Opposition Takes A Closer Look At Ambulance Response Times

The response times of Ambulance New Brunswick is getting put under the microscope by Opposition Health Advocate Bill Fraser.

Fraser tells CHSJ News he has figures that show ambulances arriving beyond the target response time which is 9 minutes in an urban area and 22 minutes in a rural area.

He says ANB claims it meets its response time target 90 percent of the time but he says there are exemptions that can skew the numbers.
 
The CEO of Ambulance New Brunswick has agreed to meet with him and discuss the issue.


Fraser adds he was prompted to look into the numbers after a patient in St. Andrews had to wait for an ambulance to come from Lepreau.

Business Leaders Praise Saint John's Smart 21 Designation

The Intelligence Community Forum naming Saint John one of the top 7 tech spots on the globe.
The designation recognizes Saint John’s culture of innovation, particularly in the growth of ICT start-ups and the development of public services.

Enterprise Saint John CEO Steve Carson tells CHSJ News this title will position Saint John in a whole new light.

He says to have ICT recognize that creative and innovative things are happening here every day is amazing and it becomes a part of our story as we talk to future investors.

Danielle Timmins of Aquila Tours was part of the 50 groups involved in the application process.
She tells CHSJ News they developed an online program to train tour guides that is now a standard for the industry.

T4G Marketing Director Cathy Simpson tells CHSJ News she hopes the designation will help grow and keep the talent here in Saint John.

She says tremendous businesses have been founded and started in Saint John with great talent in the city and she hopes this designation allows us to showcase that the City is a great place to start your career or to come back to.

Programs offered at Dalhousie Medicine NB and at school in District 8 were singled out by ICT as some of Saint John's accomplishments.

The Port City shares the title with Austin, Texas, Oulu, Finland and Quebec City to name a few.

New East Side Eatery Hiring 40 People

40 full and part-time jobs are up for grabs as a new eatery opens in East Saint John next month.

St. Hubert Express is opening on Valentine's Day at the corner of Westmorland Road and McAllister Place.

Spokesperson Josee Vaillancourt tells CHSJ News says hiring is underway.

She tells us a mass hiring is on until 8pm tonight and again tomorrow from 3 to 8pm.

They are also accepting applications on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

Vaillancourt adds the company is expanding into Ontario and New Brunswick with the St. Hubert Express locations.

For more info, click here

Ambulance New Brunswick Says Patients Are Happy With Service

The local paramedics union is worried about ambulance coverage and response times in the province.

The union says the deployment system currently being used by Ambulance New Brunswick results in a lack of coverage for rural communities and less ambulances on the roads at night.

Sophie Cormier-Lalonde with Ambulance New Brunswick tells CHSJ News while she cannot comment directly on the charges due to current negotiations with the union, she says patients gave ANB a score of 9.55 out of 10 in a recent satisfaction survey.



She says since the inception of ANB, the organization has always received high scores in its annual survey.

She adds it's a testament to the professionalism and skill of everyone at ANB.

Higgs Says There Need Not Be A Shortage Of Family Doctors

Provincial Finance Minister Blaine Higgs is saying there's no reason for anyone from St. Stephen to Sussex to be without a family doctor. 

He says there are 161 family doctors in the Saint John region and if each one saw 15 patients a day, there wouldn't be a doctor shortage because half a million patients could be seen.
 
Higgs points out 40 per cent of the doctors he's talking about are on salary with no targeted patient load so they can see as few as they want.

CUPE Says Gold Plated Pensions For Its Members Are A Myth

Unionised provincial government workers do not receive fat pensions and live high off the hog when they retire according to Sandy Harding, a vice-president with Cupe New Brunswick. 

She says the average Cupe pension is from 13 to 14 thousand dollars a year in this province which is below the national average of 18 thousand.
 
Harding also says that pension money is clawed back with C-P-P and its time for tax reform with corporations and businesses coughing up their fair share.

Saint John Is One Of The World's Top 7 Tech Hotspots

Saint John is one of the world’s Top 7 high tech spots by the Intelligence Community Forum an international-based think-tank dedicated to economic and social development in the broadband economy.

The designation recognizes Saint John’s culture of innovation, particularly in the growth of ICT start-ups, the development of public services and the connections between the city’s schools,  specifically UNB Saint John  and the wider community.

The forum noted Saint John accomplishments such as Dalhousie Medicine NB with the most advanced distance medical education system in Canada and School District 8 for a few programs including the Teen Apprenticeship Program at Simonds High.

Saint John shares the title with Austin, Texas, Oulu, Finland and Quebec City to name a few.
Over 50 commuiity groups including schools, government and business assisted in putting the application together.

Theo Fleury Wows Saint Johnners At Gala

One of the NHL's most notorious tough guys gave a packed Saint John crowd a night to remember with his harrowing tale of survival.   

Theo Fleury was the guest speaker at the Muriel McQueen Foundation Dinner gala,  the first man invited to speak in its 26 year history.   Fleury calls that move forward-thinking. 

The former Calgary Flame and Olympic gold medallist tells of making it through years of sexual abuse at the hands of his coach and years of suppressing the shame, anger and pain with many addictions including alcohol and drugs.

Fleury has been sober since 2005 and is helping other people get their lives back. Fleury told the crowd he has the best life in the world now and challenged the crowd to give back and be of service everyday.

Proceeds from the event will support programs aimed at ending family violence.