Warmer Fall Forecast But Winter Won't Be As Mild

If you feel an extra chill in the air today, there is good reason for that. The first day of fall is upon us, arriving at nine minutes after midnight.

Meteorologist Linda Libby with Environment Canada tells CHSJ News, we get the first day of the new season started on the right foot with plenty of sunshine.

Libby says a look ahead at the next 30 days shows normal temperatures and the seasonal forecast for the fall is calling for above normal temperatures.

As far as winter is concerned, She cautions it's a little too far out for accurate predictions but it looks like we won't be enjoying the mild temperatures we had last year.

Moose Hunting Season Begins

The crackle of rifle fire is sure to be heard in certain areas of the Province over the next few days with today is the opening of moose hunting season as hunters look to bag a swamp donkey.

Dwayne Sabine with the Department of Natural Resources tells CHSJ News, it's going to be a busy few days with just over 36 hundred hunters eligible to be in the woods.

The season runs until Saturday and Sabine says last fall, 2409 moose were shot and killed. It's expected something like 25 hundred moose will be shot over the next three days.

Repsol Honoured On Anniversary Of L-N-G Facility At Canaport

(Canaport L-N-G On Bay Of Fundy)
                (File Photo)

The company that operates the Canaport LNG Facility in Red Head has won an award. Repsol has been chosen company of the year in this country by the Canadian-Spain Chamber of Commerce. The award coincides with the first anniversary of the day the LNG Facility went on-line.

YM-YWCA Responds To Political Parties

So, what about officials at the YM-YWCA?

How do they feel about being in the middle of all this political posturing.

CEO Pat Davis, in an e-mail to our news-room says, the "Y" is pleased to have the support of the community and all the politcal parties but at this time, they continue to explore options and have not secured a location for their permanent home.

The e-mail goes on to read that officials at the "Y" look forward to working with the community and all levels of government to select the best possible site for the new "Y".

Graham Promises New Francophone & Elementary Schools For Ken Valley

Graham Makes Committment To New Home For The YM-YWCA

(Saint John Portland Liberal Candidate Dan Joyce at the Podium)
                   (Photo By Gary MacDonald)

Seven million dollars is being committed by the Graham Government to build a new YM-YWCA in the former Zellers Building in the North End if the party is re-elected.

Leader Shawn Graham presented the committment during a news conference this morning with the total cost coming in at $22 million dollars. The "Y" says it will put forward nine million towards the project.
Graham says the Province has already invested in the projects for the "Y"s in both Moncton and Fredericton and Saint John is a good fit.
 
He adds the cash committment is already built into the party's platform.

Saint John Portland Conservative Candidate Not happy

Calling it a desperate move, the Conservative Candidate in Saint John Portland isn't holding back in his reaction to the Liberal announcement concerning the YM-YWCA today.

Trevor Holder says the Liberals are playing politics with recreation and tells CHSJ News, this was the "Y'"s announcement to make.
Holder says officials from the YMCA tell him they are not even in a position to confirm the old Zeller’s site as it's new location.

Liberals Make Another Commitment

Quispamsis is on the receving end of the latest promise from the Graham Liberals.


If re-elected, the party says it is committed to building a new middle school in the town right next to the current middle school.


It would house 500 students and adresses the over-crowding issue in the building which is using six mobile class-rooms.
Construction of the new school would be a public-private partnership but no word on how much it would cost.

Speaking Out On Gun Registry

A close vote is expected today on the long gun registry which, by all accounts, will likely be retained because several N-D-P members have changed their minds about abolishing it.


Mayor Ivan Court is also President of the Canadian Association of Police Boards and says politics has gotten in the way of good judgement and this is a public safety issue.


Court says the annual cost of 4.1 million dollars doesn't seem as much when you consider each request from police works out to a dollar or so a piece.

Uptown Saint John Committed to Paramount Theater

(Uptown SJ President Matt Alexander)
                (File Photo)

Uptown Saint John has signed an option on the Paramount Theatre.

This gives it time to come up with a business plan to save the building from demolition.

Uptown Saint John President Matt Alexander tells CHSJ News the city could help out financially.


Alexander says the building is structurally sound and was well built when constructed back in 1948 but the electrical will have to be redone.

Laying Asphalt In The Kennebecasis Valley

Expect delays coming into and out of the Kennebecasis Valley for the next few days.

Paving is getting started today by the Department of Transportation along Campbell Drive between the Marr Road and the Fire Station.
Traffic will be reduced to one lane with the work expected to continue until Saturday.

Illegal Smokes Found In West Side Home

If you've been buying your smokes illegally on the West-Side, one of the sources is no longer in business.

City Police and the RCMP raided a home earlier this week and came away with 8000 contraband cigarettes and a large amount of cash.


A 78-year old man has been arrested but no word on charges.

Paramount Meeting Told It Will Cost Big Bucks To Save Theatre

(Mike McDonald Who Started Facebook Page To Save Paramount Theatre)
                               (Photo by Brian McLain)

A big turnout and lots of ideas were floated about what can be done with the Paramount Theatre in King's Square which has been vacant since 2005.

Mike McDonald has been described as the lightning rod behind saving the building. He started up a Facebook page which now has more than 5 thousand members dedicated to restoration. McDonald says Saint John can't afford not to save it.

There were several ideas proposed including a multicultural, multi purpose venue to showcase community talent, offer independent and foreign films and as a place for performances you wouldn't see at the Imperial Theatre. McDonald there is a massive independent music market out there that's not being tapped.

The meeting was told the purchase price is half a million dollars or so and then several million more would be needed for turning restoration. The building, though, is structurally sound and the seats that remain are in good shape.

Quispamsis Residents Being Asked To Have Their Say In Future Look Of Transportation In The Town

Anyone living in Quispamsis who has an opinion for the future look of the Town's transportation is invited to an open house tomorrow night.

 Lanora Oullette is with Collaborative Planning in Moncton and tells CHSJ News officials are laying the ground-work for it's active transportation plan.

Oullette adds Quispamsis has a lot of areas that can be adapted to what-ever the plan is with some major work for sure but a good fit with the existing infrastructure. Once all of the information is put together, a plan will be developed and brought back to council for input and direction.

The meeting gets started at at the Town Hall tomorrow night at seven o'clock.

Questions Raised Over Conservative Party Campaign Promises

(Provincial Conservative Leader David Alward)
                      (File Photo)

There are still plenty of questions being asked about the Conservative platform with just days to go before the vote.

Lots of promises have been made since the writ was dropped almost a month ago and many want to know how will they pay for them. The question has been posed to party leader David Alward that if elected, will he back-peddle on the promises by saying the books are in worse shape than they knew.

Alward vows the Conservatives will start to reduce the size of the provincial government and part of his party's five part plan for fiscal responsibility is finding $150 million dollars in waste within the government.

Latest Poll Numbers Show the Race is Tightening

As we get closer to voting day, a new poll shows the race is growing tighter for two parties looking to hold the balance of power for the Province.

It shows the Alward Conservatives with 35% of the decided vote, the Liberals with 32% and undecided sits at 17%.

The poll was conducted by Abacus Data last weekend with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 per cent.

Plenty Of People Showing Up To Vote

With four days to go before the actual voting day, 71,000 people have already cast a ballot for the Provincial Election.
That includes 46,000 who made a trip to the advance poll on both Saturday and Monday.
Chief Electoral Officer Michael Quinn tells CHSJ News, this is the first time advance voting has been available at the returning offices since the writ was dropped and it appears to be paying off.
Quinn reminds everyone going to cast a ballot this week or on Monday, bring your voter information card which makes the process go very quickly.

New Addition To The Ranks At The Airport

There's a new face officially now in place at the Saint John Airport -- Colleen Mitchell joins the airport authority as its new Director of Marketing and Communications.
Mitchell has served in various positions with Irving Oil - the Port Authority -- and -- the A-D-I Group -- in addition she has served on a number of volunteer boards.
Mitchell will be responsible for promoting community support which the airport authority has identified as one of its key priorities.

Suspected Gas Leak Causes Anxious Moments

Lots of activity with fire trucks - police - and - an ambulance in the 100-block of Princess Street in the past hour.
Emergency crews were called after someone smelled what they thought was natural gas in the alley between two buildings in the area.
Fire fighters quickly determined there wasn't a gas leak and eventually traced the source of the odor to some fluid used in an open flame burner in a nearby yard.

Small Business On The Radar For Conservatives

Conservative Leader David Alward focusing on small business during a stop-over on the West-Side today.


The party has a three-point plan Alward says will give all provincial based businesses a fair shot to bid on government contracts.
The planks of the plan include setting up a $99 dollar incoporation package, the government regulation drafting process is open for input and give more repsonsibilities to local economic development agencies to work with entrepeneurs.