The provincial unemployment rate not dropping because job-hunters have found work, but because they've given up hope.
That word coming from the NDP Candidate for Fredericton-North, Brian Duplessis who tells CHSJ News the dip is the result of people dropping out of the job market entirely. He says one of the long term implications of this is that a large part of the population will become chronically unemployed. He says people are leaving New Brunswick because they don't have any other choice.
Between September and October, the number of people in the labour force dropped by over 5000. Participation in the labour force, those in the 15 and older population working and looking for work, dropped from around 63% in September to 62% in October.
What looked like an armed robbery at a gas bar, turning out to be an inside job.
After receiving a 911 call for a robbery at the Co-Op on the Westfield Road at around 9pm Thursday night, police set up a perimeter in the area. Just after 1am, they stopped a car in Grand Bay Westfield and arrested two girls, ages 15 and 16, and a 20-year old man who was working at the gas-bar at the time of the robbery and was in on the entire thing.
Sgt. Jay Henderson of City Police says the three are facing charges of public mischief, leading the police into a false investigation and theft.
An in-jail assessment being ordered for a man facing two charges of arson.
40-year old Timothy Edward Clements being charged with causing damage by fire to a garage and damage by fire to a vehicle. Those charges in connection with two blazes on the Dever Road, one that took place on Tuesday and the other back on October 22.
The assessment will take several days. Clements will make his next court appearance on Thursday morning.
The Princess of Acadia will not be back in service for another couple of days after the power failure yesterday near the Digby ferry terminal.
Bay Ferries' Don Cormier says inspections and testing of certain vessel equipment continues.
The Saint John to Digby ferry which was built here in the Port City over 40 years ago touched ground yesterday after a power failure.
Cormier adding they want to take the time to conclude all investigations and complete the safety examinations and testing before she resumes service.
Today's 4pm sailing from Digby, both trips tomorrow and Sunday's 9am sailing from Saint John are all cancelled.
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NB Liquor experiencing a downturn.
Their total sales for the second quarter were $108 million, down $600,000 or 0.5% from the quarter ending on September 30 of last year. Earnings dropping from $1.3-million, or 2.8% to $46.3 million.
Wine and spirit sales went up, while beer and other beverages went down. Vice-President and CFO of the company, Christopher Evans, says the reason the sales dropped in those categories is because weather-driven demand was again soft in the second quarter.
The Provincial Liberals gathering in Saint John for their biennial convention, which will be the last one before the next provincial election.
There will be a tribute to the late Andy Scott before Provincial leader Brian Gallant's speech Saturday morning.
Gallant tells CHSJ News the province needs a more diverse plan to grow the economy. He wants to invest more in education to tackle the skills gap so companies in the province will have workers for the new economy.
Gallant is accusing the Alward Government of putting all its economic eggs in one basket with shale gas development but Premier David Alward has accused Gallant of straddling the fence on shale gas for political expediency.
Canada's Great Public Space for 2013 is the City Market placing first out of 68 entries.
That word coming from the Canadian Institute of Planners, based on popularity and planning excellence, as judged by a panel of professional planners.
City market manager Kevin Loughery tells CHSJ News he agrees with one of the judges who called the market a historic icon.
He says it's one of very few buildings built back in the 1870's that is still doing what it was built to do adding most buildings of this age have been transitioned into something else but the City market is still an active farmer's market.
The finalists included the McAdam Railway Station.
More than 100,000 votes were cast online across the country over 4 months.
The unemployment rate in Saint John dropped last month but still has the highest unemployment rate of any city in the Stats Canada survey.
The jobless rate in October was 9.4 per cent, down from 9.7 per cent in September.
The provincial unemployment rate also fell from 10.7 to 10.1 per cent despite a decline in employment.
The jobless rate is lower provincially because fewer people were looking for work last month.
The national unemployment rate for October was unchanged at 6.9 per cent.
NB Liquor telling us all of its corporate stores will be closed on Monday, November 11th in observance of Remembrance Day.
The agency stores will be open that day but the hours will vary depending on the store.
All liquor stores will be open from noon until 5 on Sunday.
An armed robbery last night around 9:00 on the west side.
It took place at the Co-Op gas bar on the Westfield Road.
It's believed a handgun was used but police aren't saying.
They have made two arrests. No one was hurt in the holdup.
Some of those living outside the so-called city core not happy about Zone SJ, because it will make their property essentially worthless.
That's according to Ward 4 Councillor Ray Strowbridge, who tells CHSJ News those living outside the primary development area won't be able to do anything with their land. He says people in the rural areas of the city often feel like they're being excluded, and this development plan has not changed that mindset.
Strowbridge says everyone in the city pays the same tax rate, so everyone should be treated equally. On a more positive note, he says the new plan will eliminate a lot of red tape.
This year's Hospital Home Lottery has been sold out.
The Regional Hospital Foundation letting us know all the tickets were sold before the Early Bird deadline. Proceeds will exceed 975 thousand dollars.
The 50/50 jackpot is more 485 thousand dollars with the winner keeping half.
All the winners will be known on November 27th.
