River Watch Warns Of Possible Flooding

You might want to keep an eye on water coming into your basement.

An advisory today warning locals about the possibility of flooding from River Watch because of ice jams due to the milder temperatures and heavy rainfall.

A special weather statement being issued by Environment Canada for St. Stephen and northern Charlotte County, Grand Manan, coastal Charlotte County, Saint John, and Fundy National Park with up to 40 millimetres of rain falling before it ends tonight.

Callers to our 466-2222 news line report water coming over the Reardon Road near Digdeguash (as seen in picture ), rising waters under the Rollingdam covered bridge, as well as near the King Street traffic Circle in St. Stephen.

Prison Time For Former Investment Dealer

A 48 year old former investment dealer has been sentenced in Moncton to 3 and a half years in prison for defrauding several of her clients. 

Catherine Darlene Ford pleaded guilty to six charges. 

The court was told she illegally withdrew 1.3 million dollars from the accounts of six of her clients, many of whom were elderly. They have since been reimbursed by Scotia McLeod. 

Several of her clients had more than 100 thousand dollars taken from their accounts without consent.

New Brunswick Takes #1 Spot As Seafood Producer In Canada

New Brunswick is number one... at least when it comes to seafood. New Brunswick ranked as Canada's largest exporter of seafood for 2012, with exports valued at $967 million. 

Nova Scotia and British Columbia came in second and third.

In a statement, Premier David Alward acknowledging the importance of the seafood industry in creating new jobs, especially in rural communities. Local producers from Charlotte County participated in the Boston International Seafood Show this week, promoting their products to more than 16,000 buyers and sellers from more than 90 countries.

In recent years, the province has turned to Asia and Europe as markets for its seafood.

Traffic Delays At Reversing Falls

If you plan on traveling to Saint John in the near future, you can expect delays over the next several weeks.

The city telling Tide News beginning today and for the next several weeks, the Reversing Falls Bridge will be down to one lane and there will be no vehicle access to Douglas Avenue from Bridge Road or Chesley Drive. 

There will be temporary traffic lights in place at both ends of the bridge but, as you might expect, there will be continual delays. 

The traffic flow is being disrupted to allow upgrades to be done to the east-west water main below the bridge.

Court Adjourned For More Possible Charges On Snook

About 50 spectators did not get to see Donnie Snook in court today. The matter is being adjourned until late May because more charges are pending.

The former Saint John common councillor would normally have appeared by video conference but the technology was not available due to the move to the new justice building at Peel Plaza. He had been expected to enter pleas today.

Snook is facing 8 charges including sexual interference on a child under 16, possession of and making child pornography as well as making it available.

Snook is due back in court on May 29th.

One Dead And One Injured After Snowmobile Crash At MacDougall Lake

A crash at a local lake causing one death and sending another man to hospital.

Police tell Tide News a 23-year-old man from St. George -- who was driving a snowmobile early yesterday morning at MacDougall Lake -- died after crashing the machine on the shoreline.

District 1 RCMP say a 22-year-old passenger was sent to the Saint John Regional Hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries. He remains in hospital.

Investigators believe the men may have struck a large bed of rocks while they were crossing the lake, causing them to lose control and crash the machine.

Big Winnings and Gambling Intertwined

Those late nights spent emptying your wallet at the VLTs, could point to a problem. One of the first indications of gambling addiction is pouring time, money and energy that you can't afford to spend into gambling. Social worker Annie Pellerin tells CHSJ news that gambling addicts will often keep their distance from their home and those close to them.
 
She says that people who have gambled and struck it rich are prone to gambling addiction, as might try to recapture the high of winning over and over again. There is a direct correlation between gamblers who have won big, and addiction. However, Perellin adds, there are a variety of factors that make a person prone to gambling addiction.
The last gambling prevalence study was undertaken in 2009, where they found that VLT's are the most common form of gambling in the province. To seek help for a gambling addiction, call 1 (800) 461-1234, an information line and referral service.

Springing Forward

Many people don't mind the spring time change because it gives us an extra hour of daylight to enjoy....but it can also play havoc on your internal clock, particularly if you're already sleep-deprived. Dr Charles Samuels is the VP Clinical for the Canadian Sleep Society says there's data to support a greater frequency of accidents after time change.

Samuels says coffee is your friend this week and the Canadian Institute of Health Research actually recommends you get caffeinated before you get behind the wheel as your body adjusts to the time change.

Teens Charged In Saint John Assault Released For Now

Two of the teenage suspects in a brutal beating in Glen Fall have been released from jail but remain under house arrest.

John Alexander Adams and  Robert Hachey, both 18,  have been ordered to keep the peace and be of good behaviour and have no contact with a number of people before they return to court on March 26th.

Adams, Hachey, and a teen who cannot be named are charged with aggravated assault and stealing cigarttes from a man who was allegedly beaten with a baseball bat in a shed in the East Side suburb. He remains in hospital in serious but stable condition.

Spring 2013 Will Be A Bit Warmer

After a more typical Canadian winter with a lots of snow and cold temperatures, what does Spring hold for us?

The Weather Network is out with its Spring forecast.
Meterologist Gina Wressler tells us we are looking at more seasonal temperatures.

She says when you average out March, April and May for temperature we are looking at temps slightly above normal.

Wressler adds typical daytime highs average out at 2 or 3 degrees during March.

Producers Hopeful For A Better Maple Syrup Season

How sweet it is.....with warmer temperatures over the past few days, maple sugar producers are testing their equipment and gearing up for another sugary season. 

Yvon Poitras, the General Manager of the NB Maple Sugar Association, tells us a fine balance of factors is needed to keep the sap flowing.

He says if doesn't freeze at night and it's too warm during the day the season is over.

He says the freak heat wave last March, coupled with flooding in the Florenceville area played real havoc with the season last year so they're hoping mother nature will cooperate this time.

Mounties Seek Sussex Area Man After A Stabbing

A woman remains in hospital after a stabbing last Wednesday outside of Sussex....and there's now a warrant out for 49-year-old Robin White's arrrest.

White is charged with attempted murder after stabbing a woman he knew at a home around 8am leaving her with serious injuries. 




He is described as white, about 5 foot 11inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes.

He was last seen wearing glasses, a black coat, blue jeans and black boots. 

He may be driving a 2009 grey Honda Ridgeline truck with N.B. license plate CPM 926.
 
If you see White or his vehicle do not approach him and contact police or Crime Stoppers immediately.

Injured NB Police Officer Heading Home

A police funeral for an officer killed in northern Quebec on the weekend during a domestic dispute could be held in the nation's capital.
 
Constable Steve Dery was originally from the Ottawa area.

 His partner Joshua Boreland is from Quispamsis near Saint John and n an email he tells us he wants everyone to know he's alright and will be returning home this week.

Copper Pipes Stolen In St. Andrews

RCMP in St. Andrews are investigating a break-in into a house during which the thieves made off with some copper piping.

Sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning (February 22nd and 23rd), someone broke into a home on Mowat Drive and took an unknown amount of copper piping, causing considerable damage.

Anyone with any information is being asked to contact the police or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Crimestoppers will pay up to $2000 for information leading to an arrest. You can remain anonymous.

Wear Pink To Stand Against Bullying

Today is Pink Shirt Day, not just here in Charlotte County, but across Canada, people are wearing pink T-shirts to show they are standing up against bullying.
   
The campaign was started in 2007 by two Nova Scotia high school students who -- overnight -- rallied almost their entire high school student population, mostly through social media, to wear pink in support of a Grade 9 student who was bullied the day before for wearing the color to school.

One of those students was Travis Price, who can be seen here with Fundy High School Principal John Tanner. Price spoke to Fundy students last year on Pink Shirt Day.

MLA Thinks "Creative Approach" Is Solution To Maxwell Crossing Covered Bridge Troubles

A local MLA thinks we can fix the Maxwell Crossing covered bridge -- with a bit more creativity.

Charlotte-The Isles MLA Rick Doucet tells Tide News we have a number of skilled tradespeople who have worked on these bridges for many years. "We should pull some of these guys who used to work out of DOT out of retirement and help out with this project and make it a community project. It could be a great model because there are only so many covered bridges that are left."



He thinks using a combination of a local contractor and a few retired members of DOT who have expertise in covered bridges can get the job done -- with less money. "I've taken the opportunity to talk to some of these retired employees, and they feel that they can do the job, and I think it's a matter of just pushing it through the system. Let's take a creative approach, and get these guys on the ground to make it happen."

Doucet says after talking to some of the retired DOT members, he feels the bridge can be repaired for around $300,000, compared to $500,000 estimated by current DOT officials.

Doucet says he understand that Maxwell Crossing is not in his jurisdiction, but he has taken the time to reach out to Charlotte-Campobello MLA Curtis Malloch as a New Brunswicker who supports the heritage of the province.

Doucet says, as far as he is concerned, covered bridges should be on the endangered species list.

Mayor Sends Letter To Minister For Maxwell Bridge

The Mayor of St. Stephen isn't quite as talkative as others on the topic of the Maxwell Crossing covered bridge.

Mayor John Quartermain sending a letter to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Claude Williams on behalf of St. Stephen Town Council.

The letter stated many of the factors relating to the Maxwell Bridge, including "The Town of St. Stephen still promotes the 'kissing bridges' as a flash back in time", and "The Maxwell Crossing covered bridge has been an important link to manage the Town of St. Stephen's water reservoir and chlorination pump house. The bridge access reduces response times for our water technical staff by approximately 15 to 20 minutes between the reservoir and the chlorination area."
However, the letter did not ask specifically whether the Mayor wanted the government to repair it to its original state, or to replace it.

In closing, Quartermain wrote, "The Maxwell Crossing Covered Bridge has safety, social and economic importance and I would ask that you consider these important factors when determining the future of the Maxwell Crossing Covered Bridge."

The Local Service District of Dennis-Weston claim Mayor Quatermain's signature is on the petition asking for repairs to the covered bridge.

After the St. Stephen Town Council meeting on Monday night, Quartermain dashed from Council Chambers before he could be reached for comment.

Man Goes To St. Stephen Court In Long-Johns

A brief court appearance for a local St. Stephen man charged with attempted break and enter -- "Brief" being the key word.

26-year-old Edward Davison showed up to court today (February 26th, 2013) wearing only a sweatshirt and long-johns. Police asked members of the family to return to Davison's residence and bring back a pair of jeans for him to wear.

Davison was charged with 7 counts, which include mischief, assault against three police officers, threats to two police officers and their families, as well as the attempted break and enter of a home in Oak Bay, all taking place February 19th.

He plead not guilty to all charges and has elected to be tried by Judge alone.

Davison has been remanded into custody until his bail hearing in Saint John this Friday.

Laundry Services To Close In Nursing Homes

The New Brunswick Council of Nursing Homes lashing out at the provincial government for its decision to close laundry facilities in 16 nursing homes across the province.

They believe this will lead to the loss of 60 jobs despite the government's claims the workers will merely be transferred to other departments. Nursing Home Union President Wayne Brown doesn't buy the assurances.

For its part, the government claims the job-sharing plan will save nearly $600,000 annually; however, the union representatives say if the government had wanted to find efficiencies it should have consulted with them. 

Locally, employees at Passamaquoddy Lodge in St. Andrews andthe Fundy Nursing Home in Blacks Harbour.

900 Signatures For Covered Bridge

A 103-year-old covered bridge damaged in a car crash may get a new lease on life if some petitioners have their way.
Locals are presenting a petition with 900 signatures to Curtis Malloch, MLA for Charlotte-Campobello, urging the provincial government to restore the bridge at Maxwell Crossing.

The bridge was heavily damaged in late January and since then the Department of Transport has suggested the bridge might be replaced with a bailey bridge.

The bridge would cost some $500,000 to repair, compared to an estimated figure of $300,000 from DOT to build the bailey bridge.

(Photo by Murray Weeks)

Shoplifter Hits 3 Stores In 1 Day

A shoplifter making the rounds of 3 local businesses has been busted and will appear in court in the spring.

The 41 year old man was charged with with 3 counts of shoplifting from the Co-op, Grand-Bay Home Hardware and also Guardian Drugs in Grand-Bay all in the same day. 

The shoplifter is due back in court in April.

Princess Auto Opening In Saint John

A major retailer of farm, industrial, garage, and surplus items is opening its doors in Saint John this year.

Princess Auto announcing it will be opening a new location at the East Point Shopping Center at some point in 2013. Previously, the closest location to the Saint John area was in Moncton.

The Canadian retail chain operates 34 stores in 8 provinces and employs 1700 people nationwide.

New Fundraiser For Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is asking you to take a closer look at milk cartons.

The organization is partnering with Northumberland Dairy for the second year in a row for a provincial campaign that aims to protect undeveloped areas that are special to New Brunswickers by promoting the organization's land and habitat protection project on all white milk containers.

NCC Director Andrew Holland tells Tide News he hopes the campaign gets residents thinking about those spots they share a connection with in New Brunswick.The goal is to raise awareness, and to match the $50, 000 they made in donations last year.

Police, Fire Have A Few Calls In Saint John

Police were called to a few Friday night upsets in Saint John; however, none of the calls were too serious.

Some residents on the corner of Pitt and Crown awoke to a nasty shock finding some windows smashed out and tires slashed overnight. Police are looking into the cause of the damage.

The Fire Department were also called to deal with a propane leak on McAllister Drive. it's speculated the leak was caused by a leaky ball joint but the situation was soon turned over to mall management.

26 Year Old Charged With Break And Enter On Home In Oak Bay

Two men have been arrested after an attempted break-in to a home in Oak Bay.

St. Stephen RCMP tell Tide News 26-year-old Edward Lloyd Davison has been charged with break and enter and has been remanded into custody until his next court appearance in St. Stephen, on Tuesday,  February 26, 2013.

A 39-year-old St. Stephen man was also arrested, but later released and will appear in court at a later date.

Sgt. Bob MacKnight with District 1 RCMP tells Tide News police responded to a call Tuesday evening around 7:20 that two men were attempting to break into a home in Oak Bay. MacKnight says two people were home at the time, but the men did not get inside. He says the men were arrested a few hours later in St. Stephen.

Police say they expect to lay further charges against Davison.

Bell Aliant Announces FibreOP Coming To St. Stephen

Some state-of-the-art technology will soon be coming to St. Stephen.

VP of Residential Markets for Bell Aliant Andre Leblanc tells Tide News they are investing $12 million in total to bring FibreOP to eight new communities in New Brunswick, including a $1.4 million dollar investment in St. Stephen. FibreOP will be able to reach approximately 2300 homes and businesses in St. Stephen. Leblanc says FibreOp is a state-of-the-art technology that enables almost infinite band-width into your home.




He says FibreOP means having the fastest internet speeds in Atlantic Canada, the best TV product on the market, and amazing apps for Facebook, Twitter, Galaxie Music, and much more.

Leblanc says the network provides the best products and services probably on par with anything in the world. He adds, they are currently working out the boundaries to how far it will reach outside of town and the service will be available in the spring.












Leblanc says the FibreOP should be available in the spring.

Details From Search Warrants On Former Saint John Councillor

We have more technical details from the search warrants in the investigation of former Saint John common councillor Donnie Snook.

The 568-page document describes events leading from March 2011 to Snook's January arrest, including the installation of a surveillance camera on a power pole outside his home. The camera recorded who was at 575 Martha Avenue while explicit chat sessions were happening with undercover police.

On January 9th, an officer observed while all the lights were on at the home, no one answered the door. Snook was the only one inside. The chat logs from that time show a message saying "some one at the door....see you later?"'

The warrants also indicate the person sharing the explicit images was hacking into their neighbour's wi-fi connection. However, the Mac Address of the computer used to transmit them was traced to Snook's home.

The chat user promised the undercover cop "live action" in order to win his trust -- but only with their face covered, because if they were caught, "[they] would die." Cameras, computers, a tablet, phones and other electronic devices were all confiscated in the search. 

Snook's next court appearance is on March 11 when he is expected to enter a plea.

Lady Ganong Awarded Queen's Jubilee Medal

A local lady has been given a great honor from the Queen.

Diane Ganong, of St. Stephen, being presented with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Lieutenant Governor.

The award was given after Diane's many contributions to the community and to Canada.
Some of those contributions include Chairmanship of the Extra Mural Hospital, service on the National Alzheimer's Board, and President of UNICEF Canada.

$2 Million Boost For Garcelon Civic Center

A funding announcement in the form of $2 million dollars being made in St. Stephen today.

The federal and provincial governments each giving an additional million for the Garcelon Civic Center to ensure the project gets done, on budget and on time. A news release from the province states the support is in addition to the project originally announced in 2009. That included $6.2 million from Infrastructure Canada'as Building Canada Fund, $6.2 million from the province of New Brunswick and $5.2 million by the Town of St. Stephen.


MP for South-West New Brunswick John Williamson says, "Investments in projects likr the Garcelon Civic Centre help provide important services to the community and businesses, strengthen the local economy and improve the quality of life for residents." Williamson also stated that job creation and economic growth have always been the main focus of his government.

Premier David Alward tells Tide News the Garcelon and the new hotel will have a significant economic impact on the community. He says, "What that means to solidify the economy and in downtown St. Stephen is exceptional. It means that people can be working in St. Stephen and that is great news for the area."
Alward, who lives in Woodstock, says the impact of their local Civic Center has been phenomenal for his community.

The announcement was followed by a tour of the Civic Centre site in downtown St. Stephen in which Premier Alward, Williamson, and MLA Curtis Malloch were given a tour, among others present, of the soon-to-be arena and pool.

Snook Search Warrants To Be Released Today

We could soon know more about the case against former Saint John common councillor Donnie Snook.

Search warrants in the case are scheduled to be released later today although some of the information will be blacked out.

The two-term councillor resigned last month amid 8 charges relating to child pornography, child exploitation, and sexual interference with a child under 16. The 40 year old was arrested at his home on January 9th and resigned as a Councillor on the 17th.

School Security Getting Boost After Newtown Tragedy

Security at schools in the Anglophone South School District is being enhanced in the wake of the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut before Christmas. 

There will be new I-D badges for school district workers who are not attached to any particular school but perform jobs at several of them when the need arises. 

Superintendent Zoe Watson tells Tide News school safety is always uppermost in their minds at the school district and there are some schools in Saint John which have an intercom outside and you have to be buzzed in. 

The new logo for the school district was designed by a grade 9 student at Hampton High, Melanie Levesque in her art class.

Graham Takes Responsibilty For Atcon Conflict

The Province's conflict of interest commissioner says former premier Shawn Graham broke provincial rules because of his involvement in his government's decision to give financial help to a construction company.

    Patrick Ryan has released his report into allegations that Graham was in a conflict of interest in 2009 when his Liberal government gave a $50 million loan guarantee to Miramichi-based Atcon.
 
    Ryan says Graham should have removed himself from cabinet discussions over the loan guarantee because his father was a director of Vanerply, a Swedish subsidiary of Atcon,  and a paid consultant of Vanerply and other Atcon companies.
 
    Ryan says while Graham didn't check whether his father had ties to Atcon at the time the loan guarantee was offered, it was his responsibility to know.

    Despite the loan guarantee, Atcon went bankrupt in 2010.    Ryan is recommending Graham be fined $3,500 and reprimanded.
 
    Graham issued a statement saying the fault was an oversight' on his part and he accepts full responsibility for his actions.

More Snow And Some Rain For Wednesday

Some of us in Charlotte County are still digging ourselves out from the snowstorm -- but Environment Canada says "Don't put your shovels away just yet."

Meteorologist Claude Cote tells Tide News they are currently watching another low pressure system that will hit Wednesday. Cote says this system will not be as severe as the storm we felt this past weekend. He says we can expect up to 5-10 mms of rain, and another 5-10 cms of snow on Wednesday.




Cote says Charlotte County recieved 20 cms of snow by Sunday evening and winds that reached 93 kms per hour in the St. Stephen and Bayside areas.

NB Power reporting over 55 hundred in the province were without juice this morning, including 625 affected in Charlotte County, most of those being in Pennfield.

Another Sunday Storm Is Coming Our Way

Charlotte County can expect 20 centimetres of snow by tomorrow morning.

Environment Canada meterologist Jeremy March tells Tide News we are on the western end of the storm system.
 
He says the entire province will experience the high winds and blowing snow.

Saint John is looking at 25 centimetres of snow while Quispamsis, Rothesay, Hampton and Sussex could get up to 35 centimetres of snow. 

Due to the impending storm, the Princess of Acadia will be leaving early at 2pm from Digby for Saint John.

Upper Mills Man In Hot Water

A Upper Mills man has been arrested for assaulting three peace officers and resisting arrest in an incident near a home near St. Stephen.

Early Friday afternoon two District 1 RCMP and an SPCA officer went to the home to look into the welfare of a dog.

 A 57-year-old man at a home in Upper Mills became violent and assaulted the SPCA officer. 

When police attempted to arrest him, he resisted and physically assaulted one of the police officers. The second officer stepped in and the man was eventually taken into custody.

He was later released on a promise to appear and is expected to face charges of assaulting peace officers and resisting arrest.

Government Warned Shale Gas Will Need Better Oversight Of Air Quality

If and when full scale shale gas production moves ahead in the province and becomes a reality, there has to be better monitoring of air quality at production sites because there isn't any now. 

That, according to the Health Watch Advisor for the Conservation Council who points to Penobsquis with its 16 gas well pads and 30 gas wells. Inka Milewski tells Tide News government oversight is among the missing despite all the industrialisation with no permanent air quality monitoring regime in place and the province not reporting publicly on how good or bad the air is.
 
Milewski claims the air at gas production sites is a major public health concern because of the presence of carcinogens in the form of volatile organic compounds like benzine.

2 Dead, Child Injured After Car Crash

A man and a woman are dead and a child serious injured following a two-vehicle crash on the TransCanada Highway near Salisbury.

The collision occurring at around 8:20 p.m. A vehicle heading westbound was hit by a vehicle travelling the wrong way, eastbound in the westbound lane.

Both drivers, a 24-year-old man from Havelock and a 69-year-old woman from Grande-Digue, died at the scene. The woman was the lone occupant in the vehicle that was travelling in the wrong direction on the divided highway.

A 25-year-old woman and two young children, aged three and four, who were passengers in the other vehicle were transported to hospital. One of the children was airlifted to the IWK Hospital in Halifax.

The names of the deceased are not being released at this time pending proper notification of their families.

Fredericton Woman Charged With Attempted Murder

A Fredericton woman charged with faking a home invasion in a bid to murder her husband.

Police in Fredericton say they have charged a 51-year-old woman with the attempted murder.  Officers responded to 911 call regarding a break and enter at a home on Anderson Street on the city's south side around 10:45 p.m. Wednesday.

A 57-year-old man was taken to hospital where he was treated and later released. Police say their investigation has determined that there wasn't a break and enter.Police say 51-year-old Rada Veselinovic was subsequently arrested and appeared in court today where she was charged with attempted murder.

Hockey Team Filling Shelves At Wood & Wardrobe

Do some spring cleaning before you hit up the hockey game.

The Spartans Boys hockey team is asking for spectators to bring in a bag of household items to donate to the St. Croix Vocational Centre when coming to their home game against Rothesay tomorrow night at the Border Arena in St. Stephen.

The Vocational Centre has been hit hard, as of late, with low donations, which they sell at the Wood & Wardrobe Thrift Store to fund programs for intellectually disabled adults in Charlotte County.

Tomorrow is also Spartan Subway Seniors Night with special events planned for intermissions.

The boys hit the ice for warm-up at 7:30, puck drops at 7:50pm.

Man Dies Before Movie About Him Can Be Released

A funeral service will be held this Friday morning at 11 in St. Martins United Church for a man from West Quaco about whom a movie has been made to be released in the spring.
 
Craig Morrison's ordeal has been turned into a movie called "Still" starring character actor James Cromwell who played the warden in the Tom Hanks' movie "The Green Mile".  

Morrison, who passed away at the age of 93, had a running battle with the New Brunswick Royal District Planning Commission about building and staying in his own home without using stamped lumber. The province charged he was not following the national building code.

Coats For Kids Drive Sets Record For NBCC

The numbers are in for the annual Coats 4 Kids Drive put on by our local community college.

NBCC Student Services Representative Carolyn Tatton tells Tide News a total of 205 coats were donated from October through to January.

Tatton says, this is not just the most ever collected at the St. Andrews school, its almost double their record.

She says among other winter clothing, an anonymous donor gave more than a dozen pairs of homemade mittens, as well as one of their students knitted winter hats.

All donations will be split between the Volunteer Centre of Charlotte County in St. Stephen and the Community Living Centre in St. George.

Tatton says she is very excited to begin the Drive again and she already has people telling her they are saving their coats to donate for next year.

Blood Clinic Today In St. Stephen

Blood. It's in you to give.

Canadian Blood Services coming to St. Stephen this afternoon for a blood donor clinic.

CBS Community Development Coordinator Thomas Bishop tells Tide News the blood can be used for infants, blood transfusions, and most commonly -- victims in car crashes and accidents.

The clinic will be held at the St. Stephen Legion, located at 43 Queen Street, today from 2-4 and again from 5:30-7:30 tonight.

Saint John Doctor Facing More Charges

More charges of sexual assault have been laid against a doctor who has practiced medicine in the Saint John area for more than 25 years. 

8 of 9 charges were laid a couple of days ago against Dr. Alan Cockeram, a gastroenterologist who has an office in the north end. 

In response, Horizon Health has announced restrictions will be imposed on Dr. Cockeram when he treats female patients for an undetermined amount of time. No decision has been made on whether his license to practice medicine will be suspended. 

A preliminary hearing on the charges will in June which will determine if there's enough evidence to warrant a trial.

Strong Winds Coming With Weekend Storm

From the deep freeze to a winter wonderland.... Southern New Brunswick is bracing for a weekend storm.

Claude Cote of Environment Canada tells Tide News the snow will start falling tomorrow.

He says when expect about a centimetre of snow during the day tomorrow with conditions worsening Friday night and most of the snow will fall Saturday along with high winds causing reduced visibility.

Cote says the storm's track has changed so they are now predicting 10 to 15 centimetres of snow by daybreak on Sunday.

A Covered Bridge Seems To Be What The People Want

A meeting held last night (Wednesday) to discuss options for the Maxwell Crossing Covered Bridge stirred up a lot of debate, answered a lot of questions, and left many unanswered. 

Regardless, Department of Transportation representative Alan Kerr said he believed it was a unanimous decision from the public that residents want their covered bridge repaired.

Money wasn't the only thing on the table, the value of the covered bridge as a tourist attraction to Charlotte County is a key component.

Local Resident Annabelle Juneau tells Tide News besides fixing the bridge, we need to start spending some tourism dollars on signage to better promote the covered bridges throughout the province. "At the end of the day, this is something, especially with the new highway being there, that we need to promote those covered bridges. Get the signs out, and I'm hoping we'll see the Department of Tourism step up to the plate as well."
Juneau says New Brunswick is known for covered bridges, "I think if we reach out to other people in New Brunswick that they will probably feel as we do. That we have to keep these covered bridges, there aren't many left."

Some members of St. Stephen Town Council were also present. Councillor Jim Maxwell spoke on stage making his opinion quite clear to DOT representatives. He told them, "We know you're not here to tell us you're tearing down that bridge."

Councillor Allan MacEachern tells Tide News even looking at the financial side of things, repairing the bridge makes sense. "I'm in favor of the covered bridge because it is return, and I'm all about return on investment. It just makes sense to get money out of tourism later, it makes it worth more as a covered bridge."

Before LSD President Vern Faulkner closed the meeting, he handed out parting gifts to each of the DOT representatives -- bags of Covered Bridge potato chips.

DOT's Side Of The Covered Bridge

The future of the Maxwell Crossing Covered Bridge is now in the hands of Minister of Transportation, Claude Williams.

A group of approximately 70 people coming to a public meeting last night (Wednesday) to share their opinions on whether the historical bridge should be repaired, or replaced with a modular one.






DOT Representative Alan Kerr said his purpose was to gather information from taxpayers and then forward that information to the Minister of Transportation. Kerr said, "It's not a matter of if the bridge can be repaired, but is it financially feasible." Kerr estimated the costs of $300 thousand dollars to build a run-of-the-mill bridge, compared to $500 thousand to repair the old one.
One resident noted the life expectancy of a covered bridge is practically double that of a metal one. The man asked Kerr, "Let's say a covered bridge will last 80 years. How long will a metal bridge last?" Kerr responded, "Forty to fifty years." The man then asked if it would not be more financially feasible to build a covered bridge for the same cost in the long term, only a covered bridge would have the tourism factor.


Another question that was hot on everyone's mind was "Why can't the insurance from the car owner pay for the damages?" Kerr says they are currently pursuing an insurance claim, but it would be highly unlikely insurance would cover the entire cost. Many payment options were discussed, including money the province and fundraising by the people.

Kerr told the audience he believed it was obvious, the decision from residents was unanimous in keeping the covered bridge.
He is urging all residents to write or email the Minister with their concerns before a decision is made.
(Picture from left to right: DOT District Highway Superintendant Allan Acheson, DOT Asst. District Transport Engineer Mike Roseheart, DOT District Transport Engineer Alan Kerr, and Local Service District Dennis-Weston President Vern Faulkner )

NB Power Responds To CCNB Criticism

NB Power responding to the Conservation Council's claim Point Lepreau is 40 times more likely to suffer an earthquake leading to a nuclear accident than previously thought.

The Crown utility says Point Lepreau is safe and the misleading comments by the Conservation council are an attempt to undermine trust in the generating station.

In a release, NB Power refers to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission who state the structures and systems have been designed to safely survive earthquakes.

It goes on to say that Point Lepreau is located in an area of much lower seismic hazard risk than Fukushima.

Point Lepreau Reactor: Safe Or Dangerous?

How well would the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant handle an earthquake?
The Conservation Council's Action Group is pointing to the preliminary results of a new study released by NB Power.
Chris Rouse of the Action Group tells Tide News it shows a severe nuclear accident at Lepreau is 40 times more likely than originally thought. He says the next significant earthquake to hit New Brunswick is expected in Passamaquoddy Bay. "From research done from Natural Resources Canada that shows if a 6.0 earthquake happened within 10 kms of Point Lepreau, it would cause a lot of damage."

Rouse charges the nuclear power plant at Lepreau no longer meets internationally accepted safety goals. He goes so far as to say Point Lepreau is now one of the most dangerous reactors in North America.

More Charges For Snook?

Even more alleged victims are coming forward against former Common Councillor Donnie Snook.
Police Chief Bill Reid says their main concern is working with them and putting the charges together. He says, "We're still working interviewing people, talking to parents, children, etc. So that will be an investigation we will be working on for quite a while."
Reid couldn't specify how many more people have come forward, but doesn't believe it will push back Snook's bail hearing on March 11.

40-year-old Snook is facing 8 charges in total, relating to child pornography, child exploitation, and sexual interference with a child under 16.

Future Of Covered Bridge To Be Discussed Tonight

The future of the Maxwell Crossing covered bridge, which was damaged severely on January 21st after a car went out of control, will be discussed at a public meeting. The covered bridge, built in 1910, is located just outside of St. Stephen.
Vern Faulkner of the Local Service District tells Tide News people are worried the covered bridge will be replaced by a boring, concrete run of the mill bridge.
He says, "The bridge does not appear to be significantly damaged. I mean, it looks nasty in the sense that there's a lot of material that was knocked out. To the untrained eye, it looks like there's enough of an opportunity to basically rebuild it, it just a matter of where the money comes from and who is going to do the work." Faulkner adds, it's not a write-off. "A lot of siding was destroyed, but a number of pillars, even though they've been destroyed, doesn't seem like it's affected the structural integrity. The horizontal surface of the bridge is still intact and the roof line is still intact."

Faulkner tells us, people who live in the area fear the Department of Transportation doesn't see the bridge as they do. "A heritage facility that is used and enjoyed by hundreds of people and in many cases, could and can be part of a tourism venture because a lot of people come to New Brunswick to see the covered bridges."

You can have your say at the meeting to be held tonight at the St. Stephen Middle School auditorium beginning at 7:00.
(Photo by Murray Weeks)