Heading South? This Change Could Effect You

Snowbirds and March Break-ers, beware.

aAchange to Florida driving regulations could cramp your style if you're heading South of the border. As of January 1, travellers will now need an International Driver's Permit as well as their Canadian license to get behind the wheel in a move intended to stop confusion over foreign languages on licenses.

CAA spokesman Gary Howard tells CHSJ News  it's causing a lot of hassle with long lineup, increased wait-times, and people confused about whether the new rules apply to them.

As it stands you need to have the $25 permit to drive in Florida and could face stiff penalties. Howard called the new regulations wrongheaded because almost all Canadian drivers licenses are issued in English.

Industrial Water Customers May Have To Pay Up

The hydro bill could be getting a little steeper for the city's industrial and commercial customers.

Common council hearing on Monday evening the rationale behind switching to a computerized metering system which would eliminate the need for meter readers and ensure the customers aren't being over or under-billed.

Councillor David Merrithew asked deputy commissioner of water Kendall Mason whether businesses aren't getting too sweet a deal, to which Mason responded there is no doubt the city is under-billign those customers.

Negotiating the water rate between the city and big corporations including Irving has been an ongoing issue for a number of years.

Emotions Can Vary When Someone You Know Falls From Grace

There has been concern about how young people in the city who have had contact with former Common Councillor Donnie Snook will react to his fall from grace.

Katina Feggos-Russell of Family Plus Counselling tells CHSJ News the entire community can be affected when a high profile personality gets into trouble and there's a real roller coaster of emotions such as denial, anger, grieving, a sense of betrayal and disillusionment.

She says there are some people who will try to block the person out as a means of coping and advises parents to let their children express how they're feeling openly and honestly.

New Focus To Help Students In the Anglophone South School District Cope

The mental health of students is beoming more of an issue in the Anglophone South School District.

Superintendent Zoe Watson tells CHSJ News an action plan is going to be developed. Part of that will be more training for teachers and guidance counsellors so they can recognise when a student is having difficulty coping and in need of help. Watson also says psychologists want to give a presentation to the District Education Council.

The "Celebrate What's Right With The World" initiative, launched back in 2008, will continue which attempts to get students to think positively, look for possibilities to do better, fix what's wrong and ride change.

In previous years, the focus had been on obesity and nutrition.

Former Liberal Cabinet Minister Joins NDP

The provincial NDP has itself a new member who just happens to be a former provincial Liberal cabinet Minister. 

Kelly Lamrock, who had considered running for the provincial Liberal leadership before deciding against, has joined the New Democrats, saying he's excited to be working with progressives. 

Lamrock led an initiative to reduce poverty when he was Social Development Minister under then Premier Shawn Graham. 

Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy says he and Lamrock found they had a lot in common while working on the anti-patronage bills being adopted by the Alward Government.

Gas Prices Change Slightly

Not much of a change with gas prices after the weekly setting. 

Self serve regular is selling in the city for $1.31.6 a litre which is virtually unchanged from yesterday. 

Diesel did go up by almost a couple of cents to $1.46.2 a litre. 

Heating oil did rise by almost 3 cents to a maximum of $1.24.6 a litre.

No Outside Play At West Side School

The high winds from last Saturday's storm caused a problem at St. Rose school on the west side. 

Wood ash blew over onto the school property from the nearby pulp mill and the students were not allowed to play outside.
 
The health and environment departments were called in and it was determined there were no health risks but nevertheless, it was decided to remove the snow which has been happening all week.

The children might be allowed out to play today.

Arson Suspected In North End Fire

It's believed a fire in the north end last night shortly after 9 was deliberately set. 

Platoon Chief Joe Armstrong says the fire at 168 Main Street North began on the outside of the vacant two storey building and that's where it was contained.

This was the second fire at that building in the last thirty days.

Boil Order Ends For Rothesay Avenue

The last remaining part of the Boil Water Order for Saint John has been lifted.

Water tests for the residents impacted on Rothesay Avenue have been reviewed by the Department of Health and the Medical Officer of Health who have lifted the boil water order effective immediately.

If you haven't been home since last Saturday, you should run the water in your pipes to let the old water flush out.

The boil water order was necessary after a major water main break on Rothesay Avenue during last Saturday's storm. 

Losier Says Second Meeting Of Commission Ran More Smoothly

The Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission will be entering its first-ever deficit next month due to declining amounts of garbage being dumped since the recession in 2008.

That report came from the second-ever meeting of the Fundy Regional Services Commission. Grand Bay Westfield Mayor Grace Losier tells CHSJ News she's not overly concerned, since the numbers may well stay steady--and if they don't, there's always the option of finding efficiencies within the organization or borrowing the necessary funds.

Losier says despite some important issues being raised the most recent meeting was an improvement after the first meeting of the Fundy Region Services Commission in which tension ran high between the rural areas and bigger municipalities.

Regional Hospital Radioathon Kicks Off At 6am Tomorrow

It's time to show your hospital some love on Valentine's Day.    

The Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation is partnering with Country 94 and the Wave to raise some money in a 12-hour broadcast on both stations.
 
Foundation director Victoria Clarke tells CHSJ News the aim is to tell the stories of the hospital.

She says they want to tell the stories of gratitude from our patients, of excellence and innovation from their staff and to invite people from the community to make a donation to the hospital foundation.

Country 94 and 97.3 The Wave will be broadcasting live from the Regional hospital from 6am to 6pm tomorrow.

For more info, click here

Liberals Putting Premier On Spot In Aquaculture Investigation

The charge laid this week against a senior provincial government official for obstruction of justice in an aquaculture investigation involving Deputy Premier Paul Robichaud's brother is raising more questions in the mind of Liberal M-L-A Victor Boudreau. 

It was he who got the ball rolling when he received an anonymous letter containing an allegation which he then passed on to the RCMP. Boudreau tells CHSJ News he believes there's more to the story, adding the RCMP have not confirmed whether the investigation is over or whether more charges will be laid.
 
Boudreau is wondering what Premier David Alward is going to do with his Deputy Premier while all this is going on and whether the integrity of the provincial government is being harmed.  

St. Martins Man Dies Before Movie About Him Is Released

A funeral service will be held this Friday morning at 11 in St. Martins United Church for a man from West Quaco about whom a movie has been made to be released in the spring.
 
Craig Morrison's ordeal has been turned into a movie called "Still" starring character actor James Cromwell who played the warden in the Tom Hanks' movie "The Green Mile".  

Morrison, who passed away at the age of 93, had a running battle with the New Brunswick Royal District Planning Commission about building and staying in his own home without using stamped lumber. The province charged he was not following the national building code.

Mayor Touts Rosy Economic Future For Port City

How New Brunswick can elbow in on the wealth from oil and natural gas has been a major topic of conversation n the province of late.

Mayor Mel Norton is maintaining his usual spirit of optimism about Saint John's economic prospects in that arena. 

The Mayor tells CHSJ News he's excited about a future where the Saint Johners who have left for out West can return to work at home. Norton says exploring the options with shale gas and a West-East oil pipeline would create well-paying, long term jobs and that's what this place desperately needs.

Woman Thrown From Vehicle

City Police are investigating the circumstances after a woman was tossed from a vehicle on Garden Street. She was taken to hospital to be treated for any injuries she suffered. 

A drunk driver on the east side led police on a short chase of around a kilometer before being arrested but a police car did sustain a bit of damage.

Woman Falls In Water

A woman fell into the water down on Navy Way off Chesley Drive at the Coast Guard site as she was stepping from the wharf into a boat. That prompted a call to the fire department for help.

Platoon Chief Joe Armstrong says she might have been in the water for as long as a couple of minutes but was out by the time fire crews arrived.
 
She appeared to be none the worse for wear but was taken to hospital as a precaution against hypothermia. 

The fire department was also later called to the Transit building on the east side for a leak of natural gas in the boiler room. The building was evacuated and aired out before the people who work inside were allowed back.

Boil Water Order Lifted For Most Residents

Saint John Water rescinding the Boil Water Order for all residents except for Rothesay Avenue between Russell Street and Frederick Street.

The water is now safe to drink in the North end, Millidgeville, Rockwood Park and in the Uptown/South Central Peninsula.

If you have been away from your home, it's recommended you take a few minutes to flush out the water in your plumbing.   Turn on every tap in your house and let it run for a few minutes.   This will remove water that has been sitting in the pipes while you were away drawing cleaner, fresher water into your house.

Oldest Bar In New Brunswick Celebrates 50 Years

New Brunswick has a long history of beer-drinking and good times--and the oldest operating bar in the province is marking 50 years in business today.  

The Chris Rock Tavern in Moncton opened back in 1963, when women weren't allowed in drinking establishments and beer magnate Derrick Oland installed the draught line himself.  The name doesn't have anything to do with the famous comedian; actually, it's combination of the monikers of founders Chris Shaban and “Rocky” Stone.

Owner Wayne Woles tells CHSJ News 50 years ago you couldn't order wine, spirits or indeed anything other than beer. A quarter would buy you one bottle or two small draft, including the server's wages -- a penny per draft. Women were not allowed, and all patrons had to be seated. Operating hours were 10 a.m. to 10:45 p.m., and closed for an hour at suppertime each day as well as Sundays and holidays.

The Three Mile is arguably the oldest operating bar in Saint John, with the AQ coming in a close second.

New Nursing Home To Be Built In Millidgeville

Pleasant views and a nice residential atmosphere are some of the features being touted about a new nursing home development in Millidgeville, which would be built in part behind the Charles Gorman Arena.

Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News the senior's complex has been proposed by Shannex, the same company that runs the Parkland in the Valley nursing home in Quispamsis. Norton says the proposed development would include town houses and garden homes in addition to the main complex, and would be an excellent use of a large swath of undeveloped land.
 
No time frame has been provided for the development yet.

Harris Calls Pope's Resignation Courageous

For only the fourth time in nearly 600 years, a Pope will resign.

Bishop Robert Harris tells CHSJ News people are understanding of why Pope Benedict has decided to step down.


He says it's a courageous decision inspired by the spirit.
Harris says Pope Benedict is a renowned theologian and a man of prayer.

There is talk that Quebec cardinal Marc Ouellet is in the running but Bishop Harris says while Ouellet is highly respected it's just speculation at this point.

More Enthusiasm About Energy Growth In Saint John

The President of the Atlantica Centre for Energy, John Herron is as enthused about the prospects of future energy growth in Saint John as former Premier Frank McKenna, who spoke to the Board of Trade. 

Herron tells CHSJ News Alberta has to find other markets because the U.S. is drying up with the Americans fast becoming energy self sufficient, largely because of shale gas development.

Herron says Alberta's problem is being landlocked which makes it difficult to get oil to the fast developing Asian markets.
Herron describes himself as being optimistic a pipeline will be built to Saint John for Alberta oil but it all depends on whether western producers can get signed deals. 

He also speculates such an eventuality could increase refining capacity at the Irving Oil refinery and lead to investments in petrochemicals.

Saia Nabbed in Halifax, Appears In Court

Bradley Saia appeared in court this morning to answer to charges in connection with a violent November home invasion the West Side.

The 21 year old was recently nabbed in Halifax on a Canada-wide warrant. Saia is facing three charges including armed robbery, forcible entry, and masking his face to commit and indictable offence. He was also charged with obstructing an investigation by giving a false name in a separate matter.

About a dozen supporters attended the court appearance, three of which were asked to leave for attempting to gesture and mouth words to the accused. Saia elected to a trial by judge and jury, asking Mr. Justice William McCaroll that all proceedings be open to the public . The judge assured him he would "get all the publicity he needed."

Saia reappears in court on February 26th.

Workers Are Back At SJ Transit

Employees of Saint John Transit are back at work after a strong smell of gas in the building. 

It was evacuated as a precaution.

District Chief Joe Armstrong tells the fire department's detection equipment couldn't pick up any smell but it was noticeble and they think it originated from the area around the boiler.

The gas was shut off and Enbridge Gas will take care of the leak itself.

Fire Crews Remain At Saint John Transit

Crews from Saint John Fire remain at the Saint John Transit building on the east side after workers could smell natural gas.

The building has been evacuated as a precaution.

District Chief Joe Armstrong tells CHSJ News the smell was strong in the main boiler room and the gas has since been shut off to the building.

Crews using detection equipment have not been able to get any strong readings in the building and the smell is dissipating.
  Enbridge Gas is en route to the area and Armstrong tell us they are in a holding pattern until they arrive.

Transit Building Evacuated

The Saint John Transit building on the East side has been evacuated after a smell of gas in the building.

A Slew Of Collisions Early Last Night

You can now drive along Rothesay Avenue which has been reopened to traffic after being closed following the watermain break Saturday morning. 

City Police telling CHSJ News the stormy weather early last night around 7 caused something like ten collisions within half an hour and early this morning they made two arrests following a foot chase after some fishing boats at Long Wharf were broken into. A heads up for drivers later on.

NB Southern Railway will be closing Grandview Avenue at its intersection with Bayside Drive between 9 this morning and noonhour to do maintenance at its rail crossing. There will be a detour in place. Traffic flow along Bayside Drive will not be affected but local traffic only will be allowed on Grandview Avenue between Industrial Drive and Bayside Drive and you can expect to be delayed.

Mayor Confident In Future Of Clean Drinking Water

After the rupture of a 140-year old water main over the weekend knocked out water to the core of Saint John, updating the city's water infrastructure is a topical issue for many in the Port City.

Mayor Mel Norton met yesterday with the Premier, government ministers and MP Rodney Weston to discuss the funding options and time frame for clean drinking water. The Mayor tells CHSJ News after that tete-a-tete, support from the province on the $260-million project is looking good. The deadline for a funding commitment from the province is early April.

In the meantime, the city is drilling test wells at various groundwater sites, which could be cheaper to treat.

Anti-Shale Gas Protestors Target McKenna Speech

Protestors albeit quiet ones on hand outside th site of McKenna's speech handing out flyers with scary stats on the ills of shale gas exploration.
 
Chris Rendell tells CHSJ News the former premier is asking the business people to accept the crumbs that fall off the plate as the government rushes to export the energy and profits of shale gas.

He says the majority of the energy leaves the province adding the best idea our leaders can come up with for shale gas is to put it in a pipeline and sell it to Boston.

He says Boston and the U.S. to benefit from our resources and the people of New Brunswick bears the cost which Rendell claims are things like higher cancer rates and a loss of property value because of fracking.

Women Get A Hand With Starting Small Businesses

Fans of Dragon's Den and anyone else with an entrepreneurial spirit might find this interesting.

The Community Loan Fund offering a 20-week course specifically for women on how to start your own business. 

Melanie Vatour tells CHSJ News a lot of women were coming in with great ideas, but no support to help them make them a reality--and part of that means consideration for the issues that specifically effect women.

The course meets 2 evenings per week to learn how to conduct market research, create financials, get funding for your small business and more. The deadline to apply is February 15.

McKenna Calls Energy Projects Huge Potential For NB

Former Premier Frank McKenna says at this single moment in our history where times seem to be the worst there is probably more hope than he's seen in a long long time.

McKenna speaking on energy matters to a sold out audience of 550 people at a Board of Trade luncheon at the Delta today.

McKenna says we have an incredible opportunity presented by a potential West-East pipeline, shale gas and converting Canaport LNG to an export facility.

He says Saint John just happens to be in the right place at the right time with a great port, a great refinery and a great gas resource.

The Watermain That Broke Was 140 Years Old

The cast iron watermain that ruptured Saturday on Rothesay Avenue by Staples was made back in 1873. It had a couple of horizontal cracks and was corroded. 

District Medical Health Officer Dr. Scott Giffin says it points out the need for aging infrastructure to be replaced. He adds if you drink the water without first boiling it, chances are you won't get sick but there's still the risk of contracting salmonella and ecoli along with other types of water borne bacteria.

The transmission line that broke was slated for replacement under the clean water programme according to the city's Deputy Commissioner of Water, Kendall Mason. He adds all of the wooden watermains have been replaced.
 
The boil water order is estimated to affect more than 35 thousand people from Reversing Falls east to Russell Street and it will remain in force until at least late tomorrow or early Wednesday. 

The first of the water samples collected have been sent off to be analysed by an independent lab.

Bradley Saia Caught In Halifax

One of two brothers wanted by police in connection to a deadly West side home invasion last year and stabbing has been arrested in Halifax.

City police were called to a home on Prince Street West on November 3rd last year where two young men were found stabbed and sent to hospital.    18 year old Andrew Jonathan (AJ) Dennison died of his injuries.

Police have been looking for 21 year old Bradley Neil Saia since last fall and he was arrested in Halifax on Saturday.   

Saia was arrested as a result of a Canada Wide Warrant and is facing charges of forcible entry, robbery and being masked while committing an indictable offence.

Saia's twin brother Brandon was previously arrested on November 6th.    A 16 year old also faces charges relating to this incident along with 21 year old Christopher Reid who was stabbed himself in the incident.

Deadly Fire In Oromocto

The Red Cross is reporting fires in the Maritimes over the weekend forced at least 23 people from their homes or apartments including two people in Red Head. 

There was also a fatal fire in Oromocto on Evans Drive. 

Firefighters managed to rescue a 72 year old woman but she later died in hospital.  Oromocto Fire Chief Jody Price says the woman lived with her daughter and son-in-law but they weren't home at the time.

Traditional Native Values Are In Everyone's Interest, Says Activist

An impassioned crowd gathering on Saint Mary's Reserve gathered last week for a lecture by an internationally renowned aboriginal rights activist Winona LaDuke.

The economist and Harvard graduate slated shale gas, nuclear power, and cross-country bitumen pipelines as irresponsible and dangerous.

Patrick Brooks is a member of the Saint Mary's First Nation, and he tells CHSJ News the people need to look out for the country's interest because the government's priority is fattening its bottom line. Brooks says traditional native ideology focuses on long-termism and protecting the earth, and is thus at odds with the agenda of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

LaDuke charged the feds with losing perspective on the energy issued, and urged the members of Saint Mary's First Nation to work on ways to become self sufficient, like wind-generated electricity and sustainable farming.

Changes To Be Announced With City Bus Service

City Transit coming before Common Council tonight seeking the okay to buy three new buses at a cost of more than 1.3 million dollars. 

The Transit Commission will also be letting Councillors know what changes are coming in a few weeks time with the extra funding in this year's city budget. 

The big upgrade will be to bus service between Lancaster Mall and the Regional Hospital. There will be twelve trips a day, every hours from 6:40 in the morning until 5:35 in the afternoon. 

Nighttime service is being restored to Millford, greendaler, Churchill Heights, the South End and St. Joseph's and holiday service will be reinstated as of Victoria Day. 

Other routes will be getting more daily runs.

Shale Gas Still A Point Of Contention

There is no doubt in the mind of Provincial Finance Minister Blaine Higgs.......Shale gas development is essential to the future economic well being of the province. 

Not everyone agrees but Stephanie Merrill of the Conservation Council's Action Group on freshwater tells CHSJ News it appears to the Alward Government, it's an open and shut case.

Merrill claims there's research from the U.S. showing some counties are actually worse off after shale gas development. 

We have been promised the unveiling by Premier David Alward in the coming weeks of his government's bluepring for shale gas development.

Higgs Faces Even Tougher Job With Provincial Budget

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs has been going around the province claiming the next provincial budget to be unveiled next month has to count. 

In the meantime, the provincial budget deficit is now projected to exceed 400 million dollars. He explains the rise by saying the economic recovery from the 2008 financial debacle never has taken off in New Brunswick and the markets are not supporting any sort of upswing with the provincial pension plan which is carrying a huge deficit.

Higgs has been arguing we have been living beyond our means but acknowledges bringing about change is tough. 

The consensus from the pre-budget consultations is a combination of increasing government revenue with tax increases and spending cuts at the same time. Those consultations were dominated at times by presentations from speakers who belongs to the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Boil Water Order Could Last Much Of This Week

Saint John wound up with 26 centimeters of snow from this weekend's storm.

A miserable combination of blowing snow and gale force winds battered the Saint John region Saturdaybut the situation was made worse by a water main break on Rothesay Avenue by Staples which cut off water to half of the city and prevented officials in charge of responding to the storm being able to communicate online both internally and externally for awhile. 

It was decided to partially activate the city's emergency measures plan but Fire Chief Kevin Clifford tells CHSJ News the response to the storm was made alot easier by drivers staying at home and off the roads, in part, because of all the talk of how bad the storm would be as well as people planning ahead.

That water main break also prompting the city to issue a boil water order for everyone east of Reversing Falls to Russell Street. It will be in effect at least until sometime on Tuesday but might last longer. We'll be hearing more on that today from District Medical Health Officer Dr. Scott Giffin.

Snow Ban In Effect Tonight

An overnight snow parking ban has been declared for the South/Central Peninsula effective 11pm this evening through to 7am tomorrow morning.  This means there is no on-street parking allowed anywhere in the South/Central Peninsula area.  Any vehicles remaining on-street after 11 pm when a snow ban has been declared WILL BE TOWED at the owner's risk and expense.
Six Parking Commission snow ban parking lots have been cleared for use by on-street parking residents beginning at 6 pm tonight at:
•              the corner of Princess Street and Charlotte Street
•              King Street East
•              Peters Street
•              Carmarthen Street/Vineyard Church and
•              Mecklenburg Street at Wentworth Street
•              the corner of Charlotte and Queen Streets at Key Industries (entrance on Queen Street)
Vehicles must be removed from all snow ban parking lots by 7 am Monday through Friday and by noon on weekends. Vehicles remaining in the lots after these times may be towed at the owner's risk and expense.
Brunswick Square and Market Square offer a $4.00 overnight parking rate for nights when a snow ban is declared, between 8 pm and 8 am the following morning. (After 8 am parkers will be subject to regular parking rates.)
The purpose of a Snow Ban is to allow plow crews to push snow back from all streets in the South/Central Peninsula to maintain access to all streets – especially narrow ones – by emergency and private vehicles throughout the winter.
The City of Saint John apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. 

To find out whether a temporary overnight parking ban has been declared, call the Snow Parking Ban Recorded Information Line at 658-4040.  You can also check the City of Saint John website at www.saintjohn.ca.

Demand For Blood Donations Increses After Storm

Winter storms make life a little trickier for everyone--especially local hospitals. Michelle Thibodeau Coates of Canadian Blood Services tells CHSJ News donating blood is especially important in the days after a storm. She explains whether the need is due to cancer treatments or a car crash, the demand remains constant.

Further, it's key to cancel if it turns out you can't make it to your appointment to donate.
.
Thibodeau-Coates says if you've never donated blood the days after a major weather event are a great time to do that. To donate, click here

Fire Chief Says Storm Caused Communications Issues

As if the gale force winds and blowing snow weren't bad enough, there was a major water main break on Rothesay Avenue by Staples which cut off water to the core of the city.

Fire Chief Kevin Clifford says there was a partial activation of the emergency plan when the water main break also severed online communications from the city. He says all the factors combined were unique, differentiating this weather event from your run-of-the-mill winter storm.

The city also issuing a boil water order for everyone from Reversing Falls east to Russell because of the water main break.

Board Of Trade Supports Shale Gas Exploration

The Saint John Board of Trade is throwing its support behind exploration of oil and natural gas deposits in the province.

Spokesman Patrick Beamish tells CHSJ News even though all the environmental impacts have not been fully examined, we should still move ahead and see exactly what kind of energy resources New Brunswick is sitting on.

Former Premier Frank McKenna will be speaking at a Board of Trade luncheon on Monday on potential shale gas development as well as the possibility of an West-East oil pipeline.

Protestors will gather on the sidewalk outside the Delta hotel to demonstrate against such development.

Listeners React To So-Called "Snowmaggedeon"

A water main break, high winds and blowing snow made life difficult for some yesterday---but isn't severe weather simply part of living in the Great White North? We asked our listeners whether Nemo was mostly hype or whether it was actually "snowmageddeon."

Tammy says it was nothing compared to everyday winter, and with all the panic going on south of us, we are taking this too seriously.

But Vanesssa says she actually had a few trees fall down: one landed on her garage and one took the power line down.

Rebecca agrees that "safer than sorry" is always best.

But Kyle points out says when it finally hit, it was just lots of wind and  snow drifts. He thinks people should stop believing the Weather Network so much.

Got an opinion? Join that conversation on Facebook or Twitter.

Saint John Police Force Will Take To Social Media

Saint John's intelligence-led policing model has been hailed as a 21rst-century approach to crime-fighting.

Now, Police Chief Bill Reid tells CHSJ News the force will be stepping up its use of technology to communicate with the public.

Reid says members of the force are being trained on the do's and don't of social media use, and will soon be updating on things like traffic issues as well as dealing with resident's concerns. The Rothesay Regional Police force already has an active Facebook and Twitter presence.

Storm Update From City

Saint John Water and Storm Update

A boil water order has been declared for most residents between Russell Street and Reversing Falls Bridge. Please visit www.saintjohn.ca for more information. The order is in response to a significant watermain break on Rothesay Avenue. Repairs are underway to the watermain and partial service has been restored to the area.

Saint John Transit will be ceasing service at 12:30 pm.

The Saint John Police Department is asking people to stay off the roads.

Saint John E-M-O has declared a partial activation of the City’s Emergency Operation Centre in response to the storm.

Boil Water Order In Effect

A boil water order is in effect because of the water main break on Rothesay Avenue for points east of Reversing Falls to Russell Street. It will remain in effect until Tuesday.

UPDATE: Storm Cancellations

An update on cancellations and other important information related to the severe weather.....

About 900 people are without power in the Rothesay area. We've also heard from folks in the dark around Forest Hills. The water main break has been isolated and your taps should return to normal as soon as the pressure has time to build up in the pipes. The only area still effected is Rothesay Ave between Russell Street and Wonder Muffler.

Saint John Transit informs us that the buses will be taken off the roads at noon. As a result McAllister Place will be closing as of 11am. Brunswick Square is still open.

The Aquatic Centre will be closing today due to the storm. The east, west and central branches of the Saint John Library are also closed, and all programming is cancelled. Several departures from the Saint John airport to Toronto and Halifax have been cancelled.

Snow Expected To Last Until Tomorrow

It's a white, windy mess out there.

Our region is under a blizzard warning and areas like Sussex and Kings County remain under a blowing snow warning.

Environment Canada meterologist Jeremy March tells CHSJ News the snow is far from finished falling, which about 10 centimeters currently on the ground and an additional 15 cm expected over the course of the day.

Gusts of wind up to 90km per hour are reducing visibly in some areas to almost nil---you're advised not to travel unless you have to, but if you must be advised that "snow means slow."

The snow is expected to taper off overnight, and March says we might even see some sun tomorrow.

Many Storm Cancellations

City Transit tells CHSJ News the buses are still operating as of 6am; however, some cancellations could happen later in the day. They will offer 2 hours notice about any service disruptions.

Brunswick Square, The Aquatic Center, NB Museum, and all branches of the Royal Bank and public library will be closed today due to the storm.

The pancake supper scheduled for today at the Church of the Ascension in Apohaqui has been cancelled.

A major water main break occured around Staples on Rothesay Ave shortly before 6am.City police are setting up barricades and are turning traffic back at that location, so you're advised to plan your route accordingly. Many homes in the surrounding area are reporting low water pressure or no water at all.

Several departures from the Saint John Airport to Halifax and Toronto have been cancelled, although some flights are still expected to be on time. Check with the airport at (506) 638-5555 for updated information.

This link will be updated as more cancellations arrive.

Fire, Water Main Break Keep Crews Busy

Two people are temporarily homeless after a house fire at 915 Redhead Road. Fire crews recieved that call around 8pm, and managed to contain the blaze to the bathroom and hall area of a home. Six pieces of fire aparatus stayed on the scene for 3 hours and investigators are still working on figuring out thecase of the blaze although it is not being treated as suspcious at this point.

Fire Crews also responded to an alarm at 112 Prince Edward Square where they found low-level readings of natural gas. The situation was turned over to Enbridge Natural Gas.

Reports are also coming in of a major water main break around Staples on Rothesay avenue around 5:40 this morning. City Works is working to contain that break but there are several feet of water in that area.