Sudden Death On The Highway In Rothesay

This doesn't happen all that often. Rothesay Regional Police telling CHSJ News they pulled a van over along the highway by the scales which isn't that unusual and then, without any warning, the 61 year old driver died instantly behind the wheel. Police are calling it a sudden death.

Also, City Police say the problem of drunnk driving continues unabated as they report three more drunk drivers were nabbed over a span of a couple of hours, two in the uptown and the other on Loch Lomand Road.

Gas Prices Take Another Jump In City

Drivers in Saint John are paying more for gas after the weekly setting. Self Serve regular has risen by more than 3 cents a litre to 99.6 cents and diesel is more than 2 cents a litre higher at $1.02.5. Propane is listed at $1.01.9 a litre.

Conservative Leader Accused Of Begruding Jobs To Saint John

(Provincial Conservative Leader David Alward)
                      (File Photo)

Another politicial storm is brewing...this time over Health Care jobs awarded to the Port City through Facilicorp which is the shared health services agency.
The Conservative Leader said in Dalhousie that the Liberals gave those jobs to Saint John over cities in the province's north. Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir accuses David Alward of begrudging 150 Saint Johners their jobs.
Keir wonders if Alward would say that in Saint John and thinks the Conserverative leader shouldn't be pitting the north and south of the province against each other over jobs.

Oil Spill Exercise Taking Place In Bay Of Fundy

80 people are participating in an 8-hour exercise today in preparation for an oil spill should it ever happen in Saint John.
The 15th annual exercise is timely given the effort to clean up the mess after an oil rig exploded in April causing a BP well to leak oil on the Gulf Coast.
The Atlantic Emergency Response Team or ALERT is conducting its exercise from Courtenay Bay to Lepreau.
The spill exercise is one of many proactive measures ALERT organizes all year that are regulated by Transport Canada and in partnership with the Coast Guard.
No actual product or materials will be placed in the water during any of the activities.
In Courtenay Bay, several hundred feet of orange boom will be deployed and then recovered from the water, to simulate this emergency measure in the event of a 10,000 ton oil spill from a ship.

Major Announcement Coming For Crescent Valley

(Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock)
                      (File Photo)

It's being called a major announcement from the Department of Social Development. A public housing announcement will be made today and it will impact Crescent Valley. Social Development Minister Kelly Lamrock and Mayor Ivan Court will be on hand for the annoucement this afternoon at the Somerset Community Centre. The provincial government has made a commitment to revitalise that neighbourhood with the goal being upgraded housing and one thousand new homes. Deputh City Manager Andrew Beckett says the neighbourhood has huge potential but it will take from 20 to 25 years for it to be fully transformed.

Keir Calls Out Alward

(Energy Minister Jack Keir)
(File Photo)

Energy Minister Jack Keir is calling out Opposition Leader David Alward for wanting to keep the Dalhousie Power Plant open.

Keir says this isn't something that has just come about in the last couple weeks.

He says NB Power has been saying for a long time that there is no alternative source of fuel that would make the Dalhousie plant competitive.

Keir says New Brunswickers have asked the government time and time again to keep out of NB Power when it comes to day to day operations, yet here Alward is involving himself.

A Saint John Experiences The Toronto Earthquake

It's been confirmed that a a ``moderate earthquake'' has rocked residents of southern Ontario, Quebec and the northeastern United States.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the temblor occurred just before 2:45 and was a magnitude 5.5 tremor centred about 60 kilometres north of Ottawa, in western Quebec.


A Saint Johner working in Mississauga, Ontario experienced it first hand.

Jenn MacDonald tells CHSJ News she was having lunch with her co-workers when the chairs and walls started shaking.
She says the whole thing lasted 30 seconds.

MacDonald adds the timing was strange since she and her collegeaues were talking about the film "2012" which deals with the end of the world.

Real Estate Board President Not Panicked Over Housing Numbers

The President of the Saint John Real Estate Board says prices in the local housing market did increase slightly last month.
Jason Stephen is reacting to the dismal numbers which show 170 homes sold in May down 26% from May of 09.

He tells CHSJ News that there is no reason to panic as they are month over month numbers, he says they pay close attention to year over year numbers which shows a small increase.
Stephen tells us things are not the way they were in 2007 but, on the whole he calls the Saint John housing market stable and balanced.

Canada Day Celebrations

Saint John is kicking off summer with five days worth of Canada Day celebrations.

Heather Peterson is Chair of the Canada Day Committee and says July 1st is going to be a day filled with family oriented events. 

There will be a parade, a show with Bob the Builder, face painting and giant bounce rides. 

Peterson says this year's theme is "We Believe," which is being carried over from this year's Olympics.

Peterson says there will even be events on July 4th to celebrate Independence day with people visiting from the States.

For more information you can go to http://www.sjcanadaday.ca/.

Canada Day Kick Off

Norton Fire May Have Been Deliberately Set

A suspicious blaze in Norton is under investigation by the Fire Marshall. The fire destroyed a large detached garage on Riverview Drive East. 2 vehicles and a number of tools were also lost. No one was injured but the cause hasn't been determined yet.

Police Saving Saint John Alot of Money Through Reducing Crime

(Police Chief Bill Reid)
       (File Photo)

Crime reduction strategies have saved Saint John an estimated half a million dollars a year. That word coming from Police Chief Bill Reid who says the traditional method of policing in which crime is reacted to when it happens is inefficient and ineffective. The Chief says they meet regularly with a crime analyst who gathers all the data and pinpoints where the hotspots are so effective plans can be put together. He claims less than half of the crimes that take place are actually reported to police.
Chief Reid says city police have managed to reduce the number of stolen vehicles by 19 per cent and breakins last year by 29 per cent.

NB Power Waits

The Energy and Utilities Board is now putting together a report for Energy Minister Jack Keir on whether or not NB Power should get their 3% rate increase.

Public Intervener Daniel Theriault says the Board may have trouble making a decision because they only have access to the financial information from NB Power's distribution branch.

Theriault says the rate increase probably is necessary based on their tendancy to forcast higher earnings then they typically get.

Man Severely Beaten At Public Landing Wharf

A 31 year old man from Public Landing is in hospital in critical condition after being beaten up this past weekend and the RCMP in Grand Bay-Westfield are asking for your help in finding those who did it. The assault occurred around 9:00 Saturday night at the Public Landing Wharf. According to the Mounties, 8 or 9 men got off a 26 foot white speedboat and four or five of them beat up the man while the others went to a nearby store. If you can help, give a call to the RCMP at 757-1020 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-tips.


The RCMP in Sussex have also confirmed a man in his 50's was found dead in Sussex. More details on that are expected later this morning.

Traffic Interruptions Around Town

The Department of Transportation wants you to know traffic will stop on Route 1 eastbound and westbound near the Crown Street off Ramp today and tomorrow.
This will take place at about 2pm both days and is to allow blasting activities as part of the One Mile House Interchange Project. The project is estimated at $65 million and includes a 600-metre structure, ramps and roadways connecting Route 1 to Bayside Drive, crossing the CN rail yard, Marsh Creek and Rothesay Avenue. It will be ready in 2012.

Water Street will be closed to traffic between Duke Street and Prince William Street. Traffic will be detoured between Duke, Canterbury and Prince William streets while water service is being extended to 230 Water Street. The closure starts at 6 this morning and continues until 8 tonight.


Charlotte Street is closed to traffic from Princess to Duke Street due to construction.

Arts Funding To Be Handed Out At City Hall

25 local organizations will receive a share of $64,000 in grants this morning at City Hall.
Mayor Ivan Court will hand out the cheques to the recipients of the 5th annual Saint John Community Arts Funding Program. The ceremony is coming up at 11 this morning.

Musquash Motorcycle Accident

One man taken to the Regional after he lost control of his motorcycle in Musquash.
The Musquash Fire Department along with the Ambulance NB and RCMP responded just before 4 this afternoon.
The collision occurred on Route 790 near the Wetmore Creek Road.

$11 Million Dollar Contract For Welsford Bypass

Saint Isador construction has been awarded a contract worth over eleven million dollars. It is for grading and paevment work to be carried out on the new bypass between Welsford and Nerepis. 
Fundy River Valley MLA and Energy Minister Jack Keir tells CHSJ News, safety and stimulating the economy are two big factors in this project.
Keir says the bypass is needed for safety reasons.
A DOT spokes-person tells our news-room most of the phase one work is ahead or on schedule and work on the road should be finished by 2012.

Goodyear Tours NBCC Saint John

(NBCC Saint John construction site - file photo)

The new expansion at NBCC is getting the seal of approval from the Minister of State, Science and Technology. Gary Goodyear did a tour of the energy building under construction on GrandView Avenue and says this is a key component of the national science and technology strategy.

Ottawa contributed $2.5 million toward the project and the Province cut a cheque for $21 million dollars. The new building will have a capacity for 600 students but no word on when it will be finished.

Minister Keir Responds to Parrot's criticism

(Energy Minister Jack Keir - file photo)

It didn't take Energy Minister Keir long to respond to the accusation that he lied to the entire Province. Keir tells CHSJ News, he has a hard time believing that Jim Parrot called him a liar:
Keir says he understands the budgeted number of $70 million dollars is a lot of money but the figure people are forgetting about is the five billion dollar debt the public utility is carrying.