Old Man Winter Is Back

The storm which hammered the northeastern U.S. is hammering down on us.

Mel Lemmon of Environment Canada tells Tide News things are turning for the worst this afternoon because of heavier snow accompanied by strong winds. He says we can expect winds gusts up to 60 km/h, and those will continue through tonight before it starts to taper off.

Grand Manan and coastal Charlotte County is also under a blizzard warning with 15-25 cms of snow expected.

St. Stephen is only calling for 10-15 cms of snow with lighter winds.

Plane Crash In Fredericton Area With Pilot Rescued

An investigation will be launched to determine why a small plane with a trainee pilot crashed last night near Highway 10 and Grub Road, between Fredericton and Minto. 

The Fredericton Fire Department says phone contact was made with the pilot who was found near by after an extensive search in dense brush and then was airlifted to hospital for medical treatment. He's listed in critical condition.


The pilot is in his 20's but his name has not been released. He managed to crawl out of the wreckage and called for help on his cellphone.

Meantime, on the east side, there was a two vehicle collision yesterday afternoon at 340 Loch Lomand Road. One person was taken to hospital.

Police Seek Public Help With Suspicious Fire

Police are asking for your help with a suspicious fire on the island.

Police in Grand Manan say they were called to a storage facility on Route 776, around 4am on June 28th.

RCMP say, by that time, the building was fully engulfed in flames and the loss is estimated around $50,000.

After further investigation, police are calling the blaze suspicious since there was no power going to the building.

If you have any information on the fire, please contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Storm On The Way For Charlotte County -- Blizzard For SJ

After days of spring-like temperatures, it's time to break out your shovel again. 

A blizzard is on the way for Saint John, bringing heavy snow and blowing snow to the region. A winter storm watch warning is in place for Charlotte County. 

Claude Cote of Environment Canada tells Tide News starting before Wednesday morning we'll see periods of snow, blowing snow and reduced visibility to near-zero. It's expected we'll see winds gusting to about 60 km/hr closer to the city.

Cote says the storm will start tapering off at about 8pm or 9am. We can expect to see about 15 cms of fresh snow on the ground by the end of the storm.

The provincial E-M-O reminding you that strong winds can bring power outages and you should make sure you have everything you need to last you at least seventy-two hours after a storm, including an emergency kit for your home and car. They're also encouraging you to avoid driving if you don't have to during and after the blizzard.

Man Arrested In Fredericton Stabbing Incident

A 31-year-old man has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault, and one count of  assault following a stabbing incident at Eastern College in Fredericton yesterday. Luke Thomas Powers of Fredericton appeared in court this morning.

 Police responded to Eastern College on Prospect Street in response to a disturbance, and when they arrived police found that three victims (two instructors, one student) had been injured by a large, long-bladed knife.


Police arrested Powers at the scene. He will appear in court again next month.

Huge Gym Bag Full Of Pot Seized

RCMP are reporting two Nova Scotia men were arrested on the weekend after a traffic stop in Havelock in which a quantity of marijuana was seized

The vehicle was going east on Highway 2 on Saturday shortly before noon. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery and seizure of about  43 lbs of marijuana, as well as cannabis resin. The seized put could have been used to roll more than 63-thousand joints.

Two men ages 30 and 41 were arrested and later released on a promise to appear in Moncton Provincial Court on March 10.

Rinehart Concerned About Students Caught In Strike

As the strike drags on at UNB, former UNB Dean Shelley Rinehart tells Tide News she knows from experience it's very difficult for the university to hire--because the school isn't competitive even with some of its closest neighbours.

She says she's especially concerned about the students in the MBA program, considering it's an 8-week module and they've already lost a week, which could impact their ability to finish on time.

Rinehart says there are some legitimate issues that need to be addressed and nothing would make her happier than hearing everyone is back at the bargaining table tomorrow.

Canadian Shoppers May Have Been Hacked

If you shopped at a Target store in the U.S. prior to Christmas, your name and contact information might have been stolen by hackers.
 
An email from the company has been sent to some Canadian customers which warns their names, mailing addresses, phone numbers and email addresses may have been taken if they shopped at Target stores in the U.S. between November 27th and December 15th.
 
Target has said hackers stole data related to 40 million credit and debit accounts in the U.S.
 
Canadian stores were not affected because they have a separate point-of-sale system.

Union Questions Commitment of University to Revitalising Faculty

As the strike by university of professors continues at U-N-B, a lot of people are getting nervous about when classes might resume. There's pressure to resume negotiations and there has been talk of that happening this week.

Union President Miriam Jones concedes at first glance it appears the professors are making good coin so why are they striking but she argues the faculty is aging and not being replaced by younger professors who would be making less. According to Jones, that's what the older professors would like to see because it means there's a commitment on the part of the university to revitalize the faculty with new blood. 
 
As it is, Jones tells Tide News the university is replacing full-time professors with people who teach course by course for what she describes as "peanuts" or on term contracts.

Date Set For Oland Inquiry

Six weeks have been set aside for a preliminary hearing to determine if Dennis Oland will stand trial in the death of his father, Richard, in July of 2011.

It is scheduled to go from May 12th to June 20th and, in almost all cases, the presiding judge imposes a ban on the publication of evidence.

The body of Richard Oland was found in his office on Canterbury Street in Saint John. 

Man Crashes SUV At River's Edge

A crash on Milltown Blvd this morning could have been a lot worse.

Just before 10am, a man driving an SUV losing consciousness in the back parking lot behind 98.1 The Tide with his vehicle slamming into one of the town's heritage signs -- very close to the edge of the St. Croix River. 

Once first responders arrived, the driver became aware and said he had fallen on the ice a few minutes prior to getting into his vehicle.

He was taken to the Charlotte County Hospital in St. Stephen to get checked out, with no visible injuries.

Two Teachers And A Student Hurt In School Stabbing

Fredericton police shedding more light on a stabbing incident at Eastern College on Prospect street this morning.

Police arrived just before 830 to find two teachers and one student had been hurt by a machete-style knife and one man was arrested.

Three victims were sent to hospital and media reports have one teacher requiring surgery.

Fredericton police chief Leanne Fitch says if a student had not intervened and subdued the suspect a bad situation would have been a lot worse.

Fitch adds they believe its an isolated incident and they do not believe there is any additional threat to the community.

Price Of Milk Increasing Next Month

You'll be paying a little more for milk starting next month, with the New Brunswick Farm Products Commission announcing the price is going up by 3.1 cents per litre.

Commission chair Bob Shannon they needed to raise the price because for several reasons, the most significant being the cost of production, processing and the delivery of milk to consumers.

The increase will be divided among dairy producers, dairy processors and retailers. Producers will receive 1.32 cents per litre, processors will get 1.37 cents per litre, and the balance goes to retailers. Pricing under the School Milk Program will remain unchanged for the school year.

Missing Boy Found

A 14-year-old boy from Fredericton who was reported missing late last week has been found.

Josh Wood was last seen around Leo Hayes High School Friday morning but is now back home safe and sound. 

Police believe he may have spent the time at a friend's home.

Union Defends Wage Demand

The Canadian Taxpayers Association has called the demand of a wage increase of 26 per cent over 4 years by striking professors at U-N-B in Fredericton, Saint John and Bathurst as outrageous when their average salary is 100 thousand dollars. 

That characterization is being refuted by Union President Miriam Jones who tells Tide News the university finds the money to spend on non-academic projects.  She claims taxpayers would not have to pay any extra because U-N-B has the money but Jones has an issue with how the university is spending it.

According to Jones, over the past ten years, 48 academic positions have been lost but the university added 84 non-academic jobs for the projects it wants.

Upcoming Renovations To Saint John Regional Hospital May Cause Delays

The Specimen Collection department at the Saint John Regional Hospital will be under renovation from January 28th to February 25th. 

Horizon Health Network says there could be some delays in services. You're being asked to make sure you have an appointed booked with the Specimen Collection department  before going to the hospital.

Your other options during the time of renovations include, the Specimen Collection Departments at St. Joseph's Hospital and the Kennebecasis Valley Clinic. Both are available by appointment.

If you have questions about a specimen collection appointment call 506-648-6683.

Rothesay Council Officially Endorses Natural Gas Exploration

Rothesay council taking an official position on the exploration of natural gas in New Brunswick. 

Town council voting in support of the motion made by Mayor Bill Bishop, who tells us he hopes it prompts the provincial government to keep moving forward with exploration. He says the province's finances are in a sad state and natural resources are the wealth of New Brunswick.

Saint John Council voted to support the exploration of natural gas in the province back in early December.

Missing 14-year-old boy in Fredericton

Fredericton Police are asking for your help in finding a missing person. Fourteen-year-old Josh Wood has been missing since Friday night. He was last seen around Leo Hayes High School Friday morning. 

 A news release from the Fredericton Police Department states, "Wood is approximately 5'6" in height, 130lbs, blue eyes, and was wearing  a Sharks hockey jacket with #9 on the back, black Adidas splash pants, white sneakers and white baseball cap,"

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fredericton Police Force at
460-2300.

Hemmings House Pictures Launches "Instagram Photo Festival"

Here's an idea on what to do with all of your Instagram pictures of Saint John. Simply add #lovesaintjohn, and you'll be part of the "Instagram Photo Festival" being launched by Hemmings House Pictures.

Director of photography Mark Hemmings, tells us, he thought it would be a great way to showcase


 photos of Saint John that are taken on cell phones or tablets, ending up on Instagram.

 "The grand hope is that people will fall in love with Saint John. I think the best way to do that is to photograph your own city and to appreciate how interesting it is," he says.

Hemmings House Pictures will host a mini-festival in March, showcasing the images taken around the Port City. Hemmings hopes people will submit photos that are unique to Saint John, no matter how small.

Millidgeville pharmacy sees spike in the number of people coming in for flu shots

A local pharmacy saying it's seen a spike in the number of people coming in for flu shots this year. 

This after more cases of H1N1 in Alberta, and reports of four flu related deaths in New Brunswick. Ryan Kennedy is a pharmacist and owner of the Millidgeville Pharmasave.

He  says he's concerned about running low on vaccinations, but is hoping to get more stock next week. 

He tells us about the amount of people coming in for flu shots this season. "Multiple people, double digits every day," he says, which is certainly not in line with what we were doing last year." 

Adding, "We've been able to maintain a bit of a supply that was running low. Some of the other dispensaries in the market have run out, so they've been forwarding people here."

He says this has meant longer wait times than usual, but people have been understanding.  The New Brunswick Pharmacy Association recently telling us the number of people getting flu shots has doubled this year.

Staying On Top Of Healthy Eating Resolutions

It can be tough to stay motivated throughout the year to achieve the healthy eating goals you made at the very beginning.

Nutritionist Leslie Fancey has some tips for keeping on top of your New Year's Resolutions. She says it's important to be realistic, which will help you stay motivated. 

"Keeping up with a sensible weight loss of maybe about a pound to a pound and a half a week. That's a much more healthy way to lose weight than setting expectations high and thinking 'oh, I'm going to lose three to five every week.' It's just not sustainable, it's not even desirable to lose that much," she says.

She adds, stocking your cupboards with whole natural foods, can help you resist temptation, along with making a list before grocery shopping to help you stay on track.

She also suggests having an accountability buddy such as "a friend or a spouse, someone who you can show your food diary to, or share issues or challenges that you're facing."

Man Hospitalized After Stabbing In Saint John

Saint John Police responding to an incident at Woodhaven Drive overnight. A male was stabbed at a home and taken to hospital. There have been no arrests.
 
The man had non life-threatening injuries, and has been released from hospital. The incident is under investigation by the Major Crime Unit.

Overnight Parking Restrictions For Lower West Side

There will be no parking on Saturday night and Sunday morning in the following areas:  King Street West from and to Ludlow street, on Ludlow from King Street West to Prince Street, and on Prince Street close to the Ludlow intersection. 

Everyone is bring advised to avoid these streets on Sunday as well. If your park on those streets during no parking hours you will be ticketed and towed. There will be temporary no parking signs.

Tomorrow, and on Jan 26th, turbine rotors will be moved from Port Saint John to the Point Lepreau Generating Station. The City says delays can also be expected on Route 1 between 7:30 and 10:30 am.

MCF Says Rehab Shouldn't Affect Appearance In June

Maritime CountryFest taking to social media to address issues with this year's big name star.

The Fredericton festival posting to Facebook they had received word from Trace Adkins' Agent Darin Murphy.

Murphy says "Trace has entered a treatment facility after a setback in his battle with alcoholism. As he faces these issues head-on, we ask that his family’s privacy be respected. The rehab is a 30 day program."

Maritime adding they are confident this will have no impact on his appearance, set for Saturday, June 14th and wish him all the best with his recovery.

Reports say Adkins got into a drunken brawl this week with a Trace impersonator aboard his Country Cruise to Jamaica. He left the ship for rehab as soon as it docked.

Toby Keith Is Coming To Harbour Station

Country fans will be psyched to hear this one!    Toby Keith is coming to Harbour Station for a concert on May 2nd.

Keith will bring his "Hammer Down" tour to Saint John.     In March, the country star has four concerts in Australia before coming back to the states.

Ticket prices range between $79.95 and $119.95 plus service charge and tickets go on sale next Friday January 24th at 10am.

Expect Delays As Turbines Are Moved To Point Lepreau

You might be wondering what you're seeing on the highways--so we'll tell you now.

On Sunday and again on January 26, two turbine rotors weighing about 130 tonnes each will be transported from the Port at West Saint John to the Point Lepreau Generating Station. Moving them will cause t traffic delays and road closures, as they will be traveling at about 15-20 km/hour for most of the 50 km journey.

There will be police escorts--and a replacement truck and specialized mechanics will also be part of the convoy.

It will take about six hours to move each rotor. They will replace two of the three rotors in service at the Point Lepreau Generating Station.

From the city: 

"Motorists and truck traffic are advised to avoid traveling on King Street West, Market Street and Ludlow Street in Saint John West between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19 and Sunday, Jan. 26. Delays can also be expected on Route 1 between 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on the eastbound and westbound lanes from Ludlow Street in Saint John West to Route 790 at Lepreau. The northbound and southbound lanes of Route 790 will be affected from Route 1 to the Ridge Road (up to Point Lepreau) from 8:30 a.m. until noon. All delays will be intermittent, but may last more than 30 minutes and will include road closures and detours."

Four Flu Deaths In The Province With 300 Cases

The chief medical officer of health revealing four people have died due to illness relating to the flu with the dominant strain this year being H1N1.

Dr. Eilish Cleary says there are over 300 confirmed cases of the flu with 51 people have been hospitalized.

15 were admitted to intensive care units but Cleary says most of those who were hospitalized have been discharged.

Four New Additions To Efficiency NB

A few new faces joining Efficiency N.B. A new chair and three members have been appointed to the group's board of directors.

The president and C-O-O of Groupe Savoie in Saint-Quentin, Alain Bossé being named the chair, while the owner of Quispamsis-based technology and management consulting firm Horizon3 Ventures, Richard Jones, being appointed vice-chair. Gisèle Levesque and André Benoit joining as board members. 

All of them were nominated based on their professional skills, backgrounds and knowledge in the field of energy efficiency.

The Number Of Fatal Collisions Down 30% In 2013

The number of fatal collisions dropping 30 per cent in 2013. That's the lowest number of in five years. 

 The New Brunswick RCMP saying there were 38 fatal crashes and 48 victims last year. Sargent James Bates tells Tide News, the strategy they're using seems to be working.
 
"Our focus will remain on ensuring that people are wearing their seatbelts, focus on not driving while impaired, reducing speed on our roads and intersections, to avoid dangerous situations," he says. 

Adding, the focus will also remain on decreasing distracted driving in vehicles. A lack of seatbelts, impaired driving and speeding were the leading causes of fatalities in 2013.

Police Association President Weighs In On RCMP Vs. Municipal Departments

As Saint John examines the cost of RCMP policing the city, several other municipalities appear to be moving away from the Mounties.

NB Police Association President Dean Secord tells Tide News as the RCMP have transitioned to three districts,  many communities have been told they'll be getting a so-called "drive through service," in which officers decide what calls they service--and some mayors aren't happy with that.

Saint George has already voted to see if they can be released from the RCMP contract and Black's Harbour voted to do the same last night. In Saint John, City Manager Pat Woods has been tasked with a report comparing the costs of the SJPD to the RCMP.

Black's Harbour Council Votes To End RCMP Contract

Black's Harbour voting to end its policing agreement with the RCMP.

Deputy Mayor Natalie Harris tells Tide News village council voted unanimously last night to seek permission from the Minister of Public Safety to release them from their RCMP contract.

St. George previously voted to stop using the RCMP and has been talking with the Black's Harbour council for about a year on getting a municipal force for their communities.

Combined the village and town pay about $500,000 a year to have the RCMP provide policing.

Trace Adkins Will Headline Fredericton Festival

Trace Adkins coming to the rescue of the Maritime Countryfest in Fredericton this June.

The singer will fill in for Ronnie Dunn who has cancelled all of his tour dates this year.

Other performers include Deric Ruttan, Kelli Pickler, Chad Brownlee and Great Big Sea.

The event coming up June 13 and 14th at Officer's Square in Fredericton.

For ticket info and to see the rest of the talent line-up, click here

Black's Harbour To Vote On Policing Tonight

Black's Harbour Village council has a big vote tonight on whether or not to keep RCMP policing in the community.

St. George has already voted to drop the Mounties.
 
Black's Harbour Deputy Mayor Natalie Harris tells Tide News they looked at what they are spending and whether or not they are happy with the service they are receiving.

She tells us they think they can get a better service if they went with a regional joint police force adding they think this is the best thing they can do for the amount of money they are willing to pay for policing.

Black's Harbour and St. George pay $500,000 combined for their RCMP contact.

If Black's Harbour votes to get rid of the RCMP,  the village then needs permission from the Department of Public Safety to proceed with a new municipal force.

Open Letter To Man Who Befriended Autistic Child On Flight Goes Viral

An open letter written by a mother of an autistic three-year-old to the kind stranger that sat next to them on long flight, going viral. 

36-year old Shanell Mouland of Quispamsis says when a businessman sat next to her daughter on the plane she was nervous about how he would react, but was pleasantly surprised when the man put away his papers and started talking and playing with Kate. Mouland tells Tide News the man gave her entire family a peaceful flight.

With the post garnering attention from the Huffington Post and the New York Daily News, Mouland says she's proud her letter is reaching so many people.

Mouland tells us she and the man have been in contact since the flight from Orlando, and she describes him as modest, and not looking for any recognition. You can read Mouland's post, which has 62,000 likes on Facebook, on her blog Go Team Kate.

H1N1 Flu Death Reported In Fredericton Area

A woman in the Fredericton area has died from complications arising from H1N1, New Brunswick's first flu-related death this season.

According to media reports, the province's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eilish Cleary says the woman was middle-aged, with an underlying health condition and would have been considered in the at-risk category.

The woman's death was reported by the Horizon Health Network.

Lacey Calls Wage Increases The Profs Want "Outrageous"

Professors at UNB are on strike and among their demands are wage hikes of 26 percent over 4 years.
 
Kevin Lacey of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says professors make on average $100,000 a year.

He says the reason this is so important to taxpayers is nearly 50 per cent of each university's budget is paid for by working families in the province adding these wage increases are outrageous when you consider the fiscal situation the province is in.

Provincial E-M-O Issues Ice Movement Advisory

Above-zero temperatures and heavy rains could cause ice-jam flooding, the Department of Public Safety's E-M-O warns.

Current weather conditions could cause ice covers to deteriorate and snow to melt. If you live or work along streams, tributaries or rivers, you're being reminded to be on the alert for ice movement and to stay away from the water's edge as you could be hit by moving ice.

Environment Canada forecasting rain in most areas of the province, issuing a rainfall warning to Saint John, Saint John County, coastal Charlotte County and more. We could be getting up to 25 millimeters overnight.

You can download an emergency preparedness guide from the Get Prepared website, information on preparing for an outage at NB Power's website and you can see a list of weather warnings at Environment Canada online.

St. Andrews Searching For New CAO

St. Andrews is looking for a new Chief Administrative Officer.

Tim Henderson giving his resignation to Town Council this week and has agreed to continue in the position until a new CAO replacement has been found.

Henderson also resigning from the position of Town Clerk.

Henderson's role as Development Officer has been taken over by Ande Mosher as of January 6th, 2014. She will work as Development Officer/Building Inspector/Compliance Officer.

To see the job posting on the Town of St. Andrews website, click HERE

UNB President Says The Sides Are Far Apart

It's a first.   The faculty at UNB campuses including Saint John and Fredericton are on strike with classes suspended.

President Eddy Campbell tells Tide News a cooling off period is needed for the bargaining teams who have been working very hard to try and resolve this.

He says like everyone on any side of this they are upset and disappointed and they need some down time to recharge their batteries.

Campbell says they are very far apart on the issues and he calls it a very bad place to be.

He says their best offer is 9.5 per cent over 4 years and the Union returned with an offer of 26 per cent over 4 years and Campbell says they do not have anywhere near that amount of money.

UNB SRC Prez Sees Mixed Reaction To Strike

The President's of the Student council at UNB Saint John says the reaction is mixed to the faculty strike.  

Ashley Macosky tells Tide News some view it as a break and others are upset at the unwelcome interruption to their education.
 
We asked him what might happen to the school year if the strike goes on indefinitely and he tells us there is a no clear answer to that right now.

He says there is enough room in the academic calendar to accommodate a two-week strike.  He says the semester would get pushed back to the end of April adding March break would remain in tact where people have already made travel plans.

Macosky hails from Calgary, Alberta and says while it's not breaking news out west, his mom is upset to hear of the strike.

16lbs Of Pot Seized In Traffic Stop

RCMP conducting a traffic stop on Highway 2 near Havelock got much more than they bargained for.

A search of the vehicle led to a seizure of approximately 16 pounds of marijuana.  Police arrested the driver of the vehicle, 36-year-old Jean-Phillip Dubreil, of Montreal, and he has been charged with trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

He has been remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Moncton Provincial court today (Monday). The drugs are believed to have been destined for various locations in the Maritimes.

Teachers Walking The Picket Line Starting Today

Teachers at UNB walked the picket line in the early morning hours hoping for better wages. comparable to those at universities elsewhere in Canada.

Teacher's Association President Miriam Jones tells Tide News they were surprised to hear the news they'll be locked out of the school as of tomorrow.


All classes have been cancelled for the duration of the strike. The strike headquarters has been set up in the Somerset Pub mini-mall. It's expected that both sides will take a cooling-off period before they resume further negotiations.

Roads Closed Due To Flooding

The following roads are still closed as a result of flooding:

Simpson Drive at Golden Grove Road                                                                 

Rothesay Avenue near Rothesay Road at the train bridge
 
Todd and Holland Streets between Simpson Drive and Rothesay Avenue
Brown Street
 
Motorists are urged to use caution and observe barricades and signage. 

Please do not drive through water-covered or closed roads. Doing so may cause damage to your vehicle or to adjacent properties. 

UNB On Strike

As of midnight Jan. 13, the Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers (AUNBT) has announced it is exercising its legal right to strike. Picket lines have been set up this morning at the Tucker Park campus, and the teachers have been informed they've been locked out.

With the exception of some online courses and courses in Miramichi, all classes will be suspended for the duration of the strike.  In a statement, UNB restated its committed to achieving a new collective agreement that serves the interests of students and and that improves the current contract with faculty.

Key issues are wages and working conditions at other universities of a similar size.

UNB's VP of Finance Dan Murray said the wage increase the teachers are asking for amounts to an increase of more than $2700 and he said they don't think it's a viable thing for the university to do in this economy.

Murray also points to decreasing enrollment and caps on tuition increases as reasons that money is tight at the university these days.
  
Meanwhile Dr. Miriam Jones, AUNBT president says she wondered if they ever intended to settle, since they kept the negotiation team   talking until practically the last minute and then offered no movement.

For details on which classes are cancelled, click here

Saint John Fire Assisting After Train Derailment In Plaster Rock

The Saint John Fire Department offering some extra help after the train derailment in Plaster Rock. 

They were told early on that more command staff could be needed. A team of four from Saint John, headed to Plaster Rock early Thursday Morning, including Deputy Chief Joe Armstrong. 

He tells us, the Saint John team helped develop about fifteen incident action plans.

"We were glad too, that we could assist. We could go up there and we could help CN and more importantly help the community, so that the evacuees could get back into their homes safely," he says.

He tells us the situation was handled very well. Especially since, there were no injuries to anyone that lived in the area or any of the crews members.

How To Boost Your Immune System During Flu Season

With cold and flu season in full-swing, nutritionist Leslie Fancey has some tips for boosting your immunity and avoiding those nasty colds. 

She tells Tide News eating less sugar is a good start.

"Sugar is an immune system depressant, and so that's why a lot of times in January we see a lot of flu and cold symptoms because people have indulged in extra of sugars over the holidays of course, and Christmas time. That really has depleted their immune systems," she says.

She adds, adding garlic to your foods can be effective against viruses and bacteria.
Foods that are rich in Zinc are also great for boosting your immune system, including foods like pumpkin seeds, mushrooms and seafood. It's also helpful to get more vitamin C through foods such as grapefruit or lemons.

More Small Businesses Across The Province Plan On Reducing Staff Than Hiring

A New Brunswick Policy analyst saying more small businesses across Atlantic Canada plan on reducing full-time staff than hiring over the next three months. 

Richard Dunn speaks for New Brunswick's Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
 
"We're getting into budget season both for federal budget and provincial budget. We want to see governments come in with a fair bit of certainty, and put their long-term plans on paper, so business owners know where things are headed, and they can plan accordingly," he says. 

Dunn adds, there is a similar trend throughout the Atlantic region. While the national unemployment rate rose to 7.2 per cent, New Brunswick's rate is holding steady at 9.7-per cent. 

He says the silver lining is that we're at least closing the gap a tiny bit with the national average, but the concern still remains if more small business in the province plan on downsizing.

Saint John Road Closures Due To Heavy Rain Overnight

The City of Saint John is letting us know about road closures, due to heavy rain. 

The following roads are closed: Rothesay Avenue from One Mile House Interchange and McAllister Drive, Rothesay Avenue near Rothesay Road at the train bridge,Paradise Row at the on ramp to Main Street, Simpson Drive at Golden Grove Road, Fairville Boulevard near the Comfort Inn.

City crews will continue to monitor the worst areas. They ask the public not to drive through water-covered or closed roads, as this could cause damage to your vehicle. 

Saint John Fire Respond To Rescue At Partridge Island

Saint John Fire responding to a rescue mission at Partridge Island overnight. A night of adventure for four young men, turning out be quite dangerous. Around 1 am this morning Saint John Fire went across the breakwater and found the four teens. 

They made their made across, and were unable to make it back after the water became rough. Platoon Chief Eric Garland tells us, crews have responded to similar situations in the area before, but generally not at serious.

"We've been there for people who generally get a little ways out, but as I say these people were all the way across," he says. Probably what they were doing was possibly exploring. It's a very dangerous spot to be crossing at any time in the year, doesn't matter if it was a warm day in the summer. Due to the complications of tides, water and wind," he adds. 

 He tells us conditions were treacherous, and crews were concerned the teens risked getting hypothermia. One person had minor injuries. Crews were on scene until about 5 am this morning.