A Record Breaking Years For P.R.O. Kids

A great year for Pro Kids locally with over 150 thousand dollars being raised. The money is earmarked to provide a record 900 young people with a chance to be active in various forms of recreation. Mayor Ivan Court coached young people when he was a high school teacher and has spoken out about how expensive taking part in organised sports has become for families, many of whom are struggling financially.

Court says it's unfortunate but when times get hard, it's more often than not recreation budgets getting sliced and diced.

The Province Forming Committee To Study Bullying

The co-founder of an anti-bullying website is happy that his efforts to shine a light on the growing problem are paying off.
The Provincial government is forming a Positive Learning Environment committee that will seek input from students, teachers, parents, educations and other.


Rob Frenette, co-founder of the website Bullying Canada.ca, tells CHSJ News the aim is to create legislation.

He expects the bill that was before the legislature last year will be ammended.
To see the report on the Bullying summit, click here.

West Side Co-Op Closing

28 people will lose their jobs with news the West Side co-op store is closing by the end of the year.
The decision coming out of a membership meeting where declining sales and substantial losses over the last few years are the main factors in the closure.

Of the 28 positions that will be lost, four are full time and we are told a severance package is being offered to each employee along with job counselling.
Co-op Atlantic area manager Ron Montgomery says they regret the timing saying there is never an ideal time to close and put people out of work.

A liquidation sale will begin this week and the gas bar will stay open until stocks have been exhausted. The land and building will go up for sale sometime after the expected closing date of December 31st.

Family Loses Everything In Glen Falls Fires

An East Saint John family has lost everything a little more than two weeks before Christmas.
The family's Glen Falls home on Broadway Avenue home was the site of two fires yesterday.

The first fire claiming the family dog and the second late last night destroying the home.
Donations are being accepted at Bayview Credit Union to assist the family.
The family's daughter is a Saint John High student who at basketball practice when she was told of the fire.
City fire officials tell CHSJ News the cause of both fires is undetermined.

The Great One In Saint John Before Full House To Raise Money

It was a full house at the Trade and Convention Centre to hear from Wayne Gretzky who was in town to help raise money for the Empty Stocking Fund and Romero House.

Gretzky is considered the greatest goal scorer ever in the NHL but even he concedes there was one part of his game that was a bit on the weak side and that was scoring on breakaways when it's best for the goalie to wait and let the shooter make the first move.

Gretzky says his favourite record is scoring 50 goals in 38 or 39 games. His idol growing up was Gordie Howe and toughest player he ever faced in the NHL was Islander defenseman Denis Potvin.

Gretzky says to succeed in the NHL these days requires alot more work and commitment than it did years ago. He advises young people to hang up the skates over the summer and play other sports.
The event a big success bringing in $25,000 which will be split between the two charities.

Tolls On The Harbour Bridge Will Not Increase

You will still be chucking in 50 cents when you cross the Harbour Bridge on January 1st.
Harbour Bridge Authority Chair Bob McDevitt tells CHSJ News the bridge fare will not increase.

He says due to the uncertainty of the issue the board will not be increasing the tolls on the Harbour Bridge from 50 cents to 75 cents as planned for the start of the new years.

McDevitt adds there are still no answers as to what will happen to the 7 full-time employees of the Bridge Authority and the commissionaires.
A deal to remove the tolls by the end of March, cover the debt and transfer responsibility to the Province announced in the City nearly two weeks ago by the Prime Minister.

Gas Prices In City Take Hike

It might have been a good idea to fill up yesterday with prices rising after the weekly setting. Self serve regular is selling in the city for $108.7 a litre, a rise of over 3 cents. Diesel is at $115.1, up almost four cents and heating oil is now at an even $1.00 a litre, an increase of three cents.

Police and Fire Departments Kept Busy Into Early Morning Hours

A robbery early this morning at the Dolan Road Irving. Rothesay Regional Police telling us there were no injuries. City Police are also helping to nab whomever was responsible.

When you have two fires break out at the same house within hours of eachother, it tends to raise suspicion about a cause. That's what happened at 85 Broadway Avenue in Glen Falls. The first fire killed the family pets and District Chief Gerry Morris says the second fire last night destroyed the rest of the home which was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived to put it out.

City Police rescued a 70 year old woman whose van went off the end of Millidge Avenue at the old ferry landing into about 4 feet of water. She was taken to hospital for treatment and police are looking into how it happened.

School District 8 Wants To Spread Pain Of Budget Cut

District 8 officials working hard to keep the impact of cost-cutting away from the classroom.

The Provincial government is looking for 1 per cent savings this year and additional 2 per cent for 2011/2012 school year.

Superintendent Susan Tipper tells CHSJ News they are looking at every way possible to find savings, everything from photocopying practices to turning down the heat at night. Tipper adds the cost saving measures are being spread throughout the system so no particular department feels the crunch more than another.

 Provincial Education Minister Jody Carr is asking the Districts not to fill existing vacancies but that does not mean teachers.

Plan SJ Open House Told Future Development In City Must Change

A strategy for growth will be presented to Common Council by late February because every city needs one. That message was delivered to the Plan SJ open house which attracted a good turnout.

Urban designer Mark Reid says since the Second World War growth in Saint John has been outward with negative consequences for the core of the city with disinvestment and depopulation. He says there should be a return to the type of development which was taking place pre-war instead of having pockets of isolated residential housing in the rural areas of the city.

Reid advocates what he calls a celebration of the city's many waterfronts with greater access but Gordon Dalzell of the Clean Air Coalition tells CHSJ News he can see a problem with that because the port wants more industrial uses such as the proposed metal shredder on the lower west side.

The plan also calls for retail growth be focused on the McAllister Drive area, north end and Fairville Boulevard with suburban residential growth concentrated in Forest Hills, Lakewood, Millidgeville and Gault Road. The new municipal plan is expected to go before Common Council by the end of next year.

Steve Carson of Enterprise Saint John doesn't think establishing a growth boundary in the the city will inhibit development. Heargues what deters developers is not knowing what the rules are.

East Side Fire

No one hurt after a fire in East Saint John this afternoon.
The fire at a home on Broadway Street in Glen Falls.

It appears the fire was contained to the home's kitchen but, no word yet on the cause.

Diesel Spill At Port

Emergency crews containing a big diesel spill down at the Port on the city's west side.

District Fire Chief Eric Garland says fire crews responding to a tractor trailer on fire around noon, which caused the spill.

200 to 300 litres of diesel being contained but the Department of the Environment has been notified as some fuel may have leaked into the sewers.

No word yet on the cause of the fire but Garland says it does not appear to be suspicious.

Candidate Encouraging Everyone To Vote

Ward 3 Candidate Anne-Marie Mullin is encouraging everyone to get out and vote in the municipal byelection.


She tells CHSJ News Ward 3 can play a huge impact in shaping the future of the city.


She says as she was doing meet and greets in the ward many people did not know what ward they fell in or that there was even a vote.


She's encouraging everyone to call the local returning office at 643 2578 if you did not get your voter card or need more information.


Voting day is December 13th.

Common Councillor Objects To Mecklenberg Street Lots Being Used For Parking, Recycling

Common Councillor Donnie Snook is questioning why three large lots along Mecklenberg Street are being turned into a location for recycling with the blue bins and a place for parking when the streets have to be plowed of snow.
 

Snook says he would have preferred to see new housing built there especially in light of the stated goal to have more development in the urban core. He calls Mecklenberg one of the nicer residential streets in the south-central peninsula.
 
Chief Planner Ken Forrest says the city is hoping this will just be a temporary use and sees the lots eventually be marketed as sites for residential housing.
 
Snook has also suggested the Charlotte Street court building be turned into housing when the new justice complex opens at Peel Plaza.

Two Cases Of Impaired Driving Causing Death In Court

19 year old Erika Simms of Loch Lomand Road has pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death in a collision last New Year's Day that killed a friend of hers, Chad Simon.

Her car struck a pole on Sand Cove Road near the Irving Nature Park. Simms will be sentenced on January 7th and is looking at a minimum of three years in prison.

Meantime, a Morrison Road man, 19 year old Nicholas Thomas Pike has been charged with impaired driving causing death.

15 year old Kylee Wallace was killed after she was thrown from a car that went off Hillcrest Road on the east side. Pike returns to court on January 10th.

Homeowners Warned After Costly Rothesay Breakins

Rothesay Regional Police have a message for homeowners after a rash of breakins........Don't leave your Christmas presents out in the open where anyone can look in your window and see them lying about.

That message being delivered with an investigation into three breakins in Rothesay during which gifts worth several thousands of dollars were stolen.

Police tell CHSJ News they believe the same person is responsible for all three.

Disabled Committee In Valley Wants Involvement In Planning New Developments

The Chair of the K-V Committee on Disabled Persons wants to see the disabled represented at planning advisory committee meetings in both Rothesay and Quispamsis in order to make new developments more disabled friendly.

Dean Mullin tells CHSJ News they want to work with new developers from the ground up.

He says both Quispamsis and Rothesay councils are doing an okay job and are aware of the need to make buildings more accessible.

He says a representative from the committee will be putting their name forward for the vacant seat on the P-A-C to provide a different perspective.

Animal Rescue League Gets New Executive-Director

Orphaned dogs and cats in greater Saint John have a new champion.

Kari Poore is the new executive director of the Saint John SPCA Animal Rescue League.

Poore tells CHSJ News they don't want animals given as gifts over the holidays because it's a lot of responsibility.

She says they see adoption down a little bit this time of year.The Home for the Holidays program is underway where they encourage people to foster a pet from the shelter over the Christmas period.

Poore says in the new year they will be announcing some new fundraisers and a new website.

In the meantime, for more information go to www.saintjohnanimalrescue.com

Christmas Mail Delivery Disrupted Earlier This Week

If you were expecting some mail on Monday but noticed that your mailbox was empty than you're not alone.

Canada Post spokesperson Denise Corra says mail was not delivered on Monday because of lighting issues in the building which prompted health and safety concerns from the employees.

She calls the lighting issue an isolated incident and all mail was delivered on Tuesday. Corra does not anticipate any further delays.

Deputy Mayor Says Parking Garage Not A Priority For Citizens

Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase is still voicing his displeasure with the Peel Plaza parking garage.

Chase says the latest citizen's survey shows road maintenance to be the number one issue with Saint Johners and parking to be low on the list.

He says it makes him wonder about the money being spent on the parking structure.

Common Council voted in favour of building the garage back in October.  Chase was one of three dissenting votes and openly critical about the project.