BREAKING NEWS: Firefighter Injured At 64 Albert Street

A firefighter is being treated at hospital for heat and smoke exposure after responding to a house fire around 6:24pm at 64 Albert Street.

Fire Chief Kevin Clifford tells CHSJ news the blue building suffered a lot of smoke and fire damage, and 4-5 people are being displaced.


Neighbor Dale Dunphy heard two windows smash, saw the smoke, then called 911. He also released two dogs that were tied up on the lawn.

There were about six fire trucks on the scene along with a large crowd of spectators. No word yet on what caused the fire.

Point Lepreau Given Go Ahead To Restart

The Point Lepreau Generating Station has been given the go ahead to restart.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission announcing its decision today authorizing New Brunswick Power Nuclear to begin activities to restart the station.

Right now the station won't produce electricity, but will restart the reactor in order to perform several safety tests before power can be increased.


The CNSC renewed the facility’s licence for a five-year period in February 2012.

Amphibians Everywhere In Saint Andrews

Green frogs, garter snakes and American toads are just a few amphibians you can find at the new display at the Fundy Discovery Aquarium

Jenny Simard from the Aquarium tells us they have one that's not found locally - the red-eared slider. It's a common pet, but often the little turtle is released into the wild when owners tire of it.


Simard adds the six new decorated tanks will help people discover what creatures lives in the area and to go home with a new respect for water life.
The exhibit in St Andrews is open daily until 5 o'clock.

More information can be found here.

Interns Ready To Sculpt!

As Sculpture Saint John comes closer to our Waterfront, local interns are getting their art tools ready.



Alison Gayton from the Port City is one of those interns set for the 6 week sculpture symposium. As a teacher and a potter instructor, she tells CHSJ news she can't wait to contribute to something that will change the face of Saint John.

Gayton has her own sculpture exhibit with 2 other artists in the library gallery of the Saint John Art Centre called "Thirty Fingers".
 Sculpture Saint John will kick off on August 2nd.
 
You can find more information on Sculpture Saint John by clicking here.
 
Find more information on Alison Gayton here.

Florist Angered By Deputy Mayor's Proposal

Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart has stirred up a hornets nest with her suggestion the city make a charitable donation instead of sending flowers for someone who's passed away.

Dorothy Lowe has been a a florist in Saint John for over 15 years. She tells CHSJ news if the proposal goes through it will hurt flower shops in the Port City.

She says when you're in a situation when a love one has passed away, giving flowers makes you feel you can do something for them and give one last gift.

Lowe stresses that florists depends on funeral business. She adds that she's not against donations, in fact their flower shop donates about $5,000 a year in product to charity fundraiser's and to people suffering from cancer.

Lowe says by supporting your local flower shop, you indirectly help charities and add to the economy. Common Council meets tonight to discuss the Rinehart's proposal.

Police Association Speaks Out On Oland Murder

The New Brunswick Police Association is trying to set the record straight on the Richard Oland murder investigation.



City Police officers are not happy at what they see as misinformation and unwarranted attacks for the delay in laying charges in that investigation which happened more than a year ago.
 
That's why the provincial police association has decided to speak out calling any suggestion of the RCMP taking over as ludicrous since the delay is, in fact, caused by the backlog of evidence that has to be analysed at the RCMP lab in Halifax where you have to wait your turn.
 
Police Association President Dean Secord warns the delays will only get worse when that lab is closed and the evidence will then have to be sent to Ottawa to be analysed.
 
Secord also points out Police Chief Bill Reid has said charges will be laid against a known suspect in the Oland case.

Family Of Murdered Girl Speaks Out

In February 2012, the murder of 22 year old Serena Perry--who was, at that time, a patient in the psychiatric ward of the Regional Hospital--shocked Saint John. Six months later, Perry's mother Rose tells CHSJ News she doesn't understand why police haven't made an arrest yet.

She says the police told her Serena had been strangled-- but the suspect was later released. Older sister Melissa Perry tells CHSJ News the image of her sister's battered body laying in a casket is one she'll never forget.

City police have said they're close to an arrest, but the Perry family says that can't come soon enough. Without closure, they say, moving on with their lives is impossible.

Friend Barry McGrath and others are organizing a benefit auction on August 26 to help cover the funeral costs. It starts at 2pm at the Grove Lounge. For more information, contact McGrath at 639-7079 or Cathy Legere at 606-1441.

City Says Irving Oil Is Paying Its Fair Share

City Finance Commissioner Greg Yeomans has been trying to clear up some misconceptions......One, that the city is broke and the other is that Irving Oil isn't paying its fair share for the water it uses.

Yeomans says Irving pays bylaw rates for 80 per cent of its water and negotiations are still going on about the rest.

Irving Oil has argued over the years it doesn't need its water to be treated. 

Splash Pad Proposed For West Side

A change is being proposed for the Market Place West Master Plan with a splash pad to be built in the 8 acres of parkland between the lower west side and the port in lieu of an outdoor rink. 

Because of funding constraints, the splash pad will not be constructed this year.

Common Council will be told the maintenance costs will be anywhere from 15 to 20 thousand dollars a year but the overall cost of the project will not significantly change.

City Councillors To Be Told About New Pension Model

Common Council will be getting a presentation tonight on the new shared risk proposal for fixing the city's financially beleaguered pension plan. 

The changes will be phased in gradually over 40 years on a go forward basis with past pension amounts not changing.

Councillors will be told when the investment markets are bad, benefits will not rise but will be made up when the markets improve. 

Employee contributions may have to go up from 1.2 to 2.8 per cent with the retirement age gradually increasing if life expectancy rises and, for taxpayers, cutbacks in city service would be avoided.

Bus Shelter Called A Threat To Public Safety

A retired city police officer is complaining about the bus shelter on Sydney Street by the Golden Ball building becoming a threat to public safety. 

Robert Buck says the shelter is being used by drunks who have claimed it as theirs to the detriment of bus passengers. 

In a letter to Common Council, Buck says Saint John Transit General Manager Frank McCarey is willing to replace the shelter with a newer one which would make it more difficult for the drunks to lie down in. 

A presentation has been made to the Heritage Board and the wooden bench inside the bus shelter has been removed,

"No Flowers" Policy At City Hall?

Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart suggesting the city adopt a "no flowers" policy when it comes to honouring the memory of people who pass.

 Rinehart says common council is expected to pay its respects to a lot of former staff and others, and charitable donations are a better use of funds. 

She points out while flowers are beautiful, they're temporary, and  donations to worthy causes in the community live on for much longer. The matter will be discussed at Monday's council meeting.

Seawolves Gearing Up For Another Season

It's time to start thinking about dusting off the pom-poms and gearing up for a new football season at UNBSJ. Seawolves coach Barry Ogden tells CHSJ News the team has been growing and expanding as a force in Atlantic Canadian varsity football.

Ogden says the Seawolves aren't just a football team, but a reason for students to be proud of their school. The first game is on September 8th and you can get up to date information at seawolves football.ca.

To Burn Or Not To Burn

To burn or not to burn... it depends on your city, the weather, the size of the fire and other variables.

When it comes to Saint John,  Mark Wilson of the Fire Department tells CHSJ news open burning isn't allowed in city limits. What is allowed to burn is approved fire appliances, and products that have a safety standard sticker on them along with spark resisters.

Wilson recommends people to be careful when burning, adding you should burn 'clean' wood, have water nearby, and watch your distance to other combustibles.

For more information on burning, click here.

Cross Canada Biking For Cancer

One woman in the province is gearing up for a nation wide cycle event to raise funds to childhood cancer.

Shelley Wood is half way to her goal of raising $2,500 dollars for the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride. She tells CHSJ news the ride goes for over 2 weeks, starting on September 5th in Vancouver and ending 17 days later in Halifax. They ride in relay style, where one team will go 160 km a day, then another will go over 200km, leap frogging each other.

Wood's compares the ride to 8 spin classes, or biking for 6 hours a day. 

To find more information on the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride or to sponsor Shelley, click here.

National Cookie Recall

A recall has been issued for Crispy Just Baked Punjabi Cookies because they contain milk that's not declared on the label.

All codes of the cookies sold in 800 gram packages bearing UPC 6 27265 00152 0, where milk is not declared in the list of ingredients, are affected by the alert.

The product has been distributed nationally.

There have been no reported illnesses linked to the cookies, which could cause a serious or life-threatening reaction in people with milk allergies.

Hydro Pole Broke In Half, Man OK

One man is doing much better than a hydro pole.

Fire crews responded to a car accident at 10:30 last night on 806 Latimore Lake Road that left one man injury-free but broke a hydro pole in half.

Fire department was also busy with a brush fire in the Sandy Point Road Area.

A Must-Attend For Women Entrepreneurs

Maybe the kids have left the nest and you're looking for some extra income...of you're simply inspired to make some extra cash from a hobby you enjoy. A new program aimed at women entrepreneurs can make the dream a reality. 

Melanie Vatour is the Chair of the Enterorisng Women program. She says women in the course willlearn accounting, basic marketing, advertising skills and more--including how to get their hands on capital to get off the ground.

Vatour says the sucess stories include women who have started a hostel, a hair braising business, sewing, selling acessories and more. The deadline to sign up is August 10, and the program is free to women who are unemployed and under-employed.

For more information, click here

Boosting Tourism On The Boat

The Princess of Acadia ferry now has a provincial tourist information kiosk onboard.

It may seem obvious but Tourism minister Trevor Holder today announcing funding that includes hiring a summer student who will be on the ship available to answer questions about our province from the passengers on the ferry. 

Holder says the Princess of Acadia is a vital link and a key part of the tourism picture here like the beaches and the rivers.

Nova Scotia already has provincial tourism info onboard the ferry and has for many years. 

Annual Inflation Rate On The Rise

The annual inflation rate is on the rise after a major plunge in May that had taken the index to the lowest level in almost two years. It rose by three-tenths of a percentage point to 1.5 per cent last month.

Inflation in the Port City sits at 1.4 per cent for June from 1.7 per cent the month before.The provincial rate for June is the same at 1.4 per cent down from 1.8 per cent in May.