F
ire and police on their toes yesterday.
Fire Crew responding to a natural gas leak at the Canadian Tire on Fairville Blvd around 1pm in the afternoon. A relief valve leaking natural gas into a service bay which caused the business to be evacuated for a short time.
Also, at around 5pm, a garage at 71 Asied Street going up in flames. ATV's, snowmobiles, and motorcycles lost in the fire as well as the garage. No one was hurt and the fire does not appear to be subscriptions.
Police investigating a robbery at the At Your Convenience Store on Adelaide Street at around 11 o'clock last night. A weapon being used but the clerk is unharmed. The robber making off with some cash.
Saint John could be the epicentre of stem cell research and other related fields in the Maritimes.
The Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation is focusing their fundraising efforts on equipment for stem cell therapy used in cancer treatment.
Dr. Terrence Comeau is the Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program and he tells CHSJ News doing stem cell treatment here in the city leads to many natural spin-offs like gene therapy.
He says the medical school and cutting edge technology being offered in the Port City will make it very attractive to doctors, students, and researchers.
Minister of Tourism Trevor Holder is eager for Saint John to win hosting duties of the 2012 Memorial Cup.
Holder tells CHSJ News it would bring millions of dollars to the city.
He says Saint John can provide a small town atmosphere with big city amenities.
The Memorial Cup selection committee getting a tour of the city and Harbour Station on last Wednesday. They will announced the winning bid on April 7th.
A woman in her thirties will be in front of the judge to answer a charge of impaired driving.
The crash happening around 2am. She hit a light pole by the Aquatic Centre.
The collision sent the driver and 2 males passengers to hospital with non-serious injuries.
The Province's Social Development Minister has no delusions about the need for many more nursing homes or more money so families to look after their aging relatives at home.
Sue Stultz tells CHSJ News along with nursing homes, they want to ensure seniors can stay in their homes as long as possible.
She says that can happen through wellness, education and caretakers with the objective to keep them home as long as they can.
She adds they will continue building nursing homes, she says there are not stopping the ones that have been announced.
The Department of Social Development recently signing off on the expansion at Loch Lomond Villa. The project was under review to find some cost effiencies, which have been found and work should resume in a few weeks.
District 8 collaborating with District 6 to host an Open Space Forum today that will include teachers, staff, PALS partners and community groups.
It's the third session the government has hosting with the first two in Fredericton.
District 8 DEC council chair Rob Fowler says the purpose is to gather input as a way of positioning themselves knowing that education cuts are coming.
Fowler says they hope to get ideas on prioritizing and find areas to cut that will have the least impact on the classroom.
Environment Minister Margaret-Ann Blaney will host a series of public meetings hoping to engage people on the topic of wetlands.
Blaney says wetlands are of interest to developers and environmental groups.
She adds the tour will give the government a chance to talk with people and to hear their concerns about wetlands in the province.
The meetings begin here in Saint John on the 28th and continue until March 10 in cities including Fredericton, Moncton and Woodstock. You can send you comments by emailing or env-info@gnb.ca and for more info click here
Fundy Royal MP Rob Moore announcing Ottawa will give an additional million dollars towards the construction of the Fundy Civic Centre in Sussex.
Moore says the extra money is from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's Innovative Community Fund program.
He adds the project is the realization of a dream for Sussex Mayor Ralph Carr and council, the Centre's organizing committee, Sussex MLA Bruce Northrup and everyone in the surrounding communities. For more info..click here
There has been a definitive thumbs down from the Mayors of Quispamsis, Rothesay and Grand Bay-Westfield to any talk of regionalising local government services with the city of Saint John.
Mayor Ivan Court is not surprised at the negative reaction and he doesn't see it changing even though having so many local governments is financially unsustainable over the long run.
The Mayors of the outlying communities believe their residents would wind up paying more with regionalisation.
Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop has been the most outspoken in his opposition. Court says Rothesay is in the enviable position of being squeezed in beside the city and Quispamsis which provide for the needs of its residents.
The Federal Government's Red Tape Reduction Commission making a stop in the Port City today.
The commission aims to reduce the frustration of small and medium sized businesses across the country when it comes to dealing with Ottawa.
Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism and Commission Chair Rob Moore tells CHSJ News they are hearing similar things as they make stops across the country.
He says people want governments want to do a better job of reducing duplication between the three levels of government and between departments.
Moore adds the commission is made up of 10 members, half are MP's and half are business representatives who have experience dealing with government red tape.
For more info...click here
A fatal fire early this morning on the east side in a single family home at 5 Braemar Drive. The house was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived shortly after 4:00. District Fire Chief Gerry Morris says an elderly man was found inside the home and transported to hospital.
He says the fire was brought under control quickly but the house is a total loss.
City police informing the Fire department later this morning that the man died and so did a family dog in the house. There is no word on the cause at this time.
There has been a bit of a delay with the 75 million dollar expansion of Loch Lomand Villa because of the government review in light of the budget crunch in Fredericton and need to slash costs.
Villa C-E-O Cindy Donovan estimates the delay at around two months but she is looking ahead to 2014 when the nursing home will have two new buildings and more residents.
The Horizon Health Network was told at its last meeting, 28 per cent of acute care beds at regional hospitals around the province are being used by people who should be in nursing homes but there isn't any room.
The first new building will be built across the street where the former Bayview Elementary School is located. Donovan says the residents should be moving in there during the summer of 2012.
Another new building will then be constructed where the existing nursing home is located.
A shower may take a little longer in the North end today and a watermain break.
If you live near Lansdowne Place in the north end, you might have to make do with low water pressure.
It was a hazard for drivers with a lot of water on Wellesley Avenue.
Earlier, Wellesley Avenue was blocked to traffic between Landsdowne and Somerset.
A fire early this morning on the east side in a single family home at 5 Braemar Drive.
The house was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived shortly after 4:00.
An elderly man was taken from inside the home and transported to hospital.
Part of Westmorland Road in Forest Hills has been blocked off to traffic because of the fire.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is calling on the provincial government not to raise the minimum wage in April because the economy is still shaky.
The C-F-I-B's Provincial Affairs Director Andrea Bourgeois tells CHSJ News a new report entitled "Minimum Wage........Reframing the Debate" shows raising the minimum wage hurts the very people such an increase is intended to help. The report claims raising the minimum wage by ten per cent could cost as many as 7 thousand jobs in the province.
Bourgeois says the C-F-I-B has suggested low income earners not pay any tax at all which is the case in B-C. That idea has been resisted by the provioncial government in New Brunswick.
The tolls will be coming off the Harbour Bridge at the end of next month.
Harbour Bridge Authority chair Bob McDevitt says they signed a deal in January to begin the process of handing over the Bridge to the province.
He tells CHSJ News the authority's 7 employees will be out of work as of March 31st.
He adds there are another 20 commissionaires that are under contract and they will not all be placed elsewhere mostly due to the time of year.
McDevitt says the removal or demolishing of the toll plaza is part of the due diligence that provincial engineers are in the process of carrying out.
After almost 7 years as fire chief, Rob Simonds is leaving the city to take up the same job in Hamilton, Ontario with mixed emotions. He has spent more than 30 years with the Saint John Fire Department.
He says he is leaving a city with significant fire protection challenges to a city with parallel challenges and he looks forward to helping to solve those challenges.
Simonds tells CHSJ News the Saint John fire department is doing a lot more these days.
He notes the risk assessment on the Canaport LNG facility or their work on the pipeline project.
He also says the spending caps imposed on the fire department by Common Council this year and next had nothing to do with his decision to leave the city.
The Minister for Wellness, Culture and Sport is encouraging the people of the province to remain active in the winter months.
Trevor Holder tells CHSJ News it's a little more challenging in the winter but, there are lots of activities to get involved in.
He suggests using Rockwood park for snowshoeing and winter hiking as ways to stay active all year round.
Holder adds the "Boom Boom Clap" public service announcement that's currently airing on tv is very successful in getting New Brunswickers thinking about wellness. For more info...click here
Saint John police shutting down a brothel on Waterloo Street.
The investigation resulting from intelligence and concerns from citizens about the activites at the Sun Flower Spa.
Police executing a warrant yesterday seizing cash and arresting two women in their 50's and one man in his 30's. The women faces charges including living off the avails of prostitution.
All three faces charges of being an inmate in a bawdy house and will appear in court at a later date.
Fire Chief Rob Simonds has announced his resignation effective March 14th to become the new fire chief in Hamilton, Ontario.
Mayor Ivan Court concedes getting someone like him again will not be easy. He describes Simonds as the best of the best.
Simonds has been with the Saint John fire department for over 30 years and is currently serving as President of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs.
His departure comes at an awkward time because contract negotiations are being conducted with the Firefighters Association. The fire department is being limited to a one per cent increase in its budget this year and next.
Simonds became Chief in July of 2003, replacing Glen Tait who is now an M-L-A, and was responsible for developing the municipal emergency response plan for Canada's first liquified natural gas terminal at Canaport.
