Fundy Continues To Draw In Tourists

The whole Fundy experience is key to drawing in tourism.
That coming from Tourism Minister Trevor Holder, who tells Tide news they've been marketing everything from Hopewell Rocks to Campobello throughout the maritimes.

He says their marketing has been focusing on people who want to experience nature and the outdoors, as well as New Brunswick's history and culture.

Holder believe it's been a good tourism season with good weather, steady cruise ships and ramped up advertising for the Bay of Fundy.

New Leash On Life

A new leash on life is what people are giving the Saint John SPCA says President Melody McElman.

She tells Tide news more than $10,000 has been donated to help keep the non-profit animal shelter's doors open, and if the donations keep coming in, they most likely won't close by this Saturday.

She says people have even written to animal lovers and show hosts Anderson Cooper and Ellen DeGeneres for help.

And when it comes to expecting the city for help, McElman says she understands they're under a financial crunch, and doesn't think it's expected of them to give money they don't have. She adds they're already grateful for the $6,600 dollars they receive monthly as part of the animal contract.

Today at 10:00am local non-profit group Harbour Con-Fusion will be around Saint John collecting bottle and money donations to help the SPCA. They'll be stationed at the Admiral Beatty Parking Lot on the corner of Princess and Charlotte Street.

To get more details on donations, click here.

It's Unfair Labour Day According To Taxpayers Federation

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling this Unfair Labour Day because of what it sees as the growing pension gap in the province between what those who work in government will receive in retirement compared to the rest of us.

The Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells Tide News at the very minimum new government employees, whether they be with the city or province, should be on defined contribution pension plans rather than defined benefits.

Lacey says there was a time years ago that government workers received generous pension plans to make up for earning less than workers in the private sector but that wage gap disappeared a long time ago.

Premier Under The Gun On Catastrophic Drug Plan

It was a campaign promise made by Premier David Alward but bringing in a catastrophic drug coverage plan hasn't happened yet.

The Premier says former Health Minister Dr. Dennis Furlong is working on such a plan that will be affordable but the province's finances have to be turned around because there are just so many dollars to work with these days.

He estimates a provincial catastrophic drug plan will cost something like 20 million dollars. As just one example of how expensive drugs can be, the cancer drug Avastin costs 10 thousand dollars a month.

Alward reminds everyone the government has already brought in a dental and vision programme for the most vulnerable children in the province and is also working on a prescription drug programme.