Linked Header

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

New Medical Centre To Be Built In City



The Alward Government says it wants to take medical research to the next level in the province with construction of a health science centre at the Regional Hospital. 

The building will be constructed where the visitor parking is located now.It will be run by a new non-profit crown corporation under the chairmanship of former Board of Trade President Bob Manning who tells CHSJ news the potential here is huge to be a key driver of economic growth not only in Saint John but for the province as a whole.
 

The building will also be used to house out of town patients and their families if they're here for any extended period of time and the hope is that businesses will set up shop. Manning promises any displaced parking spaces will be replaced.

Manning says the university and hospital should be considered as one campus.


Saskatchewan Man Charged In Child Exploitation Case Involving NB Girl

A 53-year-old man being arrested after a joint investigation by Child Exploitation Units in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.

The man from Carlyle, Saskatchewan is facing multiple charges including possession of child pornography and sending sexual material to a person under the age of 18 to facilitate the commission of an offense.

RCMP say the alleged victim is a girl from this province and the man's name isn't being released right now to protect the child's identity. He will be making a court appearance in a few weeks time.

Marijuana Plants, Firearms & ATV Seized At Lakeville Home

Police seizing more than 350 marijuana plants, a stolen ATV and unsecured firearms after searching a home in Lakeville.

A 48-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy being arrested, questioned and then released with a promise that they will appear in court in late August.

If you have information on people who are growing pot, the Mounties urging you to report it by calling them at
506-387-2222 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at www.crimenb.ca or 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Y Settlement Services Now Newcomer Connections

A new name being unveiled for a group that's been helping immigrants to the Port City transition into their new lives for more than 20 years.

The YMCA Settlement Services is now known as Newcomer Connections, which Director Jill Keliher tells CHSJ News is a name that better reflects what they do and why they do it. 

Keliher says one of the most valuable gifts they can offer newcomers in Saint John is connections to those in the city who are already established. She says it takes the entire community to welcome newcomers. Newcomer Connections offers English language training, job preparation, counseling and referrals to the city's immigrants.

The announcement being made to a packed house at the Lily Lake Pavilion.

Petition Started Over Staffing Decision At Champlain Heights School

An online petition is making the rounds over a staffing decision at Champlain Heights Elementary School. 

The President of the Home and School Association Jill Liu says they are asking for a review of the choice not to promote Vice-Principal Ellen Murphy to the position of Principal. 

Liu says Murphy is the obvious choice in her eyes, calling her more than qualified for the position and tells CHSJ News Murphy has now resigned from her position as Vice-Principal.

She hopes to see the petition reach, and even exceed 1000 votes and says they will be bringing it to the school board.

Our newsroom reaching out to Superintendent of the Anglophone South School District Zoe Watson for comment, but she says they cannot discuss the matter as it's a personnel issue. You can see the petition for yourself by clicking here.

Premier Says Province Has No Choice But To Help Seniors Stay In Their Homes Longer

The Home First policy came about because of a study that was done four years ago predicted unless there was a change, within a decade every acute care hospital bed in the province would be occupied by a senior waiting for transfer to long term care. 

Premier David Alward tells CHSJ News keeping seniors in their own homes longer depends on having the proper support in place and he acknowledges home care workers aren't earning enough. 

Over 7 million dollars will be spent in the first year on Home First care. 

Its estimated by 2030, the demographics show workers in the province will be outnumbered by people who aren't working.

Saint John Posts Tourism Gains In 2013

Despite a sluggish economy, tourism in Saint John didn't fare all that badly when compared to other cities in the Maritimes.
 

The money spent by visitors last year in Saint John reached an all-time high of more than 223 million dollars even though the total number of tourists went down to almost 1.6 million because fewer cruise ships made stops in the city. 

Hotel room sales went up by 5 per cent during the main tourism season while they were down by 2.7 per cent in the province overall. 

The number of visitors to attractions in the city rose by almost 4 per cent to 323 thousand.

Provincial NDP Leader Will Monitor Ukraine Election

40 thousand Russian soldiers are moving back to their home bases from the border regions with the Ukraine. This is being perceived as Russian President Vladimir Putin trying to ease tensions with the West over Ukraine. 

Meantime, Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy has been selected to be one of the many monitors for the upcoming election in the Ukraine to determine it's conducted fairly or not. 

Cardy has had experience as an election observer in Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladash and Cambodia.

Research To Be Done By Saint John Doctors On Coping With Pain

With the first graduating class of Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick from the medical school on the campus of U-N-B Saint John being honoured over the weekend, it's hoped some of them, if not most, will set up shop in the province. 

There are hundreds of research projects underway at Horizon Health. Saint John Doctor Neil Manson of the Orthopedics Department at the Regional Hospital will be studying the effect of coping with pain that is part and parcel of spinal surgeries.
 

Dr. Manson tells CHSJ News the people who can best handle pain will have better outcomes and it depends not only on how fit you are but also on mental and social fitness. 

Dr. Manson and Dr. Edward Abraham are receiving grant money from the Chesley Research Fund for their study on the psychological risk factors that lead to poor outcomes after spinal surgeries.

Premier Tries To Allay Fears Over Forestry Plan


Some have called it a contradiction to promote our beautiful forests to tourists, then introduce a forestry plan that drastically increases clear cutting.

Yet Premier David Alward tells CHSJ News those things aren't mutually exclusive.

The Premier tells CHSJ News our forests are going to continue to be New Brunswick's greatest asset under the new forestry plan. He says he need to be able to assure people that the plan is responsible--and that it really will attract hundreds of millions of dollars in private sector investment, as has been advertised.

The new forestry plan reduces the amount of protected old growth forest and deer habitat from 30% to 23%, and allows for 20% more softwood to be cut annually on Crown land.

City's Well-Used Parks Need Budget Increase

From the Queen Square Farmer's Market to concerts in the King Square bandstand, our parks have been getting more use in recent years for public events.

Operations Manager Michael Hugenholtz recently spoke  to common council as part of their services review. He says they need a 2.5% increase in next year's budget to keep doing what they're doing in the same way.

Another option, in lieu of budget cuts, would be to increase user fees.


One recent survey indicated that 91% of Saint Johners say they're happy with our park services.