Moose Light Blackberry Doing Well

Something that certainly goes well with a sunny long weekend is a cold beer.

Joel Levesque is Vice President of Communications with Moosehead Breweries and tells CHSJ News since launching their newest summer flavour -Moose Light Blackberry- at the end of June, sales have been great. 

He says they've achieved their sales objectives and they're getting great feedback about it.

Levesque says the Moose Light Blackberry might be back next summer, or they might have a new flavour because consumers seem to be really interested in experimenting and product innovation.

Port Authority Gets New CEO

The Saint John Port Authority will have a new President and Chief Executive Officer come September.

James Quinn is taking over the role from Captain Soppitt on September 20th.

Soppitt will remain with the Port Authority to help during the transition period and then plans to retire in June of 2011.

Quinn brings over 30 years of experience in the marine and public sectors, 23 of which were with the Coast Guard.

Traffic Snags For The Long Weekend

Watch out for traffic delays in your travels this long weekend.

Construction crews will be working in the area of Bayside Drive and the Courtney Bay Causeway on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The work in the intersection will involve a lot of rock excavation and will cause traffic delays.

Arson Update

City Police have confirmed a fire early this morning in the North End was deliberately set.

An arson investigation has been launched by the Major Crime Unit.

There was no one living in the 2 and a half storey wooden building on Douglas Avenue at Main Street and no one was injured.

Soldiers Set To Invade Sussex Area

If you live in the Sussex area, don't be suprised if you see plenty of activity involving the Canadian military next week.


Soldiers from CFB Gagetown will be training in the area beginning next Tuesday until Friday.
This area has been chosen because base officials tell us it is the best setting to duplicate the complexities of the contemporary operating environment.
Soldiers will be carrying weapons but only blank ammunition will be used.


Base officials say the exercise will not cause a problem to anyone or the town as a whole.

Pressure Growing To Commercialise Westmorland Road

(Costco At Eastpoint Shopping Off Westmorland Road)
                           (File Photo)

Westmorland Road between Kane's Corner and Eastpoint shopping is under tremendous commercial pressure. That admission from the chief city planner Ken Forrest and he is concerned.

There are an estimated 200 homes along that stretch of road. Forrest says the commercialisation of Westmorland Road is not contemplated under the municipal plan now in effect and the new one, being drawn up, will emphasize smart growth which maintains the integrity of residential neighbourhoods.

The city has moved to ease some of the traffic pressures with left turn only lanes at the traffic lights leading to Costco and further on down into Home Depot.

Port Of Saint John Sees Upswing In Amount Of Cargo Handled

(Saint John Cruise Ship Terminal)
              (File Photo)

The Port of Saint John calls it a sign of economic recovery from the downturn which began in late 2008 through last year.

Mid year reports indicate overall tonnage of 15.9 million metric tons of cargo being handled at the port which is up 17 per cent over the same period last year.

The Port Authority also expects 210 thousand cruise ship passengers this year. Cruise ships are now the second largest generator of revenue for the port.

There was a dramatic reduction in the tonnage of forest products that moved through the port which dropped from 110 thousand for the same time frame last year to only 39 thousand tons this year.

Power Outages Reported Outside City

NB Power is reporting a couple of power outages in the Rothesay area this morning affecting something like 867 customers.

Suspicious Fire In North End

An early call out for city fire crews to the north end. They responded around 3:30 this morning to a fire in a two and a half storey wooden building at Douglas Avenue and Main Street. It appears as if it was deliberately set.

Meanwhile, two pedestrians were struck by cars in separate mishaps yesterday afternoon. The first one happened at Wellington Row and Union Street where a woman suffered minor injuries. A short time after that, a man was taken to hospital after being struck on Lansdowne Avenue.

Saint John Speakers Focus On Renewable Energy As The Way To Move Forward

(John Simon Of Seaforth Energy)
      (Photo by Sherry Aske)

Renewable energy was a key theme brought up by people at the Conservative's energy forum. John Simon is Vice President of Seaforth Energy and tells CHSJ News Ontario and Nova Scotia have adopted programs where people essentially get paid to use renewable energy.

He adds the province could benefit from a concept used in Europe where communities and businesses set up solar power installations or wind turbines and then get paid for any excess power they generate that goes back to the grid.

Simon says New Brunswick has opportunities for renewable energy when it comes to wind and solar power that would keep the jobs and money in the province.


The future of NB Power was also talked about. Mike MacDonald is an electrical engineer and tells CHSJ News there are a lot of great technical people in the province who know what they're doing, and the province should consult them as they moving forward.
 
In MacDonald's view, NB Power needs to be run as a business without political interference.

Conservatives Hear Ideas From Saint Johnners On Energy In The Future

   (Saint John Portland M-L-A Trevor Holder)
                      (File Photo)

There was no David Alward at last night's energy forum at the Fort Howe Hotel. Instead two political staff members were running the show. The Conservatives were in town to get the public's input on a new energy policy.

Saint John Portland MLA Trevor Holder tells CHSJ News the province has a government in place for the past four years that has not engaged New Brunswickers.

He maintains the Conservatives want an energy policy that's owned and designed by the people of the province. Holder says that doesn't mean they'll say yes to everything, but it does mean they'll have an energy policy people have been engaged in and consulted on.

He also argues New Brunswickers almost lost their public utility because it was being sold and they, as shareholders, didn't have any say in the matter.

Iggy's Liberal Express Due In Town

The Liberal Express will be rolling through our area over the holiday weekend - the summer bus tour is designed to get federal leader Michael Ignatieff mixing with average Canadians.


Ignatieff will be making hour long stops on Sunday at a coffee shop in Grand Falls - the Kings Landing historical settlement - a country market in Maugerville throughout the day on Sunday.

The day draws to a close with a barbecue in Rothesay hosted by former Saint John M-P Paul Zed.

Ignatieff moves on to Moncton and the Miramichi area on New Brunswick day.

New Bridge In St. Martins

It's last major upgrade was in 1996 and by late this fall, the Gardner Creek Number Four Bridge in St. Martins will have a brand new look.
The 65-year old concrete and wood span is being replaced with a new state of the art structure.
Transportation Minister Denis Landry tells CHSJ News, there is some concern about speeding from home-owners in the area where the detour is set-up but the limit is being dropped to sixty from seventy until the work is finished in mid-November.
Total cost of the project is $2.6 million dollars.

Meeting Next Week In Quispamsis

(Health Minister Mary Schryer)
          (File Photo)

Health Minister Mary Schryer is playing host to an Atlantic regional meeting of ministers responsible for the status of women in Quispamsis next week.
It is to discuss issues of common concern and explore areas for regional co-operation.


Schryer, who also holds the portfolio of minister responsible for the status of women says the issue of human trafficking will be foremost on the agenda.


This is the first time a meeting of Atlantic ministers responsible for the status of women is being held.


The conference runs Tuesday and Wednesday.

New Stats On Seatbelts

New stats from RCMP prove what some have been preaching for a long time.....seatbelts save lives.
Officers tell us 90% of drivers in the Province buckle up before starting their vehicle but the 10% who don't account for 44% of those killed on Provincial Highways.

No matter what you have planned for this Long Weekend, if it involves driving, RCMP remind everyone to buckle up as they will be conducting check-stops all weekend.

Update On New Discovery Center

The fund-raising campaign for the new Discovery Center at the Huntsman Marine Science Center is on a roll.


After eight months of collecting cash, there is just over one million of the two million dollar goal locked up.
The Seal the Deal campaign kicked off in October with the pouring of concrete set to get started tomorrow.


The new Discovery Center will have several features including an aquarium, 226 seat theater, wet lab and will be open year round.
It is scheduled to be open in June of next year.

People's Alliance Leader Blasts Conservatives And Leader David Alward

(People's Alliance of New Brunswick Leader Kris Austin)
                           (File Photo)

The leader of the People's Alliance, the newest political party in the province says he used to be a Conservative.

Kris Austin tells CHSJ News he decided to abandon the party after it voted to raise M-L-A salaries, pensions and severance followed by its leader David Alward attempting to back track in the face of public anger.

Austin argues Alward only did that because he got caught. He also charges the Conservatives may talk about the grassroots but, in his view, remain closed door and elitist.

Austin is equally critical of the Liberals accusing them of being too secretive when they were trying to sell NB Power to Hydro Quebec in the winter. He maintains people in the province, by and large, are fed up with both of the mainstream parties.

Police Car Rearended In Valley

Two Rothesay Regional Police officers were uninjured after the car they were in was rear ended. They were waiting for the light to change at the intersection of Hampton Road and Route 119 when the collision happened.

The two were taken to the hospital to be checked out and were later released.

It's not known yet if the other driver will be charged.

A Mixed Bag With Gas Prices After The Weekly Setting

If you fill up with self serve regular, you'll be paying a bit more for gas this morning after the weekly setting but if you use diesel, it is a bit less expensive. Self serve is up by one cent a litre in the city to 99.3 cents while diesel is down by under a cent to $1.00.6. There is no change with propane. It's still at 99.6 a litre.

Liberals Scoff At Conservative Party's Theme For Provincial Election Campaign

(Deputy Premier Donald Arsenault)
           (File Photo)

The provincial Liberals say they're not threatened by the Conservative Party's theme for the upcoming election.

This, after Conservative Leader David Alward announced yesterday that the party would be campaigning under the slogan "Putting New Brunswickers First...For a Change".

Deputy Premier Donald Arseneault says Alward sat in government for seven years and never put New Brunswick first. Arseneault points to the Conservative government under then Premier Bernard Lord closing hospitals, allowing car insurance rates to go through the roof, and making massive cuts to agriculture programs, when it was in power from 1999 to 2006.