It appears to be a shuffle with some title changes. That is the reaction from Norma Robinson, the President of the Council of Hospital Unions, on a management shake up at the Horizon Health Network. The health authority announcing changes to 25 senior management positions yet only 2 people are actually leaving the system. President Norma Robinson tells CHSJ News she wonders if there is an intention of making more reductions.
She says they are talking about going from 23 people to 12 but only two are leaving the system so she isn't sure what that implies.
Robinson isn't sure if that means there will be another sweep adding it's one of the unknowns.
Former Premier Shawn Graham is leaving politics after an investigation concluded he violated conflict of interest laws.
The province's conflict of interest commissioner released a report this week saying Graham was in a conflict of interest when his Liberal government gave a $50 million loan guarantee to a construction company.
Patrick Ryan said Graham should have removed himself from cabinet discussions in March 2009 over the loan guarantee to Atcon because his father was a paid consultant of Atcon companies. Graham said the conflict was an oversight on his part and he accepts full responsibility for his actions.
Graham was elected premier in 2006 but ousted from power four years later. He says he will continue to serve as the member for the riding of Kent until March 11.
Exporting natural gas from Canaport is where the real money is according to John Herron of the Atlantica Centre for Energy.
He says because of shale gas development in North America, the business case for bringing natural gas in by ship is drying up but being able to export natural gas is a whole different story with prices in Europe and Asia alot higher.
Herron says 30 per cent of natural gas in North America comes from shale already and that is expected to increase to over half within ten years which he calls a real game changer.
He also estimates an export terminal at Canaport would be a 2.5 to 4 billion dollar investment.
A public sector union says the Harper government should stop sending federal employees on Employment Insurance house calls because they might end up in dangerous situations. Spokesman Larry Rousseau says some employees who have done the E-I house calls have not been well received and the union is worried about their safety.
Saint John M-P Rodney Weston is not ready to say yet whether this is the right approach to uncovering abuse. Weston has many questions he wants answered after conceding it caught him by surprise and , at first glance, finds the house calls a bit disturbing. Prime Minister Harper is defending the house calls, saying hundreds of millions of dollars are lost through false or inappropriate E-I claims.
72 thousand dollars........That's the legal bill for former Liberal Premier Shawn Graham, who was found to be in a conflict of interest over loan guarantees to Atcon, but who should have paid that.
The Peoples' Alliance Party releasing a statement saying it should not have been provincial taxpayers who already find themselves under the gun but ought to have been the provincial Liberal party, the former Premier himself or the former members of his cabinet who took part in coming to the decision to give the loan guarantees.
On Tuesday, PotashCorp NB made a $250,000 matching contribution and today MP Rodney Weston gave $100,000 to support the theatre over two different seasons. Executive Director S. G. Lee tells CHSJ News the money from the federal government is for programming.
She says this money goes directly to the cost of bringing in artists including fees, travel and flights and community activities in and around the Imperial.
Lee says planning for the 2013/2014 is 75 per cent complete and now they are working on the 2014/2015 season.
The mother of a Moncton teen who strangled herself in prison says no one has been held accountable for the death.
Testifying today at a Toronto inquest, Coralee Smith says nothing has changed for inmates.
She says everyone in the system knew how desperate her daughter was, yet they did not help.
Ashley Smith choked herself to death in her segregation cell in Kitchener, Ontario in October 2007. Guards, who were under orders not to intervene, simply watched. Her mom says the 19-year-old should not have been in prison in the first place.
Some streamlining at the top at the Horizon Health Network.
New president John McGarry announcing the Executive Management Team has been reduced from 12 to 7. McGarry says three VP's are out of the senior management team, 4 VP's have been converted to corporate directors and one person have been brought in as Chief Operating Officer.
McGarry says the two people leaving will receive a standard severance package as approved by the province. He says that will result in significant savings for the organization but he would say how much money they will save with these changes. Horizon Health Network must find 3 million dollars in savings by next year and McGarry tells CHSJ News this gives them a start on it.
Disabled patients should be seen as people first and their disability second and doctors should be more compassionate. So says Dr. Shawn Jennings who suffered a debilitating brainstem stroke when he was 45, forcing him to give up his family practice of 20 years.
Dr. Jennings still uses a wheelchair but has recovered to the point where he's a member of the faculty at the Dal Medical School and tells CHSJ News doctors will treat the disabled differently but not out of malice but because they feel sorry for them.
Dr. Jennings says examination tables in doctors' offices are too high for the disabled to get up onto but they're designed that way so doctors don't have to bend over as much and save wear and tear on their backs. Another barrier is actually getting into a doctor's office if it isn't wheelchair accessible.
More than 17 per cent of people in the province are coping with disabilities which is the second highest rate in the country, second only to Nova Scotia and we have to get our act together. That was the message delivered at a forum organised by the Saint John Human Development Council.
Executive-Director Randy Hatfield tells CHSJ News there are still too many barriers when people with disabilities seek healthcare and at a time when the province is trying to constrain the escalating cost of healthcare.
The forum was told there are not enough interpreters around to allow the deaf to communicate by sign language and that sometimes results in them being treated with a lack of respect. The forum also hearing there's a stigma that if you have a physical disability, somehow you also suffer from a mental disability.
Elevated carbon moxide levels at the Charles Gorman Arena may have been responsible for several users getting sick over the weekend.
The Arena Attendant at the Gorman was alerted to the problem after getting a call from a user asking about the air quality. Testing with a hand-held device showed the carbon moxide levels in the building were indeed higher than safe levels, with readings up to 67parts per million. Exposures to 100ppm or greater are hazardous to human health.
The building was evacuated and the natural gas fired boilers were checked but no leaks or malfunctions were found. The Zamboni was pulled from service and tested as well, but the results were normal. At this point the source of the elevated levels is unclear but it is still being investigated.
We known New Brunswickers love to get outside in nature; however, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has some numbers to back that up.
Andrew Holland of the NCC tells CHSJ News nature is even more important to our family's overall health and well-being than we might think. A recent poll by the conservancy asked Canadians whether they'd rather spend family time inside or out--and a whopping 87% of those surveyed said they'd be inclined to head out of doors.
Holland tells CHSJ News it's a great way to beat the winter blues, pointing to skiing, snow-shoeing and winter bird watching as fun activities that can be enjoyed in nature, and says it's important to appreciate the value of our natural landscape if we want to preserve it.
We have more technical details from the search warrants in the investigation of former common councillor Donnie Snook.
The 568-page document describes events leading from March 2011 to Snook's January arrest, including the installation of a surveillance camera on a power pole outside his home. The camera recorded who was at 575 Martha Avenue while explicit chat sessions were happening with undercover police.
On January 9th an officer observed while all the lights were on at the home, no one answered the door. Snook was the only one inside. The chat logs from that time show a message saying "some one at the door....see you later?"'
The warrants also inndicate the person sharing the explicit images was hacking into their neighbour's wi-fi connection. However, the Mac Address of the computer used to transmit them was traced to Snook's home.
The chat user promised the undercover cop "live action" in order to win his trust--but only with their face covered, because if they were caught, "[they] would die." Cameras, computers, a tablet, phones and other electronic devices were all confiscated in the search. Snook's next court appearance is on March 11 when he is expected to enter a plea.
The Feds giving the First Steps housing project $80,000 to assess the social and financial benefits of their program.
The house on Cobourg street provides a place for pregnant and parenting young women to live and get an education.
40 women have graduated from the program since its inception in 2002.
First Steps Executive Director Sharon Amirault says they hope at the end of the two year project its helpful in evaluating their program and others.
She says it will set a standard for how other non-profit agencies will look at valuing their service.
Amirault says as an example it may find that every dollar First Steps receives five dollars is saved in the health of children and mothers and education etc.
Saint John MP Rodney Weston says the results of this survey will be helpful to government so they can show return on investment.
For more info, call 693-BABY (2229) or email info@firststepshousing.com
Graphic and disturbing details of the investigation into former common councilor Donnie Snook have come to light with the release today of search warrants in the case--albeit heavily redacted.
The warrants reveal someone using the same internet IP address as Snook's home on Martha Avenue engaged in lengthy chats discussing sexual activities with numerous young boys. The warrants state someone at the home posessed the technical knowledge and ability to steal Wi-fi from others at nearby addresses; however, the Mac address signal was traced to Snook's home address. To an undercover officer playing the role of a fellow pedophile, the chat user described himself as "100% boy lover" plauged by "forbidden passion that haunts [him.]" The person also described "playing" with at least 3 boys, engaging in "cam sessions" with others, and shared video depicting a prepubescent child engaged in a sex act.
Of the victims, chat user writes, "little boys like pleasure to [sic] you know...its society that has messed them up with shame and hate...i NEVER hurt. i treat them like gold...they are little princes." Over a thousand images with child-related pornographic content were shared on the network.
The documents also indicate Snook attempted to grab a laptop and flee through the back door when police came to arrest him at his home on January 9th.
Snook's bail hearing is scheduled for March 11 pending completion of the police investigation. Until then, he has been remanded to provincial jail. Since the initial charges came to light several more people have also contacted city police and RCMP alleging they have been sexually abused by the 40-year-old.
His lawyer, Dennis Boyle, says he will enter a plea on March 11.
One of our road warriors sent in this picture of an accident Sunday on Highway 1 near Hammond River. A tractor trailer had skidded off the road and had to be removed.
The Department of Natural Resources is on the scene today excavating some soil contaminated by a fuel spill after the weekend crash.
We could soon know more about the case against former common councillor Donnie Snook.
Search warrants in the case are scheduled to be released later today although some of the information will be blacked out.
The two-term councillor resigned last month amid 8 charges relating to child pornography, child exploitation, and sexual interference with a child under 16. The 40 year old was arrested at his home on January 9th and resigned as a Councillor on the 17th.
The best and brightest of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will be getting some kudos at the 3rd annual Salty Awards.
Voting is now live for the social media awards which includes categories like Twitter Person of the Year, Best Facebook, and a new award for the Best Instagram account.
Co-chair Craig Allen tells CHSJ News received over 500 nominees and they're hoping a large number of Saint Johners will vote as well.
Former winners include the Saint John Alehouse, Jonathan Huberdeau and Piece O'Cake Custom Creations. Allen says since social media is an ingrained part of many of our lives it makes sense to recognize the locals who make valuable contributions.
