Bacchus Club President In Court

The President of the Saint John chapter of the Bacchus Motorcycle Club making a brief court appearance. 

Sentencing for 44 year old Brian Schofield of Public Landing on charges of possession of meth and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking has been adjourned to November 5th. 

Two former Bacchus members were also in court. 39 year old Ryan Wallace will also be sentenced on November 5th. 39 year old Blaine Beddow will reappear September 26th after he gets himself a lawyer. 

The three were among six people arrested last month after a 6 month police investigation. 

Simultaneous raids were carried out at Nature's Way in Saint John, Shamper's Bluff Road in Kingston and Route 102 Public Landing where meth, pot, prescription pills, guns, bullets, brass knuckles and 4 thousand dollars cash were seized.

MLA Wants Minister Of Transportation To Come Clean To Islanders

The Liberal MLA for Charlotte-The Isles calls it another broken promise by the Alward government.
 
Rick Doucet tells Tide News the people of Deer Island were promised a 24-car ferry and he has heard many rumours they will continue with an 18-car vessel.

He says the intent was to provide a 24-car ferry like the Deer Island Princess so they would have two new ferries which he says would make a big difference for the Islanders.

Doucet maintains the people and the ferry were consulted and they wanted a 24-car ferry, adding there isn't a lot of difference in price going from the 24 to 18 car ferry.

Doucet is calling on the Minister of Transportation to lay everything on the table for the public and be clear with the government's plans for Deer Island.

Will We Get More Information From Oland Warrants?

This morning, another hearing took place in Saint John provincial court on whether to make public more information in the Richard Oland search warrants.

Media Lawyer David Coles tells Tide News it seems to him that the blacked-out portions of the search warrants are somewhat arbitrary. Further, he says, considering that police suspect only Denis Oland in the case, the nature of their investigation in relatively self-evident.

Various media outlets have continued to petition for the release of more information.

Further arguments will be made tomorrow, and a decision from Judge R. Leslie Jackson is expected in the first week of October.

Refuge Open At Night For Hunters' Permits

Local hunters looking to get their permit over the river can do so tonight.

The Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Baring, Maine opening their doors tonight and tomorrow from 6-8pm Eastern for those who want a refuge hunting permit.

Officials tell Tide News they are looking to reach out to those who can't make it during daytime hours.

Hunting is allowed on almost 300 of the 545 National Wildlife Refuges across the United States.

The refuge office is located at 103 Headquarters Road in Baring, you can also call the refuge office at 1-207-454-7161.

Cancer Retreat For Healthier Women In St. Stephen This Weekend

Minutes count, and Moments matter.

That is the theme behind a breast cancer retreat going on this Saturday at the Ganong Nature Park, located at Todd's Point, outside St. Stephen.

Co-chair of Breast Friends Charlotte County Support Group Shirley Johnston tells Tide News the event will have no talk of cancer, but instead will focus on learning how to live well in mind, body and spirit. She says  the purpose of the retreat is to get women in a healthier place.

Johnston says there is no way to stop bad thoughts if you are living with cancer, but you can learn not to dwell on them.

Johnston says there will be local speakers and presentations on nutrition and yoga.

She adds, the day is open to any women currently with -- or who have endured -- any type of cancer, not just breast cancer.

The retreat will be held Saturday, September 7th, from 9am-4pm. Registration starts at 8:30am. Cost is just $10 per person.
For details, contact Shirley Johnston at 466-2818.

Quispamsis Examining Viability of Electric Cars

You could soon be plugging in instead of gassing up in Quispamsis.

The town is looking into the possibility of taking part in NB Power's electric car program. Mayor Murray Driscoll tells Tide News they've been using hybrid vehicles for the last three years, so going electric would just be the next logical step.

As one of the first municipalities in the province to engage with NB Power on their electric car program, Driscoll says they're taking the lead. NB Power is also in talks with other towns and cities including Rothesay, Fredericton and Bathurst.

The town will be doing an analysis to see what it would take to participate. 

St. Stephen taking a gas-less approach with the installation of a car charger for electric cars, placed on the fence near the Visitor's Information Centre.

Police Release Names Of Couple Found Dead

The names of a husband and wife found dead outside a home in Kedgwick being released.

Police were called to a home on route 260 where they discovered the bodies of 64-year old Raoul Leclair and 65-year old Nicole Leclair. They're both from Kedgwick.

Autopsies have been conducted and at this point in the investigation, police say the deaths are considered sudden and they don't think anyone else was involved.

Mill Rats Sign Curtis Again

Pending clearance from the International Basketball Federation, the NBL #1 overall draft pick says he'll come back to Saint John.

The Mill Rats say 6 foot 10 centre Robert Curtis has agreed to return to the Port City.

He was selected first overall by Windsor and his rights were traded to the Mill Rats for the rights to two other players.

Curtis played two games with the Mill Rats last season before going to play with Thailand.

It's Back To School Tomorrow

All grades 1 to 5 students will begin classes on September 3rd in the Anglophone South School District.
 
For all middle and high school students, there will be a “transition day” with only grades 6 and 9 attending on September 3rd. 

Some exceptions to this are schools with Kindergarten to grade 8, grades 6 to 12 and with kindergarten to grade 12 which will have no transition days. The transition day is intended for students who will be starting middle or high school in a different building.
 
For high schools in Saint John, only the grade 9 students will attend on September 3rd, grades 10-12 students attend on September 4th and all grades 9-12 students attend on September 5th.

Former Little Sister Praises Youth Mentoring

Mentoring programs like P.A.L.S. here in the city can help young people who are struggling with issues. Just ask Gillianne Beaulieu, who was involved in Big Brothers, Big Sisters when she was younger.

Beaulieu tells Tide News by having a mentor, she felt like there was always someone watching out for her, and she was able to talk to her mentor about problems she didn't feel comfortable bringing to her family. 

She says the program gave her a friend who wasn't judging her or putting any social or academic pressure on her. Beaulieu just received the CIBC Youthvision scholarship, and credits her Big Sister for helping her achieve good grades in high school.

She says she highly recommends the program.

CUPE Calls On Feds To Resolve Retirement Security Issue

The National President of CUPE taking this Labour Day to send a message to the Harper Government that they want to see the retirement security issue resolved.

Paul Moist calls the issue one of the most pressing policy issues of our time. He says a gradual and modest expansion of the Canada Pension Plan is the best way to ensure retirement security for all Canadians.

Moist says without adequate retirement incomes, we'll pay with a reduced living standards and an increase in seniors' poverty.

Rain Causes Electrical Issues, Displaces Seven

Two families displaced after stormy weather caused electrical problems in their apartment complex.

The rainwater leaked into two apartments at 460 Ellerdale Street, on the East side of Saint John, causing the issue. 

An electrician being called in to make repairs, and the Red Cross is giving the seven people a place to stay in the meantime.

Provincial Labour Federation Marking 100th Anniversary

This Labour Day is special for the New Brunswick Federation of Labour because it's celebrating 100 years of existence having been formed in Saint John on September 16th, 1913. 

Provincial Labour Federation President Patrick Colford tells Tide News there have been many battles fought and won since then to improve working conditions for everyone including Medicare, the 8 hour work day, vacation pay and parental leave. 

Colford says there are still too many seniors in poverty and growing income inequality with the backlash in recent years against organised labour.
 
He points out unionised workers earn, on average, over 7 dollars more an hour than those employees who are non-unionised. He estimates, for the provincial economy, that translates into 26.8 million dollars more each week.

Construction Of One Mile Interchange Is In Stretch Run

It's been a long time coming but the One Mile Interchange will be complete sometime this fall with the result that fewer heavy trucks will be plying the streets of Saint John. 

The Commissioner of Transportation for the city Bill Edwards says they'll be coming off the highway and through Kane's Corner onto Bayside Drive where turns and through traffic should be easier after all the construction is done. That construction work at Kane's Corner will be ongoing until November. 

West Side Common Councillor Bill Farren wants to see signs up to let the truck drivers know where they shouldn't go. 

He says, for instance, transport trucks going eastbound along the highway should not have to make their way up Water Street once the One Mile Interchange is open but only should be in the uptown area to make local deliveries in that part of the city.

City Solicitor Warns New Skateboarding Law Could Mean City Can Be Sued

The new skateboarding law requiring use of helmets puts the onus on the city to enforce its own regulation. 

So says City Solicitor John Nugent who concludes the city of Saint John, if it doesn't enforce the regulation, could be sued by a skateboarder who gets injured when not wearing a helmet if the bylaw wasn't being enforced.
 
Nugent says the legal argument could be made with some force that the city is liable but whether a court would see it that way remains to be seen. 

West side councillor Greg Norton argues Police Chief Bill Reid is on board and the question of enforcement should not be an excuse for inaction.

Roofing Equipment Thrown From Building

Police reviewing surveillance footage after somebody threw a piece of roofing equipment off the roof of the old Post Office building on Prince William Street in Saint John.

They tell us it happened overnight, and they believe the person responsible climbed the scaffolding to get to the top. The piece of equipment, used for cutting shingles, fell six or seven stories.

Nobody was hurt.

Man Drives Car Off Fort Howe

Police say a driver was lucky to escape with only minor injuries after his car fell 160 feet off of Fort Howe in Saint John.

Acting Sgt. Simmons tells us the driver of the tow truck measured the distance while hauling up the vehicle after it landed the side of the hill, near Main Street. 

Simmons says they believe alcohol was a factor in the incident, and that the driver, who was the only person in the vehicle, didn't drive off the hill on purpose. He was brought to hospital after the fall.

Gas Leak On West Side Prompts Response

Crews responding to a gas leak in a restaurant on the West side of Saint John.

Firefighters, along with Enbridge and Maritimes & Northeast heading to 638 Manawagonish Road to find a small leak coming from a pilot light at AJ's Restaurant & Lounge. 

Acting Platoon Chief Brian Wilson says the problem was looked after by Enbridge, the appliances were shut off and the building was ventilated.

One Person Trapped After Car Crash

One person taken to hospital after a two-car crash at the intersection of Rothesay Road and Rothesay Avenue. 

Platoon Chief Barry Oickle of the Saint John Fire Department says the person was trapped in the car and had to be extricated using the Jaws of Life.

Oickle says the person's injuries are not life-threatening.

Project Bringing Greenery To Saint John SPCA

Expect to see a lot more greenery at this local animal shelter.

It's all because of a partnership that's been formed between the Saint John SPCA Animal Rescue and Cedarcrest Gardens, who have trees, shrubs and other plants at their Sandy Point Road location for people to buy and donate to the shelter.

The SPCA's Melody McElman tells Tide News they're located in an industrial area, so the plants will help cut down on the noise. She says the extra greenery will be stimulating for the animals, especially the cats.

When Tide News spoke with McElman, half of the available plants had already been sold.

Crown, Defense In Snook Case Explain Sentencing Submissions

The Crown prosecutor and defense lawyers in Donnie Snook's sentencing hearing speaking out on the rationale behind their respective sentencing submissions. 

Prosecutor Karen Lee Lamrock tells CHSJ News the sentence needs to act as a deterrent. She's recommending 21 years, and that Snook not be eligible for parole until at least half of his sentence is served.

Defence Dennis Boyle tells us it was difficult but he recommended 12 years because Snook cooperated, is a good candidate for rehabilitation and was victimized himself as a boy.

Snook will be sentenced by Judge Alfred Brien on October 10th.

NB Says Federal Gov't Can't Abolish Senate Alone

As Ottawa advances senate reform, the Attorney General of New Brunswick sending a document to the Supreme Court of Canada arguing the federal government can't abolish the senate without getting the green light from all of the provinces. 

The 53-page factum says not getting unanimous approval would undermine Canada's constitutional foundation, and it's inconceivable that a fundamental component of Parliament could be eliminated without having every province on board. 

So far, Alberta is the only province to take the Harper Government's side, that the requirement would be the consent of seven provinces representing at least 50% of the population.

Car Crashes Into Front-End Loader

A driver is suffering from some minor injuries after crashing into a front-end loader on the East side of Saint John.

The equipment was parked on Westmorland Road, near Loch Lomond Road where construction is taking place.   

Police tell us the driver was not brought to hospital, and that alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

Police Dismantle Outdoor Marijuana Grow-Op

An outdoor marijuana grow-op getting shut down by police. 

Officers from the Nackawic and Woodstock RCMP and the Woodstock Police force seizing marijuana plants from two locations in woods between Nackawic and Hartland. The plants could have produced up to 42,500 joints.

If you think you've stumbled upon a marijuana grow-op, police urge you not to go near it but to instead contact them with the location details. That information can then be reported to your local police or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at www.crimenb.ca or 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). For tips on how to spot an outdoor grow-op, click here.

Sentencing Hearing Is Told The Liklihood Of Snook Reoffending

The prosecution at the sentencing hearing of former Common Councillor Donnie Snook is recommending he get 21 years in prison and serve at least half. 

He is described as being on the high end of a moderate risk to reoffend although he is willing to participate in rehabilitation treatment. 

The court was told he did not empathise with his victims and did not have an emotional relationship with them....It was just about the sex. 

One of the victims was Snook's own foster child whom he used to get access to other children and he had unprotected sex with many of the young people. 

The court also heard that because he was offering money, some of the young people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds approached him to trade sex for cash.

Prosecution tells Court How Much Time Snook Should Serve In Prison

The sentencing hearing of former Saint John Common Councillor Donnie Snook has been told he was sexually abused as a child himself and has poor coping skills to deal with his lonliness and personal losses. 

Dr. Mary Ann Campbell told the court Snook felt better while sexually abusing the young people but regretted it afterwards. 11 children were hands on victims of sexual abuse while 4 others were victimised online. 

Prosecutor Karen Lee Lamrock says she calculated what Snook should serve by offense, it worked out to 75 years in prison but she's recommending 21 years. Snook showed no emotion after hearing what her recommendation is.

Quebec Premier Open To Pipeline Project

Quebec Premier Pauline Marois appears to be supportive of the West to East pipeline project that would move Alberta crude east to Saint John. 

In the past, Marois has shown an openness to the idea of permitting oilsands bitumen to travel across her province, saying it could benefit Quebec because it would supply oil refineries in Montreal.
    
She says the Alberta oilsands bitumen would be cheaper than oil purchased from abroad.
    
The Parti Quebecois government will begin a formal examination of the proposal next month.

NB Power Earnings Released

Another good financial year for NB Power.........For the third consecutive year, NB Power is reporting positive financial results with net earnings of $69 million in 2012-13. 

By comparison, in 2011-12, net earnings amounted to 173 million dollars and in 2010-11, the crown corporation finished the year with net earnings of 67 million dollars. 

NB Power's debt at the end of the year rose by about $180 million to $4.7 billion.

More Bizarre and Disturbing Revelations At Snook Sentencing Hearing

Bizarre and disturbing facts continue to come to light regarding former Saint John Common Councillor Donnie Snook's crimes against children.

The facts in the 46 counts against Snook include blackmail, coercion, and attempts to secretly spy on and film kids as young 5 and 6 in the nude.

Snook admitted posing online as a girl, getting nude pictures from boys, then blackmailing them to send more--to the degree that one victim even threatened commit suicide. Snook not only did not stop, but later contacted the victim's 7 year old brother to further harass him. The court also heard Snook--a non-drinker--stocked his home with alcohol and allowed the children to drink and use drugs.

Numerous complaints were made against Snook by children and parents but no charges were laid.

The court will be hearing recommendations for sentencing on Friday. Victim impact statements will also will read, one of them by the victim himself and the results of a psychological profile will be heard.

More Radian 6 Layoffs

A new round of layoffs at Radian 6 are not good news in a province where jobs are hard to come by.

Salesforce, the company's parent company, announcing it's cutting 200 jobs to its global workforce, more than 60 in New Brunswick.

Premier David Alward was asked about it while in the City and says the information was not confirmed for him.

NDP leader Dominic Cardy says the layoffs were yet another indication that the economic development ideas of the Alward government and the Liberal opposition need to be scrapped.

Meanwhile, the premier says significant accountability mechanisms are in place between the province and any company that has received payroll rebates and he has full confidence that the companies will live up to their responsibilities under the agreement. 

Just over a year ago, Radian 6 received a $3.8-million payroll rebate offer to help create 300 full-time jobs in Fredericton and Saint John over five years.

Snook Hearing Continues With More Grim Detail

As the sentencing hearing continues, we are hearing Donnie Snook devised elaborate games & tricks to have kids undress and film them without their knowledge.

One of the victim's behaviour became so out-of-control he was placed in foster care.

One child's mother alerted police to odd behaviour on Snook's part including taking kids out until wee hours and bringing them home drunk.
 
The court heard Snook bribed his victims with money, trips and alcohol and allowed them to take drugs in his presence. 

Word spread among the kids that if you let Snook do certain things to you, you might get paid.

Taxpayers Federation Releasing Info On Sick Time By Government Workers

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, using the Right to Information Act, to make the claim that provincial government employees take 50 per cent more sick days than the rest of us......10.7 sick days a year compared to 7.1 in the private sector last year. 

The Federation's Atlantic Director is Kevin Lacey who tells Tide News the sick days taken by just the core workers employed by the province costs about 14 million dollars. 

The Federation also revealing unionised employees ran up 60 per cent more sick time per employee than the non-unionised workers. 

As for federal government employees, Lacey says they're taking even more time off sick than their provincial counterparts.

Graphic Evidence As Snook Sentencing Hearing Contiues

It has been a disturbing day in court as Crown Prosecutor Karen Lee Lamrock presented the facts of 46 child sex abuse charges again former Saint John common councillor Donnie Snook. 

More than 14, 400 unique child sexual abuse images were found in Snook's possession along with more than 600 child porn vidoes--and only some victims have been identified. 

Former Friend Darrell Bastarache tells Tide News he expected to see more visible emotion from Snook as the court heard the evidence, stating that those in the gallery seem to be in more pain than Snook.

The court heard Snook bribed his victims with money, alcohol and trips--and claimed while he would stop sexual activity if his victims complained, some of them seemed to "enjoy" the abuse. Further, Snook admitted to having "groomed" at least one child over a period of 7 years from ages 9-14 to eventually take part in the abuse of other children. Many of the incidents are believed to have occurred when Snook's roommate was also at home, and the former church leader can be heard in the videos "shushing" the victims.

The sexual abuse images were found on a range of electronic media including a laptop, thumb drive and SD card. Some of the abuse videos were filmed with an iPad provided to Snook by the City of Saint John.

Details Being Revealed Of Former Common Councillor's Sex Crimes

We are now learning more about the evidence gathered against former Common Councillor Donnie Snook at his sentencing hearing on 46 charges of child abuse and exploitation. 

The prosecution claims there are thousands of victims. 

More than 14 thousand 400 unique child sexual abuse images were found in Snook's possession along with more than 600 videos of child pornography. 

Videotaped webcam sessions and movies were also recovered. 

There was some sadistic and fetish content but few and far between. Most of the images were of children posing alone.

Snook showed no emotion as all this was being shown.

Illegal Smokes Are More Widespread Than You Think

The Atlantic Convenience Stores Association claims the sale of Illegal tobacco remains a big problem in the province. That conclusion is based on a new study the Association commissioned.

Association President Mike Hammoud says a Montreal-based research firm collected more than 3,000 cigarette butts in June from 23 locations across the province including Sussex, Fredericton and Saint John.
    
The firm found, on average, 15.7 per cent of the butts were from contraband cigarettes. 

In Grand Falls, more than 40 per cent of the butts were contraband and the rate was almost 20 per cent at 10 school sites.

Nearly 2500 Colposcopy Patients Will Get A Letter

Nearly 2,500 patients will be notified following Horizon Health's discovery that unsterilized biopsy forceps were used at a hospital clinic for 14 years.

    The problem at a colposcopy clinic at the Miramichi Regional Hospital began in 1999 and was discovered this May.

  CEO John McGarry says the biopsy forceps were only cleaned and disinfected before being reused but sterilized at the end of the day.
 
   McGarry advises there is an extremely low risk of infection, but 2,497 patients who had these biopsies are being sent letters to advise them to have blood tests for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

Province and Teacher's Federation Reach A New Deal

The province and the Teacher's federation have a new deal.

The new collective agreement applies to more than 9,000 teachers, supply teachers, vice-principals and principals.

The four-year deal provides for two years of zero-per-cent increases, followed by one-per-cent increases every six months.

88 Year Old St. Stephen Woman Awarded With Maritimer Of The Week

A local lady becoming CTV's latest Maritimer of the week.

A reception being held today in St. Stephen Council Chambers to honor Shirley McMahon for over 65 years of volunteering.

Tide News asked McMahon what drove her to volunteer with so many different organizations.

McMahon has been involved with Cure for Cancer, the NB Heart & Stroke Foundation, NB Kidney Foundation, local blood donor clinics, and was known as "Camp Granny" at the Waweig Youth Camp.

Country Artist Julian Austin Performing In Fundy Tonight

Charlotte County getting a special taste of country music tonight.

Julian Austin will be taking the stage at Fundy High School tonight with opening acts Gerald Rushton, Tyler Deveau, and the Devin Cooke Band.

Money raised will be put towards the Old Pentecostal Church in Blacks Harbour to be made into an archive building.

Tickets are $15, the show starts at 7.

For information on tickets, call 456-2333.

Man Tasered After Stand-Off In Baillie

A man was taken to hospital after a stand-off with police outside St. Stephen.

RCMP say they responded to a complaint of a man who threatened to harm himself with a gun at a home in Baillie on Route 3 last night.

Police say the 66-year-old man refused to drop his weapon and police tried negotiating with him for 30 minutes.

RCMP were able to disarm the man after using a taser on him.

The man was arrested, and then taken to hospital as a precaution.

Sex Offender Moved From Saint John To Halifax

Sixty-two-year-old convicted sex offender Roger Ernest Joseph Roberge has been relocated from Saint John to Halifax.

Roberge had been assessed as a high risk to re-offend in terms of both sexual and non-sexual violence. His criminal record dates back to 1969 and his major distinguishing feature is his numerous facial tattoos.

No word on the reason for the relocation. Roberge had been living in a halfway house monitored by the Saint John Police Force's Family Protection Unit.

First Wal-Mart Supercenter In NB To Open In SJ

The first-ever Walmart Supercentre in New Brunswick is going to have its grand opening ceremony tomorrow at the 450 Westmorland Road location in Saint John.

The 129,000 square foot store has been remodeled to include a new fresh grocery section. There are also more dry, fresh and frozen offerings. The store is one of 37 Supercentre projects planned across Canada.

The expansion will create 20 new jobs --and so far, nearly 450 people have applied.  The store will be having Grand Opening Block Party on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with face-painting, live music, refreshments and samples.

Energy East Questions Answered At Open House

A college gymnasium filled with the chatter of questions about the Energy East pipeline being asked and answered.

The kiosk-style event at NBCC is one of many happening around the province. Spokesperson for TransCanada Phillipe Cannon tells TIde News they chose that style for the open house instead of a town hall-style so that the those attending could just go up to a booth and get their question answered directly instead of having to speak in front of a large group.

Cannon says the general tone in New Brunswick seems to be one of curiosity. He says the further east you go in Canada, the less familiar people are with the pipeline industry so people living here have lots of questions. He says they've been getting many questions about safety, how pipelines are built and how they work.

 These open houses are happening all over the province. If you didn't make it to this event, another meeting is being held on September 10 at the St. Alphonsus Parish Hall in Hampton, then the next day at the Legion in Chipman.

Woman Dies In Hampton Collision

A 21 year old woman from Salt Springs is dead following a crash in Hampton.

It happened just after 4 yesterday on Main Street.  

The victim's car collided with another vehicle driven by a 17 year old girl from Norton.

The teenager was injured and remains in hospital.

The Mounties tell Tide News they have determined that the victim was not wearing a seatbelt and that her vehicle was hit by an oncoming vehicle that crossed the center line.

Main Street was blocked to traffic for more than 3 hours at the scene.

NB Power LED Project Ahead Of Schedule

NB Power's project involving the installation of thousands of LED lights in streetlights in many provincial municipalities is about a month ahead of schedule.

Crews began replacing high pressure sodium bulbs with the brighter more efficient LED's this spring.

17,000 LEDs are being installed around the province in places like Riverview, Miramichi and Fredericton, St Stephen and St. George.    Moncton and Grand Manan will have them by the end of September.

Sherry Thomson of NB Power says the lights use less energy every year and a part of the utility's strategy to reduce and shift energy demand in the province.

Thomson adds when all the street lights have been replaced with the new LEDs, the province can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 324,000 tonnes over 20 years.

Sea Dog Foundation Hosts Alumni Weekend

If you have been a fan of the Sea Dogs from the very beginning, you may enjoy an event in Saint John tomorrow.

The inaugural Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni game is taking place at Harbour Station at 130 between Sea Dogs alumni and the UNB varsity Reds alumni.
 
The new event created as a way to remember the late father of Sea Dogs CEO Scott McCain.
Wendy Corscadden of the Sea Dogs foundation tells Tide News longtime fans will be pleased with the turnout by former players.

She says many of the players who are in now in the NHL are coming back including Robert Mayer, Yann Sauve and Jonathan Huberdeau.

Following the Alumni game is a Family fun fair outside from 3 until 6 and then the Sea Dogs take to the ice in pre-season action against the Titan at 7.

People's Alliance Holding Public Meeting Tonight On Bilingualism Discrimination

The People's Alliance Party of New Brunswick is partnering with a St. Stephen woman in sounding the alarm on the Official Languages Act.

Joyce Wright says she is concerned how the Act is affecting Charlotte County in striving to provide a 50% bilingual workforce in every provincial place of employment.

Wright says this doesn't make sense for Charlotte County where almost 92% of the population is English only.
Wright says everyone deserves the right to be served in the language of their choice -- but there are other ways of accomplishing it -- like using technology, instead of denying jobs to English-only people.

The People's Alliance Party will be hosting a public meeting tonight at Wright's home in Heathland.
The address is 14 Family Lane in Heathland, just past the Hall Road and the Ambulance NB Bay.

The meeting gets underway at 7pm.

Local Mother Responds To Ontario Autism Letter

International media attention for an Ontario mom who recieved an anonymous letter from a neighbour, telling her it would be better to euthanize her child with autism because he bothers others in the neighborhood. 

Amanda Hensey has four kids ages one to 10. Her 10 year old and her 3 year old have autism. 

She tells Tide News judgment from strangers pours salt in the wound. Hensey urges people to try and give parents the benefit of the doubt when their kids are having a meltdown, or even help by holding a door or offering to help bring grocery bags out to the car. 

She says in a way she's glad the letter has gotten so much attention because it draws attention to prejudices that still exist against families of kids with autism and other disorders.

Ask Pipeline Questions Today At NBCC In Saint John

Trans Canada is hosting a public information session on the Energy East pipeline today at the NBCC campus on Grandview Avenue in Saint John.

The kiosk-style event will give citizens a chance to ask questions and voice their concerns about the pipeline from 4-8pm in the gym.

The next meetings are September 10 at the St. Alphonsus Parish Hall in Hampton then the next day at the Legion in Chipman.

Newcomer Kissel Is Also A Vet

He got a Canadian Country Music Association nomination when he was just 13 years old and now he's back with a grown up album.
Brett Kissel is a singer songwriter from Flat Lake, Alberta who was nominated for a Rising star award back when the awards were held in Saint John in 2006.

Kissel tells Tide News he loves working in country music because you can write an upbeat party song or something stripped down that's about love or loss.

You can hear Kissel's debut single "Started With A Song" on 98.1 The Tide.
His debut album comes out after the CCMA's in September.