Gas Prices Up Slightly

If you have to fill up today, you'll have to dig a little deeper in your wallet.

Gas prices in the city have risen after the weekly setting. Self serve regular is now being sold in town for $1.28.6. That's up almost one and a half cents a litre.

 Diesel has increased by just over one and a half cents a litre to $1.30.6.

Propane and heating oil are both listed above $1.14 a litre.

State Of The Art Commons Building Officially Opens

UNB Saint John now has a new signature building to hang their hat on as the Hans W. Klohn Commons officially opens.

The state of the art facility features study room, conference centre, and a library.

Hans Klohn was there to cut the ribbon and he tells CHSJ News he owes a debt of gratitude to the Irvings, who named the building after him.

UNB Saint John Vice President Robert MacKinnon says the project had a lot of momentum.   

He says staff and faculty were some of the first people to donate and all three levels of government provided funding.
 
The city donated 2 million dollars towards the 25 million dollar project.

Mayor Says Tax Hike Would Be "Worst Case Scenario"

While the city goes back to the province with reform approvals on the pension plan, Mayor Ivan Court can't guarantee that taxes won't go up if the province rejects their plans.

He tells CHSJ News that will be a worst case scenario but adds the threat of a tax hike always looms over the head of council -- they deal with it every year with the annual budgets.

He says the city has held the tax rate for the past 3 years and council will cross that bridge when it gets there.

New Banners and Billboards Show Off City's Championship Pedigree

The city will be showing off its rich hockey championship history with a series of banners and billboards around the city.

Each banner shows one of the major national hockey titles that a Saint John team has won --  The Hardy Cup, The Allan Cup, The Calder Cup, and the Memorial Cup.

Meanwhile, the billboard shows Mike Thomas and Steven Anthony holding the Memorial Cup and tells visitors they're entering championship territory.

Sea Dogs President Wayne Long tells CHSJ News it's a great honour and the recognition form the city means a lot.

The banners will be going up around Harbour Station and the Lord Beaverbrook Rink later today while the billboards will go up on Highway 1 leading into the city and at the airport.

New Trial Date For City Man Charged With Attempted Murder

An adjournment ordered as the trial of 22-year old Trent Byers was scheduled to get underway. Byers will remain in jail until his new trial date now set to begin on October 12th.

Byers is charged with attempting to murder Bruce Higgins, who was found lying on the corner of Main and Albert in the early morning hours of April 15th suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Higgins told police he was going to meet Byers at the corner of Albert and Main to make a drug buy but says a car pulled up and that's when he was shot.

Longtime City Business Closing Its Doors

The local economy taking a hit with word a long time business in the city will be closing its doors for good on September 16th. City Laundry on City Road has been in operation since 1919. 

23 employees were notified of the closure yesterday after efforts to find a buyer failed. 

CHSJ News has been told a number of factors contributed to the decision to close but that it's getting more difficult to run a family business which had been in the Trecartin family.

Upcoming Culture Days Event Launches In Saint John

Saint Johners can take part in a celebration of the arts happening here, around the province and across the country later this month.  Last year's Culture Days featured over 80 events and organizers are hoping the 2011 event will exceed that.  Co-chair Susan Chalmers-Gauvin says culture has an enormous social and economic impact.
She says in some ways it's the best kept secret with its benefits for health and education adding it's the heart of our communities.
Artist Freeman Patterson tells CHSJ News the impact of the arts is vast and generally unrecognized.  He says people recognize the oil industry along with aquaculture and agriculture but, collectively arts and culture jobs employ more people.
There is still time to add your event to Culture Days, for more info click here

A Special Year At Rothesay-Netherwood School

The 2011-2012 school year will be special at Rothesay Netherwood School because of its 135th anniversary.

The school will have 268 students enrolled from grades 6 through 12. This is the largest contingent ever in the school’s history.

 85% of students come from families of all backgrounds in Atlantic Canada, with the remainder coming from other provinces, the US, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe and Asia.

The school year also marks the 25th year that Paul Kitchen has been the Head. There will be special celebrations throughout the year marking the 135th anniversary, capped off by the awarding of prizes and graduation of its grade 12 class in June 2012.

Big Upgrade Underway At Refinery

The Irving Oil Refinery is beginning a 50-million dollar maintenance and upgrade project.

The project will take place over the next 12 weeks and will be underway 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Irving Oil says the project will create 700 jobs and most workers will be from the province.

Work will be done on various chemical processing units.

Smooth Start To School Year In District 6

A few minor glitches to report but, other than that it's a smooth start to the school year in District 6.
Acting Superintendent Gary Hall tells CHSJ News they did everything they could to lessen the impact of spring budget cuts on the classroom.

The district office itself has four less people with the budget cuts in the spring.
Hall says it takes a bit longer to respond to some things but they are doing the best they can.

Police Educate Students About Online Dangers

School has just started and city police are already trying to teach students some important lessons.

The Saint John Police Force making kids aware of the potential dangers on the internet and how it can impact your life.

Cst. Don Metcalf is a school liaison officer and he tells CHSJ News cyber-bullying is a very real threat as it can make victims feel depressed and in some cases take their own life.
 
He adds they are also teaching kids about child predators and how rapidly things can spread on the web, especially when it comes to private or compromising photos.

Provincial Tourism Numbers Are Lukewarm

"Okay" is the term being used by the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick when describing the tourism season in the province so far this summer.

Executive Director Real Robichaud tells CHSJ News while the final numbers aren't in yet, the combination of high gas prices, the exchange rate, and the weather have all contributed to a 1 to 2% drop in business this season.

However, Robichaud says the Fundy region did well -- the Hopewell Rocks are reporting a 1.5 percent increase in business.

Layoffs Of Healthcare Workers Have Begun

Provincial Health Minister Madelaine Dube has given workers at Miramichi City Hospital assurances there won't be any forced layoffs as the Horizon Health Network looks to cut costs and balance its books.

The President of the New Brunswick Council of Hospital Unions Norma Robinson tells CHSJ News that assurance doesn't include the CUPE members who work outside Miramichi.

Robinson says the layoffs have already begun in Fredericton and Moncton and the union has been told they'll be carried out in waves.

Moncton Area Teen Vying To Be The Next Star

A teen from the Moncton area aiming to be Canada's next Selena Gomez.
Shania Fillmore of Saint Phillipe is a top 6 finalist in YTV's The Next Star competition.
Fillmore says she was watching the show and always wanted to audition and finally went for it.

She says the competition is a lot of hard of wark but, they are having so much fun doing it and that is all that matters.

Fillmore was named after Shania Twain and says she was very inspired by her music.
For more on The Next Star competition, click here

Grand Manan Adventure Wrapping Up Summer Service

It's that time of year.....time to dock the Grand Manan Adventure as the summer tourist season wraps up.

The Province and Coastal Transport preparing to take the new ferry out of service.
It may seem as if she just got here because she did..the new 82-car, 65-million dollar ferry took its maiden voyage back on August 11th.

Coastal Transport's Murray Ryder says the ferry must be drydocked for more repairs
to one of the bow thrusters.  That will start on the 11th for about 10 days and the work is covered under the warranty.
The work will not result in any interruptions in ferry service for passengers travelling between Blacks Harbour and Grand Manan.

Power Disruption On West Side

Another power outage this morning to tell you about.......This one happening on the westside of the city.

The general area is (Wilson Street, Coster Street and Westwind Place) and was caused by a broken pole on Wilson Street.

About 50 customers are without service and Saint John Energy crews are on site repairing the damage.

Power is expected to be back on between 9:00 and 9:30.

Police Believe They May Have Halted Crime Spree

Court appearances are likely today for two men, in their 20's who were arrested over the weekend in Rothesay on the Marr Road for possession of stolen property.

They will be charged with holding up the Somerset Pub and Colonial Inn last week but are also under investigaton for vehicle breakins in the Valley and a break and enter at a home on the Kingston Peninsula.

Teenager Suffers Head Injuries On the Peninsula

A hay trailer rolled over and wound up in a ditch on the Kingston Peninsula near the Pipertown Road over the weekend severely injuring a teenaged boy.

The 15 year old fell off the hayride and struck his head on the road.

Major Power Outage In Saint John Area

A power outage is not what you want to experience as you prepare for the first day of school but there was a major disruption last night with thousands of people still in the dark this morning.

The power went out around 7:30 last night in a large part of the east side, the Valley and Kingston Peninsula all the way, we are told towards Sussex.

Some parts of East Saint John as you make your way to the airport did not get reconnected until around 1:30 this morning.

 As of early this morning, NB Power reports there are more than 11 thousand people outside the city still without electricity.

CHSJ News fhas been told three insulators blew along High way 111 but there has been no official word on the cause from either NB Power or Saint John Energy.

More Traffic Disruptions

Union Street between St. Patrick Street and Chipman Hill is scheduled to be closed beginning today.

The Aquatic Centre, Chipman Hill Suites, and Mercantile Centre will have local access from the bottom of Union via St. Patrick/Main only. Access to Vito’s Restaurant will be via Hazen Ave. Access to Latour Tower Parking Garage will be from Union via Chipman Hill.
This phase is scheduled to last until September 16.

Union Street from the Brunswick Square Parking Garage through to Crown Street is scheduled to be open to two-way traffic today.

The Highway 1 eastbound exit ramp for Lorneville (exit 112) will be closed for approximately 10 days. This closure is required as part of the highway realignment process.

Common Council Told Cutting Live Translation Is Legal

The City Solicitor telling Common Council it is not in violation of the official languages act by getting rid of live French translation during council meetings.

Councillor Bill Farren tells CHSJ News the city still translates its agenda and related documents, which keeps it in line with the law.

Farren adds live translation is still being offered but it has to be booked at least a week in advance.

Live translation was cut back in April in order to save from 30 to 40 thousand dollars and because it was rarely used. Official Languages Commissioner Michel Carrier says the official languages legislation is unclear when it comes to live translation.

Another School Year Begins

Grades K-to-9 students in District 8 heading back to school today while grades 10, 11, and 12 enjoy a final day of summer.

 Acting Superintendent Robert Johnson says the staggered start date is to help grade nine students transitioning to high school. He says some of the students come from smaller schools and moving to a larger one can be intimidating.

Johnson says the goal is to put students at ease in their new school and hopefully reduce some bullying as well.

Some parents are sending their little ones off to the first day of Kindergarten today. By mid-August there were 33 more kindergarten students registered than the same time last year but that's not necessarily an indication of more students.

Johnson says registration which now takes place in October gives parents an opportunity to come and visit the school. The school district can offer support programs if children need to be worked with.

Community Colleges Expect Growth In Enrollment

Enrollment at community colleges around the province is continuing to rise to record levels.......a rise of over 7 per cent last year with a ten per cent increase in applications to attend.

Community College President and C-E-O Marilyn Luscombe tells CHSJ News there's a good reason for that when 70 per cent of the jobs in the future will require some form of post secondary education.

She also points out attending community college is far less taxing on the pocketbook than going to university.

Luscombe adds community college is moving beyond what many people had considered to be the second tier of post secondary education with a concerted effort at rebranding its image.

Premier Indicates Senior Care Will Be Tackled Soon

The Premier thinks any future decisions on the care of seniors must be multi-faceted.

The provincial nursing home association suggesting vacancies at special care homes can solve the problem of seniors taking up hospital beds which is overly expensive and not ideal.

Premier David Alward says the government is reviewing the state of care in the province but special care homes have a part to play in caring for seniors.

Alward says the review is to make sure care is affordable in the long-term and he's hinting the government will have something to say in the coming weeks about senior care in the province.

Shale Gas Meetings Cancelled

Nothing will be happening with shale gas development for the next while.

Earlier, SWN Resources decided to suspend its seismic testing for shale gas in the province after protests, vandalism and theft of its equipment.

Windsor Energy has now announced it's cancelling public meetings this week about a seismic project it had in mind.

Those meetings had been scheduled to take place in Sussex, Norton and Hampton beginning tomorrow night. There's no word on them being rescheduled.

A Pessimistic Labour Day Message From CUPE

In its Labour Day message, The Canadian Union of Public Employees is warning workers will be facing many challenges in the months ahead.

Provincial President Daniel Legere tells CHSJ News there's alot of uncertainty about what lies ahead because of all the talk of belt tightening in government with the worst yet to come.

CUPE is also accusing the Alward Government of leading the province to the financial brink by continuing to cut taxes and reducing public services due to a lack of revenue. According to Legere, this province can't afford to adopt the same economic policies as Alberta.

Legere predicts wage parity isn't going to happen in this province without legislation.

New Poll Released On Workplace Attitudes

Those workers in their 20's and 30's have more in common with baby boomers according to a new Labour Day poll conducted by Harris Decima.

Robert Waghorn of monster.ca, an online careers and recruitment resource, tells CHSJ News they have similar attitudes when it comes to work and are looking for loyalty from their employers. Members of both generations say companies lack vision and fall short when it comes to productivity.

But the Gen Y'ers are not a happy lot according to this poll. 56 per cent say they're not working in their preferred field and one in three say they are not satisfied with the early part of their career or their current job.

They also would like more mentoring on the job and say the younger employees are not being used to their full potential.

Waghorn calls this a wakeup call for employers if they don't want to be continually replacing staff which can be an expensive proposition.

Farm Accident Reported

Details are sketchy but we have a report of a teenaged boy being seriously injured in farming mishap on the Kingston Peninsula over the weekend.

Police Nab Two In Connection To Armed Robberies

Two men are in police custody in connection with two armed robberies last week.  A masked gunman robbed the Somerset Pub last Tuesday and the Colonial Inn on Thursday.

The pair were pulled over in Rothesay on the Marr Road early yesterday around 5:30 and were charged with possession of stolen merchandise by Rothesay Regional Police.  They were then handed over to the Saint John Police Force.

Both men are in the 20's.

Meanwhile, city fire crews battling two car fires on Demille Street on the city's west side.  The call came in around 11:30 last night.  No one was hurt and the fires are considered to be suspicious.

Rockwood Park Offering Labour Day Activities

If you're looking for a place to celebrate Labour Day tomorrow, Rockwood Park is offering some activities to wet your whistle.

Beginning at 11, there will be free boat rentals and face painting at Lily Lake.  There will also be pony rides and wagon trips later in the afternoon as well as a DJ beach party for kids.

For a complete list of activities, click here.

September Should Bring Warm Temperatures

With the end of August giving us a small brush of a hurricane, how will the month of September hold up?

Meteorologist Chris Scott tells CHSJ News we can expect warm and comfortable temperatures for the month.

He the average high will be about 18 degrees and the colder temperatures typically don't hit until November.

Scott says you can expect temperatures around 18 degrees, which is perfect for any outdoor activity.

Depot Is Open For Electronic Recycling

The Eastern Charlotte Waterways is back with it's third annual computer recycling campaign.

The event is supported by both the Atlantic Coastal Action Program and the South West Solid Waste
Commission in an effort to reduce the threat of illegal dumping, to relive pressure on landfills, and to encourage recycling.  Electronic equipment can contain lead, mercury, and cadmium which can leach into the environment if not properly disposed of.

You can drop off your old monitors, towers, and laptops at their office at 881 Main Street in Blacks Harbour anytime between 8:30 and 4 Monday to Friday or at the South West Solid Waste Commission site in Lawrence Station.

For more information, call 506 456 6001 or email ecwinc@nbnet.nb.ca

Possible Hot Merchandise Bust

Not too many details being released at the moment but Rothesay Regional Police say they are investing a vehicle they pulled over which may contain stolen merchandise.

The pull-over ocurred around 5:30 this morning by the Superstore on the Marr Road.

2 people were in the vehicle and no word as to whether charges have been laid.

Drug Bust On Golden Grove Road

Two local police agencies combining forces on a drug bust on the Golden Grove Road.

Rothesay Regional Police with help from City police doing a search at a home Friday afternoon seizing marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine.Police arresting one man at the scene for possession for the purpose of trafficking and he will be in Hampton court at a later date.

Liberals Question Whether Elected Health Boards Will Have Any Clout

Former Deputy Premier Donald Arsenault is wondering whether revamped health authorities with half the members elected will have any clout or just be there as window dressing.

Arsenault is one of two Liberals who are on the Legislative Committee that's holding public hearings on electing health board members.

He tells CHSJ News the intent is to have the C-E-O report directly to the Health Minister so does that mean he or she will be under the hobnail boot of government.

The other Liberal on the committee, M-L-A Bill Fraser says the Lord Government fired the C-E-O of the Regional Health Authority in Miramichi back in 2004 when he displayed some spine and opposed cuts to healthcare publicly.

Premier Pleased With Provincial Storm Readiness

The Premier thinks we were ready for Irene.
In response to a CHSJ News question, David Alward says we were very well-prepared for that storm.
He says the provincial EMO team was in place and this province was lucky.
Alward realizes it's a direct impact for the famillies who without power for over four days but he says overall the province was very fortunate.


By mid-morning Thursday, all of the NB Power customers off the grid were plugged back in. The utility is now sending 12 crews to Massachusetts to assist there.

Traffic Is Open And The Power Is Back After Gas Leak

 A whole lot of upheaval in East Saint John after contractors working in Forest Hills struck a natural gas line just after 7:30 this morning.

City police barricading the area to traffic and some of the nearby residents on Braemar Drive, Mountain Road and Westmorland Road were evacuated.

District Fire Chief Joe Armstrong tells CHSJ News it's mandatory to evacuate during a natural gas leak.   He says right away they evacuate 30 metres from the leak site and will extend it if necessary. Traffic is re-opened in the area and the power is back on.

North End Apartment Building Battling Bed Bugs

They've been having a problem with bed bugs at Stephenson Tower in the north end but the province believes it now has the infestation lunder control.

There are 100 apartments in the building with inspections finding 9 of them with bed bugs.

A pest control company has been brought in and a spokesperson with Social Development tells CHSJ News the situation will be monitored.

Those people bitten by bed bugs could suffer from skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms.

In the developed world, bed bugs were largely eradicated as pests in the early 1940s, but have increased in prevalence since about 1995 and have been known to turn up in even the most expensive hotels.
 
Bed bugs are elusive and usually nocturnal which can make them hard to spot. They often lodge unnoticed in dark crevices, and eggs can be nestled in fabric seams.
 
Biological pest control is not very practical for eliminating bed bugs from where people live.

Natural Gas Scare Ends On East Side

No traffic is being allowed from the top of Westmorland Road at Golden Grove Road to the bottom at Braemar Drive near McAllister Drive because of the natural gas leak from a two inch main which was broken shortly after 7:30. Parkhill Drive was also closed at Golden Grove.

Construction has been taking place and the line was ruptured during excavation.

People were evacuated from nearby homes in the area of Mountain Road and Braemar Drive. Power to that area of Forest Hills had to be shut off as well and we're told by the city, it won't be fully back on until the middle of this afternoon. Westmorland Road in Forest Hills won't reopen until after 1:00.

Enbridge Gas had to shut down the line where the break occurred. Those people who live and work in the immediate vicinity have been allowed back.

Fire officials say the natural gas dissipated into the atmosphere which was better for all concerned because if it had entered the sewer line, it might then have drifted in to nearby homes.

Evacuations On East Side After Natural Gas Leak

There has been a natural gas leak on the east side and people have been evacuated. It occurred in Forest Hills shortly after 7:30 this morning.

No traffic is being allowed from the top of Westmorland Road to the bottom in Forest Hills after a two inch main was broken close to McAllister Drive where construction has been underway.

The evacuations are taking place in the area of Mountain Road and Braemar Drive on board buses.

Power to the area has been shut off and Enbridge Gas is shutting down the line where the break occurred.

Mayor Agrees City's Reputation Taking A Hit Over Metal Shredder Expansion

The Mayor agrees with the Port President's assessment that Saint John's reputation is suffering in the wake of a long drawn out debate over providing power for the expansion of a west side metal shredder.

The big bone of contention is over above ground power lines and whether they should be buried but who will pick up the cost of doing that.

Ivan Court tells CHSJ News he does not disagree with Jim Quinn's view.

He says a solution is long overdue and he's still working with all the players in an effort to resolve it. On a note of optimism. Court maintains they're getting closer every day to resolving this.

Traffic Disruption In North End

Hilyard Street will be closed from 7 this morning until 7 tonight to allow construction work to continue on the Chesley Drive off ramp from the Harbour Bridge.

Drivers heading both east and westbound will have to go along Main Street unless you're using the Harbour Bridge itself.

The Alward Government Gives $150K To Saint John Boys And Girls Club

The Province announcing 150,000 thousand dollars in funding for the Saint John Boys and Girls Club.



Premier David Alward giving the good news today and bringing the organization's capital campaign closer to it's $750,000 goal.   He says the government is happy to be a small partner in this community driven project.
Heart of the Possible campaign co-chair Cathy Rignanesi tells CHSJ News they are thankful the province supports what they are doing in the community.
The capital campaign reaches the $600,000 mark with this contribution.

A New Era For The Community College In Saint John

A major step forward for the community college and another big change on the campus of U-N-B Saint John at Tucker Park with its continuing evolution.

Thanks to 18 million dollars from the province, the community college's new Allied Health Education Centre has officially opened.

 On hand for the occasion was Marilyn Luscombe, the new President and       C-E-O of the reorganised community college network and she says the three level building will house the college's health related programmes with more than 200 students along with 40 faculty and staff.

The community colleges now have their own board of governors. Luscombe tells CHSJ News they now have more independence to map out a new course for the future and one of the new strategic directions is to rebrand the image of community colleges so they're not looked upon as being the second tier of post secondary education.

Luscombe says community college enrollment keeps going up and she expects that will be continuing.

United Way Sets 1.4 Million Dollar Fundraising Goal

1.4 million is the 2011/2012 campaign goal the United Way in Greater Saint John.
The new campaign being kicking off today with the annual "Poor Boy's" luncheon of beans and weiners at the Trade and Convention centre.


Chairman Wayne Chamberlain tells CHSJ News they tried to fund the whole social problem versus serving one client with one need.


He says the United Way funds 24 agencies with core funding and dozens of others with one-time grants.
Chamberlain says those agencies range from the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Boys and Girls Club and Hestia House.

Police Investigate Indecent Act At UNB Saint John

The Family Protection Unit of the City police force investigating an indecent act at the UNB Saint John campus.

A man approached a woman in residence and later left the building.The man is about 5 foot 9 with a medium build, ruddy complexion, short brown hair, wearing a dark t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, a blue ball cap and sunglasses.
He was also wearing a backpack and left the area on a bicycle.

If you can help identify the person responsible for the indecent act on August 26th, contact Saint John Police Family Protection Unit at 648-3284 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Warning From RCMP About Seatbelts

Too many drivers in the province are not buckling........That word from the R-C-M-P who are concerned by what appears to be an increase in the number of drivers not buckling up.

The Mounties tell us at least half of the victims in fatal crashes so far this year were not wearing their seatbelts. That represents a 10 per cent increase over the average rate for the last five years.

 The Mounties also say, in July alone, 348 people were ticketed for seatbelt violations.

Hotel Robbed In City

Another armed robbery in the city.........This one taking place place at the Colonial Inn on City Road at about 1:45 this morning.

Police say the robber was armed. He was wearing a green camoflage jacket along with a green camoflage mask or bandana to conceal his face.

An undisclosed amount of money was taken and no one was injured.

Meanwhile, the fire department letting us know a woman suffered undetermined injuries after being struck by a vehicle yesterday morning along McAllister Drive.

Gas Prices Rise Because Of Hurricane

You are paying more for gas today following the weekly setting and you can thank panic buying which took place last week before Hurricane Irene slammed into the U.S. east coast.

Self serve regular is being sold in the city for $1.27.2 a litre. That's an increase of just under 3 cents.

Diesel has gone up to an even $1.29 a litre.

Propane is slightly more expensive with a listed price of $1.13.8 and heating oil is also up by just under 2 and a half cents a litre at $1.13.7.

Blueberry Shortcake Is Luring Blood Donors To Millidgeville

The Blueberry clinic rolls on at Canadian Blood Services in Millidgeville.
Until Friday, anyone donating blood gets blueberry shortcake.
Jennifer Pade tells CHSJ News the turnout is good so far.
She says quite a few donors have been coming in and she says they always have room for more.

Walk-ins are always welcome and they are about 70 per cent booked so far with room on Thursday and Friday.
Pade says for the first time donors, it's only takes about an hour but, you need to bring some identification with you. 

The clinic continues tomorrow from 11am to 8pm and on Friday from 11am to 2:30pm.

To book an appointment:  click here