Advanced Polls Open Today

You can take care of voting in Federal election this weekend with the advance polls.  They are open from Noon to 8pm today, tomorrow and on Monday.

Karen Janigan of Elections Canada tells CHSJ News you can register to vote at the advance polls.

She says they do encourage people to register in advance but sometimes that's doesn't happen so if you haven't registered and you are not on the voter's list it is not a problem.

To find out which polling stations you should go to and anything else relating to the election go to http://www.elections.ca/ or call 1-800-463-6888.

UNB Saint John Gets Donation for Writing Centre

UNB Saint John is getting a new writing centre thanks to the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception. The Sisters donated $50,000 to the university for the project.
Sister Mary Beth McCurdy says the hope is that the centre will help students acquire writing skills that foster creativity and joy.
The Sisters of Charity been helping the Saint John community since a cholera outbreak in 1854.

Weston Responds To Moir's Criticism

The Conservative incumbant in Saint John is repeating that clean, safe drinking water for Saint John is his #1 priority.
Rodney Weston taking some heat from NDP candidate Rob Moir who says corporate tax cuts leave less money to ensure clean,safe,drinking water.

Weston tells CHSJ News in order to make this a reality everyone needs to work together. He adds all three levels of government are pledging to make sure this challenge is met.  Weston says it's very clear that we don't drive prosperity through taxation.

Police Release Photo of Robbery Suspect

City Police still looking for those responsible for a robbery at the Petro Can at Loch Lomand Road and McAllister Drive late Tuesday night.
No one was hurt but two people got away on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.
If you know anything about this crime, please call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222- Tips or Saint John Police at 648-3211.

Ignatieff Will Discuss Lepreau Overruns If Elected

If elected, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff says he will begin talking with province immediately about the possibility of paying for the cost overruns at Point Lepreau nuclear power plant.
The refurbishments are one billion dollars over budget and Ignatieff says he is aware of how the overruns could burden New Brunswick tax payers.
He says AECL is a crown corporation and so it is the federal government's responsibility.  Ignatieff says he won't be able to engage in detailed discussion on the issue until he sits down with the province and gets the facts.
Ignatieff says it's also important to expand renewable energy in the province and find a way to meet the power needs of the next generation.

NB Liquor Announcing Easter Weekend Hours

As you run around getting everything the Easter feast and the egg hunt, remember a lot of stores are closed on holiday weekends.

NB Liquor stores will be closed for Good Friday and open regular hours Saturday.
They are closed on Sunday and open from Noon to 5 on Monday.
The NB Liquor agency outlets are open, but hours can vary from location to location.

Premier's Energy Commission Accused Of Missing The Mark

The Alliance for Community Energy is critical of the Premier's Energy Commission for what it says is missing the mark when it comes to utilising renewable energy sources. Alliance Vice-President Greg Leblanc tells CHSJ News a huge opportunity is being lost.

Leblanc says most of the wood pellets from this province are being exported to Europe to be used to lower carbon emissions there and he questions why not here. Then there's waste wood from pulp mills that could be used to generate energy.  He also argues there's enough economically viable wind energy in the province to easily offset all the fossil fuel generation. Another Alliance idea is to retrofit homes with solar hot water units to offset 50 per cent of the hot water usage which would save people alot of money.

The Alliance points out of the 50 recommendations emerging from the Energy Commission, only five directly addressed opportunities in the area of renewable energy.

Another Rise In Price Of Self Serve

Another mixed bag with gas prices after the weekly setting........Self serve regular has risen by almost two cents a litre and is being sold around town for $1.30.8.


 Diesel is a bit less expensive by just under a cent at $1.32.4.


Heating oil is also slightly cheaper at $1.17.5 and propane is virtually unchanged being listed at $1.08.3.

Power Disruption Along Pedway

Part of the pedway will be dark this morning for four hours as part of construction work in the area.

The City of Saint John telling CHSJ News the planned power interruption impacts the stretch between Harbour Station and the Canada Games Aquatic Centre.

It gets underway at 9am this morning and will impact heat, lights and elevators.

Liberal Leader Makes Stop In Saint John

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff paying Saint John a visit on his campaign trail.

When asked about what he would do about the long surgical wait times and shortage of doctors in the province, he says he would meet with the Premiers of each province within sixty days of being elected in order to address those issues.


He says another target in his sights would be improving home-care service, noting that the Liberals are the only party to have a home-care plan in their platform.

Tillis And Morgan To Bring Combo Tour To Saint John

Two legendary country singers are bringing their two-woman show to Saint John in June.
Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan are both daughters of country royalty but have successful careers on their own.
Tillis is the daughter of singer-songwriter Mel Tillis and Morgan is the daughter of George Morgan famous for his song "Candy Kisses".
Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan bring "The Grits and Glamour Tour" to the Imperial Theatre on June 13th.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow. For the link and the number to get tickets click here

NDP Candidate Slams Conservatives Over Safe, Clean Drinking Water

The NDP candidate who's running in Saint John, Rob Moir says if the Conservatives didn't reduce the corporate tax rate, the money might have been there to help pay for safe, clean drinking water.

It's Common Council's number one priority but Moir tells CHSJ News the cupboard is bare at City Hall because there are other things that need fixing such as the roads

 Moir questions how much of a priority safe drinking water can be for incumbant Rodney Weston when he supports the lower corporate tax rate.

The city is looking for 57.4 million dollars in funding from the federal government.

Port Authority At Odds With Commercial Fishermen

Controversy has arisen over the Saint John Port Authority's new land use plan. There's no mention in that plan about there being a place at the port for commercial fishermen.

 Nicholas Paul, the policy analyst with the Maliseet Nation Conservation Council, tells CHSJ News they got a letter last month telling them to vacate the port by the end of June. The Commercial Fisheries Manager with the St. Mary's First Nation, Jeremy Paul maintains that won't happen because the order violates their treaty rights.

The President and C-E-O for the Port Authority Jim Quinn says he wants to find both a short term solution and long term one.
 
Stephen Campbell, who chairs the Board of Directors at the Port Authority, argues the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans will have to step up to the plate if there is to be a long term solution found.

Emergency Calls For The Ken Valley Now Handled By The City

The way emergency calls are being handled for the Ken Valley are undergoing a change. 

This means any 911 calls answered by the Saint John communications centre will be dispatched directly to Rothesay Police or the KV Fire Department, bypassing the Rothesay Regional Police comm centre.

Saint John Police Chief Bill Reid says this will cut down on response times compared to the old system and the process will be seamless for residents.

Rothesay is paying the Saint John Police Force about 270-thousand dollars annually for the service.

Another Robbery In City

City Police looking for two people after a holdup at the Petro Can at Loch Lomand Road and McAllister Drive.

The pair ran off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Police tell CHSJ News no one was injured.

Protest Outside Cathedral For Women's Equality

A number of demonstrators with placards calling for the ordination of women as priests showing up last night outside the cathedral on Waterloo Street.

Cathy Holtman of the Catholic Network for Women's Equality concedes the Vatican is excommunicating those women who have been ordained along with the clerics who support them.

 She believes the Church heirarchy's heavy handedness shows how worried the Vatican is about this issue and support ordination of woman has among the parishioners.

Holtman also finds it odd the bishops who covered up the fact priests were sexually abusing young people in their dioceses have not been excommunicated.

Saint John Gets First Visit From Federal Party Leader

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff visits the Port City today to glad hand with local party faithful.

Ignatieff will attend a Liberal party meet and greet at the Saint John Ale House at 12:15 and will speak to the media following that event. He heads to Nova Scotia from Saint John for another campaign event.

NDP Leader Jack Layton is expected in the city on Monday. The details of his visit have not been released.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper is making a quick trip to the province today as well but his itinerary doesn't include Saint John. Harper will make a quick stop in Edmundston this afternoon then it's on to Fredericton for a rally this evening.

Premier's Energy Commission Wants Baseboard Heaters Banned

Electricity consumers may soon be paying far more if they are energy hogs -- the provincial energy commission is making the recommendation based on feedback during public consultations since last fall.

Co-chair Bill Thompson says it would involve a second more expensive rate tier for electricity rates. He has heard from alot of people they find it odd the more power that was consumed resulted in a reduced rate even though it's costing more to produce that electricity.

Thompson says the commission is also recommending the government pass legislation banning electric baseboard heaters. He says we should be moving to natural gas as a transition fuel to more renewable energy sources.

The commission will send its proposed ten year energy plan to government next month.

Local Federal Candidates Discuss Poverty In Saint John

All 5 Saint John candidates in the federal election taking part in a poverty and social policy discussion earlier today.

About 75 people coming out to the event which was sponsored by the Human Development Council.

Conservative Candidate Rodney Weston tells CHSJ News while their are many angles to tackling poverty in the city, one of the key methods is collaboration with frontline groups.

NDP candidate Rob Moir says he has a two-prong approach on how to reduce poverty: a functioning education and skilled job creation.
 
Meanwhile, Liberal Candidate Stephen Chase tells CHSJ News creating a climate where the economy can thrive is one way to begin addressing poverty in Saint John.





Green Party Candidate Sharon Murphy-Flatt says a guaranteed livable wage is needed to lift people out of the poverty cycle.


And independent candidate Arthur Watson Jr. says he would support any legislation that would reduce poverty in the city.


Organizer of the event Randy Hatfield says as the income divide becomes greater between the rich and the poor, poverty and social policy will become more of a key issue in federal politics.

Brief Power Outage On The West Side

A short power interuption on the West side today.
Nearly 1000 Saint John Energy customers in the dark for 27 minutes because of a failed lightning arrrestor on King Street west.
A spokesperson tells CHSJ News the lightning arrestor will be fixed at a later date.

CCNB Split On Energy Commission Recommendations

The Provincial Conservation Council likes some of the Energy Commission's recommendations and dislikes others.

Climate and Energy Coordinator Raphael Shay tells CHSJ News they find a wide range of points to improve efficiency programs and recognition that public transporation needs greater attention encouraging.

Shay notes the recommendations gut the province's renewable energy and climate change targets adding the commissioners are betting big on natural gas without recognizing the carbon footprint that comes unconventional sources like shale gas.

Unexpected Outage On The West Side

The power is out on the lower West side near the Port after an unplanned outage.

A Saint John Energy spokesperson tells CHSJ News they expect the lights to be back on by about 3:10 this afternoon.

Province Boosts Wellness And Sport Spending

The province's budget for wellness projects is going up by $808,000 and the sports plan sees a funding increase of 25 per cent. Wellness, Culture and Sports Minister Trevor Holder tells CHSJ News says they plan to double funding to sports over the course of their mandate.
He says increases are going to programs like Kidsport and Jumpstart so underprivileged youth in the province have access to recreation programming.
Holder says the numbers on childhood obesity, diabetes and mental illness in the province have been negative in recent months, he's hoping this funding will help turn that around and give us something positive to talk about.

Alward Says 75 Per Cent Of Flooding Assistance Has Been Handed Out

According to Premier David Alward, 75 percent of the provincial disaster relief dollars has been paid out to the victims of the December floods.
He tells CHSJ News the next big item on their list to getting Charlotte Country back to normal is infrastructure repair.
Alward says a final total isn't in yet but, early estimates were in the 50 million dollar range.
He says the costs could be even higher once crews get a better look at the damage in the spring weather.

Natural Gas Pricing Will Be Tackled By Energy Commission

The Alward government's energy commission says it's being told by the public to look at ways of reducing energy costs.
Commission co-chair Bill Thompson says one of the keys to reducing the cost of energy is to be more flexible in how we source energy through renewable sources provincially and partnerships with our neighbours to tap into their renewable energy sources.

Thompson says natural gas is being suggested as a transition fuel as we move from tranditional electrical generation sources in this province.

But -- one of the challenges in transitioning to natural gas is the cost of delivery -- he says the commission will deal with the regulation of natural gas prices in its final report on a ten year enegy plan due next month.
 
The public feedback document released by the commission this morning is available here.

Ignatieff To Visit The Port City Tomorrow

Michael Ignatieff will be in Saint John tomorrow.

CHSJ News learning the Liberal leader will be making a campaign stop in the Port City likely to lend support to local candidate Stephen Chase.

Ignatieff will be the first of the party leaders to visit the city with NDP Leader Jack Layton coming on Monday.  

Millrats Leave Premier Basketball League

The Premier Basketball League is likely no more after a dispute over the officiating during the playoffs.

Saint John President and General Manager Ian McCarthy says the Millrats have decided to leave the P-B-L because Rochester home referees were being used during road games involving the Rochester Razor Sharks and they were given an advantage on the court when it came to fouls and free throws.

In addition to that, the owner of the Razor Sharks also owns the League which assigns the officials.

McCarthy tells CHSJ News pro basketball will be played in Saint John next season. One option is to have all Canadian teams including Moncton and Halifax.

Another option, according to McCarthy, is to join the NBA Development League.

Arrest Made In South End Home Invasion

One person has been arrested and one is still on the loose after a robbery just before midnight at an apartment on Mecklenberg Street.

It has been described to us as a home invasion but police tell CHSJ News this was not random and there were no injuries.

Federal Election Candidates To Debate Poverty

The five local candidates in the federal election will be taking part in a debate and Question and nswer session about poverty and social policy today at the UNB Grand Hall.

The event is being sponsored by the Human Development Council and Executive Director Randy Hatfield tells CHSJ News there won't be a shortage of topics and it's important to hear from the candidates as there are mechanisms and tools in place that the federal government can use to deal with the poverty.

He says it's important to hear from the candidates on these issues because the federal government has a direct impact on them. The event begins at 12 noon.

Alarm Bells Raised Over Rising Food Price In Province

Rising food prices are a big concern to the Common Front for Social Justice and that's why it's calling for the province to institute a food solidarity programme by providing each household on social assistance with 50 dollars a month. 

Common Front co-chair Jean-Claude Basque tells CHSJ News food costs have risen by 21 per cent over 4 years with another 5 to 7 per cent increase expected this year and this will affect everyone.

The Common Front estimates the programme would cost 15 million dollars. Basque says the use of food banks in the province went up by 14 per cent in 2009 after the financial meltdown and by another 4 per cent in 2010.

To top it all off, Basque also points out electricity rates have gone up by 29 per cent in just the past 2 and a half years.

NDP Leader Will Visit Saint John

NDP leader Jack Layton will be making a stop in Saint John as part of his campaign travels.

Members of the NDP party here in the province have confirmed to us Layton will be stopping by on Easter Monday, April 25th.

Details of his visit have not been released.

Saint John Energy Will Investigate Outage

President of Saint John Energy Eric Marr says the company will be taking a closer look into what lead into yesterday's power outage that left almost 1900 customers without power on the city's west side.

He tells CHSJ News despite the cause being winds knocking one set of power line into another, they're checking to see if their protective devices were working properly.

The power surge was so severe that 30 to 40 homes had their power meters blown off.

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.