Nuclear Critic Predicts More Shutdowns Even After Point Lepreau Returns To Service

The long delayed refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant is scheduled to be finished by September but will that be the end of the shutdowns? 

David Coon of the Conservation Council doesn't think so. He predicts there will be another shutdown within a year or so of returning to service. 

Coon bases his prediction on the mix of new and old equipment which he maintains will translate into mechanical problems.
 
He argues the plant was never designed to last fifty years and he predicts periodic shutdowns will be the norm.

Pre-Budget Consultations Hit Saint John Monday

Provincial Finance Minister Blaine Higgs will host a series of pre-budget consultations beginning with Saint John next Monday.

On its website, the government says the intent behind the meetings is to ensure the 2012-2013 budget reflects the input of New Brunswickers.

Higgs says last year's budget put the province in a new direction toward fiscal responsibility and accountability and he says the province wants the people to work with them to build on that early progress.

To give your feedback:
   Minister of Finance,
    P.O. Box 6000,
    Fredericton, N.B.
    E3B 5H1

By fax:
    506-457-4989

Organizations may register for meetings by contacting Marie-Ève Grégoire at the Department of Finance at 506-453-2565 or emailing marie-eve.gregoire@gnb.ca.

For the list of meetings, click here

Inn Guest Sad To Hear Of Fire

The City Fire department is still looking into the cause of Sunday's devastating fire at the Inn on the Cove.

The older part of the historic building was gutted by flames after a nearly 9 hour blaze.

Jim Quigley came in from the Kingston Peninsula twice a year to stay there and says he thought it was a great building .

He says it's an old building and it's a shame it had to burn down but, he expects the fire department will figure out the cause of the blaze.

Quigley and his wife spent Friday night at the Inn in an early celebration of his birthday which was on Sunday, the day of the fire.

Mayor Says Budget Should Be Out Within Two Weeks

Mayor Ivan Court says the 2012 city budget should land in about two weeks.

When asked whether the budget will be the one with the approved pension reforms or the one with drastic service cuts, Court says he is confident the budget with the reforms will be the one presented.

He says the city has been working diligently with the province for over a year and a half on the pension issue and he expects the reforms will be approved.

The pension approvals requires a special sitting of the legislature which so far has not been scheduled.

City Bakery Closed Due To Mice Infestation

A City business is closed after a recent health inspection found many violations including an infestation of mice.

Public health conducting the food premises inspection on January 4th and the Batch Bakery on Main street has been closed ever since.

Douglas Walker of the Health Protection Branch tells CHSJ News in order to re-open the owners must follow up with all the recommendations the department made.

Walker says because they have an issue with mice droppings being found throughout the building, the owners must contact a pest control company and make sure that issue is under control.

The bakery was also cited for not having soap and paper towel accessible near a kitchen sink and in the staff bathroom.

KV Residents Do Not Want Commuter Tax According to KV Chamber of Commerce

The President of the Kennebecasis Chamber of Commerce says a possible commuter tax on KV residents entering Saint John will be a double-edged sword for everyone involved.

The chamber is currently looking for feedback from residents in the valley on how they feel about such a charge.

Camille Bordage tells CHSJ News the city will be shooting themselves in the foot if they impose it because less people will make the trip to Saint John.  However, he adds there would be positive spin-offs for the KV area as businesses in the valley would most likely get a boost.
He says feedback he has gotten so far indicates people would rather not have the tax at all.

Saint John's legal department is currently looking into the feasibility of a commuter or congestion tax.

Plan SJ Wants Balanced Transportation System

Finalisation of the city budget is into its final stages and it seems as if the city never has enough money to take care of the roads to the satisfaction of Saint Johnners. 

That was the impetus for the ideas of a congestion tax on suburban commuters. 

Chief Planner Ken Forrest is not offering up an opinion but concedes it's becoming more difficult to provide a wide array of city services when not all the users are paying the freight.
 
Forrest says Plan SJ will encourage people to use public transit and leave their vehicles at home. He charactises the approach as using carrots as opposed to sticks.

Cause Of West Side Inn Fire Unknown

The Saint John Fire department battling a mammoth blaze as part of the Inn On The Cove goes up in the flames.

District Fire Chief Joe Armstrong tells CHSJ News the call came in about 2:40 yesterday afternoon and firefighters remained on scene of the historic west side inn and spa until after 11pm last night.

He says no one was home at the time and a passerby noticed the fire, adding the cause and point of origin has not yet been determined.

Armstrong says it was a tough fire to fight because of the building's ballon frame construction and crews spent a lot of time chasing it.

Fire Destroys Fire Department and RCMP Office in Rogersville

The building housing Rogersville's fire department, municipal offices, and the local RCMP detachment going up in flames this morning.

Emergency crews getting the call around 5:30 this morning -- the entire building was destroyed but a rescue truck and pump truck were saved.

No one was hurt and no word yet on a cause.  Rogersville Fire Chief Marc Pitre does not believe the fire to be suspicious.

A mobile command post has been set up in the meantime for the RCMP detachment.

(photo courtesy of Gisele Caissie)

Historic Inn Destroyed By West Side Fire

A major fire destroys the turn of the century Inn on the Cove on Sand Cove Road overlooking the Bay of Fundy.

District Chief Peter Saab says the blaze was raging when fire crews arrived and quickly spread to the roof of the older part of the building.

The fire was contained to the older section. A new addition to the building was saved but did sustain smoke and water damage. It took firefighters 11 hours to finally extinguish the blaze.

There were no injuries and there's no word yet on a cause.

(Photo courtesy of Andrew Townsend)

Most Property Tax Collected In Saint John Is Taken Out Of City

The debate over a congestion tax or raising parking fees in the city has shone attention on the need for Saint John to get more money to operate. 

The city is funded primarily through property taxes but Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase says most of that money actually leaves the city including what people from the outlying areas spend at the malls.

Chase estimates 200 million dollars in property tax is leaving the city with only 19 million coming back in the form of the unconditional grant from the province.

City Budget Being Finalised

Common Council will be meeting late this afternoon in closed session as the city budget for this year is being finalised. 

Mayor Ivan Court says there will be no increase in the tax rate or cuts in services if the provincial government goes along with proposed changes to the city pension plan. 

The Mayor is looking forward to getting started this year on clean drinking water now that Harbour cleanup is ready to be taken off the city's books.

Water rates may be higher in Saint John but Court says there's a reason for that......The city is way ahead of other cities in Atlantic Canada when it comes to cleaner water. He estimates they will have to spend a billion dollars in Halifax to do what Saint John is completing this year.

Symphony NB Requests 3-Year Funding Model

Four concerts a year isn't a season--that's the complaints from music lovers at Symphony New Brunswick. General Manager Caroline Condon wants common council to commit to a 3-year funding model at a $5000 level.

Condon says the Symphony has proven its adeptness at managing its funds, with 3 debt-free years under its belt. She also emphasizes that it's a local enterprise that recycles a good portion of its annual budget right back into the community.

A $15,000 dollar commitment is on the low side compared with other similarly-sized orchestras in the country.

Changes Afoot for Fundy Regional Solid Waste Commission

With the Alward government pushing for regionalization, Common Councilor Chris Titus says that changes are in the works for the Fundy Regional Solid waste Commission. He says that the action plan for new local government systems is vague, but one this is certain: as of January 1, 2013, the Fundy Regional Solid Waste Commission won't exist anymore as a commission.

He says that the action plan could have farther reaching implications as well--but it's impossible to predict what those will look like.

He says the municipal governments won't just be looking at solid waste, but also planning and other issues.

Titus says that he expects that the changes will be hammered out more specifically during a transition period in September.

Lost Mom and Child Rescued

Scary times for a mother and her 6 year old son lost in the woods outside of Prince of Wales--but they made it home safe.

The pair found themselves lost off a hiking trail after dark last night. The lady called her husband, who got some friends together and went in to find them. By the time they did, the mother was too cold and weak to make it out on her own.

At 8:30pm RCMP contacted the Musquash Fire Department, asking for a boat to remove the people via the water. A small boat made its way from the Prince of Wales wharf to where they were located.

The mother and son were transported to hospital by ambulance for treatment.

This was the first non-fire related rescue for  Musquash Fire Department, after deciding in December that it would respond to off-road, boat and water-related incidents.

Possible Legal Action Continues To Hang Over Lepreau Upgrade

Premier Alward is keeping his cards close to his chest when it comes to the possibility of legal action over cost overruns associated with the Point Lepreau upgrade.
Alward tells CHSJ News he's said from the beginning his government will do whatever is necessary with the Lepreau issue - but - at this point in time he believes the right thing is to be doing the work needed to get the nuclear power plant back online.
Atomic Energy of Canada has experienced a number of problems as it replaced fuel channels in the reactor at the nuclear power plant with start up now scheduled for September of this year -- three years late.
N-B Power says it's paying a million dollars a day for replacement power since the plant went offline.
You can watch a video of our interview with Premier Alward by clicking the Videos button on the right.

Moore Upset With Criticism Over Qplex

The Fundy Royal MP taking issue with a published report on regionalization that criticizes the Qplex in Quispamsis.
Rob Moore tells CHSJ News his disagrees with Jean-Guy Finn's assertion that Greater Saint John has seen a proliferation of arenas and complexes.

Moore says he's not sure what province Finn is looking at but, that is not the case in Greater Saint John and he adds, the Qplex is the first arena built in the area in some time.

Moore adds it's alarming to hear commentary suggesting Quispamsis shouldn't be able to set its own recreational priorities.

Sussex Mountie Gets Foot Run Over In Early Morning Stop

Just after 1 this morning a Sussex RCMP officer conducting a traffic stop near Codys where a driver pulled over at first and then took off running over the officer's foot.

The officer was not seriously hurt and called for help from his car. He followed the man's car throughout the Codys area, but eventually lost sight of it.

Police want your help in finding the car.  It's described as a black, mid-2000s model Toyota Corolla. The driver is described as being as a tall white man with blond hair.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the RCMP at 1-506-RCMP (7267) or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Raising Parking Fees In Uptown Gets Mixed Reception

Besides the congestion tax on suburban commuters, raising parking fees in the uptown is being floated as another way to generate much needed revenue for roads in the city.

Common Councillor Bruce Court warns you've got to be careful about how high the fee should be.

He believes many people stay away from shopping uptown because they're charged for parking whereas at the malls they can park anywhere free of charge.
 
Councillor Chris Titus, who chairs the Parking Commission, says you just don't pick a number out of the air when deciding what should be charged.
 
Titus adds if you work in the uptown and live in Hampton, he believes you'd be crazy not to use the Comex bus service.

Unemployment Rises In Saint John

The Alward Government is being accused of napping when it comes to job creation.

That charge being levelled by the Liberals' Labour Critic Chris Collins with word the unemployment rate rose from 6.7 per cent in November to 7.4 per cent last month. Despite the increase in Saint John, the provincial jobless rate dropped from 9.8 to 9.4 per cent.

He tells CHSJ News rising unemployment will make it tougher to reduce the deficit without slashing and burning government services.

Collins adds the province is losing high paying jobs which are being replaced by low paying ones.

City Warns Residents About Ice Safety

The City wants you to be safe when using the lakes, ponds, streams and rivers for recreation this winter.

If you plan to skate or play hockey or take a snow mobile or small car out on any ice surface, check the ice thickness first and keep these tips in mind: 

Clear, blue ice is strongest, white opaque or snow ice is half as strong and grey ice is unsafe because it indicates the presence of water.

For skating or hockey, 20 centimetres or 8 inches of ice is required and if you want to take your snowmobile on the ice, you will need at least 10 inches of ice or 25 centimetres to travel safely and 30 centimetres or 12 inches for small cars and trucks.

Ice that forms over rivers, streams and lakes with currents is not safe.  The City’s Parks and Landscape Service will inform the public when it's safe for skating at Lily Lake.  Until then, many city arenas are offering free public skating and to find out more click here

For more on ice safety, click here

New KV Liquor Store Set To Open Late Summer

As soon as August, you may be buying your wine and beer in a brand new location.
A new 11,000 square foot NB Liquor selection store will be built next to the KV Superstore meaning the small outlet inside the Superstore and the Quispamsis location will close.
NB Liquor Communications Officer Marcelle Sonier tells CHSJ News it will feature a wine-sampling unit.

She tells us it's a little machine with 5 to 6 bottles of wine and you pay per ounce then you can sample the wine without having to buy a bottle.

Construction is set to start in April with an opening planned for late summer.

Business Optimism Flags as Small Business Owners Wait for Budget

Holding their breath--that's what policy analyst Richard Dunn says small businesses are doing as they wait for the next provincial budget.

Dunn tells CHSJ news that the latest survey data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business rates the business confidence in the province at at 59.8%. That's below the national average of 65%.


He says that if the Alward government has to make any tough calls for small businesses, they're likely to do so this time around.

Dunn says that uncertainty is having an effect on people's optimism, and adds that rising fuel and energy prices have also been weighing heavily on small business owner's minds.

Mayor Argues Maintaining City Infrastructure Is No Joke

Most of the reaction on Facebook and elsewhere to the idea of imposing congestion tax on suburban commuters to help pay for the upkeep of roads in the city appears to be negative. Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop has told us some people in the town told him it's a joke.

Regardless of that, Mayor Ivan Court tells CHSJ News there has to be a new way found to make sure the city has enough money to operate because how it's done now is unsustainable.

Court says Saint John has a population of 68 thousand but when you boil it down further, out of that total, there might be 23 thousand actually bearing the tax load and the numbers just don't add up.

Farren Says City Needs Policy on City-Owned Vehicles

Confused--that's how Councillor Bill Farren sees the policy--or lack of policy--on city-owned vehicles. A December report on the city's 350-vehicle fleet showed that some city staff were using the vehicles for frivolous things like running errands.

Farren insisting in common council Tuesday night that the guidelines need to be more clear, since city employees seem confused about when it is appropriate to use the vehicles.

He wants some sort of policy to be put in place by no later than the first council meeting in March.

RCMP Bust Driver With Pot and Cash On Highway 7

The Mounties in Sussex and Grand Bay-Westfield want your help with a couple of recent crimes.

In Dairytown, RCMP are looking for whoever smashed a bunch of windows in a parked school bus on Leonard Drive in Sussex sometime between December 30th and January 2nd.

Meanwhile, a Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP officer pulling over a driver on Highway 7 last night found almost a kilo of marihuana and $400 after a search of the vehicle.    A 22-year-old man from Dumphries was released but will be in court at a later date to face drug trafficking charges.

If you have information on either crime, call the RCMP at 506-433-7070 or call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Man Accused In North End Slaying Back In Court

Another brief court appearance for 50 year old Stephen Wallace Martin who's charged in the death last month of 70 year old Robert Ryan. 

His body was found after a fire at 374 Mount Pleasant Avenue North on December 20th.
 
City Police called it a homicide and issued a warrant for Martin's arrest. He was taken into custody shortly before Christmas. 

Martin has elected to be tried by judge and jury with a return date of January 17th at which time a date will be set to hold a preliminary hearing which will determine if there is enough evidence to hold a trial. 

The defense was pressing the judge to make sure Martin got his glasses back so he could read the evidence against him. The glasses had been seized by police as evidence.

Congestion Tax Called 'A Joke"

Not my problem.......That's what Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop says about a proposed congestion tax on suburban commuters who drive into the uptown core. 

He calls it a joke and could very well be the worst idea he has ever heard for generating revenue. 

Bishop sees it as nothing more than posturing for the upcoming election and says a far better idea would be to increase fees to park uptown but Common Councillor Bruce Court isn't crazy about that suggestion believing it will just drive people to the malls where they can park anywhere they want free of charge.

Gas Prices Are Up

You'll be paying a bit more for gas after the weekly setting. 

Self serve regular in the city has risen by half a cent a litre and is being sold for $1.23.4 while diesel is a cent a litre higher at $1.33.9. 

The maximum price for heating oil is $1.16.2 while for propane it's $1.10.2 a litre.

Court Wants to Crack Down on Illegal Businesses

Illegal businesses dumping garbage around and operate out of sub-standard buildings need to go. That's the message from Councillor Bruce Court. He's sick of the way such operations are allowed to run unchecked.

He says that the problem is especially bad in the area off Hillcrest Road, where some illegal businesses have been operating for two years, despite that enforcement officers live nearby.

He says it's not just an east side problem--he's also seen illegal painting happening in the middle of town. He says the city needs to step up its enforcement and make sure residential neighbourhoods don't have to put up with those kinds of operations.

Many Canadians Ignore Possible Dementia Symptoms As Old Age

By 2038, 1.1 million Canadians will have dementia which is one every two minutes.

January is Alzheimer's Awareness Month and a new national survey finds 50 per cent of Canadians lived with symptoms for a year or more before seeing a doctor.

Jamie Matthews of the Saint John office tells CHSJ News if you have a loved one exhibiting symptoms such as memory loss or trouble with language they should be assessed.

He says after a referral from your family doctor a patient would be assessed through the Department of Social Development with a standard test to dertermine the level of care and treatment required for the individual.

Matthews says they will be a starting a five-part series on dementia at Rocmaura nursing home with the first session on February 1st.

For more info on dementia, click here

Gilman Says Congestion Tax Sends Negative Message

Might as well hang a "closed" sign on the uptown area if the city implements the congestion tax proposed at last night's council meeting. That according to Board of Trade President Imelda Gilman, who says that charging suburban commuters to come into the uptown core would encourage people to stay away.

She says it's a gives the message that we don't want to attract business here.
 
Councillor Donnie Snook, who presented the idea, says it's a way to generate new sources of revenue from people who work in the city, but don't pay taxes here. Gilman says that raising parking costs is a far more realistic option, and that a tax like that would basically be an unprecedented move in Canada.

Military Action Figures Causing A Buzz

One of the creators of a new collectible is calling it a way of recognizing the men and women of the Canadian Forces.
John Alan Sperry of Truro, Nova Scotia is one of three people behind Canadian military action figures.

There are three different designs including air force, navy and army. Sperry says 6,000 action figures were made and they've been a hit so far across the country.

He says they are getting lots of positive response and the figures have a Canadian flag on one arm so there is a lot of pride involved.

Sperry says they've sold about half of the action figures so far, with one dollar going to the Soldier on Fund for military personnel and families of injured members.

For more info, click here

(photo courtesy of Heroes Force)

Blanchard Favours Talks On Generic Drug Pricing

It doesn't look as if pharmacists will be negotiating with the province about generic drug pricing.

They have been told by Provincial Health Minister Madelaine Dube the government has all the information it needs to make a decision which will be unveiled in the spring. 

That doesn't sound good to Paul Blanchard, the Executive-Director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists Association.  He says his pessimism comes with years of experience and the absence of information, communication and dialogue does not foster a lot of trust and that is making his members angry.

How that anger might manifest itself remains to be seen but Blanchard says the province was given a proposal by the pharmacists a year ago that would have saved the government between 7 and 8 million dollars a year.

Farren Disagrees With Tax Relief For Transit

A Pandora's Box........That's why Common Councillor Bill Farren opposes property tax relief for Saint John Transit even if it would mean more than 300 thousand dollars in savings that will be plowed back into bus service.

Farren says how does he argue against giving food banks relief but you make city owned buildings exempt.

Farren points out everyone seemed to be complaining a few years ago when industry in the city got a big property tax break from the province.

Common Council Gets Update On Revised Pension Plan

Changes to the city's pension plan are not ready to go before a special sitting of the Legislature even if it could be scheduled. 

That word delivered to Common Council by City Solicitor John Nugent. 

He says the Superintendent of Pensions has to sign off on the proposed changes before there can by any vote by the M-L-A's and the city is still waiting to hear from her.

Nugent warns she might still decide further changes are necessary.

Farren Says He Doesn't Want To See Trade And Convention Centre Fall Apart

Common Councillor Bill Farren is making the case for the city to spend 6.4 million dollars up front to upgrade the Trade and Convention Centre calling it the city's number one economic priority.

Farren warns bookings for this year are down and non-existent for 2013. He also argues a revitalised Trade and Convention Centre will make it easier to sell the Coast Guard site.

Common Councillor Mel Norton says he hasn't heard from Saint Johnners about this being a priority and for him that would be safe drinking water.

Councillor Peter McGuire, who sits on the Water Committee, says the message from the other two levels of government has been loud and clear.........You can only have one priority. 

Nevertheless, revitalisation of the Trade and Convention Centre will be part of the budget deliberations.

City's Legal Beagles Will Study Viability Of Congestion Tax

The idea of charging a congestion tax on commuters bringing their vehicles into the uptown will be studied by the city's legal department.

Common Councillors Donnie Snook and Bill Farren say it has worked well in London, England but fellow Councillor Chris Titus warns against comparing apples with oranges because Saint John doesn't have the same traffic congestion as London or Boston.

Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase says the city wants people to go downtown and a congestion tax could turn out to be counter productive. 

Snook questions why city taxpayers should pick up the entire tab of maintaining roads that are used by people who choose to live where the property tax rate is alot lower.

Mother and Son Hit by Bus Near Perth Andover

One woman dead and another man in critical condition after being hit by a passenger bus near Perth Andover.

At around 7:30 on Sunday, the bus struck a man walking with his mother on Route 190. RCMP state they were walking with the flow of traffic when they were hit from behind.

The 70-year-old woman died and the 50-year-old man's injuries are life-threatening. He remains in the Saint John Regional Hospital. Although the names of the victims have not been released, both were from the Montreal area.

Teen Dies After Moncton-Area Crash

The Mounties believe slippery road conditions are a factor in a crash that led to a teen's death.

RCMP called to the single vehicle crash on Monday night after a car heading eastbound on Highway 106 in Allison left the road, went down an embankment and landed in a wooded area.

Moncton fire crews and paramedics had to use the Jaws of Life to free the Lower Coverdale teen from his vehicle.

He was rushed to hospital in Moncton where he died this morning.

Enterprise Saint John Bullish On Economic Potential of Research Spending

The partnership at Tucker Park between the new medical school, the Regional Hospital and U-N-B Saint John has the potential for huge economic benefits for the city over the next few years. That, according to Tony Goguen, who chairs Enterprise Saint John.

Goguen estimates such spending on health sciences research in Halifax alone amounts to as much as 100 million dollars a year and there are economic spinoffs to be derived from that.

 He believes that could happen here in the next 3 to 4 years.

 New Brunswick has been last among the provinces when it comes to that type of spending on research.

Animal Rescue League Moving To East Side

After almost 50 years in its current location at 134 Taylor Avenue in the north end, the S-P-C-A Animal Rescue League is moving to a new facility at 295 Bayside Drive.

The move into a bigger building that will be refitted is expected to be complete by the end of this month.

Business Group Optimistic Poverty Reduction Won't Be Abandoned

The Alward Government faces a very tough road financially but Tom Gribbons, who chairs the Saint John Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative, doesn't think the Premier is wavering in his commitment to the poverty reduction plan.
 

The poverty reduction plan was cobbled together at a conference in Saint John that was chaired by then Premier Shawn Graham and agreed to by then Opposition leader David Alward.

Gribbons is calling the social safety net more like a web that traps people in poverty. He says there should be more incentives to go to work with better supports for such things as childcare.

Grand Bay-Westfield In Dispute With Two L-S-D's

Municipalities around the province are waiting with bated breath about what the Alward Government plans to do to bring about increased regionalisation. 

Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Grace Losier doesn't sound too pleased about the town limits being expanded to Petersville Hill considering there's an army base and little opportunity for commercial development.
 
Losier is also not happy with two local service districts refusing to pay for the upkeep of the River Valley Community Centre to keep it going even though they partially own it. 

Losier has written to Local Government Minister Bruce Fitch.

Mayor Dismisses Suggestion Of Hike In Tax Rate

Even though the city's 2012 budget has not been finalised yet, Mayor Ivan Court is talking as if there will not be an increase in the tax rate but it all depends on what the province does about the proposed pension plan changes. 

The Mayor says if the provincial government formally approves the revised changes to the city's pension plan, not only will there be no increase in the tax rate but there won't be any cuts in city services. 

Court tells CHSJ News since the city and province have been working together on the revised changes, he doesn't see why they wouldn't be approved.

Everyone Deserves a Decent Wage, Says Coalition

The NB Coalition for Pay Equity wants the Alward government to prioritize a decent wage for all workers in 2012.

Campaign co-president Louise Imbeault says that the work women do is often valued less than the same work done by a man.

The N.B. Coalition for Pay Equity has managed to raise over half of its $80,000 objective for its Still Standing fundraiser. A recent tour called Pay Equity Means to Me reached out to workers affected by pay equity programs initiated by the government a few years ago. The group met with 150 people from four targeted sectors in Campbellton, Moncton, Grand-Falls and Tracadie-Sheila.

Imbeault says they're working hard to get pay inequality addressed in the next provincial budget.

More Details On Assault Of A Cab Driver In The K-V

More information has been released about the reported assault of a cab driver in Quispamsis early in the morning of New Year's Day. 

Rothesay Regional Police say a man who is accused of attacking the cab driver after refusing to pay his fare is known to them. The incident happened on Hampton Road. 

According to police, a group of about six men, who all appeared to be drunk, were picked up in the city and driven to the Valley.
   
The driver attempted to kick them out of his cab and this is when one of the men attacked him who suffered abrasions and was taken to hospital for treatment.

 

Premier Says Shale Gas Exploration An Opportunity

It may be a new year -- but -- the controversy over shale gas exploration remains simmering on the front burner.

And in an interview with CHSJ News -- Premier Alward says his government is moving to tighten up regulations for the industry so that people will feel protected and companies will the clarity to look for opportunities as well.

Alward says those regulations will be backed by better monitoring and adequate enforcement -- the Premier also says he believes we need to have good quality companies carrying out the exploration work.

Premier Alward says greater access to natural gas can help bolster our future economic prospects.

Man Gets Arm Stuck in VLT

A sticky situation at an uptown pool hall--fire officials had to rescue a man who got his arm trapped in a VLT.

Fire department getting a call from Dooly's on Prince Edward Square shortly after noon saying that a man was stuck to the elbow in a video lottery terminal.

According to District Chief Joe Armstrong, it took over an hour of hard work to cut the machine apart and free the man. He wasn't injured--but he probably won't be doing that again any time soon.

Premier Not Ruling Out Some Cuts And Tax Hikes

As his Conservative government tries to get the provincial debt under control -- Premier Alward remains committed to no increase in the H-S-T.
In a year end interview with CHSJ News -- the Premier says any move to increase the H-S-T requires a referendum and his main focus at the moment is to get spending under control and focusing on core services -- something that may mean cuts to programs and services.
Alward also isn't ruling out further increases on fuel - tobacco - and - alcohol taxes if needed when his government tables its budget in March.
Meantime -- pre-budget public consultations are slated to begin here in the city January 16th.
To watch a video of our year end interview with Premier Alward - click the "Videos" button to the right.