Gas Leak Repairs Underway

Repair work is underway on Carleton Street after a gas leak earlier this morning.


A peice of construction equipment at the Peel Plaza construction site ran over the line and an electrical cable.

The Saint John Fire Department has two crews at the site as a precaution and they expect to be there for another 30 minutes.

Natural Gas Leak At Peel Plaza

Fire crews and Enbridge Gas called to Peel Plaza shortly after 8 for a natural gas leak. Traffic through that area around Union and Carlton Streets has been disrupted. 

A transformer also catching fire on Union Street at Dorchester early this morning between 4:30 and 5 which prompted police to block off traffic in that area for a short time.

City Police also investigating a home on Anglin Drive being broken into with home electronics stolen. 

A tip from the public results in a drunk driver being nabbed on Newman Street.

Alward Gives Update On Public Pensions

The Premier coming to the Port City to give an update on reforming provincial pensions.
 
So far the provincial government has been able to sell several unions including CUPE, the Nurses union and Hospital workers union on the new reforms that follow a European model.
 
David Alward says he met with members of the non-bargaining unit to give them a level of understanding.

He says the work that is currently going on is the technical phase where numbers are run and scenarios are given so workers can know their status today.

Alward says the initial phase took about a year but it hopes the second phase won't take as long.
The province will be hosting a national symposium in Fredericton in February to provide further details on the pension model. 

For more info, click here

Tobacco & Drugs Seized At Dorchester

A significant amount of tobacco valuing at $41,000 and a small quantity marijuana being seized at Dorchester Penitentiary.

The contraband was found by a correctional staff member who notified police. Dorchester uses ion scanners and drug dogs as a tool to control the flow of drugs.

Car Crashes Into Moosehorn Creek Bridge

A Hampton man is in hospital after he crashed his car into the Moosehorn Creek bridge in Norton.

RCMP say they received the call around 11:00 last night about a car that was driving the wrong way in the westbound lane of Highway 1.

When police arrived the 63-year-old had crashed into the bridge. Police believe alcohol to be a factor.

Young Workers Having Trouble Finding Jobs

Young workers here in the Atlantic are finding it harder to find a good job, despite the amount of retiring baby boomers.

Those results coming from an Atlantic Provinces Economic Council study, and it shows workers aged 15-24 make up over half of the job losses in the Maritimes.

Sarah Earnhardt from 21 Inc tells CHSJ news she's unsure exactly which jobs are or arn't in demand, but moving out of the Maritimes to get a career started isn't a bad thing. She says outmigration is an opportunity to re-circulate workers back to the province.

Earnhardt adds the report mentions a lot of skills mis-match, where young workers tend to study and train in certain areas where there's no demand in the Maritimes.

She says key steps in getting jobs is having co-ops, internships, staying in school and doing job training that fits the local economy.

New Football Program Available For Kids

8 and 9 years old from Sussex to St. Stephen will be playing in a new football program this year called "Tikes".
 
Bruce Watt of Fundy Minor Football tells CHSJ News they found 6 and 7 years after two years of
Flag football were looking for something a little closer to the real game.

He says they want to block and tackle and get more into the physical side of the game.

He says registration is underway now and will continue until after school starts and practices are starting this week.    For more info, go to country94.ca and click news.

Liberal M-L-A Says Businesspeople In Province Are Worried

Liberal M-L-A Roger Melanson from Dieppe has been spending his summer travelling around the province to sound businesspeople out about the provincial economy including the Saint John Board of Trade.

Melanson tells CHSJ News they're worried about the state of the provincial economy with growth not seeming to be the Alward Government's top priority in spite of the Premier's campaign promise and, as such, workers are leaving for jobs in other parts of the country.

Melanson says he has been told Invest NB has not be out there soliciting opinions from local businesspeople about what is needed to attract investment money to places like Saint John. He complains there appears to be a scattershot approach to economic development.

Melanson is critical of what he sees as a lack of focus and warns you can't cut your way to prosperity.

Dead Seal Found On Local Beach

Photo of dead seal  taken on Wednesday along Bayshore Beach on the west side and sent to us by a listener.

Gas Prices Still On Rise

No relief when it comes to gas prices which have risen a bit after the weekly setting. 

If you're driving around the city, self serve regular is being sold for $1.29 a litre with diesel at $1.35.

Former NB Tel C-E-O Being Honoured With Prestigious Award

New Brunswick Business Hall of Fame member Gerry Pond is being recognised by the Red Cross with its humanitarian award. Pond has 45 years of business experience.

He served as C-E-O of NB Tel and now chairs the internet TV company Mariner Partners. 

Pond has also co-founded 10 startup technology companies over the past decade. They include Q-1 Labs, iMagicTV, Brovada Technologies and Radian6. 

He has also helped the United Way, Big Brothers-Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Club with their funding.

Men Busted In Prostitution Sting Go To Court

7 men the Mounties busted in a operation targeting prostitution in Moncton in court to face charges.

Last month, Codiac RCMP ran an operation in the Dufferin Street area where the men ranging in age from 39 to 67 and from communities such as Moncton, Dieppe, Riverview were arrested.

The men were all charged with communicating for the purpose of prostitution and several plead guilty receiving a fine of $300 that will be donated to Crossroads for Women.
 

Anyone with any information about prostitution-related activities is asked to leave a detailed message on the Codiac Regional RCMP Prostitution Tip Line at 506-388-7511.

For more info, click here

Aquila To Welcome Their Millionth Guest

On Monday morning, one lucky person will be the millioneth guest of Aquila Tours arriving on the Carnival Glory.
President Beth Kelly Hatt tells CHSJ News they have some special surprises in store for that person including a limo ride and a lobster lunch.

Hatt adds she loves that they are arriving on a Carnival Cruise since Carnival has brought us the most cruise guests over the years.

Aquila Tours is celebrating 30 years in the business this year.
 

Sentencing Of Public Official Delayed

The sentencing of former case worker Kenneth Neves, convicted of defrauding the Department of Social Development, has been delayed.

Judge Anne Jeffries made the decision to change the date from today to next Thursday to review reference cases that have been submitted.

 It's estimated Neves defrauded the Department of Social Development around $36,000 over a three year period.

Crown attorney Patrick Wilbur is arguing for a 9 to 12 month provincial jail sentence and a restitution order.

Defence lawyer Rod MacDonald agrees on the length of the sentence, he's asking for it to be served in the community since Neves has no prior criminal record and is unlikely to reoffend.

The Premier To Give Pension Update

The Premier will be in Saint John tomorrow.

David Alward is going to highlight progress being made on pension reform.

He'll be speaking at the Delta tomorrow afternoon.

 

Moir Remembers Layton

One year ago today, former N-D-P Leader Jack Layton died -- just three months after leading his party to official opposition status in Parliament. 

UNB Saint John Professor Rob Moir ran for the NDP in Saint John in the last election and tells CHSJ News Jack wasn't about putting people down but pulling people up.

He says we are all taught as kids however you find the place leave it a bit better when you go and Moir says Layton did that.

Moir believes that the newly elected young MP's in Quebec are really proving themselves as strong players in government.

Union At Maritime Broadcasting Kicking It Up A Notch

The Canadian Media Guild is ramping up its campaign to end the strike at three radio stations in the city owned by Maritime Broadcasting.

Unions affiliated with the Saint John District Labour Council will be setting up information picket lines outside the businesses that have not pulled their advertising.

The Media Guild's Gerry Whalen is hoping this will force the owner, Robert Pace, to bargain seriously because he has 3 of the 7 employees on strike earn only 24 thousand dollars a year and find themselves on the border of poverty. There are 3 others making 30 thousand. Whalen charges they are not being treated with respect.

Whalen says he was told by one car dealer in town he has people working for him who clean cars and get paid more money than that.

Negotiations started last October and the strike has been going on now for 9 weeks.

Wilderness Classroom Kayaking To Saint John

This kind of classroom makes kids want to go to school!

Married duo Amy & David Freeman have spent the past two and half years kayaking across North America and now, they're paddling down the St. John River. But the trip isn't a vacation, David Freeman says the Wilderness Classroom focuses on teaching people the importance of protecting the environment and how nature is interconnected. Freeman says they normally go to elementary and middle school classrooms, but since school isn't in session they won't be able to speak in Saint John.

 

The two started in Seattle, Washington on Earth Day of 2010, and will canoe, kayak and dog sled around 20,000 kilometers.

Freeman says two things surprised him about the St. John Watershed. One was how much wildlife was along the river, and the other was how some areas of the river were abundant with boats and fisherman while others weren't.

The couple will be in Saint John either Thursday or Friday. They hope to finish in seven months in Florida. 

For more information on the Wilderness Classroom, click here.

Federal Minister Defends Closure Of RCMP Lab In Halifax In Face Of Criticism

Federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews doesn't share the same concern over the closure of the RCMP lab in Halifax as the New Brunswick Police Association. 

It warns delays in processing evidence could get even longer. The Police Association and Chief Bill Reid blame delays in processing evidence in the Richard Oland Murder investigation as being largely responsible for no one being arrested yet. A police affadavit that was released recently shows most of the evidence, at the time it was written, had not been analysed.

Toews, who made a stop in Saint John this week, says he has been given assurances the closing of the lab in Halifax won't make a difference.

Police Association President Dean Secord says it means police in the Atlantic region will have to send their evidence to Ottawa for processing. 

Toews also doesn't go along with the claim that you have to wait your turn in getting the evidence processed regardless of high profile the case is.

Alot Of Unknowns With New Sex Crimes Investigation

Mayor Mel Norton says he wants to do the right thing but the city doesn't know how much that will wind up costing.

An investigation is underway after a new complaint surfaced of sexual assault made against former city police officer Ken Estabrooks who served time in prison before dying in 2005. 

Private investigator Dave Perry says quite often after one person comes forward, others follow after being silent for years and he suspects that will happen here. 

Perry, who is well known for his work investigating sex crimes with the Metro Toronto Police, concedes he doesn't know how long the investigation will last but cautions when you're dealing with sexual assaults, the file is never closed permanently.