Saint Johners Protest Harper

Canada doesn't belong to Stephen Harper--that message from protestors gathering in King Square to demonstrate against what they call the Harper government's disregard for the will of the people.

Former NDP candidate and Council of Canadians member Andrew Graham was in attendance. He tells CHSJ News the Harper government has a long track record of scandals and failures and it can't be tolerated.

The protest also focused on bill C-38, the omnibus bill, which amalgamates 70 different bills into one. According to Graham, that bill prevents the issues from getting properly debated in parliament.

Go Green to Win Prizes

Tune up your bike and get out your walking shoes--a fun competition called the Commuter Challenge is turning your daily trek to work into an Eco-friendly competition. People can sign up and record the days they choose not to use the car to get around--and the total is entered onto a website where local companies compete against other cities.

Jody Kliffer of the city's planning commission explains you can get involved on as small or large a scale as you want--you can participate as an individual, or with your whole office.

Saint John has a record to defend, having blown away the rest of New Brunswick to win last year's cup. For more information, including a list of great prizes from local businesses, click here

MacKinnon Knows City & University Are Good Partners

The Tucker park campus of UNB in Saint John expects to continue its great working relationship with the City of Saint John now that a new mayor and council are at the helm.
 
UNB Saint John Vice-President Robert MacKinnon tells CHSJ News he hears Mayor Mel Norton wants to work together to achieve common goals and he thinks that is what is happening.

He says he knows they will be consulting the university and keeping them informed and UNB Saint John wants to continue being a good partner with the City.

MacKinnon says Dr. Shelley Rinehart, a longtime employee of the university, offers a direct link to City Hall and he expects a great working relationship with her and the other members of common council.

Volunteer Fire Fighters Needed

With fewer fire fighters in the community due to budget cuts, volunteer fire fighters are an asset. But with no pay and long hours, some volunteer fire departments are struggling to find people who are interested in helping out.

St Martins Fire Chief Brian McKiel tells CHSJ News it's hard to recruit young people for such a labor-intensive  position because the hours are long and there isn't much in the way of compensation. He says some people even lose money if they get injured, although there is compensation available for volunteers in cases like that.

McKiel says they have a few new recruits in their teens and 20s who are completing their training, but most volunteer fire fighters are between 30 and 50 years old.

EI Changes Will Impact Seasonal Workers

Changes to EI for season workers have an impact on everyone in the tourism industry-that from Fundy Trail manager Brian Clark. He tells tells CHSJ News there has been a lot of misinformation out there and it's making some workers nervous enough to start seeking out other jobs.

Clark says the changes could lead people doing seasonal work in more rural areas to take jobs in the city instead--and he wonders how the government expects those workers to be replaced.

Environmental Field Trips For District 10

Starting Monday, Grade four students from School District 10 will be putting on their rubber boots and heading out on some field trips hosted by the Eastern Charlotte Waterways.


The field trips will be to the St. George Marsh .

The students will be taking part in an excursion, designed to foster an appreciation for the wetland ecosystem.

Local businesses, individuals and Ducks Unlimited are sponsors of this event, and will teach studemts about the migration routes of birds and the habitats of local wildlife.

Race For Kids Hitting St. Stephen Saturday

A great time to change lives!


The Capital One Race for Kids will be happening tomorrow in 14 different communities across the country, including right here in St. Stephen.

The Race for Kids is an urban adventure race, where teams of five compete in a race to the finish line, completing a series of challenging checkpoints along the way.

The race for kids in St. Stephen is a fundraiser for our local Boys and Girls Club of Charlotte County. The race gets under way at 3pm tomorrow at the Border Arena.

St. Stephen Welcomes New Mayor

St. Stephen welcoming it's new Mayor this week.


The Oath of Office for newly elected Mayor John Quartermain, new Deputy Mayor John Ames, and other councillors Marg Harding, Allan MacEachern, Debbie Gullison-MacDonald, Jim Maxwell, and Michael Booth taking place at the St. Stephen Legion Wednesday night.

(Picture - Mayor Elect, John Quartermain )

Food Bank In Desperate Need

Food banks accross Canada, and locally here in St. Stephen are seeing first-hand that the recession is not over for a large number of Canadians.

The Volunteer Center of Charlotte County -- our local Food Bank in St. Stephen -- is currently struggling to keep the shelves stocked.

This time of year when the weather starts getting nicer, people tend to forget about the need to donate food to your local food banks.

Volunteers asking for assistance in their time of need.

If you are able to donate any food or make a cash donation, contact the Volunteer Center of Charlotte County today.  They are located at 199 Union Street in St. Stephen.

Local MLA Concerned For Seasonal Workers

MLA for Charlotte-The Isles, Rick Doucet coming under fire on Ottawa's decision to tighten E.I. benefits, coming down hardest on seasonal workers.


Last week the government announced new rules -- expected to be in effect by early next year -- that would lower benefits for each time someone dips into the system and also expect the unemployed to travel greater distances for a job of the same or less pay, if they qualify.
Doucet tells Tide News there are many from Charlotte County who are seasonal workers, such as people working in a fish plant, the forestry industry, or in tourism.

He wants to know if the government will be forcing people from Grand Manan to come to the mainland to search for minimum wage work, or if residents of Blacks Harbour will be expected to find work in Saint John at a MacDonald's or Tim Horton's.

Doucet is also wondering what will happen to the local companies who employ the seasonal workers. He says if we start losing seasonal workers to other jurisdictions, there will be no workers left when the seasonal companies are ready to re-open.
Doucet says he thinks the Employment Insurance system does need some tweaking -- but what works in Toronto or Halifax, might not work in Charlotte County.

He adds, somewhere along the line there needs to be common sense, and he hopes the government will take into consideration the lives that will be affected, and not go ahead with a "cookie cutter approach".

MS Walk Still Hoping To Reach $ Goal

The MS Walk numbers are in!


Sunday afternoon, many gathered at the St. Stephen High School for the 7th Annual Walk for Multiple Sclerosis.

Officials tell Tide News, $7900 was raised this year on the Walk, and they are hoping to reach this year's goal of $10,000, as the final number is still growing with more online pledges are coming in.

Car leaves road in Chance Harbour

Local Police, Fire and Ambulance crews responded to a single vehicle collision on Sunday, May 27th on Route 790 in Chance Harbour. The call was received around 12:30 p.m.

Firefighters found a car had left the roadway, struck a parked vehicle and landed on its side in a yard. The lone male occupant was out of the car when firefighters arrived and was being treated by Ambulance NB Paramedics.
 He was transported by ambulance to the Saint John Regional Hospital.

Firefighters assisted the RCMP with traffic control and ensured the vehicle was not leaking fluids before they left the scene about 40 minutes after the call.

Grass Fires a Problem

With summer almost here it's time to be careful about outdoor fires. Fire Investigator Mark Wilson tells TideNews people often aren't aware of the potential problems when they start a blaze, thinking they can control it no matter what. Actually, he says, factors like high winds and the type of fuel being used can make things unpredictable.

There used to be controlled burning allowed in the city but it's no longer allowed as the fire department found too many were getting out of control, as happened in Red Head last month when a man accidentally burned down his garage and part of his home.

Generic Drugs Will Soon Cost Less in NB

Generic drugs will soon be getting considerably cheaper: starting June 1, the NB Government will start capping prices at 40% of brand prices. According to health Minister Madelaine Dube, NBers are paying more than other Canadians. Previously NBers could be paying as much as 50 to 70% of the price of brand-name medications.

The plan is projected to save the province $10 million dollars in the first 10 months after it's put into action. Some of that money will be used to improve the existing services and make them more accessible.

Massive Yard Sale in Quispamsis

The 14th annual Quispamsis Town Wide Yard sale is happening today.



It's a rain or shine event and dozens of retailers will be setting up shop from 8am until 1pm to sell of a wide range of treasures.


The town has distributed 2000 maps to help bargain-hunters find their way around the sales. The map is sorted into categories like furniture and kid's items so you can find exactly what you're looking for.

For a link to the map click here

Saint John Co-Op Robbed

An armed robbery last night at the Co-op location on 3300 Westfield Rd.



Saint John Police tell CHSJ News the gas bar was robbed before closing last night and and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken.


No one was hurt. No word yet on how much money the thief was able to make away with. Police have yet to release a description of the robber.

St. Stephen Says Thank You To Former Council

 Today, St. Stephen said their goodbye's and thank you's to it's former Council.


A ceremony being held in Council Chambers to honor some of our hardest working citizens.

Mayor Jed Purcell was presented with a plaque embelished with a gavel.

And Ralph Williams was honored with an official council chair after serving 27 1/2 years in municipal politics.

The ceremony ended with cake, being cut by former Mayor Purcell and Mayor-Elect John Quartermain.



The new Town Council will be sworn in on Wednesday.

Elm Street Park Gets OK To Re-Open

St. Stephen Town Council giving the OK to re-open the Elm Street Park.


President of the Elm Street Park Society, Wilf Torunski tells Tide News he's not sure when the official ribbon cutting will be. He says that is something he would like to address to the new St. Stephen Town Council, as well as get them involved.
The local park came under major damage in recent years, mostly due to the Flooding of 2010.

Torunski says 7500 members of the Society have been cleaning up the south side of the park for re-opening, excluding the dangerous areas north of Billy Weston Brook, where barriers are in place.

Mayoral Runner-Up Is Not Going Anywhere

Robert Tinker may have lost his chance this time for Mayor of St. Stephen -- but we haven't seen the last of him.


Tinker tells Tide News he will be attending future council meetings, asking questions, putting the new council to the test, and making sure the people who voted them in are being represented.

Tinker says he has served 19 years in politics, ten of those being on Town Council, and he will continue to be an advocate for the people.

He adds he doesn't know if he will run for Mayor again in four years, but he will definately run for office.

Two car collision in Lepreau

The Musquash Fire Department was dispatched to a two car collision on Highway 1 in Lepreau at the intersection of Lepreau Village Road on Wednesday evening (May 23, 2012) shortly after 6 p.m.

Firefighters assisted Paramedics with the removal of one of the people from the cars and assisted the RCMP with traffic control.

One person was transported to Saint John Regional Hospital for treatment. Eastbound traffic was diverted thru the village of Lepreau while the scene was cleaned up. Thirteen firefighters responded with two engines, a heavy rescue unit and a utility unit and were on scene for about 90 minutes.

Mayor Purcell Reflects On Last Council Meeting

It was Bittersweet.


Last night was the last regular session of the current St. Stephen Town Council.

Mayor Jed Purcell tells Tide News, "It's a little sad, but I enjoyed it, I'm glad I did it." He says he didn't realize what it would take to do this job (Mayor), but he learned a lot, and he thinks the council brought St. Stephen forward.

After congratulating the new council, Purcell told new members who were present, "You're all very capable, but you have no idea what you're up against."

At the end of the meeting, Mayor Purcell joked, "I was going to sing a couple verses of  'My Way' but I think I'll adjourn."

The new St. Stephen Town Council will be sworn in next Wednesday, May 30th.

(Picture: from left - Current Mayor Jed Purcell, CAO John Ferguson, and new council member Michael Booth. )

RCMP Seek Help On Stolen Bikes

 Two expensive bikes in St. Stephen -- just got hotter.


Crimestoppers and local police in St. George are asking for your help in finding those responsible for stealing two bicycles.

Sometime during the past 2 weeks, the Cannondale Road bikes were taken from a locked shed in St. George.

District 1 RCMP say the bikes are worth over $3000.

If you have any knowledge of the crime, please contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Crimestoppers will pay up to $2000 for information leading to an arrest.

Highlights Of Royal Visit In Saint John

Quispamsis Man Charged With Sex Crimes

A Quispamsis man is in custody after being charged with sexual assault, uttering threats, and aggravated assault.  The 37 year old's name is being withheld in order to keep the victim anonymous.

Rothesay Regional Police tell us he will appear in remand court later today.

Grow Op Dismantled in Jemseg

A 35 year old Jemseg man has been arrested in connection with an indoor grow up off of Highway 695.

District 2 RCMP searched his home and outbuildings and found hundreds of marijuana plants as well as some dried buds and a weapon. The grow-op was dismantled and the man will appear in court at a later date to face charges.

Dogs Play First Memorial Cup Game

The Sea Dogs are gearing up to defend their memorial cup title. Assistant Coach Greg Leland tells CHSJ News it's going to be a tough contest with 4 of the best teams in Canada competing against one another. He tells CHSJ News a major part of his strategy for helping lead to Dogs to victory in 2012 is preparing ahead. 

He says while they're familiar with Shawinigan they're not quite as knowledgeable about Edmonton and London, so they're in the process of gathering information.

Leland says while every coach wants to know as much as they can about the opposing teams it's also key to make sure your own players are taken care of so they can focus entirely on playing.

Fracking Not a Done Deal

With the provincial government rolling out 116 proposed recommendations surrounding shale and natural gas, Karl Wolpin of Hampton Water First tells Tide News it's clear they are not listening to the people of New Brunswick. He says going ahead with fracking shouldn't be treated as a done deal.



According to Wolpin 80% of New Brunswickers disagree with fracking and there isn't enough information available for anyone for have an accurate picture of what the recommendations would look like.

Drug Bust in Saint John

A drug bust on Wright Street in the city's uptown resulting in the arrests of two men. City police tell us a quantity of a controlled substance was found in the home, as well as prohibited weapons.



The men will appear in court today to face charges.

St. Stephen Swearing In New Council - Less Than Two Weeks Away

An almost completely new St. Stephen Town Council will be swarn in, in less than 2 weeks.


The Oath of Office for newly elected Mayor, John Quartermain will take place at the St. Stephen Legion on Wednesday, May 30th.

The results of Monday's Municipal Election are not being contested, so the Town of St. Stephen will go ahead with the oaths.

Jim Maxwell (former Deputy Mayor) is the only member remaining from the former council.

Other members are newly-elected Deputy Mayor John Ames, Marg Harding, Allan MacEachern, Debbie Gullison-MacDonald, and Michael Booth.

The event gets underway at 7 o'clock.

2012 NBCC Chef Competition Winners

The 2012 Chef Competition was held last night at the NBCC Saint Andrews.
The up and coming Chefs had to develop and prepare their menu items using Wild Blueberries, Fresh Atlantic Salmon and delicious Chocolate. 
About 60 people were in attendance to taste test all the Appetizers, Main Dishes and Desserts the Students prepared.
A panel of judges awarded prizes to the top Chefs.

Marco Bernal won for best Appetizer, Anthony Davidson for best Main Dish and Ken Moffatt for Best Dessert.  (pictured above) 

Chef Competition Takes On Local Products

Blueberries, chocolate, and -- Fish?


Tomorrow, three local businesses will be partnering with culinary students from NBCC for the New Brunswick Community College 2012 Chef Competition.

Granite Town Farms, Cook Aquaculture and Ganong Brothers will have their products featured, while the up and coming chefs are challenged to create original recipes using the local products.

A $500 scholarship will be awarded for the best appetizer, entree, and dessert.

A people's choice award will also ge given.
Guests will have the opportunity to mingle, taste and vote for their favorite.

For tickets to the event in St. Andrews, contact Beth at 755-6314.

Canada Wide Warrant For St. Stephen Man

RCMP in St. Stephen and the Charlotte County Crime Stoppers are asking for your help in finding Gary Neil JOHNSTON for his arrest, as the result of a Canada Wide Warrant issued by the Correctional Service of Canada.


In 2008, JOHNSTON was convicted of robbery and other offences and was sentenced to 5 years behind bars.

JOHNSTON qualified for early release to a community residence, but as a result of conditions violations, his release has been suspended, and a Canada Wide Warrant for his Arrest has been issued.

JOHNSTON is from St. Stephen and is believed to have returned to the St Stephen area.

Anyone with information as to JOHNSTON's whereabouts are asked to contact the St. Stephen RCMP at 466-7030 or Crime Stoppers.

Final Election numbers for Grandmanan

Final Election numbers for St. George and Blacks Harbour

Final Election numbers for St. Stephen & Saint Andrews

Latest Municipal Election update

Municipal Election Results

At this time....out of the 459 polls across the province, only 189 are in.
In St. Stephen, John Quartermain is leading for the Mayors race with 813 votes with Robert Tinker in second with 588 votes with only 3 special polls remaining.
In Saint Andrews, Stanley Choptiany leads for Mayor with 452 votes with Chris Flemming at 377 votes.  Six of the special polls remain.
In St. George, Daniel Joseph Henry leads for Mayor with 373 votes.  Incumbent Sharron Tucker trails with 242 votes.
In Blacks Harbour, Terry James is in the lead with 211 votes.  Louise McLaughlin has 137 votes.  There are still 6 special polls left to come in.

Listen to Tide News for the final tally tomorrow morning.

Municipal Election Update for Blacks Harbour

Municipal Election Update for St. Stephen

John Quartermain is in the lead for Mayor of St. Stephen.

The first Election numbers coming from St. George

Listen to 98.1 The Tide for updates "On Air"

Here are the first results for the candidates running for councillors of St. Stephen.  These numbers are from the advance polls.

First results from the Municipal Elections

Here are the first numbers to come in to St. Stephen from the advance polls.

Listen to 98.1 The Tide for "On Air" updates this evening.

Municipal Election Polls Close

As the various polling stations around New Brunsick tally the votes from the Municipal Election, St. George has two people seeking the Mayors chair.
Incumbent Sharon Tucker is running against Daniel Joseph Henry.
There are six councillor seats available with 9 candidates seeking one of those seats.
In Blacks Harbour, incumbent Terry James running against Louise McLaughlin for the Mayors position.  There are five councillor seats to be filled with six candidates running.
In McAdam, incumbent Frank Carroll will remain the Mayor of the village as he had no one to run against.  There will be an election for 4 councillor seats available.  There are six candidates seeking those seats.
In Harvey there is no election.  By acclimation, Winston Gamblin has become Mayor with Richard Corey, Ronald Goodine and Floyd Thompson as councillors by acclimation.

Municipal Election Polls Close.

The 2012 Municipal Election Polls have now closed in New Brunsick and results will be tallied throughout the evening.
In St. Stephen, Current Mayor Jed Purcell did not re-offer for the Mayors position.
In the race for Mayor of St. Stephen is Kenneth Parker, John Quartermain and Robert Tinker.
19 candidates are trying for one of the six councillor positions available for St. Stephen.
In Saint Andrew, current Mayor John Craig did not re-offer for the Mayors position.
The candidates for Mayor of Saint Andrews are Stanley Choptiany and Chris Flemming.  There are 6 councillor positions to be filled with 10 candidates in the election.

St. Stephen Flushing Hydrants For 2 Weeks

You might be seeing some dirt in your crystal clear today.


The St. Stephen Utility Department starting to flush hydrants within Town limits.

They will be flushing for the next two weeks.

The process might cause dirty water for some residents.

The Town apologizes for any inconvenience.

Awards Ceremony Coming Up

A unique recognition of the Port City's best and brightest coming to the Imperial Theatre at the end of this month. The Originals Awards are the brainchild of Artistic Director Judith Mackin, who tells CHSJ News there are over a dozen categories ranging from singer/songwriter to social contributions.



Leading up to the ceremony on May 31, local galleries, bars, and restaurants will be putting on special events as a lead up to the Awards. Categories include Music, New Media, and visual arts.

Pennfield Residents Concerned

Pennfield citizens raising their concerns about wastewater from a fish processing plant leaching into their water. There has been talk of J Smith Excavating Company building a pit for wastewater, but local citizens say they're not prepared to accept that in their neighbourhood. Lester MacKay tells CHSJ News there's been a lack of public consultation, because people weren't aware there might be ash with arsenic dumped near local water supplies until just two weeks ago.



MacKay tells us they've decided not to build the pit in Pennfield, but a new location has not been decided yet. He says wherever it is there will concerns about the smell as well as animals like bears and seagulls being attracted to it.

Romeo and Juliet Coming to Saint John

The Saint John Theatre Company putting a new spin on a Shakespearen classic. Romeo and Juliet will run at the Imperial Theatre from May 17th to 19th. Director Stephen Tobias tells CHSJ News they've taken a uniquely local approach to the tragedy, with the warring Montague and Capulet families being portrayed as Anglophone and Francophone.



Some of the dialogue will be in a French translation with English subtitles playing simultaneously on a screen. The actors playing the title roles are local teenagers, just like in the original. Tickets are available at the Imperial Theatre Box Office.

Drug Bust on West Side of Saint John

City Police seizing cash and drug paraphernalia after a raid on the West Side.

Staff Sergeant Tanya Leblanc tells CHSJ News city police raided a home on the lower West Side yesterday (Friday) evening close to 9pm.

No word on what kind of drugs were involved. Three males ages 49, 34 and 19 are expected to appear in court to face charges at a later date.

Mugging in Saint John

Watch yourself when you're walking out in Saint John, especially in the early morning hours. City Police are searching for a mugger after an early morning incident on Landsdowne avenue.

A 23 year old man was walking in the North End  around 1:30am when he was approached by another man in his teens or early 20s wearing a dark hat and a hoodie.

The mugger managed to take some property off the man and fled. Police are looking for the person in question.