Superstore Will Soon Offer Free Dietician Services

It might be the push you need to start eating better. 

Loblaws Atlantic Director of Corporate Affairs Mark Boudreau tells us nineteen registered dietitians will be hired between April and June 2014 to provide their services for free at local Superstores. 

You'll be able to make an appointment at the grocery store and get personalized advice about what you should and shouldn't be eating.
90 cent of Canadians say dieticians are an excellent source of health information, but only 24 per cent of Atlantic Canadians have ever consulted one.

Abused Women Suffer Long-Lasting Health Problems

If you're being pushed around, demeaned, and belittled by a domestic partner, you'd expect your health would improve dramatically as soon as you get out of that relationship. 

But new research by Nursing Professor Marilyn Merritt-Gray suggests abuse can effect your health long after you leave. Gray tells us women who have been abused are twice as likely to suffer from chronic pain and high blood pressure, and 10 times more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression.

The good news, however, is those conditions are treatable as long as women seek help. Merritt-Gray says leaving is the first step, because then you can begin seeking treatments for these problems.

Another Storm Forecasted For The Region

It looks like Old Man Winter isn't finished yet. Environment Canada warning of the possibility of another storm bringing heavy snowfall and high winds to the region on Wednesday.

Paula Sutherland with the Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre tells us it's still too early to say how much snow we will be getting however they will be monitoring the intense low pressure system over the next few days, and as it gets closer, they will be able to better predict snowfall amounts.

Sutherland says it's expected the southeastern part of the province will bear the brunt of the winter storm.

Dangerous Driver In St. George Gets Reported Twice To Police Within Minutes

You know you're in trouble if you get two 911 calls on your driving in one day.

RCMP responding to a dangerous driver on the L'etete Road in St. George yesterday morning (March 20,2014) around 9am.

While on route, police receiving a second 911 call that the man was now at the St. George Tim Hortons parking lot and had driven into another vehicle.

The man did not stay at the scene of the crash.

Police say they went to the Tim Hortons parking lot and helped the victims.

RCMP say noone was injured in the crash.

The 33-year-old St. George man was arrested a short time later and taken into custody.

He is scheduled to face charges in May in St. Stephen Provincial Court.

Opening Night For The Wizard Of Oz Musical At SSHS

It's time to get away from all those potholes -- and follow the yellow brick road.

Tonight is opening night at the St. Stephen High School for the new musical, "The Wizard of Oz".

St. Stephen High School Drama, including students from St. Stephen Middle School will doing their first performance tonight at 7pm at the St. Stephen High School Auditorium.




The play was chosen to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the film.



If you can't make it to the show tonight, there will be 5 more performances after tonight.


Saturday, March 22, at 2pm
Sunday, March 23, at 2pm
Friday, March 28, at 7pm
Saturday, March 29, at 2pm
Sunday, March 30, at 2pm.

Tickets are $10, available at the SSHS front desk, or at Stuart's Gifts in St. Stephen. For details call 466-7312.

Provincial NDP Says Premier Has Alot Of Explaining To Do

A culture of lawlessness or at least willful indifference to the law.......Those are the words of Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy about the controversy over the expenses of M-L-A's. 

Cardy charges there was a coverup when Campbellton-Restigouche M-L-A Greg Davis fell more than six months behind on the rent payments for his constituency office.
Davis received 40 thousand dollars for his constituency expenses but details of how that money was spent haven't been released yet. 

Cardy charges both the Liberals and Conservatives would like the expenses controversy to just go away. He advocates a system where M-L-A's would put their expenses online for all to see with regular updates.

Shale Gas Opponents Say Job Claims By Alward Government Are Just Spin

The New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance has scheduled a series of public meetings around the province, including one in Sussex, to give people all the information on shale gas instead of what it calls propaganda from the Alward Government. 

Jim Emberger of the Alliance tells Tide News if you look at the number of jobs created by shale gas in Pennsylvania, the claims being made in New Brunswick about how this will turn the economy around have been wildly overblown. He says in Pennsylvania, 4 jobs were created per well as opposed to the claim in the Deloitte Touche report that 21 jobs will be generated per well. 

Emberger also argues Massachusetts has created three times the number of jobs with green energy as compared to what Pennsylvania has generated with shale gas.

Holder Back In NYC To Promote The Two Nation Vacation

American travel writers in New York City getting an earful from a New Brunswick-Maine contingent singing the praises of the Two Nation Vacation.
 
Tourism Minister Trevor Holder tells Tide News they are talking to them about the newly renovated Algonquin Hotel and they were very interested in that.

Holder is in the Big Apple with Maine's Director of Tourism Carolann Ouellette and Nancy Blount of Blount Small Ship Adventures.
 
The province and port recently announcing that Blount will begin using Saint John for homeporting in 2015.

CFIA Issues Chicken Recall

A chicken product that could be in your fridge is being recalled due to the possible risk of listeria.

The recall impacts Kirkland Signature brand Grilled Chicken Breast Strips sold in this province, Ontario , Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Ontario.    It may also have been sold in other provinces.

If you bought this chicken throw it out or return it to the store where you bought it.

For more detail on the recall, click here

Assault Sends One Man To Hospital

An assault on the west side early this morning around 3:00 is being investigated by major crime. 

One man has been taken to hospital. City Police tell Tide News the altercation took place in the area of Church Avenue and Morris Street. So far, no one has been arrested.

Considerable damage was caused after a fire in a kitchen at a home on Seeley Street. One man was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire did not spread to the rest of the house.

Canada Beats The Olympic Silver Medallists In Curling

Canada is just two wins away from winning gold at the Ford World Women's Curling Championship after defeating Sweden 9-6 to finish the round robin with a 10 and 1 record. 

With the win, Canada will meet Switzerland in the playoffs tonight at 7:30. The winner advances to Sunday night's gold medal game while the loser will play in tomorrow afternoon's semifinal. 

There's a tie breaker this afternoon at 2:30 with Sweden taking on South Korea.

NS Sexual Assault Trial Wrapping Up

The sexual assault trial involving a Halifax man is entering it's final stages.

Both sides in the case presented their closing arguments this afternoon in the high profile Supreme Court trial in Bridgewater.

John Leonard MacKean is facing two charges including sexual assault and another relating to prostitution.

MacKean denies the boy was chained up when he visited the cabin on September 20, 2012.

MacKean also testified he would have helped the 16 year old if he knew the boy was being held against his will.

However, the 64 year old admitted to touching the teenagers genitals while he was at the cabin in Upper Chelsea to get a massage.

The Crown has submitted DNA evidence that matches MacKean.

The defence argues the case comes down to credibility of witnesses and whether the victim was telling the truth while under oath due to varying versions of his story.

The jury will begin it's deliberations after it gets instructions from the judge tomorrow morning.

Which Of These Bills Is Counterfeit?

Getting some cash out of the ATM for the weekend? As you count it, make sure you take a close look at those bills--because fakes can be harder to spot than you might think.

Allan Paquet of the Bank of Canada was on hand at the Fraud Prevention expo at Market Square. He tells Tide News the new polymer bills are harder to fake, but not impossible.


The time-tested way to check a bill is to hold it up to a light source, like a window--here are images imbedded in the bill that won't be there if it's fake. As well, the new bills have raised ink around the number of the bill's denomination.

As for the above bills--the ten on the bottom is the fake one, although it's only apparent when you hold it up to a light source and compare its texture with the genuine bill, above.

Weston Says New Finance Minister Knows The Needs Of Saint John

Saint John MP Rodney Weston says he is saddened by Jim Flaherty's departure as Federal Finance Minister. Weston says Flaherty had a real affinity for Saint John but his replacement, Joe Oliver also knows what the local economic needs are.

Weston says Oliver has been to Saint John several times in his previous job as Natural Resources Minister when he spoke in favour of the proposed Energy East pipeline.

Questions Over Credibility Of Shale Gas Findings

The academics with the New Brunswick Energy Institute are credible but Provincial Green Party leader David Coon doesn't think the institute itself has any credibility in the eyes of the public. This, as the Institute launches a study into the impact of shale gas exploration on groundwater so whether its findings will carry any weight with New Brunswickers or change any minds remains to be seen.

The Energy Institute is a creation of the Alward Government and its reputation took a hit with the well publicised resignation of Professor Louis LaPierre over his academic qualifications.

A preliminary report from the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. on the effect of shale gas exploration on groundwater is expected later this year.

Team Canada Alone At 8 and 1 After Draw 15

After Draw 15 at the Ford World Women's Curling Championships, Canada is alone at 8 and 1 in the standings.

Korea beat the US 8-6, Russia downed Switzerland 8-5, Germany beat Latvia 6-4 and Sweden soundedly defeating China 10 to 5.

Russia, Switzerland and Sweden are all 8 and 2, Korea is 7 and 3 while China sits at 6 and 4.

Today, Scotland takes on the US while Canada plays China and tonight the Homan rink takes on Sweden.

MacKean Testifying At His Bridgewater Trial

A 64 year old Halifax man charged with sexual assault is testifying today during his Supreme Court trial in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.

John Leonard MacKean says he would have helped the teenage boy who was chained up and blindfolded if he had known he was being held against his will.

MacKean is accused of paying to perform sexual acts on the boy while he was chained up and blindfolded.

However, the 64 year old denies those charges and says he was duped into going to the cabin by Wayne Cunningham.

Cunningham was one of the main figures in the kidnapping and confinement of the 16 year old in Upper Chelsea.

MacKean also stated he never discussed paying to perform sexual acts on the boy.

The crown will have an opportunity to question MacKean later today.

A 12 member jury is expected to begin its deliberations later today or tomorrow.

Gas Prices Are Down Again But Not By Much

A bit of a price break for drivers after the weekly setting.

Self serve regular is selling for $1.34.3 a litre, down by just half a cent a litre.

Diesel will cost you less at $1.46.7 a litre. The maximum price has gone down by two cents a litre.

The maximum price for heating oil has also dropped by almost 2 cents a litre to stand at $1.29.3 and there has been another big drop in the maximum price of propane. We're talking just over 4 and a half cents a litre to $1.20.4.

Watch Out For This Scam In Charlotte County

The West District RCMP is warning St. George, Blacks Harbour, and other Charlotte County residents about a telephone scam currently being reported in the area.

Fraudsters are contacting people at home pretending to be Microsoft or Windows employees, telling you your computer has a virus, that they need to perform an important update. They may request payment for this "service" by asking you to provide banking or credit card information. This can result in money being stolen from you and viruses added to your computer.

If you or a loved one may have been a victim of this type of fraud, please contact local police.

Canada Wins Morning Match At Curling Championship

Canada improving to 7 and 1 at the Ford World Women's Curling championship with a 7-5 win over Germany. Switzerland is also at 7 and 1 after downing Scotland 10-5.

The M-C for the tournament, Stewart Brown tells Tide News there have been a lot of surprises such as when the Koreans knocked off the Swiss who were unbeaten.

Canada plays the Koreans at 2:30.

Brown says the curlers love Saint John and he calls Harbour Station an amazing venue. He predicts the playoffs which will take place after the round robin ends will be nail biters because the teams are so evenly matched.