Health Minister Takes Notice Of McAdam Incident

A conflicting incident in McAdam, finally being noticed by the provincial Health Minister.


A spokesperson for Madeline Dube cites the Ambulance NB policy, saying ambulances are required to take their patients to the closest destination hospital.

She says the regional health authorities and the Department of Health are involved in deciding what constitutes a hospital, and a full-time emergency room is needed.

McAdam Mayor Frank Carroll raised the issue after four fire victims were made to wait for ambulances Monday morning, rather than be treated at the McAdam Health Care Centre which was only 700 feet away.
 
Carroll says this policy doesn't work for McAdam, as it is an isolated area, with bad travelling conditions, and they need to be able to use the best available services, at any given time.

SSHS - The Bullying Stops Here!

Roses are red -- T-shirts are Pink?

Today is the 5th annual National Pink Shirt Day, with businesses and schools all over Canada wearing pink, creating awareness and taking a stand against bullying.

SSHS Student Danielle Mann says Pink Shirt Day means a lot to her because she has been bullied in the past, and Pink Shirt Day really shows that you are not alone, giving everyone a chance to show you really care about Bullying.

Premier David Alward is also promoting the event, asking everyone to wear pink and show support for respect and tolerance within families, homes, workplaces and schools.

Pink Shirt Day began in 2007, when two Nova Scotia teenagers encouraged fellow students to wear pink T-shirts in support of another student who was being bullied.

McAdam Mayor Frustrated With ANB Policy

Four fire victims from McAdam were made to wait over an hour for ambulances to arrive -- while they looked upon a health clinic 700 feet away.


A mother and 3 children -- including a baby -- were not allowed to be taken to the McAdam Health Care Centre yesterday after a fire in a home, because it is against Ambulance NB's policy to take a patient to a clinic rather than a hospital.

McAdam Mayor Frank Carroll is frustrated with the policy.

He says they are a rural community, with bad travel conditions, and that makes it difficult in emergency situations.

He says what is not acceptable, is not using the best possible services available, to respond in the best possible way.

ANB confirms the policy, however the decision to change it is in Health Minister Madeline Dube's hands, not theirs.

The minister was unable to be reached for comment.

Fundy Discovery Aquarium Makes Trade With Biodome

It's a unique kind of business trade.


The Fundy Discovery Aquarium in St. Andrews is the new home for 2 animals, an Atlantic wolffish, and a much rarer kind in the Bay of Fundy, a spotted wolffish.

Employees from the Biodome in Montreal, in trade took a couple of Atlantic sturgeons back to Quebec.

As a tradition at our local aquarium, names are needed for the fish, who are temporarily and unoriginally being called "Spot" and "Stripes".

Visitors can submit their ballots for the new names until St. Patrick's Day.

Tait Says Many Times Ferguson Got Under His Skin

Saint John East M-L-A Glen Tait continuing to testify at the defamation trial of former Saint John Common Councillor John Ferguson.

Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.

Tait, a former common councillor, pulls no punches telling jury there were many times Ferguson got under his skin.

Tait told the court he was frustrated with Ferguson making allegations without providing any proof to back them up.

Tait, was receiving a city pension while serving on Council and the pension board.

He sought a legal opinion on whether he was in a conflict of interest, but says his pension benefits did not change or increase.

City Solicitor John Nugent calls the allegations reckless.

Harbour Bridge Gets More Closures

Get ready for the temporary closures of one eastbound lane on the Saint John Harbour Bridge over the next eight weeks.


The closures are necessary to allow crews to prepare for the final phase of bridge work, which will close both eastbound lanes from April 15 until the fall.

Transportation Minister Claude Williams says in a release that up until April 15, they are committed to keeping at least three of the four lanes open at all times. Williams notes it will be necessary to close one lane at times to allow crews to do preliminary work in advance of the closure of the eastbound lanes.

The temporary lane closures will only take place during non-peak hours between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m Monday through Saturday and the closures are

dependent upon the weather.

Police Search For Two Suspects In Saint John Weekend Robbery

The Saint John Police Force looking into an armed robbery on Saturday night at the Garnett Shell Service Station on Wellesley Ave.


Police are looking for two white men in their twenties who left the area on foot with some cash.

No one was hurt in the robbery.

One man is described as between 5 feet and 5 foot 5 weighing 220 pounds and the other is between 6 feet and 6 foot 5 with a skinny build.

Both men were wearing blue jeans, sneakers and a black jacket with a hood.

If you know anything call the Saint John Police Force at 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Hiking Trails Need Protection

With 30% of New Brunswickers considered obese, it's time to take a hike. But Sentier Trails NB, the organization responsible for developing and promoting  the province's trails, saying tough economic times are taking their toll on outdoor recreation.

Jorgensen tells Tide News the question is how to keep the trails well-maintained and accessible.
 

He says funding was cut last year by 40-thousand dollar. Sentier Trails NB calling for the government to get behind the province's greenways and trail systems despite the downturn.

MLA Discusses Changes to Old Age Security

The government wants you to know that any upcoming changes to Old Age Security won't effect people who are about to collect, or collecting now. MLA Rodney Weston says despite Stephen Harper's talk about raising the eligibility age from 65 to 67, those changes won't be happening for a long time,

Weston tells CHSJ News there's no cause for alarm yet--despite the fact that he's been inundated with calls and emails from worried citizens--because there will be enough consultation for people to make changes in their retirement plans.

The proposed changes wouldn't happen until at least 2020. Weston says it's being considered to make sure that OAS will be there for people in the long run.

Family Cat Alerts Owners Of Fire In Pennfield

A family pet coming to the rescue during a fire Tuesday morning.


District 1 RCMP say a trailer caught fire shortly after midnight at 11 Millie Lane in Pennfield.

The family said the cat alerted the household of the blaze.

The family of four say they were renting and most of their belongings were destroyed in the fire.

There's no word yet on how that fire got started.


The Red Cross is helping out the couple and their two school-aged children with emergency lodging, food and clothing.

Cpl. Jason Anderson says there were no injuries and foul play is not suspected.

St. Stephen Goes Smoke-Free

Here is the smoke-free policy approved by St. Stephen Town Council on Monday, February 20th, 2012.

The following locations will be designated as "Smoke-Free."
a) a park on Town property or property the Town is licensed to maintain;
b) an outdoor recreational facility on Town property, including but not limited to a grandstand, seating area or bleacher;
c) the grounds of a Town building;
d) the grounds of an event on Town property that is open to the public, including but not limited to a festival, market or concert, whether admittance to the event is free or for a fee;
e) a cemetary on Town property;
f) a trail or path on Town property or property the Town is licensed to maintain;
g) a street along a parade route while the parade is in progress.

Beckett Frustrated By Ferguson Case

More testimony from Former City Finance Commissioner Andrew Beckett at the defamation trial of former Common Councillor John Ferguson.


Beckett told the jury he was frustrated and bewildered by Ferguson's charges as well as being embarrassed then Mayor Norm McFarlane felt it was necessary to come to the former finance commissioner's defense.

More video from Common Council was played during which Ferguson charged the early retirement programme cost the city more money that was thought and there were errors in the city's audited financial statements. Beckett told the court Ferguson never presented any documentation he claimed to have.
 
Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.

Plans For Chocolate Fest Start Tonight

Are you craving Chocolate?


Tonight is the first planning meeting for Chocolate Fest 2012.

The public is invited to learn more about the new vision for the festival, and how you can host an event or volunteer.

The meeting will be held at the St. Croix Public Library, at King Street in St. Stephen at 6pm.

Chocolate Fest is scheduled to run from August 6-12th.

Ferguson Lawyer Says Council Minutes Don't Amount To A Hill Of Beans

Former finance commissioner and pension trustee Andrew Beckett taking to the stand once again in the defamation trial of former city councillor John Ferguson.


Pension board lawyer Barry Morrison pulling out emails, council minutes, and other documents from 2004-2005 as background for Ferguson's allegedly defamatory comments about the pension board.

Ferguson's lawyer Rod Gillis tells Tide News all that doesn't amount to a hill of beans, because in a defamation trial the actual words are what's important. A 2005 video clip played in court showed Ferguson saying he was advised by senior legal counsel the pension board comitted gross negligence.

Morrison argued those statements were unsubstantiated.

Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.

Dexter Working In Musquash and Prince of Wales

More construction zones starting on Monday.


Dexter Construction tells Tide News construction on the Route 1 Gateway is starting in Musquash.

Musquash, week of February 20 - Eastbound lane will be reduced to one lane.

Musquash, week of February 27 - Westbound traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lane creating two way traffic until August 2012.

Prince of Wales, week of February 27 - Eastbound and westbound lanes will be reduced to one lane until September 2012.

Dexter reminding drivers to slow down and drive safely in construction zones.

The Route 1 Gateway is expected to be completed by July 31, 2013.

Beckett Testifies In Ferguson Trial

Saint John's former Finance Commissioner is continuing to testify at the defamation lawsuit launched by the pension board against former Common Councillor John Ferguson.

Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.


Andrew Beckett told the jury the city's pension plan had an estimated surplus of 29 million dollars at the end of 2000.
 
A year and a half later there was a significant deficit.
 
By 2003 there was the realisation that investment returns were so low, the plan would not get back on track by a rebound in the stock market alone.
 
Both Beckett and Councillor Chris Titus, a pension board member at the time, raised concerns over the cost of disability pensions and approvals.
 
Beckett says there was no reluctance to keep Common Council informed.

Biker Festival Gets Funding For Music Events

Help for music events is coming in the form of $2000.


The Canadian Committee for the Rally in the St. Croix Valley making the announcement today.

The Charlotte Coastal Region Tourism Association providing the funds and joining forces with the Rally for the event this summer.

The biker-fest is scheduled to run from Canada Day through to July 8th.

A Nickel Mine In St. Stephen? Maybe.

A nickel mine in the town of St. Stephen is still a possibility -- but that's all it is.


Manager of Geophysics and Project Generation for Continental Nickel, Sharon Taylor tells Tide News the project in St. Stephen is not a done deal, with many stages left to complete before a decision to build a mine can be made.

She says they have just finished a drilling program, drilling seven holes. She says the plan for 2012 is to evaluate the size of those discoveries, as well as having a lot of untested marks left.
Taylor gave the update last night at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.

Gas Leak Causes Evacuation In St. George

A police officer with a good nose may have saved lives today in St. George.


Shortly after midnight, a member of District 1 RCMP detected a foul smell while patrolling near the intersection of Main and Portage Streets.

The St. George Fire Department and Enbridge Gas were called to the scene to discover the smell was a leaking natural gas meter running to a business.

An apartment building housing ten people was evacuated as a precaution, but they were allowed to return after about an hour.

There were no injuries.

Police do not suspect foul play.

Pension Board Treasurer Takes Stand In Ferguson Case

Saint John's former Finance Commissioner for the city Daryl Wilson taking the stand in the defamation lawsuit between former common councillor John Ferguson and the city's pension board.


Wilson also served as treasurer on the pension board.

He told jurors during his time with the board, he had no knowledge of any illegal activity on the board or anyone abusing long-term or permanent disability benefits.

But he did concede the number of employees who were out on long-term or permanent disability seemed abnormally high.

The point was also made by an actuary who suggested the city had to redefine what constituted long-term and permanent disability.

John Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.