The Princess Of Acadia Ferry Will Be Off Its Run

After picking up some fishing gear in their propulsion system, the Princess of Acadia will be off its run from tomorrow afternoon until next Thursday.

Bay Ferries spokesperson Don Cormier tells CHSJ News says the decision was made to do the work now to avoid further damage.

Tomorrow's crossing from Saint John to Digby will go ahead as normal but the vessel will not make the crossing from Digby at 4pm but head for drydock in Halifax for the repair work.

Cormier is asking travellers to keep a close eye on their website for news on when the service will resume.   To find the link, click here

Local Companies Among Best Employers

A trio of Saint John based companies are being recognized as among the top places to work in Atlantic Canada according to a survey by Progress Magazine.
The Halifax based publication says Bayview Credit Union's employee recognition program along with in-house social events are some of the things making the financial institution attractive as a place to work.
Directors Choice supplies answering services to funeral homes and makes the list by having staff members spend time with funeral directors to better understand their business and in-house fund raising activities for the Terry Fox Foundation.
CAA Atlantic also makes the list with its employee health benefits and recognition programs being cited as reasons why it's among one of the top companies in the region.

Adventure Race Kicks Off Tomorrow

Racers will be tying up their sneakers for the second Marsh Creek Eco-Challenge tomorrow. The adventure race will see forty-five 4 person teams hike, run, bike and paddle a 26 kilometre route at the creek. Tim Vickers of Atlantic Coastal Action Program Saint John tells CHSJ news proceeds of the event go towards the restoration of the Marsh Creek water shed.

"Most people know Marsh Creek for all the wrong reasons - and that being the sewage mainly - but with harbour clean up being completed this year, it's a chance for us to start to put people in the water shed so they can see the potential it has to be a real asset to the people of Saint John."

The race kicks off at 8am. More information can be found at Atlantic Coastal Action Program, Saint John.

Saint John "A Gateway" For Drug Traffickers

Saint John Deputy Chief Bruce Connell says City Police don't have their heads buried in the sand........They know drugs make it through the port destined for elsewhere in the country but still seizing 350 pounds of cocaine is a good result and it wouldn't have happened without various law enforcement agencies working together.

Connell says sometimes the drugs pass through Saint John on the way to Quebec and then wind up back in the city being sold on the street.

He wouldn't be surprised if that were the case with Operation "Crackdown" which resulted in 40 people being nabbed together with more than 230 thousand dollars worth of drugs being seized in an undercover sting.

Tide Announcer Wins Volunteer Award

He mentors a grade 6 student during the week and volunteers as well...so that is why Mark Downey wins the Judge Tom Bell Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The award is named after Tom Bell who was a judge in the juvenile court system where he worked with many troubled youth and was instrumental in starting the Big Brother Big Sisters program.

Downey tells CHSJ News as a mentor he sees his pal at St. Stephen Middle School.

He says once a week they meet at the school and play sports so his mentee has a good male figure in his life because otherwise he wouldn't have that.

Saint John Big Brothers Big Sisters Executive Director Laurie Collins says Downey's name came up in discussions with their staff in Saint John, St. George and St. Stephen.

Huge Cocaine Bust At The Port

A big drug seizure at the port...............More than $21 million dollars in cocaine confiscated. 

Don Collins of the Canada Border Services Agency says there were 170 kilograms or 350 pounds and it goes for 35 or 36 thousand dollars a pound on the street.

He says it arrived in the two separate shipments on May 29th and June 5th and in both cases the drugs were seized from marine containers from Guyana, South America.

Police call Saint John a gateway for the drugs that were destined for the Toronto area where 8 arrests were made.