Wednesday, March 31, 2010

End Of An Era for The Old Saint Andrews Aquarium

Past the point of no return! The aquarium, built in 1972, is no more. Demolition of the old building took place Wednesday, March 10, to make way for the new discovery centre.

The creatures from the old aquarium have all been relocated to other parts of the Huntsman campus, and will be on display again in May when a temporary aquarium opens .

Photo's compliments of Jim Cornall.



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Nominations for Canada Post Community Literacy Awards now open.

Canada Post announced that nominations for the 18th annual Canada Post Community Literacy Awards are now open. These awards recognize the achievements of Canadians who made important contributions to literacy in this country.
“An estimated 9 million Canadians between the ages of 16 and 65 are still struggling with literacy,” says Anthony Wilson-Smith, vice-president, Communications. “

Nominations can be submitted in two categories:

Individual Achievements for those who have overcome literacy challenges ($300 prize)

Education Award for educators who have demonstrated a commitment to adult literacy in their community ($500 prize).

Canada Post must receive all nominations by May 21, 2010.

The company will announce finalists in late July and will notify winners in August. Those interested can download nomination forms at canadapost.ca/literacyawards or they can send a request by mail to Canada Post at the following address: 2010 CANADA POST LITERACY AWARDS, 2701 RIVERSIDE DRIVE, SUITE N1081 OTTAWA ON K1A 0B1.

Police seeking Public Assistanceon a Hit and Run St. George

 St. George RCMP are seeking the assistance of the public with regards to a hit and run motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian which occurred on March 18, 2010 between 11:00 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. in Beaver Harbour, NB.

A 26 year old male was walking along Highway 778 near civic address 800 in Beaver Harbour when a vehicle traveling north from Blacks Harbour struck him causing minor injuries.

The vehicle failed to stop and the victim was unable to provide a description of the vehicle.

If you have any information with regards to this accident, please contact the St. George RCMP at (506)755-1130 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Police seeking Public Assistance, St. George

St. George RCMP are seeking the assistance of the public with regards to a very disturbing incident involving cruelty to an animal that occurred between March 20, 2010 and March 23, 2010 near the Old St. Andrews Road, St. George.

On March 23, 2010, RCMP were made aware that a dog had been tied to a tree out in a blueberry field and left for wild animals.

The dog is described as black in color, white chest and feet, approximately 60 lbs and it appears to be of Collie/Lab breed. When this information was made known to the Police an immediate patrol to the area was made but unfortunately the Dog was deceased.

If you have any information as to the ownership of this dog or any information on this incident please contact the St. George RCMP at (506)755-1130 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

TeleCare access improved with launch of 811 service

The provincial government is launching 811 TeleCare service to make it easier for New Brunswick residents to get non-urgent health information. Effective today, residents can get toll-free access to the information by dialing 811.
TeleCare provides a range of health-related information, including advice and assistance on how best to get health-care services for specific needs. Services are provided through trained registered nurses and customer contact agents, depending on the type of information and assistance being sought.

This 24-hour, bilingual service improves access to primary health-care services, often outside regular office hours, by directing individuals to the right care at the right place

During the next several months the Department of Health will promote the use of the new 811 line through a variety of mediums, including the Internet, print, and electronic advertising. The existing 1-800 TeleCare line will remain active during this transition period.

New Brunswick joins Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Quebec and the Yukon as provinces which have made the switch to 811 for non-urgent health information.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

RCMP identify body discovered on weekend, Moncton

RCMP have identified the body discovered in a marsh off Main Street in Moncton on Sunday afternoon.
The body has been identified as a woman in her fifties from Moncton. Police believe the body had been in that location for a few months. The autopsy revealed no physical injuries on the woman and foul play is not suspected. Further testing will take place to determine the cause of death but that may take several months.

The woman had not been reported missing. Tri-County Ground Search and Rescue assisted the RCMP yesterday in searching the area where she had been found. The searchers did not discover any other evidence.

The name of the woman is not being released at this time as her family has not yet been notified.

Atlantic Superstore continues to support the Volunteer Center to help fight hunger in the St. Stephen community

The Atlantic Superstore kicks offs its Extra Helping Spring National Food Drive in St. Stephen which runs until April 9. Spring is an important time of year for food banks as they often experience decreasing food.To help address this challenge Atlantic Superstore is calling on the St. Stephen community to add a little extra to their shopping carts and donating non-perishable food items or funds at check-out.

One hundred per cent of food donations and 70 per cent of cash donations will go directly to the Volunteer Center while 30 per cent of donated cash will support provincial programs benefiting food banks in that region. Our local food drive is part of a larger national food drive that includes all the banner stores of our parent company, Loblaw Companies Limited.

Fire Set To Charlotte Mall

A fire was set to The Charlotte Mall...at time it's not known who set the Fire. More details to come...

House Destroyed in Fire

The Harvey Volunteer Fire Department responded Yesterday Morning to a structure fire at a single family residence approximately 15km west of Harvey Station on Route 4 between Harvey and McAdam. The structure was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived and the home and its contents were completely destroyed. No one was home at the time of the fire.
Firefighters were on the scene for approximately 7.5 hours and were assisted by firefighters from the McAdam and Upper Kingsclear fire departments. There were 32 firefighters and 10 departmental vehicles attending to the scene.

The fire is under investigation at this time by the Provincial Fire Marshall and the cause has not been determined at this time. A pet cat died in the blaze.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Unidentified body found in Moncton

The Codiac Regional RCMP are investigating a suspicious death after a body was discovered in the marsh behind the Superstore Shopping Mall on Main Street in Moncton on Sunday afternoon.

A frozen body was discovered in the snow by a man who was walking his dog. The Codiac Regional RCMP General Investigation Section is currently investigating. Police are still trying to identify the deceased. At this point, it is unknown when the person died or how long the body was at that location. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday afternoon to determine the cause of death.

Mortgage-Rates on the Rise

Two of Canada's biggest banks are raising some of their mortgage rates, effective Tuesday.
The changes affect closed mortgages with terms of three, four or five years at RBC Royal Bank and TD Canada Trust

Rates for mid-term mortgages like these tend to reflect the banks' borrowing costs on bond markets.

The Bank of Canada is also expected to begin raising its key lending rates this summer, which tend to have more influence on short-term lending rates.

The biggest increase announced affects five-year mortgages. Both banks are hiking their posted rate by six-tenths of a per cent to 5.85 per cent.

(The Canadian Press)

Fatal Car Crash

A 71-year-old Nova Scotia man killed in a weekend highway crash in New Brunswick has been identified by the RCMP. David Mackeen was from the Tatamagouche area.
Police say the man's car hit the side of a ditch after leaving the Trans-Canada Highway near Memramcook around noon on Saturday. The car rolled, landing in a culvert.

Mackeen, the lone occupant of the vehicle, was declared dead at the scene.

Fraud Prevention Month

Throughout March, RCMP in the Province have actively participated in Fraud Prevention Month by releasing a variety of practical tips and information about common scams in order to help the public take steps to prevent being victimized by fraud artists. As Fraud Prevention Month draws to a close, Cpl. Guy-Paul Larocque encourages New Brunswickers to remain alert to the signs of fraud.
In 2009, the top 5 schemes reported in New Brunswick were:
Offer of Service Fraud:

Scammers will offer low interest rate loans or other “too good to be true” financial services as a means of enticing borrowers to provide them with their credit card or other payment information.

Merchandise Fraud:

Scammers may sell a product – often at a very cheap price – just so they can steal your payment card or personal information. They may also take your money and send you a worthless item, or sometimes, nothing at all.

Sale of Merchandise by Complainant:

In this type of scam, you are sent a cheque for something you have sold, but the cheque is made out for more than the agreed amount. The scammer hopes you will refund the extra money before noticing that his cheque has bounced.

Personal Information:

Identity theft can occur over the Internet or telephone, or via fax or regular mail. Therefore, be particularly wary of unsolicited e-mails, telephone calls or mail attempting to extract personal or financial information from you.

Job Scams:

Scammers will post misleading ads, frequently for “Work at Home” job opportunities and then request applicants to pay advance fees in order to begin working. These types of scams may also target personal information such social insurance numbers or other data or trick people into wiring funds or receiving payments that involve the victim in criminal transactions.

To keep abreast of common scams and fraud year-round, please visit the RCMP’s website: Scams and Fraud www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/index-eng.ht

Friday, March 26, 2010

169 more doctors practising in New Brunswick since October 2006

There are 169 more physicians practising in the Province now than in October 2006.

The net annual increases in physicians during the last three fiscal years have been the largest annual increases since 1994. This year's net increase is projected to match or exceed them.

Since October 2006, there has been a net increase of 81 family practitioners and 88 specialists. More than 1,500 physicians are practising in the province - 736 family practitioners and 801 specialists.

The provincial government is collaborating with Dalhousie University to establish the new distributed medical education program in Saint John. The university has confirmed that placements have been offered to 30 New Brunswick students to participate in the new program, which opens in September.

According to Statistics Canada, 91 per cent of New Brunswickers reported having regular access to a family doctor. This is the third-highest percentage of any province or territory, and above the national average of 85 per cent.

Student Employment Experience Development funding Cut

Opposition MLA Carl Urquhart says now is indeed a poor time to cut funding for the provincial Student Employment Experience Development (SEED) program.
The SEED program, as it is commonly known, has helped to provide summer employment for provincial students returning to post-secondary training programs in the fall.

In recent years, each riding of the province received several hundred hours of SEED funding, which translated into 25 to 30 student positions.

“This year we’ve been informed that we have been allocated 80 work weeks of funding, which means we can only assist about 10 students in finding employment under this program,” said Urquhart. “This is a poor time to cut back on the number of student jobs. The demand is still high and now more than ever, students need to have opportunities to make money to fund their continuing education.”

Urquhart said that in his own riding of York, which includes a number of small communities including McAdam and Harvey, the village offices have confirmed that they can use ten to 12 students for the summer.

Several charges laid in connection with abduction of Moncton woman

Codiac Regional RCMP have laid several charges against 62-year-old Romeo Jacques Cormier in connection with the abduction of a Moncton woman.

The Moncton man appeared in Moncton Provincial Court this afternoon where he faced several charges including kidnapping, unlawful confinement, robbery, assault with a weapon and death threats. He was remanded into custody until his next court appearance.

The arrest was made two hours after the woman was found alive. The Moncton woman had been missing since leaving work on February 26, 2010.

Virtual-Agent Job Fair

Eager Job seeking will be out and about at the beginning of the week as The Virtual Agent Services are hosting a job fair for their offices in Saint Andrews and St. George. Forty Customer Services Representatives are needed between the two area's. The Fair kicks off on Monday at the St. Stephen Legion from 10 in the morning till 2 and then moves to The Saint Andrews Legion from 4 till 8... and ton the following day in St. George at The St. Marks Anglican Church from ten until 2. For more information go to our website and Click News.
Please send your resumes to employment@vagent.com or fax to (506) 855-2015 or visit either of your local centers: 24 Reed Ave. Unit 6, Saint Andrews or 161 Brunswick St. St. George.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

New Gas Prices

 Gas prices remain virtually the same after the weekly setting. The maximum that can be charged for self serve regular is 104.2 a litre. The max for diesel is the same at 106.3. Furnace Oil is at 90.1 and propane is again lower at 105.2 a litre.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Baby Slings-Recall

(Courtesy of Canadian Press)

The warning issued early this month about baby slings is now upgraded to an outright recall.

More than one-million baby slings made by Infantino are being called back after claims linking them to three infant deaths.

The recall covers 15-thousand Infantino ``SlingRider'' and ``Wendy Bellissimo'' slings sold in Canada.

The U-S Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning that babies can suffocate in the soft fabric slings.

Parents are being told to stop using the slings for babies under four months immediately.

Planned Review of Maximum Margins, Delivery Costs and Full Service Charge for Gasoline and Other Petroleum Products

The New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board intends to conduct a review of the maximum margins, maximum delivery costs and maximum full service charge to determine whether or not the current maximum amounts are justified.

The Board intends to hold a public hearing in the fall of 2010 as part of this review. This hearing will be open to all market participants as well as the general public.

The Energy and Utilities board is the body responsible for setting maximum wholesale and retail prices for heating and motor fuels within the province of New Brunswick, as per the Petroleum Products Pricing Act .