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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Province Investing In Bridges, Roads & Highways

Your road travels through New Brunswick could soon be getting a little smoother.

The province's Department of Transportation announcing a $233-million investment in buildings, equipment, bridges, highways, and rural roads while tabling their new budget. The province earmarking $48-million of that for permanent bridges, $85-million for permanent highways, $47-million for rural roads and $31-million for the National Highway Program.

Meantime, $273-million will go towards such things as winter maintenance, summer highway, bridge and ferry maintenance, and buildings and facilities management. It's also been announced that a 24-car ferry will also be built to serve Deer Island next spring.

Dried Eggs Recalled Over Salmonella Concerns

You're being urged to check your cupboard for a breakfast product that could potentially make you sick. 

Ova Easy brand dried eggs being recalled from store shelves because it could contain salmonella.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says you should check your home for the recalled product then throw it out or return it to the store you bought it from. 


Food contaminated with salmonella might not not look or smell funny, but can still make you sick. It can cause vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea in healthy people and can sometimes deadly infections in young kids, pregnant women, seniors, and those with weakened immune systems.

The product was sold nationally.

More Awareness Needed On How Age Affects Driving

The Canadian Automobile Association is launching a new tool on the web aimed at seniors and keeping them safe while driving, claiming too few of the elderly are aware.
 

The C-A-A maintains seniors should be aware of changes related to age that can affect their driving. 

By age 60, the average person needs three times as much light in order to see as they did at age 20. That has an impact on driving at night. C-A-A research has found half of seniors have adjusted their driving habits such as reducing how much they drive at night or cutting it out altogether.

47 per cent of us are worried about an aging family member when they're driving.

seniorsdriving.caa.ca

A Helping Hand For Our Struggling Zoo?

Speculation is swirling about the identity of a private partner potentially offering long term help for Cherry Brook Zoo.

Lynda Collrin of the Cherry Brook Zoo tells CHSJ News money has been extremely tight with recent vandalism to the zoo's sign, escalating costs of keeping animals, and treatment for a sick tiger--and the news that someone may be stepping up to help is very welcome.

Mayor Mel Norton referenced the potential partnership at common council. It's hoped more details will emerge in the coming month.

More Money For Partridge Island

It's not going to be cheap to find out what the future of Partridge Island will be--but Mayor Mel Norton says the folks at Waterfront Development have determined the breakwater is probably going to be the cheapest option to make it accessible.

Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News the city is kicking in $67,000 and hoping for a similarly-sized contribution from the province to investigate the options.

There's word yet on exactly when the study will be completed. The stone breakwater was constructed back in the 1950s but was never intended to be used by pedestrians.

Small Expedition Ships To Have Home Port In SJ

Saint John is one step closer to becoming a home port  with a $300,000 investment by the provincial government in updating the port for expedition class ships.

That money is to help ready the Port to have cruise ships depart from here. Tourism Minister Trevor Holder tells CHSJ News we'll start small with so-called expedition class ships, which typically have 50 to 200 people and crew on board.

Holder says the hope is that the Saint John airport will be able to attract more flights at cheaper rates once business takes off.

A new floating dock will need to be built off the Pugsley wharf.

The smaller ships that could depart from here would head to destinations like Alma, Campobello, and even some destinations on the Saint John River, like Gagetown.

Irving Oil To Make Its Rail Cars Safer

Irving Oil taking the lead by announcing it will be voluntarily converting its rail cars used to transport oil to higher safety standards by the end of April. 

This follows the investigation into the Lac Megantic rail disaster and recommendations flowing from that investigation by the Transportation Safety Board. 

The oil that exploded into flames at Lac Megantic which destroyed much of the town was on its way to the Irving Oil refinery.

Council Passes 2014 Capital Budget

Common council has voted to pass the 2014 capital budget in a relatively narrow 6-3 vote.

The city will pony up an additional $67,000 toward the proposed study on the Partridge Island breakwater and is asking the province to match that funding. Other items include improvements to the Harbour Passage, the Trade and Convention Center, Loyalist Plaza, and $10.7 million  for roads, sidewalks, and curbs compared to $10.5 million last year.

Councillor Susan Fullerton voted against the budget, saying while there were positive elements to it, she was concerned about a number of things on a fiscal responsibility level.

The total budget is $25 million plus the $67,000 for the Partridge Island study. Half of that is city money, and the other half comes from other sources.

Rollover, Stabbing And South End Building Evacuated

Emergency crews were called about a quarter to 4 this morning to Somerset Street near the Superstore after a dump truck rolled over onto its side. The driver was just shaken up but the power lines at Technology Drive were taken out.

City Police tell CHSJ News a man in his 40's has been arrested after a stabbing on Orange Street which happened during a domestic disturbance. A woman, also in her 40's, was taken to hospital to be treated.

Earlier, the Abbey Place building on Charlotte by Duke Street in the south end had to be evacuated after a pot was left burning on a stove, producing a lot of smoke. The residents were allowed back in after the building was ventilated.