Some Will Vote Twice Next Month

Some New Brunswickers get the distinct pleasure of voting twice next month, once in the federal election and again for municipal byelections.

One week after the national vote, byelection are being held in six communities including Norton and Quispamsis to elect councillors at large.
Seven candidates were elected by acclamation including Natalie Harris who was elected as a councillor at large in Blacks Harbour.
In Harvey, not one candidate put their name forward for the Mayor's job.
To learn more about byelections on May 9th click here

Students In State Of Flux With School's Apparent Closure

The future of a private school in the City is in doubt after closing this week.
25 Academy of Learning students meeting with the government to find out what their options might be.  Jeanette Peters is a teaching assistant student and given the choice between finishing her course or getting refund, she tells CHSJ news she wants to finish.
She says she wouldn't have taken the course to begin with if she didn't want to finish it and says it's devastating that option may not be available to them.
Peters says they have to wait until next week to find out exactly what the government is able to do for them.

Weston Defends Record On Healthcare

Saint John Conservative candidate Rodney Weston doesn't know what's with the NDP and criticism on health care from its local candidate Rob Moir.

He claims health care is not a priority for the Conservatives which Weston dismisses out of hand.

He says the Prime Minister has agreed to a 6 per cent escalator for healthcare and there were health care provisions in the budget the New Democrats asked for but yet they still voted against and forced the election.

Weston tells CHSJ News the Conservatives are not pitting rural against urban with incentives for more doctors to practice outside cities. He argues having more rural doctors will ease the pressure at urban hospital like Saint John Regional.

Anti-Nuclear Coaltion Says Enough Is Enough

Just the day after all of the M-L-A's vote in favour of pressing the federal government to pay for the cost overruns at Point Lepreau, an anti-nuclear coalition is voicing opposition to any more money being spent on the nuclear power plant.

David Thompson of the Nuclear Decommissioning Coalition tells CHSJ News any federal money should be going to renewable energy projects.

He argues Point Lepreau represents obsolete technology and is the most expensive energy to produce. Thompson says we've gotten along well without Lepreau operating because of the refurbishment and NB Power has even turned a profit while the plant has been offline.

21 groups make up the decommissioning coalition including the Sierra Club.

Talking Closure About Morna Heights School Is Premature

The fear of a closure of Morna Heights school is rippling through the community but from what the chair of the District 8 Education council is saying that is premature.
Rob Fowler tells CHSJ News this proposal was first sent to the provincial government two years ago and it's no closer to becoming reality.
He says they want to put up a new building that would include students from Grand Bay Primary, Inglewood and Morna Heights.
Fowler describes it as a wishlist right now saying they are only in the taking stages nothing formal is underway.

Minister: No One Will Be Denied Medical Services

Health Minister Madeleine Dube says no one will be denied medical services even if they have an expired Medicare card.


The Minister came under fire from the Opposition Liberals in the Legislature this morning after 15-hundred New Brunswickers were left without valid Medicare cards due to a computer glitch.

She says if anyone is presented with a bill for service or that must pay cash - they should send receipts to Medicare for payment.

Dube says new cards are now in the mail for those affected by the foul up.

A Shooting And Two Suspicious Fires Being Probed

A man in hospital after being shot this morning in the north end. City Police tell CHSJ News the shooting occurred shortly after 2:30 on Main Street near Albert and the victim is expected to recover.

The fire department and Major Crime Unit are investigating two suspicious fires. The first one was set in a vacant building at 595 Sandy Point Road.

District Chief Joe Armstrong says fire crews were then called to a second blaze at 147 Rodney Street on the lower west side. There was hesvy fire damage to the first floor of that three storey building on the corner of Ludlow Street. It's believed the blaze began in the laundry room.

Also, a woman was struck by a car at 716 Westmorland Road and had to be taken to hospital for treatment of her injuries.