Health Advocate Digging on Ambulance NB in St. Andrews

Opposition Health Advocate, Bill Fraser has filed a right-to-information request with Ambulance New Brunswick concerning an incident in St. Andrews.

Last June, a town resident suffering from an allergic reaction waited for an ambulance to be dispatched from Lepreau.

Fraser says,  on the surface, ANB’s response rates look very good, they claim they’re meeting both urban and rural response targets in ninety percent of cases.

But what’s not often revealed is that there are exemptions that allow for missed response times to not be factored in.




This comes as Cupe Local 4848, which represents paramedics raises concerns over ambulance response times and proper coverage.

It claims the number of ambulances in the province is down 40 percent during the night and current health care cuts could lead to lengthier response times.

Red Cross Stepping In For Fire Victims

Two mothers and their children getting help, after their apartment building was destroyed by fire.

Janice Babineau of the Canadian Red Cross says the families were given blankets, clothing, hygiene products, and teddy bears for the kids.

Sgt. Bob MacKnight with the District 1 RCMP says the blaze was caused by a mattress that caught fire in one of the apartments at 17 Pleasant Street in Milltown.

He says there were no fatalities, but two people were treated for smoke inhalation.

SJ Airport Down In Passengers

CEO of the Saint John Airport, Bernie LeBlanc, giving a presentation to the St. Stephen Chamber of Commerce this afternoon.

He touched base on the airport's finances, budget, and goals.

LeBlanc says Saint John is down about 14 thousand passengers in 2011, as compared to 2010.

He hopes to improve those numbers by expanding customer offerings, enhancing facilities, and to get more involved with the community.

LeBlanc says their biggest problem is a lack of population.

(Picture: VP of Chamber of Commerce Terry Jordan with CEO of SJ Airport Bernie LeBlanc)

Murder In Saint John?

A two day preliminary hearing will be held in the spring to determine if 50 year old Stephen Wallace Martin should stand trial for the killing of a man in Saint John before Christmas.

It gets underway on May 2nd with two days set aside for testimony.

The body of 70 year old Robert Ryan was discovered by firefighters after they were called to 374 Mount Pleasant Avenue North.

Police have not said how he died but determined it was a homicide.

School Canceled From Lack of Heat

Lots of little ones staying home from school today over the river.

Kathy Lawrence of the Calais School Department confirmed the Calais Elementary School canceled classes for today, due to no heat in the building.

No word yet if classes will continue tomorrow.

Fire In Milltown Leaves 9 Homeless

Many residents of St. Stephen thinking of past time, spent living in an apartment building that caught fire last night.

EMS and Fire Services from St. Stephen and Calais responding to the blaze around 6pm at 17 Pleasant Street in Milltown.

Sgt. Bob MacKnight of the District 1 RCMP says a mattress in one of the apartments was the cause of the fire.

He says tenants tried to remove the mattress but were overcome by smoke inhalation.

Two people suffered minor injuries from the smoke and were treated.

In total, nine people were left homeless and have been arranged temporary accomodations.

MacKnight says foul play is not suspected.

Attention! Point Lepreau Emergency Test Thursday

A test of the Point Lepreau emergency notification system is coming up on Thursday.
The test is being conducted by the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization in partnership with the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating System.

When residents receive the test message, they should listen to the message and then follow instructions to confirm they have received it. The results will allow the Provincial EMO to assess the efficiency of the system.

An emergency notification system has been in place since Point Lepreau opened and an improved system has been in place since 2009 where residents can get the alerts in their home, work or cell hone through e-mail, text message or fax.

If your contact info has changed or you moved, you are asked to contact the Provincial EMO.

Emergency Measures Organization (1-800-561-4034) or the Musquash Fire Department (506-672-2702 or 506-659-2907).

Volunteers Needed For Rally in St. Croix Valley

You can almost hear the motorcycles revving!

The "Rally in the St. Croix Valley" is making progress as a biker festival in St. Stephen and Calais for this summer.

Canadian Chairman Bob Hamel says they are looking for creative individuals to volunteer, and help with a number of things such as lodging, entertainment, traffic control, vendors, sales during the event, ride escorts, and fundraising.

There will be a public meeting held at the Calais Motor Inn, Jan 31st, starting at 7pm, 6pm US time.

The Rally is scheduled for July 1-8, 2012.

CEO of Canadian Blood Services Says Province Made The Right Move

The CEO of Canadian Blood Services Dr. Graham Sher says remaining with CBS is the best option for the province.

He says by staying with a national system, patients and the medical community in the province can be assured of a safe and secure blood supply.

The province has announced it will be forming a watchdog group with various medical and advisory groups to ensure that safety will not be compromised.

CFIB Wants Government to Cut Through Red Tape

Grab the scissors and start cutting through red tape--that's the message from the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses. The federation's Leanne Hachey says that reducing red tape is more difficult because many people aren't clear on what it means.

Sitting on the phone for hours at a time, getting two answers to the same question, mounds of unnecessary paperwork, and lengthy questionnaires are a burden on business owner's time, which could be better spent doing things that would help their businesses.

She says that because most businesses in New Brunswick are so small, it's generally one person that's left to jump through all the unnecessary hoops. 

The CFIB is getting to word out about the negative effects on red tape on business in the province with a new video series on their website starting Monday. 

You an check out the red tape video diaries at www.cfib.ca

New Road to St. Andrews Aquarium

No more sharp turns and winding hills to get to the Fundy Discovery Aquarium or the St. Andrews Biological Station.

A new road has been constructed leading directly to the Highway 127.

Brandy Cove Road, which brought traffic from the town to the Aquarium, via the Algonquin Golf Course, is now closed.

The new road is nameless for the time being.

A contest on the new name is being held by the Town of St. Andrews, Sir James Dunn Academy, and Vincent Massey Elementary.

What is The Future of School District 10?

A lot of commotion, raised voices, and emotion behind closed doors.

District 10 holding an Education Council meeting last night in St. Stephen, after hearing word the provincial government is cutting the 14 school districts in New Brunswick to 7, with 75 to 100 job losses.

Districts 6, 8,and 10 will be combined, from St. Stephen to Sussex, including Saint John.

District 6 Chair Roger Nesbitt isn't worried about the change, and says it won't affect the quality of education for students.

However, mixed emotions in St. Stephen.

District 10 Chair Joni Donahue says nothing is etched in stone until the province starts moving, and it will be very hard on district staff.

Vice Chair Wayne Spires says we need to be ready when the changes come.

SSHS In Canada's Spotlight

A special kind of report card bringing national attention to our local high school.

In November we reported St. Stephen High School conducting a "Student Health Report Card", testing students on issues like nutrition, blood pressure, cholesterol and self-esteem.

The Initiative is now reaching nation-wide attention, as they are the first to compare to affects of Body Mass Index or BMI in regards to the students' grades.

Nurse Practitioner Yvonne Bartlett says it's not a strong statistic, but they found the higher the BMI -- the lower the students' grades.

SSHS Guidance Counsellor Don Walker says "We're under the gun. Canada is watching."

Walker says SSHS has been flooded with emails and calls from schools across Canada, and health officials wanting to learn more about the project.

He says they are now in the intervention stage, helping students who discovered risk factors for heart disease and obesity improve their health.

Dive Teams to Search For Missing Child

It's Day 26 in the search for a missing toddler from Maine.

The Maine Department of Public Safety says the State Police and Warden Service will be sending dive teams to search several bodies of water today in Waterville.

20-month-old Ayla Reynolds was reported missing from her crib in her father's Waterville home on Dec 17th.

There is a $30,000 reward being offered for information on her whereabouts.

Anyone with information is asked to call Waterville Police at 207-680-4700, or the Maine State Police in Augusta at 207-624-7076.

Taxes Going Up In St. Stephen

Can St. Stephen afford the Garcelon Civic Centre?

This question being raised with the release of the town's 2012 budget, and news that taxes have risen.

Infrastructure taxes within St. Stephen are up 1.5 cents to $1.58 per $100.

Town Manager John Ferguson says, frankly, we cannot afford not to build this new facility.

Ferguson adds, St. Stephen is a great community, we must reverse the downward spiral of our social economic problems, including deviant behavior in certain segments of our population.


He says we must reverse population reduction and the exodus of young people.
Ferguson says based on projections today, the tax rate will remain where it is, at least until 2015.

Flemming for Mayor of St. Andrews

A candidate for Mayor of St. Andrews putting in his 2 cents.

Chris Flemming offering for the position, after serving 3 terms as councillor between 1984 and '91, and a term of mayor between 1998 and 2001.

He says two things he will concentrate on to help St. Andrews develop in new ways, is creating a good government by good governance, and encouraging economic development.

The municipal elections will be held in May.

Eastport Bikini / Speedo Run

It's time to find that bikini or speedo.

Registration forms are now ready for the Eastport Hearts Warming Hears Bikini and Speedo Run. This annual run will be held on Valentines Day and will raise money to keep neighbors warm in winter. The event is sponsored by Jeff and Lesley Starling, owners of the Happy Crab Restaurant. Rules and Pledge Sheets are available at the Happy Crab or by calling 207-853-9400

RCMP's Traffic Violators of the Week

The RCMP have released their traffic violators of the week

The top violator was stopped on January 6, 2012 by a St. Stephen RCMP officer. The vehicle was pulled over on Milltown Boulevard  for having expired registration plates. The vehicle also had a fictitious inspection certificate. The driver was issued a ticket for no insurance and has been fined over $1200 dollars The driver has also been ordered to appear in provincial court at a later date.

The top speeder was stopped on December 31 by a St George RCMP officer traveling on Route 1, in Pennfield. The vehicle is said to have been traveling at 142 km/h in an 90 km/h  zone. The driver received a fine of about $300.

Police reminding the public that risky behaviors like speeding, driving while impaired, and not wearing a seatbelt can result in serious charges and even jail time.

Lost Mom and Child Rescued from Woods By Boat

Scary times for a mother and her 6 year old son lost in the woods outside of Prince of Wales--but they made it home safe.

The pair found themselves lost off a hiking trail after dark last night. The lady called her husband, who got some friends together and went in to find them. By the time they did, however the mother was too cold and weak to make it out on her own.

At 8:30pm RCMP contacted the Musquash Fire Department, asking for a boat to remove the people via the water. A small boat made its way from the Prince of Wales wharf to where they were located.

The mother and son were transported to hospital by ambulance for treatment.

This was the first non-fire related rescue for  Musquash Fire Department, after deciding in December that it would respond to off-road, boat and water-related incidents.

3 Car Crash At Lunchtime In St. Stephen

A three vehicle crash re-routing traffic this afternoon in St. Stephen.

Sgt. Bob MacKnight with District 1 RCMP says two vehicles were stopped for a red light in front of the Atlantic Susperstore around noon, when a third vehicle failed to stop.

The center car was hit from behind, forcing it into the rear of the van in front of it.

Two people in the center car were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

MacKnight says the driver of the third vehicle, that started the crash, admitted to being distracted.