The president of UNB Dr. Eddy Campbell says universities and post secondary education institutions can be a major player in turning around the fortunes of the province. He says there are four keys areas that need to be improved upon: access to post-secondary education, capitalizing on innovation, improving access to capital, and fostering regional co-operation.
Campbell tells CHSJ News UNB and the community colleges can play a vital role in boosting the population and strengthening the economy by attracting people to come and study. He also admits more can be done to connect graduates with employers.
He says we need to do a better job of encouraging innovation rather than relying on our natural resources to power our economy.
Ron Oldfield of the Saint John District Labour Council says the unveiling of this monument is a proud moment for labour. Oldfield says it's just not right to go to work and not come home.
Mayor Ivan Court says employers can cut corners because that may mean someone's name might end up on that list of preventable deaths. 9 workers in the Province lost their lives on the job in 2010.
Hundreds of people braving the rain to see a new monument at the Lily Lake Pavillion that's a tribute to workers who lost their lives or have been hurt on the job.
Bob Blakely of Canadian Building Trades tells CHSJ News he is proud of the people who made this possible.
He's proud of how important people here think this is but sad that we even need a monument because that means we're being killed at work.
Sussex artists Darren Byers and Fred Harrison designed the monument.
It was cast in bronze in Montana and shipped in pieces to Saint John where it was reassembled.
Atlantic Canadians are at or close to the bottom when it comes to inactivity, smoking and eating an unhealthy diet with not enough fruits and veggies.
That bleak assessment coming from Dr. Micheal Love of the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University who adds another complicating factor is the aging of the population in this part of the country.
Dr. Love estimates between a quarter and a third of teenagers are at an unhealthy weight being overweight or obese and half are not gettng enough physical activity to remain healthy.
The New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization releasing another update on the possibility of flooding.
It reports water flows and levels continue to rise as a result of rainfall and above freezing temperatures over the entire province. In general, these flows and levels will continue to rise and it's expected that flood stages may be met or exceeded by the coming weekend at Fredericton and Jemseg if present conditions continue.
River Watch spokesperson Karl Wilmot tells CHSJ News it's best to be prepared for all scenarios as the weather in this province can be unpredictable.
Small business owners and the people who live in high risk flood areas are being advised to begin preparations to protect their properties and belongings from these elevated water levels.
River Watch will be releasing updates throughout the weekend. For a link to their site, click here.
Recreation Centre Road in Quispamsis will be closed due to construction work beginning today.The closure is expected to last approximately two weeks. Drivers travelling to the Quispamsis Recreation Centre should proceed via the Q-Plex on Randy Jones Way, off Vincent Road.
City police want to create more awareness of the SCAN legislation that came into effect last year.
The legislation allows SCAN investigators to evict people out of buildings if they engage in illegal activities and is based on confidential tips from the community.
West Side Community Officer Tammy Caswell tells CHSJ News there are people around town who don't know the legislation is at their disposal.
She says there are plans to distribute flyers about the program and to hold information sessions around priority neighbourhoods. Caswell believes once people see the legislation curbing crime in their neighbourhoods, they will be less hesitant to use it.
A monument in honour of workers killed or injured on the job will be unveiled in a ceremony later today at the Lily Lake Pavilion.
Today is the Day of Mourning, a day that honors workers who have been killed or seriously hurt while on the job. Flags will also be at half mast at municipal buildings around the city.
Mayor Ivan Court says the monument is a true piece of art.
The last city employee to be killed on the job was a city firefighter back in 2008.
The event gets underway at the Lily Lake Pavilion at 12pm.
The NDP candidate for Saint John thinks post-secondary education in this province is vital and a productivity issue.
Rob Moir, an economist at UNB Saint John says this province suffers from high illiteracy which translates into fewer jobs because employers are looking elsewhere for a skilled workforce.
He says his university colleagues think about Saint John's potential and how they can contribute and he says the UNB Saint John Urban Studies Institute is an example of how that is working.
Moir adds many other exciting things are happening at UNB Saint John including Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick.
