St. George Man Arrested In Connection With Fire

 RCMP arresting a 41 year old man from St. George in connection with a Blacks Harbour House fire.

The blaze occurred on Saturday which destroyed a single-family home. RCMP say the suspect knew the family and believe the fire was not random.

The man will be in court in May.

Liberals Support Removal Of The Tolls -- But....

Opposition leader Victor Boudreau says his party supports removal of the tolls from the Harbour Bridge.

But -- Boudreau tells CHSJ News he wants the Alward government to provide written guarantees the federal government will honour its financial commitments despite the election call that dumped the budget with Ottawa's share of the 40-million dollar deal.

Boudreau says the government failed to provide the information on Friday - he says tomorrow is another day in the Legislature and there may still be time to get the information and have the bill passed dissolving the Harbour Bridge commission.

Getting A Mammogram In Sussex Will Soon Be Easier

Ladies in the Dairytown can keep up with their mammograms a little easier thanks to a local employers donation.
$200,000 from PotashCorp will help the Sussex Health Centre buy a new digital mammography unit with a total cost of $650,000.

There Could Be Delay In Removing Tolls

Whether the tolls are taken off the Harbour Bridge at the end of the week depends on the opposition Liberals in the Legislature.

That word coming from Premier David Alward who accuses them of breaking a promise to pass second reading on a piece of legislation March 25th that would abolish the Harbour Bridge Authority.

Alward says the Liberals will have to decide in the next couple of days what they're going to do because he wants those tolls taken off and is certain Saint John drivers want them removed as well.

Our newsroom has made contact with the opposition to get their side of the story.

Garnett Settlement Man Suffers Injuries In Snowmobile Crash

Sussex RCMP are investigating a snowmobile collision that occurred on the Shepody Road near the entrance to Fundy National Park late yesterday afternoon. 
The driver of the snowmobile, a 32-year-old Garnett Settlement man, lost control of his machine and struck a tree. 
He suffered serious injuries and has been transported to the Saint John Regional Hospital.

Sussex Man Dies From Injuries In Head On Crash

A 71-year-old Susssex man has died from injuries resulting from a head-on collision near Cocagne earlier this month.

George Aker died on Friday at a Moncton Hospital after the accident on March 18.
The other driver, a 47-year-old Bathurst man, remains in hospital with serious injuries.

Killen Says Those Using Shelters Are Appreciative

Saint John Harbour MLA Carl Killen tells CHSJ News says the men using the "Out of the Cold" shelter this year are deeply appreciative.
He says heartwarming doesn't quite cover the feeling of getting to know the people who use the shelter and hear their stories and seeing the work of the volunteers trying to help the men get re-settled.
Killen who is a volunteer with the "Out of the Cold" shelter himself says it's a way of building optimism in anyone.

Report Reveals Some Improvement For The Homeless In Greater Saint John

There are pluses and minuses in the 3rd report on Homelessness in Greater Saint John.


While 76 more people are stayed in shelter beds last year as compared to 2009, there are four more food bank/meal programs available for the people who the need the help. The report's findings released today a Grace Presbyterian Church which has its own shelter.


Mark Leger of the Human Development Council tells CHSJ News over the last year, the Saint John churches have really stepped up to help out.
Leger says it's the engagement of area churches not only from a volunteer standpoint but an organizational one where a small committee of church members started their own shelter.  For the last three months, 30 homeless men have been escaping the bitterly cold temperatures in the "Out of the Cold" shelter at Grace Presbyterian Church.

It will close this week and they plan to reopen next winter.
To have a look at the report, click here

Liberals In Saint John Have Their Man

Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase has been acclaimed to run as the Liberal candidate in Saint John for the May 2nd federal election.

Chase tells CHSJ News he's proud to run as a Liberal and knows the issues that are important to people in the city. He accuses the Harper Government of being less than transparent.

Many Saint John voters believe it's always better to have an M-P on the government side rather than in opposition. U-N-B Saint John Political Scientist Don Desserud tells CHSJ News that belief could be a factor in how people vote locally.

He says, as it stands now, the Conservatives have to be considered the favourites to form the next federal government. Desserud describes incumbant Rodney Weston as being a strong candidate to be re-elected.

Chase, meantime, criticizes the Harper Conservatives for not being willing to commit federal funding, thus far, to help the city provide safe, clean drinking water to its residents.

More New Brunswickers Switched Off Their Lights

The results are in from this past weekend's earth hour when we were urged to switch off the lights between 8:30 and 9:30 on Saturday night.

More of us in this province apparently did so this year as compared to last.

 NB Power reports a saving of 24 megawatts of electricity or the equivalent of 480 thousand lights being turned off. That compares to last year's saving of 18 megawatts or 360 thousand lights.

Higgs Says Healthcare Dollars Could Be Used More Effectively

Now that the first provincial budget by the Alward government is in the books, many are already looking ahead to future budgets and how health care will play a role in the numbers.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs tells CHSJ News during the budget consultations medical professionals are telling him there is money in the system.......it's a matter of using it effectively and in the right places.

He concedes the province still has a long way to go and more analysis is needed in order to make sure health care decisions do not adversely affect patient care.

Blaney Vows Women's Issues Will Not Be Ignored

The decision by the provincial government to stop funding the Advisory Council on the Status of Women has run into criticism and a protest in Saint John.

The provincial Minister responsible for women's issues, Margaret Ann Blaney tells CHSJ News the Advisory Council's expertise won't be lost because its Executive-Director Rosella Melanson has agreed to come into the women's issues branch of the provincial government.

Blaney describes herself as a strong advocate for women's issues and will continue to be so in the future.
 
She has found herself at odds with those women who are calling for pay equity legislation that would cover the private sector.