West Side Robbery Suspect In Court

Sentencing will take place September 13th for a Grand Bay-Westfield man who pled guilty to four robberies on the west side. 37 year old Trent Douglas Mersereau was charged with armed robbery at the Bowl R Rama last Monday, theft with violence the day before at the Buccaneer's Pub and then two counts of theft with threats of violence at the Tim Hortons by Simm's Corner and the other Horton's further on down Main Street last year. Mersereau has been sent back to jail. In the meantime, a pre-sentence report will be prepared and victim impact statements submitted.

Realtors Call For Changes To Property Taxation

(Jason Stephen of the NBREA speaks about rising property taxes in the province)
(Photo by Sherry Aske)

The New Brunswick Real Estate Association is calling on political candidates and leaders to make property taxation a primary election campaign issue.

Jason Stephen is Chair of the Government Relations Committee and says it's difficult to attract people to the province when there's an uncompetitive tax advantage.  

Stephen says the current property tax system is unpredictable and leaves people in the unknown because they can't plan out their budget for the year.

He says they are suggesting the province eliminates double taxation and puts in place a cap or maximum annual increase for property value assessments.

No Real Change In Gas Pricing

The maximum prices that can be charged for both self serve and diesel have increased ever so slightly after the weekly setting. As of early this morning, the prices at the pumps have not been changed......Self serve regular was still going for 99.3 a litre in the city and diesel was selling for 100.6. Propane has increased to a maximum of 101.4 a litre.

No Guarantees HEMA Quebec Would Keep Saint John Blood Centre Open

(Premier Shawn Graham)
        (File Photo)

The back and forth on Canadian Blood Services continues.

Provincial Health Minister Mary Schryer announced on Tuesday that K-P-M-G will do an independent analysis of the blood service options for the province.

Premier Shawn Graham was asked why Hema Quebec is continually mentioned as a possible parter for this province when the task force report says there is no guarantee that Hema Quebec would keep the Saint John facility open. The Premier argues partnering with Hema Quebec is one of many options to province is looking at.

Plans call for the Millidgeville Blood Distribution Center to be closed and transferred to Dartmouth in the Spring of 2012.

The K-P-M-G report is due in March of next year.

Military Driver Training Begins Today In Saint John

Soldiers from CFB Gagetown will be conducting driver training beginning today possibly in your backyard.

The training is taking place in Saint John, Sussex, Moncton, Stanley, Marysville and Gagetown.

Military officials tell us the movement and activity of Canadian Forces vehicles and personnel shouldn't be big disruption.

Routes may be adjusted throughout the day in order to minimize interaction with civilian traffic.

The training continues until the 27th.

Human Trafficking Discussed At Meeting On Status Of Women

(Minister Mary Schryer with the Ministers responsible for the Status of Women from Nova Scotia and PEI)
(Photo by Sherry Aske)

The Atlantic Ministers responsible for the Status of Women want to harmonize laws regarding women's issues.
 
Ministers from Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland met in Quispamsis this week to explore areas for regional-co-operation.
 
MLA Mary Schryer is the New Brunswick Minister responsible for the status of women and says one of the issues they looked at was human trafficking. 
 
She says the Atlantic provinces can be seen as a corridor for transporting women into other parts of Canada and urban centres.
 
This is the first time an meeting of Atlantic Ministers responsible for the Status of Women was held and there are plans to hold a second one next year with PEI as a host.

Government Pledges To Create 20,000 Jobs

(Premier Shawn Graham addresses Enterprise Saint John roundtable discussion)

(photo by Tamara Steele)

The Premier is promising to create 20,000 jobs if his government is re-elected in September.
Shawn Graham laid out his plan at a roundtable discussion with Enterprise Saint John, it includes holding spending to 1 per cent.

He says if re-elected they will create 15,000 jobs in traditional sectors but 5,000 jobs will be in the new sector that are identified as high-paying.
Graham says the high-paying jobs are in telecommunications, energy and in modular fabrication.

Man Arrested For Four Robberies On West Side

A Grand Bay-Westfield man is behind bars looking at four robbery charges when the 37 year old makes an appearance in Provincial Court tomorrow.

The man, whose name won't be released until that time, is accused of robbing the Bowl R Rama on Lancaster Avenue and the Buccaneer's Pub on Main Street West this past long holiday weekend.

He's also facing charges of holding up the Tim Horton's on Main Street West by Simms Corner.

City Wants Ban On Boating In Watersheds Used To Supply Drinking Water

(Municipal Operations Commissioner Paul Groody)
                         (File Photo)

The Province will be hearing from the city on stopping people from boating on waterways which are used to supply drinking water.

The head of Municipal Operations, Paul Groody says the city has wanted something done about this for over a decade.

The issue has come to the forefront again after a recent incident in which a truck left Otter Lake Road and plunged into a brook which flows into the Loch Lomand watershed that supplies drinking water out east.
 
Groody points out boating is allowed on four watersheds which are used for drinking water and two of them are used by Saint Johnners at Loch Lomand and Musquash.

Disaster Dining 101

(Deputy Fire Chief Dan McCoy, Saint John's Emergency Preparedness Manager Murielle Provost, and a Red Cross volunteer make a tasty meal for the Disaster Dining Competition)
(Photo By Sherry Aske)

The Canadian Red Cross was in town today giving a crash course on disaster dining.

Three teams used a variety of canned goods and non parishable items found in 72-hour emergency kits to create a meal that would impress Mayor Ivan Court.

Carolyn Enman is the Lead for New Brunswick Disaster Management and tells CHSJ News every family should have a 72-hour emergency kit. 

She says every emergency kit should have a lot of protein and 2 litres of water, per person, per day.

Mayor Ivan Court had the honour of judging the competition and says Saint John has heavy rain storms where the power goes out so you never know when you might need those extra couple of cans.

One Person Stabbed And Deliberately Set Fire Being Investigated

There has been a stabbing on Taylor Avenue in the north end. The victim's injuries are not life threatening according to city police and no one has been arrested.

The fire department reports a half ton truck was set ablaze on Egbert Street off Thorne Avenue early this morning.

City Ignores Request From Anglo Society To Fly Its Flag

(Jim Webb of The Anglo Society of New Brunswick)
                 (Photo by Tamara Steele)

Common Council has effectively said...no. Last night, Mayor and Council received and filed a request from the Province's Anglo society to fly its flag September 18th outside City Hall.

A similar request in Bathurst sparked controversy when the town's initially said yes and then rescinded its earlier approval.

Jim Webb of the Anglo Society says many people are upset about this and there could be a protest held in Saint John as well as Bathurst and Fredericton. Webb claims the Province's Official Languages Commissioner calls his group rednecks and bigots.

Webb is also making the claim that the British Ambassador in Washington has heard about the controversy and questions why an English flag can't be flown in the province.

Concern Over Pension Board's Legal Bills

          (Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase)
                         (File Photo)

The city's pension plan is reporting better returns, as of the end of last year, but is still short alot of money.

Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase is concerned about a big increase in legal fees and he suspects one major reason is the ongoing lawsuit for defamation launched by the Pension Board against former Common Councillor and now City Manager in St. Stephen, John Ferguson.

The legal bills have gone up from just over 30 thousand dollars in 2006 to more than 782 thousand dollars last year. Chase was told by the city's Finance Commissioner Greg Yeomans the Ferguson lawsuit may account for 60 per cent of the total.

Mayor Ivan Court, who chairs the Pension Board, claims attempts have been made to settle the lawsuit but no to avail.

Common Councillor Looking For Guidance On Future Of Rockwood Park

           (Common Councillor Bill Farren)
                         (File Photo)

There is no end to the continuing discussion about allowing development on city owned lands in Rockwood Park south of Sandy Point Road, especially around Harrigan Lake.

Councillor Bill Farren says he's not opposed to development but he wants to know what the Common Council of the day wanted to do with the land that was purchased decades ago.

The City Solicitor will pull those resolutions to try to find out if a reason was given.

Approval Of East Side Rezoning Deferred Over Objections By Nearby Residents

Rezoning of land behind St. Joseph's Church and Community Centre on Loch Lomand Road is on hold for the time being.

The people who live on Johnston Road are objecting. They claim a driveway onto their street from the church property will mean more traffic and make it less safe for children where there are no sidewalks.

The Parish Council's George Quigley says the Diocese is shocked by the reaction. He claims Loch Lomand Road is a speedway at times and there have been several near misses as buses have slowed down to make the turn into the Church property.

The residents and Parish Council will meet to see if a compromise can be worked out.

Blaney Still Concerned With Future Blood Services

Conservative MLA Margaret-Ann Blaney is still concerned despite today's announcement.
 
She says it would have been nice if the Minister had included members of the task force in the decision because the task force originally made the recommendation for an analysis to be conducted. 
 
Blaney says she's concerned with how long the study is going to take because it doesn't give them a lot of time to make a decision once the report comes in. 
 
Blaney says she's also concerned with what the terms of reference are, and is worried the door is open for the study to say, just let it go.

Province To Seek Other Blood Service Options

(Health Minister Mary Scrhyer and MLA Margaret-Ann Blaney discuss the announcement)
(Photo By Sherry Aske)

The province is asking an independent company to look at what blood-service options are available in the province.

Health Minister Mary Schryer says with Canadian Blood Services closing the doors of the Milledgeville distribution centre in Spring 2012, the province needs to find a reliable blood supply.

Schryer says this could mean partnering with HEMA Quebec or it could mean going it alone, but they won't know until the report's recommendations are in next March.

Boil Water Order

There is a boil water order in effect for people located after and including 537 Green Head Road in the West Side after bacteria was found in the water.

It is safe for people to take showers, bathe and use swimming pools.

It is also safe to wash dishes in hot water or in a dishwasher.

Saint John Water is working with the Department of health to fix the problem but the boil order is expected to last at least until the end of the week.

Iggy Addresses Rural-Urban Divide

(File Photo)

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says he's looking out for New Brunswickers who are living in remote parts of the province.

Ignatieff was in town over the long weekend to attend a barbecue at former MP Paul Zed's house, and says the rural-urban divide is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Making sure rural New Brunswickers have 100 per cent Internet access and that there aren't any more rural postal closures are two things Ignatieff says need to happen.

Ignatieff says the rural-urban divide is a huge part of his vision for the country, which is let's work together and bring Canadians together.

Garbage Still Causing Problems

After looking at beaches from St. Andrews to Saint John, the province's Conservation Council is worried about litter and garbage appearing along the shorelines.

David Thompson with the Conservation Council tells CHSJ News they're still finding a lot of Styrofoam floating around as wells as plastic bags and wrappers.

Thompson says when birds and fish see small pieces of rope or Styrofoam, they mistake it for jellyfish and end up eating it.

Thompson says the material they are finding comes from fishing boats, smaller commercial vessels, illegal dumping, and material that is just blown around.