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Saturday, August 17, 2013

Port City Pride Parade Marching Today

Saint John is starting to get the message that Pride Week is not just for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, it's for the entire community.

That's according to Pride Week Vice-President Amanda Hensey who tells CHSJ News in the last year alone they've noticed a positive shift in the city's attitude towards the celebration. Their theme this year is Pride In Community, and Hensey says the community is now giving back to them, and they love it.

The 11th annual Pride Parade is happening today with walkers meeting at 1 in the afternoon, and the parade itself is happening at 2 at the top of King Street. You don't have to be a member of the LGBT community to march in the parade, everyone is encouraged to take part. 

Right after the parade is the Pride Community Festival in Queen Square, featuring barbeque, games, music and more. Click here for more information and for a list of events.

Car Fire Prompts Building Evacuation

A car on fire was a little too close for comfort to a building, prompting an early morning evacuation. 

Arriving fire crews saw a Ford Escape fully engulfed in flames, so they and City Police got everyone living at 39 Coronation Court to get out of the building as a precautionary measure. After the car was towed away, the residents were allowed back in the building.

The fire department got the call just before 1:30 in the morning. Crews were on the scene for about 40 minutes.

Early Morning Blaze On Milford Road

The Saint John Fire Department putting out a fire at 268 Milford Road. 

They got the call just after 1:00 in the morning, and arriving crews saw heavy smoke pouring out of the top of the building. They were on the scene for about two hours. 

The top of the building has major fire damage while the bottom has some water damage. Nobody was hurt.

North End Fire Leaves Nine Homeless

(Courtesy Doug Epton)
Three adults and six children are homeless after a fire in an apartment building in the North end. 

The blaze at 37 MacLaren Boulevard was reported shortly before 6:00pm. Platoon Chief Barry Oickle of the city fire department says fire crews could see very heavy thick black smoke and fire coming out of the windows of the first floor apartment. The blaze was quickly knocked down.

The first-floor apartment was heavily damaged by smoke and fire while the apartment above it sustained minor smoke and fire damagebecause of the damage, several other tenants are temporarily displaced while their apartments are cleaned and ventilated. No humans were hurt, however, four pets died in the fire.

The Canadian Red Cross is helping the victims, giving them a place to stay, food and clothing. A housing coordinator will be working with the nine people who are permanently homeless to find them alternative housing.