Local Economy Being Bolstered By Small High Tech Companies

Most Saint Johnners might be surprised to learn there are a hundred or so I-C-T companies in the city employing more than 3 thousand people. 

It even came as an eyeopener for the President of the Saint John Board of Trade Imelda Gilman during a business tour organised earlier this year for politicians to get the lay of the land when it came to the local economy.

She calls it exciting that many of these companies are working away under the radar in the uptown historic buildings to not only build up their own businesses but also offering support to start ups and developing technology for other parts of the economy.

Gilman sees I-C-T being a key cluster for economic growth in the future.

     

Special Meeting Today Of Common Council

"The pension anchor is sinking to the bottom of the Bay of Fundy".......So says Mayor Mel Norton who tells CHSJ News many millions of dollars will be freed up now that the shared risk model for the city pension plan has been agreed to and a huge weight has been lifted off the shoulders of Common Council. 

The Mayor says 5 million dollars will be spent on roads in the city which is seen as the right amount to start rebuilding to bring them up to where they should be.
 
Norton says there will also be more money next year for transit, recreation and water. 

Meantime, long term disability will be the focus of a special meeting of Common Council this morning at 10:00. The cost of long term disability is not part of the shared risk model.

Elderly Couple Escape Mobile Home Fire

It's terribly sad news the day after Christmas as fire guts a home in Penobsquis.
 
An elderly couple managed to get out unharmed but they lost a lot in the blaze about 530 this morning.

Sussex RCMP Constable Trevor Arseneau tells CHSJ News the homeowners got out safely but one firefighter was hurt.

Arseneau says an oxygen tank exploded inside the home.

The volunteer firefighter was treated at the scene.  The couple were assisted by Red Cross volunteers who lived nearby.   

They lost a motorized wheelchair and other items in the fire. 
No word yet on a cause.

NCC Aims To Preserve More Habitat Next Year

The Nature Conservancy of Canada celebrating its milestone 50th year as an organization...and they say they're going into 2013 with increased capabilities and conserving even more natural habitat for wildlife. 

Paula Noel of the conservancy tells CHSJ News they're able to do a lot more than simply conserve the areas that need it most desperately.

She says they have accelerated the pace of land conservation here in the province and across the country thanks to a large grant from the federal government.

Noel says they've been pleased to be able to preserve forested areas and coastline throughout the province, and well as enlisting local nature-lovers to help with their beach clean-ups and field projects.

Canada Beats Germany

Thanks to strong performances from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jonathan Huberdeau, Team Canada thumps Germany 9-3 in its opening match at the World Junior Hockey  Championships in Russia.  

For more info, click here

Canada Leads Germany 8-3

Canada leads Germany 8-3 in the third period of their opening match of the World Junior Hockey Championship in Russia.

 
Everyone is talking about the combination of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jonathan Huberdeau who have 9 points combined.

Firefighter Hurt In Penobsquis House Fire

One firefighter slightly hurt after an oxygen tank blew up in a house fire in Penobsquis.
 
Sussex RCMP Constable Trevor Arseneau tells CHSJ News the call came in about 5:30 this morning on Penobsquis loop.

Arseneau tells us people living in the home were able to get out unhurt.

Arseneau says the home is quite damaged and crews remain on the scene with no word yet on a cause of the blaze. 

OPP Arrest Two After Fredericton Incident

Two people wanted on a Canada Wide warrant regarding an incident in Fredericton on December 20th have been caught in Ontario.

The two are accused of trying to force a woman leaving a bar in the City to drive them in her car.    In a scuffle, the woman and her friend got away but the man and woman fled with her car.

Saint John Police telling CHSJ News the pair were taken into custody by the Ontario Provincial Police on Christmas Eve.

Storm Coming Tomorrow

It's look like we'll get a chance to break in our new snow blowers just two days after Christmas.

The first real blast of winter is coming our way tomorrow in the shape of snow mixed with ice pellets tomorrow afternoon and evening and strong wind gusts.

More snow is on the way Friday.

Christmas Day Is Not Garbage Day

There will be no garbage collection tomorrow (Christmas Day). The people who normally get their garbage collected on Tuesday will have it done Wednesday instead. The city also letting everyone know, Christmas wrapping paper cannot be recycled. 

The Port Had a Very Good Year

The big story at the port this year, according to its President and C-E-O, was not only another successful cruise ship season but attracting Mediterranean Shipping first with a bi-weekly service which then was increased to weekly in October, far ahead of hopes and expectations. 

Jim Quinn tells CHSJ News having Mediterranean Shipping's weekly service opens up the global marketplace for producers all over the province and the busier they are, the better the chances are that more people will be hired.
 
He also tells us he would not be surprised to see business at the port increasing this year by over 20 per cent once all the numbers have been crunched after the end of this month.

Board Of Trade Says 2012 Was A Challenge For Local Businesses

Saint John's unemployment rate has been on the rise this year and, at 9.3 per cent, is second highest among all the major cities surveyed by Stats Canada behind that of Windsor, Ontario. 

The President of the Board of Trade, Imelda Gilman concedes this year has been challenging for businesses in the city which wasn't hit has hard by the 2008 recession.

She points out over half a billion dollars has been spent on major projects over the past few years in Saint John and not all of that has been on roads with new buildings constructed at U-N-B Saint John and the community college.

Gilman can see encouraging signs especially by what she sees happening at the port and the commitment on the part of municipalities in the region to put in place a strategy for growth starting early in the new year.
     

New Anglophone School To Be Built In Quispamsis

Even though New Brunswick's population has stagnated with many people moving to other provinces in search of work, there is one town experiencing double digit growth. The population of Quispamsis grew by over 17 per cent in five years.

Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News the influx of young families is prompting the provincial government to make plans for the building of a new elementary school in the town. He says it will ease the strain in Quispamsis, Fairvale and Lakefield schools.

Driscoll doesn't know yet where the school will be constructed or how large it will be but is hoping it will be big enough to accomodate an increasing number of students over the next five, ten, even 15 years.

Premier Side Steps Status With Santa

Premier David Alward won't comment on whether he's on Santa's naughty or nice list - but - he does say New Brunswickers are blessed.

Four Dead After River Crash

Four people are dead after their car left a remote New Brunswick road and plunged into a river early yesterday.

RCMP say the bodies of three men, ages 18, 19 and 20, and a 17-year-old girl were pulled from a submerged vehicle near Tracadie-Sheila around 3 pm.


The Mounties say the car lost control while driving up a hill on an icy road and slipped off the road and into the Tracadie River.

The names of the victims, who are all from surrounding communities outside Tracadie-Sheila and Lameque, have not been released.

Crime Stoppers Needs Help With St. Stephen Vandalism

Crime Stoppers and St. Stephen RCMP are looking for help as they look into the on-going vandalism at a property in the town.

All this month a number of abandoned buildings have been damaged along Pleasant Street in St. Stephen.

A home along Pleasant Street was also damaged on December 10th causing more than $500 in damages.'

If you know anything, contact the Mounties in St. Stephen directly or Crime Stoppers toll free.   
Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2000 dollars for info that leads to an arrest.

For more info, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Rothesay Has Big Rec Plans For 2013

There are some big plans in 2013 for Rothesay when it comes to recreation.

Up to $600,000 dollars is being spent on renovation Renforth Wharf to rebuild the retaining wall and fix the wharf itself.

Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ the new and improved 6 million dollar KV library is more than double it's original size.

He says most of the new construction is completed and they have begun moving books and more into that area and now the construction company is renovating the older part of the building which they expect to finish by June.

The town is also spending just over 2 million dollars on the Rothesay Commons to improve drainage, build a stage and look into building a new outdoor skating rink.

Car Carrying 4 Young People Plunges Into Tracadie River

The Mounties are looking for three men and a teen girl after their vehicle plunged into a river early this morning.

Corporal Chantal Farrah says the crash happened around 1am when a vehicle carrying four people, between the ages of 17 and 20,  lost control while driving on Route 370 near Tracadie-Sheila.

Farrah says the vehicle lost control on a dirt road in a remote area while trying to go uphill and slipped off the road and into the Tracadie River.
 
Divers and a search and rescue team are combing the sides of the river, while officials are trying to recover the submerged vehicle.
 
The province's Transportation Department has provided a plow to clear away a path to the area.

Farrah says road conditions were slippery at the time of the crash.
  

Saint John Embraces Kindness Initiative

Nothing says Christmas in Saint John more than random acts of kindess for no particular reason.

That's why the phenomenon known as Pay It Forward is gathering steam in the Port City.
 
Founder Michael Whelton is a vice-principal at St. Mac's and he tells CHSJ News it began as a result of a conversation with a number of teachers at the school he decided to take it further and make it more formalized at their school.

Pay It Forward Saint John is run by a group of 7 individuals including City Councillor and Educator Greg Norton, Ross Jefferson of Destination Saint John and Constable Dan Weber of the City police.   Whelton tells us they want to see it expand more next year so Saint John can be a real contributor on World Pay It Forward Day which is April 25th 2013. 

For more information, click here

Wind & Rain Don't Help In Getting The Lights On

The crews working for NB Power have to be way behind on the Christmas shopping.

Another wild night of weather, this time heavy rain and very strong winds, leading to more power outages.

More than 600 homes and businesses are without electricity this morning.

The largest outages area in St. Stephen, Sussex and Fredericton.

Premier Says No Pipeline Subsidy Request

In a year end interview with CHSJ News - Premier Alward discusses the possibility of subsidies for proposed west-east crude oil pipeline.

Some Are Still Without Power

 469 homes and business are without power in the province.

3 outages in the Fredericton area are impacting 264 people.

70 are in the dark in Woodstock and 50 remain powerless in Sussex today.

Man Overboard Being Treated As Missing Person

East Coast Navy Captain Tyrone Grande tells CHSJ News a call came in last night at 5:45 that a local fisherman who had fallen overboard in the Grand Manan area.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre responded with a helicopter, a rescue boat from Saint John, as well as local fisherman searching all night in the Bay of Fundy.

Grande says the search was downsized at 7 this morning.

He says the case has been taken over by the RCMP as a missing persons search.

RSC's Begin Their Work Officially January 1st

2013 will see more of an impact of the new Regional Service Commissions.
 
Back in February, the government announced the creation of 12 commissions by January 2013 to increase collaboration and planning between communities.
 
Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Grace Losier is the chair of Region 9 and tells CHSJ News they will be working with the unincorporated areas to establish stronger emergency measures plans.

She tells us through the office of the RSC they will be tasked with doing their own land use plan leading eventually to a new plan for the entire service commission area of 9.

Losier announced last week the commission's Executive Director will be Jack Keir the former head of the Crane Mountain landfill and a former cabinet minister with the Graham government. 

She adds because the solid waste commissions now fall under their responsibility, Keir's previous experience with Crane Mountain made him rise to the top as a candidate.

You Might Qualify For A Break On Your Heating Bill

If you're getting smacked with huge energy bills you can't pay, you might want to apply for this.

The provincial government offering a $100 benefit to help New Brunswick families cope with their heating bills. Almost 50,000 applications were received last year, and the program has benefited over 95,000 families since first starting in 2010.

The benefit applies to those who had incomes up to $28,000 in 2011, and are issued 4 weeks after the application is received. You can apply at Service NB, online, or by phone toll free at 1-800-669-7070.

Get Ready For Soggy Shopping

We are gonna get wet tonight.      A rainfall warning is in effect for the southern half of the province.    Up to 25 millimetres could fall by tomorrow morning.

Up north, the precipitation will begin as snow and change to ice pellets for a couple of hours before changing back to rain.

Here on the coast we can also expect wind gusts to 80 kilometres tonight and overnight.

City Police Advised to "Civilianise"

City Police could save money by hiring more civilians. That word was delivered to Common Council following a review of city services but won;t there be any savings realised. 

Police Chief Bill Reid says to accomplish that would require negotiating with the Saint John Police Association and, as it stands now, there wouldn't be any savings because civilian employees cannot be used to supplant police officer who would have to be used doing something else because they cannot lose their jobs.

The city has been told by consultant Todd MacDonald the ideal split is 60/40 with 40 per cent civilian employees and the rest police officers.

Sweet Success For The Gingerbread Trail

Local retailers and restaurants have been competing for a sweet honour---- in a local fundraiser with a delicious twist.

The Delta and Fishy Chores have snagged top nods for their submissions in the Gingerbread Trail fundraiser. Twenty-two gingerbread, icing, and candy houses were entered as part of the benefit for the Joshua Group. Organizer Darlene Baker tells CHSJ News while the numbers aren't in yet, it was a smash success.





Food service category winners: 

1rst Place: Delta Brunswick
2nd Place: Piece of Cake Custom Creations
3rd Place: The Saint John Alehouse

Retail category winners:
 1rst Place: Fishy Chores
2nd Place:The Urban Shoe Myth
3rd Place:Manchester Shoe Salon
 
Baker says it was such a hit they're planning to do it again next year. You can see the Delta's winning house in person on the second level of Brunswick Square.

City Police Offer Up Safety Tips For Busy Shopping Weekend

This could turn out to be the busiest weekend for shopping all year which means lots of traffic in and around the malls. 

City Police Sergeant Jay Henderson tells CHSJ News this is also the time of the year for parties and there will be checkpoints around town to catch drunk drivers.
 
Sergeant Henderson warns thefts increase at this time of the year and police are advising drivers to lock up their vehicles and keep any presents you might buy away from prying eyes.

Sussex and Fredericton Hit Hardest By Power Outages

There are still many people without electricity around the province. 

As of 8:00 this morning, nearly 900 hundred NB Power customers remain in the dark, including 215 in Sussex and more than 5 hundred in Fredericton.

Emergency Meeting Works Out More Details At City Hall

An emergency meeting of council has hammered out some details of the long-term disability payments that have become a bone of contention between city hall and unionized groups including fire and police.

The debate has held up adopting the Shared Risk model for the city's pension plan and thus voting on the 2013 operating budget.

Terms include twenty four month coverage at one hundred percent employer pay, and a two year own occupation clause and any occupation until age 65. They've also agreed to collaborate on a cost sharing plan.

The unions still need to sign the memorandum of understanding. Calls placed to union reps have not yet been returned.
 

Coming Rain May Wash Away Our Snow

Our pretty snowfall may get washed away as a new weather system moves into the region in time for the weekend.

Environment Canada issuing a special weather statement saying the southern half of the province can expect 25 millimetres of rain  starting this afternoon with most of it falling tonight.

This new system is coming in from New England and will bring snow for northern parts of the province if you're heading that way.

Coastal areas can expect wind gusts to 80 kilometres an hour tonight with the winds becoming light Saturday afternoon.

For more info, click here

Latest On Power Outages Throughout NB

It's not much of a Winter Wonderland for the NB Power customers still out of power. About 1800 are still in the dark due mainly due to frozen tree branches falling on the power lines.

430 homes and business are without lights in Fredericton and it's a similar story with 172 in Rothesay, nearly 510 in Sussex, and over 498 in Wodstock still without electricity.

In a tweet, NB Power says the number of outages now is half of what it was this morning and they thank their crews for all their hard work restoring power in the region after yesterday's storm.

Mayans Fear The World Ends Tomorrow

In the busy lead up to Christmas, you may have forgotten that the world is supposed to end tomorrow.
 
According to the Mayan calender, the world should end on December 21st.
 
Dan Riskin of Discovery Channel's Daily Planet tells CHSJ he can pinpoint an exact time everything will stop.

He tells us it will happen in a few 3 billion years and it will happen because the suns expands and engulfs the earth so there is nothing to worry about for tomorrow. Riskin adds to be on the safe side Daily Planet is doing a special about the supposed Mayan apocalypse.

The special is called End of the World 2012 and it premieres tonight at 8 on the Discovery Channel. 

For more info, call here

Christmas Via Cape Breton Tonight

Saint John is Canada's most Irish City....and nothing says a Celtic Christmas like Cape Breton’s Barra MacNeils.

The Barra MacNeils take to the stage at the Imperial tonight for a performance featuring classic holiday songs and traditional favourites.

For more info, click here

Under 1900 Without Juice Now

Just under 1900 are still in the dark due mainly due to frozen tree branches falling on the power lines.

360 homes and business are without lights in Fredericton and it's a similar story with 181 in Rothesay, nearly 600 in Sussex, and over 500 in Woodstock still without electricity.

In a tweet, NB Power says the number of outages now is half of what it was this morning and they thank their crews for all their hard work restoring power in the region after yesterday's storm.

To keep an eye on the outages, click here

A Ship In Port Is Loading Live Cattle For Russia

You may have noticed a different looking ship at Pier 3 on the West side this week. 

The Orient 1 is loading 2300 head of cattle from the Maritimes, Quebec and the US.  

The cows are destined for Russia and the loading process begin yesterday and continues today and tomorrow.

The ship stick outs as it's blue and white and has special air vents on the deck to release gas from the animals and bring in fresh air.

The Port telling CHSJ News a few thousand pigs came through a few years ago and earlier this decade they had some cows destined for the Caribbean on specialized containers.

City Does A Good Job Plowing The Snow But At A Cost

Common Council has been told the city more than meets acceptable standards for snow plowing but does so by paying a fair bit of overtime.

Todd MacDonald of Performance Concepts Consulting says that could be reduced considerably by more evenly dividing snow clearing resources between day and night, thereby saving the city some money. He says right now there are disproportionately more resources used during the daytime hours.

MacDonald says Saint John responds early to storms, depending largely on the weather forecast, whereas some other cities wait until 5 centimeters of snow is on the ground before getting the plows out.

The Lights Are Coming On For Some

NB Power crews are making progress is restoring power to just over 3800 people without electricity.

Over 600 people are without juice in Dairytown, 270 homes in Rothesay are impacted and more than 900 do not have power in Woodstock.

29 outages in the Fredericton area mean more than 1500 homes and businesses are still without power.

To see the current list of outages province wide, click here

Snowfall Totals For Saint John And Elsewhere

Environment Canada tells CHSJ News we wound up with 7 centimeters of snow but the Weather Network is saying it was more like 11 centimeters.
 
Fredericton got 20 centimeters with 35 in the higher elevations.....15 centimeters at Poley Mountain and 16 centimeters in Moncton.

Gas Prices Increase

The price of gas is a bit more expensive after the weekly setting by a couple of cents a litre. 

Self serve regular will now cost you $1.19.1 in the city with diesel at $1.35.6 a litre.
 
Heating oil is also up a bit at $1.14.3 but propane is down slightly with a maximum price of 93.1 cents.

Power Outages Caused By Storm

NB Power crews were hard at it all night long but they did have alot to do with more than 43 hundred businesses and homes around the province still without electricity this morning in the aftermath of yesterday's storm.
 
As of 11:00 this morning , there were 15 outages affecting almost 300 customers in the Rothesay region which includes the Kingston Peninsula and the area around Grand Bay-Westfield.......30 outages in the Sussex area affecting  almost 13 hundred customers........9 outages in St. Stephen affecting 115 customers and over 15 hundred customers in Fredericton are without electricity because of 29 outages.

No City Budget Yet; Mayor Says Progress Is Being Made

Nearly 6 hours after the projected 5pm start time of the open meeting, Common Council announced it is making incremental progress toward finalizing the city's 2013 operating budget. 

It looks more unlikely, however, the budget vote will happen before the New Year. 

The city has managed to sign off on a Memorandum of Understanding on a revamped pension plan but it still waiting for the unionized groups to agree to it as well.

 Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News the long term disability plan is a complicated issue that goes far beyond what is usually discussed in committee of the whole.

It's likely another special meeting will be held to finalize the budget over the coming days. If that's unsuccessful before January 1st, the city will be on the hook for payments as outlined under the current pension situation.

Port City Gets A Pre-Winter Pounding

Fender-benders, crackups and serious collisions the theme of a fierce late fall storm that gave Saint John a winter shocker it wasn't expecting.

Road conditions from Sussex to Stephen were not a treat yesterday with a long list of collisions between Noon and 6pm. 

Highway 1 Westbound was briefly closed to traffic near the Fox Farm exit after a few transports got stuck in the area.  

Many big rigs got stuck or jackknifed throughout the day.

One tractor trailer could be seen sliding down Retail Drive sideways on the Costo hill while other vehicles drove around it.
One City police officer said people were driving like it was July.

A few delays were reported in and out of the Saint John Airport.
 
Some parents expressed frustration that schools were not closed saying road conditions were too dangerous for the schoolbuses.

All MLA's Support Pipeline Construction

They are all in favour of this one.

MLA's of all political stripes unanimously passing a motion stating their support for the construction of a pipeline to ship western crude oil to Eastern Canada.

Support is growing for a proposal that could see a pipeline carry oil from Alberta to the Irving Oil Refinery.
 
Federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver toured the refinery last week stating his government's support for a pipeline project. 

Premier David Alward says the government is working towards a future where the Province helps drive the national economy as one of the country's energy powerhouses.

Highway Back Open

Highway 1 Westbound is back open to traffic. 

The roadway was closed near the Fox Farm Road exit after several tractor trailers got stuck in the area.

NB Power Customers Still In The Dark

Thousands of NB Power customers continue to be left in the dark due to the season's first big snowstorm.

Over 4,000 Fredericton area customers are in the dark, over 2000 near Sussex, 800 in Woodstock and about 300 in Rothesay.

NB power is working to restore power to those customers.

Messy Driving In Saint John Today

Police, Fire and Ambulance crews are very busy today with a series of collisions around the City and in the outskirts.
 
There were back to back collisions on the Loch Lomond Road earlier that blocked traffic.

Police are directing traffic on Sandy Point Road where a tractor tractor is stuck.  They are waiting for the area to be salted and plowed before the truck can back up enough to get out of the area.

We are also hearing that the side roads in the City are slick and the sidewalks around town are slippery.

Earlier today a tractor-trailer jackknifed near Five Fathom Hole on the Highway and there was a head on collision on the west side at Manchester Avenue and McGill Road.    Near Dairytown, a few tractor trailers were parked on the side of the highway because they couldn't make it up the hill.

At the Saint John Airport, a flight arriving from Halifax at 4:30 today is delayed along wtih a flight from Toronto at 5pm.   A 445 flight leaving for Halifax is also delayed.

Optimism From Patient Rights Advocate About Drug Coverage

Patient Rights Advocate Barry Katsoff is cautiously optimistic we'll be hearing more about a catastrophic drug coverage plan for everyone from the Alward Government by the time it unveils the provincial budget in March. He tells CHSJ News there's still some fine tuning to do.

Katsoff, himself, suffers from a rare blood disease but lives in Montreal and Quebec is the only province that provides coverage.

Katsoff concedes he isn't ready to pop out a bottle champagne just yet because the devil is in the details.

The provincial government tabled a report that recommends a plan to cover the 70-thousand families who have no drug plan at all. Flemming vows private insurance plans will be forced to cover the same drugs as those by the government.
 

More Land To Open Up At Q-Plex Community Garden

The number of people who have used the Q-Plex has reached a quarter of a million according to Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll. 

He tells CHSJ News the community garden by the Q-Plex will be made larger next year. 80 plots of land sold quickly and the Mayor isn't sure yet whether that number will be doubled.
 
He also says 50 thousand people used the swimming pool this past summer, ten thousand more than the year before.