Great Things Being Predicted For Saint John

With the announcement of the pipeline and marine terminal, Premier David Alward says New Brunswick is poised to become an energy powerhouse with Saint John as the anchor.

Irving Oil President Paul Browning calls this the beginning of a new era for Saint John with the export of crude oil through the marine terminal. Browning also predicts there will be more opportunity in the future.

Fundy Royal M-P and federal cabinet minister Rob Moore says right now more than 80 per cent of crude oil deliveries to refineries in Atlantic Canada come from places like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela but that's going to change.

Cardy Takes Aim At Fredericton-Silverwood MLA

Constituency budgets aren't for buying votes, according to provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy.

He's calling for greater transparency on how the funds are spent after Fredericton-Silverwood MLA Brian MacDonald revealed he spent 10% of his riding budget on portraits of the Queen to be given to groups in exchange for publicity photos.

Constituency funds are supposed to transcend party lines--meaning everyone is entitled to the same services no matter who they vote for.

VIDEO: Donors Unveiled, Hundreds Turn Out At Major Bandstand Celebration

Hundreds turned out in King Square this  afternoon to hear something Saint John hasn't heard in decades: the sounds of live music playing from the upper level of the King Square bandstand.

The iconic bandstand had fallen into disrepair after it was donated to the city by the City Coronet Band in 1908. The work, financed by donors John Irving and Dr Richard Currie, included installing new supports and flooring on the second level, cleaning and restoring the copper roof, installing a granite slab and ladder for access to the second level, painting, sandblasting and cleaning the structure and fittings, and upgrading all the electrical and lighting hookups. 

Mayor Mel Norton addressed the crowd thanking donors and citing the project as a true indicator that we live in the so-called "Renaissance City."

Uptown Saint John will be hosting a concert series at noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays throughout August at the newly renovated structure. 

No word on the overall cost of the project--but the mayor would say it was well in excess of $100,000 dollars.

TransCanada To Boost Energy East Pipeline Capacity

TransCanada is calling it the biggest capital expenditure in company history - the 12-billion dollar Energy East pipeline that will bring Alberta oil through to the Irving Refinery here in the city.
TransCanada President Russ Girling says demand by potential customers exceeded the original plan for 850-thousand barrels a day to Saint John - so - the design has been modified to accommodate more than 1.1-million barrels a day to the city.
The pipeline proposal will use existing TransCanada pipe through to Quebec City with construction of a new leg from there to Saint John - it still must receive regulatory approval with the company expecting to complete the Quebec to Saint John portion by 2018.

Another Sculpturing Symposium In Saint John

Sculpture Saint John is getting a financial boost from the province to the tune of 50 thousand dollars to stage another symposium in 2014 on the heels of last year's successful event on the waterfront. 

It drew more than 35 thousand people to see the sculptors at work including 5 thousand on the final day and turned out to be the largest event of the year in the province. 

Diana Alexander of Sculpture Saint John tells CHSJ News next summer, there will be 8 sculptors instead of 6. Applications have already come in from around the world.

Alexander says the sculpting will be taking place at a different location which has yet to be determined but she promises it will be visible. 
 
Her vision will see a total of 72 sculptures in various communities along an international sculpture trail from Bangor to the Kennebecasis Valley by 2020.

New Marine Terminal To Be Built For Western Oil

Irving Oil says it plans to build a $300 million marine terminal following the announcement from Trans Canada to proceed with its Energy East Pipeline project estimated to cost about 12 billion dollars.
 
Irving says the Canaport Energy East Marine Terminal would handle the 1.1 million barrels of crude oil flowing from western Canada through the pipeline each day and export it to world markets.
 
Engineering and design work would begin in 2015.
 
The pipeline project, itself, still requires regulatory approval.

Gas Prices Slightly Lower

You're getting a bit of a price break with gas after the weekly setting. 

Self serve regular is at $1.31.2 in the city with diesel selling for $1.32.1. 

Heating oil is also down with a maximum price of $1.14.1 but propane has increased a bit to a max of 98.1 cents a litre.

NEW: Pipeline Coming To SJ

CHSJ News has learned Trans Canada, the Calgary based pipeline company, is expected to officially announce this afternoon it plans to move ahead with extending an oil pipeline from Quebec to the Irving Oil refinery. The company will still need to get regulatory approval but its timeline calls for the pipeline extension to be completed in 2018.

CHSJ News also has received a response from Atlantic Potash to concern that a 25 per cent plunge in the price of potash might derail plans to build a fertiliser plant in the south end in 2017. Keith Attoe of Atlantic Potash telling us regardless of what's happening with pricing, the plans to build in Saint John have not changed and more information is expected next week.