Sketches Of Suspects In B & E's Around MacDougall Lake

 Police releasing sketches of two men they think broke into over a dozen local camps.


District 1 RCMP say two men were spotted by a neighbour on Route 785, near MacDougall Lake.

The men assaulted the neighbour and left in a blue Pontiac Grand Am.

One suspect is described as caucasian, in his early 20's, with sandy color hair, one pierced ear, and a thin build.

The other is also in his late teens or early 20's, and unknown ethnicity.

Both wore camoflage clothing.

Between December 15th and 16th, over a dozen camps in the MacDougall Lake and Seeley Lake areas were broken into.

If you have any information please contact St. George RCMP at 5-6-755-1130 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Merrill Sheds Light On Fracking

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is nothing new.


Stephanie Merrill of the New Brunswick Conservation Council says there are seven companies in the province, all in different stages of shale gas exploration.

She says there is actual production in Penobsquis, and they have been producing gas there for almost 10 years.

However, Merril adds, people are just starting to realize now that it's not new and the exploration has been around for awhile.

Merril giving Charlotte County residents the pros and cons of fracking at a meeting last night in St. Stephen.

She wants everyone to have all the facts, before deciding to go for or against the controversial issue.

RCMP Need Witnesses To Collision In St. George

District 1 RCMP in St. George are looking for witnesses.


Last Thursday, an accident between a silver Nissan truck and a grey Ford Focus happened on Route 1 around 5pm.

The crash was located just off the entrance ramp coming from St. George towards Saint John.

Police are requesting anyone with information, or who may have witnessed the accident to call the St. George RCMP at 506-755-1130.

Jurors Picked In Ferguson Case

Over the next six weeks, a jury of 5 men and 4 women will be hearing testimony at the defamation lawsuit launched by Saint John's pension board against former Common Councillor John Ferguson back in 2007.


The jurors have been told there's a lot of documentation that will be presented along with the playing of excerpts from meetings of Common Council.
 
The lawsuit was launched after Ferguson voiced criticisms of how the city's pension plan was being managed.
 
Since that time, Ferguson ran for the Mayoralty but lost and is now serving as the town manager in St. Stephen.
 
The city's pension deficit, meantime, has increased to 190 million dollars.

Office Open For Civic Center

If you have questions concerning the future of the new Garcelon Civic Center in St. Stephen, the Civic Center Office is open this week to give you answers.

Here are the hours of operation for this week.

Tuesday 11am-1pm


Thursday 11am-1pm and 4pm-6pm

Friday 11am-1pm and 4-6pm

The office is located at 103 Milltown Blvd in St. Stephen.

Rally In Support For John Ferguson

The Saint John pension board's lawsuit against former Common Councillor John Ferguson goes to court starting today.

Six weeks set aside to hear testimony.

Ferguson is currently the Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of St. Stephen.

The Pension Board launched the suit back in 2007, after criticisms voiced by Ferguson about what he saw as the mismanagement of the pension plan.

John Campbell, who has already announced he's running for a seat on Common Council, tells Tide News this is a complete waste of time and money, calling it frivalous, and says the only people making money from this is the lawyers.
A rally is also being organised for in front of the provincial courthouse on Charlotte Street where the trial is being held.

Illegal Smokes Seized

A man getting burned in a sting on illegal smokes.

At approximately 7pm on Thursday, the RCMP n arrested a Moncton man on the Trans Canada Highway near Salisbury for being in possession of contraband cigarettes.  


Police stopped the truck he was driving and seized approximately 220,000 contraband cigarettes. 

A 26-year-old man was arrested and is facing charges under the  Provincial Tobacco Tax Act.

Photo Credit: RCMP

Dragonfly Centre For Autism To Open This Weekend

The Dragonfly Resource Centre for Autism will celebrate their Grand Opening  tomorrow between 1-4pm.

Everyone is welcome.

The Dragonfly Centre is located at 36 Milltown Blvd in St. Stephen.

Civic Centre Office Now Open

All questions from the community about the new Civic Centre -- can now be answered.


The Grand opening of the Garcelon Civic Centre office taking place today.

The Town of St. Stephen inviting everyone to check out the office at 103 Milltown Blvd, filled with plans and information about the project.

Deputy Mayor Jim Maxwell says the office will stay open during the construction process as an information centre.

Family Of 6 Burned Out

A fire yesterday in St. Stephen put a family of six out in the cold.

The Canadian Red Cross has stepped in, providing temporary accommodations and food for the couple and their four children.

The kids range in age between 2 and 13.

No word yet on the cause of the fire.

No Support From Town At Elm Street Park Meeting

'Frustrating' was the word of the night at a meeting for the St. Stephen Elm Street Park Society.

Wilf Torunski, President of the Society tells Tide News the resurrection of the park has not drawn the interest of the town council.

He says they are trying to re-open the southern section of Elm Park, which is mostly wooded areas, at little or no cost to the town.

Torunski says the society has received a $1000 grant from the provincial government to get started on the park.

With exception to Mayor Jed Purcell being out of town, all town officials were invited to the meeting, however, not a single one showed up.

St. Stephen Town Manager John Ferguson was unable to be reached for comment.

Endangered Species Only Home In Charlotte County

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is spreading the awareness about an endangered species found only in Charlotte County.

Program Manager of the NCC, Paula Noel, tells Tide News of a delicate plant with purple bell shaped flowers, called Van Brunt's Jacob's Ladder.


She says there were records of the plant being seen in New Brunswick in the 1880's, but there had been no record of it since then, so everyone assumed it was extinct.

Jacob's Ladder was re-discovered in 2005 by Dwayne Sabine and Stephen Clayden in Dipper Harbour.

The plant has also been found in Utopia.

The NCC is asking anyone to report their sightings of Jacob's ladder.

You can email them at atlantic@natureconservancy.ca or by phone at 1-877-231-4400.


Photo by Stephen Clayden.

Elm Park for Public Use Again?

What is the future of the St. Stephen Elm Street Park?

A public meeting will be held tomorrow at Humphrey's Funeral Home by the Elm Street Park Society.

The purpose is to try and re-establish the park in town for public use.

The meeting gets underway at 7pm.

For more information call Wilf at 465-6422.

Send A Valentine To Your Favorite Crustacean

Even the critters from the Bay of Fundy are feeling the love.

The Fundy Discovery Aquarium in St. Andrews inviting children to write Valentine's Day cards for the animals.

The cards will be dropped into special boxes near the animals, such as Loki and Snorkel the harbour seals, and Big Dee-Dee the Lobster.



Genny Simard will be making a presentation on lobsters and lobster love at 2:30pm.

The celebration is this Saturday, from 10-5.

Impaired Driver Hits Police Car in St. Andrews

Don't drink and Drive -- you may hit a police car.

That's what happened to a 20-year-old man last Friday, just shortly after 2am in St. Andrews.

The man from Saint John failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Parr and Sophia Street, colliding with a police cruiser head on.

The officer was sent to hospital with minor injuries and was released.

No other injuries, but both vehicles were significantly damaged.

The man was found to be impaired, and will appear in court to face charges at a later date.

St. Stephen urged to conserve water.

The Town of St. Stephen is urging everyone to conserve their water usage this morning as the town is running on a limited supply due to a breakdown that happened last evening.
Residents may be experiencing little or no pressure due the breakdown.
St. Stephen Water Department say parts to fix the problem will be trucked in from Saint John.

Loan Gives St. Stephen 13 New Jobs

A St. Stephen company is getting money from Invest NB and the provincial government to create 13 new full-time jobs.

Premier David Alward making the announcement today at Superior Tanks.

Alward says the government and Invest NB are empowering businesses to create jobs, grow their communities, and rebuild a stronger economy.

Superior Tanks co-owner Sylvain Villeneuve says the support has allowed them to nearly triple their workforce.

Invest NB is providing a $100 thousand forgivable loan.

Canadian Country in China

Two country stars from New Brunswick will soon be entertaining the chinese.

Kevin Chase of the Kingston Peninsula and Melanie Morgan of Cap Pele are a tour with 5 stops, ending in Shanghai.

 The purpose of the trip is to create awareness of their brand of Canadian Country in China.

 They leave next month.

Questions Raised About Nuclear Spill in Lepreau

An environmentalist is raising questions about the role of Canada's nuclear safety regulator after a heavy-water spill two months ago at the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant.
   
David Coon of the Conservation Council says the regulator, then called the Atomic Energy Control Board should have followed-up on similar incidents back in 1995.
   
The earlier incidents came to light in a report from NB Power.
   
The report, obtained by The Canadian Press, says heavy water entered a gas monitor three times during a shutdown in 1995, but the design was never changed.

Will Marriot Parent The Algonquin?

A prominent piece of New Brunswick history may be getting a new owner.
   
The Crown-owned Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews could soon carry the Marriott banner, if a deal can be finalized.
  
Tourism Minister Trevor Holder says the provincial government is in final negotiations with a consortium.
   
New Castle Hotels and Southwest Properties are interested in buying the resort, or becoming a partner with the province.
   
The minister says the parties now have 60 days to conduct their due diligence.
   
The province launched the search for a new operator last February .
  
Last year, the government said the century-old resort needed repairs and upgrades worth 20 to 25 million dollars.

Something For Every Biker

The "Rally in The St. Croix Valley" scheduling rides for all different kinds of bikers.

Canadian Chair Bob Hamel tells Tide News about a new ride added this year, called a dual-sport ride, for specialized bikes that go on and off road.

Hamel says they have a few dual-sport rides scheduled, leading the bikers through wooded areas, and giving them a chance to utilize the bike they own.
There will also be a "Blueberry-Chocolate" ride that includes blueberry tasting at Granite Farms in St. George and a tour of the Chocolate Museum in St. Stephen.

The Rally is set for July 1st to the 8th.

They are currently looking for volunteers, if you would like to participate, contact Bob Hamel at 467-7101 or through Facebook.

Cooke's To Be Awarded For Heroic Efforts

A local fish plant being honored for their heroic efforts.

Cooke's Aquaculture in St. George will be given an Industry Achievement Award during the Fish Canada/Workboat Canada Trade Show this weekend, for their selfless acts in the Flood of 2010.

When Charlotte County went under water last winter, an excess of 60 employees of Cooke's utilized boats to rescue people, as well as deliver food and supplies.

Cooke's also joined with JD Irving, in efforts to get those hit hardest into a new subdivision.

Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke's Aquaculture says "the flood happened in our town and to our people, there was no question of us getting involved."

The award will be presented at the Moncton Coliseum tomorrow night at 6.

SJDA Wins Technology Package

Congratulations goes out to the Sir James Dunn Acadamy in St. Andrews.
They are one of the winners from the MindShare Learning 21st Century Digital Classroom Challenge.  Sir James Dunn Adadamy is one of three regional winner’s from Canada  that will receive technology packages worth over $15,000.

Teacher Seth Richardson says “At SJDA technology education is at the forefront of our 21st century learning initiative. He says they are committed to inspiring future leaders to question, innovate and collaborate, using the skills necessary to succeed".

Business Participation Wanted For Bikers

Local communities are revving their engines for the Rally in the St. Croix Valley.

A public meeting was held last night at the Calais Motor Inn to organize the ground work behind the scenes of the event planned for this summer.

Canadian Chair Bob Hamel says the major thing they need now is for the business community to step up.

Hamel says this is an opportunity for businesses within the community to bring in an influx of financial support for themselves, by finding a special niche to provide for the folks coming into town during the Rally.

He adds they are also looking for any non-profit groups who would like to participate.

The entire event will be non-profit, with all proceeds going to Veterans Organizations, and they are allowing non-profit groups to "piggy-back" by holding fundraisers and events of their own.

If you would like to participate, contact Chair Bob Hamel at 467-7101, or on Facebook at Rally in the St. Croix Valley.

Bay Of Fundy Island Now Protected

An island in the Bay of Fundy near Grand Manan is now in the hands of the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.

Connors Brothers donating Southern Wolf Island to the trust.

Renata Woodward tells Tide News it will not be used for tourism, as it has at-risk species and a high ecological value.


She says they will probably promote scientific research, and outreach and education in terms of science and environment.

Woodward says this came about through the Nature Trust's "Campaign for Coastal Lands".

Threat to Fredericton Hospital

Fredericton police are at a hospital in the city after a man phoned in a threat today.

Const. Rick Mooney declined to elaborate, saying only the threat to the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital was of a general nature.

Mooney says the threat was phoned in at around 10:30 a.m. and officers are stationed at all of the hospital's entrances.

He says people are only being allowed in through the hospital's main entrance and officers are searching all men entering the building.

The Tide's Marathon Food Drive a Success!

Thank You Charlotte County!

The Tide's 10th Annual Marathon Food Drive was a success, despite Friday's portion being cancelled due to bad weather.

Between 3 food drives being held in St. Andrews, St. George, and St. Stephen, we raised $933 dollars in cash, and almost 16 hundred pounds of food for our local food banks.

Blood Found At Home Of Missing Toddler

Frightening evidence has been uncovered in the case of a missing toddler from Maine.

Police say blood was found in Ayla Reynold's home in Waterville.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland says some of the samples tested had come from the toddler, but there is still more testing to be done.

Police told the family that the amount of blood is "more than what a small cut would produce".

Ayla Reynolds was 20 months old when she was reported missing 6 weeks ago (Dec 17) from her crib in her father's home.

Third Bridge Not Reaching Full Potential

Some interesting numbers coming from the Canadian Border Services Agency.

Many residents of St. Stephen expected the Milltown Border crossing to close down, once the new Third Bridge was opened.

But, statistics from the CBSA based on 2011, saw the Milltown bridge far exceeds the amount of travelers, with just short of 460 thousand.

The Third Bridge processed barely more than 245 thousand travellers for 2011.

Worries in Grand Manan on Lobster Licenses

Lobster fishermen in Grand Manan may be in hot water.

Concerns have been raised by the Grand Manan Fisherman's Association to local MLA Rick Doucet about the potential loss of lobster licenses.

A temporary freeze on interprovincial license transfers between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia has been lifted.

The GMFA has sent a letter to Fisheries and Oceans Minister Keith Ashfield asking for the freeze to give time to address concerns.

Doucet supports it.

He says "the island's economy is heavily dependent on this industry, this is their livelihood."

Food Drive For Tomorrow!

The storm bringing lots of cancellations today, including our Food Drive.

98.1 has decided to cancel tonight's portion of the Tide's Marathon Food Drive, but we will continue as planned tomorrow morning.

We will be filling shopping carts at the St. Stephen Superstore, the St. Andrews Save-Easy, and the St. George Save-Easy to donate to our local food banks.

The drive kicks off at 10am, running until 2pm.

New Speed Limit On Porter Street

A narrow street in St. Stephen -- where 'Just 4 Kidz' daycare resides -- is getting a new speed limit.

Concerns were raised by residents whom witness speeders daily who take the side street to avoid waiting for a red light.

St. Stephen Town Council approved the lower speed limit to 30 kms per hour, effective as soon as signs are in place.

RCMP Retires His Badge

Today, St. Stephen sends a thank you to one of our finest.

Constable John MacCready retires from the District 1 RCMP, after serving more than 38 years with the force.

His final years he spent as the town's Court Liaison Officer.

Best wishes John!

(Picture - St. Stephen Mayor Jed Purcell with Cons. John MacCready)

Lacey Pleads For No Tax Increases

Please don't raise our taxes!

This from Atlantic Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation Kevin Lacey when confronting Finance Minister Blaine Higgs on the 2012-2013 provincial budget.

Lacey says New Brunswickers' salaries are not going up, but all the fees we pay like food, health, gasoline, and CPP are.


He adds, to raise taxes now would not give the revenue that is needed, nor will it benefit any New Brunswicker that is forced to pay all the prices that are on the rise.

Lacey and Finance Minister Blaine Higgs were at the St. Stephen Legion Tuesday, hosting a pre-budget consultation to get New Brunswickers' input.

Healthcare Cut To The Bone?

How will our healthcare be affected in the 2012-2013 provincial budget?

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs says it's not about cutting services that are needed.

Concerns were raised in the border town, as to why the province is cutting hours down in health clinics.

Higgs asked, if it made sense to have a facility open for hours and hours, if there is nothing happening there.

Higgs was in St. Stephen for 1 of 10 pre-budget consultations, getting New Brunswickers' input before the budget is announced.

(Picture - Finance Minister Blaine Higgs seated with Campobello-Charlotte MLA Curtis Malloch)

What is Next For The Garcelon?

What is the next step for the Garcelon Civic Centre?

 Town Manager John Ferguson tells Tide News some activity will include stockpiling fill, approximately 7 metres high, designed to weigh down a specific area of property, compacting the land, to support the future pool.

He adds, that stockpile mimics years and years of compaction, and the process will take around 2 months to complete.

Project Manager Announced for Civic Center

It's a big step towards our new Civic Center.

Last night, St. Stephen Town Council approved E.A. Farren Limited from Saint John as the Project Management for the Garcelon Civic Center, for a price just over $439 thousand dollars.

Town Manager John Ferguson says there were 6 companies who applied for the position.

He says E.A. Farren had the lowest price with no potential for cost overruns.

Finance Minister In St. Stephen

Another stop in gathering New Brunswickers' input -- Finance Minister Blaine Higgs will be in St. Stephen tomorrow morning.

Higgs is making the rounds in the province, holding public meetings in 10 communities, gathering the public opinion first, before the 2012-2013 budget comes out.

Everyone is allowed to participate, even thought the meeting is labeled for stakeholders.

The meeting goes from 10am until 12 noon at the St. Stephen Legion, located at 43 Queen Street.

Scammer In Charlotte County!

A scam is making the rounds in Charlotte County.

One of our listeners in Pennfield tells Tide News, during a call this morning, she was asked to give her credit card number over the phone, so an unknown person could de-bug and clean her computer so it ran better.

Our listener says she doesn't have a computer, and when she asked who was calling, they hung up.

A spokesman for the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says they've had over 4000 complaints since early December for the same scam.

He warns they are targeting our directory, hitting on areas from St. Stephen to Grand Manan Island.

If you think you have been scammed, call the Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

1 Week Until The Marathon Begins!

Get your shopping carts ready!

1 week from today, The Tide is hosting The 10th Annual Marathon Food Drive, and it's getting bigger!

This year, a separate food drive will take place at the St. Stephen Superstore, the St. Andrews Save-Easy, as well as the St. George Save-Easy, filling the shelves of food banks in each community.


Food Drive times are Friday, from 5-9pm, and Saturday, from 10am-2pm.

Photos Released Of Snowmobile Armed Robbers

The RCMP have released photos and descriptions of two suspects in the armed robbery of Zealand Convenience, on Route 104.

A shot was fired but no one was hit.

The store owner was assaulted and taken to hospital where he was treated and later released.

An undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes was stolen.

There was an earlier armed holdup at Estey's General store on Route 104 in Millville, where a shot was fired with cash and cigarettes being stolen.

Witnesses say after each robbery, the suspects escaped on snowmobiles.

Grand Manan Opens Community Centre Tomorrow

Grand Manan Island will have the official opening of it's Community Centre tomorrow.

The ceremony gets underway at 1:30, at 1021, Route 776.

NB South-West MP John Williamson will be attending, alongside Wellness, Culture and Sport Minister Trevor Holder and Grand Manan Mayor Dennis Greene.

Health Advocate Digging on Ambulance NB in St. Andrews

Opposition Health Advocate, Bill Fraser has filed a right-to-information request with Ambulance New Brunswick concerning an incident in St. Andrews.

Last June, a town resident suffering from an allergic reaction waited for an ambulance to be dispatched from Lepreau.

Fraser says,  on the surface, ANB’s response rates look very good, they claim they’re meeting both urban and rural response targets in ninety percent of cases.

But what’s not often revealed is that there are exemptions that allow for missed response times to not be factored in.




This comes as Cupe Local 4848, which represents paramedics raises concerns over ambulance response times and proper coverage.

It claims the number of ambulances in the province is down 40 percent during the night and current health care cuts could lead to lengthier response times.

Red Cross Stepping In For Fire Victims

Two mothers and their children getting help, after their apartment building was destroyed by fire.

Janice Babineau of the Canadian Red Cross says the families were given blankets, clothing, hygiene products, and teddy bears for the kids.

Sgt. Bob MacKnight with the District 1 RCMP says the blaze was caused by a mattress that caught fire in one of the apartments at 17 Pleasant Street in Milltown.

He says there were no fatalities, but two people were treated for smoke inhalation.

SJ Airport Down In Passengers

CEO of the Saint John Airport, Bernie LeBlanc, giving a presentation to the St. Stephen Chamber of Commerce this afternoon.

He touched base on the airport's finances, budget, and goals.

LeBlanc says Saint John is down about 14 thousand passengers in 2011, as compared to 2010.

He hopes to improve those numbers by expanding customer offerings, enhancing facilities, and to get more involved with the community.

LeBlanc says their biggest problem is a lack of population.

(Picture: VP of Chamber of Commerce Terry Jordan with CEO of SJ Airport Bernie LeBlanc)

Murder In Saint John?

A two day preliminary hearing will be held in the spring to determine if 50 year old Stephen Wallace Martin should stand trial for the killing of a man in Saint John before Christmas.

It gets underway on May 2nd with two days set aside for testimony.

The body of 70 year old Robert Ryan was discovered by firefighters after they were called to 374 Mount Pleasant Avenue North.

Police have not said how he died but determined it was a homicide.

School Canceled From Lack of Heat

Lots of little ones staying home from school today over the river.

Kathy Lawrence of the Calais School Department confirmed the Calais Elementary School canceled classes for today, due to no heat in the building.

No word yet if classes will continue tomorrow.

Fire In Milltown Leaves 9 Homeless

Many residents of St. Stephen thinking of past time, spent living in an apartment building that caught fire last night.

EMS and Fire Services from St. Stephen and Calais responding to the blaze around 6pm at 17 Pleasant Street in Milltown.

Sgt. Bob MacKnight of the District 1 RCMP says a mattress in one of the apartments was the cause of the fire.

He says tenants tried to remove the mattress but were overcome by smoke inhalation.

Two people suffered minor injuries from the smoke and were treated.

In total, nine people were left homeless and have been arranged temporary accomodations.

MacKnight says foul play is not suspected.