Quebec Woman Killed In Remembrance Day Crash

RCMP has released the name of the driver who was killed after a crash on November 11 in Upper Gagetown. She has been identified as 76-year-old Colette Babineau, of Quebec. 

Police say she appeared to lose control and rolled over. There were two other passengers in the vehicle at the time of the collision, an 84-year-old woman and an 80-year-old man, both also from Quebec.

The woman had minor injuries while the man has been transported to Quebec where he remains in hospital.

Road conditions were fair at the time of the accident.

Fundraiser For Paramount Theatre Goes This Friday

You've seen the "I Love The Paramount" buttons that have been decorating jackets and lapels over the last few weeks -- now comes the next step in Uptown Saint John's bid to save the Paramount Theatre.

A fundraiser called A Night For The Paramount is taking place this Friday at the Chinese Cultural Centre featuring several local musicians, including John Morrison and The Earthbound Trio.

Uptown Saint John General Manager Peter Asimakos tells CHSJ News the Paramount will fill a void in the city as both Harbour Station and the Imperial Theatre can be too large to host certain events.
 
Uptown Saint John is hoping to raise enough money to turn the abandoned theatre into an arts and entertainment complex.  The one year option on the building will be over at the end of the month.

For more information or to get tickets for the event, click here.

Bring A Coat Or Food To The Parade

Community groups, schools and businesses are busy little elves finishing up their floats as the Port City prepares for the 59th annual Santa Claus Parade.

The parade is coming closer with the floats set to wind their way around the uptown on Saturday night at 6pm.

Everyone is asked to bring non-perishable food as City workers will be collecting groceries along the parade route before it gets started.
All proceeds will be delivered to the Community Food Bank.

You can also bring along any unused and outgrown coats as NBCC Saint John will be picking up coats for kids before the food donations are collected.

For all the parade details, click here

Women's Football Championship Coming In 2013

Football fever is coming to Saint John in 2013 -- the city will be hosting the Women's World Championship by the International Federation of American Football.

12 out of 16 games will be played here and will feature 8 teams from around the world, including Canada.

Ashlee Clements played in the first championship series held in Sweden in 2010.  She tells CHSJ News it's a huge accomplishment for the city and for the women's football league here.  She says it will be fantastic for local players who make the team to be able to play at home.
 
Orgaznizers are trying to secure the Canada Games Stadium for the event, which will take place from August 2nd to the 10th in 2013.

Saint John To Be Warned About New Synthetic Street Drug

Saint John parents will get a chance tomorrow night to hear from a police officer from Bangor, Maine who will talk about a new street drug called "Bath Salts".

 Some users have become paranoid with hallucinations and even suicidal even after the effects of the drug have worn off.

City Police Sergeant David Hartley-Brown tells CHSJ News the synthetic stimulant has not become a problem in the Saint John area........at least not yet but they want to stay one step ahead and not have to play catch up.

Lieutenent Thomas Reagan will be giving the presentation in Ridgewood at 7:00 pm Thursday and parents are being advised not to bring along small children.

Joshua Group Is Homeless And Desperate

The Joshua Group may have been honoured nationally for the work it does to help young people, who find themselves on the street, but now finds itself homeless and in desperate need of a permanent location.

A rally will be held at 6 tonight at a provincially owned building on Paradise Row near Brenan's that is up for sale and Joshua Group founder Bobby Hayes tells CHSJ News would be ideal.

When we asked Hayes whether the Joshua Group has been forgotten by the powers that be who earlier wanted to be on the bandwagon, he laughed saying the kids he helps haven't forgotten.

There will be a rally tonight at the site of the building on Paradise Row with a starting time of 6:00. Hayes frankly admits his intent is to try to embarrass the government into helping them out.

Coalition For Pay Equity Launches New Campaign In Province

The poverty of working people is a scandal.........So says Gail Taylor of the Coalition for Pay Equity which is launching a campaign to raise money to press the issue amid fears of what might be coming in the next provincial budget.

Taylor, who chairs the Saint John regional committee for pay equity, tells CHSJ News there is a myth about businesses going belly up if they pay women more because in Quebec, where pay equity has been legislated, there is no such evidence.

On the other hand, she says higher pay for women would help alleviate poverty, which is a big problem in the city, as well as stimulate the local economy.

The Coalition has been told in the south end, poverty has a feminine face.

More Underwear Thefts Up North

It's creepy up North as someone keeps stealing sex toys and underwear in 13 different incidents.

Last week, the Mounties let us know they were looking into a series of break, enter and thefts at homes in the Saint-Paul and Sainte-Marie areas.
Since then, four more people have come forward to report similar thefts.

Sergeant Scott Sawyer tells CHSJ News they realize given the nature of the items stolen, some people may not be comfortable with reporting it to police but it is important that they do.

Sawyer adds they don't know yet if more than one person is involved and by people coming forward it gives them a better chance of catching whoever is responsible.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the RCMP or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Morna Heights Residents Make Their Case For Saving School

Over 50 concerned residents coming out to Morna Heights school to listen or plead their case for keeping the school open.

About a dozen people making presentations to the DEC -- they are taking input on possibly closing down Morna Heights, Inglewood, and/or Grand Bay Primary school in order to build a new school in Grand Bay-Westfield.

Christian Goldie is with the River Road Community Alliance and he tells CHSJ News a lot of residents have put in countless hours to make their case and he's optimistic that the school can still be saved.


Meanwhile, Lori Nason is with the Parent School Support Committee and says if the school does get closed down, parents are not going to let the issue come to a rest.

When asked if she meant legal action, she would not elaborate.

Supporters of Morna Heights say shutting down the school would hurt student learning and be a blow to community activities.

The DEC will be making a recommendation to the province in February.

Arrest Made In Alleged Threat At Oromocto High School

An 18 year old man getting arrested in connection with an alleged threat made at Oromocto High School today.

Around 11:30 this morning, RCMP were called to the school after a report of someone making threats with a knife.  The school was locked down for about 20 minutes.

The suspect was arrested a short distance away.

No one was hurt and charges are pending.

New Lights Coming To Busy Quispamsis Intersection

Some traffic changes coming to Quispamsis.

Over the next few days, new overhead traffic signals are being installed at the intersection of Vincent Road and Quispamsis Road.  The lights will be activated by approaching cars and the speed limit will be reduced to 40 kilometres an hour.

Director of Engineering Gary Loiser says the new traffic signals will increase safety as well as to accommodate upgrades to the Vincent Road and traffic to the qplex.

Commuter Relief At Last!

The drive home for west siders should be a little easier this evening -- the west bound lanes of the Harbour Bridge have re-opened to traffic after being closed since the spring for a major overhaul.
The province took over the bridge April 1st after reaching a deal with the federal government to remove the tolls -- and -- Transportation Minister Claude Williams tells CHSJ News inheriting the 35-million dollar upgrade project from the former Harbour Bridge Authority led to some delays in getting work underway this year.
The Minister says the Chesley Drive off ramp is still on schedule to re-open by the end of the month while work on the lane realignment and curbing in the area of the former toll plaza should be completed by next month.

CBS Maintains Blood Will Always Be Available

Canadian blood services maintains it would be dangerous for the province to create their own blood agency and leave the national system.

If the Alward government decides to go it alone they would have to supply it solely through the province's 13,000 donors.
Amanda Cullen tells CHSJ News both the Regional hospital and CBS always maintain a 3 to 4 day supply of blood.

She says in the case of a trauma, doctors are not coming down the hill looking for blood adding they have it in their blood bank.
She adds if they need more, they place orders and CBS goes about replenishing their supply.

Cullen suggest donors keep giving blood encouraging them to not let politics get in the way of giving a life saving gift to hospital patients.

Bridge Re-Opens

The west bound lanes of the Harbour Bridge have re-opened to traffic -- the lanes have been closed since the Spring as part of a 35-million dollar face lift for the bridge.
More details shortly.

City Teens Hurt In Dairytown Rollover

Two teens are at the Regional hospital with serious injuries after a rollover east of Sussex.

The Mounties got the call about 11:30 last night after the vehicle rolled over in the westbound lane of Highway 1 injuring a 16-year-old girl and two men who are 18 and 19 years old.    All three teens are from the Saint John area.

The highway was shut down for about half and hour while an RCMP collision reconstructionist examined the scene.

Police believe the two people who were thrown from the car were not wearing a seatbelts. 

One Change Told To Emphasise Educating Young People In The Old North End

Common Councillor Peter McGuire is enthused about the prospect of One Change taking over the operation of the North End Community Centre.

He says the people at One Change should follow the example of what's being done in Harlem with a heavy emphasis on educating young people in the Old North End and Lorne Middle School should be the anchor.

McGuire also says there should be constant evaluation on how well the programmes are working with feedback from the people they're intended to help.
 
Councillor Chris Titus concurs saying without education, no one moves ahead.
 
The Harlem programme in New York City has a budget of 100 million dollars to work with.

Disagreement About Whether King Square Protesters Should Be Removed

While Common Councillor Bruce Court wants to see the Occupy protesters in King Square removed sooner rather than later, not everyone of his colleagues agrees.

Court says he has received numerous complaints but fellow Councillor Patty Higgins says not so fast.

She hasn't heard of any complaints and before deciding on any action to get the protesters out of the Square, Higgins says there should be a report prepared for Council on what's been going on, if anything untoward.

Higgins does express concern over two of the tents burning down with the cause of the fires thought to be suspicious.

Working Group Raising Alarm Over Blood Safety

A working committee including Mayor Ivan Court, union representatives, doctors and business leaders raising the alarm on Canadian Blood Services leaving the City in 2013.
The group wants a blood production lab to remain in Saint John and serve the province no matter who runs it.
Mayor Ivan Court says if the consolidation plan moves forward, this province and PEI would be the only two in the country without a blood production centre.

Court says it's sad that if the CBS move goes ahead, blood donated here will be shipped to Nova Scotia and if we need it, it must be imported back.    He says it doesn't make sense.
 
Donor Brian Duplessis wants to know his time in the chair donating blood will be used for the good.  He says he's not a masochist or a sadist but, it's his way of helping the health care system without spending a penny.

Health Minister Madeline Dube says a decision on the future of blood production in the province will be made in a few weeks.

City Doc Supports The Province Going It Alone On Blood

A City doctor thinks they are many alternatives to Canadian Blood Services and the province should explore going it alone by creating their own agency.
CBS is set to move their distribution facility to Dartmouth in less than two years, a move that Dr. Andrea Garland says will compromise safety.
Garland tells CHSJ News after 2013, the Millidgeville location will be a storage site.

She says one significant trauma, a couple of car accidents, those are the unknowns that can push things one way or the other.

Garland maintains when you have the production centre in your province, you can get people in to donate blood to fill the needs of a trauma.

Armed Holdup Out East

Major Crime is investigating an armed robbery on the east side.

It happened last night shortly before 10:00 at Little John's Convenience Store on John MacMillan Avenue, formerly the Glen Road, off Golden Grove Road. 

City Police say there were two robbers with a weapon and they made off with a small amount of money. 

There were no injuries.