Duffy Blames Internal Divisions Among Liberals For Election

Conservative Senator Mike Duffy who has been a fixture on Parliament Hill for decades calls the current federal election campaign "unnecessary". 

Duffy, who stopped off in Saint John to campaign for Rodney Weston, blames the Liberals. According to Duffy, there are some Liberals who feel former Ontario Premier Bob Rae would make a better leader and are angry a leadership convention was not held when Micheal Ignatieff assumed the party leadership.

Duffy says even in the Senate which is supposed to be more laid back, those Senators appointed by Jean Chretien will not applaud their fellow Liberal Senators who were appointed by Paul Martin.

Sunken Ship Being Removed

Work is currently underway to remove a construction barge that sank at Pier 12 on the lower west side back in February.

According to the Saint John Port Authority, the operation is expected to take about 23 days. 

 The recovery team is currently two days ahead of schedule due to clear water conditions.

Salmon Farmers Looking For Federal Support

The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association is calling on those running in the federal election to support the creation of a new Aquaculture Act.

Executive Director Pamela Parker tells CHSJ News salmon farmer currently operate under the Fisheries act, which is not appropriate for a food-producing sector.

She says an official Aquaculture Act would give clarity to farmers, attract investment, and support the modernization of the industry.

Senator Duffy Blames Election on Liberals

A lot of people are asking why we are having the federal election now when there is no burning issue and much apparent apathy.

Conservative Senator Mike Duffy, who was in town campaigning for Rodney Weston, blames the Liberals for what he calls this 300 million dollar unnecessary election.

Duffy says alot of Liberals are angry there wasn't a convention held when Micheal Ignatieff assumed the leadership with many believing former Ontario Premier Bob Rae would have been better.

Municipal Byelections Follow May 2nd Federal Vote

Voters in a number of New Brunswick municipalities won't be getting a rest after the May 2nd federal election.


By-elections are being held May 9th to fill vacancies on municipal councils around the province including three in our region.

In Quispamsis -- Libby O'Hara - Kirk Miller - Barry Farnsworth - and - Michael Cole have filed papers for a vacant council seat.

In Norton -- Lawrence Dykeman - Trevor Carson - and - Catherine Booth are vying for a seat on council.

And in the Campobello Rural community -- two people - Brittany Lank and Raymond Brown senior are seeking a council seat.

Meters Blown Off Homes On Lower West Side

A power surge yesterday afternoon causing major problems for at least 30 homeowners on the lower west side.

District Fire Chief Eric Garland says it all started with a report of wires being down at the intersection of Duke Street West and Lancaster Avenue.

The power surge was caused when a 12 thousand volt power line fell on top of a 4 thousand volt line and actually blew the meters off a number of homes.

Garland estimates at least 30 homeowners were affected and they have been advised to keep the main power off until their house can be checked over by an electrician.

The power was restored at 9:30 last night. The power surge was similar to what might happen during an electrical storm.

More Delays Along Highway One

Commuters coming into town from the Valley can expect delays for the next several weeks..........The westbound lanes on Highway One near the Crown Street ramps will narrow to one lane starting today for about seven weeks.

This traffic disruption is necessary to allow work by the Department of Transportation on the One Mile House Interchange project.

Drivers are reminded to be careful while these temporary measures are in place.

No Plans To Reinstate Cameras On Harbour Bridge

If you relied on the Harbour Bridge cameras to help you plan your commute -- you are out of luck -- the cameras went dark on April 1st when the province assumed ownership of the bridge and closed the toll plaza.

Saint John Harbour M-L-A Carl Killen tells CHSJ News the power was shut off to the plaza in preparation for demolition of the structure. He says it's an issue of balancing costs of maintaining the cameras with the necessity of having them -- he says that doesn't exist at the moment and he doesn't see them being reactivated any time soon.

Tenders for the demolition of the toll plaza are expected to be called shortly with the work completed by some time in June.

Deadline Looming For Taxes

The push is on for finding those receipts and getting those T4 slips in order as the deadline for filing your tax return is less than two weeks away.

Brenda Avery with BrenTax tells CHSJ News having your taxes done by a professional can save you money as they know the ins and outs of tax breaks. She says you can save tax dollars if you're taking care of aging parents.

She says there are also credits for disabled children or if you have a disability.

She finds those who are expecting to owe the government tend to file their taxes close to the deadline.

Power Outage Hits Lower West Side

A number of people on the lower West Side are without power -- Saint John Energy crews have been working to restore service and at last word power was expected to be fully restored by 9pm.
So far there's no indication from the utility on the cause of the blackout.

Bay of Fundy Still In The Running for Natural Wonders Contest

The push is on to make sure the Bay of Fundy is listed as one of the seven natural wonders nature.The bay has made it to the list of 28-finalists and Saint John Fundy Conservative M-L-A Glen Savoie says the bay's marine biodiversity has been compared to that of the Amazon rain forests:

To vote for the Bay of Fundy, click here

Best Buy Not Coming To Saint John

Electronics box retailer Best Buy won't be arriving in our city any time soon -- almost two years ago a company official told us the electronics retailer was looking at opening a store here by 2011.But a Best Buy spokesperson now tells CHSJ News there are no plans for a store or expansion of its Future Shop store here in the city.
That follows long time electronics store Wacky Wheatly's closing stores here and in Fredericton due to declining sales and profits.

Marco Polo Still Needs To Find A Place To Dock

Barry Ogden with the Marco Polo Project is hoping that the replica ship will be able to hit the waters this year

He tells CHSJ News it would be significant, given that this year is the 160th anniversary of the ship launching from the mouth of Marsh Creek.


He says he needs the co-operation of the three levels of government to make it happen.

He believes the ship would become a huge tourist attraction.

City Police Prepare For New Driving Legislation

The days of being able to take on your cell phone while driving are coming to an end as the province is expected to enact legislation banning that act in the coming months.

Head of the Saint John Police Force Traffic Unit Jeff LaFrance tells CHSJ News they'll be working with the province on an awarness campaign.

He says a lot of people are already aware of the incoming legislation so he doesn't a expect a lot of slack to be cut for first-time offenders.

A driver convicted of breaking the law loses three points from their licence and faces a fine of $172.50.
   
The legislation is expected to pass some time in June.

NDP Candidate In Fundy-Royal Wants Conservative Assistant Turfed

NDP candidate for Fundy-Royal Darryl Pitre wants Conservative Candidate Rob Moore to fire his Special Assistant Michael Sona.

This comes after Sona allegedly tried to seize a ballot box at a special polling station at the University of Guelph on Thursday, claiming it was an illegal station.

Pitre tells CHSJ News given the current political climate around the globe, the incident is disrespectful to democracy.

He says the incident reflects badly on the leadership of Rob Moore.

Elections Canada ruling the special ballot polling station to be valid

Jason McCoy Coming To The Imperial Theatre

You know him from his solo career and the Roadhammers but did you know he was funny?
Jason McCoy will prove in his one man show hitting the Imperial Theatre stage on Monday night.He tells CHSJ News he was asked to do an acoustic tour and they decided to add screens playing all of his old videos featuring questionable hair and clothing choices.

His says the comedy just comes naturally if the crowd is having fun and he is too.

The show features some virtual guests including Grammy-nominated female singer and the top Canadian male singers.
To get tickets for  "Real life. Real laughs. Real McCoy." on Monday night
go to www.imperialtheatre.nb.ca or call 674-4100 or toll free 1-800-323-7469.

Delays On Harbour Bridge May Be Minimized

Remember those long lines of traffic during construction on the Harbour Bridge last year? -- with the province now in control -- there may be some changes to planned work this year.
Transportation Minister Claude Williams tells CHSJ News he's hoping to avoid the traffic delays and frustration of last year.

Williams says the province is in talks with Dexter as it prepares to take over a section of Route 1 between the Maine border and Riverglade including the Harbour Bridge June 1st -- the Minister says it's possible the work on the east bound lanes may be spread over two years.

Seal Tour Offered Today at Irving Nature Park

If you ever wanted to see some seals frolic, today's your chance: J.D. Irving Limited and the Canadian Wildlife Federation are teaming up to celebrate National Wildlife Week

They will be hosting a seal watching walk at the Irving Nature Park today.

Those interested can go to the main gate of the park where staff will take visitors on a guided tour to see the seals beginning at 2pm.

Abandoned Building Burns Down

An abandoned building burning to the ground on the city's east side last night.

Fire crews responding to a fire last night around 11:30pm at Jones Drive.

The fire department says the building has been empty for a number of years since the owner passed away.

No one was hurt and the cause of the fire is deemed suspicious.

Some Will Vote Twice Next Month

Some New Brunswickers get the distinct pleasure of voting twice next month, once in the federal election and again for municipal byelections.

One week after the national vote, byelection are being held in six communities including Norton and Quispamsis to elect councillors at large.
Seven candidates were elected by acclamation including Natalie Harris who was elected as a councillor at large in Blacks Harbour.
In Harvey, not one candidate put their name forward for the Mayor's job.
To learn more about byelections on May 9th click here

Students In State Of Flux With School's Apparent Closure

The future of a private school in the City is in doubt after closing this week.
25 Academy of Learning students meeting with the government to find out what their options might be.  Jeanette Peters is a teaching assistant student and given the choice between finishing her course or getting refund, she tells CHSJ news she wants to finish.
She says she wouldn't have taken the course to begin with if she didn't want to finish it and says it's devastating that option may not be available to them.
Peters says they have to wait until next week to find out exactly what the government is able to do for them.

Weston Defends Record On Healthcare

Saint John Conservative candidate Rodney Weston doesn't know what's with the NDP and criticism on health care from its local candidate Rob Moir.

He claims health care is not a priority for the Conservatives which Weston dismisses out of hand.

He says the Prime Minister has agreed to a 6 per cent escalator for healthcare and there were health care provisions in the budget the New Democrats asked for but yet they still voted against and forced the election.

Weston tells CHSJ News the Conservatives are not pitting rural against urban with incentives for more doctors to practice outside cities. He argues having more rural doctors will ease the pressure at urban hospital like Saint John Regional.

Anti-Nuclear Coaltion Says Enough Is Enough

Just the day after all of the M-L-A's vote in favour of pressing the federal government to pay for the cost overruns at Point Lepreau, an anti-nuclear coalition is voicing opposition to any more money being spent on the nuclear power plant.

David Thompson of the Nuclear Decommissioning Coalition tells CHSJ News any federal money should be going to renewable energy projects.

He argues Point Lepreau represents obsolete technology and is the most expensive energy to produce. Thompson says we've gotten along well without Lepreau operating because of the refurbishment and NB Power has even turned a profit while the plant has been offline.

21 groups make up the decommissioning coalition including the Sierra Club.

Talking Closure About Morna Heights School Is Premature

The fear of a closure of Morna Heights school is rippling through the community but from what the chair of the District 8 Education council is saying that is premature.
Rob Fowler tells CHSJ News this proposal was first sent to the provincial government two years ago and it's no closer to becoming reality.
He says they want to put up a new building that would include students from Grand Bay Primary, Inglewood and Morna Heights.
Fowler describes it as a wishlist right now saying they are only in the taking stages nothing formal is underway.

Minister: No One Will Be Denied Medical Services

Health Minister Madeleine Dube says no one will be denied medical services even if they have an expired Medicare card.


The Minister came under fire from the Opposition Liberals in the Legislature this morning after 15-hundred New Brunswickers were left without valid Medicare cards due to a computer glitch.

She says if anyone is presented with a bill for service or that must pay cash - they should send receipts to Medicare for payment.

Dube says new cards are now in the mail for those affected by the foul up.

A Shooting And Two Suspicious Fires Being Probed

A man in hospital after being shot this morning in the north end. City Police tell CHSJ News the shooting occurred shortly after 2:30 on Main Street near Albert and the victim is expected to recover.

The fire department and Major Crime Unit are investigating two suspicious fires. The first one was set in a vacant building at 595 Sandy Point Road.

District Chief Joe Armstrong says fire crews were then called to a second blaze at 147 Rodney Street on the lower west side. There was hesvy fire damage to the first floor of that three storey building on the corner of Ludlow Street. It's believed the blaze began in the laundry room.

Also, a woman was struck by a car at 716 Westmorland Road and had to be taken to hospital for treatment of her injuries.

Alberta Building Owners Facing Huge Fine For Not Fixing Up Properties

The court handing an Alberta company a fine of more than $11,000 for violations relating to the City's minimum property standards by-law.
The fines issued to the company that owns several buildings in the City as a result of a charge of non-compliance of a court order.

The company did not carry out court-ordered repair work to a building in the City's north end. It is the second time the numbered company is facing a fine for non-compliance. The owner have until the end of the month to repair and secure the building's interior and exterior.
In a separate ruling, the same company receiving a fine of more than $3000 for failing to make repairs to a building in the South end.

Mike Duffy Campaigns In City For Weston

Conservative Senator Mike Duffy stopping off in Saint John to speak to seniors at Hillcrest Village on the west side and campaign for incumbant Rodney Weston.

Duffy tells CHSJ News he has no doubt Prime Minister Harper will win a majority government because Canadians are tired of all this craziness.

Duffy goes on to say the leaders' debate the other night showed Harper as calm, competent and who looks like a Prime Minister and he only has to win 12 more seats than he did the last election to gain a majority.

Duffy told the seniors at Hillcrest it was Weston's personal intervention with the Prime Minister that finally got the tolls taken off the Harbour Bridge.

No Flexibility In Timing Of Good Friday Advance Polls

Advanced voting for the May 2nd federal election begins next Friday -- and -- in case you haven't noticed -- that's Good Friday.


Pastor Edward Powell of the Grand Bay United Baptist Church isn't surprised given we have Sunday shopping and a lot of people not really observing other religious holidays.

Powell says it comes down to those who want to honour God on Good Friday will do so while those who want to vote will do that as well.

Elections Canada says it has no say in how the advance voting falls for the May 2nd federal election.

Spokesperson Karen Janigan says the law states the advanced voting must be held so many days prior to the actual election day -- but -- she tells CHSJ News there are other options available for those who aren't comfortable voting over the Easter weekend including a special ballot that can be cast at your local returning office.

More information on voting can be found here.

Guilty Plea In 2010 St. Stephen Bank Robbery

46-year-old Toni Earl McFarlane appearing in St. Stephen court today pleading guilty to robbery and disguise with intent to commit a robbery.
He was arrested yesterday in Pennfield in connection with a robbery at the Charlotte County Credit Union in St. Stephen in February of last year.
McFarlane will remain in custody and is due in court on the 26th for sentencing.

Saint John NDP Candidate Talking Health Care

The Saint John NDP Candidate for the May 2nd vote is talking health care and taking a shot at the current Federal representative. Rob Moir tells CHSJ News health care is not a priority for Rodney Weston and the conservative party is treating it as a wedge issue by offering incentives for doctors to work in the outskirts. He says this is an urban riding with the Regional also serving people from the outlying communities. He wonders how we will get doctors to come here if we are sending them to the outreaches when both areas need more physicians.



Moir says he doesn't see the of idea of pitting the rural areas against the urban areas as a solution but, part of the problem.

More Alarm Raised Over Shale Gas Exploration

Premier David Alward is giving every indication he wants to move ahead with shale gas exploration in the province while, at the same, time vowing to protect the concerns of property owners.

Raphael Shay is the climate and energy co-ordinator at the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. He tells CHSJ News two new studies which suggest shale gas development causes high levels of greenhouse gas emissions ought to slow things down a bit for a closer examination.

Shay also points out there have been significant methane leaks at fracking sites and methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas with the province vulnerable to climate change judging by the severity of flooding last December.
 
He adds one of the studies done by Cornell University professor Robert Howarth has found compared to coal, the carbon footprint of shale gas is at least 20 per cent greater.

No End To Rising Gas Prices

The weekly setting sees another increase in gas prices........Self serve regular is now being sold around town for $1.28.9 a litre with diesel going for $1.33.2.

 Home heating oil is listed at $1.18.3 and as we enter the barbeque season, propane is at $1.08.4 a litre.

Saint John Leads Way With Teen Pregnancies

School District 8 hearing an alarming list of statistics about teen pregnancy in Saint John.

In 2008, 44 out of every 1000 girls became pregnant nearly double the national rate and provincially,the stat falls to 24.3 per thousand.

Public Health Nurse Penny Higdon tells CHSJ News it's hard to determine why our numbers remain high yet the rates in Moncton and Fredericton have gone down.

The Teen Pregnancy Committee hosting a strategic planning session in December and identifying four priorities which include creating awareness and improving access to contraception.

Some Teens In City Set Out To Get Pregnant

District 8 chair Rob Fowler says he is surprised by how high the teen pregnancy stats are in the city and finds it a little scary that, in some cases, the teen girls want to get pregnant and it's not happening accidentally.

Student representative Chris Harper, who thought the District Education Council should hear about the high teen pregnancy rate in the city, likes the idea of youth teaching young people about teen pregnancy by using the tools they use on a daily basis......social media.

He is surprised, though, to hear the sexual education that begins middle school doesn't carry over into high school.

Bridge Cams On Harbour Bridge Switched Off

If you have been wondering what happened to the link on our web page to the Harbour Bridge cameras -- the answer is related to the removal of the tolls from the Bridge at the beginning of the month.

The Department of Transportation says those cameras were part of the toll booth monitoring system and were turned off when the toll plaza was closed April 1st.

A department spokesperson tells CHSJ News there are no plans to reactivate them at the moment.

The camera link proved extremely popular especially during last summer's major construction project on the bridge -- we contacted Saint John Harbour Conservative M-L-A Carl Killen who is looking into the situation.

Province To Do Post-Mortem On Flood Response

The province is turning the microscope on itself with regards to flooding last December in Charlotte County.

The province will be conducting a review of how it handled the crisis and what it can do to improve.

Premier David Alward tells CHSJ News there are many factors at work when it comes to flooding in Charlotte County and they all need a closer look.

Two employees from the Department of Public safety will also be engaging the people of St. George and St. Stephen as part of a two year project to improve community-based disaster response in Charlotte County. 

Robbery Suspect Nabbed in Pennfield

District 1 RCMP from St. Stephen executing an arrest warrant at a Pennfield motel and arresting a 46-year-old man.

Toni Earl McFarlane facing a charge of robbery and disguise with intent to commit a robbery relating to an incident at the Charlotte County Credit Union in St. Stephen in February last year.

McFarlane is being held in custody and is due to appear in St. Stephen Provincial Court tomorrow morning to enter a plea.

Bell Aliant Unveils Speed for Customers

Another salvo has been fired in the war for your dolalrs over internet and TV providers.

Bell Aliant unveiling upgrades to their FiberOp service, which boasts features like 30 megabits-a-second for downloading and 30 megabits-a-second for uploading.

President and CEO Karen Sheriff says the bump in the uploading speed is significant because people are sharing things online more and more each day.

The speeds are a first for Atlantic Canada.

We put a call in to  Rogers for comment but so far there has been no response.

Flare Will Increase During Canaport Maintenence Work

Canaport LNG will be undergoing maintenance starting early next month.
This maintenance will be carried out on process equipment at the Terminal which will require a temporary suspension of operations.


Maintenance activities include work on a valve within the process equipment as well as the inspection of other equipment throughout the facility.
Because of the work, a significant flare which will be visible from some vantage points around the city for the duration of the shutdown which should last about a month.

Education Minister Meets With Francophone Parents In K-V

Provincial Education Minister Jody Carr says there will be continuing dialogue with parents in the K-V who are pressing for a french language school for students from kindergarten through grade 5.

 A spokesperson in the Education Department says the meeting went well and Carr is committed to adding a third grade next September to the satellite school now being used in the Valley.

Right now it's K through grade 2 and the parents want the province to buy some land and build a brand new school.

Will Spending Revelations Sway Voters?

An investigation is being launched to find out how a draft report from the Auditor General about spending at the G-8 and G-20 summits was leaked and by whom. The draft report pinpoints some questionable projects in the riding of federal cabinet minister Tony Clements.

U-N-B Saint John political science professor Don Desserud isn't sure this will be a game changer like the sponsorship scandal was for the Liberals.

A poll done before the spending revelations and leader's debate showed Prime Minister Harper was heading for his long cherished for majority and Desserud tells CHSJ News the Prime Minister has proven himself quite adept at handling such controversies in the past..

M-L-A's Go To School

M-L-A's were out and about this week in schools around the province. It was "Take your M-L-A to School Day".

The Superintendent for School District 8 Susan Tipper says being in a classroom gives the M-L-A's a better idea of what actually goes on when they have to make decisions about education.

Tipper says even though she works in the system, she finds things and times have certainly changed  when visiting schools and it can be a real eye opener to see what goes on first hand.

Couple Gets Key To New Home

Richard and Fran Winters getting the key to their brand new home today.

The couple is one of six families who will be moving into a new home in St. George after losing their house to the December floods in Charlotte County.

The houses have been paid for via donations and government money.

Fran Winters tells CHSJ News it was hard to say goodbye to their old house.

The couple will be moving in by the end of the month.

Safe, Clean Drinking Water Means Higher Rates

With Common Council setting a 4 year goal on getting water treatment facilities up and running by 2015, what impact will that have on your pocketbook?

Commissioner of Finance Greg Yeomans says there will be a 25 to 50 per cent increase in what you pay for water.

That would put the flat water and sewage rate at about $1,350 by 2018.

However, officials estimate the flat rate would be about $1,100 at that time if the city didn't go ahead with water treatment.

Mayor Ivan Court says an extra $250 dollars is a small price to pay for clean drinking water.

Several Memembers Leave Joshua Group

Six members of the board of directors for the Joshua Group resigning over a disagreement about what direction the local charity should take.    It leaves 7 members on the board.

The group that helps local at-risk kids in the city's priority neighbourhoods is well-known since its founder Bobby Hayes won a national award for being a Champion of Change.

CHSJ News learning the board will carry on and fill those vacancies.There are no "hard feelings" and we are told it does relate to the Joshua group's current search for a permanent home.

Different Angles At Play For Tonight's Debate

UNB Saint John Political Scientist Don Desserud says tonight's leaders' debate will be an opportunity for all of the players.

Desserud tells CHSJ News it will give NDP Leader Jack Layton a chance to regain any supports that have jumped shipped to the Liberals in effort to defeat Stephen Harper.

He says the best move for Harper is to allow the three other candidates to dog pile him in order to prove that a majority government is needed.

Six Members Of A Local Charity's Board Of Directors Quit

Six members of the board of directors for the Joshua Group resigning over a disagreement about what direction the local charity should take.    It leaves 7 members on the board.

The group that helps local at-risk kids in the city's priority neighbourhoods is well-known since its founder Bobby Hayes won a national award for being a Champion of Change.

CHSJ News learning the board will carry on and fill those vacancies.
There are no hard feelings and we are told it does relate to the Joshua group's current search for a permanent home.

Moore Does Not Fear Backlash From Voter Fatigue

Rob Moore is not experiencing voter backlash as he travels door to door in the riding of Fundy Royal but, people are still wondering why this election is even happening.
The Conservative incumbent tells CHSJ News the voters feel strongly about that.

He says they know the opposition parties are responsible for the current campaign and he doesn't fear voter backlash but, he hopes his constituents use the desire to not have another election to get out and vote.

Moore adds a lot of the issues are the same as in 2008 but, it's more positive since a lot of the concern over the economic downtown is behind us.

Parents Group Meets With Edcuation Minister Tonight Over Proposed French School

Parents pushing for a Francophone school in the valley will be meeting with Education Minister Jody Carr tonight.

The group is looking for a commitment from the province to build a Francophone school in the Valley so that french students will no longer have to travel long distances for classes.

The parents group is threatening legal action against the province if a school is not built.

Green Party Candidate Says Province Needs Green Jobs

Sharon Murphy-Flatt is throwing her hat into the political ring again.

She ran as the Green Party's candidate in the provincial election for the Rothesay riding and this time she's looking to win the federal seat in Saint John.

She tells CHSJ News green industries need to be brought to the province as our current industrial businesses are not sustainable. 

She would also aim to get Point Lepreau decommissioned, claiming it's a money sink and poses a serious health risk to all New Brunswickers.