Bus Strike Looms Larger

Acadien Bus Lines in this province and Prince Edward Island could be hit by a strike Friday morning at 6:30.
   
Local 1229 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, representing bus drivers, mechanics and customer service reps, is reporting members have voted 88 per cent to reject the company's latest contract offer. 

The union withdrew a strike notice last week so that Acadian Lines could present a new proposal but the president of local 1229 Glen Carr says it's obvious the company's latest offer was put together quickly.
   

More Video Lottery Terminals For Province

More video lottery terminals could be set up in the province because of falling revenues from the V-L-T's which fell to 91 million dollars in 2010-2011 from 100 million a year earlier. 

The Atlantic Lottery Corporation wants to install up to 75 more V-L-T's in the province.
    
Bids have been opened for the operation of three new gaming sites. Two of them in Saint John and the other one would be in Fredericton. 

City Loses Garbage Truck In Blaze

A garbage compactor going up in smoke early this morning at the City's repair and maintenance building on Rothesay Avenue known as the City Barns. 

There was heavy smoke emanating from the cab portion of the garbage truck when fire crews arrived. 

The sprinkler system was activated and the building, itself, sustained what is termed signifcant smoke and water damage. 

The garbage truck is a complete loss.

Snook Upset Over Lack Of Details On New Government System

A lot of talk and emotion in council chambers as council got briefed on what goes into a standing committee style of government.

Council is contemplating on making the switch, which would have various councillors sitting on 5 major committees that deal with major issues like transportation and city growth.

Councillor Donnie Snook was upset because he wanted more information before moving forward.

He say he wants to know how transparent and accessible the new form of government would be for citizens.

He adds it's ironic that the new system is being touted as more transparent for everyone yet he is lacking key details about the process.

Council voted in favour of asking representatives from the city of Fredericton to make a presentation to the city as it currently uses a standing committee system.

Councillor and Mayor Get Into Spat

Some verbal sparring taking place between Councilor Bill Farren and Mayor Ivan Court.

Court took umbrage over Farren's comment that if the Mayor gets to appoint which councillor heads each of the standing committees, it would be "kingdom building."

Court told Farren that if he can't respect the chair of the meeting, then he could leave the chambers.

Farren countered that the Mayor should show respect as well and they can talk about that issue right now.

Court told Farren they should go outside but both ended up staying put.

Partnership Puts University Students And Young Learners Together

Hazen White-St. Francis and UNB Saint John forming a promise partnership that will see the older students mentoring the young.
Principal Jennifer Carhart tells CHSJ News the funding is provided by the province and it will allow the UNB Saint John students spending one hour a week with the younger kids.

She says they also acquired funding to hire two teachers to work with the students as they transition to high school to make sure they graduate.

Emera Brunswick Pipeline will cover the cost of tuition, room and board for the Hazen White-St. Francis students to attend university.

Duplexes Needed In The City

The city's Commissioner of Planning and Development Ken Forrest says we need more duplexes and semi-detached homes in order to grow.

He says since the city has the highest average housing prices in the province, those kinds of homes will be in demand. 
He adds that kind of housing stock is practically non-existent in the city and we will need it to address affordability issues. 

In contrast, he says over 30 percent of the housing starts in Moncton are duplexes.

Standoff in St. Stephen Last Night

 Last night, St. Stephen RCMP responding to a Mayfield home on a report of a man uttering threats.

One person was able to leave the home safely, but a man locked himself inside with a weapon.

The RCMP’s Emergency Response Team responded and after nearly four hours they were able to arrest a man without incident.

A 30-year-old man faces charges but no one was hurt in the incident.

Woman Hit By Steamroller

A woman in her 30s suffering serious injuries to her lower body after being hit by a steam roller.

She was working as a flag person at the time of the incident near the corner of Lewisville and Shediac roads in Moncton.

WorkSafe NB is looking into what happened.
 

Dinner Aims To Attract Women To Skilled Trades

Young women in grades 9 through 12 are invited to attend a dinner promoting careers where women are often under-represented such as the skilled trades.

It's happening on Thursday night at the New Brunswick Community College campus on Grandview Ave.  

It's hoped the event will foster a positive environment in which young women can meet with tradeswomen in the community.
The students will have a chance to learn about each mentor's career journey and experiences.

If you want to attend or know someone who does: 

call Mélanie Gallagher at 506-453-8126.

Use Patience When Driving This Winter

"Be Patient" that's the advice of the RCMP when it comes to driving this time of year.
Constable Jay Doiron of the Codiac RCMP tells CHSJ News the best things drivers can do is slow down in winter conditions.

He says they encourage motorists to drive for the conditions which might be slower than the posted speed limit.

Doiron says drivers can face a fines of $172.50 and a charge of undue care and attention if their actions cause an accident that could have been avoided if they were driving slower.

Cirque Du Soleil Returns Next Year

If you want to hear a squeal Christmas morning, tickets to Cirque Du Soleil could do the trick.

The latest show called Dralion is coming to Harbour Station next May in 8 performances.

More than 8 million people worldwide have seen the show since it premiered in 1999.
Dralion is the fusion of ancient Chinese circus traditions and the avant-garde style of Cirque du Soleil with the dragon, representing the East, and the lion, representing the West.

The international cast features 52 world-class acrobats, gymnasts, musicians, singers and comedic characters.    Tickets go on sale this Saturday.

For more info:   click here here

Anti-Shale Gas Petition To Be Presented In Legislature

The Conservation Council is calling it one of the largest petition campaigns it has been involved with in its 42 years of existence.

A petition, started last spring, has gathered 15 thousand names calling on the Provincial Government to abandon plans for shale gas exploration and development. 

The Conservation Council's Stephanie Merrill tells CHSJ News the Alward Government seems intent on pressing ahead because of what it sees as the economic windfall for a province in dire financial straits. 

The opponents claim any economic benefits could be offset by problems with drinking water, damage to roads or to peoples' health.
 
The petition, itself, will be presented in the Legislature, ironically, by a Conservative M-L-A, Kirk MacDonald of York North.

Fists Fly At Hampton Arena

 Punches being thrown Sunday at the Hampton Arena after two spectators got into it.

RCMP arriving on the scene about 1:30 in the afternoon to find two men hitting each other.
One man is from Hampton and the other from St. George and he left with a broken nose.

The Mounties tell us charges are possible.

Bullying Appears To Be Down In School District 8

The number of reported cases of bullying is down in School District 8.

Learning specialist Jill Jollineau says the district has begun hammering home the message in kindergartern about what constitutes acceptable behaviour with the belief, the earlier you do this, the better

She feels they're making inroads in tackling the problem although it's alot tougher to guage the psychological impact when the bullying does not involve physical injuries.

Jollineau tells CHSJ News there should be no confusion about the policy and consequences which are, in her view, clear.

City Police have said they would like to see more consistency in how that policy is interpreted and acted upon by the various schools around the district.

City to Get Millions of Dollars From Gas Tax Fund

Common Council meets tonight and will be hearing from Cherry Brook Zoo which will be looking for some funding from the city next year, the River Road Community Alliance on efforts to make that part of the city safer and the Saint John Community Arts Board which will be reporting on the state of the arts in the city. 

Common Council has also heard from Local Government Minister Bruce Fitch that the city will receive 21 million dollars from the Gas Tax fund to help pay for 28 million dollars worth of projects which include the installation of new water transmission lines under the Reversing Falls Bridge.

Cyber Monday Shoppers Should Be Wary Of Fraud

Many in greater Saint John will be shopping in their p.j.'s today hoping to take advantage of Cyber Monday deals.
The online shopping phenomenon is growing in popularity with 52 per cent of Canadians more aware of it this year than last.
Nicky Mezo of PayPal tells CHSJ News in addition to using different passwords for banking, shopping and email, Cyber Monday shoppers should update their security as well.

She says your should make sure your computer is updated with the latest anti-virus software and your internet browser is also up to date.

Mezo says shoppers should be aware of online scams and keep an eye out for phishing emails which are often fraudulent and often come with the words "urgent" and "act now" in the subject line.

For more info:  click here

Canadian Services CEO Says NB Won't Be Able To Sell Blood

The CEO of Canadian Blood Services wants to dispel further misinformation about its decision to move a blood production lab to Darthmouth.

Dr. Graham Sher tells CHSJ News the idea that the province can establish its own blood system and sell products to the U.S. is incorrect because there is simply no market for it in the U.S.
 
Sher says according to a third party study, it would cost New Brunswick up to 40 million dollars to run its own system.

Stonehammer Geopark Gets International Recognition

Stonehammer Geopark is hammering home New Brunswick's status as a national tourism destination. The park showcasing the fossils and unique geology of the region spans more than 2,500 square kilometres. On Thursday, it received the national tourism association's Deloitte Award for Innovator of the Year.

Chair Bill Merrifield says that the park's unique appeal lies in its diversity. Every site offers something new from a geological perspective, he says--and you can see it all in a day.

The award is given out to tourism or business organizations that develop the most innovative product. The 2,500 square kilometer park includes more than 60 major geological sites across Southern New Brunswick, ranging from Lepreau Falls, Norton, the Irving Nature Park, and the Fundy Trail.

Red Cross Disaster Response Team Seeking Volunteers

The Canadian Red Cross wants you to join its disaster response team for the greater Saint John area.

The organization trains members of the public to emergency situations. Volunteers are on call for a few days each month to assist people who need help. That could mean arranging emergency shelter, clothing, food or other support for folks affected by disasters.

An information session will be held Monday evening from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Red Cross office at 70 Landsdowne Avenue.

According to Red Cross disaster associate Mark Belliveau, it'll be a great opportunity to learn more abut what the service does locally, and how you can  volunteer.