MLA Thinks "Creative Approach" Is Solution To Maxwell Crossing Covered Bridge Troubles

A local MLA thinks we can fix the Maxwell Crossing covered bridge -- with a bit more creativity.

Charlotte-The Isles MLA Rick Doucet tells Tide News we have a number of skilled tradespeople who have worked on these bridges for many years. "We should pull some of these guys who used to work out of DOT out of retirement and help out with this project and make it a community project. It could be a great model because there are only so many covered bridges that are left."



He thinks using a combination of a local contractor and a few retired members of DOT who have expertise in covered bridges can get the job done -- with less money. "I've taken the opportunity to talk to some of these retired employees, and they feel that they can do the job, and I think it's a matter of just pushing it through the system. Let's take a creative approach, and get these guys on the ground to make it happen."

Doucet says after talking to some of the retired DOT members, he feels the bridge can be repaired for around $300,000, compared to $500,000 estimated by current DOT officials.

Doucet says he understand that Maxwell Crossing is not in his jurisdiction, but he has taken the time to reach out to Charlotte-Campobello MLA Curtis Malloch as a New Brunswicker who supports the heritage of the province.

Doucet says, as far as he is concerned, covered bridges should be on the endangered species list.

Mayor Sends Letter To Minister For Maxwell Bridge

The Mayor of St. Stephen isn't quite as talkative as others on the topic of the Maxwell Crossing covered bridge.

Mayor John Quartermain sending a letter to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Claude Williams on behalf of St. Stephen Town Council.

The letter stated many of the factors relating to the Maxwell Bridge, including "The Town of St. Stephen still promotes the 'kissing bridges' as a flash back in time", and "The Maxwell Crossing covered bridge has been an important link to manage the Town of St. Stephen's water reservoir and chlorination pump house. The bridge access reduces response times for our water technical staff by approximately 15 to 20 minutes between the reservoir and the chlorination area."
However, the letter did not ask specifically whether the Mayor wanted the government to repair it to its original state, or to replace it.

In closing, Quartermain wrote, "The Maxwell Crossing Covered Bridge has safety, social and economic importance and I would ask that you consider these important factors when determining the future of the Maxwell Crossing Covered Bridge."

The Local Service District of Dennis-Weston claim Mayor Quatermain's signature is on the petition asking for repairs to the covered bridge.

After the St. Stephen Town Council meeting on Monday night, Quartermain dashed from Council Chambers before he could be reached for comment.

Man Goes To St. Stephen Court In Long-Johns

A brief court appearance for a local St. Stephen man charged with attempted break and enter -- "Brief" being the key word.

26-year-old Edward Davison showed up to court today (February 26th, 2013) wearing only a sweatshirt and long-johns. Police asked members of the family to return to Davison's residence and bring back a pair of jeans for him to wear.

Davison was charged with 7 counts, which include mischief, assault against three police officers, threats to two police officers and their families, as well as the attempted break and enter of a home in Oak Bay, all taking place February 19th.

He plead not guilty to all charges and has elected to be tried by Judge alone.

Davison has been remanded into custody until his bail hearing in Saint John this Friday.

Laundry Services To Close In Nursing Homes

The New Brunswick Council of Nursing Homes lashing out at the provincial government for its decision to close laundry facilities in 16 nursing homes across the province.

They believe this will lead to the loss of 60 jobs despite the government's claims the workers will merely be transferred to other departments. Nursing Home Union President Wayne Brown doesn't buy the assurances.

For its part, the government claims the job-sharing plan will save nearly $600,000 annually; however, the union representatives say if the government had wanted to find efficiencies it should have consulted with them. 

Locally, employees at Passamaquoddy Lodge in St. Andrews andthe Fundy Nursing Home in Blacks Harbour.

900 Signatures For Covered Bridge

A 103-year-old covered bridge damaged in a car crash may get a new lease on life if some petitioners have their way.
Locals are presenting a petition with 900 signatures to Curtis Malloch, MLA for Charlotte-Campobello, urging the provincial government to restore the bridge at Maxwell Crossing.

The bridge was heavily damaged in late January and since then the Department of Transport has suggested the bridge might be replaced with a bailey bridge.

The bridge would cost some $500,000 to repair, compared to an estimated figure of $300,000 from DOT to build the bailey bridge.

(Photo by Murray Weeks)

Shoplifter Hits 3 Stores In 1 Day

A shoplifter making the rounds of 3 local businesses has been busted and will appear in court in the spring.

The 41 year old man was charged with with 3 counts of shoplifting from the Co-op, Grand-Bay Home Hardware and also Guardian Drugs in Grand-Bay all in the same day. 

The shoplifter is due back in court in April.

Princess Auto Opening In Saint John

A major retailer of farm, industrial, garage, and surplus items is opening its doors in Saint John this year.

Princess Auto announcing it will be opening a new location at the East Point Shopping Center at some point in 2013. Previously, the closest location to the Saint John area was in Moncton.

The Canadian retail chain operates 34 stores in 8 provinces and employs 1700 people nationwide.

New Fundraiser For Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is asking you to take a closer look at milk cartons.

The organization is partnering with Northumberland Dairy for the second year in a row for a provincial campaign that aims to protect undeveloped areas that are special to New Brunswickers by promoting the organization's land and habitat protection project on all white milk containers.

NCC Director Andrew Holland tells Tide News he hopes the campaign gets residents thinking about those spots they share a connection with in New Brunswick.The goal is to raise awareness, and to match the $50, 000 they made in donations last year.

Police, Fire Have A Few Calls In Saint John

Police were called to a few Friday night upsets in Saint John; however, none of the calls were too serious.

Some residents on the corner of Pitt and Crown awoke to a nasty shock finding some windows smashed out and tires slashed overnight. Police are looking into the cause of the damage.

The Fire Department were also called to deal with a propane leak on McAllister Drive. it's speculated the leak was caused by a leaky ball joint but the situation was soon turned over to mall management.

26 Year Old Charged With Break And Enter On Home In Oak Bay

Two men have been arrested after an attempted break-in to a home in Oak Bay.

St. Stephen RCMP tell Tide News 26-year-old Edward Lloyd Davison has been charged with break and enter and has been remanded into custody until his next court appearance in St. Stephen, on Tuesday,  February 26, 2013.

A 39-year-old St. Stephen man was also arrested, but later released and will appear in court at a later date.

Sgt. Bob MacKnight with District 1 RCMP tells Tide News police responded to a call Tuesday evening around 7:20 that two men were attempting to break into a home in Oak Bay. MacKnight says two people were home at the time, but the men did not get inside. He says the men were arrested a few hours later in St. Stephen.

Police say they expect to lay further charges against Davison.

Bell Aliant Announces FibreOP Coming To St. Stephen

Some state-of-the-art technology will soon be coming to St. Stephen.

VP of Residential Markets for Bell Aliant Andre Leblanc tells Tide News they are investing $12 million in total to bring FibreOP to eight new communities in New Brunswick, including a $1.4 million dollar investment in St. Stephen. FibreOP will be able to reach approximately 2300 homes and businesses in St. Stephen. Leblanc says FibreOp is a state-of-the-art technology that enables almost infinite band-width into your home.




He says FibreOP means having the fastest internet speeds in Atlantic Canada, the best TV product on the market, and amazing apps for Facebook, Twitter, Galaxie Music, and much more.

Leblanc says the network provides the best products and services probably on par with anything in the world. He adds, they are currently working out the boundaries to how far it will reach outside of town and the service will be available in the spring.












Leblanc says the FibreOP should be available in the spring.

Details From Search Warrants On Former Saint John Councillor

We have more technical details from the search warrants in the investigation of former Saint John common councillor Donnie Snook.

The 568-page document describes events leading from March 2011 to Snook's January arrest, including the installation of a surveillance camera on a power pole outside his home. The camera recorded who was at 575 Martha Avenue while explicit chat sessions were happening with undercover police.

On January 9th, an officer observed while all the lights were on at the home, no one answered the door. Snook was the only one inside. The chat logs from that time show a message saying "some one at the door....see you later?"'

The warrants also indicate the person sharing the explicit images was hacking into their neighbour's wi-fi connection. However, the Mac Address of the computer used to transmit them was traced to Snook's home.

The chat user promised the undercover cop "live action" in order to win his trust -- but only with their face covered, because if they were caught, "[they] would die." Cameras, computers, a tablet, phones and other electronic devices were all confiscated in the search. 

Snook's next court appearance is on March 11 when he is expected to enter a plea.

Lady Ganong Awarded Queen's Jubilee Medal

A local lady has been given a great honor from the Queen.

Diane Ganong, of St. Stephen, being presented with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Lieutenant Governor.

The award was given after Diane's many contributions to the community and to Canada.
Some of those contributions include Chairmanship of the Extra Mural Hospital, service on the National Alzheimer's Board, and President of UNICEF Canada.

$2 Million Boost For Garcelon Civic Center

A funding announcement in the form of $2 million dollars being made in St. Stephen today.

The federal and provincial governments each giving an additional million for the Garcelon Civic Center to ensure the project gets done, on budget and on time. A news release from the province states the support is in addition to the project originally announced in 2009. That included $6.2 million from Infrastructure Canada'as Building Canada Fund, $6.2 million from the province of New Brunswick and $5.2 million by the Town of St. Stephen.


MP for South-West New Brunswick John Williamson says, "Investments in projects likr the Garcelon Civic Centre help provide important services to the community and businesses, strengthen the local economy and improve the quality of life for residents." Williamson also stated that job creation and economic growth have always been the main focus of his government.

Premier David Alward tells Tide News the Garcelon and the new hotel will have a significant economic impact on the community. He says, "What that means to solidify the economy and in downtown St. Stephen is exceptional. It means that people can be working in St. Stephen and that is great news for the area."
Alward, who lives in Woodstock, says the impact of their local Civic Center has been phenomenal for his community.

The announcement was followed by a tour of the Civic Centre site in downtown St. Stephen in which Premier Alward, Williamson, and MLA Curtis Malloch were given a tour, among others present, of the soon-to-be arena and pool.

Snook Search Warrants To Be Released Today

We could soon know more about the case against former Saint John common councillor Donnie Snook.

Search warrants in the case are scheduled to be released later today although some of the information will be blacked out.

The two-term councillor resigned last month amid 8 charges relating to child pornography, child exploitation, and sexual interference with a child under 16. The 40 year old was arrested at his home on January 9th and resigned as a Councillor on the 17th.

School Security Getting Boost After Newtown Tragedy

Security at schools in the Anglophone South School District is being enhanced in the wake of the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut before Christmas. 

There will be new I-D badges for school district workers who are not attached to any particular school but perform jobs at several of them when the need arises. 

Superintendent Zoe Watson tells Tide News school safety is always uppermost in their minds at the school district and there are some schools in Saint John which have an intercom outside and you have to be buzzed in. 

The new logo for the school district was designed by a grade 9 student at Hampton High, Melanie Levesque in her art class.

Graham Takes Responsibilty For Atcon Conflict

The Province's conflict of interest commissioner says former premier Shawn Graham broke provincial rules because of his involvement in his government's decision to give financial help to a construction company.

    Patrick Ryan has released his report into allegations that Graham was in a conflict of interest in 2009 when his Liberal government gave a $50 million loan guarantee to Miramichi-based Atcon.
 
    Ryan says Graham should have removed himself from cabinet discussions over the loan guarantee because his father was a director of Vanerply, a Swedish subsidiary of Atcon,  and a paid consultant of Vanerply and other Atcon companies.
 
    Ryan says while Graham didn't check whether his father had ties to Atcon at the time the loan guarantee was offered, it was his responsibility to know.

    Despite the loan guarantee, Atcon went bankrupt in 2010.    Ryan is recommending Graham be fined $3,500 and reprimanded.
 
    Graham issued a statement saying the fault was an oversight' on his part and he accepts full responsibility for his actions.

More Snow And Some Rain For Wednesday

Some of us in Charlotte County are still digging ourselves out from the snowstorm -- but Environment Canada says "Don't put your shovels away just yet."

Meteorologist Claude Cote tells Tide News they are currently watching another low pressure system that will hit Wednesday. Cote says this system will not be as severe as the storm we felt this past weekend. He says we can expect up to 5-10 mms of rain, and another 5-10 cms of snow on Wednesday.




Cote says Charlotte County recieved 20 cms of snow by Sunday evening and winds that reached 93 kms per hour in the St. Stephen and Bayside areas.

NB Power reporting over 55 hundred in the province were without juice this morning, including 625 affected in Charlotte County, most of those being in Pennfield.

Another Sunday Storm Is Coming Our Way

Charlotte County can expect 20 centimetres of snow by tomorrow morning.

Environment Canada meterologist Jeremy March tells Tide News we are on the western end of the storm system.
 
He says the entire province will experience the high winds and blowing snow.

Saint John is looking at 25 centimetres of snow while Quispamsis, Rothesay, Hampton and Sussex could get up to 35 centimetres of snow. 

Due to the impending storm, the Princess of Acadia will be leaving early at 2pm from Digby for Saint John.

Upper Mills Man In Hot Water

A Upper Mills man has been arrested for assaulting three peace officers and resisting arrest in an incident near a home near St. Stephen.

Early Friday afternoon two District 1 RCMP and an SPCA officer went to the home to look into the welfare of a dog.

 A 57-year-old man at a home in Upper Mills became violent and assaulted the SPCA officer. 

When police attempted to arrest him, he resisted and physically assaulted one of the police officers. The second officer stepped in and the man was eventually taken into custody.

He was later released on a promise to appear and is expected to face charges of assaulting peace officers and resisting arrest.