2013-14 Deficit Has Increased By $38.3 Million

The provincial government has released its second-quarter fiscal update--and despite $113 million in spending reductions, the province is reporting a revenue shortfall of almost $173-million dollars.

The revenue shortfall has caused the deficit for 2013-14 to increase by 38.3 million dollars from the first quarter to $538.2 million dollars.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs is expected to schedule a pre-budget consultation meeting with key stakeholders throughout the province to discuss possible solutions to the revenue problems.

Joshua Group Founder Speaks Out On Estabrooks

The founder of the Joshua Group says he sees the devastation former City police officer Ken Estabrooks caused on a daily basis.

Hayes tells Tide News he started suffering abuse at the hands of Estabrooks when he was 12-years old and living in the South end and it continued for about three years. He says after that he didn't see Estabrooks again until he was 18-years old and started a job with the City, and Estabrooks became his co-worker. 

Hayes says it's a hard thing to accept when you report abuse to your supervisor and are told to "go in, or go home."

Hayes says Estabrooks abuse a lot of kids all over the city and there are a lot of damaged people living here today. It was recently revealed that the deceased officer may have sexually abused 263 children over the course of nearly three decades dating back to the late 1950s.

Hayes is named as the plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the city of Saint John and he hopes it leads to the victims getting help. You can hear the full interview with Hayes this Sunday by tuning into Pulse NB on 98.1 The Tide.

Auditor General Points Out Discrepancies In Provincial Government Service

NB Power did not adequately address the risks posed by the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant even though it has a rigorous oversight process in place, according to the latest annual report from the auditor general.

Kim MacPherson says even though the decision making process took four-and-a-half years from 2001 to 2005, as late as the spring of 2005, there was still substantial uncertainty about what should be done to meet future provincial electricity needs.

She warns the province has a structural deficit where expenses exceed revenues and if this continues, buildings, roads and bridges may not be maintained and renewed as they should be.

MacPherson notes, in general, to correct a structural deficit, programs and services need to be reduced, revenues need to be increased, or some combination of the two needs to occur.

According to her report, the money owed the provincial government more than doubled between 2002 and 2012, increasing to $2.6 billion from $1.1 billion.

Union Claims Shared Risk Model Is Illegal

The Canadian Union of Pulbic Employees has filed a complaint with the Labour and Employment Board claiming the legislated changes to the provincial pension plan are illegal.

CUPE New Brunswick President Danny Légère says under the Public Service Labour Relations Act, once a notice to bargain is made, the terms and conditions of employment must remain in place until a new contract agreement is reached or a deadlock in negotiations is declared. 

CUPE argues the switch to the shared risk model is a violation of that.

UNB Professors Concerned About Quality Of Education

UNB has to refocus on the classroom and making sure students at the university get the best education they can. 

 That, from Dr. Miriam Jones, President of the Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers. She says programs for people who retire aren't being replaced--and money is going anywhere but into the core mission of the university.
 
The union is threatening strike action in the new year if a new contract agreement is not reached with the university.

UNB Teachers Vote For Strike Mandate

UNB Teachers in Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton and Bathurst voting for a strong strike mandate.

90 per cent of the members on the four campuses voted to strike.

Spokesperson Miriam Jones says over 99 per cent of eligible members voted.

She says its clear the academic staff feel strongly that institution needs to change direction.

She hopes the strong strike mandate will convince our employer that their members are serious about defending UNB's reputation as a credible, competitive, and comprehensive university.

Holder Can See Benefits From Public Art

To say the Tourism Minister is a bit excited about the 2014 edition of Sculpture SJ in an understatement.

Trevor Holder tells Tide News for some of the smaller communities in our region it will be the first piece of public art they have ever received.

He says in many cases this piece of public art on a main street in a smaller community can create a streetscape effect that can go a long towards other development that happens around it.

After a year off, Sculpture SJ returns late next summer involving 8 communities including Blacks Harbour, St. Andrews and St. Stephen.  

St. George received a sculpture in the 2012 edition. (In Photo) 

Higgs &n Melanson Duke It Out Over Shared Risk Plan

Pension reform talks got heated in the legislature today, with Liberal Dieppe Centre-Lewisville MLA Roger Melanson accusing Finance Minister Blaine Higgs of evading questions on the actuarial model the government used to back up its statements on the Shared Risk Model.

Meanwhile Higgs says the research is well-documented and his job is to search for solutions to a problem pension plans across Canada are currently facing.

CUPE has written an open letter expressing concern the SRP actually transfers all the risk to the members.

CUPE Warns Less Gear Will Be Clearing The Snow This Winter

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is speaking out on what it sees as the effect of 9 million dollars in cuts to the highway winter maintenance program. 

The President of local 1190 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees is warning there will be 55 fewer pieces of equipment to get rid of the snow with 70 fewer operators. 

Andy Hardy also charges for the second year in a row, sand and salt budgets have been reduced while the province is giving more than 6 million dollars to a consulting firm from Quebec.

Court Ruling Prompts Tire Burning

A judge in Fredericton granting SWN Resources  a two-week extension to its court injunction to keep protesters from interfering with testing for shale gas.
 
The company arguing the injunction, which includes a buffer zone around their equipment, had to be extended in order for it to finish up its work. 

Last night, part of Highway 11 was closed after protestors set fire to tires.

Potash Jobs Being Eliminated

According to a report out of Saskatchewan, Potash Corp will be slashing 130 jobs in New Brunswick. 

The Saskatoon-based company says the jobs are being cut because of soft demand for potash and phosphates, which are used to make fertilizer.

University Campus Reopened

The U-N-B Saint John campus at Tucker Park was shut down for much of yesterday and last night following the discovery of a suspicious package at the Athletics Centre. 

An evacuation was ordered until it could be determined if the package was dangerous. Divisional Chief Mark Wilson says a special unit of the RCMP was called in from Halifax and firefighters remained at the university for 9 hours. 

It turned out the package was not dangerous with shredded paper inside. City Police are now investigating.

Funeral For Teens Who Died In Crash

Four teenagers who died early Saturday morning in a car crash being honoured at a funeral service this afternoon in Cap-Pelé. Premier David Alward also offered his condolences in the legislature.

18 year old Justin Léger, Sebastien Léger, and Justin Brown, and 17 year old Luc Arsenault all died when their car struck a culvert and went off the road in Notre-Dame The funeral service started at 3 p.m in Cap Pelé.

Wish Tree To Bring Happy Christmas To Needy Child

One St. Andrews Christmas tree in particular will tug at your heart.

As part of the 10th Annual Festival Of Trees at Kingsbrae Garden, you can see the Wish Tree set up in the main lobby.

Donna Linton from the Volunteer Centre of Charlotte County tells Tide News they are asking for the public's help. She says the tree is decorated in tags with Christmas wishes written on them, and people are being asked to take the wishes home and bring back a wrapped gift.


Linton says the gifts are going to a 17-year-old girl who has had a hard life and has never been able to enjoy the holiday season. She says the girl comes from a single parent family where there are limited resources and limited access to resources.

Linton says the wishes are simple things like art supplies and hygeine items and nothing costs "an arm and a leg".
For details, contact Donna Linton at the Volunteer Centre at 466-4995.

The CAA Offers Winter Driving Safety Tips

Driving can be tricky when the temperature dips below zero, but the Canadian Automobile Association has some tips on getting around safely this season. 

Gary Howard of the CAA says firstly its important both you and your vehicle are winter-ready. Howard also says you have to remember it's not just you on the roads so when you are driving in bad weather, drive defensively. And you should also adjust your driving to the weather conditions as posted speed limits are only for ideal driving conditions.

He says you should also know you need more braking distance when roads are slippery no matter what type of vehicle you have. For even more safety tips on safe winter driving from the CAA, click here.

Job Subsidies To Rich Corporations Being Questioned

Some eyebrows being raised over whether the Alward Government should have given T-D a subsidy of 2 million dollars in training costs for the creation of 275 jobs at its insurance call centre on Rothesay Avenue over the next three years.. 

The Atlantic Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Kevin Lacey tells Tide News it smacks of desperation on the part of the provincial government and calls it a race to the bottom, saying if you do it for one company, other firms will expect subsidies as well. 

Lacey also points out T-D isn't exactly strapped for cash having reported a profit of 1.6 billion dollars.

He says a better long term strategy is to create a workforce who are so skilled, companies will want to set up shop to take advantage of their skills.

2014 Sculpture SJ Expands To More Communities

Bigger & better...that is the plan for the return of Sculpture SJ next year.     

After a year off, the event will feature more regional locations that will end up with a new piece of public art.

Organizer Dianna Alexander says 8 communities will take part, which are St. Stephen, Hampton, Sussex, Grand Bay-Westfield, St. Andrews, Blacks Harbour, the Saint John Waterfront Development and the Grandview Avenue campus of the New Brunswick Community College.

Hampton's Jim Boyd will be taking part again next year and two of the artists from the 2012 event will be chosen to be return.   

Sculpture SJ 2014 runs August 7th to September 20th in the Coast Guard parking lot on Water street.

Suspicious Package at UNB Saint John

A tense situation on the campus of UNB Saint John where the discovery of a suspicious package late this morning forced the evacuation of the UNB field house.

Staff Sgt. Mike King of the City Police tells Tide News they are concerned about the area where they found the package.There is a return address on the package which they are looking into and they are in touch with a Hazardous Materials team in Halifax. City Fire's Haz Mat unit was called in just before 11am.

Early reports said the package did not contain any liquid or powder. King says they can't say what the package looks like, or what is inside the package at this time, but he does say no threat has been issued.

NB Power Is Doing Better

NB Power is reporting better financial numbers with year-to-date earnings rebounding to $5 million and the utility will be paying down its debt by $39 million. 

The better numbers being attributed, in part, to all that rain we got over the summer to generate more hydroelectricity with out of province revenue going up by 32 million dollars. 

We're also told the Point Lepreau nuclear plant, following a planned maintenance outage in October, is now operating at 100 per cent capaciy.

Ashley Smith Inquest Winding Down After Almost A Year

More than 12 thousand pages of evidence from 80 plus witnesses and over 100 recommendations. That's what jurors at the Ashley Smith inquest in Toronto will face going over after they receive final instructions today and then begin their deliberations.
 
The inquest into Smith’s choking death in a prison segregation cell in 2007 began last January. 

The jurors did receive conflicting advice on the question whether the 19-year-old Smith from Moncton meant to kill herself or died because the guards, under orders against intervening too quickly, waited too long to save her.

Tragedy In Southeastern New Brunswick

The small Acadian village of Cap Pele is in mourning after a tragic car crash over the weekend takes the lives of four teens, aged 17 and 18.
 
The four died when the car they were in went off the highway, struck a culvert and rolled over several times.
 
Three of the victims were not wearing their seatbelts and got ejected from the vehicle. The RCMP say speed was a factor in the crash. 

A funeral service for the four has been scheduled tomorrow afternoon and is being described as a celebration of their short lives. 

The people who live in Cap Pele have been asked not to turn their Christmas lights on until after the funeral.

Political Leaders React To Deadly Crash

Reaction from the Premier and the leader of the opposition on this weekend's tragic crash killing four teens from Cap Pele.

Liberal Leader Brian Gallant offering his sympathies to the families and friends of the four teens.

Shediac-Cap Pele Liberal MLA Victor Boudreau says he shares in the sadness and shock of the community.

Premier David Alward also offering his sympathies saying he is deeply saddened by news of the fatal collision.

4-Plex: Should Folks Outside Of Saint John Have To Pay User Fees?

There's been a lot of talk lately about a 4-plex at Long Wharf which would replace some of the region's ailing arenas, and some are questioning whether those traveling from outlying areas should pay user fees to recover the costs.

Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News we've been working hard to foster at atmosphere of cooperation in the Greater Saint John area....and user fees would be a step backward.

"My own perspective is we need to act as a region. We are the greater Saint John region, it doesn't matter if you happen to live in the Rothesay area or the Grand Bay-Westfield area."

Michael Hugenholtz of the city's Leisure Services department says if the 4-plex is built, they'd need to crunch the numbers on how many people from out of town use the facility, and the cost-recovery model hasn't been ruled out.

JDI Says Natural Gas Hike Could Leave Jobs At Risk

A JDI spokesperson says jobs could be at risk if a proposed rate hike for natural gas gets the green light. 

Mary Keith says the application by Enbridge Gas, for what they are calling a "slight increase" in bills for commercial and industrial users, is concerning. 

She tells CHSJ News they're the main source of natural gas for their Atlantic Wallboard plant in Saint John.

"I think in all of our operations we're looking to ensure that we have got competitive fuel sources, and we've worked very hard to reduce our footprint in terms of greenhouse gases, through options like natural gas, or biomass."

Enbridge wants to see the new distribution rates take effect on the first day of the new year.

About 20 Billion Dollars Goes Across The Border In Consumer Shopping Each Year

While you're looking for the best holiday deals, Canadian retailers are trying to offer you more options, in competition with the U.S.

Finona Story is the spokesperson for RedFlagDeals.com.
She tells CHSJ News, there's been an increase in the number of Black Friday deals in Canada over the past 5 years.

She says when Black Friday deals started Canada in 2007, there were only about two deals. Last year, there were about 200 deals and 150 participating retailers.

She adds there have been fringe movements to help push for shopping closer to home, even if that means missing out on some better deals across the boarder. 

"The more recent studies,which came out in 2012, estimated that roughly 20 billion dollars goes across the border each year in consumer shopping," says Story.

Senior Executive of Alberta Energy Company Says Investing In NB Is Too Risky

For some companies, investing in New Brunwick's shale gas is just too risky. Keith Steeves works for an energy company in Alberta, called NAL Resources. He says the company probably wouldn't invest in the province because of political and social risks.

 "There seems to be fair amount of protests going on, there seems to be a fair amount of destruction of property going on. Those things aren't conducive to being efficient and effective in carrying out the operations of the business we have."
 

He said in order for the company to invest in New Brunswick, there would have be more security. "There's lots of places where we can explore oil and gas, and New Brunswick is just one of them."

Tips For Your Holiday Shopping

Whether you're kick-starting your holiday shopping, or maybe you just need a few more things. RedFlagDeals.com has some tips for you.

Fiona Story, spokesperson of the company, says make sure you do your research before heading to the store.  "Have you're list ready, go to the store and make sure you have your coupon or deal codes," she says. 

Adding, make sure you've updated your apps as well, because in a lot of cases you can just show the app or the deal at the cash. She says a lot of hot deals are on televisions and cameras. 

Many retailers have specific deals going live at certain times. Story says, "really keeping up to date on what's being pushed when, is a good way to capitalize on the best savings."

Don't Forget About Winter Parking Bans

Don't forget, the yearly winter overnight parking restriction goes into effect on Sunday at midnight, and stays in effect until March 31st.

This means no parking on most city streets between midnight and 7 a.m.

Some streets are exempt from the parking restriction. For a map of those  streets, go to saintjohn.ca/winter.

Saint John Jewish Community Celebrates Chanukah Tonight

The Saint John Jewish community celebrates the festival of Chanukah tonight, and everyone in the community is invited to attend the menorah-lighting ceremony.

Chanukah began on Wednesday, and the menorah-lighting starts at 6pm, at the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum and synagogue, 91 Leinster Street. 

Chanukah songs, educational information, and light refreshments are all on the program.The eight-day festival celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks which allowed the the Jews the freedom to worship God. All are welcome to participate.

Premier Says Former Council Made It More Difficult To Reach Agreement

It was no secret Premier David Alward and former Mayor Ivan Court did not see eye to eye on solving the city's pension problem and a public-private partnership for clean water. 

Alward says the better the relationship the city has with the province and federal government, the better it will be for Saint Johnners.

Court, who has spoken out against the shared risk pension model for provincial retirees like himself, will be seeking the Liberal nomination in Saint John Lancaster for the next provincial election.

Power Coming Back For Charlotte County

Progess for those without electricity today following the nasty storm.

NB Power reports just over 1200 are off the grid now across the province.    


Around here in Charlotte County only 39 people left without power.

It's expected you should have your lights back by this evening.

Hospital Patients In Province Surveyed

With Horizon Health asking for patient feedback and Provincial Health Minister Ted Flemming's wish for patient centred care, the New Brunswick Health Council has released the results of its own survey of patients. 

C-E-O Stephane Robichaud tells Tide News there could be better communication with patients when it comes to transitioning from hospital to their homes and about the proper use of their drugs.

Robichaud says the main area for improvement would be cleanliness. Only 53.2 per cent of patients across the province say their room and washroom were always kept clean. That percentage is lower than it was in a similar survey done back in 2010.

Three out of four patients give their hospital stay a thumbs up.

Simonds High Evacuated After Bomb Scare

Part of Simonds High school in Saint John has been evacuated around noon after a student claimed to have a bomb and weapon.

Police have formed a perimeter around the high school and are checking it over as a precaution.

No weapons or bombs have been found and no one has been injured. Police are now dismantling the perimeter and say all the students are safe and

Charlotte County Hit Hard By Nor-easter

The high winds causing power outages throughout the region.

More than 2 thousand homes and businesses were in the dark in the St. Stephen region including Beaver Harbour, Pennfield and Musquash. 
 

Wind speeds peaked at 91 kilometers an hour at Saint John Airport and got up to 100 kilometers an hour at Point Lepreau.

Environment Canada reports Saint John received 88.5 millimeters of rain yesterday, and 61.5 mms in St. Stephen.

Power Outages For Thousands Due To High Winds

3166 NB Power customers in the dark throughout the province with outages in Fredericton, Bouctouche, and St Stephen.


High winds have hit Charlotte County the hardest with over 2-thousand people without power.

Crews are working to get power back no but there's no word yet on when that will be.

Local Companies Encouraged To Join Shipbuilding Supplier Registry

Local companies being encouraged to try and get a piece of the shipbuilding action in Halifax. 

Enterprise Saint John hosting an information session for people looking to learn more about joining the supplier registry for the Irving Shipbuilding program.

Janet Scott of Enterprise Saint John tells Tide News there are over 100 different categories of materials and services that will be needed throughout the modernization program.

Scott says there are over 70 companies from the Port City on the registry, and about five have already have contracts, including Hemmings House Pictures who are documenting the upgrades to the Halifax shipyard. Mary Keith of JDI tells us there are about 2000 businesses in total currently registered on the site.

Irving Shipbuilding investing $300 million to upgrade the shipyard in Halifax.

One Swallow Does Not A Summer Make For Grits

One swallow does not a summer make--and just because the Liberals came close to toppling the Tory stronghold of Brandon-Souris in Manitoba doesn't mean they're a shoo-in against the Tories despite Justin Trudeau's apparent confidence. 

UPEI political science professor Don Desserud tells Tide News the Conservative Party needs to listen carefully to the rumblings of discontent with the Harper government.

Desserud says the NDP is probably the most disappointed party with very little to grab on to in terms of recent successes, and Thomas Mulcair's attacks on the senate are an easy way for them to score points with very little risk considering there are no New Democrat senators.

Provincial Health Minister and Liberal Leader Go Toe To Toe

Provincial Health Minister Ted Flemming and Liberal leader Brian Gallant locking horns in the Legislature on the Alward Government's promised catastrophic drug plan. 

Flemming refused to be pinned down on an exact date when the plan will be in place and then turned the tables, asking Gallant about his proposed moratorium on shale gas development, calling it a raw attempt to win votes and predicting it will be over the day after the provincial election is over.

Flemming says the catastrophic drug plan will be coming down during the current sitting of the Legislature but anything good takes time to put in place.

Car Goes Off Road At Lepreau

(Photo Courtesy of Lt Paul Poirier)

Musquash Fire reporting a single vehicle crash along Route 790 in Lepreau, likely caused by icy road conditions. 

A car with four people inside went off the road and rolled down a deep ditch before landing on its wheels. 

The people inside managed to get out of the car by the time firefighters arrived. Two of them were taken to hospital with what looked like minor injuries.

No Charges Laid In Pennfield Overpass Crash

No charges being laid in a crash atop the Pennfield overpass.

RCMP tell Tide News a semi-tractor trailer reportedly turned into the opposing lane at the 785/176 overpass at Pennfield and collided nearly head-on with a sedan yesterday around noon.

Cpl. Jayson Hanson says the two people in the car were from Utopia and were sent to the Regional Hospital with injuries.

Police do not believe alcohol or speed were factors in the crash but the crash is still under investigation.

The crash blocked both lanes and stopped traffic for over an hour.

Cardy Calling On Grits & Tories To Join Forces Against Senate

Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy is calling on the Liberals and Conservatives to follow what they did at the Saskatchewan Legislature and pass a vote calling for the abolition of the Senate. 

Premier David Alward indicated earlier he wanted to see an elected Senate but Cardy tells Tide News that was then.


A recent poll by Corporate Rsearch Associates found nearly half of people in the province who gave any thought at all to the Senate wanted to see it abolished.

Traffic Disruption Near Lorneville

Traffic being disrupted along Highway 1 near Lorneville this morning after a tractor trailer wound up on the median after leaving the highway. 

The fire department was called to clean up the fuel that spilled. 

One lane going westbound was blocked. Both lanes going eastbound are open but the tractor trailer will have to be towed and, when that happens, traffic going eastbound will also be disrupted.

HHN Wants Feedback from You

Did you have an experience at a Horizon Health facility you think they should know about?  Here is your chance to tell them about it.

Horizon Health Network President and CEO John McGarry says over the 15 to 20 years with more regionalization they have distanced themselves from patients and communities.

He says they want people to give them a call and they'll sit down with them and talk about their experience.     He adds they are not looking for a blow by blow of there event in the hospital but the overall experience.

McGarry says they will inform the board about their progress and try and institute some of the common themes were are hearing about.

He adds they are looking  at everything from the admission process, the care received to parking.

To contact Horizon Health to get involved, call 1-855-661-0661.

$1.5 Million Dam Modernization Project Complete

The dam at the mouth of the Magaguadavic River in Charlotte County looking a little different after the completion of a six-month modernization project. 

The former stop log gates at the old dam site in St. George being upgraded with three new hydraulic steel gates. Before the changes, opening and closing the gates could take up to eight hours, now it takes 30 minutes. Geoff Britt of JDI tells Tide News the process is now quicker and safer for workers.

The fish passage also getting some improvements. To watch a video of the upgrade at the dam, click here.

New President Being Sought At Atlantica Centre For Energy

The Atlantica Centre for Energy is looking for a new President. 

Former M-P John Herron has left to join the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board. 

Former President Tim Currie has returned from retirement on an interim basis, telling Tide News the search is on for Herron's replacement and he expects someone will be chosen by the Board of Directors in the new year.

Four Federal Byelections Today May Tell A Lot

Four federal byelections are being held across the country today and polling indicates the Liberals have a chance to take the Conservative stronghold in Brandon-Souris. Conservatives are said to be divided there because of the nomination process but the Senate expense scandal has also been mentioned during the campaign. 

Prime Minister Harper is accusing the opposition parties of blocking his Senate Reform which Beausejour Liberal M-P Dominic Leblanc scoffs at, pointing out Harper has appointed more senator than any Prime Minister in the last 25 years and has not pushed for vote on his proposed Senate reforms. Leblanc adds the P-M has not pushed for a vote on Senate reform. 

A lot of attention is also being paid to Toronto Centre, long considered a Liberal stronghold, where the NDP is running a high profile candidate, author and social commentator Linda McQuaig. The Liberals are going with Chrysta Freeland who has written for the Financial Times and appeared on CNN and Morning Joe on MSNBC.

Executive Of Alberta Oil & Gas Company Gives Perspective On Shale Gas

A high flyer with an Alberta Gas company stopping off in the province to talk about the evolution of the oil and gas industry.  

Keith Steeves of NAL Resources, tells Tide News, when it comes to getting rid of environmental concerns over fracking with shale gas exploration,"you can never alleviate every concern from every person," he says.  However, he does say you can create a situation that deals with a lot of the concerns. 

  "I would say Alberta is a great example. I wouldn't say that we are completely with people that don't have issues, but I would say that it's fairly well known and a common industry, and people are comfortable in terms of what we do from a drilling perspective," he says.

 Steeves claims shale gas has the capacity to create thousands of jobs.

How Many Hours Should You Be Spending In Dreamland?

When it comes to how many hours you should be spending in dreamland, there is no magic number.

The Medical Director of the Sleep Centre at the Regional Hospital, Dr. Rachel Morehouse says, the question of sleep need is probably the most common question she gets asked.

She tells us, the amount differs from person to person and some of it's based on genetics.

"It's quite simple, you need the amount of sleep that will make you feel rested and energetic the day, but that varies between individuals," she says.

She says there are some people at the extreme ends, who may need up to 12 hours of sleep a night, and some who may only need five. Most of us, she says, need about seven and a half.

Caregiving And Aging Presentation Hosted By Alzheimer Café

Saint John Alzheimer Café holding a caregiving and aging Presentation today.
 
Guest speaker, Dr. Amy D’Aprix is an expert in aging, retirement and caregiving. Much of her work focuses on working with seniors and their caregiving families.

She's the author of two books about caregiving and friendship, and has given presentations across North America.

The presentation being held today at 2pm-4pm, at St. Mark’s Church, in Saint John West.

Locals Building Shelters For Stray Cats

Stray cats in the city will be getting a cozy home, all thanks to a group in Saint John making cat shelters.

It's the first, "Build a Shelter Campaign," where shelters will be made out of donated supplies such as wood, straw, and rubber totes, and distributed throughout the city.

Yvonne Steeves is the owner of Puddy N' Pooch Palace, a pet resort at 688 Rothesay Avenue. The event is being hosted at the shop today from 10am -5pm.

She tells us "Something needs to be done about the stray and feral cats in the city, and unfortunately all of the shelter and reuses are completely full. There's no way to possibly get all the cats off the street."