With seasonal workers in Saint John and across the province up in arms over what some see as punitive changes to EI, premier David Alward is emphasizing that there is training available to help people on EI get back to work.
Through any office of the Department of Post secondary Training, Education and Labour you can get a career assessment, develop a career plan, and may be eligible to take other programs through the community college. Recipients are also reimbursed a percentage of their childcare and education costs.
Despite those measures however many recipients of EI are calling the changes as unfairly biased against seasonal workers and calling for widespread protests.
For more information on training and employment for folks on EI, click here
63 per cent of us don't get enough sleep and 47 per cent cut down on their sleep so they can squeeze more out of their day and one-third of people are getting less sleep than they got 5 years ago.
That message delivered at the Regional Hospital by Dr. Kimberly Cote, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Brock University in Ontario. Dr. Cote says adolescents need 9 hours of sleep a night and most are not getting that much and they can't catch up on the weekends.
She adds sleep deprivation impairs your mood, alertness, response time, attention and memory which should be of concern to employers because it adversely affects the bottom line as well as making accidents and mistakes more likely.
Dr. Cote also says those people who don't get enough sleep are more likely to gain weight.
The Premier and The Finance Minister took a break from the busy job of trying to get the Province's finances in order.
David Alward and Blaine Higgs were at the K Park Elementary which is currently under construction for a bricklaying competition.
CHSJ News asked Premier Alward who did a better job.
He says if they both had to depend on their hands for their life's work they might not have a lot of success adding he's more used to shoveling manure.
Albert Vincent invited the Premier and Finance Minister to take part and by doing so have given them honorary memberships in the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers.
Police officers truly are everyday heroes: cConstable Stacy Humphrey getting a certificate of recognition for her part in a heroic accident several years ago on the Loch Lomond Road in which a tractor trailer hit a power pole and caught fire, trapping the driver inside.
Humphrey tells CHSJ News it was just a normal day until they got the call, during which the tractor trailer was surrounded by arcing wires as it burst into flame. Humphrey suffered smoke inhalation and her colleagues Constables Roger Paris, Nicholas Roy and Neal Fowler were injured as they rescued the driver. They received the Medal of Bravery from Governor General David Johnston.
The Bishop for Saint John diocese calls the choice of Argentina's Cardinal Bergoglio as the new Pope "exciting".
Robert Harris tells CHSJ News by choosing the name Francis it recalls St. Francis of Assissi who served the poor and was called to rebuild the church in the 11th century.
He says in Argentina as the Archbishop he lived a simple life cooking his own meals and taking the bus to work.
Harris says it was a powerful message when he stepped out on the balcony in just a white cossack and a simple cross and led the crowd in prayer.
"It's time to step it up a notch".......That was the consensus from a town hall meeting at Exhibition Park which drew a small but vocal group of workers, mostly women, who aren't happy about the changes coming to Employment Insurance. Many of those coming out are schoolbus drivers who are considered seasonal workers.
The President of local 1190 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Andy Hardy says the politicians aren't listening so the time has come to get in their faces more. The suggestion was made of camping out in the offices of the Conservative MP's, all of whom voted in favour of the changes.
Wayne Dryer, who's a businessman, is a member of the Scrap the Changes Committee because he questions why in the world would he hire a seasonal worker and spend all the time and resources to train a person who will be leaving a few months later.
A 35 year old Quispamsis man, who was charged with attempted murder, has been found dead in his home.
Rothesay Regional Police say an autopsy will be performed on the body of Christopher Eric Lunnie to determine the cause of death.
Lunnie was scheduled to be back in court April 11th to hear a verdict in his case. He was accused of trying to choke a man to death and sexually assaulting a woman on the Gondola Point Road.
