Provincial Dollars For Comex Bus Expansion Shot Down

Expansion of the Comex bus service has been put on hold due to a lack of funding from the provincial government.

In a letter to Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll, Transportation Minister Claude Williams says the department cannot afford to fund an expansion.

Driscoll tells CHSJ News it's unfortunate but he's proud of the popularity of the Comex service so far.

He says despite the setback, the town will continue working on expanding the service.

Mounties Rule Pair Of Deaths As Murder Suicide

The deaths of Tanya Couture of Clifton and Jason Scott of Bathurst  on February 5th being ruled as a murder-suicide by the RCMP.

According to police, Jason Scott took his own life after the murder of Tanya Couture.

Charges will not be laid and at the request of both families, no further details surrounding their deaths will be made public.

Mayor Says Pension Reform Approval Not A Slam Dunk

Mayor Ivan Court says while he is confident the city will get pension reforms approved by the province, it is not 100 percent guaranteed.

Court says recent media reports are indicating the Superintendent of Pensions will approve the reforms in the spring sitting of the Legislature based on a October 2011 email.

He says nothing has been promised and the Superintendent has requested more information to assist in her decision as recently as last month.

Organised Labour Calls For Pension Contributions To Increase

The New Brunswick Federation of Labour is weighing into the fight over any changes to the old age pensions by sending letters to all the M-P's from the province urging the federal government to invest more, not less.

Labour Federation President Michel Boudreau tells CHSJ News the same arguments about whether we can afford decent pensions are not new. They were made decades ago when pensions were first proposed.

The Labour Federation is calling for contributions to be doubled so pensions can be higher but fears the Harper Government will be making cuts to old age security and the guaranteed income supplement.
 
Boudreau says according to pension experts, your pension income should be 60 to 70 per cent of your previous earnings.

Police Release Description Of Motel Robber

City police want your help in finding the man who robbed the Park Plaza Motel last night.

The suspect is being described as 5'5" -5'6", 150 lbs, and Caucasian with a dark complexion

He has short brown hair, scruffy facial hair and was wearing glasses, a blue ball cap with white lettering and a black hoody.

The robber made off with some money from the motel office.

If you have any information, you're being asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.

City's Bottom Line Could Get Boost From Population Increase

Better census data could result in Saint John getting half a million more dollars in gas tax money.

That, according to Mayor Ivan Court, on the city's population rising in the last five years by more than 2 thousand people to over 70 thousand.

Court expects that growth to continue thanks to immigration. He points to 59 nationalities attending the university.

Court says in the last census back in 2006, Saint John lost 18 hundred people and revenue from the gas tax went down from 5.7 million dollars to 5.2 million.

Robbery And Fire Out East

City Police investigating a robbery at the Park Plaza motel around 11:30 last night.

One person getting away with an undisclosed amount of money from the motel office and no one was hurt.

There was a house fire on the east side early this morning that was put out quickly.
 
It broke out at a home on Omega Drive off Hickey Road. One woman lives in the house and she got out okay.

Not All Conflicts Among Students At School Are Bullying

The Superintendent in School District 8 Mike Butler says the hair burning at Simonds High recently is not a case of bullying.

He calls it an isolated act of aggression and warns against lumping together all conflicts between students under the umbrella of bullying.

The chair of the District 8 Education Council Rob Fowler describes it as assault and being handled properly.

A 15 year old boy will be appearing in youth court next month on charges of assault with a weapon.
 
 He's accused of lighting the hair of a 14 year old girl on fire and attempting to do the same to two other girls.

New Historical Mural Will Be Created At East Side School

You might remember seeing a mural on the outside of Simonds Middle School on Loch Lomand Road for years which is now called Bayview Elementary.

That mural got damaged in the elements, became waterlogged and was disposed off.

A former member of the District 8 Education Council, Barb Mahaffy complained about how it was done with no notification but now a decision has been made to create a new mural to depict the landing of James Simonds out east.

The new mural will be displayed inside the school.
 
Mahaffy hopes the name plaque recognising the efforts of the students who put together the first mural years ago will be recreated as well.

Gas Prices Virtually The Same

You likely won't notice much of a change with gas prices after the weekly setting.

Self serve regular is selling at $1.27.7 a litre in the city.

Diesel is going for $1.37.1.

 Heating oil has increased by half a cent to $1.20 a litre.

Propane is listed at $1.06.5 a litre.

Bradley Lake Road The Scene of Police Investigation

Not many details being released at the moment but Rothesay Regional Police doing an investigation out at Bradley Lake Road in Rothesay.

Police have been in the area all afternoon.

When contacted by our newsroom, police would only say an investigation was being conducted and an update would be provided later.

Parent Says Bullying Occurring Outside Of School

A North End resident is sounding the warning bell that bullying can go beyond school walls.

Joanne Howe tells CHSJ News her 10 year old daughter has been harassed and attacked by bullies at community centres and in parks.

She says police and city officials have yet to do anything about it.

She says she has spoken to Saint John Portland MLA Trevor Holder about the issue and is throwing her support behind any provincial legislation aimed at dealing with bullies.

Calls have been place to the Saint John Police Force and the city's leisure services department for comment but have yet to hear back.

How has started a Facebook group called "HELP STOP BULLYING CALL YOUR LOCAL MLA," and hopes to begin a flier campaign in the near future with the support of local businesses.

Quispamsis Mayor Happy With Census Data

Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll is all smiles thanks to the latest census data -- the population of Quispamsis increased by over 17 per cent to more than 17 thousand.
     
Driscoll tells CHSJ News he's not surprised by the increase but is a bit shocked at the rate of the growth.

He says the town offers many community services and activities at a very low tax rate -- the fourth lowest in the province.

He adds the town has plenty of land and he expects continued growth in the years to come.

Bell Aliant Hosts 2nd "Let's Talk" Day

"I care" and "It's ok to be sad" just a couple of the messages Bell Aliant wants to get out on the 2nd annual "Let's Talk" day.



The company donating 5 cents from every text and long distance phone call today to raise funds for mental health programs across the country.


Corporate Affairs Vice-President Lisa Merrithew tells CHSJ News the company is putting over 50 million dollars into the program because the need was identified.

She tells us a need was found for people to have the conversation that isn't always easy and try to break down the stigma of mental illness.

Merrithew says in this province groups like Mindcare and the Canadian Mental Health Association have benefitted from the success of "Let's Talk" day.
Last year, it brought in 3.3 million dollars.

To see video, click here

Province Says The Deficit Will Slide Along With Revenue

The provincial government deficit is going down by more than 74 million dollars to a projection of just over 471 million dollars.

Lower spending by a number of government departments including Social Development is being cited in part.

There has also been a drop in government revenues which are now projected to be $36.5 million lower than was budgeted for.

The decline is being blamed on the weakened economy and forecasted drops in both personal and corporate income tax revenues together with less revenue from NB Liquor and gambling.

Greater Saint John Swells To 127,000 People

There are more people living in the metropolitan area of Saint John, according to the census with an increase 4.4 per cent over the last five years. That's still below the national growth rate of 5.9 per cent.


The population of the metropolitan area of Saint John is now more than 127 thousand as compared to 122,000 from the 2006 census. The population of the actual city itself was 70,063 up from 68,043 in 2006 and higher than Moncton.


The biggest population increase in the Saint John area occurred in Quispamsis which went up by over 17 per cent to more than 17 thousand.

Reid Says Safety Concerns Are Premature

Police Chief Bill Reid says it's more opinion than fact that police services will not be up to par due to the million dollar shortfall.

Reid says the force is currently working on how the new budget will look like and he says if safety is found to be compromised, he will bring up his concerns with the police board.

Police Association Says Funding Cuts Goes Against Police Act

The Saint John Police Association says city police cannot maintain a proper force due to the million dollar budget cut and it wants the Board of Police Commissioners to do something about it.

Association spokesperson Bob Davidson says the board needs to fight Common Council for the money on the grounds that cutting funding will compromise safety and that goes against the Police Act.

He says if council does not put the million back in, legal action should be taken.

Davidson adds officers feel betrayed by the cuts after agreeing to a two-year wage freeze and reductions in pension benefits.

More Charges Laid After Girl's Hair Was Burned

A 15-year-old boy who's accused of setting a 14 year old girl's hair on fire at Simonds High late last week now faces additional charges. 

The girl did not suffer any burns in the incident but her hair was singed. She was described as being very upset by what had happened.
  
The youth is also accused of attempting to burn the hair of two other 14-year-old girls. 

He's now looking at charge of assault with a weapon in each of the cases and is scheduled to appear in youth court on March 12th.
   

Endangered Plant Lives In Dipper Harbour

Charlotte County is the only home for an endangered species.



Paula Noel, Program Manager of the Nature Conservancy of Canada tells CHSJ News about the delicate plant with bell shaped purple flowers.

It's called Van Brunt's Jacob's Ladder and it's a plant that was thought to be extinct in the province.

The plant was re-discovered by a botanist in Dipper Harbour in 2005, and it's only other known location is in Utopia.

Noel says it grows it wet areas, near streams and lakes.
The NCC is asking anyone who has seen the plant to report the sighting.

If you see the plant, you can email them at atlantic@natureconservancy.ca or call 1-877-231-4400.

For more info, click here

Possible Pipeline Could Bring Jobs and Second Oil Refinery

The Building and Construction Trade Department likes the idea of processing oil from the Alberta Oil Sands to here in Saint John.

A pipeline to feed Alberta oil from Quebec to Saint John is being looked at by various government reps and trade unions.

Atlantic spokesperson Andrew Dawson tells CHSJ News thousands of jobs could be created -- from pipeline construction jobs to the possibility of a second oil refinery.

He says the general rule of thumb is for every 5 construction jobs, there will be one permanent job created.

The Y Honours Cohen & Peterson With 2012 Awards

A former Senator and someone you often see at Market Square are the 2012 recipients of the Saint John Y's Red Triangle Awards Gala on April 4th.

Ermine Cohen is the winner of the Red Triangle Award for her years of service to the community in many roles.


Her daughter, Shelley Cohen-Thornley says her family is very proud of her and its never a surprise because she never retires.


She says her mom is deserving of all this but, she has to laugh as her mom was going to focus more on retirement until the Y called and she couldn't say no.

The 86-year-old Cohen who is in Florida for the winter is very excited to attend the Gala in April.
Stephany Peterson of UNB Saint John and Market Square will receive the 2012 Leader to Watch Award.

Teens Warned About Abusive Dating Behaviour

The timing couldn't be better with all the publicity over bullying in high school.........A new public awareness campaign is being launched to warn teens what to watch out for to avoid abuse when dating someone. 

Deborah Doherty, Executive-Director of the Public Legal Education and Information Service with the province, tells CHSJ News there are some questions you should be asking yourself which include whether there are constant calls and texting about where you are and with whom, jealous and controlling behaviour together with ridicule at times.

Doherty says one message they want to get across is extremely jealous and controlling behaviour is not a sign of love.

Doherty points to statistics that show one in three teens know of a friend who's in an abusive dating relationship and one in 4 teenaged girls have sex forced on them.

Zellers Workers Fear Target Takeover

A new campaign is being launched on behalf of Zellers workers across the country who could be left out in the cold once Target takes over. 

Kevin Shimmin is with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and says they're all going to be laid off or terminated, in his words, and even if they are hired by Target, the Zellers workers will be starting from scratch with the loss of their seniority. 

Shimmin says some of these employees have twenty or more years of service at Zellers and should be treated fairly.

The union has launched the Ask Target for Fairness campaign at www.targetfairness.ca

Walmart To Open Wallet

Walmart will be spending more than $750 million this year to open, relocate or remodel 73 retail stores, including former Zellers locations, one of them being on the west side.    

The world's biggest retailer says the initiative will create more than 14,000 jobs when factoring in store employees, as well as trade and construction jobs.
    
Included on the list of stores are 39 former Zellers locations that Walmart purchased last year.
    
The move comes as competition on the Canadian retail market heats up with the entry of fellow discount retailer Target next year.
    
The company plans to open 125 to 135 stores including one in McAllister Place where Zellers is now.
 

Liberals Slam Department Of Health Over Medicare Card Delays

The Opposition Liberals are going after the Department of Health over new delays with the delivery of updated Medicare cards.

Eight thousand New Brunswickers are currently waiting for their new cards.  The province dealing with this issue last March when it updated its record system.

Opposition Health Critic Bill Fraser tells CHSJ News while people will not be denied service and will be reimbursed, some cannot pay upfront while others are hesitant to seek medical help without a card.  He says there are people putting off appointments until they get a new card.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health says the new delay is due to the Christmas holidays and the department needed January to catch up on the work

Associate Deputy Minister Lyne St-Pierre-Ellis tells CHSJ News the department has caught up to the backlog and new cards should be in mailboxes within the next two weeks.

As far as the province paying back citizens who had to pay upfront, she says there has been no delays in sending out refunds.

Cuts To Commmunity Group Funding Will Hurt According to Mayor

Mayor Ivan Court says the thousands of dollars worth of cuts to community groups in the city budget will put a big strain on some of the organizations.

Court says while on paper it's only a few thousand dollars here and there being taken out, it can bring real hardship for some organizations as some groups are losing all of its city funding.

Some groups losing all city funding include Key Industries, Symphony New Brunswick, and the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation.
 
Over 300-thousand dollars was axed in the new city budget as the city grapples with the pension deficit.

Toque Tuesday Kicks off Tomorrow

Want to help put a cap on youth homelessness? Then you should think about heading to the malls tomorrow for a Toque Tuesday.

Volunteers are selling cozy red hats in Market Square, McAllister Place, and Brunswick Square tomorrow in support of the Saint John Youth House. The housing facility for homeless youth will open next year.

Coordinator Colin MacDonald tells CHSJ News the community has really gotten behind the fundraiser this year, and that 350 hats have already been sold. The goal is to sell the remaining 450 hats by the end of the day tomorrow.

Hats are selling for $10, with 80 percent of the proceeds going toward the Saint John Youth House. The other 20%  goes to Raising the Roof, a national homelessness charity.

Home Invasion Connected To Rockwood Park Beating

Police are confirming that a home invasion on the city's west side is connected to a beating in Rockwood Park.

At around 11 o'clock Saturday night,  4 masked men forced their way into a home on City Line and robbed a 55 year old man.

Shortly after, a beaten man was found in Rockwood Park.  Police say the victim of the beating was also the victim of the robbery.

He was taken to hospital and later released.

The case has been turned over to the Major Crime Unit.

Meantime,  A 15 year old boy is looking at a charge of assault with a weapon after a 14 old girl's hair was set on fire at Simonds High. 

Police say there was just minor damage to the hair and she did not suffer any burns.

Grow-Op Busted in Lakeville, NB

A marijuana grow-op running out of a home in Lakeville, NB, was busted by police Sunday.

Police seized a number of pot plants at various stages of growth, as well as equipment used to grow the plants.

A 41-year-old man was arrested and later released. He'll appear in court at a later date to face drugs charges.

The bust was part of the Marijuana Grow Initiative, a national strategy by the RCMP to fight grow-ops and organized crime.

Beating At Rockwood Park

Not many details being released at the moment but police are confirming a beating at Rockwood Park.

Early reports indicate a man was found beaten in the park Saturday night and was taken to hospital.

The Major Crime Unit has taken over the case.

New Brunswick Southwest MP Says Irving Oil Refinery Should Be Refining Oil From Alberta

The MP for New Brunswick Southwest says the Irving Oil Refinery in Saint John should be refining oil from Alberta, especially in the wake of the delay of the Keystone XL Pipeline project.

John Williamson tells CHSJ News there is currently a pipeline from Alberta to Sarnia.  He says he would like to see an extension of that pipeline from Quebec to Saint John and is currently having discussions with government reps and trade unions about it.

He says not only would it would bring jobs to the region but keep New Brunswickers from going out west to find work.

How Budget Cut At Police Department Will Play Out Won't Be Known For Sometime

It's going to take a lot of work for the police department to figure out how it will make do with a million dollars less this year. 

Chris Waldshutz, who chairs the Police Commission, tells CHSJ news decisions will not be made willy-nilly.

As for the fear there will be fewer officers on the streets of the city when all the number crunching is done, Waldshutz tells CHSJ News it's his personal opinion that prospect is improbable but there won't be any cuts made until there has been careful analysis because you don't want to do anything that will harm intelligence led policing which has been responsible for substantial drops in the crime rate. 

He adds the budget cut at the police department could have been as high as 2 million dollars.

The Police Commission will be meeting tomorrow night and while the budget cut will likely be discussed, there won't be any firm plan in place dealing with it.

People In St. Stephen Asked To Conserve Water

They're having problems with water in St. Stephen and the town is asking everyone to conserve their water consumption this morning because there is a limited supply due to a breakdown that happened last night.
 
Some people may have little or no water pressure.
 
The St. Stephen Water Department says the parts needed to fix the problem will be trucked in from Saint John.

Alward Government Accused Of Backing Away From Poverty Reduction

As the Provincial Government grapples with a rising deficit and debt, will it back away from the poverty reduction plan that was put together with such fanfare in Saint John a few years ago?

Former Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock, who's considering a run at the Provincial Liberal Party leadership, tells CHSJ News it began with the delay in raising the minimum wage followed by increasing the co-payment seniors have to come up with for their prescription drugs. 

He accuses Premier David Alward of not standing up for the less affluent in the province because he listens to the most powerful voices.
 

Anti-poverty activist Pam Coates resigned from the Board overseeing the implementation of the poverty reduction plan saying not much of anything has been done.

Mayor Answers Criticism

Criticism is being heaped on Common Council over the city budget but Mayor Ivan Court points out the issues that have been dealt with during this term have been the toughest to face the city in the last 30 to 40 years including clean water and the city's pension plan. 

There will be cutbacks coming in the police department at the same time the new police headquarters is under construction at Peel Plaza which has many Saint Johnners wondering if we can afford to spend over 20 million dollars. 

Mayor Court tells CHSJ News alot of the talk about the new police station has been exaggerated and mixed up with the new provincial justice building nearby which is far more expensive at 50 million.

Court predicts alot of people in the city will be surprised by Peel Plaza when it's finished.

Bullied Teen Says School Isn't Helping

After being bullied for months via social networking sites, phone, and at school. Brendan Annis is begging the administrators at Leo Hayes High School to do more to help him. It's been so bad that his parents decided to take him out of school--but as soon as he returned, the bullying started again.

The bullying started when Annis broke up with his long term girlfriend, and has been so stressful for the 15 year old that he's been hospitalized due to self injuring behaviour. Dianne Wilkins, the superintendent of school district 18, says that they've hired an external investigator to look at the situation.

Home Invasion on the West Side

A scare for one West side resident, whose home was invaded last night.

At almost 11 o'clock, 4 masked men forced their way into a home on the West side and robbed a man in his 50s. The robbers were interested only in cash. Police weren't able to disclose how much money they made off with.

No injuries happened as a result of the robbery.

CFIB Says NB Business Optimism is Low

Here in the Atlantic Provinces, optimism about small business is at the lowest level in Canada--that from the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses. The Business Barometer Index for the province is at 61.7--which is up two points from December--but that's still well below the national average of 65.2

Policy analyst Richard Dunn of CFIB says it's because everyone is waiting to see what the provincial budget will bring next month. If the government fails to develop a solid plan to deal with its debt, we could see that trickle down into the business market.

Dunn says as businesses get back on their feet to where they were before the recession, CFIB expects the numbers will improve.

Councillor Wants Funding Axed To Enterprise Saint John

Councillor Bruce Court raising concerns over funding Enterprise Saint John in a time when core city services are being slashed to the bone.



Court has been outspoken in the past about the continued funding of the economic development agency.


He is baffled at how the agency can continue to receive money when the city will not be able to afford lifegurards at beaches.


Court lobbied to have all funding cut to Enterprise Saint John last year but council decided against it after consultations with the group.

The group will be receiving 332-thousand dollars this year, 100-thousand dollars less than in 2011.

Car Fire Blocks Highway

A burned out shell is all that remains of a small car after it burst into flames on Highway 2 Northbound just outside Fredericton late this morning. The highway was blocked for about an hour while firefighters snuffed out the flames. No word on injuries.

(photo by Deborah MacDonald)

Assaults and Drunk Drivers Make a Busy Night for Police

Drunk drivers and fights making it a busy Friday night for the Saint John Police force.



Police getting a call just after 2am that a fight had broken on out King Street East between four men. Two were sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Although no one was arrested, police say they'll be dealing with the men at a later date.


A woman was also picked up for assault on the corner of Priness Street. The injuries weren't serious.


Two drivers were also picked up on Rothesay Avenue and Welesley Avenue in the city's north end after reports that they were weaving all over the road. Both were charged with driving under the influence.

Allegedly Impaired Driver Crashes Into Police Car

Talk about running into the law -- literally.

A 20 year old Saint John man striking a police car head-on early this morning in St. Andrews after allegedly failing to obey a stop sign.

A police officer receiving minor injuries and the driver was believed to be impaired.

His license has been suspended for 90 days and he will be appearing in court at a later date to face charges.

Job Fair Aims To Help Atelka Workers

There is good news for the 142 Atelka call centre employees that got pink slips this week.


Contact NB and Enterprise Saint John are teaming to host a job fair later this month in hopes of finding the workers another job.


Mike Bacon of Contact NB tells CHSJ News they have put the call out to local employers, call centre and otherwise, to take part.



It will be those employers who want to meet with the affected Atelka employees and discuss with them some career options for the future.

A similar event last for employers at the RCI call centres in Saint John last year that saw 7 of 31 employers confirm multiple hires as a result of the event.

The Atelka job fair is coming up on February 18th with a location to be dertermined.

For more info, click here

Bail Denied In Sexual Assault Case

25 five year old Bradley Scott Wilson being denied bail -- he's been charged with aggravated sexual assault, assault causing bodily harm, and unlawful confinement in an incident at the Buccaneers Pub on the West Side. 

It's alleged on Jan 12th, Wilson sexually assaulted a 46 year old bartender as she was closing the place down.  She also suffered a broken leg while trying to escape.

Wilson has pleaded not guilty and will remain in police custody until a trial date is set on February 16th.

More Time Needed For Pension Payment

Mayor Ivan Court says the city needs more time to make it's pension payments.

Under the proposed pension reforms, the city could receive a 15 year repayment period.

But Court says that may not be enough time and the city may need 20 to 25 years to make the payments.

City Manager Pat Woods says even with the bare bones budget, pension reforms are still critical.  If not approved, the city would need to come up with an additional 6.4 million dollars in payment money.  The total deficit is now up to 190 million dollars.

Two Men Facing Drug Charges After Three Month Invesigation

A 33-year-old Canterbury Street man faces drug charges after a three month joint police investigation.

Russell William McCain was in court today and has been remanded into custody before another court appearance next week.

Members of the Street Crime Unit and Fundy Integrated Intelligence Unit making the arrest yesterday and in the process seizing one and a half pounds of cocaine and over a half pound of marijuana.

A 53 year old man also faces charges and will be in court at a later date.

M-L-A Tells Mayor Not To Blame Province

A former member of Common Council who's now an   M-L-A is accusing Mayor Ivan Court of playing the blame game.

Glen Tait of Saint John East tells CHSJ News the province is not to blame for the pension plan's growing deficit and city budget cuts stemming from that.

He points out it was the city which missed the deadline to have proposed changes to the pension plan considered during the fall session of the legislature and should take responsibility for that lapse.

Tait says the problems with the city's pension plan started back in 2001 but nothing has been done expect to put more money into it.

Don't Risk Getting Towed

The City pointing out to motorists that under the provincial Motor Vehicle Act, any vehicle parked on a street more than 24 hours is considered abandoned and can be towed.

In a release, they say City streets are for the movement of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians and not for long term parking and street maintenance can be hampered by parked cars.
 To report an abandoned vehicle in your neighbourhood, you can call the Saint John Police Force at 648-3333 or for more information click here

Local Ad Company Will Not Bid For Provincial Contract

A Saint John based ad agency will not be throwing it's hat in the ring as the province consolidates it's marketing down to a single company.

Revolutions Strategy has been working with New Brunswick Tourism and Park since 2009 but says the requirements and direction that the tourism department is taking does not align with the company's goals.

Revolution's current contract ends this summer and it will layoff 4 people who worked exclusively on the tourism account.