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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Nominate A Worthy Volunteer For NB Human Rights Award

The NB Human Rights Commission is seeking nominations for the 27th annual New Brunswick Human Rights Award.

The awards recognize outstanding volunteer achievements and leadership----either by individuals or organizations-- in promoting equality and human rights in the province.

The deadline is April 1. The award was founded in 1988, and last year, the recipient was John Wood of Oromocto.


For the nomination form, click here

All LLCC Users Found Another Home


Every group using the old dilapidated Loch Lomond Community Centre has found a new home.

Regional Services Commission Chair Grace Losier tells CHSJ News says all users have found space elsewhere and some wouldn't go back if given the choice.

She says the City was approached after the centre lost because many were fearful about what it's absence would mean to the community.

The City has said if as a region they want to build a new facility or repair the old and someone from one of the LSD's wants to take the lead they they can have that discussion but as it stands now all the groups have been accommodated.


The RSC passed a motion to share the information from the City's report to the LSD's who may have used the Centre.

A Pedestrian Crash, and Shoplifters Busted

Some shoplifters who tried to make away with merchandise from a local sports store were busted shortly after leaving the store yesterday afternoon.

Sergeant Jay Henderson of the Saint John Police Department explains a 36 year old man and a 19-year-old woman were arrested for stealing $430 worth of goods. They were charged with theft under $5,000.

As well, around 2pm crash on the viaduct, near the intersection of Union and St. Patrick Streets, between a van and a 73-year-old pedestrian resulted in the senior being taken to hospital with serious injuries. 


The traffic division is looking into what happened.

NB Power Now Testing Smart Grid Technology

Data Science will allow NB Power to be more efficient and could even reduce your electricity bill if it costs the utility less to operate.

 Brad Wasson who's in charge of rolling out the smart grid tells CHSJ News someday NB Power might even be able to predict when an outage might happen with the use of sensors.
 

Wasson says if there is an outage, Big Data would allow NB Power to respond faster instead of waiting until someone gives them a call.

He estimates the smart grid technology will be implemented in stages over the next five to ten years.

Local Housing Market Will Remain Lacklustre

The Saint John housing market in 2014 will be flat but the worst is over. So says analyst Jason Beaton of Canada Mortgage and Housing who tells CHSJ News it's a good time if you want to buy a home because there's an over supply but if you are looking to sell your home, there's a lot of competition for buyers and it's taking, on average, 120 days to make the sale.

Beaton doesn't expect growth in the housing market until 2016. He says there's an over supply of homes and apartments in Saint John with the vacancy rate at a record 12 per cent which accounts for the incentives being offered to renters.

He does say the housing market is healthier in the Kennebecasis Valley than it is in the city proper.

A Saint Johner and Another Man Choose Judge And Jury For Arson Trial

Two men including one from Saint John facing arson charges relating to a 2010 motel fire in St. Andrew's choosing to be tried by a judge and jury.

The owner of the motel, Gordon Lankisch of St. Andrews is charged with arson and conspiracy while Robert Levesque of Saint John is also charged with arson.

The Blue Moon Motel in St. Andrew's was destroyed by fire in June of 2010. 


The judge set a date of May 22 for preliminary inquiry.

VIDEO: Renovated K-Park Elementary Officially Opens

Applause rang through the gymnasium at Kennebecasis Park Elementary School as students, teachers and others celebrated the official opening of the upgraded facility. 

Superintendent of the Anglophone South School District Zoe Watson tells CHSJ News the gym is probably one of the biggest highlights for the kids because they didn't have a gym before, they had a large multi-purpose room you had to walk through to get to the office.
 

Renovations include upgrades to its architectural, mechanical and electrical systems along with a wheelchair lift. The school also grew in size with the construction of a more than 1,500 metre addition, and can now accommodate about 200 students.


What Does Big Data Have To Do With Healing Rates For Chronic Wounds?

"Big data" isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think about treating diabetic ulcers and chronic wounds--but actually, the vast information doctors collect on patients could be used more efficiently, speeding healing by as much as a year.
 

Health Outcomes Worldwide CEO Corinne McIsaac presented this morning at the T4G Big Data Congress. She tells CHSJ News users of their database have the tools to heal patients faster. On a yearly basis, $3.9 billion is spent on would care in Canada.

Doctors, RNs, and other healthcare professionals can access the database from their phone or computer and see a graph of all the information about a particular patient.

Even though McIsaac says they've demonstrated the dramatic benefits of the service, McIsaac says they're having a hard time getting New Brunswick to sign on--despite having clients across Canada and overseas. McIsaac says they've met with Health Minister Ted Flemming, but haven't received any word about using the system here in New Brunswick.

New Planning Regulations For Future Development In City Moves Forward

If you're sick of noise from illegal car repair shops or seeing buildings torn down to make way for vacant lots, you might be pleased to see Common Council voting to take the steps to finalize ZoneSJ by this summer. 

The draft zoning bylaw is the result of numerous public info sessions and workshops, and presents a roadmap of where new development should be located and where it shouldn't. 

Common Councillors John Mackenzie and David Merrithew say they hope the city can enforce it.
 

The zoning by-law is also supposed to keep heavy industrial developments away from residential areas although some people who live in rural areas of the city complain it focuses too much on the urban core, neglecting the interests of those outside. 

Only Common Councillor Susan Fullerton voted against moving forward with Zone SJ but she declined to comment on why.

Probe Underway After Fire On East Side

A fire on the east side is under investigation. It broke out in a baby barn on Knox Court but was prevented from spreading.

The fire department also reporting a woman was struck by a car on Union Street outside the Mercantile Centre. Police say she was taken to hospital with serious injuries.