Province Plans To Overhaul Liquor Control Act

The provincial government is planning a complete overhaul of the Liquor Control Act.
The act covers all aspects of liquor control - sales - and - licensing in the province.
It's been in place since 1961 with a number of amendments over the years - but - there hasn't been a complete review in several years.
Part of the review will include a sit down with all those involved in sales and serving of liquor.
Four sessions are planned around the province with a stop here in the city next Tuesday - for more information - click here.

Port Eyes New Highway As Big Advantage

Renewed talk of a connector highway between Calais and Sherbrooke is capturing the attention of Saint John Port Authority boss Jim Quinn.
Quinn tells Tide News our port is positioned perfectly to take advantage of the proposed direct highway link - and - can also offer good rail connections through New Brunswick Southern Railway
He also says the proposed highway would be beneficial to tourism in the region.
Quinn recently travelled to Maine to meet with proponents of the new highway to discuss the advantages of having that kind of link with our port.

Motorcycle Crash Injures Two

Another crash in a weekend full of highway scrape-ups...a motorcycle crash on Highway 1 sending two people to hospital.

According to Constable Julie Rogers Marsh a man and woman were heading into Saint John on the westbound lane of the highway when they lost control of the bike. Both were transported to hospital by ambulance, but their injuries are not reported to be life-threatening.

No word on the cause of the crash. The highway was closed for 30 minutes as a result.

Woman Trapped In Rollover Dies

According to the RCMP, a woman trapped in a rollover accident on Highway 820 has died in hospital as a result of her injuries.

She was 72 years old. Her name has n

Saint John Woman Hit By Car

Look both ways before crossing the street--that lesson for pedestrians with a local woman getting hit by a car on the East Side.

Police responding to the call shortly after 11pm Saturday evening that a woman had been hit on Loch Lomond Road at the intersection of Malette Road. District Chief Joe Armstrong says her injuries weren't serious. although she was transported to hospital.

Police remained on the scene for nearly an hour.

Saint Johners Protest Harper

Canada doesn't belong to Stephen Harper--that message from protestors gathering in King Square to demonstrate against what they call the Harper government's disregard for the will of the people.

Former NDP candidate and Council of Canadians member Andrew Graham was in attendance. He tells CHSJ News the Harper government has a long track record of scandals and failures and it can't be tolerated.

The protest also focused on bill C-38, the omnibus bill, which amalgamates 70 different bills into one. According to Graham, that bill prevents the issues from getting properly debated in parliament.

Go Green to Win Prizes

Tune up your bike and get out your walking shoes--a fun competition called the Commuter Challenge is turning your daily trek to work into an Eco-friendly competition. People can sign up and record the days they choose not to use the car to get around--and the total is entered onto a website where local companies compete against other cities.

Jody Kliffer of the city's planning commission explains you can get involved on as small or large a scale as you want--you can participate as an individual, or with your whole office.

Saint John has a record to defend, having blown away the rest of New Brunswick to win last year's cup. For more information, including a list of great prizes from local businesses, click here

MacKinnon Knows City & University Are Good Partners

The Tucker park campus of UNB in Saint John expects to continue its great working relationship with the City of Saint John now that a new mayor and council are at the helm.
 
UNB Saint John Vice-President Robert MacKinnon tells CHSJ News he hears Mayor Mel Norton wants to work together to achieve common goals and he thinks that is what is happening.

He says he knows they will be consulting the university and keeping them informed and UNB Saint John wants to continue being a good partner with the City.

MacKinnon says Dr. Shelley Rinehart, a longtime employee of the university, offers a direct link to City Hall and he expects a great working relationship with her and the other members of common council.

Volunteer Fire Fighters Needed

With fewer fire fighters in the community due to budget cuts, volunteer fire fighters are an asset. But with no pay and long hours, some volunteer fire departments are struggling to find people who are interested in helping out.

St Martins Fire Chief Brian McKiel tells CHSJ News it's hard to recruit young people for such a labor-intensive  position because the hours are long and there isn't much in the way of compensation. He says some people even lose money if they get injured, although there is compensation available for volunteers in cases like that.

McKiel says they have a few new recruits in their teens and 20s who are completing their training, but most volunteer fire fighters are between 30 and 50 years old.

EI Changes Will Impact Seasonal Workers

Changes to EI for season workers have an impact on everyone in the tourism industry-that from Fundy Trail manager Brian Clark. He tells tells CHSJ News there has been a lot of misinformation out there and it's making some workers nervous enough to start seeking out other jobs.

Clark says the changes could lead people doing seasonal work in more rural areas to take jobs in the city instead--and he wonders how the government expects those workers to be replaced.

Environmental Field Trips For District 10

Starting Monday, Grade four students from School District 10 will be putting on their rubber boots and heading out on some field trips hosted by the Eastern Charlotte Waterways.


The field trips will be to the St. George Marsh .

The students will be taking part in an excursion, designed to foster an appreciation for the wetland ecosystem.

Local businesses, individuals and Ducks Unlimited are sponsors of this event, and will teach studemts about the migration routes of birds and the habitats of local wildlife.

Race For Kids Hitting St. Stephen Saturday

A great time to change lives!


The Capital One Race for Kids will be happening tomorrow in 14 different communities across the country, including right here in St. Stephen.

The Race for Kids is an urban adventure race, where teams of five compete in a race to the finish line, completing a series of challenging checkpoints along the way.

The race for kids in St. Stephen is a fundraiser for our local Boys and Girls Club of Charlotte County. The race gets under way at 3pm tomorrow at the Border Arena.

St. Stephen Welcomes New Mayor

St. Stephen welcoming it's new Mayor this week.


The Oath of Office for newly elected Mayor John Quartermain, new Deputy Mayor John Ames, and other councillors Marg Harding, Allan MacEachern, Debbie Gullison-MacDonald, Jim Maxwell, and Michael Booth taking place at the St. Stephen Legion Wednesday night.

(Picture - Mayor Elect, John Quartermain )

Food Bank In Desperate Need

Food banks accross Canada, and locally here in St. Stephen are seeing first-hand that the recession is not over for a large number of Canadians.

The Volunteer Center of Charlotte County -- our local Food Bank in St. Stephen -- is currently struggling to keep the shelves stocked.

This time of year when the weather starts getting nicer, people tend to forget about the need to donate food to your local food banks.

Volunteers asking for assistance in their time of need.

If you are able to donate any food or make a cash donation, contact the Volunteer Center of Charlotte County today.  They are located at 199 Union Street in St. Stephen.

Local MLA Concerned For Seasonal Workers

MLA for Charlotte-The Isles, Rick Doucet coming under fire on Ottawa's decision to tighten E.I. benefits, coming down hardest on seasonal workers.


Last week the government announced new rules -- expected to be in effect by early next year -- that would lower benefits for each time someone dips into the system and also expect the unemployed to travel greater distances for a job of the same or less pay, if they qualify.
Doucet tells Tide News there are many from Charlotte County who are seasonal workers, such as people working in a fish plant, the forestry industry, or in tourism.

He wants to know if the government will be forcing people from Grand Manan to come to the mainland to search for minimum wage work, or if residents of Blacks Harbour will be expected to find work in Saint John at a MacDonald's or Tim Horton's.

Doucet is also wondering what will happen to the local companies who employ the seasonal workers. He says if we start losing seasonal workers to other jurisdictions, there will be no workers left when the seasonal companies are ready to re-open.
Doucet says he thinks the Employment Insurance system does need some tweaking -- but what works in Toronto or Halifax, might not work in Charlotte County.

He adds, somewhere along the line there needs to be common sense, and he hopes the government will take into consideration the lives that will be affected, and not go ahead with a "cookie cutter approach".

MS Walk Still Hoping To Reach $ Goal

The MS Walk numbers are in!


Sunday afternoon, many gathered at the St. Stephen High School for the 7th Annual Walk for Multiple Sclerosis.

Officials tell Tide News, $7900 was raised this year on the Walk, and they are hoping to reach this year's goal of $10,000, as the final number is still growing with more online pledges are coming in.

Car leaves road in Chance Harbour

Local Police, Fire and Ambulance crews responded to a single vehicle collision on Sunday, May 27th on Route 790 in Chance Harbour. The call was received around 12:30 p.m.

Firefighters found a car had left the roadway, struck a parked vehicle and landed on its side in a yard. The lone male occupant was out of the car when firefighters arrived and was being treated by Ambulance NB Paramedics.
 He was transported by ambulance to the Saint John Regional Hospital.

Firefighters assisted the RCMP with traffic control and ensured the vehicle was not leaking fluids before they left the scene about 40 minutes after the call.

Grass Fires a Problem

With summer almost here it's time to be careful about outdoor fires. Fire Investigator Mark Wilson tells TideNews people often aren't aware of the potential problems when they start a blaze, thinking they can control it no matter what. Actually, he says, factors like high winds and the type of fuel being used can make things unpredictable.

There used to be controlled burning allowed in the city but it's no longer allowed as the fire department found too many were getting out of control, as happened in Red Head last month when a man accidentally burned down his garage and part of his home.

Generic Drugs Will Soon Cost Less in NB

Generic drugs will soon be getting considerably cheaper: starting June 1, the NB Government will start capping prices at 40% of brand prices. According to health Minister Madelaine Dube, NBers are paying more than other Canadians. Previously NBers could be paying as much as 50 to 70% of the price of brand-name medications.

The plan is projected to save the province $10 million dollars in the first 10 months after it's put into action. Some of that money will be used to improve the existing services and make them more accessible.

Massive Yard Sale in Quispamsis

The 14th annual Quispamsis Town Wide Yard sale is happening today.



It's a rain or shine event and dozens of retailers will be setting up shop from 8am until 1pm to sell of a wide range of treasures.


The town has distributed 2000 maps to help bargain-hunters find their way around the sales. The map is sorted into categories like furniture and kid's items so you can find exactly what you're looking for.

For a link to the map click here