CBS Production & Distribution Move Next April

Staff at Canadian Blood Services learning the start date to move production and distribution to Dartmouth is now scheduled for April, 13th, 2013.

In a release, Public Affairs Manager Paul McGrath says the new production and distribution site in Dartmouth is finished and currently undergoing validation and commissioning.

Halifax functions will begin being consolidated into the Dartmouth site in February and March.

The Dartmouth Production and Distribution Site will be fully operational by the time the Saint John operations move next spring.

CBS is working with the Provincial Medical Society and others to ensure the province continues to receive the same or an improved level of service when Saint John production and distribution move to Dartmouth.

The process will be monitored before and after to ensure service levels are maintained at the same or an improved level.

5 Saint John Projects Set On Improving Our Community

Five regional projects are hoping to get enough votes to win some money through the Aviva Community Fund.

They range from a skateboard park in Hampton to getting a wheelchair accessible bus for the Kennebec Manor.

The SPCA Animal Rescue League is looking to start a new low cost spay and neuter program. Shelter Manager Kathy Illingworth says a win would mean $100,000 - 150,000 for the program.

Click any link below to view a project and cast your vote.

1. Hampton Skateboard Park

2. Ca-R-Ma Cat Rescue Maritimes, Saint John
For a trap, neuter, return program.

3. SJ SPCA Animal Rescue
For a low cost spay and neuter program.

4.  Joshua Group
Help at risk youth.

5. Kennebec Manor 
Senior facility looking for a new wheelchair accessible bus.

The votes for the semi-finals will be tallied on Wednesday.

Liberal Speaks Out On Conservative Flip-Flop

Maybe? Maybe Not.

A Liberal MLA is speaking out on the provincial government's flip-flop decision making.

Last week, Public Safety Minister Robert Trevors introduced legislation that would have removed a restriction preventing novice motorists from driving between midnight and 5 a-m.

After concerns were voiced over driver safety by Madd Canada and CAA, Trevors pulled a 180 and dropped the issue.

Charlotte-The Isles MLA Rick Doucet tells Tide News he's happy the Conservatives have  decided to leave things be. He says, "When we were in government, we brought this legislation forward, and it was contentious, but we dealt with it. At that time, they (Conservatives) played politics on it when they were in Opposition, and I think what's happened is it's been a reality check for them and they've realized that governing is about making some difficult decisions."

Doucet says he's not sure who was complaining to get the restriction lifted to begin with. He adds, "The Minister said they did some extensive consultation, but quite frankly, that was nothing but a bunch of hogwash. They really didn't consult with a lot of people. I'd say maybe they talked to young drivers in particular, but they didn't talk to the people that are really 'in the know' with young drivers and what takes place on the roads."

Canadian Automobile Association Atlantic Canada Vice President Gary Howard says evidence shows the combination of reduced visibility, fatigue and possible impairment make nighttime hazardous for new drivers.

CCAPN Honoring Women Lost To Violence

It's been 23 years since 14 women were killed in the Montreal massacre at Ecole Polytechniqe.

December 6th is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Carol Lynn Gamblin from the Charlotte County Abuse Prevention Network tells Tide News the violence that is most prevalent in our communities today is domestic. She says, "The ability to be able to provide for yourself or for your children unfortunately leaves a lot of women feeling they can not leave an abusive or violent relationship."

St. Andrews will be hosting a tribute in honor of women we've lost to domestic violence.

Gamblin tells us the "Hour of Rememberance and Hope" is a chance to think about our own loved ones and consider reaching out to those in need.

The tribute will be held at the Wesley United Church, located at 77 William Street in St. Andrews,  tonight at 7pm.

Permits Needed For NB ATV Riders In New Year

People driving all-terrain vehicles on managed trails in New Brunswick will have to have a permit in the new year.


The provincial government and the NB All-Terrain Vehicle Federation are behind the mandatory trail permit program that goes into effect Jan. 1.

Public Safety Minister Robert Trevors says the program ensures that users pay for the cost of trail development and maintenance.

Under the Off Road Vehicle Act, anyone riding on a managed trail without a permit will be fined $172.

Permits for 2013 will consist of a three-season permit at a cost of $25, and an annual permit for $75.

Maps of managed trails are listed on the New Brunswick All-Terrain Vehicle Federation website.

Prosser Gets Life In Prison For Patterson Murder

Fred Prosser has been found guilty in the 2010 murder of 25-year-old Sabrina Patterson of Riverview.


Patterson, who is Prosser's ex-girlfriend and the mother of his children, was reported missing on October of 2010.

Her body was found on November 6 th in a wooded area near Shenstone.

Prosser was found guilty on three charges, first degree murder, sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual assault.

He has been sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 25 years, 7 years for sexual assault causing bodily harm and 5 years for sexual assault.

Meatless Burger Recalled

The Veggie Patch brand Ultimate Meatless Burger is being pulled off store shelves in some Atlantic provinces because of possible Listeria contamination.

The affected product was imported from the United States and sold in one kilogram packages with two best before dates: January 12th and 17th, 2013.

It was distributed here, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.

The importer, Costco Wholesale Canada, has recalled the burgers and the CFIA is monitoring the recall.

Search Back On For Sackville Man

The search for a missing 20-year-old man resumed yesterday after police found footwear.

RCMP say the footwear was found in Upper Sackville near the Tantramar River and was worn by Christopher Metallic before he was reported missing.

Metallic was last seen during the early morning hours of November 25 in Sackville.

Earlier this week the search was later called off for him after investigators looked in a number of areas in Sackville.

Metallic is described as aboriginal, six feet tall, 81 kilograms, with short dark black hair and glasses.

He was last seen wearing a shiny bright blue sweater and jeans.

Next Remembrance Day Could Be At Qplex

Remembrance Day in the valley could be a lot different next year.

The Royal Canada Legion Branch #58 are asking Quispamsis Council for use of the Qplex for future veteran day ceremonies.

Gordon Friars, former president and member of the legion, tells Tide news venues like the  Kings Valley Wesleyan and the Island View Lions Club are now to small for the growing number of people attending the ceremonies. 

Friars says between veterans, police, fire, scouts and the general public, it won't take long to fill the Qplex. He says it would also give people in the valley a chance to stay in their community instead of going to Harbour Station. 

Quispmasis Council is scheduled to make a decision on Tuesday.

Dog Dies In Fire

A dog is dead after being stuck in a construction trailer that was ablaze.

Saint John Fire Department were called to 10 Worden road just before 6 o'clock last night to find a construction trailer fully engulfed in fire. Platoon Chief Joe Armstrong says no person was injured but the owner's dog did pass away in the trailer.

Armstrong says the area around the trailer was a working yard containing old vehicles. Crews were on scene for 3 hours and the fire is not considered suspicious.

Wear A Red Ribbon For World AIDS Day

Today marks the 24th annual World AIDS Day, a day marked around the globe for people to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with the chronic disease and to commemorate people who died.

Julie Dingwell is the executive director at AIDS Saint John, and she tells Tide news today is a chance to pause and reflect on how we're dealing with the epidemic. She says there's still a lot of discrimination in Saint John and around the world towards people with HIV. She says it's that discrimination that sometimes discourages people from getting testing out of fear of being shunned. 

Dingwell says AIDS is no longer a death sentence here in Canada, but a chronic manageable condition. She stresses it's still a global pandemic, and our government needs to step up. Dingwell says just recently parliament voted down bill C-398 which would've let Canadian drug manufactures send medicine to Africa to help fight HIV. Only 2 batches of medicine have been sent to one country since 2008, she says.

Carrie Underwood Concert Sells Out

Carrie Underwood tickets must be a very popular Christmas gift is greater Saint John.

The show sold out in less than two hours this morning.

The American Idol winner will thrill local fans when her show hits Harbour Station on April 2nd.

It's her second appearance in the City.

Early Morning Fire On Saint Andrews Street

Saint John Fire Department putting out a fire at a vacant building at 16 Saint Andrews street in uptown.

Platoon Chief Eric Garland tells Tide news they received the call just before 6 am. He says the fire was on the second floor and caused extensive damage to the roof and right side of the house. Garland says it took 45 minutes to get the fire under control and the building suffered considerable damage.

Garland says the building appeared to be under renovations.

Sussex Tennis Court & Trails Getting An Upgrade

The tennis centre and trails in Sussex getting a big boost.

Fundy Royal MP Rob Moore announcing $30,000 from the government will be put into updating the rec facilities.

The updates mean washrooms in the tennis centre and signage for walking trails. The signs will be location specific, meaning they'll include GPS coordinates which will help locate people faster in an emergency.

The funds are part of the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund which helps projects that look to improve existing community infrastructure.

Uptown Gets Sweet With Gingerbread Houses

Here's a trail that's sweeter than Harbour Passage.

The Gingerbread Trail is a new fundraiser in Saint John, which will see 21 businesses across uptown build their own gingerbread house to be displayed and raffled off before Christmas. All proceeds from the fundraiser go straight to kids at The Joshua Group and non-profit group Gala Ballet Productions.

Gala Ballet board member Darlene Baker tells Tide news they encourage the shop owners to make the houses from scratch and use the "Land of Sweets" theme from their upcoming production of The Nutcracker.

She says the business are really excited about creating the sweet houses, and there's a prize for the best one. The Nutcracker is playing at the Imperial Theatre December 8th & 9th.

Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5, with the draw happening on December 22nd.

To see a map of the trail, click here.

Midnight Madness Hitting St. Stephen Tonight

It's Time to "Spread the Cheer and Shop Right Here"!

Tonight is Midnight Madness in St. Stephen with many businesses staying open late for your convenience with countless sales.
Shop locally in St. Stephen at over 60 businesses and fill out a ballot to win some Christmas Cash.

Tonight will be the first draw with the St. Stephen Retailers Christmas Promotion with $250 up for grabs.

The Doors To Healthcare Will Remain Open... For Now

It came down to crunch-time, but we have the victory.


The people of Charlotte County will not lose their healthcare services at the Fundy Health Centre in Blacks Harbour -- at least for now.

Residents of Charlotte County can breathe easy knowing the Fundy Health Centre will remain open, after doctors threatened to lock-up and protest a policy from the Horizon Health Network that would charge them $1.50 per patient visit.
Doctors were planning to lock the doors and refuse patients after Friday, November 30th, 2012.

MLA for Charlotte-The Isles Rick Doucet tells Tide News Health Minister Hugh Flemming has stepped in and the doctors are talking with Horizon Health. He says, "The doctors are discussing this issue, they are dialoguing. I understand there are some parts of negotiations that are still going on, but at least this gives them some breathing room, the $1.50 is off the table, and now they can continue to do the work that they've been doing, serving the people of this area. After tomorrow (Friday) it's going to be business as usual, and doctors will continue to see patients at the facility."

Doucet says he wants to give credit where credit is due, and says he is grateful for Health Minister Hugh Flemming for stepping in on the matter. However, Doucet says,  "I've discussed this with the mayors of Blacks Harbour and St. George, and we are all very cautiously optimistic because we don't know what is in the future. That's why we'd still like to meet with the minister on this, along with the doctors, so we can talk not only about the short term, but what is the long-term future of this facility."

Town Buying Property, But Quiet On Future Plans

They're buying the property, but won't tell us what they want with it.


St. Stephen Town Council passing a motion during last night's council meeting (November 26th) to purchase a section of land off Route 170, between Car Quest and a private farm, from the Dept of Transportation.

Mayor John Quartermain tells Tide News it's a prime piece of real estate. He said they intend to flip the property and make the town some revenue. However, he wouldn't give any further details on what the town plans on doing with the property. Quartermain says, "There's reasons, there are reasons and I can't go into it right now."

The pricetag on the property is $1700.

Liberal Leader Gets Taste Of Charlotte County

Liberal Leader Brian Gallant getting a good taste of Charlotte County this weekend.


Gallant is touring New Brunswick to gather information on what residents want from their government.

At the Magaguadavic Place in St. George, Gallant tells Tide News he was very happy with the big turn-out of residents. He says, "It was really interesting as it was a good chance to let people know what I'm about, and where I think our party and the province has to go, and it was also a really great opportunity to have some feedback about what is happening here locally and what's happening here in the province. It's very beneficial to me."

In Gallant's speech, he said we need three things in New Brunswick. "We need to change our political culture by putting parties aside and working together to help the economy. We need to be transparent, not only in our information, but in our motives."

He says, "Next is job creation. New Brunswick is 1 of 2 provinces to have lost jobs in 2012, which means our economy is shrinking. That makes job creation our biggest priority. Right now we've seen cuts, and cuts, and cuts, but we can't cut our way to prosperity. One of the reasons we see so many cuts is because we aren't growing the revenue side of things. We have to go to a system that will develop our economy by making conditions that will help businnesses in the long run and not just a quick fix to earn a few extra votes at election time."

Gallant says his third priority is education and training. "If we want to be ready for the knowledge economy tomorrow, we have to invest in education and training today." He says it's not just about university, it's about college, K to 12, pre-school, and life-long learning. It's not just about math and science, it's about putting skilled trades back in our schools."

Gallant also making a stop in Blacks Harbour for the Sunday Jam Session, where he joined local MLA Rick Doucet in a so-called "butchered" version of "You Are My Sunshine".

New Health Coaches To Help Fight Diabetes

If you have type 2 diabetes, you're about to get a new way to fight it.

New health coaches are gearing up here in Saint John and across the province as part of New Brunswick's new Live Well! program. The $1.7 million partnership between the Department of Health, the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Medavie Health Foundation uses a community approach to prevent and manage diabetes.

Lesley Melanson is one of the heath coaches here in Saint John, and she tells Tide news she'll be helping people between the ages of 16-50 fight the chronic disease. She says she'll be a resource and mentor in helping people get healthy. They'll work with community groups that focus on healthy eating, active living and mental health.

Melanson says a big misconception about type 2 diabetes is most people view it as a disease only older people get, and because of this a lot of young people keep living an unhealthy lifestyle.  She says about 10% of people living in Greater Saint John and over 70,000 people in New Brunswick have diabetes. That number is also expected to rise to 128,000 by 2032.

The service is free but you'll need to be refereed to the health coach by a physician or another health care provider.