Storm Warning For St. Stephen And Charlotte County

Environment Canada has posted winter storm warnings for much of New Brunswick.


The storm has already pounded the midwest U-S and hit southwestern Ontario and Quebec.

Locally in Charlotte County the forecast calls for a mix of snow, ice pellets, and rain, with 70 km an hour winds.
20 cms is expected to fall today with another 10-15 cms coming tonight.

Bill To Help Prevent Flooding Washed Out In Legislature

A bill dealing with flooding in the province has been rejected in the legislature.


Bill 25 would make it mandatory for areas with dams to work with the EMO to get an emergency plan put in place incase of rising waters.

Local MLA Rick Doucet tells Tide News it was a simple amendment that would give residents in flood zones confidence in dam operators. He says, "Furthermore, the operators of the dams following the respect of pre-planned responses -- if they have some pre-planned responses put in place -- they would be well above critism and blame. If anything, let's end some of the finger-pointing that's gone on over the last couple of years." That coming after many residents in the St. George and Boney River areas questioned the actions of dam operators during the Flood of 2010.
Currently, a plan doesn't need to be made until the province calls a state of emergency for that area.

Doucet says the amendment was for people, like those in Boney River and Perth Andover,  to have confidence in dam operators that they will do all they can to prevent flooding.

Doucet says he will be having future discussions on the amendment. But, as for trying to table the amendment again, in his words, Doucet says the bill was squashed because the holidays were coming up, and it was easier for the legislature to kill it now rather than deal with it in the spring. He says he is sure they would do it again.

No "Ask" Yet For Subsidies For Possible Pipeline

   Premier David Alward says there hasn't been any "ask" by the private sector for government subsidies for the proposed west-east oil pipeline to Saint John.

    In a year end interview - Alward says the private sector is busy building a business case for the proposal:

Alward says companies like Enbridge that would operate the pipeline and the producers the companies in Alberta that produce the oil.

    Alward says government's role will be to ensure the regulatory process for the project is open - responsible - and - will allow the project to move forward in a timely manner.
   

The RSC's Get To Work January 1st

The new year will see 12 regional commissions in the province get down to work.
 
The Alward government announcing back in February the creation of the commissions to promote increased planning and communication among communities.
 
Chair Grace Losier announced last week that Jack Keir will be Region 9's Executive Director.

She says he did rise to the top because of his past experience with the Crane Mountain landfill reporting to a public board of directors.

The service commissions will be responsible for the solid waste commissions when their work officially starts in January.

Christmas Prep Is Tough Without Power

Just over 600 people in the province are off the grid but, likely not by choice.

Over 100 NB Power customers in Fredericton and St. Stephen are without power.

Crews working for the utility have been hard at this week trying to restore power after Wednesday's massive snowstorm so last night's wind and rain didn't help matters.

Need Some Help With Your Heating Bill?

Winter heating bills can be a major stress if you're getting by on a small income and the provincial government is offering a helping hand if you make less than $28,000.


Families can apply for a $100 subsidy to offset the costs but be warned, you should get your name in soon: 50,000 applications were received last year, and the program has benefitted over 95,000 families since first starting in 2010. The applications are available on Janaury 3.

You can apply online, in person at Service NB, or by phone toll-free at 1-800-669-7070.

Alumni Spartans Skate Again For Fundraiser

The lock-out is still on -- but here in St. Stephen -- it's almost game time!


Members of the Spartan Hockey Alumni, who are players from the past 30 years, are coming together this Sunday for a fundraising hockey game.

One of the original coaches from 1982, Mike Bronson tells Tide News when he coached they were all like one big family. He says, "Noone missed any time unless they were absolutely sick. It really worked out well. Looking back on the high school and doing the extra-curricular thing, coaching and helping start that team was one of the highlights of my career."

The "Spartan Hockey Legends of the Past" game will give proceeds to help our local kids on the Spartan 2012-13 team.

The game will be at the Border Arena, Sunday, at 4:25pm. Tickets are $3.

Grand Manan Fisherman Lost At Sea

It's a sad day on Grand Manan Island as one of their own is lost at sea.


Local fishing boats, along with helicopters and rescue vessels searching the entire night in the Bay of Fundy for a local lobster fisherman who fell overboard.

East Coast Navy Captain Tyrone Grande tells Tide News the call came in to the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax yesterday around 5:45pm.

He says at 7am this morning ( December 21st, 2012 ), there was still no sign of the man and the search was downsized due to weather and consideration to how long the man had been lost at sea.

Grande says the search has now been taken over by the RCMP as a missing persons case.

Cost Of Canadian Passports To Go Up Next Year

Border crossers will be digging a little deeper into their wallets in the new year.


Passport Canada announcing on their website that the cost of getting a five-year Canadian passport is jumping from $87 to $120 dollars in the new year.

Passport Canada says the increase is needed to maintain current operations, and offer security-enhanced travel documents.

The new fees come into effect July 1st, 2013, along with the introduction of the 10-year ePassport.
Passport Canada also states in March 2014, they will charge an additional $45 to replace a stolen or lost passport. Currently, that is a free service.

It's The End Of The World As We Know It

In the busy lead up to Christmas, you may have forgotten that the world is supposed to end tomorrow.


According to the Mayan calender, the world should end on December 21st.

Dan Riskin of Discovery Channel's Daily Planet tells CHSJ he can pinpoint an exact time everything will stop. He says, "No problem, the world will end in a few billion years. It will be because the sun expands and engulfs the earth. There's nothing to worry about for tomorrow, but just to be on the safe side, Daily Planet is doing a special on the Mayan 'supposed' apocalypse".

The Daily Planet special called 'End of the World 2012' premieres tonight at 8pm on the Discovery Channel.

Power Outages Getting Under Control

NB Power says there are still over 1700 people in the province without power.


Locally in St. Stephen, the number of outages has dropped to 4, with only 16 customers without juice.

Sussex and Woodstock are the darkest communities, with around 500 people each without electricity due to damage in yesterday's storm.

Opposition Trying To Stop Changes To Employment Insurance

Seasonal workers of Charlotte County -- cross your fingers.


The Opposition Liberals are calling on members of the provincial government to sign a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to oppose changes to employment insurance.

The changes to the E-I program take effect January 6th, and Opposition Leader Victor Boudreau says they will have a devastating impact on seasonal industries and the provincial economy. Boudreau says, "Whenever it involves speaking out against the federal government and their Tory friends in Ottawa, you know, they just lose their voice and they don't want to put action in place to send out a clear message."
Premier David Alward says he opposes the changes and supports the united position taken by the Atlantic premiers on the matter.

The new regulations will mean that recipients of the program will face stricter, more complex rules for keeping their benefits.

Woman And Child OK After Car Flipped On Roof In Bayside

A woman and her child are safe after a car crash today in Bayside.


Local police tell Tide News they received a call around 9am this morning ( December 19th, 2012 ) from the woman's cell phone.

RCMP say she lost control of her car on Route 127, near Ghost Road in Bayside, and the vehicle ended up on its roof in the ditch.

Cpl. Ross Davis of District 1 RCMP tells Tide News the woman and child were stuck inside the vehicle and unable to get out on their own.

Police, fire, and ambulance services were dispatched and still on the scene at noontime.

Davis says no injuries were reported, but the road was closed off for a short time.

Over 9000 Without Power In NB

Over 9000 people in the province are without power today.


Locally in St. Stephen, there are currently 349 customers affected by the outages. Just before 12 o'clock noon, that number was 746.
In Fredericton, more than 5000 NB Power customers are without electricity.

More than 900 customers in Woodstock are in the dark, almost 400 people in Dairytown do not have juice and it's the same story for over 1600 folks in Moncton.
In a release, a spokesperson for the Utility tells Tide News that due to the weather conditions and the high number of incidents they cannot predict when the power will be restored adding it will be sometime in the next 24 to 36 hours.

Anniversary Of Flood Brings Proposed Changes To Emergency Measures Act

We need to be proactive. We need to be prepared.


Local MLA Rick Doucet tabled a bill today in the provincial legislature that would make it mandatory for municipalities with dams to work with the EMO and have an emergency plan -- before -- flooding happens.

Doucet tells Tide News "When an emergency happens, like the flood in 2010, things change quickly, and we need to be sure things are done at just the right time." He adds, "Basically, right now what happens is operators of dams on the rivers have emergency measures plans to put in place when flooding occurs, but, the problem with the act is the enforcement of these plans does not kick in until a state of emergency has been declared by the Minister."


Doucet says the bill he introduced today will make it mandatory for areas with dams to have an emergency plan -- before there is an emergency.

Doucet tells Tide News two years ago, when the flood of 2010 hit, people in the Boney River area were upset thinking the dam had not done all it could to reduce damage. He says he sees the same thing after the flood this year in Perth Andover. "Let's get it all out in the open, so we can all work together and collaborate on some very important trigger mechanisms that are suitable for the communities."   In December 2010, much of Charlotte County was submerged under 174 mm of rain that caused widespead flooding and forced people from their homes and businesses.
During the most severe point, over 120 roads were either underwater or washed away in Charlotte County. (Picture - King Street traffic circle in St. Stephen, December 2010)  

Rainfall Warning For Charlotte County

The prospects for a white Christmas are looking worse in Charlotte County.


Environment Canada is sending out a rain warning for St. Stephen, Saint Andrews, Saint John, and Grand Manan.

Charlotte County can expect between 25 to 50 millimeters of rain by Wednesday afternoon, sometimes mixed with heavy snow.

Other areas in the province will be colder than us with a mixed forecast of warnings.
Environment Canada is calling a heavy snow warning, beginning this afternoon and continuing tonight and tomorrow for Fredericton, Quispamsis, Sussex and Woodstock.

EC says to expect between 20 and 40 centimeters of snow.

Trial Date Set After Home Invasion

A trial date has been scheduled for a 21 year old man who was stabbed and then charged after a home invasion where he lives on the lower west side of Saint John back in early November.

Christopher Reid of 341 Prince Street has pleaded not guilty with a trial set to go on September 25th on a charge of possessing a knife.

Two other men and a 16 year old youth are accused of trying to force their way into 341 Prince Street and carry out a robbery.

18 year old A-J Dennison died after he was stabbed and a warrant has been issued for the arrest of 21 year old Bradley Saia ( as seen in picture ) .

Maine Toddler Missing 1 Year

Today is a sad day for the State of Maine.


Many residents are remembering 20-month-old Ayla Reynolds who was reported missing from her father's home in Waterville, Maine on December 17th, 2011. One year ago to the day.
State police, game wardens, dive teams, and FBI agents searched neighbourhoods and lowered streams in hopes of finding the blonde-haired, blue-eyed child.

The toddler's father, Justin DiPietro insists the girl was abducted, even though he and two other adults were in the home at the time of her dissappearance.

Police say traces of Ayla's blood were found in DiPietro's basement, but he was never charged.

Officials with the Maine State Police say the case is still open, however, they believe Ayla is most likely dead.

Car Accident Traps Two Women

Two women being sent to the Saint John Regional Hospital after a two car accident on the corner of Carmarthen and Union street in uptown Saint John last night.

Saint John Fire Department Platoon Chief Roy Byers says the two women were trapped in an SUV that was flipped on it's side. Fire crews managed to pull the roof off and free the two.

The accident happened around 8 o'clock.

True Growth 2.0 Support Grows

True Growth 2.0 is getting full support from communities in Greater Saint John.

The initiative, steered by Enterprise Saint John, is a regional development strategy to develop our business and culture. When it started in 2003 it focused on improving 4 sectors (energy, health and life sciences, tourism, and ICT) but now it's hoping to attract and keep new people to the region.

The town of Rothesay is committing $86,000 a year for 3 years, or about $3,000 a year more than before. Mayor Bill Bishop tells Tide news economic development is the answer to improving our way of life and getting more tax dollars. He says if Saint John grows, it benefits the outlying communities.

Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll agrees, saying if more business is brought to Saint John more people will move to Quispmasis. Driscoll says True Growth 2.0 has such a healthy attitude and provides fresh opportunities for the region. He says when that happens you can expect better things to come.