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Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Gregoire-Trudeau Thrills A Crowd Of 400 In Market Square


400 shoe-wearing and shoe-loving women gathering in the Market Square atrium for the 6th annual A Day In Her Shoes fundraiser.

The Canadian Mental Health Association event featuring Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau as its keynote speaker.
 

She tells CHSJ News some of the television programming today is very damaging to the teenage psyche.

She says there are things in the media and in magazines and in fashion shows that encourage a culture of self-hatred of trying to change something about yourself.

Gregoire-Trudeau says it ranges from fakes breasts to fake nails and even calf implants.
She also spoke of an ER doctor in Montreal who sees more and more teenagers coming in with mental health problems.


All proceeds from the event go the local chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association for the programs and services.




Two Locations Identified As Possibilities For Direct Flight To U.S.

Newark and Philadelphia have been identified as two possible locations for a direct flight to the U.S. from Saint John. Airport President and C-E-O David Allen says discussions are ongoing. 

The airport is also talking to Air Canada about adding a flight to Toronto.
 

Allen would also like to see additional flights to Halifax and St. John's, Newfoundland. He tells CHSJ News the airport has alot of potential but it's unrealised potential.

The number of passengers using the airport last year increased by more than 4 per cent to over 216 thousand.

Duguay Being Held After Drug Arrest

A 25 year old City man is being held in custody on drug charges.
 

Bradley Duguay of Dresden Avenue was arrested on Monday in an operation involving City police, Rothesay Regional Police and the RCMP.

Duguay is accused of selling cocaine, marijuana and steroids with a street value of $2300.


Following a court appearance, Duguay will remain in jail until a bail hearing set for tomorrow afternoon.

Ward 3 Candidate Takes Interactive Approach To Posters

One Ward 3 Candidate is taking an outside the box approach to campaign signage.

Graeme Stewart Robertson's sign on Germain Street provides a marker and blank space for voters to write what they want to see for Ward 3. Stewart-Robertson tells CHSJ News it's a chance for people to say what they really think and get people talking about the issues.

Of course, some people have written less-than-savoury things on the poster as of this afternoon, but Stewart-Robertson says that's par for the course and the constructive comments outweigh the crude ones.

Chief Says Few Leads In Choi Disappearance

Police are still searching for a Korean woman living on the West Side who went missing back on April 22, and Police Chief Bill Reid tells CHSJ News that will continue despite the absence of any solid leads.

Reid says the police force is highly conscious of the fact that there is a family at home wondering where their mother and wife is, and will follow up on any information they recieve.

Choi is described as being approximately five-feet, four-inches tall, with short dark hair and two piercings on both ears. She was last seen wearing black tights, a dark knit  sweater and black calf-length boots. She was also possibly carrying a black knapsack.

A $50,000 reward has been offered for information on Choi's whereabouts.

Mayor Urges Public Not To Feed The Deer

As the Valley and Quispamsis solicit public opinions about the deer problem, Saint John's common council grapples with the same problem.

Common councillor Bill Farren had suggested a by-law prohibiting people from feeding the deer; however, common councillor Shirley McAlary points out there's no way to enforce that kind of law, since  Animal Control doesn't even deal with cats anymore, let alone deer.

Mayor Mel Norton says ultimately it's the responsibilty of the citizenry to use common sense and not entice deer to residential areas where they can get hit by cars and spread Lyme-carrying deer ticks.

Posters Depict Ward 3 Candidate As Obese, Hairy Devil

In the final days of the Ward 3 campaign, one candidate is being accused of shady dealings via a poster campaign primarily focused on the uptown.

The anonymous posters, which have been stapled to posts and signboards, depict Gerry Lowe as an horned, hairy Satan-figure and accuse the former Vet's Taxi owner of entering the race only to pad his pockets and acquire vacant lots on which he can build on for free.

Lowe tells CHSJ News he'd not too concerned the posters will influence anyone, calling the person behind it "a very sad individual."

Lowe says his priorities do include seeing vacant lots filled up, but that is simply in order to enlarge the tax base. He says that's the only way the tax rates will come down.

Most Trailers Will Not Pay Property Tax

Service New Brunswick is trying to clear up any confusion or misunderstanding on whether the provincial government will starting assessing the big park model trailers for property tax next year. 

CHSJ News has been told by Service NB the majority of travel trailers will not be affected. 

Licensable travel trailers which are 8 feet, 6 inches or 2.6 metres in width or less are not considered to be real property which translates into taxable residential property. Since that's the case, the imposition of property tax would not apply to regular travel trailers regardless of how long they stay in a campground or trailer park.

Drunk Driving Campaign Launched

Police along with Mothers Against Drunk Driving are urging you to call 9-1-1 if you see a drunk driver in your travels. 

The 9-1-1 campaign being launched at police headquarters in Peel Plaza with the President of MADD Canada coming to town for it. 

Denise Dubyk's son-in-law was a passenger in a pickup being driven by a drunk driver and died instantly in a crash back in May of 2000. He left behind a wife and two young children. She tells CHSJ News his death left the family shattered and, even over time, never really recovers. She compares it to a puzzle which always has a missing piece.

Dubyk says drunk driving is the leading criminal cause of death in the country, killing 4 people, on average, every single day as well as injuring 175 others. She adds arrests of drunk drivers because of calling 9-1-1 increase by an average of 30 per cent.

Saint John Getting A Visit From Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau

Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau is getting more attention now that her husband has become the new federal Liberal leader. She's in the city tonight to kick off Mental Health Week with "A Day in Her Shoes" event in the Market Square Atrium beginning at 6. 

She's here to bring awareness to the importance of good mental health and try to get rid of the stigma that's attached to mental illnesses. 

Gregoire-Trudeau also speaks out about eating disorders and self-esteem in women.

Stonehammer Geopark Looking For Financial Backing From Quispamsis

Discovering and showcasing our unique landscape isn't cheap; Stonehammer Geopark, a huge provincial geological and fossil project, asking for a sum of $10,000 from Quispamsis.

Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News they're considering the request because of the tourism potential.

He says it's the type of thing that's going to make Saint John and the rest of the region a great place for tourists to visit and he thinks the literature that's already available on Stonehammer Geopark will make them flock here.

Merrifield telling council the park encompasses 2500 square kilometres at the moment, and they're looking at expanding their footprint.

Net Tightening Around Suspect In Oland Murder

For the first time in the almost two years since Richard Oland was murdered in his uptown office, Police Chief Bill Reid tells CHSJ News the investigation into the businessman's death is drawing to a close. 

Reid says he believes an arrest will be made by within the year, which is in line with what's been predicted  for some time now.

The chief saying while no new evidence has been found per se, they are taking the file to the provincial Crown by the end of this month. 


Because it's a major file, other Crowns will then be consulted and then a decision on how to move forward delivered to the police force as soon as reasonably possible. Oland was murdered on July 7, 2011.

It's McHappy Day Today

Grab a snack...help a great cause.  That's the idea behind McHappy Day coast to coast at McDonald's locations today.

 $1 from every Big Mac, Happy Meal and McCafe beverage sold today will go to the Saint John Boys and Girls club. 

Amanda Masters of McDonalds tells CHSJ News locally you can help by visiting a McDonald's locations between the West side and the McDonalds at the Esso in Quispamsis and you will help the Saint John Boys and Girls club.

She says last year McHappy Day brought in $15,000 for the Saint John Boys and Girls club and they hope to do that again this year.

You might see a new face in the drive thru window today as Saint John common councillors David Merrithew, Shirly McAlary, Donna Reardon and John MacKenzie will be volunteering today along with City Police chief Bill Reid and Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop.


You will even see Country 94's Marky B at a McDonald's locations this morning.