The Emerald Princess, one of the three cruise ships in port today, wasn't originally suppose to come to Saint John... or even Canada.
According to various passengers, the cruise ship was originally heading to Greenland when they encountered rough waters and forty-five mile winds.. which would make landing in Greenland a big problem. So the cruise ship headed to Newfoundland before landing here. The ship started in Copenhagen, traveled around the Baltic and Europe before arriving in the Maritimes.
The passengers from across the US and even Australia say since they left Iceland they've encountered foggy and "yucky" weather, so today couldn't be more perfect.
The ship is one of three cruise ships in the City today.
Uptown Saint John will be busy again tomorrow with many extra visitors as three ships are due in port tomorrow.
A Rothesay businessman wants to raise from 10 to $20,000 for the families who lost everything in the recent fire which destroyed two historical buildings in downtown Sussex.
Darryl Campbell of Just Seafood on Hampton Road is originally from Sussex. He says with school starting a lot of the kids have lost everything and would like them to give them back a sense of home before Christmas arrives.
He's setting up a jar in his store for people to make donations and on the 29th, there will be a truck and 15 foot open trailer for people to donate all their refundable bottles.
Remember that robbery at the Oromocto MacDonald's last week?
RCMP charging a 30 year old woman relating to the armed robbery at the restaurant last Tuesday.
Just after 4am, a woman came in with a blanket over her head carrying syringes demanding cash.
She didn't get any as the woman working at the time locked herself in a back office and called police.
The woman remains in custody and is due in Burton Provincial court today.
Two St. Stephen men in their 50's are in hot water after a Bordertown bust.
Mounties doing a search at a home on Sunday found marihuana, pills, cocaine and cash.
Both men were arrested, released on conditions and are due before a judge at a later date.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is trying to raise around $20,000 within two weeks to purchase a portion of the Musquash Estuary.
NCC's Andrew Holland tells CHSJ news their goal is to protect the 300 acres of land long-term. He says the forest site has a lot of wildlife including moose, bobcats, white tailed deer and over 290 species of birds. He says they are already protecting about 88% of the coastline, but this property is more inland where the larger wildlife roam.
Holland adds they already have 84% of the funds raised to purchase the property, which they would care for and use as a tool to educate people about nature.
For more information call 1-877-231-4400, e-mail atlantic@natureconservancy.ca or click here.
(Photo courtesy of Andrew Holland)
He's pumped and ready for a new challenge. After leading the Conservation Council for 28 years, David Coon is embracing his new role as leader of the Provincial Green Party.
Coon was elected at a leadership convention held on the weekend in Fredericton.
He tells CHSJ News the transition is not bittersweet.
He thinks if we can go down the road to economic self-reliance and a green economy then we can attract young people from other provinces.
Coon tells us his short and long term goals range from learning the Green Party's office number to getting out on the road and meeting more people in the province.
The fire department was kept busy with several calls including one in the intersection of Chesley Drive and Hilyard Street after a car struck a tree sending one man to hospital.
There was another call to the schoolboard building on Woodward Avenue with smoke in the cafeteria which was caused by an overheated ventilation motor.
There was another call after that about arcing and burning wires at Canaport from an NB Power substation that fed into a maintenance building. Power had to be shut off going into the building.
You can expect more cruise ship activity this week as we enter the peak period where fall colours come out.
This week eight ships are expected with today and tomorrow being a triple cruise ship day. That should put the total cruise ship guests at almost two-hundred thousand for this year.
Cruise ship season is over at the end of October 29th.
The mayor of Grand Bay-Westfield sees no benefit in having Dr. Jim Parrot as an independent MLA.
Mayor Grace Loiser tells CHSJ news Parrot's ousting from the Conservatives isn't a surprise. She says in New Brunswick politics you either play on the team or by yourself, which is what happened to Dr. Parrot.
Loiser admits there's no doubt having a member of government on your side makes life easier, but this is an opportunity to build new bridges. She says the Grand Bay-Westfield area supported the Conservatives in the past election, so she hopes they'll still support them back.
Support is coming in for suspended city police officer Chris Messer not only from within the city but across the country as well. We get that word from his fiancee Sarah Taylor who has raised questions about why no one has been charged with either a breakin at Messer's home in September of 2010 or a drive by shooting three weeks later.
Taylor tells CHSJ News she had to hit the floor when shots were fired into their home. She was in the bathroom just fifteen minutes before one of the shots came through and began breaking the tiles. Taylor says she hit the floor while Messer made his way downstairs to the kitchen to call 9-1-1.
All things considered, Taylor tells us Messer is doing in her words "fabulous" as he appeals his convictions for common assault and engaging in threatening behavior in the aftermath of the breakin.
Saint John is
getting noticed from the outside for the way it is creating a new
services based economy built around technology and that's why it was
chosen as one of the 7 most intelligent communities worldwide. That,
from Lou Zacharilla, Co-Founder of the Intelligent Community Forum in
New York City, who calls it a work in progress.
Enterprise Saint John hosted a public forum over the weekend on what's the future Saint John.
The
Vice-President at U-N-B Saint John Dr. Robert McKinnon tells CHSJ News
the University and education will become more and more important.
The General Manager of Enterprise Saint John, Steve Carson says education will be the cornerstone.
Zacharilla tells us a renaissance is happening in Saint John and people are taking note.
