MLA Says Bilingual Requirements For Jobs Driving Grads Out West

Bilingual requirements for jobs are discriminatory and driving English-only new grads out of the province says Fundy River Valley MLA Dr. Jim Parrott.

He tells CHSJ News an English-only person who has just spent the time and money to go through university, and is denied a job because they don't speak French, will likely leave New Brunswick and go out West to find work.

Parrott says the language issue needs to be re-opened and re-examined, and that Premier David Alward could do a better job handling the issue.

Parrott was the guest speaker at a public meeting about the language fairness in government hiring issue in St. Stephen over the weekend. It was organized by Joyce Wright, a Bordertown woman who has spoken out against the Official Languages Act and started a petition.

Malloch Looking For Answers To Flooding Issues

With the clean up pretty much completed in the wake of another flash flood in the St Stephen area - attention is turning to what steps are needed to better deal with changing weather patterns.
Charlotte - Campobello M-L-A Curtis Malloch tells CHSJ News it's time for serious soul searching by trying to determine what to look at - where to look at it - what can we do different as we move ahead with infrastructure.
Malloch says he will continue to push the issue with his government colleagues in Fredericton - he says he also wants to make sure the best support is available to emergency responders and volunteers when dealing with natural disasters.

Former RNS Student Dies At Titan Training Camp

A 16-year-old prospect for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan junior hockey team has died while skating during a training session with the club.
 
The team says Jordan Boyd collapsed on the ice and was taken to hospital.
 
Their medical team tried to revive the boy several times while he was on the ice.
 
The club also says Boyd had a medical evaluation before training camp and didn't appear to have any medical problems that prevented him from participating. 

Rothesay Netherwood School releasing a statement saying they are deeply saddened to hear about the tragic passing of Jordan Boyd. 

He was a student at RNS this past year played for the Varsity Boys’ Riverhawks hockey team.

BREAKING: Man Dies After Suffering Cardiac Arrest On First Lake

 A sad end to a call for help with a person in distress on First Lake before noon today.

Hampton RCMP confirming to CHSJ News that a man suffering cardiac arrest in a boat has passed away.

Saint John Police, Fire and ambulance responding to the scene about 1130 this morning.

CPR was also performed on the man after the other person in the boat managed to bring it to shore. 

Pride Week Underway In the Port City

Saint John's gay and lesbian community are celebrating the 11th annual Pride week.
 
A flag-raising held at City hall at noon today and the proclamation will be read again at tonight's common council meeting.

Brian Boyd tells CHSJ News events began on Sunday and carry on all week long wrapping up with the parade on Saturday.

He says it's full week and they are breaking in a new event tonight called Chase the Rainbow, an Amazing chase-like event, in Kings Square.

You can show up for the Chase the Rainbow tonight at King Square, all you have to do is bring a non-perishable food donation for the food bank.

Other events include an auction at Mahogany Manor on Wednesday and month-long art exhibit.

A complete list of the events can be found on the Saint John Pride Week Facebook page.

Spon To Helm The Mill Rats Again

Rob Spon is heading back to familiar territory.

The Mill Rats announcing Spon will be the team's head coach again.

He helmed the team when they were the Manchester Millrats in 2008-09 and most recently has  coached the Halifax Rainmen and the Quebec Kebs. 

1st Lake Water Rescue

A rescue in the First Lake area after a person suffered a medical event on the water near Sands road and Range road in Baxter's Corner.

Two people were in a boat in the water and one person was performing CPR on the other.

While Saint John police and fire responded immediately, they have since determined it's Simonds Fire and RCMP territory. 

The boat has reached the shore.   CPR is being performed on the person.

Pipeline Project Is Putting Saint John On The Map

When people elsewhere in the country think about Atlantic Canada, Saint John tends to get lost in the shuffle with Halifax and St. John's considered more prominent in the region but will the 12 billion dollars West to East Trans Canada pipeline change that. 

Saint John M-P Rodney Weston tells CHSJ News it's already happening with a new buzz about the city among people who live outside the area.

Weston says he can't emphasise enough how huge this project is and, like the Premier, compares it to the building of the national railway which connected one end of the country to the other.    

Pettingill Road Work Extended By Wet Weather

What was supposed to be a four-week road work project is taking longer than expected. 

Aaron Kennedy, a spokesman for the town of Quispamsis, tells CHSJ News crews from contractor Fairville Construction Ltd., who were installing storm culverts and a new gravity main on Pettingill Road, were slowed down by wet weather.

The road was closed off in mid-July as construction began. The project was supposed to be finished last Friday, but Kennedy says they're now hoping to finish up in the next several weeks—he says he's optimistic work will wrap up before the school season starts.

The road has been closed off to traffic since the middle of July.

Click here to see a map of alternate routes.

Whatever Happened To Poverty Reduction Strategy?

You don't hear too much these days about the poverty reduction strategy for the province that was cobbled together a few years ago in Saint John at a big roundtable discussion by then Premier Shawn Graham and endorsed by then Opposition Leader David Alward with such fanfare. Whether it can be resuscitated with an improving economy remains to be seen. 

Kevin Lacey of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation tells CHSJ News the provincial government is not in any position to be embarking on any new spending programmes, being saddled with a burgeoning deficit and growing debt.

Jean Claude Basque of the Common Front for Social Justice says there are probably more people living in poverty now than when the poverty reduction strategy was announced and he blames a lack of revenue, lower income people not getting paid enough money and fewer people qualifying for Employment Insurance.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs says the provincial economy never did recover fully from the 2008 financial meltdown and is still being adversely affected.

New Idea To Develop Empty Jewish Synagogue

Can the vacant Jewish synagogue on Carleton Street be saved from demolition? 

It has been empty since late in 2008 and now Common Councillor Gerry Lowe is trying to persuade his fellow Council members that it can be put to another use without costing an arm and a leg.

The synagogue building dates back to 1865 when it was constructed in the austere Neo-Gothic style of architecture for use as a Presbyterian church. It opened as a synagogue in 1919 when the Jewish population in the city was alot larger.

Lowe says he has toured the building and believes with what he calls "limited funding", it can be renovated for use as office space by the city and non-profit organisations like Prude, the Human Development Council, senior citizens and the Multi-Cultural Association.