It's tough to make dinner in Brown's Flat, Grand Bay-Westfield, Oak Point and Nerepis but, NB Power's Melissa Morton says crews are working to get the lights back on.
She tells CHSJ News they are looking into the cause of the outage.
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Thursday, November 3, 2011
NB Power Working To Restore Power
It's tough to make dinner in Brown's Flat, Grand Bay-Westfield, Oak Point and Nerepis but, NB Power's Melissa Morton says crews are working to get the lights back on.
She tells CHSJ News they are looking into the cause of the outage.
Liberals Troubled By Growing Deficit
Oppositon Finance Critic Donald Arseneault says the province still doesn't have a plan on how to manage our finances -- this in the wake of a second quarter report that now projects the province's deficit for 2011-2012 to be almost 546 (m) million dollars.
Arseneault tells CHSJ News simply cutting department expenses wasn't enough and the province needs to focus on bringing in revenue by taking the economy off the backburner.As far as the possibility of taxes going up, he says the province needs to stop downloading the debt onto the taxpayer.
Lights Out For 2000 in Grand Bay-Westfield and Woodstock
NB Power Customers in Lower Greenwich, Grand Bay-Westfield and Brown's Flat are without power today.
Our newsroom placing a call to the utility to see why the light are out.
Province Seeking Feedback On Minimum Wage And Prescription Drugs
A six-week consultation process on the possible introduction of a special minimum wage for servers earning tips is underway and the province wants your thoughts on the issue.
Ontario, Québec, British Columbia and Alberta have a tip differential minimum wage in place that is lower than the regular minimum wage.
Also, the government is proposing to increase the co-payment ceiling for seniors covered by province's Prescription Drug Plan to $500 per year from the current $250 per year. The amount paid for each prescription would remain unchanged at $9.05.
The province says the change would affect less than 24-thousand seniors and would save the province 3 million dollars per year.
To send your feedback to the province, go to www.gnb.ca/consultations or www.gnb.ca/health.
Tim Horton's Fire In East Saint John
District Fire Chief Peter Saab tells CHSJ News the call came in around noon and began in the electrical room at the back of the store where it was confined.
He says the fire was quickly put out and no one was hurt.
Horton's was closed for the rest of the day for repairs and to allow investigators look into what caused the fire.
And we have an update on what might have led to a pickup truck crashing into a home on Watson Street Wednesday night. The 53 year old driver died of natural causes which are believed to be responsible for the collision happening in the first place.
Shale Gas Opponents Not Surprised With Violation
The province says Windsor Energy violated the Oil and Natural Gas Act by doing seismic testing in Sussex without the town's permission.
Chris Rendell is a member of Hampton Water First and he tell CHSJ News the incident will give us a taste of things to come if the industry gets off the ground.
He says we expect the same profit-centric reasoning when it comes to safety, water, and pollution issues.
Homeowners Looking For Ways To Lower Heating Costs
The manager of Alternatives Kathy Blair tells CHSJ News alot of people in this province make do with electric baseboard heating but you can add other sources to defray the cost with a wood or pellet stove and a heat pump can lower your heating costs by one-third but location with that is everything. It should be where you spend the most time.
Blair says zone heating by using wood, wood pellets, gas or fireplaces is the most efficient because you only heat the rooms you use the most.
She adds technological advances can now heat larger areas using less energy.
Simonds High and Brown's Flat Schools Closing Early
Two regional schools are closing today, one due to a water problem and the other due to a power outage.
Buses will arrive at that time to begin taking students home.
Brown's Flat School is closing at 1:00 due to a power outage in the area.
Buses will arrive at 1:00 to take the students home.
City Crews Responding To Fire Calls East and in Lorneville
Crews responding to a possible fire at the Tim Horton's at McAllister Drive.
Smoke is coming from an electrical room in the back and they are evacuating.
Firefighters also responding to a peice of heavy equipment on fire at the old Maritime Hydroseed location in Lorneville.
Tories Aim To Cut 4 Million From Winter Costs
The Department of Transportation is making six key changes to its winter maintenance program such as new private roads will not be plowed however, those private roads that the department is already clearing will be grandfathered.
The department will be reducing the number of snowplows by five per cent - which represents removing 21 old and inefficient units from service which are. expensive to maintain and are prone to break down.
The number of winter staff positions will be reduced, mainly through attrition, during the next two years, for estimated savings of $2.2 million.
The department will keep a close eye on the use of the road salt in accordance with provincial guidelines and they will ensure stricter adherence to designated service levels for roads.
For more information, click here
Provincial Deficit To Exceed 545 Million
That's an increase of $31.4 million from last quarter's projection.
Finance Minister Blaine Higgs says this province has not been insulated from the global market conditions including the impact of Europe's debt crisis and the lowering of the U.S. credit rating.
He says revenues are projected to be $37 million lower than budgeted due to a weakened economy and projected decreases in personal income tax revenue, lower revenues from the NB Liquor and from the Lotteries and Gaming Commission.
Higgs says by the end of the year, New Brunswick will be over $10 billion in debt. He calls it unacceptable and unsustainable and it serves to underline the importance of the government renewal exercise which will look at how to deliver services to the public on a more efficient basis. For more information, click here
Exercise On Loch Lomond Road Today
Do not be alarmed if you see a bunch a scary activity on the Loch Lomond Road this morning.
Brunswick Pipeline and local agencies holding a mock exercise between 9 and 11 to test emergency readiness.
It's happening in East Saint John and residents may see some activity near Fire station number 2 on Loch Lomond Road.
Aquaculture Company Facing Pesticide Charges
Three senior company officials with Kelly Cove Salmon, a division of Cooke Aquaculture are looking at 11 charges of releasing pesticides into waters near a fish farm which Environment Canada believes killed large numbers of lobster In the Bay of Fundy between 2009 and 2010.
The three officials are scheduled to appear in provincial court in St. Stephen on December 13th.
Gas Prices Virtually The Same
The maximum price for self serve regular fell a bit by 1.3 cents a litre.
Diesel increased by less than half a cent.
Heating oil is basically the same as it was and the listed price for propane is less expensive by just under a cent a litre.
Three Separate Collisions On West Side
It all began with a two vehicle collision at Westgate Drive and Manawagonish Road about 4:20. This was followed just minutes later by another two vehicle collision at the corner of Young and Havelock streets.
Finally, just before 6 last night, a truck crashed into a house on Watson street.
A man was rushed to hospital by ambulance after being removed from the truck.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Province Seeking Feedback On Minimum Wage And Prescription Drugs
A six-week consultation process on the possible introduction of a special minimum wage for servers earning tips is underway and the province wants your thoughts on the issue.
Ontario, Québec, British Columbia and Alberta have a tip differential minimum wage in place that is lower than the regular minimum wage.
Also, the government is proposing to increase the co-payment ceiling for seniors covered by province's Prescription Drug Plan to $500 per year from the current $250 per year. The amount paid for each prescription would remain unchanged at $9.05.
The province says the change would affect less than 24-thousand seniors and would save the province 3 million dollars per year.
To send your feedback to the province, go to www.gnb.ca/consultations or www.gnb.ca/health.
Province Looking Into Options On Shale Gas Violation
Northrup says the province should know by next week what amount of fines or other sanctions they can impose on Windsor Energy but would elaborate on how far the punishment would go.
He says no matter what kind of punishment may be brought down on the energy company, he recognizes that some people will see it as a slap on the wrist.
He says the violation could affect the renewal of Windsor's license for future work with the province.
No Apology Yet For Sussex Mayor
He tells us he's not sure what the consequences for Windsor Energy should be but, there should definitely be some.
Carr tells us whatever they are it should be a very strong message to the whole industry and not just Windsor Energy.
Carr tells us he's surprised the Department of Natural Resources is turning the matter over to police saying he thought the province would have the authority to handle it under the Oil and Natural Gas act.
A Financial Setback For The Zoo
The long term future of the Cherry Brook Zoo remains up in the air. The zoo wants to become part of the Regional Facilities Commission where its funding problems would become a thing of the past.
The Director of Zoo Development at Cherry Brook, Linda Collrin tells CHSJ News they were turned down but maintains it's not a dead issue.
It costs almost 12 hundred and 83 dollars a day to run Cherry Brook Zoo. The 2009 City grant covers the costs for 31 days. Last year, Quispamsis gave 5 thousand dollars and the town of Rothesay, 11 thousand.
Provincial Government Salaries Gallop Ahead
Kevin Lacey is the Federation's Atlantic Director and he tells CHSJ News salaries in the provincial government grew 14.3 per cent faster from July of 2001 to July of 2011 than what was paid to workers for private businesses. This was more than in any other province and three times the national average.
The Federation has released figures showing the average salary in the public sector this year is $933.96 as opposed to $648.17 in the private sector.
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Windsor Energy Found Guilty Of Violating Oil And Natural Gas Act
Windsor Energy of Calgary is guilty of violating the Province's Oil and Natural Gas Act after by testing for shale gas in Sussex without permission.
Natural Resources Minister Bruce Northrup tells CHSJ News the violation occurred when the company directed a contractor to do geophysical exploration
within the boundaries of Dairytown.
Under the regulations of the act, a municipality's written permission must be obtained before testing can begin.
Northrup says Windsor Energy's CEO Khalid Amin was quoted in the media as saying he knew permission was needed and that the testing would happen within the town limits of Sussex.
The Minister finds this action a blatant disregard for provincial legislation and the authority of the town of Sussex and he believes Khalid Amin owes the Mayor, councillors and people of Sussex a sincere, public apology.
Edmonton Man Charged With Sexual Assault In Kingsclear
The incident allegedly occurred in Upper Kingslcear early Monday morning. He was arrested later at a home in Oromocto.
A 16 year old girl was treated at hospital and late released.
Grinham will be in court today for a bail hearing.
Police Department On Budget For The Year
He says it's good news because two murder cases made a huge dent in the coffers but solving crimes is paramount so some initiatives and purchases got sent to the back burner.
The force is currently at a surplus of about 600-thousand dollars but Reid says expenses and bills coming down the pipe will balance that out.
City Police will be limited to a one percent budget increase in 2012.
The Police Commission has agreed to the hiring freeze requested by Common Council until the 2012 city budget is finalised.
City police also reporting a 22 year old man who was stabbed along City Road Monday night is in hospital in critical condition and it was not random.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Health Council Submits 3 Recommendations For Improving Healthcare
CEO Stephane Robichaud tells CHSJ News one of the key recommendations has to do with improving access and quality of primary care.
He says there has been many variations in the standards of quality throughout the province and it needs to be addressed.
The other pillars of its report include developing a multi-year healthcare plan for the province and improving health promotion and disease prevention.
Robichaud adds the council will be submitting a follow-up report next year to see if any progress has been made by the province.
Pedestrian Hit By Driver
It happened about 10:30 this morning at the corner of Paddock and Coburg.
The woman was taken to hospital with a possible dislocated shoulder.
An accident reconstructionist is trying to figure out what happened.
More Details Released On Charlotte Street Fire
A short six weeks after opening, a new south end housing complex sustained smoke and water damage after a fire which broke out in a kitchen of one of the upper floor apartments.
Fire crews responded to the blaze at the Abbey housing project just after 3 in the afternoon. By the time they got there, the fire had been extinguished by the building's sprinkler system.
Acting District Chief Brian Wilson says that caused some problems with the electrical system and it took some time for that to be checked out by inspectors and given the all clear.
50 people were evacuated from the building as a precautionary measure. The Red Cross tells us at least 7 of the tenants were forced to spend the night at other accomodations because of health and safety concerns.
The cause of the blaze is being investigated.
November Is Diabetes Awareness Month
The Regional Director of the Canadian Diabetes Association is happy with the Alward government's work thus far on the comprehensive Diabetes strategy announced back in June.
Jake Reid tells CHSJ News the Department of Health is working dilligently on 15 to 20 different initiatives including hiring nurses that are specialists in managing diabetes.
Jake Reid tells CHSJ News the Department of Health is working dilligently on 15 to 20 different initiatives including hiring nurses that are specialists in managing diabetes.
You can learn more about the Provincial strategy by clicking here
Youth-Service Agencies Unite To Form Youth SJ
The alliance is called Youth SJ and will have the groups coordinating activities as well as sharing their expertise with each other.
June Breau-Nason is the Executive Director of the Teen Resource Centre -- she tells CHSJ News it's a partnership that makes because it's better to speak as one voice and not offer services disjointedly.
The groups will also establish a standard level of care so that everyone will be on the same page.
However, each organization will still remain fully autonomous.
Huberdeau Is Tops In The Country
Saint John Sea Dogs forward and Florida Panthers prospect Jonathan Huberdeau is the Canadian Hockey League's Player of the Week after scoring three goals and three assists for six points in two games.The 18 year old from St-Jerome, Quebec helped extend the Sea Dogs’ winning streak to seven games with a pair of victories beginning Friday night with a two-goal performance as second star of a 6-3 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. He then picked up four points including a goal and three assists on Saturday in a 6-0 win over Chicoutimi.
It's his 3rd season with the Dogs.
Charges Coming After St. George Rollover
According to the Mounties, It appears as if the driver failed to make a turn while going downhill. The car wound up on its roof at the end of a driveway beside an intersection. The top of the car sustained extensive damage but two people inside were not seriously injured.
Speed and aggressive driving are believed to have contributed to the car rolling over but the driver wasn't drunk.
Women's Shelter Gets Award From Board Of Trade
Hestia House is this year's winner of the Big Heart Award as given out by the Saint John Board of Trade.
The honour goes to any organization that has a positive impact on the community.
Hestia House Executive Director Elaine Northrup tells CHSJ she's happy to get the recognition but unfortunately the situation out there is not getting better for women.
She says Hestia House will need to continue to expand its services in order to help everyone, which includes addiction and mental health issues.
The Big Heart Award will be given out during the BOT's awards dinner on November 30th.
Police Union Will Meet On City Pension Changes
There will be a meeting tomorrow night of members of the Saint John Police Association to talk about the city's pension plan.
Common Council will vote Monday on whether to deindex the pension plan which Councillor Bruce Court says would reduce its liability by 75 million dollars. Benefits, though, would not rise with inflation.
Both the firefighters union and the Police Association say that's not what they had agreed to earlier. The province rejected earlier changes that had been proposed by the city which were part of those negotiations as not going far enough to ensure the pension plan's long term financial sustainability.
Officials with the Canadian Union of Public Employees which represents the inside and outside workers at city hall have been attending the CUPE national convention in Vancouver this week.
Pedestrian Hit By Vehicle Uptown
Joint Announcement Planned With Major Youth Service Groups
A joint-announcement will be made involving the Boys and Girls Club of Saint John, The YM-YWCA, Big Brother Big Sisters, and the Resource Centre for Youth.
In a release, it says the announcement has to do with a partnership committed to a consistent community standard of care.
Things event gets underway at noon on the first floor of Brunswick Square.
2011 Santa Claus Parade Draws Near
The 2011 Saint John Santa Claus Parade has a theme this year of "Christmas-Past and Present".
Leslie Keating of Uptown Saint John tells CHSJ News they are looking for creative floats that show what that theme means to them.
She says every year the quality of the floats is fantastic and it's really captivating for the crowd lining up to watch the parade.
The parade is coming up on November 19th.
To submit an entry or find out more information, click here
Stabbing Under Investigation
Major Crime is investigating after a man was stabbed on City Road around 10:30 last night.
He was taken to hospital and City Police tell us he will recover.
The fire department reports a steady night. Just after 6:30, fire crews responded after a car rolled over while going westbound on Highway One outside the city limits towards Musquash.
The fire department reports a steady night. Just after 6:30, fire crews responded after a car rolled over while going westbound on Highway One outside the city limits towards Musquash.
One man was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Negotiations At A Standstill As Bus Strike Looms
VP of Communications for Acadian Marc-Andre Varin tells CHSJ News the company is ready to go back to the table but the union has stepped away for now.
If a deal is not made, service could be distrupted as early as November 21st.
Varin says as of right now, Acadian does not have a contingency plan in place as he is hopeful a deal can be worked out.
Issues in the negotiations include driver assignments and wages.
Two Saint John Residents Killed In Weekend Crash
58-year-old Monique Marie Daigle, who celebrated her birthday the day before, and 57-year-old Vincent Daigle were killed Sunday afternoon when their vehicle lost control and were hit by a truck on Route 126. A passenger, 47-year-old Donna-Lynn Martin of Miramichi was also killed.
Another vehicle also rear ended the truck but the other drivers were not seriously hurt.
RCMP says road conditions were slippery and snow packed at the time of the accident.
City Not Alone In Pension Woes
He tells CHSJ News the baby-boom generation is galloping towards retirement and low interest rates are leading to much lower return rates.
He says you will also find the same pension woes with the federal government and the private sector.
He says there will most likely be reforms in how pensions are handled in 2 to 5 years.
Meanwhile, the city is proposing to get rid of indexing to the cost of living in the latest revision to its pension plan.
Power Still Out In Rothesay
NB Power tells us power should be restored soon but 232 customers are still without energy according to the the utility's website.
There are also about 45 homes in Sussex without electricity either.
A Late October Storm Is Not Unheard Of
Environment Canada's Meteorologist Claude Cote tells CHSJ News the Saint John Airport reported 15 centimetres of snow.
In the Greater Saint John area, Cote says we got between 7 and 15 centimetres with strong wind gusts to 70 kilometres an hour making for a nasty Sunday.
It was a rain event in Moncton with over 50 millimetres but, our American friends were not so lucky with residents of Hartford, Connecticut digging out from 70 centimetres of snow.
Residents In Water Dispute Can No Longer Afford Lawyers
One of the residents is Heather McCabe and she tells CHSJ News they no longer have a lawyer because it was getting too expensive.
She says the group has already spend 10-thousand dollars on legal fees and they haven't been able to raise any more money.
McCabe says one lawyer they talked to estimated the legal bills could amount to 200 to 300 thousand dollars by the time its all said and done.
New Tourism Web Site To Be Developed
Jen Tupper of Discover Saint John tells CHSJ News the new website will be more interactive than what was inherited from Saint John Tourism with people able to get any questions they might have answered.
The current website got 127 thousand views this year, 95 thousand of whom were first timers.
Tupper says they were happy with the numbers but would like to engage people more on the website. 63 per cent of the people who visit Saint John live elsewhere in the province.
Empty Lots Replacing Torn Down Buildings In North End
Tammy Calvin of One Change in the North End tells CHSJ News the empty lots themselves are proving to be a problem with garbage being dumped on them.
Calvin goes on to say they have taken the old tires that have been dumped on the empty lots and filled them with flowers.
She also tells us on one of these empty lots in the neighbourhood, there are rebars sticking up which are a danger to the children who are using it as a playground.
Arson Suspected In Fire On West Side
There was also a very brief harbour rescue yesterday afternoon between 2 and 3 when the winds were raging at the Royal Kennebecasis Yacht Club in Millidgeville after a boat crashed on the rocks.
Two men, one wearing a lifejacket and one without, both got out of the water on their own. The boat, though, was left foundering on the rocks.
Yesterday's storm caused numerous power outages with as many as 15 hundred people in Rothesay being left without electricity.
Activist Fears Transit Cuts May Impact Crescent Valley
Crescent Valley activist Juanita Black tells CHSJ News they are afraid that will lose bus service in the evening and on Saturday.
She says she knows Frank McCarey at Saint John Transit and would not want his job but, she thinks Crescent Valley residents should be consulted on potential cuts to their bus service.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Cuts To Bus Service Will Hurt Low-Income People
The Human Development Council says the upcoming cuts to transit service and hours will hurt those in the low-income bracket.
Executive Director Randy Hatfield tells CHSJ News certain families, students, and the elderly take the bus because it's the only means of transportation they can afford and cuts to the service will mean longer and harder days for them.
He says our transit system is not in a good position as ridership in Canada's ten largest urban areas is up by over 5 percent in the last year while our numbers are stagnant.
He says new funding model that does not rely on property taxes will need to be established for cities.Executive Director Randy Hatfield tells CHSJ News certain families, students, and the elderly take the bus because it's the only means of transportation they can afford and cuts to the service will mean longer and harder days for them.
He says our transit system is not in a good position as ridership in Canada's ten largest urban areas is up by over 5 percent in the last year while our numbers are stagnant.
City transit recently announced a reduction in service and 12 employees will be let go in order to deal with the city's pension deficit.
Nor'easter Hits Saint John
It looks like mother nature is giving us the trick rather than the treat.Saint John and the surrounding areas are under a rainfall warning -- according to Environment Canada, a low pressure system is tracking south of Nova Scotia is bringing the slushy mess.
Meteorologist Doug Mercer tells CHSJ News the rest of the day will not be fun, saying that we should expect more rain mixed with snow and strong northeasterly winds.
Baby Barn Catches Fire
The wood frame structure caught on fire shortly after midnight, and caused damage to a nearby vehicle.
No injuries, but the fire department tells CHSJ News that they are treating the cause of the fire as suspicious.
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