Voters In The Province Get Their Say Today

Elections NB is ready for what-ever the day brings as the majority of eligible voters head to the polls to cast their ballots.

Chief Electoral Officer Michael Quinn tells CHSJ News, allowing people to cast their ballots since the writ was dropped last month has proven to be a winner. Over 46,000 people cast a ballot in the advance polls and the overall numbers show there could be a record turnout.

Quinn reminds all voters to bring their information cards with them today as it makes the process go much quicker. The polls open this morning at ten and close tonight at eight o'clock.

CHSJ News will have live coverage when the polls close with Bruce Weaver and Jason Stephen anchoring the desk and reporters all over Greater Saint John bringing you lots of reaction as the numbers start to roll in.



Hunter Shot To Death

The moose hunting season finished up on the weekend with a tragic shooting. The R-C-M-P say a hunter died over the weekend about 160 kilometers northwest of Fredericton after he was taken to hospital after being shot by another hunter.

Police says they were called to the Perth-Andover Hospital o investigate what they describe as a ``hunting incident'' near the small community of Beaconsfield.

The Mounties say the unidentified 50-year-old man from Kilburn died in hospital as a result of his injuries.

Corporal Theirry Malenfant says police plan to interview five or six witnesses over the next few days but their initial belief is the shooting was most likely an accident.

Malenfant says two groups of hunters who knew each other had gone into the woods.

They were nearby each other at the time of the incident.

Shots Fired At Another Saint John Home

The search is on by City Police for who was driving a Black, 1997, Monte Carlo with Ontario Plates.

It crashed early this morning at the corner of Adelaide and Victoria Streets and the person driving and riding shot-gun fled on foot.

It was just after 1:30am this morning that City Police were called to a drive by shooting on the West Side.


No one was hurt but if anyone has any information they are asked to City Police at 648-3333 or call Crime-Stoppers.

This is the second house that has been shot at in less than a week with bullets hitting an Albert Street North home on Monday night. No one hurt in that incident either.

City Tries Something New On It's Crosswalks

Using paint for crosswalk markings in the city doesn't work very well.

The Deputy Commissioner for Municipal Operations, Kevin Rice says in our climate, the paint begins fading after about four months so the city is now trying out something else.........3-M tape on the crosswalks along Woodward Avenue.

The city will evaluate how long they last and do a cost analysis to determine if this will be better financially for the city instead of having to repaint every spring.

First Nations Festival Is Underway

(Wig-Wam Set Up Near Loyalist Plaza For Festival)
              (Photo By Gary MacDonald)

A dusk to dawn celebration of the First Nations is being held today in the uptown.

It's the final summer of festivals as part of the Saint John 225 party with arts and culture on display with people from across the Province.

The man who organized the event is Allan Polchies who tells CHSJ News, this is all about sharing the First Nations culture.

Dancers, traditional story-tellers and drummers will be performing through-out the day along with walking tours and food along with a 30-foot wig-wam set up at the base of King Street.

Fundy Region Solid Waste Comes To You

Old paint, motor oil or other hazardous waste is being collected at round up events over the next eight days at locations around Greater Saint John.

It's a pilot project being introduced by the Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission to ensure hazardous waste is being disposed of properly.

Spokes-person Brenda MacCallum tells CHSJ News, she hopes people take advantage of the service.

The first round up is today between 11am and 3pm at the Hampton Enviro-Fair at the High School. A complete list of where all the drop-off spots will be over the next eight days is listed below:



Computer and Household Hazardous Waste Round Up Events:
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Hampton, Saturday September 25th between 11am to 3pm at the Hampton Enviro Fair, Hampton High School:
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St Martins, Tuesday September 28th, 3pm to 7pm at the Four Seasons Complex:
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Saint John South, Sunday September 26th between Noon and 4pm at the Carmarthen and King St East Parking Lot:
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East Saint John, Wednesday September 29th 3pm to 7pm at the Loch Lomond Fire Station:
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North End, Thursday September 30th between 3pm to 7pm at the Millidgeville Fire Station:
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The Kingston Peninsula on Friday October 1st between 3pm to 7pm at the Kingston Farmers Market:
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Rothesay and Quispamsis is Saturday October 2nd between 9am to 1pm at the KV Staples Parking Lot:
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Some of the typical items that can be dropped off:

Computer system, includes monitor, CPU, key board, printer, mouse, & speakers – (Recycling fee of $5/system)


HHW typical items (no charge):
Paint, stains & varnishes, motor oil, fluorescent & compact fluorescent bulbs, pesticides, batteries, gasoline, antifreeze & driveway sealant:

Trees Being Planted In East Saint John

The Atlantic Coastal Action Program and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation are marking National Forest Week today.

Close to six hundred trees will be planted on the of Little River in East Saint John.

ACAP Executive Director Tim Vickers tells CHSJ News, this is a great event to take part in.

Vickers adds along with the improved look, the trees will provide a chance for the native species to return, also provide shade, food and help hold some of the eroding banks in place.

The trees have been donated by J.D. Irving and the Provincial Tree Nursery in Kingsclear.

The Ladies Behind the Leaders

To get a different perspective on the campaign, our news-room spoke with the wives of the two top contenders trying to become Premier.

Rhonda Alward is the wife of Conservative Boss David and tells CHSJ News, the needs of voters certainly was reinforced over the past month.


Roxanne Reeves is the wife of Premier Shawn Graham and tells CHSJ News, after three campaigns, she is familiar with most of the topics on the minds of voters.

Both Reeves and Rhonda Alward expect a long night Monday but wish all the candidates the very best.

NDP Proposal On Property Taxes

(Quispamsis NDP Candidate Matt Doherty(right)
           (Photo By Jim Hennessy)

A promise from the NDP Party today concerning property taxes.

If elected to power on Monday, the party's plan is to turn control of property taxes over to municipalities.

Quispamsis NDP Candidate Matt Doherty tells CHSJ News, the party would reduce the number of municipalities from over 400 to near 100 and transfer specific responsibilities to new municipalities and increase their power.

Doherty says municipal governments are out of step with the rest of the country and what home-owners expect and the current one-size fits all format doesn't work.

Cleaning Up After Hurricane Igor

A Saint John Company is cleaning up and helping out in the after-math of Hurricane Igor hitting parts of Newfoundland.
Irving Oil's Saint Johns terminal is fully operation after the storm hit earlier this week.
The companies fleet of trucks how-ever are still not able to get to some area's because of washed out roads especially in the Burin Peninsula where Irving branded sites are waiting for fuel.
The company realizes fuel is not the only priority but basic necessities like food and water are at a minimum as well so, it has donated $15,000 dollars to the Red Cross who is assisting families most affected by the storm.

Hospital Home Lottery Is Underway

(Picture of the Lottery House From The Front Yard)
            (Photo By Jim Hennessy)

The Hospital Home Lottery is back for another year and the grand prize is a $750,000 dollar dream home in Cedar Point Anchorage in Millidgeville.

Tim Cameron is Executive Director of the Regional Hospital Foundation and tells CHSJ News, this years home is spectacular.


Other things up for grabs among the 1200 prizes are a new Corvette or cash, a truck and Harley Davidson.

Cameron says they have 24,000 tickets up for sale in the hope of raising half a million dollars maybe more.

The first two lotteries have raised close to one million dollars.

Murder Trial Scheduled For City In November

A 27 year old Saint John woman will stand trial on November 16th for second degree murder. Chrystal Dawn McKenzie is charged with the stabbing death last March of 29 year old Patrick Andrew Thomas on Alma Street off Waterloo. 5 days have been set aside for the trial at the Sydney Street Courthouse.

Tax Relief For Library Gets Support In Rothesay

(Mayor Bill Bishop)

(File Photo)

As the Kennebecasis Public Library Board continues it's push for property tax relief, it has the full support of Rothesay Council.

The library serves both Quispamsis and Rothesay which means it is forced to pay a higher non-residential tax rate. In a letter to the Department of Post Secondary Education,

Mayor Bill Bishop points out the K-V Library is one of the busiest in the Province and with expansion plans on the table, the money saved of course would be well utilized.

Rothesay Council concedes it isn't expecting an answer until after the provincial election is finished.

Jamieson Publicly Supports Liberals Despite Earlier Turmoil

(Former Saint John Fundy M-L-A Stuart Jamieson)

(File Photo)

A former Liberal M-L-A and cabinet minister is sounding support for Liberal leader Shawn Graham and the party.

 Stuart Jamieson resigned as Tourism Minister and was expelled from the caucus earlier this year over his opposition to the proposed NB Power sale but he tells CHSJ News the Conservatives have turned their backs on the region in the past.

Jamieson showed up Monday for Graham's announcement on committing funds to complete the Fundy Trail if re-elected on Monday. Graham spoke highly of Jamieson's efforts on promoting the trail and thanked him for coming.

Jamieson decided not to re-offer for his seat in Saint John Fundy.



NDP Choosing Saint John To Talk About Property Taxes

The NDP will hold a news conference this morning to unveil the party's policy on property tax and property tax assessment.

Quispamsis candidate Matt Doherty will break down the numbers at the Fort Howe Hotel at 11:30am.

Many homeowners were outraged in the spring by skyrocketing increases in their property taxes for no apparent reason. The Conservatives are promising an overhaul.

No Let Up In Construction On Harbour Bridge

1. 
   
   

With just over a month to go, it's full steam ahead for construction crews working on the Harbour Bridge.

General Manager Ken Anthony tells CHSJ News, the schedule is tight but he is hopeful everything will be finished by the end of next month.

Crews right now are putting back side walls and light standards with expansion joints and asphalt to follow.

Anthony says next summer, work will being on the two East-bound lanes and the construction schedule is the same with a completion date of October.31st.

Saint John Company Bought Out

A business move late yesterday saw a Saint John company change hands. Millenium Welding, has been bought by Source Atlantic which also bought Schooner Industrial Limited in Halifax.

Source Atlantic is comprised of eight industrial distribution and service companies that serve Atlantic Canada.

The company in a release says with the purchase, Source Atlantic is the largest industrial distribution group in Atlantic Canada. No word on whether any jobs are going to be lost or re-located because of this move.

Coroners Inquest Scheduled For Next Month

A coroner's inquest will be held next month at the Sydney Street Courthouse into the death of Robert Sean Beaulieu.
He died while working in East Saint John back on February 5th of last year.
Beaulieu was injured at a construction site on Grandview Avenue near the Community College.


The inquest starts on October 18th with three days set aside. The purpose of the inquest is not to assign blame.

Continuing Conversation About the Future Of The Cherry Brook Zoo

For the Cherry Brook Zoo to thrive, it needs year to year sustainable funding.


That word from the zoo's biggest supporter on Common Council, Gary Sullivan.
He tells CHSJ News Trevor Holder, who's running for the Conservatives in Saint John Portland, and Liberal candidate Danny Joyce both support having the zoo become part of the Regional Facilities Commission which falls under provincial legislation.
Being included in the Regional Facilities Commission guarantees funding from all four municipalities in greater Saint John.

Thinking About The Cost Of Election Promises

The Atlantic director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says people in the province should be giving serious thought to the cost of all the election promises that are being made.
Kevin Lacey says the number of promises, most of them from the Liberals and Conservatives, are overwhelming voters.
Lacey says it's time for the parties to show how they plan to pay for it all because they're being made at a time when the province is facing an 8.4 (b) billion dollar debt.

License Renewal Process Underway

Irving Paper is in the process of renewing it's air quality operating license.
The current paper-work expires in March of next year with the 180-day public participation process now underway.

The process includes a number of information requirements along with minimum time frames, including a four month window for anyone to make a comment about the business in writing by Jan.21st.
The mill uses the Thermal Mechanical Pulping process to produce roughly 900 tonnes of pulp and 1,200 tonnes of paper every day.

Dope Find At Prison

A large quantity of dope has been seized that was on it's way through the walls of the Atlantic Institution in Renous.
It was Saturday afternoon last weekend that Correctional Service Canada and RCMP seized Dilaudid, crack cocaine, hash and marijuana with an estimated institutional value of $13,000.


No word on charges at this point.

Armoured Car Workers Are On Strike

(G4S Workers Walk The Picket Line On King Street)
              (Photo By Jim Hennessy)

G4S Secur-Cor Cash Solutions is on strike so picket signs are up at banks around the Province and the Island.

The armoured car company services several banks including the Royal, CIBC and TD branches.


Teamster Union spokes-person Phillip Comeau tells CHSJ News, the latest offer from the company is not a fair deal.

Comeau says the company also wants every employee to be subject to a polygraph test which is not acceptable.

The union is looking for a three year contract, better wages and there is a 13% wage increase that is still out-standing from the now expired contract.

Management for the company is filling in for the workers and the other armoured car companies in the city and Province say they will honor the picket line.

Gas Prices Drop Slightly

You will be paying a bit less for gas after the weekly setting. Self serve regular is now at 96.5 a litre in the city with diesel at $103.3. Propane did go up with the maximum price listed at 104 a litre. Heating oil remains the same at 90.4 cents.

Liberal Leader Appears Undaunted Just Days Before Vote In Spite Of Poll Results

(Liberal Leader Shawn Graham With Other Party Candidates In Quispamsis)
                        (Photo by Gary MacDonald)

Liberal leader Shawn Graham remains optimistic heading into the final days of the provincial election campaign. Graham tells CHSJ News his party's momentum has been building throughout the campaign.

The Liberals have been trailing the Conservatives in the polls but appear to be closing the gap as Graham fights to avoid becoming New Brunswick's first ever one term Premier.

He was campaigning in the area again yesterday as he calls Saint John a battleground which shouldn't be taken for granted.

Among other things, he reiterated his government's pledge to fund its 7-million dollar share of setting up a permanent home for the "Y", a promise made in front of the former Zeller's building next to the Lansdowne Plaza.

Fundy Royal M-P Not Happy With Gun Vote

(Fundy Royal M-P And Federal Cabinet Minister Rob Moore)
                              (File Photo)

The Opposition has successfully shot down a motion not to proceed with a  private member's bill from a Conservative backbencher that would scrap the long gun registry.

Fundy Royal MP and Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism Rob Moore tells CHSJ News, he is disappointed by the outcome.

Moore says the registry continues to waste money, hasn't been effective and wrongfully targets law-abiding citizens instead of using the cash to go after real criminals.

The final vote was 153 to 151 and Moore warns the Conservatives aren't going to let this issue go and plan to press on to have the long gun registry abolished at some point in the future. 

Mayor Shies Away From Funding Commitment For Paramount Theatre

           (Mayor Ivan Court)
                (File Photo)

As the push to revitalize the former Paramount Theater continues, some are asking will the City be there to help out?

Mayor Ivan Court tells CHSJ News, he likes the fact that ideas are being shopped around.

Court points out, though, the city doesn't construct buildings and City Hall isn't a position to put forward funding toward the revitalization of the theatre although it can help out in other ways such as with building permits.

Uptown Saint John has signed an option on the building to give it more time to develop a business plan.






            

Warmer Fall Forecast But Winter Won't Be As Mild

If you feel an extra chill in the air today, there is good reason for that. The first day of fall is upon us, arriving at nine minutes after midnight.

Meteorologist Linda Libby with Environment Canada tells CHSJ News, we get the first day of the new season started on the right foot with plenty of sunshine.

Libby says a look ahead at the next 30 days shows normal temperatures and the seasonal forecast for the fall is calling for above normal temperatures.

As far as winter is concerned, She cautions it's a little too far out for accurate predictions but it looks like we won't be enjoying the mild temperatures we had last year.

Moose Hunting Season Begins

The crackle of rifle fire is sure to be heard in certain areas of the Province over the next few days with today is the opening of moose hunting season as hunters look to bag a swamp donkey.

Dwayne Sabine with the Department of Natural Resources tells CHSJ News, it's going to be a busy few days with just over 36 hundred hunters eligible to be in the woods.

The season runs until Saturday and Sabine says last fall, 2409 moose were shot and killed. It's expected something like 25 hundred moose will be shot over the next three days.

Repsol Honoured On Anniversary Of L-N-G Facility At Canaport

(Canaport L-N-G On Bay Of Fundy)
                (File Photo)

The company that operates the Canaport LNG Facility in Red Head has won an award. Repsol has been chosen company of the year in this country by the Canadian-Spain Chamber of Commerce. The award coincides with the first anniversary of the day the LNG Facility went on-line.

YM-YWCA Responds To Political Parties

So, what about officials at the YM-YWCA?

How do they feel about being in the middle of all this political posturing.

CEO Pat Davis, in an e-mail to our news-room says, the "Y" is pleased to have the support of the community and all the politcal parties but at this time, they continue to explore options and have not secured a location for their permanent home.

The e-mail goes on to read that officials at the "Y" look forward to working with the community and all levels of government to select the best possible site for the new "Y".

Graham Promises New Francophone & Elementary Schools For Ken Valley

Graham Makes Committment To New Home For The YM-YWCA

(Saint John Portland Liberal Candidate Dan Joyce at the Podium)
                   (Photo By Gary MacDonald)

Seven million dollars is being committed by the Graham Government to build a new YM-YWCA in the former Zellers Building in the North End if the party is re-elected.

Leader Shawn Graham presented the committment during a news conference this morning with the total cost coming in at $22 million dollars. The "Y" says it will put forward nine million towards the project.
Graham says the Province has already invested in the projects for the "Y"s in both Moncton and Fredericton and Saint John is a good fit.
 
He adds the cash committment is already built into the party's platform.

Saint John Portland Conservative Candidate Not happy

Calling it a desperate move, the Conservative Candidate in Saint John Portland isn't holding back in his reaction to the Liberal announcement concerning the YM-YWCA today.

Trevor Holder says the Liberals are playing politics with recreation and tells CHSJ News, this was the "Y'"s announcement to make.
Holder says officials from the YMCA tell him they are not even in a position to confirm the old Zeller’s site as it's new location.

Liberals Make Another Commitment

Quispamsis is on the receving end of the latest promise from the Graham Liberals.


If re-elected, the party says it is committed to building a new middle school in the town right next to the current middle school.


It would house 500 students and adresses the over-crowding issue in the building which is using six mobile class-rooms.
Construction of the new school would be a public-private partnership but no word on how much it would cost.

Speaking Out On Gun Registry

A close vote is expected today on the long gun registry which, by all accounts, will likely be retained because several N-D-P members have changed their minds about abolishing it.


Mayor Ivan Court is also President of the Canadian Association of Police Boards and says politics has gotten in the way of good judgement and this is a public safety issue.


Court says the annual cost of 4.1 million dollars doesn't seem as much when you consider each request from police works out to a dollar or so a piece.

Uptown Saint John Committed to Paramount Theater

(Uptown SJ President Matt Alexander)
                (File Photo)

Uptown Saint John has signed an option on the Paramount Theatre.

This gives it time to come up with a business plan to save the building from demolition.

Uptown Saint John President Matt Alexander tells CHSJ News the city could help out financially.


Alexander says the building is structurally sound and was well built when constructed back in 1948 but the electrical will have to be redone.

Laying Asphalt In The Kennebecasis Valley

Expect delays coming into and out of the Kennebecasis Valley for the next few days.

Paving is getting started today by the Department of Transportation along Campbell Drive between the Marr Road and the Fire Station.
Traffic will be reduced to one lane with the work expected to continue until Saturday.

Illegal Smokes Found In West Side Home

If you've been buying your smokes illegally on the West-Side, one of the sources is no longer in business.

City Police and the RCMP raided a home earlier this week and came away with 8000 contraband cigarettes and a large amount of cash.


A 78-year old man has been arrested but no word on charges.

Paramount Meeting Told It Will Cost Big Bucks To Save Theatre

(Mike McDonald Who Started Facebook Page To Save Paramount Theatre)
                               (Photo by Brian McLain)

A big turnout and lots of ideas were floated about what can be done with the Paramount Theatre in King's Square which has been vacant since 2005.

Mike McDonald has been described as the lightning rod behind saving the building. He started up a Facebook page which now has more than 5 thousand members dedicated to restoration. McDonald says Saint John can't afford not to save it.

There were several ideas proposed including a multicultural, multi purpose venue to showcase community talent, offer independent and foreign films and as a place for performances you wouldn't see at the Imperial Theatre. McDonald there is a massive independent music market out there that's not being tapped.

The meeting was told the purchase price is half a million dollars or so and then several million more would be needed for turning restoration. The building, though, is structurally sound and the seats that remain are in good shape.

Quispamsis Residents Being Asked To Have Their Say In Future Look Of Transportation In The Town

Anyone living in Quispamsis who has an opinion for the future look of the Town's transportation is invited to an open house tomorrow night.

 Lanora Oullette is with Collaborative Planning in Moncton and tells CHSJ News officials are laying the ground-work for it's active transportation plan.

Oullette adds Quispamsis has a lot of areas that can be adapted to what-ever the plan is with some major work for sure but a good fit with the existing infrastructure. Once all of the information is put together, a plan will be developed and brought back to council for input and direction.

The meeting gets started at at the Town Hall tomorrow night at seven o'clock.

Questions Raised Over Conservative Party Campaign Promises

(Provincial Conservative Leader David Alward)
                      (File Photo)

There are still plenty of questions being asked about the Conservative platform with just days to go before the vote.

Lots of promises have been made since the writ was dropped almost a month ago and many want to know how will they pay for them. The question has been posed to party leader David Alward that if elected, will he back-peddle on the promises by saying the books are in worse shape than they knew.

Alward vows the Conservatives will start to reduce the size of the provincial government and part of his party's five part plan for fiscal responsibility is finding $150 million dollars in waste within the government.

Latest Poll Numbers Show the Race is Tightening

As we get closer to voting day, a new poll shows the race is growing tighter for two parties looking to hold the balance of power for the Province.

It shows the Alward Conservatives with 35% of the decided vote, the Liberals with 32% and undecided sits at 17%.

The poll was conducted by Abacus Data last weekend with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 per cent.

Plenty Of People Showing Up To Vote

With four days to go before the actual voting day, 71,000 people have already cast a ballot for the Provincial Election.
That includes 46,000 who made a trip to the advance poll on both Saturday and Monday.
Chief Electoral Officer Michael Quinn tells CHSJ News, this is the first time advance voting has been available at the returning offices since the writ was dropped and it appears to be paying off.
Quinn reminds everyone going to cast a ballot this week or on Monday, bring your voter information card which makes the process go very quickly.

New Addition To The Ranks At The Airport

There's a new face officially now in place at the Saint John Airport -- Colleen Mitchell joins the airport authority as its new Director of Marketing and Communications.
Mitchell has served in various positions with Irving Oil - the Port Authority -- and -- the A-D-I Group -- in addition she has served on a number of volunteer boards.
Mitchell will be responsible for promoting community support which the airport authority has identified as one of its key priorities.

Suspected Gas Leak Causes Anxious Moments

Lots of activity with fire trucks - police - and - an ambulance in the 100-block of Princess Street in the past hour.
Emergency crews were called after someone smelled what they thought was natural gas in the alley between two buildings in the area.
Fire fighters quickly determined there wasn't a gas leak and eventually traced the source of the odor to some fluid used in an open flame burner in a nearby yard.

Small Business On The Radar For Conservatives

Conservative Leader David Alward focusing on small business during a stop-over on the West-Side today.


The party has a three-point plan Alward says will give all provincial based businesses a fair shot to bid on government contracts.
The planks of the plan include setting up a $99 dollar incoporation package, the government regulation drafting process is open for input and give more repsonsibilities to local economic development agencies to work with entrepeneurs.

Sailboat Rescued From The Falls

A close call for six people on a sail boat this afternoon at Reversing Falls.
The boat lost power just before one o'clock and was drifting toward the rocks near the Irving Pulp Mill.
The Fire Department's water rescue unit and Coast Guard were quick to respond and towed the boat to safety.

St. Stephen Man Killed

Alcohol and speed are believed to be two of the reasons for the death of a 23-year old man after an accident on Milltown Boulevard in St. Stephen last night.


RCMP say just before ten o'clock last night when the man from St. Stephen was driving his motorcycle over the speed limit and crashed into a vehicle that was trying to make a left turn.
Officers tell us that both speed and alcohol are believed to factors in the crash.


A passenger on the bike suffered serious injuries and is at the Regional. No name is being released at this time.

Still Building In Rothesay

The Town of Rothesay continues to enjoy plenty of construction activity according to the latest building permit figures.


The total for last month is just shy of two million dollars bringing the yearly total to just over $7.5 million.
Compared to last year at this time, the monthly total for August was only $1.4 million but the yearly total was over $15 million dollars.
The report clearly shows that the number of new homes being built is down but home repairs continue at a steady pace.

Board Won't Hear From N-D-P Leader

Board of Trade president Imelda Gilman says the business group won't be hearing from N-D-P leader Roger Duguay before Monday's provincial election.
Gilman tells CHSJ News they tried a number of times to come up with mutually acceptable dates - but - it wasn't to be -- however the party did offer up its finance critic.
She says the Board declined because the invitations were issued to the leaders of the parties.
Liberal leader Shawn Graham - People's Alliance leader Kris Austin - the Green Party's Jack MacDougall - and - Conservative leader David Alward have all appeared at Board functions over the past two weeks.

Busy Cruise Ship Day

It's a triple play day for cruise ships in the port city -- the Jewel of the Seas - Crown Princess - and - Carnival Glory are all dockside on the waterfront today.
The three ships are carrying at total of 87-hundred passengers.
The pace of visits is begriming to pick up -- we can expect at least one or two cruise ships every couple of days as we head into October and the peak of the leaf peeping season.
The cruise season comes to a close October 29th with a visit by the Queen Mary 2.

Shots Fired In North End

The Major Crime Unit is investigating after a number of shots were fired at a house on Albert Street. City Police say no one was injured. Another investigation has been launched into a car fire on Milford Road.

Meeting To Decide Future Of Former Paramount Theatre In The Uptown

(Former Paramount Theatre In King's Square)
                    (File Photo)

What would you like to see happen with the former Paramount Theater?

That question will be on the floor tonight for an open house meeting hosted by Uptown Saint John. General Manager Peter Asimakos tells CHSJ News, this is part of the consultation phase in the hopes of revitalizing the building. It has been vacant for years and some lobby groups have been pushing to make it part of the city's revitalized theater movement.

Asimakos adds the building has a ton of potential with plenty of space for a stage in one theater and the art deco character that everyone will remember.

He cautions they don't want to change the structure of the building too much because the more you change, the more it costs. The meeting gets started at 5:30pm at the U-N-B Grand Hall at the corner of Charlotte Street and King's Square North.

City Fire Chief Is New President Of National Organization

(Saint John Fire Chief Rob Simonds)
                (File Photo)

City Fire Chief Rob Simonds is taking on some new duties.

As the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs continues it's annual meeting in Saint John, Simonds will be sworn in as it's new president. Simonds tells CHSJ News, along with being a great honour, it also brings recognition to the city and all of it's hardworking, dedicated firefighters.

Simonds has served as the first-vice president of the association for the past two years and says part of his mandate will be to find tax relief for volunteer fire-fighters.

N-D-P Candidate Ob West Side Says Voters Are Frustrated

(Provincial N-D-P Leader Roger Duguay)
                    (File Photo)

The NDP candidate for Saint John Lancaster is pleased with how the campaign is going.

Habib Kilisili tells CHSJ News he is hearing genuine concern going door to door with frustration over how high the provincial debt is and a desire for change.
 
Kilisili maintains Provincial N-D-P leader Roger Duguay did very well in the televised debates last week and did not promise anything we can't afford.

West Side War Memorial To Be Restored

(Conservative Candidate In Saint John Lancaster Dorothy Sheppard)
                                   (File Photo)

The Conservatives in Fredericton and Ottawa are handing over cash to fix a memorial on the West side.

Saint John-Lancaster Conservative candidate Dororthy Sheppard tells CHSJ News that she san it's in honour of vets from the two World Wars.

Sheppard says the total funding of $50,000 will go towards the restoration of the war memorial in Milford.