Farren Says We're Making Progress With Pension

A Saint John problem which only Saint Johners can solve--that's what common councillor Bill Farren calls the 75 million dollars missing in indexing the city's pension reforms.  

Mayor Mel Norton suggesting Saint John examine the province's reforms for cost-cutting measures we could potentially adopt. Farren says he expects they'll be calling in the experts: the people who drafted the legislation.

Farren says the newly-elected council is making progress with the issue in a direction the previous government wasn't willing to pursue.

Word Expected Soon On Bridge & Interchange Projects

Construction equipment at the Harbour Bridge and One Mile Interchange sites remains parked - but - that may be about to change.
Work has been at a standstill at both sites since the spring when the primary contractor ConCreate U-S-L went into receivership -- the good news is the province had bonding in place.
And the Transportation Department tells us it's working on an agreement with the bonding company to get a replacement contractor in place -- an announcement is expected soon.
Phase 2 of the 35-million dollar Harbour Bridge make over and work on the 70-million dollar interchange were originally scheduled for completion this year.

Reid Weighs In on Police Force's Operating Costs

As the Saint John Police Force prepares for a big change to its new HQ at Peel Plaza next month, Police Chief Bill Reid tells CHSJ news the force is doing well on the financial side of things. Reid tells CHSJ News according to April's reports the police is operating at $50,000 to $150,000 under budget.

 He says although things are looking great at the moment there are always unexpected factors at play with police work--and it's hard to predict what kind of numbers they could be facing down the line.

 Reid says the police force has been on budget for the past two years but that kind of track record does mean they have to do careful monitoring.

Homeless Teens At A Loss On Getting Help

You can't turn your life around if you don't have a place to stay or food in your belly. 

So says June Breau-Nason of the Saint John Teen Resource Centre which just got 30 thousand dollars from the federal government. She says when teens who are up against it show up at the Teen Resource Centre, they are treated with respect....... It doesn't matter who they are or where they come from.
 

Breau-Nason says young people also have a tough time getting the help they need because they have trouble navigating the system and that's where the people at the Teen Resource Centre can help.

Federal NDP Leader Campaigning In Rothesay

Federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair will be in Rothesay this afternoon to give the campaign of provincial party leader Dominic Cardy, who's running in the June 25th byelection, a boost.
 
Interim Provincial Liberal leader Victor Boudreau tells CHSJ News the appointment of former Rothesay M-L-A Margaret Ann Blaney as the C-E-O of Efficiency NB is turning more and more into a campaign issue. Both the Liberals and New Democrats have been hammering away at that appointment. 

Boudreau accuses Premier David Alward of taking patronage to a whole new level and the provincial economy to a whole new low. The Premier has countered by accusing the Liberals of increasing the provincial debt by 50 per cent during their last term in charge.
 
Mulcair will be speaking at a 1:00 rally in the Bill McGuire Community Centre.

Car Break-In Uptown

Keep your car locked and don't use it to store valuables--that from the Saint John police force in the light of a late-night car break in in the uptown area,

At around 12:30 last night police responding to a call that someone had their car window smashed on Canterbury Street and some personal items taken. Staff Sergeant Tanya Leblanc tells CHSJ News there are steps you can take to prevent thefts from your car, including hiding valuables under the seat or not leaving them in your car to begin with. 

Leblanc says people breaking into cars is a fairly regular occurrence in Saint John.

Van Struck By Bike

No serious injuries after a van getting struck by a motorcycle near Simms Corner. Sergeant Brian Wilson of the Saint John Police Force tells CHSJ News the van was hit by the bike at Bridge Road, which is near the infamous intersection. 

The driver of the motorcycle was taken to hospital by ambulance.

No word yet on the cause of the crash.

South End Food Bank Needs Some Help

The Community Food Basket, also known as the South End Food Bank on Charlotte Street, needs your help. 

The Food Bank's Brenda McIntyre tells CHSJ News they're running short of cereals of all kinds, tomato soup and glass jars which are needed to properly store the food. 

Glass is not recycled in the Saint John region and McIntyre says the jars are tough to come by. If you can help out, McIntyre says just bring the food or jars to their location. 

She says they used to get boxes and boxes of cereal coming in but not anymore.

Girl Missing From K-V

A young girl from the Valley has been reported missing. 

Rothesay Regional Police say Courtni Alisha Crawford has been among the missing since Wednesday night but is believed to be somewhere in Saint John. 

She's described as five feet three inches tall with dirty blonde hair, weighs 130 pounds and was wearing black jeans with a cream coloured hoodie.

If you know where she can be found, you can give police a call at 847-6300.

Port Community Day Set For Sunday

It was a big hit last year and tomorrow will see the second annual Port Community Day at the Marco Polo Cruise Ship Terminal on Water Street from 11 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon with activities both inside and outside. 

Port President and C-E-O Jim Quinn tells CHSJ News there will be lots to do for the kids including rides the LAV, light armoured vehicle, which is part of the military equipment being brought from C-F-B Gagetown.
 
There will also be a barbeque with all the money raised from that earmarked for the Boys and Girls Club. Last year, 10 thousand dollars was raised for the Joshua Group. 

There are also tours of the port on board the pink double decker buses and Aquila Tours is providing a free shuttle from the Carleton Community Centre to the cruise terminal.

5 Candidates In Rothesay Byelection

Five people have officially thrown their hat into the political ring for the Rothesay By-election.

The election is being held after Conservative MLA Margaret-Ann Blaney vacated the seat in order to head up Efficiency NB.

The candidates are Hugh John Flemming for the Conservatives, John Wilcox for the Liberals, Dominic Cardy for the NDP, Sharon Murphy for the Green Party, and Marjorie MacMurray will be an independent candidate.

Chief Electoral Officer for Elections NB Mike Quinn tells CHSJ News there will be advance polls for the byelection on June 16th and 18th.

Voting day is set for June 25th.

He says voter information cards will be going out on Monday.

Hampton To Host Second Anti-Bullying Rally

An anti-bullying rally will be held tomorrow in Hampton at the town's new outdoor park on Main Street starting at 11 in the morning with the theme being "Love is Louder".

Organiser Leanne Cochrane tells CHSJ News not every conflict that happens in school is bullying and the term is being misused or misunderstood. A single altercation is not bullying which, in her view, is repeated harassment or abuse.

There will be a barbeque and entertainment at the rally and an RCMP officer will talk about the ramifications of bullying and assault. 

The first rally was held over the winter to show support for a girl who said she had been bullied. Cochrane tells us the girl has since changed schools.

New Mental Health Programme Unveiled For Young People

There are 12 hundred young people, from 16 to 29, in the Saint John area suffering from some form of mental illness and that number is growing. 

That word from Kim Chenier, a programme co-ordinator at the just opened Peer 126 on Duke Street in the South End which provides help and support from counsellors who have been down the same road and can speak from first hand experience.

Chenier says young people who do suffer from mental health issues don't really trust the medical system and that's why the programme, which has been based on what has successfully been done in Halifax, is as non-clinical as you can get.

Two Arrested In North End Bust

A 29 year old man being arrested for possession of a controlled drug or substance for the purpose of trafficking as well as probation violation.

The search was done last night at a home in Victoria Street.

He will be appearing in court today.

A 24 year old woman was also arrested and released; she will be appearing in court at a later date to answer to a charge of possession of a controlled drug or substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Officers seized a small amount of marihuana and cash. 

Teen Resource Centre Gets Federal Funding

The Teen Resource Centre getting a financial boost from the federal government to the tune of 30-thousand dollars.

The money will be used to hire a case manager who can offer counselling and support programs for homeless or at risk youth.

TRC Executive Director June Breau-Nason says getting a new case manager is very important as the number of teens they are serving is on the rise.  She says the Oasis program had six hundred and fifty nine users.
 

She says the issues youth are facing are getting more complex and it's important for youth to have someone that can connect them with various resources in the community.

Justice Complex Ready This Fall

It looks like the end of the year before the new justice complex on Peel Plaza is fully operational.
A provincial spokesperson tells CHSJ News construction of the building is expected to be completed by October.
Once the building is handed over - the Justice Department expects it will take about two months to relocate courtrooms and offices now spread around the city to the new Saint John Law Courts complex.
Meantime - city police are expecting to move next month from city hall to the new police headquarters at Peel Plaza.

E-U-B Being Asked To Up Wholesale Profit Margins

The provincial Energy and Utilities Board is being asked for an increase in the wholesale profit margins on gas and home heating fuel.
Irving Oil has filed the request for an increase of just over a cent per litre saying a lot of costs have increased since the current margins of between 5 and 6-cents per litre were set.
The company has also requested documentation filed to justify its request be kept confidential to keep the information from falling into the hands of competitors.

Housing Starts Remain Sluggish

New home construction in the greater Saint John area continues to lag behind last year.
The latest numbers from Canada Mortgage and Housing show the number of new units started last month down 36-percent from May of last year.
And the survey shows housing starts since the first of the year off by 31-percent compared to the same period last year.
Both Fredericton and Moncton new home starts are up this year compared to last year.

Port Responds To Noise Complaints

There have been complaints about noise from the metal shredder at the port on the lower West Side. 

Port President and C-E-O Jim Quinn tells CHSJ News the noise isn't coming from the actual shredding of metal but from the loading of the scrap metal onto the ship. 

American Iron and Metal is aware of the concerns and new procedures will be used the next time a ship comes into the port for the scrap and that will be between June 22nd and the 24th.

Quinn says new equipment is being used and new people being trained so he expects the situation to get better with less noise.

He also points out the company has been operating around the clock at the port for years now.

Run For Fallen Soldiers Reaches Final Lap

A 13 year old's run to support our troops is reaching it's final leg today.

Since May 28th, Marshall Howard has been running the equivalent of a marathon during his lunch hours to raise money for the Pte. David Greenslade Memorial Bursary and the Oromocto Military Resource Centre for Youth programs in memory of his uncle.

He recently received a Diamond Jubilee medal for his efforts.

Marshall's mother, Dorothy, tells CHSJ News, the people in the town have been very supportive but unfortunately less than 500 dollars has been raised so far.

She's hoping people will come out to support her son and make a donation.


He will begin his run around noon at Quispamsis Middle School.

For more information about the run or to donate, click here.