48 Irving Employees Complete EMBA Program

Almost 50 Irving Oil employees attending the UNB Saint John convocation are not there to support their son or daughter but to give themselves a high five.

The workers are the first class to complete the company's Executive Masters of Business Administration.

Tanya Chapman is one of the graduates and she tells CHSJ News she considered it back in 2001 but with young children she couldn't take on the travel required to do it.

Irving Oil President Mike Ashar says the new EMBA's represent a three-way win for the company's people, the business and the community.

Arena Water Now Safe

The City  has now  lifted “Do Not Consume” orders at the Peter Murray, Gorman and Belyea Arenas and more testing will be done to determine the source of the problem.

New Civic Centre Opens In Sussex

The people of Kings County can now enjoy the PotashCorp Civic Centre in Sussex.  Many politicians on hand for the grand opening in Dairytown.

The multi-use business/recreation facility includes a swimming pool, walking track, fitness centre and more.

Ontario MP Hears From Community Leaders

A visiting Ontario MP finding out from local leaders in poverty reduction how its done in Saint John.


Kellie Leitch is the Parliamentary Secretary to Labour Minister Diane Finley.

She tells CHSJ News she is learning from Saint John on how to collaborate and tackle poverty.


She says she'll be taking ideas back to her community from Saint John adding it's great to see the interaction between senior business leadership and the people implementing the programs.

Some of the participants in the roundtable include the Community Loan Fund, the Saint John Learning Exchange and the Saint John Y.

Mayor Keen To Solve Fountain Issues

With unsafe levels of lead being found in sinks and water fountains at the Stuart Hurley Arena, Mayor Mel Norton reiterating clean drinking water is a major concern for the city of Saint John. 

The Mayor tells CHSJ News council agreed on that in its recent priority setting sessions.

Norton says we've got aging arenas that either need to have substantial updates, or be completely rebuilt--and that's what they want to see happen.

Scallop Madness In Market Square

Uptown Saint John was buzzing this afternoon as at least a thousand people gathered in Market Square for a free lunch and a sense of community spirit. The city handing out scallops, hot dogs and pop to commemorate the return of the Digby lighthouse. 

Stephany Peterson of the Hardman group tells tells CHSJ News it's a great opportunity for the two communities to get together.

The lighthouse was built in Digby about a hundred years ago and was loaned to Saint John in the 1970s.

Traffic Near Reversing Falls May Be Congested

You can expect more traffic near Reversing Falls Bridge over the next week.

Hundreds of additional contractors will be working a scheduled maintenance shutdown at the Pulp & Paper mill between today and next Friday.

The City Police will be controlling the traffic at the main entrance of the mill towards the Reversing Falls Bridge in the mornings between 6:30 and 8:00am and between 6 and 8pm Monday through Thursday.

Electrical Problem Causes Anxious Moments

(Photo courtesy Doug Epton)

A scare for residents of a Carmarthen Street apartment - fire crews responding to a call of smoke in the building last night.
Fire fighters reported some smoke and an odor on the second floor and after doing a complete scan discovered a problem with some electrical wires in a wall.
Luckily - no fire resulted from the problem and an electrician will be checking the situation today.

Nerepis Man Hits The Big Time With A New Dessert

After thinking he had bombed, a Nerepis man, Jason Keary, came up big on the Food Network by winning 25 thousand dollars in the category of cakes, puddings and pies. 

Jason's Mini Cheesy Bee's Nests are now being sold in the Superstore and he's in line to win a quarter of a million dollars. 

Keary says out of necessity he created a tart with philo pastry filled with cream cheese, honey and eggs topped off with grated mozzarella and peaches. 


He lost what he calls his dream job as a rope access technician and industrial rescue specialist in 2010 before having to take menial jobs and then declaring bankruptcy.
 
Keary will now await the final online vote from fans in December. 

www.recipetoriches.ca 

K-V Honouring Its Top Businesses

It was a big night in the Valley with the best in business awards being handed out.

 Leisure Time R-V Centre won the honour for Excellence in Business......Bren Tax taking home the award as best Emerging Business and the Rothesay Regional Police receiving the Community Impact Award.

Sustainable Saint John Is Launched To Reduce Our Carbon Footprint

Climate change is a scientific fact and it's going to get worse with more extreme weather events.......That message delivered to the launch of Sustainable Saint John before a full house at the Museum in Market Square. 

Sustainability consultant and writer Carl Diuvenvoorden  tells CHSJ News he's disappointed at the reaction of the federal government because the technology is there but we have been burying our heads in the sand although local governments have been coming up with green initiatives. 

He also maintains most people want to do the right thing when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint but barriers will have to be removed so they can do so. He says if there were more recycling bins in offices and fewer garbage cans then there would be more recycling.
 
Diuvenvoorden says we have to reduce our level of greenmhouse gas emissions to 50 per cent or even 85 per cent of what was being emitted into the atmosphere back in 1990 by 2050.