No Sour Grapes in Rothesay

(Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop)
         (File Photo)

You might remember the Shannex facility was first proposed to be built on the upper end of Millenium Drive in Rothesay before it was relocated to the end of Millenium in Quispamsis.


Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News, there are no sour grapes, admitting it would have been nice to have it but you live with what your faced with.


Bishop adds there are no solid proposals on the table for Rothesay's end of Millenium Drive but is hopeful when it is, the residents are happy with the mix of residential, commercial and plenty of green space.

Cold Wet Weekend for Two Fisherman

It was a cold and wet weekend for two men after a trip down the Kennebecasis River went wrong.


Hampton RCMP received a call from a woman who told them her boyfriend and another man left to go fishing earlier in the day and hadn't come home.


Officers were told the trip started in Norton but still no sign of the two.


After a search the two men were found in a field in Bloomfield around 1:30 in the morning, tired but no worse for wear.

Park and Ride Looking for New Passengers

(Forty Foot LImo On King Street)
          (File Photo)

A new system called Parcobus has been unveiled by the Saint John Transit and Parking Commissions.


It encourages people to park and take the bus or car-pool and includes four parking lots.
They are at Golden Grove Road on Hillcrest Road, the Latimore Lake Community Center, the Lorneville Parking lot on Stinson Drive and the Loch Lomond Parking lot near St. Joseph's Church.


It's hoped the Parcobus system will help reduce CO2 emissions by 167 tonnes every year.


Funding for the project comes from the Province and totals $287,000.

New Project for Disability

You will now have improved access to library services if you or someone you know suffers from a print disability.
The province is spending $187,000 dollars on the new set-up where over the next six months, it hopes to remove barriers between library resources and people who are unable to read standard print due.


The goal is to expand the service model to all 63 public libraries in the province following a successful pilot project.


Both the Saint John and Kennebecasis Libraries are taking part in the program.

Alward to reveal Conservative Energy vision

          (Conservative Leader David Alward)
                    (File Photo)

The Province's Opposition Leader is ready to unveil his long-awaited energy strategy.

David Alward will announce his plan to take an inclusive approach to the challenge of ensuring that people, small businesses and industries can benefit from afforable, smart and secure energy.


Alward will also reveal how New Brunswickers can fully participate in the development of a long-term energy plan that includes helping the economy and our environment.

He will be joined by Energy critic Paul Robichaud and Finance critic Bruce Fitch for the announcement in Fredericton tomorrow morning.

Premier Vows To Stand Firm On Blood Services

                  



(Premier Shawn Graham -file photo)

The task force on blood services is advising the province about the necessity of maintaining blood Services in this province and even building upon it. The next move is up to Premier Shawn Graham who tells CHSJ News, the report clearly indicates the importance of having blood services remain in the province and warns if Canadian Blood Services do not realize it then other avenues will have to be taken which include going it alone or partnering with Quebec.
Graham says the infrastructure is already in place with the current facility on University Avenue and continuing to use it would be the preferred route.

Its Now Crunch Time For The Peel Plaza Development

(Common Council - file photo)           

The fate of the Peel Plaza development will be decided tonight at a special meeting of Common Council. Members of Common Council will first meet behind closed doors in Committee of the Whole for two hours.
Nearing the end of last month, Mayor Ivan Court told our newsroom to expect an announcement concerning the new police headquarters and also said the project would be finished.
Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase has blamed the costly project for the city not putting enough money into much needed roadwork and he has withdrawn his support. The majority of councillors appear to be in favour but there is sure to be intense debate at tonights public meeting, getting underway at 7 o'clock in the Council Chambers.

Three Teens Rescued Near Partridge Island

The Coast Guard, city fire crews and emergency medical services responding last night to what might be called a misadventure by three teens who were trying to make their way from City Line to Partridge Island. They were on the other side of the breakwater when District Fire Chief William Johnstone says one of the girls slipped and broke her leg.
Johnstone says she was stabalised and then the Coast Guard brought the trio back to the Brunswicker.

Kennebecasis Valley High Wins Reach For The Top In Toronto

Chalk up another Reach for the Top win for Kennebecasis Valley High after capturing its third consecutive University of Toronto Schools Invitational over the weekend. K-V-H-S was represented by team captain Micheal Forestell, Josh Konconvy, Alexander Maxan, Josh Outerbridge and Jordan Woods. They rolled through the round robin but had a tougher time in the semi final against Martingrove Collegiate from Etobicoke, Ontario where the lead went back and forth. In the final, K-V-H-S defeated the 2006 Canadian champions from Woburn Collegiate in Scarborough, Ontario. Both Martingrove and Woburn have programmes for gifted students but K-V-H-S has not lost in 40 straight matches.

Province Launches New Construction Website

The provincial government is trying to prevent delays for travellers during this construction season.

The province is launching a new website that will inform drivers of where road work is being done throughout New Brunswick.
Transportation Minister Denis Landry says this toll will help aid commuters, tourists, and businesspeople plan trips and summer activities across the province.
The site will feature project maps, with icons providing information on several 2010 construction projects; as well as proposed projects, and recently completed jobs.
Follow this link to find the website.

Seadogs Take a Commanding 2-0 Series Lead

(Seadogs Celebrate After Scoring Go-Ahead Goal)
               (Photo by Jim Hennessy)

Marco Couseinau made 32 saves to back-stop the Seadogs to a 5-1 win over the Tigre last night in front of close to five thousand at the Station.

They now own a 2-0 series lead in their best of seven semi-final Head Coach Gerard Gallant says this series isn't over by any stretch and expects Victoriaville to come out hard at their home barn next week.

Nathan Beaulieu iced the win with a wicked blast from the point to put the Dogs up 2-1 early in the second and they never lookd back.

Game three is Tuesday night in Victoriaville.

Liberals Have Their Candidate in Saint John Fundy

There was one notable person absent at the nomination of Simonds High principal Gary Keating who will run for the Liberals in Saint John Fundy.

Longtime M-L-A Stuart Jamieson, who resigned from the provincial cabinet and left the Liberal caucus over NB Power, was not on hand.

Keating, who has served as President of the Saint John Fundy Liberal Association, tells CHSJ News he is disappointed and was told Jamieson was on vacation.

In accepting the nomination, Keating promised he will listen and be accessible.

He also argues the Liberal government has proven how committed it is to Saint John.

Premier Shawn Graham concedes the road hasn't always been smooth and some days it hasn't been easy being a Liberal.

District Six Spending Savings in Classrooms.

(District Six Superintendent Zoe Watson)
             (File Photo)

Thanks to a mild winter, District Six has some extra cash in it's budget to play with.

5% saving on it's electricity bill and 20% on fuel means officials have purchased plenty of new smartboards.

Superintendent Zoe Watson tells CHSJ News, this is a vital tool in the learning process.


Watson says they hope to have 80-85% of class-rooms set-up with a smartboard in the near future.

Blinds for all the class-rooms and new lockers were purchased with the money saved as well.

Forest Fire Season Starts on Monday

Fores fire season around the Province gets started Monday and runs until Halloween.

Charles Beaulieu is a wild-fire prevention officer and tells CHSJ News, grass and brush fires started by home-owners are a huge problem.


Last year, 251 hectares of wooded area were lost because of 195 forest fires but Beaulieu calls that a slow year due to all the rain.

To find out if your in an area that does allow burning, you can call 1-866-458-8080.

Rothesay Getting Ready For It's Birthday

As Town officials in Rothesay continue to prepare for it's 150th anniversary celebration this summer, a huge mile-stone has been achieved.

The Rothesay History Book is almost ready to go to print with Advocate Printing locking up the job.


Total cost is close to $20,000 dollars with 1000 books expected to be delivered by July.30th with the remainder to show up before August.20th.

Student Council Nght at Saint Malchys

It's a chance for the students that represent all four Saint John high schools to brag about their accomplishments.

District 8's District Education Council is holding Student Council Night at St. Mac's next month.

Chair Rob Fowler tells CHSJ News they usually hold it at the District 8 offices in Millidgeville but their student representative is from Saint Malachy's hence the reason for the decision.


Fowler says not only do they raise money for school events but for community events like the Terry Fox Fun and the Run for the Cure.

Area Legion Get New Looks

A new look for the Legion on the Marr Road after two months of work and $24,000 dollars. Brian Roberts is first vice and acting president of the branch and tells CHSJ News, the new look will help keep the membership numbers strong.

The new space is for consulting rooms. Meantime, Fundy Royal MP and Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism Rob Moore has announced funding for the Peninsula Pearls under the New Horizons for Seniors Program.

It is over $24,000 to renovate washrooms and buy tables and chairs for the Moss Glen Legion.

Curbside Recycling Being Looked At In Rothesay

Curb-side recycling continues to be discussed for Rothesay. Officials continue to receive feed-back on the issue after it was made public a few weeks ago. 56 people have sent in comments to Town Hall with only three opposed. Their comments include who will pay for the service, the present set-up is fine as is and they don't want to pay for more bags or increased taxes.
Staff expects to have a report and recommendation for Town Council by next month's meeting.

Seadogs Win Opener of Semi-Final Series

(Seadogs Celebrate Go-Ahead Goal)
       (Photo by Jim Hennessy)

Mike Thomas scored the go-ahead goal and Michael Kirkpatrick put it away late in the third period to lift the Seadogs to a 4-2 come from behind win over Victoriaville.

Game one of the semi-final opened with the Tigre dominating Saint John and jumping out to a 2-1 lead which they held until after the second period.

Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant says they spent too much time in their zone in the first period.


Marco Couseniau kept Saint John in the game making brilliant saves through the second period.

Kevin Poulin was just as sharp for Victoriaville. Game two of the best of seven goes tonight, note the start time, eight o'clock at the station.

RCMP Find Missing Fisherman

Scott Jefrey Pineo of Quispamsis has been identified as the man who drowned during a fishing trip on Thursday afternoon.

The 23 year old's body was found close to where the boat, he and friend were fishing in, turned over on the Nerepis River.


The other man managed to swim to shore but neither was wearking a life jacket.

His body was found just after 3:30pm yesterday afternoon by the RCMP dive team.

Big Tanker Dots Skyline

The city skyline is changing temporarily -- the big tanker "Heather Knutson" has tied up at Long Wharf.   The ship slipped up to the berth earlier this afternoon and will remain in port for about ten days while some maintenance work is carried out on its engines.

Weston Makes a Bet

(MP's Weston and Bellevance Don The Colors)
               (Photo Supplied)

They say you have to be a big fan of a team to make a bet.


Saint John MP Rodney Weston is putting pride on the line as the Seadogs open their semi-final series against Victoriaville tonight.


In a friendly wager, Weston has bet his counter-part MP Andre Bellavance, who's riding falls in Victoriaville.


Both agree the MP for the lsoing team will wear the winning team's jersey on Parliament Hill for a day.


Game One in the best of seven goes tonight, 7:30pm at the Station.

Man Still Missing Along Nerepis River

Dive team, boat and the RCMP helicopter are all being used as the search for a missing 23-year old man continues along the Nerepis River.
He is presumed drowned after the boat he and friend were fishing in yesterday over-turned. RCMP were called to the area just after twelve o'clock where one of the men in the boat swam to shore.
Officers says the initial investigation shows neither man was wearing a life jacket. The name of the 23-year old is not being released.

West-Bound Lane Of Old Rothesay Road Closed

City Police are again reminding drivers using the Old Rothesay Road, the West-Bound lane is CLOSED after several close calls.


Construction has been going on in the area over the past few weeks and despite plenty of warning signs, vehicles continue to drive west-bound.


Officers says it is going to save you some cash to use the Fox Farm Road as a detour because if they catch you driving in the west-bound lane.......you will be fined $172.50.

Looking For Help With Illegal Dumping

Atlantic Home Improvements on Golden Grove Road wants to be cut some slack from the city on where it can put its dumpsters.
The company would like them to be away from the storeroom in the back but the city's planning department doesn't want them to be a threat to the environment by being too close to a nearby waterway.


Ralph Thomas of Atlantic Home Improvements says the dumpsters are now too visible and being used for illegal dumping which is costing the company big time dollars.


The company and city planners will be meeting to see if a compromise location can be found.

PRO Kids Brings Home the Cash

With $30,000 dollars raised at this years P.R.O. Kids dinner, over 120 children from Greater Saint John will be able to take part in recreation programs.


Ticket sales raised the majority of the cash which provide equipment and participation fees.


The auction following the dinner raised four thousand dollars and the door prize tickets brought in two thousand dollars.
The goal for P.R.O Kids this year is to help 800 children.

Roly MacIntyre Says Goodbye

(Saint John East MLA Roly MacIntyre)
            (File Photo)

The MLA for Saint John East is spending his last day on the job after 15 years in the political spot-light, the MLA for Saint John East spent his last day on the job.
Roly MacIntyre took his chair in the Provincial Legislature as it shuts down until after the fall vote.
MacIntyre says his health is one of the reasons he is stepping down but thanks all his colleagues for their work and support over the years.
To this point, Common Councilor Bruce Court is the only candidate in the running for the Liberal Party to take over MacIntyre's position.
Glen Tait is the Conservative Candidate.

Blood Report is Tabled

(Rothesay Conservative MLA Margaret Ann Blaney)
                 (File Photo)

The task force report on the future of Canadian Blood Services distributuion center in Millidgeville has been tabled in the Legislature.

CBS is preparing to move it's facility to Dartmouth by 2012 after then Health Minister Mike Murphy approved the re-alignment.

Rothesay Conservative MLA Margaret Ann Blaney says we stand to be the only Province in the country to lose it's blood production and distribution center.


Blaney adds the recommendations in the report give direction to the Graham Government to move immediatley to rectify the situation.

Canadian Blood Services will study the report and provide official response next week.

Arbitrator Will Be Appointed In Fire Dispute Between Quispamsis And Rothesay

(Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll)
                  (File Photo)

A judge is expected to appoint an arbitrator for the towns of Quispamsis and Rothesay this month. This after the two can't find any middle ground on the hiring of a new fire-fighter by Quispam with Rothesay indicating the fire budget needs to be cut by $100,000 dollars. Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News, they are still waiting to hear from their neighbours.
Driscoll adds he remains hopeful this issue can be resolved with-out going through the entire arbitration process. Currently, there are four fire-fighters working at Station One and Quispamsis is looking for the same number of bodies at the station within it's town limits.

Lots Of New Medical Construction In Saint John Region

220 million dollars worth of medical construction will be taking place in the Saint John region according to the master plan outlined by the Horizon Health Network. Two major projects at the Regional Hospital are almost finished. The Linear Accelerators that will be used to treat cancerous tumours will be finished in a week's time. The Dalhousie Medical School Lab is 99 per cent complete and the medical school is still on schedule to open for business this fall with 30 students. The expansion of the Emergency Department is expected to be finished by November 30th with an opening early in January of next year.

Province Having Little Trouble Attracting New Doctors

The province is on a roll in attracting new doctors. That, according to Horizon Health Network Vice-President Dr. Edouard Hendriks in a report to the Board of Directors who met in the city last night. Dr. Hendriks says any fears about the wage dispute last year between the provincial government and Medical Society putting a damper on recruitment have proven to be unfounded.
Dr. Hendriks says they're looking to recruit up to 38 doctors provincewide, 14 of which would be newly created positions. In the past four years, 21 new doctors have come to the Saint John region, 14 of them being specialists. He also reports the well publicised staffing shortages in the Emergency Department have pretty much been cleared up.

Man Ejected From Vehicle In Sussex Area And City Police Make Arrests At Concert

A 20 year old man from Lower Millstream is in hospital after being ejected from his vehicle along route 880 in Berwick. The RCMP in Sussex say he was not wearing his seatbelt and the vehicle rolled over several times. They believe alcohol may have been a factor and are continuing to investigate.
Meantime, City Police say a few people are sleeping it off in the lockup after being arrested for liquor related offenses at last night's concert in Harbour Station.

Man is Missing after fishing trip in Grand Bay Westfield

No name is being released after a 23-year old man is missing and may have drowned during a fishing trip in Grand Bay Westfield.

RCMP was called to the Nerepis River this afternoon just after twelve o'clock to find an over-turned boat.

One of the men in the boat managed to swim to shore but the 23-year old is believed to have drowned.
Officers says the initial investigation shows neither man was wearing a life jacket.

Saint John Man Guilty of Attempted Murder

(Adrienne Lepage Escorted From Hampton Court)
             (Photo by Jim Hennessy)

A Saint John man will be sentenced next month on three charges including attempted murder.

55-year old Adrienne Lepage had already pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and abduction.

The attempted murder charge was handed down this afternoon by Judge Henrick Tonning.

The charges stem from when the Barnwood Pub in Quispamsis was robbed in November of last year.

Sargeant Craig McDougall is head of major crime with Rothesay Regional Police and says this is one of the most serious crimes he has seen.


Judge Tonning called Lepage's actions cold and calculated.
 
He duct taped 22-year old Jessica Michaels hands and legs, threw her in the back of a van, drove her to a gravel pit in Lepreau, duct taped a bag over her head and left her.
 
Sentencing will take place in Hampton on May.27th.

Consultation Meetings About Primary Health

(Health Minister and Quispamsis MLA Mary Schryer)
               (Photo by Jim Hennessy)

If you have any idea's on how to improve primary health care in the Kennebecasis Valley, the Health Department and Horizon Health Network want to hear from you.


Beginning next month, a series of consultations will be held and Health Minister Mary Schryer says once all the information is collected, a final report will be put together and released in June.


No word on how much the set-up costs and no schedule of meetings has been released at this point.

District Six Keeps an Eye on Bullies

(School District Six Superintendent Zoe Watson)
                  (File Photo)

School District Six has always had a strong policy when it comes to bullying.


Superintendent Zoe Watson tells CHSJ News, there is good communication at the elementary level but the same can't be said about middle and high schools.


Watson is referring to cyber and text bullying which is happening outside school hours but shows up in the building the following day.

Fight for Bullying Legislation Continues

Those people in favour of proposed anti-bullying legislation are holding a rally at the Legislature.


Anti-bullying activist Rob Frenette is calling it a final stand.


He disputes criticism from Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock that too many suspensions will be handed out if the bill were passed because they would be mandatory.


Frenette is comparing this struggle to the campaigns for civil rights that were waged in the 1950's and 60's because he claims the lives of students are at risk.

Students Get Up Close and Personal With the Harbor

Students from Woodlawn and Saint John High have a new found respect for issues concerning the harbor thanks to a new program.

Over the past few weeks, they have explored harbor management issues through innovative classroom exercises.

Velta Douglas, a Masters student at UNB's Faculty of Education, developed the set-up and tells CHSJ News, guest speakers from various stakeholder groups gave the students an idea of what they deal with everyday.


Douglas says when the program started most students believed the harbor was just there and it's not important.
 
You can watch the video here. 

U-S Tax Deadline Serves As A Reminder

This is tax day for U-S residents who must file their income tax returns by midnight tonight -- and -- that serves as a reminder our tax deadline is just around the corner. Roger Haineault of Help 4 Taxes tells CHSJ News there is some confusion about the deadline for filing our personal income tax returns -- but -- the fact is midnight April 30th is the cut off date.
Haineault says if you haven't filed your income tax return -- you're not alone because stats show about half of the 25-million Canadians eligible to file will do so in the two weeks before the April 30th deadline.

Job Fest Underway At T & C

Job Fest 2010 goes today with over 400 grade 11 students from Districts six, eight and ten taking part.  
The event is designed to help students make better informed post-secondary decisions.
All of the students will take part in professional development workshops and will then be put through an interview for the mock job position they applied for. 
J.D. Irving is a sponsor of the event and spokes-person Geoff Britt tells CHSJ News, their company has over 4000 jobs to fill in the next five years and this is a great starting block.
The event gets started at 9:30am at the Trade and Convention Center.

Gas Prices Fall In City

The price of gas is cheaper this morning in Saint John after the weekly setting.
Self serve regular is down a couple of cents and selling for $1.02 a litre.
Diesel is also lower at $103.9.
Furnace oil is listed at 91.7 cents and propane is $103.5 a litre.

District Eight Finalizes it's Budget

The Province has released the operating budget for District Eight in 2010-2011 and it includes a $1.9 million dollar increase.

It will receive over 94 million dollars which is an increase of 1.76 per cent and Director of Finance Chris Toole tells CHSJ News, they had significant savings in utility costs this winter.


Toole adds that situation can change if the winter is much worse next year, District 8 could be trying to find resources to cover those costs.

When Will Long Wharf be Restored

(Port Authority Captain Al Soppitt)
             (File Photo)

The question remains....when will Long Wharf be de-commissioned?

The work is necessary after Irving Oil's plan to build it's headquarters on the site was scrapped.

Captain Al Soppitt with the Saint John Port Authority tells CHSJ News, the best idea is to keep the pilings in the ground.
Soppitt adds there is no real urgency to decommision the site because the first Cruise ship at Long Wharf is not scheduled to dock until September.

Leslie MacLeod with Irving Oil tells CHSJ News, the Port Authority has asked them not to decommission the site at this time but they will work with them to meet their requirements and schedule.

Hampton Kings Has It's Conservative Candidate

(Hampton Kings Conservative Candidate Bev Harrison)
              (Photo by Jim Hennessy)

By acclamation, Bev Harrison has accepted the responsibility to fly the Conservative banner in the riding of Hampton Kings.

A full house was on hand at the Hampton River Center last night to usher him in.

Harrison tells CHSJ News, the Liberals are poised to make history.....they are going out after one term.


Harrison says if the Conservative Government is elected to the position of power, the first thing it pledges to do is engage people.

Alward Wonders What is the Rush

(Conservative Leader David Alward)
              (File Photo)

What is the rush?

That is the question on the mind of Conservative Leader David Alward as several bills are being pushed through in order to shut down the Legislature on Friday.

Alward tells CHSJ News, the Liberals claim this is one of the longest sessions in history but the reason is, the NB Power-Hydro Quebec proposal bogged things down.


Alward adds it's ironic the anti-bullying bill which has passed first and second reading, will not make it to committee of the whole for debate, questions or possible amendments.

Anti-Bullying Campaign in District Six

(One of the Dozen Anti-Bullying Posters)
       (Photo by Jim Hennessy)

Even though anti-bullying legislation will not be passed by the Graham Government, District Six is kicking off a new campaign to stop it.

It's called ""Nobody Hurt"" and Superintendent Zoe Watson tells CHSJ News, new posters featuring students from one of the 24 schools in the district are being distributed today.


There are 12 different posters and 500 of them, laminated by a company in Hampton, will be handed out with four going to elementary schools, four more to middle and the remaining four to high schools.

New French Immersion Program Rolling

Enrolment in the new Grade 3 French Immersion program is off to a strong start for the upcoming school year.

Figures from the anglophone districts' registration process show that 1,619 students have signed up.

Currently there are 1,450 Grade 3 immersion students from the previous early immersion program.
In September, there will be 84 Grade 3 immersion classes, up by six from the current 78, with a total of 169 more students.

Recent changes to French Second Language instruction include eliminating the Core French program and replacing it with an Intensive French program and moving the entry point for the immersion program to Grade 3 from Grade 1.

Making Room For an Artificial Turf Field

The Principal of Millidgeville North wants to convert one of the natural grass fields at the school to artificial turf.

Gary Sullivan, who's also a member of Common Council, tells CHSJ News, the three fields they have now are great although they have their limitations.
Sullivan believes one and a half million dollars will have to be raised.


A meeting has been scheduled for next Wednesday night at 7:00 in the Millidgeville North school cafeteria to set the wheels in motion.

Anti-Poverty Board Structure

Anti-poverty activists are concerned about who will serve on a new board which will determine who gets funding to combat poverty and where that money will go in the province.


Jean Paul Basque of the Common Front for Social Justice tells CHSJ News, the members will have alot of influence.


There will also be members representing business and government.
Basque also points out where the members live could also have a bearing on which parts of the province receive funding.

Fire at Superstore on Rothesay Avenue

(Crews Working On Fire at Superstore)
      (Photo by Andrew Sanojca)

Nobody hurt but the Superstore on Rothesay Avenue did sustain some damage after a fire.

Crews were called to the building just before eleven o'clock and Deputy Chief Mark Gillan says they found a section of the roof and a vent pipe burning and large pieces of embers falling into the store near the meat shop.


Back-up generators kicked on to make sure product in the store didn't go bad.

The store is back open for business.

Cause Of North End Fire Is Suspicious

The Major Crime Unit is investigating the cause of a fire at 78-80 Victoria Street in the old north end yesterday afternoon. District Chief Eric Garland says the fire began in the rear of the three storey building and spread to the attic area. The ceilings on the third floor had to be taken down. There were no injuries and firefighters rescued a small dog from the building. The residents next door at 82 Victoria Street were evacuated as a precautionary measure. 15 people are now homeless and Garland says they won't be returning anytime soon.

Former Member of District 6 Education Council Threatens To Sue

Legal action is being threatened by a former member of the District 6 Education Council. Tom Oland was given the heave ho from the Education Council and has since shown up the monthly meetings attempting to be heard. He claims his right to be heard during the public comment portion of the monthly meetings of the Education Council is being denied. Oland advocates charter schools and an end to French Immersion which he claims is taking the best students and is contributing to lower literacy rates in the province. Oland is also threatening to take the province to court charging Education Minister Roland Hache is ignoring him.

North End fire impacts up to 14 residents

20 City firefighters battled a blaze on Victoria Street in the North End today.
The call came in just past 3:30 as an outside fire but, was upgraded to a structure fire once crews arrived to investigate.


The fire was at the back of the building and in the attic.
12 to 14 people who live will be displaced tonight at least and the Red Cross is assisting them.

No one was hurt but, a dog was rescued from the building.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Commissioning of Third Tank Underway

(Shot of LNG Site in Red Head)

              (File Photo)

Canaport LNG has begun the process of bringing it's third storage tank on-line.

This means flaring will happen and be visible from some vantage points within Saint John over the next two weeks.

There will also be a significant flare which is normal in the commissioning and cool down of each LNG storage tank.
Once the tank is ready, the flare will continue to operate at its standard height and will not be visible to most Saint John residents.

Rothesay Netherwood Student Grabs Top Honor

If you plan to do some travelling, you may want to find out if Nathaniel Noel from Rothesay Netherwood school can come along.

He won first place at the Provincial Tournament of the Great Canadian Geography Challenge over the weekend.

The competition is open to all students from Grades 4 through 10, displaying their interest in geography while testing their knowledge in a province-wide competition.


Noel will now compete in the national finals which take place next month on the 20 on the internet.
 
This is the second year in a row that a student from Rothesay Netherwood has placed first in the province and has moved on to the national competition.

Port Boss Planning Retirement

It's anchors away for the President and CEO of the Saint John Port Authority.
Al Soppitt will retire in June of next year and tells CHSJ News, he walks away from the job with no regrets.
Soppitt adds the biggest accomplishment for the Port under his tenure is the change to a more commercially orientated Port Authority.
The search for a replacement is underway by the board of directors and port authority and is expected to take up to 8 months to finish.

Is Money Available to Fix Oakville Acres Flooding

(Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop)
         (File Photo)

With $3.8 million dollars in it's reserve fund, residents of Oakville Acres are confused as to why repairs for their flooding problems can't be fixed now?


Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News, that reserve fund isn't just extra cash looking for a place to be spent.


Bishop says he realizes the urgency of the situation and town officials are doing everything they can to rectify the situation.


Last night, council approved releasing a report by an engineering firm that has looked into the flooding situation.

Saint John Energy Rates Poised to Rise

It appears Saint John Energy customers will feel the sting as well with a proposed three per cent rate hike on the table from NB Power.


If applied equally across all of the various rate categories, the utility says it leaves them with very little choice.
President Eric Marr tells CHSJ News, it's too early to say when the rate hike might go into effect.
The board tells us they still must receive word from the Energy Minister indicating a review should be carried out but at this point, no letter has been sent.

Another Road Repair Season is Underway

(Shot of Pot-Hole on King Street)
            (File Photo)

The Westfield Road is one of several areas in Greater Saint John that City Works Crews will spend plenty of time on in the coming months.
This as road repair season ramps up with one hot asphalt plant open for business so far.


Kevin Rice is Deputy Commissioner of Municipal Operations and tells CHSJ News, safety is always the first priority when they map out which roads will be worked on.
Rice adds weather plays a huge so the work can be done properly and ensure the asphalt holds for the projected time it should.

Hampton-Kings MLA to Re-Offer

(Hampton Kings MLA Bev Harrison)
           (File Photo)

Another candidate for the Provincial Conservative Party is confirmed for the fall election.


MLA Bev Harrison will be reaffirmed for the riding of Hampton-Kings tomorrow night.


He has been serving the riding for several decades, being first elected in 1978 and then reelected in 1982, 1999, 2003 and 2006.


Party leader David Alward will also speak at the event which get started at 6:30pm at the Hampton River Center.

Students State Their Case For Crime Reduction

25 ideas to reduce crime in the city compiled by a group of Saint John High students will be passed along to the powers that be.
The suggestions include a youth shelter, more affordable housing and more resources for mental health services.
Katherine Miller says there should be more emphasis on drug treatment programs.


The students are also calling for a safe incjection site which would also have drug counsellors on hand.

St. John River Looks For New Distinction

The St. John River may become part of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System-it already has a nomination.


Simon Mitchell of the St. John River Society gave a presentation to Grand-Bay Westfield town council last night who passed a motion for town staff to look into how they might help the society promote the river.
Mitchell tells CHSJ News, they are in early stages which starts with developing a Heritage strategy which they will be drafting this year.


Council suggested the St. John River Society might want to attend a couple of summer events in Grand-Bay Westfield as a way of promoting the concept.

Saint John Fire Chief Receives Honor

(Fire Chief Rob Simonds)
        (File Photo)

Fire Chief Rob Simonds is the only Canadian to be awarded a Harvard University Fellowship at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mayor Ivan Court says fire officials from all over North America applied.


Simonds was named Sport New Brunswick's Official of the Year in 1994.
He officiated at both the 1991 and 1994 World Hockey Championships.

Tourism On Upswing In Grand Bay - Westfield

Tourism is growing in Grand Bay-Westfield -- the town's tourism committee focus is promoting tourism in the area, the community itself. and tourism opporotunities.
Councillor Brenda Murphy tells CHSJ News it started tracking activities at the Brundage Point River Centre wanting to offer free events on Sundays.
She says almost every month there are a couple of events and in the summer they're looking at having the center used almost every Sunday -- something she says will draw residents.
And Murphy says they also added canoe and kayak markers at public access point along the St. John River which have been included on a new map for tourists.

Cottage Fire Under Police Investigation

A cottage has gone up in flames along route 102 near Oak Point. The Greenwich fire department spent 3 and a half hours putting out that fire and Chief Kevin Warden tells CHSJ News the cause is suspicious. The RCMP in Grand Bay-Westfield are investigating. The cottage was vacant at the time and the power had been disconnected. Warden says the fact the power had been disconnected raised their suspicions the blaze may have been deliberately set.

Reconstruction Of Simms Corner Still A Long Way Off

(Mayor Ivan Court)
       (File Photo)

The Provincial Government has made it clear to the city if it wants financial help in the reconstruction and reconfiguration of Simms Corner, the land needed for the project must be secured first. Mayor Ivan Court says there's no doubt something has to be done to make the traffic flow there less confusing. He says the mall management is pressing for improvements and some drivers on the west side are actually afraid of trying to make their way through Simms Corner.
As for the suggestion of turning Simms Corner into a roundabout or traffic circle, the head of Municipal Operations Paul Groody argues there isn't enough space and a further complication is the presence of railway tracks.

New Fire Station Needed On Lower West Side

(Fire Chief Rob Simonds)
         (File Photo)

There's no doubt a new fire station is needed on the lower west side but Common Council isn't ready yet to give the go ahead for planning and design work. Fire Chief Rob Simonds says the station now being used is 90 years old and out of date. It's not large enough to accomodate new firefighting equipment.
Before committing itself, Council wants to hear from Simonds in early June on the impact if the fire department is limited to just a one per cent budget increase next year. Simonds says it would be premature to say where a new fire station, if built, should be constructed or the estimated cost.

City Promises More Efficient Phone System For Saint Johnners

  
(Common Councillor Bill Farren)      
(Photo by Brian McLain)                    

   
A 3-1-1 phone system for calling the city is likely too expensive. That conclusion from Deputy City Manager Andrew Beckett who vows a more efficient system for people to contact the right department when they have a problem will be phased in starting next January. Right now there are 65 phone numbers to choose from and that, according to Beckett, is too unwieldy.
City Manager Pat Woods acknowledges he's not satisfied with the cureent level of customer service.
Councillor Bill Farren says he has received complaints from people who claim they were treated shabbily over the phone when they called the city. He says the new system, when fully implemented, will wind up costing half a million dollars. Beckett argues it's far more complicated than having a pleasant voice answering the phone.