Conservatives want Premier to accept Harbour Bridge offer

The Provincial Conservative leader says the Premier should accept an offer from Ottawa to partially pay for refurbishing the Harbour Bridge.

David Alward says Ottawa's offer is a good one because it picks up part of the cost of fixing the Bridge and forgives an outstanding loan.

Saint John Lancaster Conservative candidate Dorothy Shephard tells CHSJ News she hopes Saint Johners get a fair deal on the bridge.

With Ottawa's proposal, the province would be expected to assume the costs of maintaining the bridge. Instead, the province has offered a loan guarantee to the Harbour Bridge Authority for the 35 million dollars in repairs.

Red Hatters coming to the Port City

Expect a sea of Red and Purple this summer when the Red Hatters come to the Port City.

Over 650 women from Red Hat societies all over the Maritimes and Maine will be here in June for the Red Hat Hoot.

There are 32 Red Hat clubs in the Saint John area ranging from 6 to 32 members each.

The Red Hat Hoot features a conference and parade and runs June 11-13.

Liberals resting in St. Andrews

(Premier Shawn Graham)

     (File Photo)

The Provincial Liberal Party says it is rested and listening to voters.

After a two day retreat in St. Andrews, Premier Shawn Graham says the active search for potential candidates, including in Greater Saint John, continues.

He says there are a number of high quality candidates who are stepping forward.

Graham adds the party has begun to develop it's platform.

Seadogs Win in Over-time

Many said heading into the Presidents Cup Final that it would be a series to remember and last night's game proves that theory.


The Seadogs jumped out to an early 2-0 and watched Moncton claw back to even things up and then at 12:43 of over-time, Nick Peterson notched the winner to even the best of seven at two.


Peterson tells CHSJ News, after losing the first two games, this is a nice way to turn things around.


Marco Cousineau was amazing for the Dogs, making 18 saves in the third including two game savers that had the entire arena asking how did he do that.


Head Coach Gerard Gallant says the turning point of getting back in this series is playing at a higher level.


Wildcats Head Coach and GM Danny Flynn says this is now a best of three series.


Game Five goes tonight, seven o'clock at the Station.

St. Joseph's Community Centre gets new funding

(St. Joseph's Community Centre)

  (Photograph by Sherry Aske)

The St. Joseph's community centre is getting an additional $200,000 from the provincial government.

Premier Shawn Graham was at the centre today saying centres like this are important because they keep kids at home and involved in the community. 

Father Bill Elliot is looking forward to the centre's opening because people will be able to get a lot of services that they used to have to go to town for.

The centre will have an afterschool program and preschool downstairs, with a wellness centre and community police office upstairs.

The grand opening is set for June 27th.











(Father Bill Elliot thanks Premier Shawn Graham for funding)
     (Photo by Sherry Aske)

Student Employment Centres open

Students in Greater Saint John can start looking for a summer job.

The Federal government's Service Canada Centres for Youth are now open and will be until early August.
Regional Lead Youth Services Officer Randy Dinan tells CHSJ News that all the job postings are available online.


He says students should come in and they can talk to them about what kind of job they are looking for.
The job bank can be found at www.jobbank.gc.ca.
The Youth Employment Centre in Saint John is located at 1 Agar Place.

Common Councillor Worries About What's Being Sold To Cruise Ship Passengers

(Common Councillor Bill Farren)
                (File Photo)

With a new cruise ship season fast approaching, a member of Common Council wants something done to improve the quality of what's being sold by some of the vendors. Bill Farren says some of it is junk and gives a bad impression of the city and he has heard complaints from some of the tourists and volunteers.
Farren believes the city should take the lead to ensure quality doesn't go downhill. The first cruise ship of the season will be arriving in port May 28th.

Stubborn Fire At East Side Recycling Business

(District Fire Chief Gerry Morris)
           (File Photo)

A recycling business on the east side went up in smoke late last night. City firefighters were called to 280 Range Road and found a storage building, trailer and old schoolbus ablaze. District Chief Gerry Morris says there was heavy smoke and it took 4 hours before being brought under control. Help was requested from Rothesay and Simonds firefighters. There were no injuries. As for a cause, Morris says that's under investigation.

Game Four Of President's Cup Final Tonight In Moncton

If Game Three of the Presidents Cup Final was a must win for the Saint John Seadogs, tonight's Game Four certainly falls into that category as well. Moncton leads the best of seven 2-1 and Dogs Head Coach Gerard Gallant tells CHSJ News, his team has to play sixty minutes and not a two and a half periods like they did Tuesday.
Moncton goaltender Nicola Riopel was pulled from the net after giving up four goals but Head Coach and GM Danny Flynn isn't putting the blame on him. He says the Wildcats have to stay out of the penalty box. Premier Shawn Graham has been enjoying the Presidents Cup Final. Graham says Saint John and Moncton are really putting on a show for the fans but when asked to pick a winner, Graham said he wasn't taking that question.  Game time tonight is 7:30pm at the Coliseum in Moncton.

Conservative Candidates In K-V Acclaimed For Provincial Election

(Quispamsis Conservative candidate Blaine Higgs)
                 (Photo by Sherry Aske)

The double Conservative nominations of Blaine Higgs for Quispamsis and Margaret-Ann Blaney for Rothesay began with the blaring of "Start me up" by the Rolling Stones. Higgs says the song was to get people excited about change, and locally, he's hoping he can change rising property taxes.
Blaney says serving as health critic has given her a unique insight into key issues. She says fiscally, the province can't afford to go another term with the Graham government and a key campaign issue will be the province's increasing debtload. Both Higgs and Blaney were uncontested in their nominations. Higgs is Director of Business Development for Irving Oil. The riding of Quispamsis is currently in the hands of Provincial Health Minister Mary Schryer.

Affordable Housing Conference Gets Started In City

(Provincial Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock)
                      (File Photo)

Poverty and how it relates to housing issues will be one of the focuses of a conference at the Delta this weekend. The Non-Profit Housing Association is holding it's annual meeting starting today. Executive Director Alex Arseneau tells CHSJ News, one seminar will ask the question, how can the community get more involved in the aspects of housing. Arseneau says the lack of affordable housing and poverty go hand and hand. Along with 200 delegates representing non-profit and co-op housing groups, officials from the Province and City Hall will be on hand as well. Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock will speak tonight at the dinner. Things get started at nine this morning.

Saint John Airport Projects Modest Growth this year

(The President and C-E-O of Saint John Airport Bernard Leblanc)
                      (Photo by Brian McLain)

2009 was still a very good year for Saint John Airport in spite of a 9 per cent drop in the number of passengers. The airport still earned a profit of 900 thousand dollars with Airport President and C-E-O Bernie Leblanc predicting modest growth in passenger numbers this year. There were also discussions with major airlines in Canada and the U.S. about expanding or creating new flights but nothing has come to fruition. Leblanc concedes 2009 was not a good year to be negotiating new routes with the major airlines which want guarantees that any new service will be profitable. The number one American destination for Saint Johnners is Las Vegas but the numbers are nowhere high enough to warrant a direct flight. The Airport is projecting passenger numbers will rise from over 222 thousand last year to more than 242 thousand in 2014.

ProvinciaL Energy Minister Jack Keir Reaffirmed For Re-election Bid

(Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir)

Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir has been reaffirmed to run again in Fundy-River Valley. Keir tells CHSJ News he will campaign like he did the first time around as the underdog taking nothing for granted.
Keir says he will be reminding voters the last time the Conservatives were in power, the Saint John area was virtually ignored. Retired heart surgeon Dr. Jim Parrot is running for the Conservatives. As for criticism from the Conservatives about the impending appointment of a public engagement minister, Keir says that's what the opposition's job is but he knows every nook and cranny of his own riding.

Cooke Aquaculture Expands

As the stock markets take a hit, there is some good news in the business world.


Cooke Aquaculture has purchased the processing facility of Ocean Choice International in Newfoundland.


Ocean Choice says the decision to sell the facility was made because of the declining raw material base to support the operation.


Officials with Cooke Aquaculture says it will be business as usual at the processing plant on the rock and no word on what this means for the people already working there.


The deal is expected to be finalized near the end of next month.

An About Face From Premier Graham

(Premier Shawn Graham)
        (File Photo)

Something has been lost in the translation concerning yesterdays announcement by Premier Graham.


The Liberal leader said he was creating a new cabinet post, the Minister for Public Engagement but english reporters lost an important piece of the puzzle.

While speaking to a French reporter, Graham said it wouldn't create a new cabinet position but a re-alignment of the cabinet will take place.


There are currently three vacant cabinet posts to fill and a Liberal spokes-person tells CHSJ News, when the re-alignment is rolled out, a minister will be designated the new duties.

Play-Off Fever is Running Wild in Saint John

(Adam Binns, right, is First in Line for Game Five Tickets)
                  (Photo by Jim Hennessy)

Play-off fever is alive well in Saint John.


Over 100 people lined up at Harbour Station hours before the box office opened this morning to lock up their tickets for Game Five of the Presidents Cup Final on Saturday.


In 31 minutes, all tickets were gone, a new record for hockey at the Station.


Adam Binns was first in line because he showed up at five this morning and tells CHSJ News, winning Game Three was vital.


Binns says he was able to get in line so early because there is no school today and is confident they can win game four tomorrow night in Moncton.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
(Fans Make a Run for the Glass When Tickets Go on Sale)
                  (Photo by Jim Hennessy)

Saint John High Tech Company Expanding

(Business New Brunswick Minister Victor Boudreau)
               (File Photo)


The provincial government is giving a Saint John company 1.2 million dollars in payroll rebates to almost double its workforce.

That announcement from Business New Brunswick Minister Victor Boudreau. Computer Generated Solutions on Broadview Avenue in the South End is expanding to develop new state of the art technology and create virtual trade shows over the internet so you don't have to be saddled with the travel and expense of going to them.

Company President and C-E-O Phil Friedman says 79 employees will be added to the 83 already in place and this will likely take place over the next year and a half even though the agreement with the province stipulates it be done over five years.

Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir says Friedman first became aware of Saint John a dozen years ago when he visited on a cruise ship and was quite taken with the city.

Boudreau says between September of 2006 and October of 2009, the province recorded employment growth of over 5 per cent which was the best in the country.

Completion Of Point Lepreau Refurbishment Uncertain

(Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir)
                (File Photo)

With word the target date of completing the Point Lepreau refurbishment by the fall of next year is being called ""unrealistic"", Energy Minister Jack Keir is speaking out on the subject. He says technical issues continue to pop up on site with no solutions.
The cost of replacement power during the refurbishment is one million dollar per day and AECL admits they didn't do enough prep work at the start to over-come these problems. Keir is quick to point out the three per cent rate hike from NB Power set to be reviewed by the Energy and Utilities Board next month has nothing to do with the cost overruns of the refurbishment. Another rate hike of 3 per cent is expected when the nuclear plant is back on line.

Stabbing In Old North End

Some sort of altercation in the old North End yesterday afternoon resulted in one person being stabbed in the leg. City Police say several young people were involved in the fracas at Victoria and Bridge Streets around 4:00. No arrests have been made as the investigation continues.

Gas Prices Rise

Gas is going to cost you more today when you go to the pumps after the weekly setting. Self serve regular is being sold around town for just over $1.04 a litre while diesel is just above $1.07. Heating oil is also more expensive, rising by 2 cents a litre to 94.1 and the max for propane is at an even $1.03.