No Real Change In Saint John Housing Market Expected

Saint John will remain a buyer's market for the next couple of years when it comes to housing. That, according to Jason Beaton of Canada Mortgage and Housing who delivered a seminar to realtors in the city about how things look this year and next.

Beaton says the housing market in Saint John has been trending down since 2008 and he expects a further softening in the sale of existing homes this year.

Beaton tells CHSJ News it takes an average of 110 days to sell a home in Saint John and the average price is around 167 thousand dollars.

Local Farmers Unite To Swap Seeds, Tips

As we face yet another winter storm warning, the warmer days of picking your own lettuce, tomatoes or carrots might seem far off.

But spring is slowly but surely approaching--- and an event for local farmers and gardeners can help you get the most out of your plot. 

Seedy Saturday is an all-day seed swap, forum, and documentary screening open to members of the public. Organizer Greg Daggett tells CHSJ News it's a great way to encourage diversity in your garden and meet some like-minded individuals.

In addition to the seed swap, there will be a free book table and workshops by Master Gardener Phil Savage, Amy Baker from Wellwood Farms, and potentially others TBA. It's happening Saturday at the City Market Senior's Great Room on the 2nd floor from 10am to 4pm.

Admission is free.

City Police Arrest 3 In Glen Falls Assault

City police arresting 3 men in connection with a serious assault in Glen Falls on Tuesday night.

Officers found the victim on Broadway Avenue with serious injuries and he was taken to hospital.
He remains in serious condition at the Regional hospital.

One 17 year old and two 18 year olds faces charges of Robbery with Violence and Aggravated Assault.

All 3 men are due before a judge this afternoon in Provincial court.

Nervousness Over What Cuts Will Take Place At Horizon Health

Workers at the Horizon Health Network are on edge these days with all the talk about impending cuts especially after the 6 per cent cut in jobs announced by Vitalite, which runs the francophone health network.

The Regional Director of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Gordon Black says if the same percentage of cuts is implemented at Horizon, as many as 700 or 800 jobs will be lost. Black tells CHSJ News Horizon has too many managers but he's almost certain that's not where the cuts will be happening.

Black says health administration has increased several fold ever since regionalisation of healthcare in the early 90's under then Premier Frank McKenna and remains top heavy.

Controversial Meeting Over Future Of Your Water

Common Council met this morning on the possibility of a P3, or public private partnership for water treatment.

John McBride of P3 Canada explaining the funding model isn't the same as privatizing water; rather, since private companies are already doing most of the work it makes sense to put their money on the line, and make them responsible for its entire life cycle. He referred to P3s as a "tool" which are more or less applicable depending on the situation--but for a $200 million-plus project like the one Saint John is looking at, it makes sense.

Mayor Mel Norton says he wants to make it clear we'll still own the water--because there's never been a situation where a Canadian municipality lost control of its water supply as a result of adopting a P3.

Members of various community organizations object to the idea saying the federal government is shirking its responsibility to fund essential services like water, and forcing the city to rely on private corporations

Another Storm To Hammer Saint John

You can expect stormy weather right through tonight into tomorrow as we have a winter storm warning for the Saint John region. 

Darin Borgel of Environment Canada tells CHSJ News we will receive mostly snow with the risk of some freezing rain along the coast. 

Borgel says you can expect anywhere from 15 up to 30 centimeters of snow depending where you are in the region with the heaviest amounts falling late this afternoon and tonight.

He says this is a slow moving system with lighter snow continuing intermittently tomorrow.

In the Anglophone South School District.........Schools are closed in St. Stephen, Saint John, Hampton, the K-V and Belle Isle. Schools in Sussex, Norton and Apohaqui are open.

Samuel de Champlain is closed for the day as is the Sussex Christian school.

Drivers Getting A Bit Of A Price Break

Gas prices go down a bit after the weekly setting. 

The price of self serve regular in the city is down to an even $1.34 a litre, a decline of half a cent. 

Diesel dropped by more than 2 and a half cents to $1.43.1 and heating oil also taking a dip to $1.23.1 a litre.

Man On The Run After Woman Stabbed Near Sussex

Sussex RCMP are looking for a 49-year old man in connection with a stabbing that occurred earlier this morning in Plumweseep, near Sussex.

Shortly before 8 a.m Sussex RCMP received a 911 call from a woman who had suffered stab wounds during an altercation in a Plumweseep home. The woman was taken to hospital in Saint John. The seriousness of her injuries is unknown.

The 49-year-old man was last seen driving a 2009 grey Honda Ridgeline truck with N.B. license plate CPM 926. The man is described as being 5'11'' tall with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing glasses, a black coat, blue jeans and black boots.

Police are treating this as an isolated incident as the victim and suspect know each other.

If anyone has information on the location of this person or the truck, do not approach him, and contact police immediately or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Copper Thieves Wreck House

Some thieves did a real number on a house in Saint Andrews over the weekend....

An undisclosed quantity of copper piping was ripped out of the walls over the weekend at a home on Mowat Drive. No word on how much pipe was taken but RCMP are describing the damage as significant.

If anyone has information contact police immediately or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Board Of Trade Is On Board With Proposed Fertilizer Plant

The interim president of the Saint John Board of Trade calls the proposed fertilizer production plant in McAllister Industrial Park exactly what Saint John needs. 

Dick Daigle of the BOT tells CHSJ News the timing came as something of a surprise--albeit a pleasant one, and it is certainly in line with the True Growth 2.0 strategy the city has been looking to embrace.

Daigle says the next thing they'd like to see the city move on is shale gas. The plant is expected to cost $350 million, creating over 1,200 jobs during construction.

Social Media Award Winners Celebrate At Saltys

Most of us are familiar with Facebook and Twitter: but some Saint Johners are really taking it to to the next level. 

The 2013 Salty Awards honour those who make major contributions to our online lives--including Best Facebook, Instagram, and use of social media in a campaign. 

Cultural Affairs Minister Bernard Cormier won for Best Twitter. He tells CHSJ News the secret is delivering local content with a bit of humour. The complete list of winners is as follows.

Twitter Person of the Year - Bernard Cormier - Link

Best Facebook Page- Je Suis Prest - Link

Awesome Instagram – Mark Hemmings - Link

Hottest YouTube – From Sussex and I Know It - Link

Coolest Blog – barbbarbbarb – Barb Crawford - Link

Best Use of Social Media in a Campaign – Pay It Forward Saint John - Link

Savoie Says More Fundy Trail $ Is Close

According to one Saint John area MLA, we can expect a funding announcement soon to complete the next phase of the Fundy Trail.

Saint John Fundy MLA Glen Savoie tells CHSJ News he's been working with Tourism, Culture and Healthy Living Minister Trevor Holder.

He says they have been working with their federal counterparts and the province to get the deal in place and at this stage they are crossing the T's and dotting the I's.

Savoie says to complete the trail another whole section has to be done and this funding will allow work to begin on that section.

75 Acts of Kindness from Bayview Credit Union

Bayview Credit Union is giving back. To celebrate 75 years in business, Bayview's Carolyn MacPherson says they will commit 75 acts of kindness this year.


It launches at the Sea Dogs game tonight, where staff will collect Canadian Tire money for P.R.O. Kids. Other charitable causes they'll support this year include Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life and Hestia House.

Glen Falls Assault

City police are looking for two men after an assault in Glen Falls.   

Police were called to Brown Street about 10:25 last night to find a man had been assaulted.    Police were led to a crime scene on Glen Road.

A man in his 20's was sent to hospital with serious injuries.

Police believe a weapon was used but it's unclear what it was.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Major Crime at 648-3333.

More Moose Says Aerial Survey

Scientists looking at the moose population in and around Funday National Park have noticed a huge upswing in the number this year. Dr. Daniel Mazerolle, an ecologist at Fundy National Park, saying the survey hopes to shed some light on both how many there are and where they're located.

The air tracking study spotted 49 moose this year, a huge increase from the last two years.

Rockwood Park Attacker Sentenced

A 27 year old Saint John man  has been sentenced to 4 years and 1 month in federal jail for an attack on a jogger in Rockwood Park.

Nathan Dean was described by the defense as a shy man with a small social circle--and admitted in court he himself isn't sure why, on  October 3, he jumped out of the bushes into the path of a female jogger carrying a knife, his face masked with pantyhose.

Judge Andrew LeMeasure said the sentence needs to reflect the level of fear the attack put into the community as well as the harm to the individual victim. In a statement read to the court the unnamed woman said she's now more fearful and was traumatized by the event. The 4 year, 1 month sentence subtracts the 5 months Dean has already served.

Repsol Closes Sale - Canaport Not Included

Repsol won't be selling it's stake in the Canaport L-N-G terminal - at least not for the time being - the Spanish based company says it's completed a 6.7-billion dollar deal with Shell to buy a number of its Liquefied Natural Gas holdings.
But - it says the low natural gas prices in the U-S thanks to a glut of American produced shale gas makes it difficult to put a long term value on the facility.
Instead Shell has signed a ten year deal with Repsol to supply liquefied natural gas to the terminal.
Repsol owns a 75-percent share of the Canaport terminal while Irving Oil has a 25-percent stake in the facility.

Trudeau Campaigns In Rothesay & Milford

Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau making a couple quick stops in Greater Saint John today.
Trudeau tells CHSJ News he was touched so many longtime Lliberals and business leaders came out to the fundraising breakfast in Rothesay.

He says they wanted to talk about their concerns including the cost overruns of the Point Lepreau refurbishment.

Trudeau supports the idea of a West-East pipeline adding he has always said we have to be better at transforming our own resources within our own borders.

Trudeau also gave a speech to a crowd at the Dennis Morris Community Center which included Former Mayor Ivan Court, MP Dominic Leblanc and Provincial Liberal Leader Brian Gallant.

Big Saint John Event For International Women's Day

Women in the Port City will have a singular chance to network, re-energize and take part in some inspiring conversations on International Women's Day.

Rhoda Welshman is organizing Pathways to Empowerment at the Delta on March 8th that will feature a wide range of inspirational women. 

Best-selling author, entrepreneur and Honourary Colonel Barabara Stegmann will deliver the keynote address. Stegmann appeared on Dragon's Den where she received $75,000 in venture capital for her brand, 7 Virtues. 

Registration is $75 which includes the discussion panel, lunch, keynote speech and other bonuses. 200 women are signed up so far. For more information, click here

Quispamsis Businessman Fined

A local businessman pleading guilty on charges of failing to file his taxes.

Gregory Paul Watson from Quispamsis fined $10,500 dollars in Saint John Provincial Court. He's been charged with failing to file personal income tax returns from 2008-2010 and four GST/HST returns for 2009-2010.

He's been given one year to pay up, and a compliance order was issued for outstanding returns.