunt of the storm is impacting the Sussex area with 35 centimetres for the Moncton area.  Gusty winds pick up tonight with conditions improving overnight with it all over by daybreak with a sunny Saturday in store.


Cote says by tomorrow morning there should be 35 centimetres of snow on the ground at Poley Mountain.

Kitchen Fire Displaces Mom and Son

The tenants of a Millidgeville apartment building had to evacuate their homes after a grease fire this morning.
The stove top fire has left a woman and her six-year-old son temporarily homeless.
They are staying with relatives for now and the Red Cross is helping them get emergency clothing.

The fire at 133 Woodhaven Drive was contained to one apartment but adjacent units had smoke or water damage and required cleaning and an electrical check before tenants could return home.

Bishops Think McKay Highway Needs Improvements

There's alot of speculation about the fate of the planned expansion of the McKay Highway between Saint John and the Valley now that some owners have been told their land won't be expropriated because it's not needed.

That doesn't come as any surprise to Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop. He tells CHSJ News the traffic congestion could be alleviated somewhat by improvements to the on and off ramps to and from the highway.
He thinks it would because so much traffic enters the highway near the fire station on Campbell Drive.  Bishop believes it should be widened. A spokesperson for the Transportation Department says the highway expansion is still be evaluated and no final decision has been made.

The Port City Is Not A Seller's Market

Saint John is not a seller's market these days when it comes to unloading a home. That word from Jason Stephen who's President of the Saint John Real Estate Board.
Stephen says the days on market averages are increasing and the market is unlike 2007 and2008 when there were more sales and more product moving quickly.

Housing sales in January were down 16 per cent from January of 2010 with the average price of almost 172 thousand dollars which is an increase of 2 per cent year to year.

Federal Law And Order Minister In North End Praising O.N.E. Change

The Federal Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews in Saint John yesterday to see what O.N.E Change Youth Inclusion Program in the north end is all about.

Toews says by seeing the success of the program firsthand, it will be easier to provide future funding.
The Federal Government funds the program through it's National Crime Prevention Strategy.

The Youth Inclusion Program addresses risk factors for young people, including substance abuse and lack of recreational activities to keep them from getting ensnarled in the criminal justice system.

Toews praised School District 8 for what it's doing at Lorne School. The O.N.E Change program has received more 914 thousand over 4 years.

Saint John To Get Hammered Again By More Nasty Weather

Another big weather maker will be passing through the Saint John Region with the worst of the storm expected tonight. That word coming from Steve Fougere of Environment Canada.

He says the snow will begin this afternoon but the worst of the storm is expected from early this evening until midnight.

Saint John is expected to receive 20 to 30 centimeters with up to 40 inland.

Fougere warns the snow will be heavy at time and expects 20 centimeters of snow to fall over a 6 hour period with the really strong winds developing around midnight.