A Geary Man Facing Charges After Bust

A Geary man faces charges after a marihuana bust.

On Friday, RCMP conducting a search at a home in Geary and dismantling a grow op with plants in various stages of growth.


The officers also seizing some marihuana. 
A 56-year-old man is due in court next month.

Saint John Is Seen As Trailblazer On Selling Tourism

New Brunswick is one of the only provinces or states where a hotel tax is not charged but that could change with Premier David Alward said to be open to the idea.

There are ten hotels in Saint John which have been charging a 2 per cent hotel levy since 2007.

Paulette Hicks of the Saint John Hotel Association tells CHSJ News tourists don't seem to mind because it's so common elsewhere.

That 2 per cent levy brings in something like 400 thousand dollars a year which is used to sell tourism in Saint John.

Man Dies After Lepreau Crash

A Saint John man is dead after a motorcycle/car collision on Highway 1 in Lepreau on Monday morning.

The motorcycle and the car were both heading westbound and the motorcycle was in the passing lane when the collision occurred.

A 55 year old man driving the motorcycle was thrown from the vehicle and died from his injuries en route to hospital.

A funeral service for David Levenshulme will be held on Saturday morning at St. Mark's United Church on the west side beginning at 10:00.

An RCMP reconstructionist is looking into the cause of the collision.

City Urged To Do Business With The Province And Federal Government Differently

The city's own Intergovernmental Affairs Co-ordinator says there has to be a better way of interacting with the provincial and federal governments so Saint John can get the funding help it needs to help pay for the big projects.  

He says the city usually approaches the province and federal government only when it wants something from them.

Phil Ouellette is also urging better communication between Common Council and city staff.
 
Ouellette wants the new Common Council to stay on message and speak with one voice as a team because for the next couple of years it's going to be tough to get government funding of any kind. 

He warns the city will lose credibility if individual members of Council approach the other levels of government with their own individual priorities.

New Uptown Methadone Clinic Welcomed

The waiting list for methadone treatment should be cleared up with the opening of a new clinic on Waterloo Street. 

Julie Dingwell who runs Aids Saint John estimates there were 300 people on the waiting list but probably alot more in need of methadone treatment who just gave up because they thought there was no hope.
 
Dingwell believes crime will go down as well as health care costs because injection drug users are prone to serious heart disease which is expensive to treat while, on methadone, they tend to take better care of themselves.

Breast Health Centre To Open In Moncton

The province plans to spend over $8 million dollars to build a two story addition the Dr. George Dumont Hospital in Moncton to integrate breast care services.

The centre will offer screening, diagnostic imaging, clinical exams, surgery and therapeutic services.

It's due to open in the fall of 2014.

"Blood Service Will Be As Good Or Even Better"

The delivery of blood will be monitored after the transfer of blood production from University Avenue in Millidgeville to Dartmouth is complete. 

The Chief Operating Officer at Canadian Blood Services Ian Mumford says meetings have been taking place with doctors to come up with a system of measurements.

Mumford adds the results will be transparent because the people on his end are confident the service will be as good or even better that it was before the transfer of blood production to Nova Scotia.

Wellness Minister Says It's Time To Get Off The Couch

The Alward Government wants a new health care plan that's more reflective of today's financial realities.

A health care forum will be held at the Delta tonight from 6 to 9 hosted by Provincial Health Minister Madelaine Dube who's in town to hear what you have to say. 

63 per cent of adults and 24 per cent of children and teens in the province are overweight or obese. Wellness Minister Trevor Holder says that has to change with steps taken to prevent people from getting sick through bad diet and a lack of exercise. 

He points to studies showing for every dollar spent on preventative care, you can save 12 dollars in health care costs. He also argues thirty minutes of physical activity a day, which could consist of a brisk walk, can reduce your chances of getting Type 2 diabetes by 60 per cent.

Another core issue facing the province is the aging population and greater demand for health care services.

Councillor Wants Eyesores Beautified

Tearing down old buildings aren't a problem, but what do you do with the gravel on the land afterwards? Common Councillor John Mackenzie tells CHSJ news he has a solution to the eyesores.

"A lot full of gravel and dirt doesn't look very appealing. I plan on putting forth a motion that in order to complete the job we put in some top soil and seed it so it looks a lot nicer at the end of the day."

An increasing number of Saint Johners have approached Mackenzie over safety concerns with the torn-down buildings in the Old North End. Mackenzie is not quite sure what this will cost the demolition companies.

Changes Coming To Heritage Preservation In City

It will be up to Common Council, during its current mandate, to determine what the right level of regulation is for heritage buildings in the city. 

Chief City Planner Ken Forrest says there has been ongoing debate about this for some time. 

Forrest also telling Councillors there will be reduced funding for heritage properties and that will necessitate changes being made in the programme. 

Last year, 90 thousand dollars worth of heritage grants were handed out to property owners.

Highway Collision At Lepreau

Two people rushed to hospital after a collision late yesterday morning between a car and motorcycle on Highway 1 at Lepreau. 

We're told by Musquash Fire and Rescue the motorcyclist suffered serious injuries. 

The driver of the car was also taken to hospital.

Three Fires Kill Two People And Leave Woman Homeless

The fire department is investigating what caused a weekend fire at 263 Crawford Road on the east side. The fire was contained to the front of the building. 

A Chipman area woman is staying with relatives after her farm house was destroyed in a fire yesterday.  She managed to escape to safety along with her two dogs and two horses.

Oromocto Fire Chief Jody Price is warning about the dangers of smoking in bed after a fatal fire on Highway 102 in the Burton area. A 61 year old woman and her 87 year old father died in that blaze.

Two Dead In House Fire

A deadly house fire near Oromocto has left two people dead.

Officials are investigating the incident that occurred near yesterday morning on Highway 102 in the Burton-area. The victims are a 61 year old woman and her 88 year old father. Their names have not been released. The Fire chief believes cigarettes were the cause. The fire began in the women's room. Autopsies are scheduled for today.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials say foul play is not suspected at this time.

Doubts In Heritage Financial Support

Saint John has one of the largest inventories of heritage buildings of any city in the country with 770 properties holding the heritage designation. 90 thousand dollars worth of grants were handed out last year to heritage property owners but Chief City Planner Ken Forrest is expressing doubt whether that level of support can continue considering the financial realities today.

"So we have a significant number of designated properties, and we have challenges with respect to meeting the needs of those properties with the resourcing that's available. So those are our challenges."

Forrest says the new Common Council will have to figure out what the right level of regulation should be.

Canadians Optimistic On Economy

A Canada Day study done by the Bank of Montreal shows we are an optimistic lot about our future economic prospects. Paul Taylor is Chief Investment Officer with B-M-O Harris Private Banking and he tells CHSJ News 83% of us are proud of how this country's economy has performed.

"Half of Canadians expect their investment portfolios to grow by Canada Day 2013, which is kind of interesting given the mackerel head winds we see out there in the financial press."

Taylor is surprised at the level of optimism which hasn't been dampened by the cutbacks announced of late by the Harper Government.

Pollution In Fundy Better & Worse

There's been a significant reduction with large industrial debris (such as styrofoam, large pieces of pipe and nets) in the Bay of Fundy, so says Fundy Bay Keeper Matt Abbott. The Bay Keeper has been keeping the waters of Fundy clean since 2003. He tells CHSJ news there's still problems with ocean acidification, nets and rope garbage and waste from salmon aquaculture, but he's seen some major clean up of the Saint John sewer system.

"We've got a long, long way to go but at the same time there's a lot of people working on this and we certainly hope we can continue to harness that energy and keep our Bay vibrant and give it it's best shot against these big changes that are coming down the pipe."

Abbott would like to see more clean up of municipal waste, which overloads and spills into the Bay during heaving rain. He adds that his advocacy works has paid off, finding that many people bring waste to shore.

The Bay Keeper patrols the Fundy coastline from Alma to St. Stephen.

Skin Cancer Rising In NB

The provinces Chief Medical Officer of Health is warning New Brunswickers' to take care when in the sun. Doctor Eilish Cleary tells CHSJ news the number of skin cancer cases in the province is increasing.

"We had over a 100 cases in 2000, and a 168 cases in 2009, so it is an issue which can cause serious illness and death."

Cleary adds tanning and sun exposure also ages skin. She advises people to avoid sun rays when they're highest between midday and 4:00pm, to wear a hat and loose clothing, and most importantly... put sunscreen on before exposure. She says children and people with fair skin are most at risk.

The province introduced voluntary tanning guidelines two years ago including an age limit of 18 and limiting of one tan every 48 hours.

Qplex Gets Into 'Disney' Character

Disney Themes and Canada flags will take over the Qplex today. Promotions Manager Aaron Kennedy tells CHSJ news there will be bands, cake, games a t-shirt toss and more.

"Canada Day in Quispamsis has always been a big day for families and friends to get together, they'll be lots of Disney princesses and characters."

Kennedy adds the Qplex has an advantage... if the weather is bad all outdoor events can be moved inside. The Qplex festivities will take place from 12 until 5 today.

VIDEO: People Parade

Video of the Canada Day People Parade in Uptown, Saint John.

Bring Out The Maple! Happy Canada Day, SJ!

Canada Day day is here!!! This morning in Uptown Saint John King Street is busy from top to bottom with a flea market featuring everything from ethnic foods, crafts to nick knacks.

People Parade will kick off from Kings Square at 11, followed by flag raising at City Hall and a Skateboard Competition at Noon at the Skate Park.

Fireworks are at 10:15 tonight.

For a full schedule of events, click here.