Benefit Organised For Bobby's Hospice

A benefit will be held tomorrow night at Harbourview High for Bobby's Hospice which provides palliative care on Dufferin Row. 

City Police officers are organising it. Constable Shanda Weir tells CHSJ News Sergeant Ken Churchill is at the Hospice now and wanted to give back to the community so he raised the idea of the benefit with Sergeant Dave Cowan, both of whom are members of the original Country Blues band. 

There have been two others since then and all three will be performing on stage Saturday night.

Constable Weir says besides the music, there will be other surprises. Prizes have been donated by the Ale House, Chateau de Saint John and Saint John Executive Limo. 

Tickets cost 15 dollars each with all the proceeds going to Bobby's Hospice and it all gets underway at 7:00.

Shale Gas Industry Hasn't Been The Best At Communicating

It's never too late to change people's minds about fracking, according to Sheri Somerville of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

She tells CHSJ News the track record speaks for itself and the industry needs to do a better job of communicating that, because clearly there have been some lapses in getting what they say are the facts across.

Somerville says the protests and lack of support are due to misinformation about the process and they're doing their best to correct that by engaging with the public online and at open meetings.

Searches Continue Today For Cormier

Confused...that is how the friends and family are feeling since the disappearance of 19 year old Gen Cormier.

There has been no sign of her since Sunday afternoon at 4pm.  Over 100 people took part in a search last night.
 
Family friend Amanda Hensey tells CHSJ News more searching will continue along Chelsey Drive and Douglas Avenue today.

They are looking for any sign of her including one of her bracelets that fell off if she slipped it will help them pinpoint where she's been.

Search crews will be out looking along Chesley Drive and Douglas Avenue beginning at 1pm today.
 

Cormier is described as 5'7" or 5'8", about 120 lbs with a  thin build, long brown hair which she will wear straight or in a ponytail.

She has hazel eyes, pierced ears, a black bird tattoo on her left shoulder and often wears  lot of bracelets.

 

She often wears jeans and a t-shirt or sweater and white Puma sneakers or sandals. 

If you have any information, contact police at 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Federal Natural Resources Minister Touts Saint John As "Pivotal"

Federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver was in Saint John today speaking at the Atlantic Energy Summit in the Port City. He described Saint John as a key location as we move into the future of energy in this country. 

Oliver reminded the crows the economic 180 as a result of offshore oil and gas discoveries in Newfoundland and Labrador and the potential of the Energy East Pipeline to increase Canada's energy security.
 
Oliver also claimed that while decisions on fracking are up to the province. It's been proven to be safe in the West for over 50 years. Meanwhile, local activist groups including the Council of Canadians protested the summit, describing a fossil fuel future as completely backward thinking.

Power Outages In The Valley

We hear from NB Power as of 7:00 this morning of 12 outages in Rothesay and Quispamsis this morning affecting more than 130 customers. 

Power is not expected to be restored for a couple of hours yet.

Ideas Welcome On Changing The Boardwalk

You will decide the future of the Boardwalk including Market Slip and Loyalist Plaza.

Saint John Waterfront Development and a steering committee leading the charge on a citizen focused process that will see recommendations made to common council in the new year. 

Architect Dan Glenn tells CHSJ News was pleased with the turnout with many people asking questions and offering ideas.

He says it was refreshing to see Saint Johners come out and embrace opportunity.

Next Tuesday they will be hosting interactive workshop sessions in the atrium of Market Square.
For more info, here

UPDATE: King Street Robber Caught

They got em!   The suspect in a bank robbery this morning was brought into police custody without incident today.

He is 39 years old and being held until a court appearance in the morning.

The robbery happened about 10:20 this morning at the CIBC on King Street.

The man got away with some cash after giving a note to a teller but he did not have a weapon.

Province Pitching The Two Nation Vacation

The Maine Chamber of Commerce hearing from Provincial Tourism Minister Trevor Holder about how the two nation vacation can become a win-win for the state and New Brunswick. 

Holder would like to see them in a combined effort to persuade a good percentage of the people who visit Maine to make the trip further north to the Bay of Fundy.

Holder says there's good potential considering 2.5 million people visit Acadia National Park in Maine each year.

Shea Trial Continues Today

Defence wrapping up closing arguments in the trial of 27 year old Caleigh Dawn Shea.

Defence lawyer Brian Munroe calling the case a series of "misunderstandings" and saying the woman who found the baby probably heard one of Shea's other children crying, not the baby left on the street.
 
Munroe also calling into question the timeline of events saying its impossible to know whether the baby was left for 5 or 15 minutes.

Shea's mother, Sherry Jeffers testifying despite that Social Development has been involved in her daughter's family for domestic violence issues yet, she still goes above and beyond for her children adding they are "dumbfounded" three of them are still not home with their mom.

Shea was polite and composed on the stand as she explained the difficulty she was having with her autistic son that day, as well as pushing a heavy stroller with 4 kids and groceries.
 
Judge Henrik Toning saying its not an offence to set down a baby for a second....and it has to be established Shea exposed the baby to risk.

New Energy Plant To Be Built In Saint John

Premier David Alward in town for the Energy Summit but also to make an economic development announcement. 

The Province is giving Atlantic Hydrogen 950 thousand dollars to help build a new plant on Bayside Drive to produce a new, environmentally friendly technology called the CarbonSaver. It processes natural gas to produce clean hydrogen and fit for use carbon with minimal carbon dioxide emissions. 

Atlantic Hydrogen President and C-E-O David Wagner says after ten years of research and development which cost 35 million dollars, they're ready to go global. Germany is seen as a potentially large market.
 
The Premier says this type of world class innovative technology will shine a bright light on New Brunswick on the world stage.
 
The plant is expected to be up and running early next year with the creation of 8 jobs.

Police Release New Photos Of Missing 19 Year Old

City police releasing new photos of a missing 19 year old girl.

Genevieve Mary Cormier was reported missing on Monday and was last seen on Sunday afternoon in uptown Saint John.

She is described as 5'7" or 5'8", about 120 lbs with a  thin build, long brown hair which she will wear straight or in a ponytail. 

She has hazel eyes, pierced ears,  a black bird tattoo on her left shoulder and often wears a lot of bracelets.

She often wears jeans and a t-shirt or sweater and white Puma sneakers or sandals. 

If you have any information, contact police at  648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Police Release Picture of Robbery Suspect

City police releasing of picture of the suspect in a robbery this morning at the CIBC at King and Germain.

If you can help police call them at 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1 800-222-TIPS (8477).

More Anti-Energy East Demonstration In Uptown Saint John

VIDEO: Anti-Fracking March In The Uptown

Protestors from the Council of Canadians and other activist groups gathering on Germain Street to protest hydraulic fracking.

Down the street at the Delta, industry leaders are discussing the future of energy in the province, including the Energy East Pipeline and shale gas exploration. 

Five People Sent To Hospital In Highway Crash

The RCMP called to a single vehicle collision on Highway 1 westbound in the Pennfield/Pocologan area.

It happened just before 7 this morning and one lane of the highway was blocked.

Horizon Health confirming to CHSJ News that five people were rushed to the Regional Hospital.

The Mounties have not released any information about whether anyone died in the crash

UPDATE: CIBC on King Hit By Robber

Another brazen daylight robbery. This time in the Uptown.
It happened just after 10:00 at the C-I-B-C on King Street at Germain.

A man, between 30 and 40 years of age, handed a note to a teller and ran off with some cash. Police say he did not have a weapon. 

They describe him as being 5’4 to 5’6 , with a slim build, wearing beige pants, possibly jogging type pants, a dark grey hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and stubble facial hair.

One witness telling CHSJ News the man was very short and smiling as walked away holding an aluminum bag.

Police are asking anyone with information about the robbery to contact City Police at 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Highway Collision Near Pennfield Reported To Be Serious

The RCMP at the scene of a severe collision along Highway One in the Pennfield area with several victims and as many as five ambulances responding. 

No other information has been released.

Sussex Man Back In Court For Murdering His Dad

26 year old Dana Allison Craig from Sussex, who was charged in the murder of his 63 year old father in a Brandon, Manitoba hotel room, has been declared not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
 
The Court in Brandon was told Craig had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was in the midst of an acute psychotic episode at the time Terry Craig, a retired banker, was strangled and stabbed. 

The younger Craig had been in Alberta and was returning to New Brunswick with his dad.
 
Craig remains in custody. What happens to him will be decided by Manitoba's Criminal Code Review Board. It can release someone into the community if no threat is posed to the public or detention in a mental health facility for those who pose a high risk.

Burger Warning

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning consumers to avoid certain Compliments brand Super 8 Beef Burgers because they may be contaminated with E. coli.
 
The burgers were distributed in New Brunswick at Sobeys.
 
The eight-ounce burgers are sold frozen in packages of six with a UPC code of 0 55742 37055 3.

Book Chosen For Big Rothesay Read

The Freedom Writers Diary has been chosen for the Big Rothesay Read. 

Its a book about how a teacher and 150 teens used writing to change themselves by getting college degrees and the world around them. 

The book was written in 1999 by a group of high school students in Long Beach, California and their teacher which was turned into a movie in 2007 starring Hilary Swank.  

One of the Freedom Writers, Tiffony Jacobs will be speaking to the students in Rothesay on October 30th.

Fire Department Spends All Night At Propane Leak

A major disruption yesterday afternoon because of a propane leak from a rail car behind Marsh Street on the east side. 

Traffic was blocked along Highway One from Garden Street to Ashburn Lake Road for 6 hours. Platoon Chief Peter Saab says it took some time for fire crews to determine which rail car was expelling propane through a relief valve.

 Fire crews poured large volumes of water over the rail car to disperse the fumes. The water also served to cool down the rail car. 

The readings are at a safe level. Fire crews and Irving people were on the scene right through the night.

Barlow Says The Pipeline Is Not All Good

While the Energy summit opens at the Delta, another conference wants to draw attention to the need for sustainable energy in Atlantic Canada.

The Energy for Everyone counter-conference hosting a panel discussion on energy including the proposed Energy East pipeline, shale gas and fracking.

Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians tells CHSJ News says the big conference will have one line...that it's all good.

She says people will be screaming blue murder if the pipeline is going through someone's pond or school and they don't want it adding it's important to have this debate.

9 students from Mount Alison came to hear the panel discussion at the Lily Lake Pavilion which also included Alma Brooks of the St. Mary's First Nation.

Board Of Trade Honours Best And Brightest

The Board of Trade is marking 194 years in business in Saint John as well as paying tribute to some outstanding achievements in business at its annual awards ceremony.

 Executive Director David Duplisea tells CHSJ News it's a chance to celebrate what Saint John is doing right on the economic front.

Carole Cunningham received the Chair's Award in honour of her decades of service to the chamber of commerce/board of trade movement.

Cunningham expresses hope the recent energy announcements will result in some spinoffs for Saint John in the near future--and says we're starting to see some of that already.

Other winners include Wise Cracks Foundation Repair as Emerging Enterprise......Commercial Properties for Business Excellence......The Big Heart Award going to U-N-B Saint John and the Young Entrepreneur for 2013 is Sarah Jones of Jones Gallery.

Crews Remain Dealing With Propane Leak, Though Highway 1 Re-Opened

Crews are still working to transfer propane from the leaking tanker car that caused traffic problems for much of the city this afternoon.

Highway 1 was reopened at about 6pm.

If you see some flaring in the area Divisional Fire Chief Mark Wilson tells the public not to be alarmed--they're simply disposing of the excess product. 

He says things should be back to normal by tomorrow morning. 

Fire In Hampton Causes Serious Damage

Hampton Fire Rescue responded to a structure fire around noon today. 

Upon arrival,  crews found a one storey building totally engulfed by fire, which they were able to quickly knock down. 

There was one person home at the time and they were able to get themselves and their pets out safely. The house sustained considerable damage.

The cause is still under investigation but isn't being thought of as suspicious. Crews from Hampton, Nauwigewauk and Kennibecasis valley were on the scene.
 

Bosse Doesn't Support Inquiry Into Estabrooks

Inquiries don't stop pedophiles, people stop pedophiles. 

That word coming from the province's Child & Youth Advocate, who is not convinced a public inquiry into the late Ken Estabrooks, who may have sexually abused over 260 youth, is the right way to go.

Norman Bosse, who is a lawyer, defended the victims during the Kingsclear inquiry as a lawyer in the 90s, and he tells CHSJ News this one would be hard to pull off because of how much time has passed and he also doesn't believe it would deter other people from sexually abusing children in the future.

Bosse thinks a better option is police doing their own investigation now. He says police are there to protect the public, and it would stand well for them to explain why they dealt with Estabrooks, a former City Police Officer, the way they did.

Mayor Says Supporting Airport Key To Bolstering Business

If you want to bring business to the city, you need to invest in the airport. 

That word coming from Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll in response to the Airport Authority's request for $600,000 for advertising from the city, towns and local service districts that make up the Fundy Regional Services Commission.

Driscoll, the vice-chair of the committee, tells CHSJ News we have to be competitive with airports like those in Moncton and in Bangor, and we may need to add more destinations in order to achieve that.

He's hoping at the next commission meeting they'll get more information on how the airport plans on spending the money. After that, he says they'll be prepared to consider the allocation.

Fire Chief Calls Propane Leak Scene "Stable"

Although propane is still leaking on and off from the railway tanker car in the Haymarket Square area, there's a very low probability that something is going to go wrong.

That word from Fire Chief Kevin Clifford, who says crews are getting very low readings, and the wind seems to be taking the propane away and leaving little opportunity for it to settle. 

He says the train was parked when staff on site realized there was a leak and called the fire department. Buildings within a 300-yard area of the railyard were evacuated and Highway 1 from Garden Street to Ashburn Lake Road, both eastbound and westbound lanes, have been closed.

Clifford says residents can take comfort in the fact that crews are being very cautious.

Division Fire Chief Mark Wilson tells CHSJ News crews are re-entering the scene to mitigate the leak.

Getting Home Is A Challenge Tonight

It's traffic chaos for people trying to get home from work this afternoon.

A tanker leak forcing the closure of Highway 1 in both directions during rush hour.

We are told traffic on Rothesay Avenue is backed up all the way to Haymarket Square near the scene.

Highway 1 is closed between Crown Street and Ashburn Road and has been for several hours.

No word yet on when the Highway may be re-opened.

Thanks to the road warrior for letting us know it's slow-going coming from the hospital on Foster Thurston towards the highway.

UPDATE: Propane Still Leaking & Hwy Closed

UPDATE: Division Chief Mark Wilson of City Fire tells CHSJ News there is still propane leaking from the rail car and they are re-entering the scene to mitigate the leak. 

Emergency crews called out early this afternoon to deal with a propane leak from a rail car near Haymarket Square.
 
Buildings within a 300-yard area of the railyard were evacuated and Highway 1 from Garden Street to Ashburn Lake Road, both eastbound and westbound lanes, have been closed.
 
Members of Irving Oil's hazardous materials team are on scene as well as NB Southern Railway officials.

Mom Stands Trial For Leaving Her Baby Outside In Cold

A 27 year old mother is on trial charged with leaving her baby outside in the cold alone last January along Paddock Street. The court was told the baby was dressed for the weather with only her face exposed and appeared to be no worse for wear.
 
Norma Cusack, who lived across the street, testified it was more like 15 to 20 minutes from the time she heard a baby crying to the time when police arrived. 

Shea maintains the baby was only outside for a few minutes while she took her groceries inside along with her other young children. 

When Police got there, Constable Amy Cunningham told the court Shea came out of the house dressed in a tee shirt, jeans and no shoes. Cunningham believes Shea didn't realise her baby had been left outside after telling her she had looked through the house twice for her baby who was 4 or 5 months old.

BREAKING: Highway Closed, Tanker Car Still Leaking Propane

Propane is still leaking from a railway tanker car behind Haymarket Square. Fire crews are on scene working to isolate the leaking car and determine the cause of the leak.

The call initially came in about an hour ago. Workers on the One Mile Interchange were evacuated as well as a number of buildings in the immediate vicinity.

Due to concerns about the propane drifting over the road, the east and westbound lanes of the highway are closed until further notice from Crown St. to Ashburn Rd.

Police Department Expected To Finish Year On Budget

Despite the SJPD's ongoing contract negotiations, the quarterly reports are looking good and they're expecting to finish the year on budget.

That's the word from Police Chief Bill Reid who also tells CHSJ News there were some questions raised at Police Commission about the amount of overtime being used.  He says they're down 17 officers from what they were a year ago, and sometimes that means they have to take officers off patrol and put them on criminal investigations.

Reid says watching the dollars and cents has been the responsibility of everyone on staff--and the administration has really had to watch the bottom line.

Traffic To Be Detoured On West Side

The city telling us Main Street West between Ready Street and Charles Street West is closed to thru traffic today with a detour in place because of roadwork.

Mayor Hopes Police Name Is Changed By New Year

You could soon be saying goodbye to the RRPD and hello to the KV Police Department.
  
Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News he's hoping to see the name change happen by the new year. 

The town pays for two-thirds of policing in the valley, and Driscoll says it's only fair they're included in the name. He adds, the change will undoubtedly come with a cost, but it won't be what he calls a phenomenal cost. He says Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop seems to be on board with the idea, and he doesn't believe there's any objection from police, though he hasn't heard from them personally.  

The fire department changed their name from Rothesay Regional to Kennebecasis Valley back in 2006.

Three Months To Go--Chief Still Predicts Oland Arrest Before 2014

As 2013 winds down Police Chief Bill Reid still has a New Year's resolution to fulfill: an arrest in the investigation into the murder of Richard Oland. 

Reid tells CHSJ News the Crown will be reviewing the file in the next month, and then will come back with either a recommendation for further investigation or the green light to lay charges. He says it's impossible to magically declare "today's the day" when in fact a legal process has to be followed, as everyone is aware.
 
Reid says only a small amount of information is available to the public so it's discouraging for some people when assumptions are made about the lack of charges. At the same time, the Chief maintains the SJPD is transparent in all of their operations, and he's confident at the end of the day the police will be successful.

New Screening Program Could Save Lives

Getting screened for cancer improves your odds dramatically--and some people in the province will be taking advantage of a new screening program to catch the disease early.

The province has announced a new program beginning in early 2014 that will remind eligible individuals to get screened and track who's been checked and who hasn't.

A program has existed to screen for breast cancer since 1995--now colon and cervical cancer screening will be added to the list. Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada.

One Mile Interchange To Be Open Next Month

The $75 million dollar One Mile Interchange project, which will provide a direct connection between Highway One and Bayside Drive, will be finished by next month according to Tim O'Reilly of Traffic Services.

Truck traffic headed to the industrial areas out east will be rerouted onto the interchange---keeping it off city centre streets. There's going to be plenty of new signage to direct drivers where to go.

Don't Call 911 If You See A Cat In A Tree

We get the occasional call reporting cats stuck in trees around the city--so we asked Mark Wilson of the Saint John Fire Department whether the SJFD still performs those rescues like you see in the movies. 

He tells CHSJ News they generally don't, since there's a good likelihood a cat will come down on its own without any intervention from a firefighter.

Wilson says if there's a case of something or something being truly trapped or stuck they'll respond--but in the case of a cat up a tree 9 times out of 10 it'll come down on its own.

NB Power Integrates Companies Into Single Utility

The province's energy utility bringing its companies together under one umbrella. NB Power's Group of Companies are now one integrated Crown Corporation as required by the Electricity Act.

That company is now solely responsible for generating, transmitting and distributing the province's electricity.

The change means the Electric Finance Corporation which was created to deal with debt is disslved and the utility will take on $325-million in net debt, and a new subsidiary, the NB Energy Marketing Corporation, will be created.

President and CEO Gaëtan Thomas says the changes will help keep energy prices low and stable over the next decade.

City Clarifies Estabrooks Costs

In an email, the City letting us know their contract with the Investigative Solutions Network regarding the Estabrooks investigation includes the approval of funding in $100,000 increments beginning last October and again in January and April of this year.    

About $300,000 has been spent so far and Common Council authorized another $100,000 just over two weeks ago bringing the total approved amount to $400,000.

Energy Drink Discussion

If your kids like those energy drinks, you may be interested in the results of this discussion today.

The Department of Health is hosting a dialogue that include the chief medical officer of health Dr. Eilish Cleary, Dr. Samuel Godefroy of Health Canada and Martin-Pierre Pelletier of the Canadian Beverage Association.

A report on the dialogue will be made available on the department of health's website later this fall.

The Best In Local Business Will Be Honoured

The top honours for local businesses will be given out tomorrow night by the Saint John Board of Trade. 

The mood of business in the city over the last year has been somewhat downcast. Saint John has the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate along the cities surveyed by Stats Canada. 

Board of Trade President Eric Poirier tells CHSJ News it's not all doom and gloom these days. He characterises it as "cautious optimism".
 
Colwells, Liquid Gold Olive and Vinegar Inc. along with Maritime Hydroseed are all in the running for the Entrepreneurial Excellence award.

3D Property Managemen, Flex-Con Concrete Repair and Urban Shoe Myth are the finalists for the Emerging Entrepreneur Award.

The finalists for business excellence are Bayview Credit Union, Commercial Properties and Fortis Properties which owns the Delta.

The Young Entrepreneur Award is going to Sarah Jones of Jones Gallery.
 
UNB Saint John - The Promise Partnership gets the Big Heart Award and Carole Cunningham of the Saint John Board of Trade will receive the Chairman's Award.
 

Federal Money To Facilitate Fish Travel

$15,000 from the Feds means the Atlantic Coastal Action Program can fix up at a dam at Ashburn Lake facilitating fish travel.

Tim Vickers of ACAP Saint John tells CHSJ News some of the funding will be used to replace a historic dam where Ashburn Lake meets Ashburn Creek.

He tells us over time the dam has washed out and it gets filled in with large rocks preventing the fish from getting through.

A new dam will include a fish ladder that allows them come in and out of Ashburn Lake while the water levels are maintained.

Saint John MP Rodney Weston making the funding announcement this morning on behalf Fisheries Minister Gail Shea at the Glen Carpenter Centre.

Young Woman Missing

CHSJ News has been contacted by friends who say they're worried about a 19 year old woman who has been missing since September 29th. 

Genevieve Mary Cormier, known as "Gen" was last seen on the Reversing Falls Bridge heading west. 

She's described as being about five feet 7 with dark brown/blackish hair and has a tattoo on her back reading "Take these broken wings and learn to fly" with a bird.  

Her friends are urging you contact City Police if you know anything about her whereabouts because they're worried sick.

Lawsuits Could Cost City Mega Bucks Just To Defend

If the city has to defend itself in the face of 263 lawsuits, the cost could alone bankrupt the city. That word from Halifax lawyer John McKiggan.

He tells CHSJ News a class action lawsuit will be filed in a matter of days or weeks on behalf of the people who say they were sexually abused by the late Ken Estabrooks when he was a City Police Sergeant and later a city employee with the Works Department.
 
McKiggan says they want to find if the Mayor and Common Council back in 1975 signed off on transferring Estabrooks from the police to City Works after confessing. 

McKiggan says a class action lawsuit offers a more flexible solution.

Traffic Disruption On West Side

Main Street West  between Ready Street and Charles Street West will be reduced to one lane in both directions over the next two days for crosswalk improvements and roadway maintenance.

Man Saved From Leaping Off Bridge

Alot of activity for Police in the Valley. They had to save a man from harming himself when he was hanging off a bridge along Route 111 and threatening to jump the next time a truck came along. Police managed to grab hold of him before he could make the leap and he's now in hospital for mental health issues.

Another man was taken to hospital after losing control of the bicycle he was riding on Randy Jones Way. Police say he was wearing a helmet which save his head but did suffer injuries to his chest.

Another deer was struck causing considerable damage to the vehicle in Gondola Point by Miller Road and a home along Rothesay Road was broken into.

What's The Future Of Fallsview Park?

The future of the Reversing Fall Jet Boat business is up in the air-- and another question mark hangs over the future of Fallsview Park. 

Tourism Minister Trevor Holder tells CHSJ News it's time to take a second look at the park off Douglas Avenue and how we can make it more attractive to visitors.


Holder says he'd like to see consultation with the business community, especially the businesses that rely on Reversing Fall for revenue, and ask them what they'd like to see changed about the park. 

No word on whether we're likely to see a public consultation like that currently being held on the future of the Market Square/Loyalist Plaza. Holder says that would be up to Waterfront Development.

Land Bank Could Nip Vacant & Derelict Buildings In The Bud

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to vacant lots and derelict buildings--and common council is expressing its approval for the idea of a land bank to help further than end.

The idea was floated by Housing Alternatives, which has promoted adequate, affordable housing in Saint John area for 30 years. In essence, a land bank means a not-for-profit holds the title for a property until they can find a suitable investor to take it over. 

Housing Alternatives Executive Director Kit Hickey explains in the event there are vacant parcels of land that are turned over to the city, the land bank would hold them for future development. 

Common Councillor Gerry Lowe says it makes sense to let a not-for-profit deal with vacant lots since the city has a lot on its plate already.

Mayor Mel Norton calling the idea a "huge benefit" to the city.