One person is homeless, but no one is hurt after fire ravaged a 2-storey apartment building at 204 Ludlow Street in the West Side.
District Chief Gerry Morris says despite initial reports that someone was trapped on the second floor, the building's only tenant was not at home when the fire broke out at 2:30 this afternoon.
Morris says the flames spread quickly and were difficult to knock down. He says he made a decision to pull crews from the building at one point for fear of the roof collapsing.
Crews managed to keep the fire from spreading to neighbouring homes, but the vinyl siding of a home next-door melted under the fire's intense heat.
Ann MacDonald is related to the woman whose house suffered heat damage from the blaze.
She says she's thankful the adjacent home only suffered heat damage, but everyone is still worried and scared.
McDonald was one of many from the neighbourhood who stood on the sidewalk watching crews try and douse the flames through a sea of swirling black smoke.
City fire crews are at the scene of a house fire at 204 Ludlow street on the West side.
Heavy smoke is coming from the second floor. Firefighters inside the structure have been pulled out of the building due to concerns about the roof caving in.
Only one tenant living in the building was able to get out. Several streets in the area are closed near the fire scene on Ludlow street.
People have been testing out the facility for awhile now, but the Q-Plex rink, soccer pitch, play ground, meeting rooms and walking track all getting an official grand opening this weekend.
Fundy Royal MP Rob Moore got on board with the project in 2007.
He tells CHSJ News the Q-Plex is the town's crown jewel and a great facility for both the young and the old to enjoy.
Moore says he knew once the ball got rolling on the project that it would pull through. He says the environmentally friendly aspects of the facility made it easier to secure funding.
Saint John MP Rodney Weston also on hand for the grand opening. Weston worked on the project because of its proximity to his own riding.
He says the facility may be in Quispamsis, but it will benefit the entire southern region of the province.
Tourism and Parks Minister Trevor Holder urging people to vote for the Bay of Fundy as one of the New7Wonders of Nature.
Holder tells CHSJ News this is the biggest opportunity the region has had in a long time.
He says the chance ties economic development with provincial and national identity.
Holder says when he markets the province from a tourism perspective the two things that stand out are the friendliness of the people and the fact that people want to see the Bay of Fundy.
To vote for the Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders of Nature contest head to http://www.votemyfundy.com/ or text FUNDY to 77077 ($0.25 per text).
A family physician in Saint John weighing in on how the 2500 dollar minor injury cap on auto insurance affects doctors.
Mary Garratt with the province's Medical Society says the abolishment of the cap might mean more forms for doctors, who have seen a decrease in information requests since the it was put in place.
She says whatever the new system is, paperwork should be streamlined to give doctors more time to care for their patients.
Garratt also suggesting the province consult the medical society when changing the definition of what constitutes a minor injury, to see if the definition is practical.
Construction can begin to refurbish the Trade and Convention Centre in 90 days...from whenever the necessary funding for the 8 to 10 million dollar project comes in.
The city already committing 3 million dollars to the refurbishments and is asking the provincial and federal governments to do the same.
Mayor Ivan Court tells CHSJ News government money has gone to Fredericton and Moncton and now it's Saint John's turn.
He says the city isn't asking for a lot of money, and if the cash could be committed over a two or three year period, the project could get done.
Court says the building is 27 years old and the upgrade would make Saint John a competitor with anyone in Atlantic Canada.
