Losier Says RVCC Tax Benefits The Whole Community

If people aren't thrilled about user fees, Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Grace Losier says now is the chance to put their two cents in.

Residents of 6 local service districts are voting next month on whether to keep supporting the River Valley Community Centre. Some are upset since they don't use it, while others want to keep paying the taxes so user fees are low.


Losier says even if you're not directly using the arena, the whole community benefits by having this kind of facility. She says it draws young families into the area and keeps youth out of trouble. Losier says the proposed rate of $26 on a $100,000 home isn't a lot to ask, considering if the tax was dropped the user fees would increase dramatically.

Information sessions are happening this week until the vote on January 7th.

Frozen Beef Burgers Recall Might Expand

Officials say they might expand a Canada-wide recall of frozen beef burgers contaminated with E. coli.

The recall covers Butchers' Choice Beef Burgers made by Cardinal Meat Specialists in Brampton, Ontario and sold by Loblaws stores -- which owns Superstore.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is trying to determine if 5 illnesses in Alberta and Ontario are linked to the products.

The agency says the five patients have either recovered, or are recovering.  
For more information, click here.

Xmas Fire Safety Tips Might Surprise You

Though the idea of "hanging the stockings by the chimney with care" sounds festive, it's actually a big fire hazard.

That's according to Saint John Fire Division Chief Mark Wilson, who says there a few steps you can take to have a happy and safe holiday.

Wilson advises you to buy fresher Christmas trees, which tend to be more moisture rich unlike dry ones which can ignite faster. For decorations, use ones that are flame retardants and are out of reach of small kids and animals.

A big no-no is using indoor lights outside or vise versa. Outdoor lights are too hot for indoors and indoor lights lack weather proofing connections. Before you use your lights, you should lay them out and check for any cracks in wiring or in the bulbs.

Don't leave candles unattended and make sure they're in a study holder.

And the biggest mistake people make? Throwing torn apart Christmas wrapping into the wood stove or fireplace. Wilson says that creates too much heat in a short period of time and results in chimney fires. He says very quickly the temperature can go from 200 degrees to 8 or 900 degrees.

True Growth 2.0 Support Grows

True Growth 2.0 is getting full support from communities in Greater Saint John.

The initiative, steered by Enterprise Saint John, is a regional development strategy to develop our business and culture. When it started in 2003 it focused on improving 4 sectors (energy, health and life sciences, tourism, and ICT) but now it's hoping to attract and keep new people to the region.

The town of Rothesay is committing $86,000 a year for 3 years, or about $3,000 a year more than before. Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ news economic development is the answer to improving our way of life and getting more tax dollars. He says if Saint John grows, it benefits the outlying communities.

Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll agrees, saying if more business is brought to Saint John more people will move to Quispmasis. Driscoll says True Growth 2.0 has such a healthy attitude and provides fresh opportunities for the region. He says when that happens you can expect better things to come.

Car Accident Traps Two Women

Photo courtesy of Joseph Comeau

Two women being sent to hospital after a two car accident on the corner of Carmarthen and Union street last night.

Saint John Fire Department Platoon Chief Roy Byers tells CHSJ news the two women were trapped in an SUV that was flipped on it's side. Fire crews managed to pull the roof off and free the two.

The accident happened around 8 o'clock.

Update On Yesterdays Fire At Fuel Storage Facility

There's no damage to the environment, injuries or other damage involved in yesterdays fire at a large storage facility containing 15,000 tons of petroleum coke (or pet coke).

After 12:30 yesterday afternoon fire crews, Saint John Port Authority, Department of Environment and NB Power were on scene responding to the fire at 12 King street West, Pier 2.

Acting Platoon Chief Roy Byers says there was a metre square burning at the base of an 11,000 ton of pet coke. The material is used as fuel by NB Power during peak demand times. The huge fuel and combustible covering the warehouse was a major concern but crews managed to safely put the fire out.

Fire crews were on scene for 5 hours.

Police Making Arrests In Market Square Fiasco

City Police arresting 4 men in their twenties last night after a scuffle by Market Square.

The men are charged with possessing a knife, causing a disturbance and assaulting a police officer. Police say one of the men will appear in court this morning while the others will have an appearance in January.

No one was hurt in the incident. Police say alcohol was a factor.

City Church Celebrates Dickens' 200th Birthday

Dickens & Christmas go together like egg nog and shortbread.

To celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, Trinity Anglican Church will be reading his works celebrating the man who gave us the Yuletide classic A Christmas Carol.  

David Goss tells CHSJ News when he was in London a couple of years ago he discovered that Dickens has ties to Saint John that many people don't know about. 

He says those connections will be revealed to those who attend this weekend.

Events include readings tonight by 15 different people, A free turkey dinner hosted by Club Hope of Saint John High will be held tomorrow along with a screening of A Christmas Carol tomorrow night.   More events continue on Sunday.

For more info, call 693-8558.  

All the events are happening at Trinity Anglican Church on Charlotte Street.

Keir Gets A New Post

Former Provincial Energy Minister Jack Keir has a new job.    Grace Losier announcing Keir will be the new Executive Director of Region 9 as of January 1st.
Losier is the chairperson of the Regional Service Commission.

Losier says Jack has a great understanding of the issues in urban and rural New Brunswick adding he'll be a valuable asset to the commission.

12 Regional Service Commissions have been established to increase regional collaboration and enhance long-term strategic planning.

Units Will Be Replaced At NB Heart Centre

Next year's Health Department budget includes funding to replace two imaging units at the New Brunswick Heart Centre in the Regional Hospital.

Health Minister Ted Flemming tells CHSJ News the units in the cardiac catheterization lab are nearing the end of their useful life after a refurbishment 11 years ago.

The equipment uses specialized x-ray equipment that help doctors place stents in precise locations in heart arteries guiding them to ensure they get to the right place.

Flemming adds this equipment is critical to saving lives.

Ski Season Starts Tomorrow

Attention, snow bunnies and boarders: it's that time of year again!

Poley Mountain is opening tomorrow for the season after having been manufacturing snow since the end of November. General Manager Bill Anderson tells CHSJ News even if you're a total newbie there's something for you to enjoy at Poley, including ski camps for kids and ski school for adults.

The Chute, Snow White and Lazy Way will all be open tomorrow. Anderson says this is the earliest they've been able to open for a few years, because of last winter's weirdly warm temperatures.

BREAKING: Smouldering Petroleum Coke Leads To Alarm At Port

There's been an incident this afternoon in the pet coke shed at Forterm on the West Side of the Port.

Pet coke, or petroleum coke, is a by-product of Coleson Cove's oil refinery coker. The pile of the substance began to smoulder around 1 this afternoon.

Acting Platoon Chief Roy Byers tells CHSJ News the elevated temperatures aren't likely to progress to anything more serious. The Department of Environment, Coleson Cove, and port officials remain on scene for much of the afternoon as the damage is assessed. 

There's no immediate danger and no reported injuries.

Pension Reform Continues To Be Hot Topic

Pension reform is a hot topic these days in the Port City and beyond--and the provincial government will host a pan-Canadian summit in 2013 to look at how governments can address pension issues.

The two-day summit will tackle challenging questions related to the future of public and private sector pensions. Human Resources Minister Troy Lifford says NB's Shared Risk Model has become of great interest to other municipalities because it offers employees better protection and reduces liabilities for taxpayers.

Executive-Director Of The Boys And Girls Club Has New Job

Debbie Cooper, who has been the Executive-Director of the Saint John Boys and Girls Club, is moving on up to a new job.

Cooper will be the Regional Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. Cooper sees lots of potential for further development and improvement of what the Boys and Girls Clubs can offer such as early childhood education.

Cooper warns community groups are being asked these days to do alot more but without adequate support, there comes a breaking point.
She will be based in Saint John but do alot of travelling throughout the region.

Work Continues On Peel Plaza Parking Garage

Construction continues on the Peel Plaza Parking garage between Station, Sewell and Carleton Streets.

Drug Bust By Mounties In Oromocto

A man in his 30's arrested after a drug bust at a home in Youngs Cove. 

The RCMP in Oromocto say they confiscated 125 marijuana plants, several pounds of dried pot, contraband smokes, drug paraphernalia and cash.
 
The accused will be appearing in court at a later date.

Recall Of Beef Burgers Expands

More beef burgers are being recalled by Loblaw, which owns the Superstore, because of possible e. coli contamination. 

This latest recall affects Butcher's Choice Hickory Barbecue Beef Burgers with best-before dates of Feb. 1st and Feb. 10th.
   
Earlier, it was announced Butcher's Choice Garlic Peppercorn Beef Burgers with a best-before date of March 3rd were being recalled.

City Must Reach Understanding With Unions On Long-Term Disability

The issue of long term disability benefits is presenting a bit of a bump in the road in common council's efforts to adopt the Shared Risk Model for its pension plan.

Council has accepted on principle a Memorandum of Understanding with the city's unionized groups, on the condition the issue of long term disability gets sorted out by Monday. 

Commissioner of Finance Greg Yeomans tells CHSJ News they need to look at the cost as plan members age and transition to a regular pension. The issue is something for which the Shared Risk model does not provide.

Council will meet with unionized groups and consult with potential bridge benefits with insurance companies over the weekend. An update will be provided on Monday, which is also when a vote is expected on the 2013 budget.

LSD Residents Debate User Fees Vs. Taxes

People in the 6 local service districts who use the River Valley Community Centre in Grand Bay Westfield are up in arms over a provincial plan to keep taxing them to use it or have them pay user fees.  

The facility's mortgage was paid off in July of 2011. 
Residents were upset about the lack of publicity with the previous vote on the matter. 

A letter from the province informing them of six information sessions arrived in their mail recently.

Brenda Rathburn who lives in Westfield West tells CHSJ News almost 12 thousand people pay taxes for the arena but only 180 people actually use it.

She says if you use it they don't mind paying a decent user fee but it you don't use people shouldn't have it taken out of their taxes.

A community session is coming up tonight at the Nerepis United Baptist Church at 7pm.
Another vote will be held January 7th.

Celebrating Learners With Turkey

The staff, board, volunteers and students of the Saint John Learning Exchange hosting their annual turkey dinner at Stone Church.
Executive Director Christina Fowler tells CHSJ News she loves doing the dinners.

She says they do it because they want to give back to the community for their partners and learners after another year of hard work.

Fowler adds the Learning Exchange does a lot involving food including some catering so its a good to celebrate and give back.