Common Council Looking At Making More Cuts

Since there has been such a turnover at Common Council which is made up of mostly new members, Ward One Councillor Bill Farren wants a pension teach-in to bring everyone up to speed. 

More than a few of the new Council members were angry at being called upon to approve changes to the city's pension plan that had been worked on for months by the previous Council just two days after being sworn in. 

Farren is worried about a warning from City Manager Pat Woods about the possibility of 4 million dollars more in cuts having to be made unless the pension changes that have been approved at the city level are implemented.

CHSJ News has been told those proposed reforms will not be dealt with during the current session of the Provincial Legislature.
 

Ward 3 Councillor Donnie Snook doesn't want to see another 500 thousand dollars in cuts to City Transit.

Motorcycle Crash Injures Two

Another crash in a weekend full of highway scrape-ups...a motorcycle crash on Highway 1 sending two people to hospital.

According to Constable Julie Rogers Marsh a man and woman were heading into Saint John on the westbound lane of the highway when they lost control of the bike. Both were transported to hospital by ambulance, but their injuries are not reported to be life-threatening.

No word on the cause of the crash. The highway was closed for 30 minutes as a result.

Woman Trapped In Rollover Dies

According to the RCMP, a woman trapped in a rollover accident on Highway 820 has died in hospital as a result of her injuries.

She was 72 years old. Her name has not yet been released,

Woman Hit By Car on Loch Lomond Road

Look both ways before crossing the street--that lesson for pedestrians with a local woman getting hit by a car on the East Side.

Police responding to the call shortly after 11pm Saturday evening that a woman had been hit on Loch Lomond Road at the intersection of Malette Road. District Chief Joe Armstrong says her injuries weren't serious. although she was transported to hospital.

Police remained on the scene for nearly an hour.

Locals Protest Harper

Canada doesn't belong to Stephen Harper--that message from protestors gathering in King Square to demonstrate against what they call the Harper government's disregard for the will of the people.

Former NDP candidate and Council of Canadians member Andrew Graham was in attendance. He tells CHSJ News the Harper government has a long track record of scandals and failures and it can't be tolerated.

The protest also focused on bill C-38, the omnibus bill, which amalgamates 70 different bills into one. According to Graham, that bill prevents the issues from getting properly debated in parliament.

Go Green To Win Prizes

Tune up your bike and get out your walking shoes--a fun competition called the Commuter Challenge is turning your daily trek to work into an Eco-friendly competition. People can sign up and record the days they choose not to use the car to get around--and the total is entered onto a website where Saint John companies compete against other cities.

Jody Kliffer of the city's planning commission explains you can get involved on as small or large a scale as you want--you can participate as an individual, or with your whole office.

Saint John has a record to defend, having blown away the rest of New Brunswick to win last year's cup.For more information, including a list of great prizes from local businesses, click here

MacKinnon Knows City & University Are Good Partners

The Tucker park campus of UNB in Saint John expects to continue its great working relationship with the City of Saint John now that a new mayor and council are at the helm.
 
UNB Saint John Vice-President Robert MacKinnon tells CHSJ News he hears Mayor Mel Norton wants to work together to achieve common goals and he thinks that is what is happening.

He says he knows they will be consulting the university and keeping them informed and UNB Saint John wants to continue being a good partner with the City.

MacKinnon says Dr. Shelley Rinehart, a longtime employee of the university, offers a direct link to City Hall and he expects a great working relationship with her and the other members of common council.