UPDATE: Saint Johners Stranded In New Orleans

Hurricane Issac is continuing to move over New Orleans--and one Saint John couple is getting a vacation that's memorable for all the wrong reasons. 

Gary and Janelle Flanagan tell CHSJ News they've gone from being disappointed about their ruined vacation to concerned for their safety as Hurricane Issac pushes over levees, knocks out power for thousands, and immerses beachfront roads throughout Louisiana. 

The Flanagans say it's been pretty tense hunkering down in their hotel room in the French Quarter--but they're been impressed by the friendliness and support of the locals. They're hoping to head home to friends and family by Saturday.

Flying Out Of Saint John Airport Doesn't Cost You More

The air show at Saint John Airport is part of a campaign by the local airport to have a higher profile and emphasise how important it is to the Saint John region.

Airport President and C-E-O Bernie Leblanc tells CHSJ News a study has found it is not more expensive to fly out of Saint John in spite of the perception otherwise.

American airports such as Bangor are proving to be more of a challenge with pricing because they operate under a different model.

That's why discussions have been taking place with the Harper Government to see if the costs can be reduced. Leblanc says 5 million passengers use U.S. airports in order to save money.

Pension Gap In Province Widens

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation taking dead aim at what it sees as the pension gap in New Brunswick, calling it "astounding".

The Taxpayers Federation releasing numbers that show last year the average government worker saw more than 87 hundred dollars go into his or her pension plan. That compares to just over 4 thousand dollars for everyone else.

The Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey says government workers in the province not only have more money going into their pension plans, more of them actually have workplace pension plans to draw upon with almost three-quarters of workers in New Brunswick outside of government with no pension at all.  

He says the Premier will make the situation better but is just tinkering around the edges with his shared risk model for change that's also being looked at by the city.

Power Outage Caused By A Crow

A crow caused a 35 minute power outage in much of the uptown knocking out traffic lights and leaving many businesses in the dark.

CHSJ News has been told the crow flew into a line blowing a transformer in the substation at the foot of Union Street.

Red Head Wants No More Broken Promises

Whether they've lived there for four or forty years, Red Head residents all had the same feelings at last night's community meeting... They want to build a community association, but don't want any more broken promises from Councillors like what they've experienced in the past. 

The meeting held at Red Head United Church saw about 50 concerned residents and Ward 4 Councillors Ray Strowbridge & David Merrithew. Both Common Councillors said they won't be in control of the Red Head association, but will help it form together and will take their group concerns to City Hall.

Susan Wall has lived in Red Head for 36 years, and she says she'd like to see more fun brought to the community. Wall adds though the community has felt left out, it's nice to see two Councillors who are willing to to work with them.

For forty years Shawn Cawley has lived in the area, he says some problems are the roads, a neglected baseball field, and the winter parking ban.

Deborah Kneeland says even though she's been there for only three years, she's seen Red Head been neglected. She points to three years ago when the previous Councillors never came to their parking ban meetings. She says people are so upset about being let down in the past that they're afraid to go forward, but it needs to be done to make positive changes.

Common Councillor Ray Strowbridge ensures say he can't speak or fix what happened in the past, but he's going to represent the people of Red Head.

About twenty five people put their names on the list for the first community association which is set to meet next month.

Dog Killed In West Side Car Accident

Two people were lucky to emerge unscathed but their dog wasn't so lucky after a car rolled over a couple of times on the west side. 

The car actually went airbourne in the area of Market Place and King Street West sometime after 9:30. 

City Police say the dog died after going through the sun roof.

Hurricane Strands Saint Johnners In New Orleans

A couple of Saint Johnners stranded in Louisiana are giving CHSJ News the scoop on their experience in New Orleans, as the city hunkers down in preparation for Hurricane Issac. Today also marks the 7th anniversary of catastrophic Hurricane Katrina--although this storm is expected to be much less severe. 

Janelle Flanagan and her husband Gary live in the North End. After saving for their vacation all year, the Flanagans say they never expected their New Orleans experience to include a hurricane. She tells CHSJ News the atmosphere is a little tense, with people stocking up on supplies, boarding up their homes and businesses, and closing up shop for the day.

At 12:20 p.m. Eastern time, Isaac had sustained winds of 75 mph. That's a mile above the speed needed for a Category 1 hurricane. Hurricane Katrina was a Category 3 hurricane on landfall.

NB Man Wanted On Canada-Wide Warrant

A man who once lived in New Brunswick is wanted on a Canada wide warrant: Phillip Lyon's parole was suspended when he walked away from a halfway house in Kelowna, B.C. in May 2012.

He lived in Doaktown prior to moving to the Okanagan a few years ago. 36-year-old Lyons is known to have contacts throughout New Brunswick leading police to believe he may be here. Lyons is described as white, 5'10, 223 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo on his left forearm of a cross and tribal symbol surrounding an eye 'FTC'.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Phillip Lyons is asked to contact their local police or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
 

Deadly Crash Near Belleisle Creek

One woman is dead after a crash yesterday, when she was hit near East Scotch Settlement Road in Belleisle Creek.

The 32-year-old woman from the area was traveling with her family when their RV ran out of gas.  She was standing next to their vehicle, which was parked across the road from the RV, when a car passed between their vehicle and the RV and hit her. She died at the scene. An RCMP re-constructionist is aiding the investigation. It was dark at the time of the crash, and road conditions were dry.

The name of the victim has not yet been released.

Expect Warmer Temps This Autumn

The dog days of August are here...and it looks this summer's warmer temperatures will continue for at least part of the autumn.

 Meteorologist Dayna Vetesse tells CHSJ News we'll still see the usual fall rain despite the trend--which hopefully won't be too late to help out farmers who have been struggling all summer with near-drought conditions.

Vetesse says it's still hard to predict whether the warmer temps will result in increased tropical storm activity in the Maritimes.

In For A Penny, In For A Pound On Peel Plaza

In for a penny, in for a pound--that's the message from Common Councilor Ray Strowbridge about the public park area of Peel Plaza. Strowbridge tells CHSJ News finishing off the remaining infrastructure might cost upwards of a million dollars, but the park is the only thing people actually want. 

He says even those who have protested the build have agreed the green space is key--- because it's accessible to the public.

Council voted to go ahead with the green space despite the cost, saying that it makes no sense to have a brand new building surrounded by dirt roads and piles of gravel.

"Out Of Destruction Comes Creativity"

The Provincial Young Liberals are feeling good about the party these days after the devastating election defeat two years ago.

Communications Director Sandenn Killoran tells CHSJ News it's time for an aggressive approach to train young people and, hopefully, keep them from moving by attracting 21st century industries to the province. He cites research and development, information technology and environmental development as emerging economic opportunities.

Killoran says better training for young people in the province is essential because having just having a high school education doesn't cut it anymore arguing a Bachelor's degree is seen as being the equivalent of what a high diploma once was.

Over 800 People Without Power

845 people are without power in the Oromocto and Douglas Harbour area area due to an unplanned outage. According to the NB Power site, customers should have their power restored between 1 and 2pm.

Air Show Delayed By One Day

Saint John Airport just announcing that because of the weather, the flying portion of the air show has been changed.

After getting permission from Transport Canada, the air show, itself, will be staged tomorrow from 2 to 4 in the afternoon when the skies will be clear under a canopy of blue.

You'll be able to see the aircraft up close from 2 to 4 this afternoon in a static display with another one being held tomorrow from 4 to 7. 

Some Of The Planes In Saint John For Air Show

Another Dodgy Fire On West Side

A pickup truck that was destroyed in a fire on the west side had been reported stolen. 

Acting Platoon Chief Marc Carey says the truck was ablaze near Bayshore Beach in a ravine between Sea Street and City Line. 

The cause is suspicious with both the fire department and City Police investigating.

No one was injured.

New City Bus Transfer Policy & Family Rate

Saint John's transit woes are no secret...but there could be a few fixes coming soon. Vibrant Communities recently presented council with the results of a study on how to best deliver the services bus users need.

SJ Transit has announced they will now honour transfers for up to an hour of travel in the same direction, instead of just the next bus. As well, up to 3 kids under 5 will now ride free with an adult.

The survey asked 525 people, 90% of whom said they needed the bus to get around, about their main issues and asks for the transit service.
Some other solutions including nixing property tax on transit buildings, making fares cheaper, and improving the transfer policy. Barry Galloway of Vibrant Communities tells CHSJ News the next step is getting the province on board.

Police Looking For Stolen Truck

The District 3 RCMP is investigating the theft of a truck from the Loch Lomond area this past weekend.

The 2007 grey Ford Ranger with the plate CMC 888 was stolen from Florida Beach in Loch Lomond yesterday. The owner had parked it at the beach with the doors locked.  It was last seen on the 25th.

If you have information on the theft, please contact District 3 RCMP at 506-832-5566 or anonymously through N.B. Crime Stoppers at www.crimenb.ca, or 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Picture: A grey 2007 Ranger similar to the stolen vehicle.

New Brunswick Teen Killed In Saskatchewan

An 18-year-old woman from the province is dead after being hit by an SUV in a construction zone in Saskatchewan.

RCMP say Ashley Dawn Richards of Lakeside was working as a flag person on a highway when she was hit Friday near Midale, southeast of Weyburn.

An autopsy is scheduled for this week in Regina.

Sgt. Paul Dawson says charges have not been laid, but are pending against the driver of the SUV, a 44-year-old man.

Dawson could not say if speed was a factor in the crash, noting an investigation is underway.

Saskatchewan Highways Minister Don McMorris says the tragedy is a stark reminder of the need to slow down and drive carefully in construction zones.

Courtesy of the Canadian Press.

Liberals Urge Government To Help Students

The Liberal Opposition is urging the Alward government to give students a helping hand.
Post-Secondary Education critic Chris Collins points to PEI as good example. They've recently removed interest on student loans so university is more accessible, loans are paid off faster and students can start making major investments such as buying a home.

Collins tells CHSJ news the government needs to follow PEI's strategy and improve access to education here in New Brunswick. He says over the past couple of years the provincial government has reinstated the parental-contribution clause to student loans, lowered financial assistance, cut funding to the apprenticeship program and increased those fees by 120%.

Collins adds helping students will grow our skilled work force and keep them in the province.

Nutritious Food Up 9% In Two Years

The price of nutritious food in the province has gone up over 3% this year, making a total of 9% the past two years.

That coming from a study by the NB Common Front for Social Justice. They purchased fresh produce and meats at 31 grocery stores across the province, and found the monthly cost for properly feeding a family of four was $827.45 a month.

Jean-Claude Basque tells CHSJ news if someone makes just above minimum wage, that's half their pay check.  He says most of the food that goes on sale is usually junk food, and buying healthy food that's on sale and freezing it still costs more upfront. The study revealed CO-OP had the cheapest prices, while Superstore was the most expensive.

Basque said people need to get more revenue to afford proper nutrition and food chains need to promote health and put good food on sale. He says the government needs to raise minimum wage to match the cost of living.

BC Couple Lucky Passengers

A lucky couple didn't realize how exciting their anniversary cruise would be.

71-year-old Gordon & 65-year-old Marilyn Clarke, from Duncan on Vancouver Island are Aquila Tours millionth passengers. The couple tell us they've always wanted to see the east coast, and the cruise on the Carnival Glory was a 46th anniversary gift from their daughter and son-in-law.

Aquila Tour's Beth Kelly Hatt says the couple is receiving a free highlight tour in a limo, a visit to the NB museum, and a lobster lunch. Hatt says why not celebrate a million passengers, she adds the cruise lines have really helped to make it happen. She said they originally though their millionth passenger would arrive in the fall, but the numbers have been higher this year.

Aquila Tours has been running for 30 years and expect they'll see their next millionth passenger in 10 years.

Red Head To Form Community Association

Out of sight.......Out of mind. 

That's how many of the people in Red Head feel and they're looking to change that by forming a community association with help from Ward 4 Comon Councillors Ray Strowbridge and David Merrithew. 

Strowbridge tells CHSJ News he has been told of many concerns on the minds of people who live in that part of the city. They include erosion of the shoreline, no sidewalk along Red Head Road and lack of timely snowplowing as well as no recycling bins nearby.
 

A meeting will be held tomorrow night at 7 in Red Head United Church to get things off the ground.

Springsteen Traffic Feedback

If you were at yesterdays Bruce Springsteen concert, the Codiac RCMP want your feedback on it's traffic plan. A special toll-free number has been set up for concert goers and residents on how traffic control was before, during and after the concert.

If you'd like to put your two-cents in on the Magentic Hill concert, call 1-866-358-8854 before 6 o'clock Tuesday evening. Or you can e-mail secodiac.escodiac@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

B&E At A St. Andrews Arena

RCMP are looking for two men who broke into the W.C. O’Neill Arena in St. Andrews early in the morning this past Friday and stole undisclosed items.

Based on surveillance video, police are looking for two men in their late teens or early 20s.  One wore a grey hoodie when he entered the arena, and a white nylon jacket when he left. The second suspect had dark hair and a goatee. He wore a black & plaid t-shirt, and glasses. They both left on bikes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Andrews RCMP at 506-755-1130 or through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Air Show & More For 100th Anniversary

A couple of big anniversaries being celebrated this Tuesday and Wednesday at the Saint John Airport.

They'll be hosting a variety of old and new planes for the 100th anniversary of flight in the province and the 50th anniversary of Canada's Golden Hawks -- which formed in Chatham and later became the Canadian Snow Birds.

Saint John Airport's Colleen Mitchell tells CHSJ news the free events include an air show from 2:00pm until 4:00pm on Tuesday and exhibits from 3:00pm until 7:00pm on Wednesday, where you'll be able to talk to pilots and even go on select planes.

Mitchell says the planes -- such as a Sabre F-18 Hawk One, FG-1D Corsair and Tiger Moth -- come from all across the country.

For more information, click here.

Maritime Students Deepest In Debt

Getting a student loan to pay tuition is an expensive reality for many post-secondary students, and Maritimers are expected to owe the most and take the longest to pay off.

That coming from a new BMO study that shows half of Canadian college and university students expect to be at least 20-thousand dollars in debt when they graduate.  The survey also shows about 20 per cent expect to graduate with more than 40-thousand dollars of debt.

Stephen Spence is the President for the New Brunswick Student Alliance, and he tells CHSJ news the average four year degree costs $84,000 dollars, and that cost isn't going anywhere but up.

Spence says despite lower job prospects and high debt, we need to stop thinking of post secondary education as an expenditure, but as an investment. He says going to university shows a potential employer you learn quickly and apply yourself.

City Bus Service Could Be More Affordable And Accessible

Saint John Transit is underfunded and riders pay more then they do for bus service in other communities. That, according to a report to be presented tonight to Common Council by Vibrant Communities. 

It's calling on Common Council to make public transit a priority next year with recommendations to increase ridership and make it more affordable, including an adopt a bus shelter programme, flexible payment options for monthly bus passes and discounted transit passes for the working poor. 

The President of the Transit Workers Union, Tom McGraw tells CHSJ News bus service, in a city like Saint John, will never be the number one priority and there's a good reason why since only about ten percent of the city's population ride the buses but they are usually the most financially vulnerable.

Vibrant Communities also recommends funding for bus service from the province and federal government as well as the city with federal gas tax revenues being earmarked for public transit. 

New Brunswick is the only province in the country that levies property taxes on transit buildings and that's why Vibrant Communities is calling for Saint John Transit be granted an exemption.

Tour Company To Welcome 1 Millioneth Guest Today

Aquila Tours celebrates an incredible milestone today.
 
They will welcome their one millionth guest on a cruise ship excursion.
 
CEO Beth Kelly Hatt tells CHSJ News she could never have imagined this when they started out.

She says it's been an exciting adventure and back in the 80's when they had just a few guests they didn't expert to reach 1 million guests for their tours.

That special guest is arriving on the Carnival Glory cruise ship this morning due in port at 9.

B&E At Pet Corral

Police are searching for someone who broke into a business on the west side early this morning.

City Police say money and other items were stolen from the Pet Corral on Fairville Boulevard around 4:30 am. No arrests have been made yet.

Dragonboat Festival A Big Success Exceeding Its Goal

Renforth Wharf was a scene of warrior paint, cheering, music and most of all, Dragonboat racing.

Special Events Co-ordinator Jill Logan tells CHSJ News the weather couldn't have been more beautiful for yesterdays Dragonboat Festival.

She said this years theme was "Go Blue" and teams went really wild and crazy with the idea, which made the event really enjoyable.

253 thousand dollars was raised for mens health and all of it will go towards buying a prostate ultrasound and high def scopes for the urology department at St. Joseph's Hospital.

54 teams with a total of 13 hundred paddlers took part in the festival this year.

Dogs Save Lives In Weekend Fire That Was Deliberately Set

Saved by the dog.

Four people are safe after being awakened by barking dogs after a fire early Sunday morning at a duplex on the lower west side.

Platoon Chief Eric Garland says the fire began in the rear of the older wood-frame duplex at 158 Winslow Street which caused extensive damage.

Canadian Red Cross disaster volunteers arranged emergency lodging, food and other help for those who live in the building. The two women have three dogs and five cats.

City Police believe arson to be the cause.

Early this morning, a car was engulfed in flames at the corner of Millidge Avenue and Somerset Street.

Car Off Road Off Highway 1

A call from a loyal listener telling us a car was off the road on Highway 1, westbound, near Hampton early this morning.

The listener says he also saw a dead moose on the side of the road covered in glass.

RCMP confirm there was a collision with a car and deer in that area around 4:00 am, but no other details have been released.

Arson Believed To Cause West Side Fire

Another suspicious fire in Saint John, this time on the lower West side.

A house on Winslow street was in flames around 3:30 this morning. The Canadian Red Cross was on scene to help.

City Police believe arson to be the cause. 

Run In Memory & Raise Funds

They'll be more runners than usual at Rockwood Park this morning.

The third "Fido & Friends" run and fundraiser will be kicking off at 10am. Runners and their dogs will be tackling 1, 5 or 10 kilometre in honour of runners who've been hurt or killed while raising money for the Animal Rescue League.

Organizer Cindy Loiser tells CHSJ news it's not about the race, but about the donations. Loiser says runners who haven't signed up can still participate on the day for a $25 registration fee, and 100% of the fees go straight to the Animal Rescue League.

Break & Enter On West Side

City Police are investigating a break & enter on the West Side early this morning. Police are not saying the name of the business or what was stolen, but no arrests have been made. We hope to know more details later this morning.

There were also four impaired drivers overnight. Three were charged with drinking and driving while another had their license revoked for a week.

Women Protest For Right To Go Topless

This one would be sure to raise a few eyebrows here in Saint John.... protests are being held in more than 30 cities worldwide to give women the right to go topless. The movement, called Go Topless, says that women aren't truly free as long as they have to wear clothes when men can bear their chests. 

A Go Topless co-ordinator who goes by the name Freedom tells CHSJ news the double standard is society's fault and women's breasts should be as socially acceptable as men's.

Protests are being held in Toronto, LA, and elsewhere. Freedom says women in New Brunswick can contact them for information if they want to start up the movement here.

Radio River Racers Compete Today!

The Radio River Racers--our team in the Dragon Boast Festival!

SJ's 10th Annual Pride Parade Marches Today

The Port City is flying the rainbow flag today for its 10th annual Pride Parade...the parade will make its way from the top of King Street and ends in the North End at the  LBR where there will be a BBQ and vendors.

Anyone is welcome to be in the parade: set up starts at 1pm on Princess Street behind the Admiral Beatty.

Y Community Park Sale

A good way for you to enjoy the sunshine, buy some odds and ends, and help your local Y.


The Greater Saint John Y is hosting a Community Park Sale at Kings Square today.

The event will start at 9am and run until 4 o'clock, with proceeds helping support international projects for the Y.

Six Teenagers Saved From Capsized Kayak

Six teenagers didn't have a good start to the weekend.
They had to be rescued by the Saint John Inshore Rescue Boat after their kayak capsized in the St. John River by Long Reach.

It happened around 4:30 Friday afternoon. No one was hurt and there's no word yet on what caused the kayak to sink.

Stuff A Truck!

Time to stuff a truck!


Rothesay Regional Police are looking for donations such as non-perishables, clothing, toys, games and school supplies.
The semi-annual event is taking place Saturday from 8:00 am - 4:00pm at the Atlantic Superstore in the Rothesay parking lot.
All donations go to local charities.

Couple Kayak St. John River As Wildnerness Classroom

Dave and Amy Freeman kayak the St. John River as part of their Wilderness Classroom tour of North America.

It began on Earth Day 2010 and will wrap up next year in Florida.

(photo courtesy of Amy Freeman)

St. John River Potential For Water Trail

A fresh idea came floating down the river.

Dave Freeman from the Wilderness Classroom has been canoeing and kayaking with his wife Amy through North America rivers for the past two and a half years. And as they kayaked down the St. John river, Freeman tells CHSJ news he thought a water trail to the Bay of Fundy would interest a lot of people seeking adventure in the great outdoors. Freeman adds it would just require a few designated camp sites, advice on how to get around dams and a map. He says most water trails get support from local businesses and government support.

Dave & Amy ill be kayaking through Reversing Falls Saturday morning as part of their North America touring promote nature conservation.

For more information on the Wilderness Classroom, click here.

NDP Say Government Breaking Tobacco Law

Provincial NDP Leader Dominic Cardy is calling for the provincial government to kick a habit.

The NDP say the government is violating a law on tobacco control by having 243,000 shares in tobacco company stock through the NB Investment Management Corporation.

In a release Cardy says Canada is one of the many countries that adopted anti-corruption guidelines in 2009 that states it would have no financial interest in the tobacco industry.

The NDP are requesting the Alward government drop the share and create a public report when it's done.

Saint John To Host Folk Music Awards

Saint John will be very folky this fall. The Canadian Folk Music Awards coming up in November with various venues including the Santuary Theatre, the Imperial Theatre and the City market.

Local organizer Dave Ryan tells CHSJ News this show is very different from other awards shows like the ECMA's or the Juno's.

He says the nominees are not called finalists and when the awards are given out they call them recipients from the stage not winners.

451 submissions have been received so far with the Canadian Folk Music Awards coming up November 15-17.

For more info, click here