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Monday, February 7, 2011

Province Needs to Increase Renewable Energy Sources

The province should be pursuing more aggressive targets for renewable energy -- that from the Alliance for Community Energy.

Vice-Chair Greg LeBlanc tells CHSJ News the province should aim to have 20 percent of its power green by 2020. 

He says it will lead to many spin-offs, such as job creation and reduce the use of fossil fuels.

He adds less than 7 percent of New Brunswick's electricity comes from renewable resources.

Phase 1 Of Waterfront Condo Project Is 80 Per Cent Sold Out

Work continues on 83 units at the Harbourfront Residences Condominiums on Water Street.
The developer says people will be able to move in by this fall.


John Rocca of the Ellerdale Group of Companies says the unit prices have increased three times and will increase again when the building is enclosed and when the project is ready for occupancy.

He says condo projects never drop their prices so they also tells their buyers someone that bought in the beginning, the value of their condo has likely increased by $30,000.

Phase 1 of the project is estimated at $20 million and Phase 2 will be worth about $12 million.
To see video of the Water street project..click here

SCAN Legislation A Success

 The Safer Communities and Neighbourhood Unit is being embraced by Saint John residents -- that from Lead Inspector Bill Hanley.

The unit investigates confidential complaints of illegal activities and has the ability to shut down buildings where crimes are occurring.

He says the unit has handled 46 cases since June and residents are comforted by the anonymous nature of the program.

He says most cases are dealt with in the span of a month and the program has yet to come up short in closing down a building for legitimate reasons.

New Brunswick is the 7th province in Canada to utilize the program.

Quispamis Mayor Says Regionalization Is Not Necessarily Better

Whether the province agrees or not remains to be seen but Mayor Murray Driscoll doesn't think bigger is necessarily better.

That's why he's not in favour of regionalizing municipal services with Saint John.

Driscoll predicts regionalizing with the city of Saint John would only result in higher costs for the people who live in the Valley.

PANB Praising Tory MLA's Call For Public Involvement On Compensation

The People's Alliance of New Brunswick commending Conservative MLA Brian MacDonald who thinks their should be more public input on MLA compensation.
Since forming last year, the PANB says they have been calling for more involvement from the public on the issue of salaries and pensions for MLA's.
Leader Kris Austin tells CHSJ News he is pleased that a sitting MLA would raise this issue that is being talked about by thousands of New Brunswickers.
Austin says it's blatantly immoral that both the Conservative and Liberal MLA's would boost their wages, benefits and pensions in 2008 and doing it a secretive vote made it much worse.
Austin says what the MLA's did in 2008 is wrong and he believes a call for more public involvement should be received by the Premier and his colleagues as a way for government to rebuild a level of trust with the people of this province.

Saint John Area Mayor Cool To The Idea Of More Regionalisation

The regionalization of police services holds no appeal for the Mayor of Grand Bay-Westfield.

Grace Losier tells CHSJ News in 1998 during restructuring the town did ask for bids from Saint John Police Force, Rothesay Regional Police and the RCMP.

Losier says the town pays 651 thousand dollars a year now for policing that's provided by the Mounties. She says the city wanted to charge 880 thousand dollars to provide policing to the town 13 years ago.

Public Safety Minister Robert Trevors is suggesting more regionalization as a means of cutting costs.

Premier David Alward indicating the number of municipalities and local service districts in this provice are unsustainable but promises he will not force amalgamation.

Fire At St. Joseph's Hospital And Another Dramatic Rescue In St. John River

Fire crews called to St. Joseph's Hospital after a light fixture in a 5th floor bathroom caught fire. There were no injuries but some patients had to be evacuated from the area. An electrician will investigated the determine a cause.

Meantime, more details are emerging about another dramatic rescue of a middle aged snowmobiler who crashed through the ice of the St. John River Saturday night. City Police and fire crews responded and District Chief Eric Garland says it was not an easy rescue. The victim was clinging to ice and had to be pulled up a steep embankment.

The ice was so thin, some of the firefighters themselves broke through the ice. Betty Melanson's brother saw what happened from his sister's house and called 9-1-1. She has lived On Bay Crescent for 8 years and has only seen that part of the river frozen once.

There was also a fire on Milltown Avenue in St. Stephen in a building that has businesses on the ground floor. There were no injuries but the Red Cross had to find another place for a mother and her young baby to stay for a while.