Home Show Invades Harbour Station

(Floor Shot of the Home Show - CHSJ News Photo)
     

Another edition of the Saint John Home Show is alive and well with-in the confines of Harbour Station. With over 250 exhibitors, the publicist for Master Promotions Denise Miller tells CHSJ News, there is plenty for home-owners to go over.
Miller adds the spring like weather is a huge bonus for the show as it gets home-owners in the mood to think about renovations and new additions. The doors are open until nine tonight, between ten and nine tomorrow and Sunday eleven til four.

Explosion at New Brunswick Community College

A student and instructor had to be rushed to hospital after an explosion Wednesday night at the NBCC Campus in Saint Andrews. It happened during a scheduled training activity for the Hospitaility and Toursim program.


Principal Terry Dempsey tells CHSJ News, the instructor continues to be looked over and the student could be released from hospital today. Dempsey adds this is a very unfortunate incident in spite of all the experience and safety precautions. No word on what caused the explosion and Worksafe NB has been called in.

Provincial Pharmacists Upset with Blue Cross Comments

A recent request by Medavie Blue Cross to it's clients has the Provincial Pharmacists Association seeing red. Before a deal was struck, Blue Cross cards were not going to be accepted at certain pharmacies. Blue Cross recommended clients find a new pharmacy that did accept their cards. Executive Director Paul Blanchard says pharmacists are most effective in their role when they have known clients for a period of time.


There is also new evidence which shows many people are already confused about their medication and long term health suffers as a result. With negotiations between several pharmacies like Sobeys and Superstore to get started with Blue Cross soon, the Pharmacists Association is concerned those needing medication will be caught in the middle.

Gagetown Soldiers In Saint John

Saint John is providing the back-drop for military training this weekend. Don't be suprised if you see soldiers and their equipment from Gagetown around the metro up until Sunday. They are using the NB Power parking lot at Coleson Cove, the Saint John Airport, the Aberdeen RV Lot on Rothesay Road and the former Downey Ford parking lot on Crown Street.


No ammunition, either blank or live will be used during the training.

Arrest Made In Uptown Holdup

No one was hurt and no details have been released yet on how much money was taken after a robbery in the uptown yesterday afternoon.
CHSJ News has been told someone walked into the King Street East Variety store at 3:30 brandishing a knife and demanded cash from the clerk. City Police say they have arrested a suspect who is expected to be formally charged this morning in court.

Home Building In Saint John Off To Sluggish Start

The year isn't off to a good start for house builders in the Saint John area -- the latest survey from Canada Mortgage and Housing shows the number of new units started in the first two months of this year down by almost 24-percent compared to a year ago.
By comparison -- the number of new housing units started in both Moncton and Fredericton are up over the previous year.
And more bad news for house builders -- Stats Canada is reporting the price of new houses here in Saint John as well as Fredericton and Moncton dropped 0.2-percent in January.

The two uptown high schools have waiting lists for fall registration

(District 8 Superintendent Susan Tipper)

(file photo)

The first round of registration for District 8 high schools is complete.
Each of the four city high schools has a cap of 250 students from grade 8.


Superintendent Susan Tipper tells CHSJ News that a student that lives near Saint John High school get the first chance at going there.
Tipper adds research shows that students who could choose their high school have a better performance because they had a choice.

Daytime Robbery in Uptown Saint John

A daring day-time robbery has City Police on the look-out. Officers tell us someone walked into the King Street East Variety store at 3:30pm and demanded cash from the clerk.


No word at this point what kind of weapon was used or how much money was stolen and officers can't confirm if it is one or several people they are looking.

No Court Appearance in Pin Pad Investigation

A court appearance for three men from Montreal in Hampton today never happened. A bail hearing has been held over until next Thursday in Sussex but no reason has been given. The three men were arrested by Rothesay Regional Police early Monday morning after they received a call from a business that someone had tried to steal it's pin pad for debit and credit card use.


Four other men from Montreal were arrested the same day by RCMP after a string of debit and credit card frauds which happened recently in Salisbury.

Harbour Bridge Running Out of Time

      (File Shot of the Harbour Bridge)

Use what-ever cliche you want, the Harbour Bridge Authority is watching time tick away on the construction season. It continues to wait for approval from Ottawa to get started on over $30 million dollars worth of repairs. General manager Ken Anthony tells CHSJ News, the Harper Government is looking for more info on who the loan is coming from and adress the $22 million dollar out-standing loan.
If there is no contract awarded for the work, Anthony says engineers will re-assess the bridge and put in place what-ever recommendatiosn they bring forward. That could include lane closures or dropping the speed limit.

Grand Lake Station Closing Down for Good

NB Power is closing it's Grand Lake Generating Station sooner than expected. It wasn't supposed to happen until June when the operating license expired but a coal fire in one of the burners did some damage so the decision has been made to shut it down. Spokes-person John McLaughlin tells CHSJ News, there is no date set in stone when the doors will remain locked.


McLaughlin adds there is no word on how the fire started and clean-up will take place over the next few weeks to prepare for decommissioning. There are just over 30 workers at the station and all will be re-located to new jobs with-in the utility.

Saint John Transit Reacts to Cut

      (City Transit Bus on King Street)
                    (File Photo)

The Saint John Transit Commission has no hard feelings toward City Hall. This after Common Council took $600,000 dollars set aside to purchase new buses was re-directed toward road repairs. General Manager Frank McCarey tells CHSJ News, they try to maintain an average age of ten years given the life span of a forty foot limo is 20.


Mccarey says the buses they were looking to replace with this cash have been on the road since 1985.

Mayor Court Says No Business Will Be Lost to Fredericton

          (Saint John Mayor Ivan Court)
                    (File Photo)

The suggestion about the new 24 million dollar convention centre in Fredericton taking business away from Saint John is being dismissed by Mayor Ivan Court. He tells CHSJ News the city is continually making improvements to its assets in order to keep pace.


The Trade and Convention Centre at Market Square will be expanded and upgraded beginning in 2011 at an estimated cost of 6 to 8 million dollars. 550 thousand dollars was allocated the other night by Common Council.

District Six Schools Come Through in the Clutch

(Child's Wound Being Attended to Following Earthquake)
                        (File Photo)

Schools in District Six have certainly done their part for Haitian relief. Since the disastrous earthquake struck the country, over $63,000 dollars has been raised. Superintende Zoe Watson tells CHSJ News, she was suprised with the amount one school pledged to raise with Hampton High brining in over $15,000 dollars.


Watson adds the money is still rolling in with Lakefield Elementary set to hold a major fund-raiser at the end of the month.

Businesses in Sussex Were Robbed

Sussex RCMP are looking for three people they believe are responsible for breaking into a pair of businesses. The Blue Bird Motel was robbed on Wednesday of last week and Uncle "G"s on Park Street was also hit. Two men and one woman from the Sussex area are still on the run.


RCMP ask you to give them a call if you see a grey 2002 Chevrolet Silverado with licence COO 697. The vehicle does not have a tailgate and the front licence plate is missing. The number is 433-7700.

Rothesay Avenue Traffic Woes Will Continue For Some Time

There will be some work carried out this year in a bid to ease traffic congestion in the area of Rothesay Avenue - Ashburn Lake Road - and - Marlborough Avenue.
But -- Municipal Operations Commissioner Paul Groody says a realignment of the bottle necks won't be happening any time soon.
He says talks are ongoing to resolve some land acquisition issues which would clear the way for a realignment of the intersections.
Meantime -- Groody says work this year will include some traffic light synchronization - signage - and - line painting in the area to help the flow of traffic.

A Slight Change In Gas Prices

If you're filling up today, you'll be paying a bit more for self serve regular following the weekly setting. The maximum price that can be charged is $105.7 but it's going for an even $1.03 a litre in the city. No change this week in the maximum price that can be charged for diesel. It's selling at the pumps for $104.2 around town. Furnace Oil has risen by under a penny to 90.7 cents and another decline recorded in the price of propane which now stands at $110.3 a litre.

Public Meeting On Development At Edge Of Rockwood Park

A sometimes contentious public meeting held at the Lily Lake Pavilion on what sort of future development should be allowed on Sandy Point Road at the edge of Rockwood Park. City planner Nayan Gandhi says the purpose was to get a feel on what Saint Johnners want to see happen.
Gandhi also says illegal dumping is also taking place in the more remote sections. Common Councillor Patty Higgins acknowledges some residential development just outside the park might discourage illegal activities from occurring. Opinion was divided on whether to allow single family homes to be built but there was no support for the construction of condos, apartments or townhouses at the edge of the park. The meeting, which drew a respectable turnout, was also told it's difficult to clearly define the park's actual boundary. Higgins says that complicates the planning process. A report will be presented to Common Council in April.

Town Hall Meeting On Education At St. Malachy's Tonight

(School District 8 Education Chair Rob Fowler - photo by Tamara Steele)

 

If you have a child in a District 8 school, you can air your concerns in a town hall meeting tonight at St. Mac's. Only two parents attended the last meeting at Bayview Middle School but the first meeting in January at River Valley middle school had over 25 people show up.
District 8 Education Council chair Rob Fowler tells CHSJ News they would like to see a good turnout for tonight's meeting. Any topic can be brought up and, so far, people have been open and not afraid to speak up. Tonight's meeting starts at 7 at St. Malachy's on Leinster Street.

Changes to Math in District Six

(District Six Superintendent Zoe Watson)
             (File Photo)

District Six is taking a new approach when it comes to teaching math. Armed with a new curriculum, new resources and intervention assistance, it's hoped that sagging scores can improve. Superintendent Zoe Watson tells CHSJ News, there are some areas of concern including Grade Five scores.


Watson adds the teaching of match certainly has changed dramatically over the years and it's important that parents make an effort to learn as well.