[ErickMontreal]

Thanks very much for posting the Post authority speech, it has really gotten me excited. I've always said that in order for Saint John to succeed, it must all start with our backbone: the harbour. And with this increased shipping and the new harbour cleanup announcement, things for the Port are looking the brightest they have in decades.

No problem my friend, Sj got a momentum and i looking forward to see what will happen around in the next few months.

[ErickMontreal]

N.B. municipalities get more power over slum landlords

Last Updated: Monday, April 2, 2007 | 5:26 PM AT
CBC News
Changes to the Municipalities Act are giving bylaw enforcement officials in New Brunswick the tools to get tougher on slum landlords.

The new legislation, proclaimed into law Monday, gives the officers the authority to issue tickets if a building doesn't meet minimum standards.

Bill Edwards, Saint John's chief building inspector, said landlords will have no choice but to make repairs to their properties unless they want to pay the new $1,000 fine.

"In effect, we could go down every week and write a $1,000 fine," Edwards said. "It won't take a landlord long to realize it's better to repair the building than pay fines."

Saint John Harbour MLA Ed Doherty said the new law will force landlords to maintain their buildings by making it an offence to refuse entry to bylaw officers for an inspection. A municipality will also be able to make needed repairs on a dwelling and add the cost to the property tax if the landlord doesn't co-operate.

Kit Hickey, executive director of Saint John non-profit housing group Housing Alternatives, said landlords have been getting away with renting substandard housing for too long.

[mmmatt]

The company behind the natural gas pipeline that could run through Rockwood Park has confirmed in writing its promises to the city, should the National Energy Board allow the route. Emera Brunswick Pipeline Co. Ltd. has promised the city $2.15 million, with possible projects including modifying the Lily Lake entrance, making the campground greener, improvements to the Saint John Horticultural Association gardens, or completing the TransCanada walking trail. A letter from the company was sent to city manager Terry Totten and included in Monday's council package.

[mmmatt]

Population District official says it is part of long-term trend

New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal
Sat 31 Mar 2007

High schools in Saint John will have about 231 fewer incoming students this fall, with Saint John High and Simonds High taking the hardest hit.

The Grade 9 enrolment numbers for September 2007 in School District 8 are in.

Saint John High has 241 of these new high school students enrolled so far - although that number could change slightly before school starts in September. Still, that's 101 fewer Grade 9 students than were enrolled at this time last year, according to the Department of Education's report in March of 2006.

Simonds High will see a drop of 85 students over last year, with this fall's enrolment at 241 students.

Susan Tipper, superintendent of School District 8, said it is no surprise that enrolments have dropped in the region because they are dropping across the province.

And this isn't the end.

The top district official and former principal of Saint John High expects the numbers to continue dropping over the next 10 years.

"We wish there were more students, but we can't manufacture students that aren't there," said Tipper. "We are predicting over the next little while there will be a decline in total enrolment in the district of about 200 to 300 students a year."

While numbers were down in all of the high schools, Harbour View High and St. Malachy's Memorial High are the big winners, receiving a higher percentage of students than the other schools.

St. Malachy's has exceeded the district cap with 285 Grade 9 students enrolled, and five students on the waiting list. Harbour View, which had the lowest number of Grade 9 students in 2006, has received the second highest number of students, with 270 new students entering the school.

The provincial budget for schools has not been released yet, but because funding is provided per student, Tipper said schools in the city could see a drop in funding.

Since the province has reduced official class sizes by one student, Tipper said the low enrolments probably won't result in any staff cuts this year.

"If they (student enrolments) decline, you still have schools to staff with principals, custodians, secretaries and teachers, you have to heat those schools," said Tipper. "If it comes to the point where the budget can't maintain those then you have to reorganize schools in your district to create efficiency."

When it comes to distribution of students, Tipper said it is hard to tell why students chose to go to different schools, and it varies every year.

Students entering Grade 9 attend a school based on where they live and which school they want to go to. Because the uptown area doesn't have enough students to feed the two schools, students from the East and West Sides can choose to go to an uptown school.

District Education Council member Dan Burchill of Saint John said he was disappointed to see the numbers go down again, when they are already "pretty low", but was happy with the distribution of students.

"St. Mac's, we knew was going to be high, seems to be (getting) attention because of the addition," said Burchill. "Harbour View is up which is good. It shocked us that St. Mac's wasn't higher, a lot of West Side students want to go to uptown schools. So it was good that they wanted to stay at Harbour View. It's good to have four rival schools. I hate to see numbers come down in one school because the money paid is down, but it's good to see that they are all close so they all have equal opportunity."

Saint John High vice-principal Ann Perry said the school isn't worried about the drop of more than 100 students. She expects to have more students enrolled at Saint John High by the time classes start in September.

"I don't think we have any definite concerns at the moment," said Perry. "We're quite happy with the different programs we offer and the opportunities students have. I don't think there is a plan to change things."

[mmmatt]

okay, about that last article I posted...the title says that the "population district official says it is part of long-term trend" ...but in the next article over (in the newspaper) it says "Saint John housing market is the hottest east of Saskatchewan"...why then are there no kids to fill the high school?....or are they just talking about housing costs going up?

[mmmatt]

Oh...HalifaxMtl666...Im guessing the last article you posted has something to do with this one a couple of days earlier:

West Side building is 'falling down; Violations City takes property owner to court to over warped structure

New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal
Fri 30 Mar 2007


The city is taking a landlord to court over a two-apartment building on the Lower West Side so structurally unsound that the warp of the building breaks windows, keeps doors from closing and forces people inside to brace themselves to maintain their balance.

Chief building inspector Bill Edwards says the tenants at 242-244 Watson St., a building owned by the John Law Corporation, need to get out before the building collapses.

"The interior of the building is falling down," Edwards said of the two- storey building. "It's difficult to say whether that will happen tomorrow or in a year."

An item on Monday's common council agenda showed that the corporation had violated the Minimum Property Standards Bylaw 81 times and was first warned to comply with the bylaw in February 2006.

When the violations were not dealt with, the building inspector's office took the case to provincial court, where Judge Andrew LeMesurier fined the corporation $300 and told it to complete specific work on the building and get a report on the structural soundness of the building from a professional engineer.

The corporation did neither, the city says, and is scheduled to appear in court today for failure to comply with a provincial court order.

The owner of the John Law Corporation is Darren Hargrove. He could not be reached for comment Thursday, and the corporation's uptown office was locked when a reporter visited at around 11:30 a.m.

Edwards said Hargrove's attitude during discussions with the city has been "in one word: belligerent." Asked why, Edwards said, "We don't have very good relations with him, so you'd have to ask him."

The city is also applying to the Court of Queen's Bench for an order that will force Hargrove's tenants to leave the building. He said tenants could get the official word to leave the building in the next five weeks or so.

The tenant in the downstairs apartment is Charles Parker. He showed a reporter around the cluttered, unkempt rooms. Everything in the house, from a mattress on the bedroom floor to a pair of car ramps in the living room, has a noticeable slant. The television, fridge and sofa are all tilted at a slight angle, different directions in each room, and the ceiling has a warp to it.

Parker said Hargrove is a "fantastic landlord" who has always been quick to help when there have been problems, but that the building needs new beams and footings. Parker, who described himself as semi-retired and a former worker with the provincial government, said he would be able to find a place to stay if he were told to leave.

Joseph Marshall, a younger man who said he was only there for a few weeks while his place got painted, was blunt about the building.

"It's garbage," he said. "They haven't done nothing." He said the floors are so crooked "you just need Roller Blades. You don't need to walk. Just cruise on by."

A knock on the door of the upstairs apartment went unanswered.

Edwards says the slant of the building, a deficient foundation and severely sloped floors make the building unsafe. He said when inspectors went into the building some doors wouldn't close because of the warp, and windows had broken for the same reason, he said.

Edwards believes the building should be torn down, since fixing the building would likely cost more than starting fresh. He said the issue is important not only from a safety standpoint, but from a neighbourhood viewpoint as well, since the building is unsightly.

The John Law Corporation is a timber resource management company that harvests trees off property, then develops it and sells it, or replants more trees. Aside from the John Law heritage building in the uptown, the Watson Street apartment appears to be the only building mentioned on the corporation's website.

It says the building is for sale for $28,500 and "has been extensively renovated with many upgrades" including a new roof and oil tank.

[ErickMontreal]

Oh...HalifaxMtl666...Im guessing the last article you posted has something to do with this one a couple of days earlier:

West Side building is 'falling down; Violations City takes property owner to court to over warped structure

New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal
Fri 30 Mar 2007


The city is taking a landlord to court over a two-apartment building on the Lower West Side so structurally unsound that the warp of the building breaks windows, keeps doors from closing and forces people inside to brace themselves to maintain their balance.

Chief building inspector Bill Edwards says the tenants at 242-244 Watson St., a building owned by the John Law Corporation, need to get out before the building collapses.

"The interior of the building is falling down," Edwards said of the two- storey building. "It's difficult to say whether that will happen tomorrow or in a year."

An item on Monday's common council agenda showed that the corporation had violated the Minimum Property Standards Bylaw 81 times and was first warned to comply with the bylaw in February 2006.

When the violations were not dealt with, the building inspector's office took the case to provincial court, where Judge Andrew LeMesurier fined the corporation $300 and told it to complete specific work on the building and get a report on the structural soundness of the building from a professional engineer.

The corporation did neither, the city says, and is scheduled to appear in court today for failure to comply with a provincial court order.

The owner of the John Law Corporation is Darren Hargrove. He could not be reached for comment Thursday, and the corporation's uptown office was locked when a reporter visited at around 11:30 a.m.

Edwards said Hargrove's attitude during discussions with the city has been "in one word: belligerent." Asked why, Edwards said, "We don't have very good relations with him, so you'd have to ask him."

The city is also applying to the Court of Queen's Bench for an order that will force Hargrove's tenants to leave the building. He said tenants could get the official word to leave the building in the next five weeks or so.

The tenant in the downstairs apartment is Charles Parker. He showed a reporter around the cluttered, unkempt rooms. Everything in the house, from a mattress on the bedroom floor to a pair of car ramps in the living room, has a noticeable slant. The television, fridge and sofa are all tilted at a slight angle, different directions in each room, and the ceiling has a warp to it.

Parker said Hargrove is a "fantastic landlord" who has always been quick to help when there have been problems, but that the building needs new beams and footings. Parker, who described himself as semi-retired and a former worker with the provincial government, said he would be able to find a place to stay if he were told to leave.

Joseph Marshall, a younger man who said he was only there for a few weeks while his place got painted, was blunt about the building.

"It's garbage," he said. "They haven't done nothing." He said the floors are so crooked "you just need Roller Blades. You don't need to walk. Just cruise on by."

A knock on the door of the upstairs apartment went unanswered.

Edwards says the slant of the building, a deficient foundation and severely sloped floors make the building unsafe. He said when inspectors went into the building some doors wouldn't close because of the warp, and windows had broken for the same reason, he said.

Edwards believes the building should be torn down, since fixing the building would likely cost more than starting fresh. He said the issue is important not only from a safety standpoint, but from a neighbourhood viewpoint as well, since the building is unsightly.

The John Law Corporation is a timber resource management company that harvests trees off property, then develops it and sells it, or replants more trees. Aside from the John Law heritage building in the uptown, the Watson Street apartment appears to be the only building mentioned on the corporation's website.

It says the building is for sale for $28,500 and "has been extensively renovated with many upgrades" including a new roof and oil tank.


Saint John has a plenty of run down buildings around, this is really disappointing but this kind of situation will likely change. Moreover, SJ has to deal with his history and in fact they have the largest amount of history buildings in NB and the main part of these buildings has 4,5,6 and more stories. With this new law, the city will be able to do somethingwith these falling appart buildings.

[mmmatt]

New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal
Tue 03 Apr 2007

Major construction projects looming on Saint John's horizon are already driving business.

Westlund, a division of EMCO Corporation, opened a branch distribution centre last month on the Black River Road in the Grandview Industrial Park.

With a focus on the industrial market, the company sells carboy steel and stainless steel pipes, valves, fittings and engineered products to oil and gas companies, mills, mining and smelting companies as well as power and manufacturing companies.

"Saint John is the industrial city of the Maritimes," said Craig Roberts, the account manager and sales representative for New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, who will be using the centre as his base.

"We think we are in the perfect location in the industrial park what with all that's going on in the city and what's coming."

Westlund is just one of the recent new companies positioning itself to take advantage of the construction of a new liquefied natural gas terminal, the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station and the potential construction of a second oil refinery - projects that in themselves could pump upwards of $10 billion into the provincial economy over the next few years.

Roberts said the new distribution warehouse is situated right in the middle of the industrial park, not far from the present refinery and close to the proposed site of a new Irving Oil refinery.

"Everyone can get to us in minutes if not seconds."

Westlund has more than 30 branches across the country. Founded in Alberta in 1963, it is a division of EMCO Corporation, a company that has been operating in Canada for 100 years and is the country's leading distributor of plumbing, heating, waterworks and industrial products.

Specialized financing

The bright future for construction projects also led Paul Alexander to seize on an opportunity.

He recently opened a branch for a lending company specializing in financing for transportation and heavy equipment and machinery.

For 19 years, Urquhart Macdonald & Associates has operated in the Atlantic Provinces, providing loans for leasing and purchasing to transport truck drivers, excavators, foresters, landscapers, oil delivery drivers and manufacturers. In the past, an office in Fredericton covered the Saint John area.

"But due to demand, it was time to open an office here," Alexander said.

"With what's happening here in the next five to 10 years, there are a lot of contractors out there that would definitely be interested in our services."

Alexander said the lending company has some advantages over traditional financial institutions - especially for those who work in the transportation and construction industries.

"They are at job sites and their hours are crazy," Alexander said. "So we come to them. We basically operate when they operate."

The company is also a brokerage firm, shopping the various lending institutions for the best interest rate.

"There is stuff we'll finance that the banks just don't want to touch, like a 1982 bulldozer," he said. "If it's got some value and some wheels, we definitely do it."

Alexander opened the office at 229 Bayside Dr. four weeks ago with his wife, Raygene Adams, acting as a mortgage broker for Centurn Norand Mortgages Ltd. It provides residential and commercial mortgages. Between the two, they can offer a wide range of financing, Alexander said.

"We can loan to just about anybody for anything that's a large purchase."

new era for old world

Old World Masonry, a leading manufacturer of architectural sculptured stones in Kingston, is about to increase its production and marketing capacity.

It recently received a financial boost to help grow the business from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), and the Charlotte-Kings Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC).

The company recently purchased new equipment, which will allow it to produce larger quantities of stones for new projects and restoration projects. That, in turn, will increase its productivity and its manufacturing capacity. It's also developing a strategic marketing plan aimed at growing sales in Atlantic Canada and New England.

ACOA has invested $152,000; the BDC has provided a term loan of $100,000 and the CBDC one of $92,000.

"This expansion marks a new era for Old World Masonry," said president Ludwig Hartmann, who completed his apprenticeship in stone masonry in Germany in 1976 and moved to Canada in 1985.

"The new equipment will allow us to take on a variety of larger projects and pursue new markets while still providing the specialized care and attention to detail on which we have built our reputation."

Hartmann started the company in 1992. Among the most notable projects it has provided stones for are work on the Loyalist Burial Ground and Trinity Church, as well as new stone construction and restoration of various historic building and residences in Saint John. It employs three people full-time and another three on a part-time basis.

[Smevo]

okay, about that last article I posted...the title says that the "population district official says it is part of long-term trend" ...but in the next article over (in the newspaper) it says "Saint John housing market is the hottest east of Saskatchewan"...why then are there no kids to fill the high school?....or are they just talking about housing costs going up?

It's the same situation as what's going on in Sydney right now. The long-term high school enrollment trend is an effect of the past 10 years of population decreases. The families that are moving back are younger (I know this is the case in Sydney, not sure about Saint John) and the effect of population stabilization and returning to population increase will be noticed with elementary school enrollments, not high school. It won't effect high school enrollments for a few years yet.

Maybe someone from SJ can find out the situation there, but because there are similarities to the cities, I'll use the example of Sydney where enrollment in enrollment in elementary is up in the city, though high school enrollment is still down, in the same year that the city realised it's first population increase since 1996, and the housing market is hotter than it's been in a long time.

[Haliguy]

Student enrollment is down everywhere ..even in growing cities because people aren't having as many kids these days and it will probably get worse. There maybe areas in a city that have have an influx of people where obviously enrollment may rise but the overall trend for things everywhere in declining enrollment. It's even starting to hit the university enrollment as of late where the enrollment is down. UNB and Acadia have been complaining about this lately.

[ErickMontreal]

New bus added to transit roster

April 03, 2007 - 4:41 pm
By: News 88-9 Staff

SAINT JOHN, NB - Saint John Transit has rolled out its latest low-emission themed-bus.
Transit General Manager Frank McCarey says the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund payed the majority of the pricetag and the city covered the rest.

McCarey says additional buses will be added to the fleet of fifty this coming July with hopes of having bus services to outlying communities in place by September.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

East Point Shopping Center - 336 Westmorland Street - Saint John

Up to now : Roots, Moore clothing, Urban Planet, Cotton Ginny, International Clothier and Fairweather as well.

[Smevo]

Student enrollment is down everywhere ..even in growing cities because people aren't having as many kids these days and it will probably get worse. There maybe areas in a city that have have an influx of people where obviously enrollment may rise but the overall trend for things everywhere in declining enrollment. It's even starting to hit the university enrollment as of late where the enrollment is down. UNB and Acadia have been complaining about this lately.

That is another factor, and I won't get started on the UNB situation (frickin money wasters). With Saint John's story being similar to Sydney's, I wouldn't be surprised if they've seen a similar increase in elementary enrollment that Sydney has seen.

[ErickMontreal]

DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT:
PETROLEUM REFINERY (PROJECT EIDER ROCK)

http://www.gnb.ca/0009/0377/0002/0028-e.pdf

[Haliguy]

DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT:
PETROLEUM REFINERY (PROJECT EIDER ROCK)

http://www.gnb.ca/0009/0377/0002/0028-e.pdf


It sounds like this project is really moving foward...good news for Saint John.

[kwajo]

Oh there is no way it isn't going to be built. Unless something massive and unexpected occurs (like the current refinery blows up) then the new refinery is 100% green lighted. Keep in mind the construction is at least a year away (a project this massive and complex has immense volumes of engineering work needed) and it won't begin operation until 2011-12, but it is going to happen, no doubt in my mind. The real key is to get Irving to reduce the impact of the refinery and to maximize the benefits of it to the community (either through related industry and services, or through the environmental compensation work they must complete to satisfy DoE requirements).

[ErickMontreal]

Oh there is no way it isn't going to be built. Unless something massive and unexpected occurs (like the current refinery blows up) then the new refinery is 100% green lighted. Keep in mind the construction is at least a year away (a project this massive and complex has immense volumes of engineering work needed) and it won't begin operation until 2011-12, but it is going to happen, no doubt in my mind. The real key is to get Irving to reduce the impact of the refinery and to maximize the benefits of it to the community (either through related industry and services, or through the environmental compensation work they must complete to satisfy DoE requirements).

I wish a new Headquarter will be include in that project too. Moreover I am agree that Irvings have to reduce the environmental impact because the city is really overloaded of heavy factories.

[ErickMontreal]

Immigrants Settlements (2006)

Top 30 Canadian Urban Areas:

1. Toronto: 99,142
2. Montréal: 38,159
12. Halifax: 1,888
13. Québec City: 1,732
14. St. Catharines-Niagara: 1,561
15. Abbotsford: 1,382
16. Saskatoon: 1,143
17. Victoria: 1,088
18. Sherbrooke: 1,087
19. Ottawa-Gatineau, Québec: 1,018
20. Guelph: 768
21. Regina: 766
22. Oshawa: 744
23. Saint John: 532
24. Charlottetown: 446
25. Fredericton: 423
26. Kelowna: 396
27. Barrie: 390
28. Kingston: 331
29. Trois-Rivières: 327
30. St. John's: 307

I am astonished that Saint John and Fredericton have made the top 30. In the circumstances this is not too bad for Saint John.

[nero1979]

this was reported in the telegraph journal today, not listed on harbour station website, but it is on Cirque du Soleil website

Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal-based acrobatic company that changed how people across the world look at the travelling circus, is coming to Saint John for six shows Aug. 30 to Sept. 2.

[ErickMontreal]

Skateboard park a go

April 11, 2007 - 10:49 am

SAINT JOHN, NB -- Building a proposed skateboard park near Harbour Station will come cheaper than anticipated when it moves to the development phase. The idea was approved by common council last night.

Chair of the Saint John Skateboard Association Jason MacLean says the park's funding is on target.

"We're very proud and excited to present a current total of 540-thousand dollars raised to date," MacLean told council Tuesday.

MacLean says only two-thousand additional dollars are needed to move forward.

The total is roughly 110-thousand dollars less than the estimated original price tag.

With funding essentially in place, city staff will now call on proposals to design and build the park. A development partner for the park is expected to be announced sometime in June.

[ErickMontreal]

Transit Commission advertises suburban bus benefit


SAINT JOHN, NB -- The Saint John Transit Commission is making it's rounds to area councils as it prepares to launch new bus services to surrounding suburbs in September.

Transit General Manager Frank McCarey told members of Saint John common council that the community express will bring lots of benefits to the area.

"We're hopefully going to eliminate the need for one uptown parking garage in the future, saving money and valuable space for the city of Saint John. It will also eliminate wear and tear on highway streets and roads of up to 440 cars per day," McCarey said Tuesday.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mixed reviews on Multi-plex concept

April 11, 2007 - 3:18 pm

SAINT JOHN, NB - Suburban communities have a lot to think about since the Saint John multiplex sub-committee presented it's report to to them.

The report recommends a thirty-four million dollar complex be built within city limits, featuring both an Olympic and N-H-L size rink, a field house, walking track and roll out flooring for martial arts and tennis.

Today's presentation focused on ice surfaces, something the Kennebecasis Valley lacks.

Quispamsis Mayor Ron Maloney says while the concept is good and it is one of the options his town would consider, it is quite pricey.
He expects most of the tab will end up being picked up by the taxpayers.

Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop could not be reached for comment, but Hampton Mayor Jim Hovey says his interest is peaked.

Grand-Bay/Westfield Mayor Grace Losier says while her community is not interested at this point in time, she has encouraged the others to look into it.

Saint John officials have yet to determine which direction to proceed with the report's finding
Rothesay council has approved two parking and three bus shelter areas for the service. The service will run Monday through Friday with several stops in the Kennebecasis Valley as well as Hampton and Grand Bay Westfield.

[ErickMontreal]

Med school to open in 18 months

Dave MacLean
Telegraph-Journal
Published Saturday April 14th, 2007
Appeared on page B1/B2


An English-language medical school set to open in Saint John in the fall of 2009 could allow New Brunswick to enter the lucrative field of medical research and development.

Premier Shawn Graham said Friday the provincial government is on the verge of finalizing a deal that would see a medical school at the Saint John Regional Hospital welcome its first students in about 18 months and he added the school could provide the Port City with economic spin-offs.

"Dr. Ed Doherty has brought this file forward to cabinet and we have made a decision to proceed with a new medical school in Saint John," Graham told the Telegraph-Journal's editorial board, referring to his minister of Post-Secondary Education. "This is going to require a significant investment out of the operating budget of the department of health.

"We will be in a position in the very near future - sometime in May - to make an official announcement. We're negotiating the final details with Dalhousie University, but government has been given the green light to proceed in finalizing the negotiations for the creation of a 30-seat medical school here in the Saint John region.

"This is going to be a substantial investment that will require approximately $2 million for infrastructure investment and $7.3 million in annual operating costs. As a government, we made the decision that these were necessary investments over the long term that will improve our ability to retain doctors."

The premier added the facility could allow Saint John to wade into the field of medical research.

"We also want to build new industry around this medical school with research and development opportunities that exist with medical training," Graham said. "Today, health care is one of the fastest growing businesses in North America and we want to position New Brunswick as a viable business partner in this growing market. This medical school will help us take this strategic step forward."

Graham said his government has taken a cautious approach in its negotiations and he feels the efforts will soon be rewarded.

"All partners want to see this project work," he said. "We've had to do the necessary due diligence to make sure that when the program is fully operational we have the revenue streams to cover the expenditures. We're cautiously optimistic that we'll be in a position to make an official announcement about the new partnership sometime in May and we want to see this program fully up and running in September, 2009."

The premier hinted the city could also soon receive good news about expansion of the Saint John Regional Hospital's emergency room.

"The minister of health will be in a position to make an announcement on his estimates in the next two to three weeks in the house, but I can say that there is positive news pertaining to that."

The premier also said there will be no immediate decision on the location of a trauma centre.

"The minister of health hasn't brought it before cabinet yet for review," said Graham. "(Health Minister Mike Murphy) received the report two or three weeks ago and it's my understanding that it's quite a complicated document, comprehensive in nature. So the staff is now reviewing internally what recommendations to bring forward to government and it's my understanding it's going to require at least another two months for that process."

[Smevo]

That multiplex sounds like the two that are being built here...it's the new fad I guess. Anyway, it would be a significant sports investment and that's usually a good idea. I doubt SJ is saturated with good sports infrastructure...it's a common problem in this area of the country.

[ErickMontreal]

One-Mile depends on Ottawa

Khalid Malik
Telegraph-Journal
Published Tuesday April 10th, 2007
Appeared on page C1


The One-Mile House Interchange has ties that bind it to the cleanup of Saint John's harbour.

Like harbour cleanup, the big highway project has been discussed by community and political leaders for decades. It is also acknowledged as a strategic infrastructure building block for the region - and the province. And, it serves as a linchpin for the city's economic outlook - one that complements the social fabric of a revitalized uptown.

But while politicians listened to citizens' demands by reaching a municipal, provincial and federal partnership worth $88 million to clean up Saint John's polluted harbour over the next five years, the One-Mile House Interchange project remains stalled in Ottawa.

It's a matter of the federal government's showing Saint John the money, says Pat Darrah, executive director of the Saint John Construction Association. Only then will the interchange be constructed to give the big trucks a proper route to the industrial heart of the city on the East Side. That will keep the rigs off city streets, especially in the uptown with its commercial and entertainment development possibilities.

"It is a question of money - let no one tell you anything otherwise," said Darrah. "Everything else is just whistle Dixie. As soon as the province gets the (federal) money, it will do it."

The proposed interchange - located literally one mile (1.6 kilometres) east from the city centre - is expected to cost between $45 million and $50 million. It's an idea that's been around for more than 35 years - it was to be part of the Saint John Throughway built in the early 1970s. It will off-load heavy industrial traffic from Highway 1 to near Russell Street on the East Side, allowing it to go directly to two of Saint John's industrial parks via Bayside Drive.

For what it means economically to Greater Saint John, Bob Manning says its price tag is a bargain.

The Board of Trade chairman said "the cost of building the interchange is leveraging $7-billion investment in the new refinery. Spinoffs will be 1.5 to two times the ($7 billion) investment. The interchange is a strategic piece of infrastructure. Nowhere else in the province is the investment (of $40 million) going to bring that much leverage to the economy."

Premier Shawn Graham is plugged into the city's wish list. He told a Saint John audience last month the One-Mile House Interchange would form part of a $400-million federal-provincial infrastructure agreement.

The premier's press secretary, Marie-Andrée Bolduc, said following discussions with federal Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Lawrence Cannon, the premier feels "confident that there will soon be a positive announcement that will allow the province to make the needed investment in Routes 1, 7, 8, 11 and 17. And yes, the One-Mile Interchange."

Tracey Burkhardt, spokeswoman for the provincial Department of Transportation, believes New Brunswick will obtain funding from the federal government. She maintains the project is not wholly dependent on federal dollars. Further, she says the province has now obtained 80 per cent of the land needed for the interchange. The remaining 20 per cent belongs to one property owner. Burkhardt says negotiations are continuing.

For Manning, the project can't get under way soon enough. With harbour cleanup funding now committed, the Board of Trade has made the interchange its top priority. Manning said there are a number of reasons for the urgency.

"A lot of our industry is based in the southeast of the city and there is no direct connection from the highway to that area," he said. "Two of the city's largest industrial parks - Grandview and McAllister - are located there."

The interchange will create increased opportunities on Bayside Drive properties, he said. This will also connect the heavy traffic to the new Red Head road being built to serve the LNG terminal and potentially to a proposed second oil refinery.

Currently, if trucks are coming from the east, they have to take the Crown Street exit and mingle with the light industrial traffic on Crown Street, then head to industrial parks via the causeway.

If the trucks are coming on the highway from the west, they have to take the city centre exit and pass through the uptown to head toward the causeway. Manning said this causes tremendous stress on city streets, poses a safety hazard and affects tourism. It also detracts from waterfront development as the heavy traffic goes through Water Street, facing the port.

The Board of Trade chairman said the interchange should be "very high on the city's perspective" because the city will be spending less money on the maintenance of roads if traffic can be diverted through the interchange.

"This should be the province's number one priority, not just the board's," said Manning. "The premier talks about bringing self-sufficiency to the province. It will do a lot for that. The premier has to step up and show that the money (to construct the interchange) is there. The government can spread the expenditure over two years. The interchange can leverage an awful lot of investment for the province."
_________________________________________________________________

Energy board OK with proposed Emera pipeline

By The Canadian Press
Chronicle Herald
Published Thursday April 12th, 2007

CALGARY — The proposed Emera Brunswick pipeline to carry imported natural gas across southern New Brunswick to the United States "is not likely to result in significant adverse environmental effects," according to a National Energy Board environmental assessment.

The NEB released its report Wednesday, noting that the finding is contingent on the project receiving regulatory approval and on Emera Brunswick Pipeline Co. meeting all of its commitments.

Board recommendations include a site-specific plan to protect wildlife and vegetation, along with "various precautionary measures including consultation activities on emergency procedures" for people along the route.

The next step is for federal ministries to respond, and this response and the environmental assessment will be considered by the NEB as it decides whether to approve the project.

The NEB wrapped up public hearings in November into Emera’s application to build the $350-million, 145-kilometre line that would transport gas from a planned liquefied natural gas terminal near Saint John to the Maine border to serve the energy-hungry northeastern United States.

Irving Oil and Spanish partner Repsol plan to build the $750-million Canaport LNG terminal, with Emera Inc., the parent company of Nova Scotia Power, providing the pipeline.

[SJTOKO]

This thread is DEAD! Every day I check CBC or the Telegraph Journal and there is usually something to do with development. I am overseas so I can't access the full articles but they should be discussed on here. :notacrook:

[ErickMontreal]

This thread is DEAD! Every day I check CBC or the Telegraph Journal and there is usually something to do with development. I am overseas so I can't access the full articles but they should be discussed on here. :notacrook:

Samething for us, its bad, there are a plenty of good articles about police station, courthouse, Waterfront and Water street developement as well.

[ErickMontreal]

Saint John Port Authority has busy years ahead

SAINT JOHN, NB -- The Saint-John port will become a more secure area by December 2008.

Initiatives were discussed today during the port authority's annual meeting.

Workers will need to have security clearance issued by the federal government on container terminals and cruise facilities.

President and C-E-O of the port authority Al Soppitt said the Federal Government has put forward four hundred thousand dollars so far, but more is needed to complete the project.

"We're hoping that some program will come forward that would allow for furthur funding for secutiry requirements," Soppitt said.

He added there are more requests on the project being made than there are dollars available.

[ErickMontreal]

Planning goes forward on police, justice complexes, Telegraph Journal April 19,2007

Construction Council hopes work on uptown project will begin in earnest next year. Saint John- If the city's uptown plans go as council hopes, it will be a case of justice for all. The city is moving to ensure the justice complex is a development that makes everybody happy, not just police officers and lawyers. "We thought it can be more than just a police building no one can get particularly excited about, and a standalone parking garage no one can get excited about," said Coun. Chris Titus, a member of the city's Police Justice Steering committee and a Crown prosecutor. The new police headquarters and the new provincial justice facility will be built separately in the uptown near the Saint John Arts Centre and the soon-to-be-demolished YM-YMCA. The area wil also include a new parking garage and a landscaped public place. Titus describes it as "an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime"-one that, done properly, will mean an attractive and welcoming site that will spur further development in a neighborhood that is "rough" in places. "We'd like to really upgrade that side of the city," he said. During one of last week's council meetings, common council approved two important pieces of the project. First, they agreed to hire the park-planning firm Daniel K. Glenn Ltd. to develop the design of the public plaza. The firm, which worked on Harbour Passage and will design the landscaping of Water Street, had already been approached separately by architects behind both the police and justice facilities. Second, the city will pay a company called TOSS Solutions Inc. to produce a land-use plan for the project that will support additional development in the area and help it "meet community expectations." A report from the steering committee says the plan is necessary given the large number of different groups working on the project, including the city, the province, the Saint John Police Force, and the parking commission. It's been well documented that the $15 to $20 million police headquarters will help a force stuck in an inadequate City Hall, and the $28 to $30 million justice facililty will consolidate and improve upon three aging court buildings spread throughout the city. But "just plunking buildings down" would have been a mistake, Titus said. The three-term councillor said the buildings won't necessarily look alike but are being built with co-ordination and co-operation between the various groups. For instance, the police facility will likely be the site of holding cells, with tunnels between the two buildings allowing the accused to be taken to court. The numbers of people working in the three faciities should be enough to spur some private business in the area, Titus said, and the city hopes the site will help attract more development, be it a hotel or condos. Work will start in the area this summer, Titus said, but he says construction won't likely start in earnest until 2008. Ray French, the chair of the police commission and a lawyer, said the complex will change the face of the uptown. "This will create an area within our city that people will want to be a part of," he said.

[ErickMontreal]

Motel 6 comes to the 'Mile'

CANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Saturday April 21st, 2007
Appeared on page B2

The North American chain Motel 6 will soon be leaving its light on in the city's west side.

The motel, whose slogan is "We'll Leave the Light on for You," will be constructed behind the Burger King restaurant on Fairville Boulevard, beside the Home Hardware building centre in Beaver Court on the Golden Mile.

[SJTOKO]

Motel 6 comes to the 'Mile'

CANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Saturday April 21st, 2007
Appeared on page B2

The North American chain Motel 6 will soon be leaving its light on in the city's west side.

The motel, whose slogan is "We'll Leave the Light on for You," will be constructed behind the Burger King restaurant on Fairville Boulevard, beside the Home Hardware building centre in Beaver Court on the Golden Mile.

This is GREAT news...... Finally some development on the West Side... here's the rest of the article, I finally have it set up....

Motel 6 comes to the 'Mile'
Print this ArticleEmail this ArticleMagnify TextBookmark this ArticleShare on FacebookDigg this ArticleBookmark with del.icio.usLive BookmarkAdd to TechnoratiTOOL HELPCANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Saturday April 21st, 2007
Appeared on page B2
The North American chain Motel 6 will soon be leaving its light on in the city's west side.

The motel, whose slogan is "We'll Leave the Light on for You," will be constructed behind the Burger King restaurant on Fairville Boulevard, beside the Home Hardware building centre in Beaver Court on the Golden Mile.

Mayor Norm McFarlane said the 83-room, four-storey complex should take form within a month, and be completed by the fall.

"It's a pretty big footprint," McFarlane said, adding that the hotel will have meeting rooms, should have a pool, but probably won't have a restaurant. The Motel 6 website states that all locations (920 through the United States and Canada) offer free local phone, free accommodations for children, free morning coffee and data ports.

McFarlane said along with the Motel 6, another smaller-scale hotel is in the works for West Saint John. The second complex will be two stories, and remains in the approval stages.

He said it will be in the vicinity of the Motel 6.

McFarlane, who remarked on the ideal location of the motel, said he did not know the cost of the Motel 6 or the name of the contractors.

"This is the start of things going on the Golden Mile - this shows the confidence," he said, adding that the motel plans have only been in the works for about one month. "It's right off of the thruway, it couldn't be a better location. It's great exposure."

The West Side motel development falls in line with a recent trend in Greater Saint John, with three other hotels under construction. A 78-room Best Western is coming to the city's East Side by late summer or early fall, while the 118-room Hampton Inn on Fashion Drive - also in the city's East Side - should open in the fall.

Construction of Kennebecasis Valley's first hotel, the Amsterdam Inn, is underway at the corner of Concorde and Millennium drives in Quispamsis. It is scheduled to open by May 15.

[Seely32]

Im a kid from south jersey and im loving all the new developments here in saint john. Im going to school here and what i can remember from when i was a kid the city has made a huge turn. Dare I say this is a good place to live because ever since I got here all I hear is how much the people hate it . I moved here about a year ago and I dont plan on leaving anytime soon, I dont think people know what they have here. Now if they would put some effort into their economy and be pro-growth then we could see Saint john move years forward. I have family hear who are protesting building new buildings on the west side on duke street west for the simple reason they are scared of change. The designs are nice its not low income housing and it brings more money to the city and especially the west side. When I look at these posts which I have been for the past 6 months it makes me happy that people care about the growth that this city can accumb to. HAPPY EARTH DAY

[SJTOKO]

Im a kid from south jersey and im loving all the new developments here in saint john. Im going to school here and what i can remember from when i was a kid the city has made a huge turn. Dare I say this is a good place to live because ever since I got here all I hear is how much the people hate it . I moved here about a year ago and I dont plan on leaving anytime soon, I dont think people know what they have here. Now if they would put some effort into their economy and be pro-growth then we could see Saint john move years forward. I have family hear who are protesting building new buildings on the west side on duke street west for the simple reason they are scared of change. The designs are nice its not low income housing and it brings more money to the city and especially the west side. When I look at these posts which I have been for the past 6 months it makes me happy that people care about the growth that this city can accumb to. HAPPY EARTH DAY

I've got a lot of family in South Jersey some of them just came up for the week... Yeah people really don't know what they have in Saint John, but a lot of people havn't travelled much so I don't really blame them. Most of the kids in my high school went to Halifax for a weekend or MAYBE Montreal...

[Seely32]

Its a way of life here that you cant get in many places there are 44 million people within 3hour of where I love in South jersey. A slower pace and some room to breath is nice. Montreal and Halifax are nice cities but they cant attest to the high impact living in the BosWash Megopolis. I need to get my camera out and capture some of the beautiful scenery and architectecture that reaks throughtout this city the water street development and robertsons wharf interest me but i really wish they stayed brick on the waterfront. i know Cost would be through the roof. But it definately would be more aesthetic.

And where from south jersy are they from.

[Smevo]

Thanks for keeping us up to date, HalifaxMtl...I tried to start a thread last year, but didn't have the support to keep it around. I'm glad to see you and the other SJ fans/forumers taking charge on keeping everyone up to date on the developments.

The effect of people not realising what they have is definitely an effect of not travelling a lot, it's the same story in a lot of places. I've always been a big fan of SJ, though a lot of people can't understand why, I've always stuck by my opinions on the city.

[ErickMontreal]

Thanks for keeping us up to date, HalifaxMtl...I tried to start a thread last year, but didn't have the support to keep it around. I'm glad to see you and the other SJ fans/forumers taking charge on keeping everyone up to date on the developments.

The effect of people not realising what they have is definitely an effect of not travelling a lot, it's the same story in a lot of places. I've always been a big fan of SJ, though a lot of people can't understand why, I've always stuck by my opinions on the city.

Thank you Smevo ! I am not a Saint John citizen but i am a Saint john fan like you and others that share their interests about this city. Although, i got the same problem as you the people does not understand why i focus on this town, I already convinced many of my friends in Quebec to come to take a look in Saint John and in New-Brunswick as well

At this point Saint John grows more quickly that I had expected.

Welcome Seely32 to the thread !

[SJTOKO]

More Development of the West Side.... Where is Day Drive though?





West Side developer receives conditional approval to add units
Print this ArticleEmail this ArticleMagnify TextBookmark this ArticleShare on FacebookDigg this ArticleBookmark with del.icio.usLive BookmarkAdd to TechnoratiTOOL HELPMary-Ellen Saunders
Telegraph-Journal
Published Tuesday April 24th, 2007
Appeared on page C2
City council approved the first and second readings of a rezoning on Jennifer Street on the West Side to allow for 40 garden homes to be built, on one condition: That developer Stillmen Wilcox meet and come to an agreement with the concerned citizens of Day Drive.

"There's not going to be any garden homes in your back yard," said councillor Chris Titus at Monday night's public hearing. "You have to make a compromise come third reading."

Council approved Wilcox's residential plan in 2003, which included 22 garden home units on Jennifer Street. Wilcox appeared before council on Monday night to request a change of plans to increase the density to 40 units with less yard space and less space between residences.

Wilcox said developing single residential homes and garden homes on the West Side has been harder than he expected, and his previous vision won't make him any money.

But some residents of Day Drive were more concerned with the money they stand to lose in the value of their homes than Wilcox's profit.

Residents said they purchased their homes based on the original plan Wilcox had presented them, and were not happy with the new increased density of the garden homes because the homes will block their views, increase traffic and decrease their property values.

They said the street is in bad condition and they aren't happy with the construction materials lying around vacant lots and the heavy machinery travelling past their homes.

Mike O'Brien, who lives at 31 Day Dr., said he wouldn't have bought his home if he had of known what would happen.

"The bottom line is the original garden homes on the website are not the same ones that are being proposed," said O'Brien. "All we want to do is protect our investment."

Council stood in the middle of the argument and tried to find a middle ground.

Coun. Ivan Court pointed out that while more homes would mean a greater tax base for the city, it is unfair and bad for Wilcox's reputation to make his current residents unhappy and lose property value.

Wilcox said he would be willing to make changes to the plan in order to accommodate the residents that he had sold lots and homes to. He said by building the garden homes straight instead of at an angle, they would be less attractive to look at but farther away from the Day Drive residential homes. He said he would be willing to compromise and agreed to clean the neighbourhood.

Wilcox said starting out as a small company and trying to develop the West Side was harder than he expected, he has had more delays than he thought and a harder time selling properties than he had planned on.

"The West Side tends to grow a lot slower than other areas," said Wilcox. "But I think the market is going to go on fire because of the activity in Saint John, I'm on the leading edge of it."

He hopes to have four residential homes and six garden homes built and sold this summer.

Council agreed to pass first and second readings despite a recommendation from the Planning Advisory Committee to turn the proposal down.

A passing of third reading will depend on whether the developer can find a compromise that accommodates the residents of Day Drive.

[SJTOKO]

I wish this guy all the best... I'd be all over those Japanese Noodles...


New sushi restaurant rolls out in Saint John
Print this ArticleEmail this ArticleMagnify TextBookmark this ArticleShare on FacebookDigg this ArticleBookmark with del.icio.usLive BookmarkAdd to TechnoratiTOOL HELPErin Dwyer
Developments
Published Tuesday April 24th, 2007
Appeared on page C5
Chong Yoon opened his new restaurant in Saint John with some trepidation.

He wasn't sure whether its residents would be open to traditional Japanese food. But the chef, who studied at the Tokyo culinary institute before working in more than 20 Japanese restaurants and operating his own in Tokyo for 10 years, needn't have been concerned.

Last month, he opened A Sense of Tokyo at 13 Waterloo St.

"I worried about the people in Saint John don't like fish and sushi. But many people are enjoying my dishes. So I'm happy about that."

Yoon moved to Saint John from Tokyo almost a year ago with his wife Soo-Young Joo and their two daughters. He worked as a chef at the Hilton Hotel for several months before deciding to open his own restaurant.

It took him three months to set up the business in the city centre, which opened March 13. The full-course menu serves traditional Japanese food such as sushi, traditional deep-fried vegetables and seafood called tempura and noodles. It also offers appetizers and desserts. Lunch items range from $7 to $11, while customers can choose dinner combinations in the $15, $20 or $25 categories.

As customers dine, they can watch as Yoon prepares and rolls sushi on a counter top in front of the tables.

"We're trying to introduce customers little by little various different things. I try to give them new tastes - sometimes it's a fusion style and sometimes it's traditional Japanese cuisine."

As a way of introduction, Yoon began offering some samples of Japanese cuisine during the City Market's International Food Fair on Saturday.

"People in Saint John, some are conservative and some don't like to try new food," he said. "But if I serve food in the Saint John City Market, I can give them a chance to try. Then they will come to have a meal in my restaurant."

His only problem is trying to find local cooks to help in the kitchen alongside his wife.

"I can't do it by myself," he said. "But it's very difficult to find the right cook in Saint John. When I worked for the Hilton, we had the same experience. But I think we can solve the problem and we'll handle it little by little."

[SJTOKO]

I hope that this project is a success......

Project hopes to breathe new life into Old North End
Print this ArticleEmail this ArticleMagnify TextBookmark this ArticleShare on FacebookDigg this ArticleBookmark with del.icio.usLive BookmarkAdd to TechnoratiTOOL HELPCANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Tuesday April 24th, 2007
Appeared on page C1Just like its inspiration ONE Change, ONE HOME plans to infuse the city's Old North End with new life.

ONE HOME (Home Ownership Made Easy) is a pilot project created to increase the number of North End citizens who own their homes.

The site where a quartet of town house-like homes may be built hasn't been confirmed yet, but Kit Hickey, executive director of Housing Alternatives, said a lot on Victoria Street is the most probable location.

Hickey repeatedly stated the preliminary nature of the project, but said the plan is to have four North End families move into the homes, and pay in a rent-to-own fashion. Though she said the details are not worked out, she described the ideal families for ONE HOME as the "working poor," and said they'd be looking at an income of $30,000 per year.

"There's a disproportionate number of people that are renting in the North End," Hickey said, noting that just 10 to 15 per cent of North End residents own their homes. "We know that for a healthy community that a mix is absolutely essential. Mixed income, mixed forms of housing tenure, home ownership or rental "... all of that is very important to a healthy community along with ownership. It's that sense of ownership that instills the pride back into the community."

Saint John's Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation representative Don Connolly is also a key player in the ONE HOME project, and said if all goes well, on-site construction will begin in October.

He said the idea for a home ownership initiative began in November 2005, when his company headed an intense five-day meeting, called a 'charette', in the North End, looking at how to revitalize the area.

"It was clear in the charette results. When there's home ownership in a community, it leads to community pride," Connolly said.

"(When) people own their properties, the theory is they will look after them and it will lead to other people wanting to buy and it will just become a domino effect in terms of improving the community."

Connolly said construction cost, rent charge per month and down payment prices have not been determined yet, as the plan is only just being developed. He did explain that the program might work like a similar initiative happening in Saskatoon, Sask.

"They do a home ownership type of arrangement called Quint Development and Quint actually uses a model where they screen families and families go into the unit on a rent-to-own or co-op type of tenure and have options in a five-year time period," he said.

"Once they feel they're comfortable in taking on responsibilities, they can take on home ownership. It's a transitional thing and that's probably the way we'll go."

Families who fit the criteria for the program will be taught home ownership literacy, Connolly said. For example, they would learn how to handle situations in their home they may not be used to after having a landlord for most of their lives.

"There's a lot to this," Connolly said. "Four units doesn't sound like a lot of units but there's a lot of infrastructure to be planned around this so it can become something that will be sustainable."

A community meeting to discuss ONE HOME will be held at 6:30 Thursday at the Main St. Baptist Church in the North End.

At a town hall meeting hosted by Liberal MP Paul Zed in the North End, Coun. Ivan Court voiced his opinion on the ONE HOME initiative.

"Regardless of what you make, you're a human being," Court said. "People will take pride if they have the concept that someday, I'm going to own the mortgage on this property. We struggle to that end - to get the mortgage paid off so we can burn the mortgage and say 'this is my piece of land and this is my property,' but everyone should have that opportunity."

There are more than 10 partners or potential partners involved with the project, Connolly said. Hickey said she, Connolly and Gary Sullivan, ONE Change president, are heading the initiative.

The use of ONE in the project names is an acronym for Old North End, which encompasses Adelaide Street to the St. John River and Main Street to Shamrock Park.

[Seely32]

Having tried most of the sushi in this town. I had just eaten at sense of tokyo for the second time last week easily the best sushi in town. Good atmosphere comes off like it might not be that great but the inside is nice the food is good and they actually having a philly roll which makes me pretty happy. If you havent tried it yet give it a shot.

[Ottawa]

April 9, 2007

Riding a wave of optimism

Peter Walsh/Telegraph-Journal

Developer Peter Gaulton and his Bentley Crossing partners are so optimistic they are eager to begin the second phase of their Chesley Drive development.

Dave MacLean
Telegraph-Journal

Appeared on page C1

Peter Gaulton and his partners have a great deal of faith in the Greater Saint John area and its future.

They felt positive enough about the economy and the quality of life in the area that they made a significant investment in a waterfront housing development and their faith in the local market has been rewarded.

The partners have sold 10 of the 14 condominium units built along Chesley Drive - nine are already occupied and another will be at month's end - and they're already looking ahead to the second phase of their development, known as Bentley Crossing.

Based on the results of City Think 2007, an Omnifacts Bristol survey commissioned by the Telegraph-Journal, the housing market should continue to be busy in the coming months since almost half of respondents expect to either buy a home or renovate their current residence. The survey of more than 500 adults revealed that seven per cent expect to purchase a home in the next 12 months, while a further 39 per cent expect to begin a renovation project.

That's good news for developers and contractors in the area and just the kind of news Gaulton and his partners like to hear as they prepare to add another seven units to their development.

There's a buzz sweeping over the city that happy days will soon be here again. And it's contagious.

The survey also shows that nine out of 10 area residents rate their quality of life as good or excellent.

The optimism is prompting people to open their wallets and increase their spending habits.

"I hear it from my business contacts," said Gaulton. "People are very positive about where things are going in Saint John. It's not only the (possibility of a second Irving Oil) refinery - there's the refurbishment at Point Lepreau and the possibility of a second (reactor), but you've also got a police station, a justice complex and a cruise-ship terminal on the way, as well as the East Point Shopping complex. The list goes on and on and on.

"It's like we were a well-kept secret for a long time and all of a sudden we've awoken and we realize we have something to offer here. Let's offer it to the world. It's a really good feeling."

The Bentley Crossing project was the brainchild of Saint John lawyer Frank Hamm. He wanted to buy a home on the waterfront and couldn't find what he was looking for. So he decided to build one.

"Frank was looking for a place to live that overlooked the harbour," Gaulton said. "That's the joke among the group. He had to build a whole development to get what he wanted."

Gaulton, a chartered accountant, said Hamm recruited three partners - the other two are Walter Derksen and Gary Kilpatrick - to help design and finance the project.

"We're not typically what you would call risk-takers," said Gaulton. "But I didn't look at it as a risk - or I didn't see it as being as great a risk as some other things, because I really liked the vision that Frank had and I liked the design when I saw it. We felt that because of the location and the high-profile nature of the development that it would get plenty of exposure - and it did.

"From our perspective, we felt confident enough in the location and in the city and what's happening here that we built 14 homes and at this point in time we have 10 of those signed, sealed and delivered."

Gaulton said his group was attracted to the site by the development of Harbour Passage and they were encouraged by the support they received from local officials.

"We would not have gone forward with the project if Harbour Passage hadn't been there," said Gaulton. "The people at the city were very encouraging and if I remember correctly, we had 100 per cent support from common council when the rezoning went through. It's positive attitudes like that that encourage you to keep going."

Furniture and electronics retailers and car dealerships can also expect to be busy over the next year, according to the CityThink survey.

A total of 14 per cent plan on buying or leasing a new car, while 41 per cent will be purchasing new furniture and 27 per cent are expecting to purchase a new piece of technology that costs more than $1,000.

That's music to the ears of Jon Duplessis, who works in sales at Wacky Wheatley's in Saint John.

"It seems like every time someone remodels their home or buys a new home, they're looking to buy a new flat-screen TV," said Duplessis, noting that consumers are more likely to buy luxury items when the economy is good. "Obviously, a television isn't a 'need' product, it's a 'want' product. People probably have a TV at home that works fine, they just want to replace it with some newer technology that's cooler."

A very palpable wave of optimism has hit Greater Saint John.

"It's just very positive right now," said Gaulton. "I've always been very big on Saint John. I've noticed recently that we're not hearing very much from the naysayers. They're very quiet; they're saying very little these days. And that's a good thing."

[Ottawa]

April 16, 2007

One Mile House: Make it happen

Appeared on page A4

Saint John's proposed One-Mile House Interchange is the lynchpin of the city's economic development - the municipal equivalent of a coronary bypass. But until recently, the seriousness and urgency of the operation has largely escaped government's attention.

That seems to be changing, thanks to the Saint John Board of Trade, local developers, the Telegraph-Journal's reporting, and Premier Shawn Graham.

The proposed interchange has been part of the city's long-term planning for decades; its purpose is to route heavy traffic from the provincial highway system out of the city core. But it was not undertaken when the Saint John throughway was constructed. As the possibility of harbourfront development and industrial growth has increased in recent years, so has interest in completing the interchange; but Saint Johners have found it difficult to get government's attention. The provincial government under Bernard Lord, in particular, was slow to react to the threat of impending gridlock, though it always maintained the interchange was somewhere on the province's agenda.

Premier Shawn Graham has taken a different and altogether more satisfying approach. The One-Mile House Interchange is one of a number of highway projects the government is giving first priority to in negotiations with federal government. The turning point for his government seems to have been realizing the interchange's value to the growth of the provincial economy.

With an LNG terminal in the works and a new justice centre, waterfront complex and second oil refinery on the planning board, Saint John is soon going to see a massive increase in industrial traffic as construction begins in the central and eastern sectors of the city. The interchange is necessary to speed that development along, and to ensure it proceeds with the least negative impact on the rest of the city.

Looking at the interchange's impact on the refinery proposal alone is an eye-opener. Saint John Board of Trade Chairman Bob Manning says, "the cost of building the interchange is leveraging $7 billion in investment in the new refinery. Spinoffs will be 1.5 to two times the ($7 billion) investment."

It is, as Manning claims, "a strategic piece of infrastructure. Nowhere in the province is the investment going to bring that much leverage to the economy."

But industrial growth is not the only force that is driving the Graham government to make the interchange a priority. Routing traffic away from Water Street, on the eastern side of the city harbour, is the next logical step in waterfront development. The city has invested in Harbour Passage, a waterside, multi-use trail system. It will invest tens of millions in removing sewage from the city harbour. With the interchange in place, it will be able to concentrate on redeveloping Water Street as the heart of the waterfront district - and uptown visitors and residents will no longer need to dodge between speeding cars and heavy trucks.

Premier Graham and the provincial Transportation Minister are to be congratulated for seeing what the previous government did not - that the One-Mile House Interchange will make Saint John a healthier and wealthier place to live, and a more prosperous contributor to the province as a whole.

[SJTOKO]

April 16, 2007

One Mile House: Make it happen

Appeared on page A4

Saint John's proposed One-Mile House Interchange is the lynchpin of the city's economic development - the municipal equivalent of a coronary bypass. But until recently, the seriousness and urgency of the operation has largely escaped government's attention.

That seems to be changing, thanks to the Saint John Board of Trade, local developers, the Telegraph-Journal's reporting, and Premier Shawn Graham.

The proposed interchange has been part of the city's long-term planning for decades; its purpose is to route heavy traffic from the provincial highway system out of the city core. But it was not undertaken when the Saint John throughway was constructed. As the possibility of harbourfront development and industrial growth has increased in recent years, so has interest in completing the interchange; but Saint Johners have found it difficult to get government's attention. The provincial government under Bernard Lord, in particular, was slow to react to the threat of impending gridlock, though it always maintained the interchange was somewhere on the province's agenda.

Premier Shawn Graham has taken a different and altogether more satisfying approach. The One-Mile House Interchange is one of a number of highway projects the government is giving first priority to in negotiations with federal government. The turning point for his government seems to have been realizing the interchange's value to the growth of the provincial economy.

With an LNG terminal in the works and a new justice centre, waterfront complex and second oil refinery on the planning board, Saint John is soon going to see a massive increase in industrial traffic as construction begins in the central and eastern sectors of the city. The interchange is necessary to speed that development along, and to ensure it proceeds with the least negative impact on the rest of the city.

Looking at the interchange's impact on the refinery proposal alone is an eye-opener. Saint John Board of Trade Chairman Bob Manning says, "the cost of building the interchange is leveraging $7 billion in investment in the new refinery. Spinoffs will be 1.5 to two times the ($7 billion) investment."

It is, as Manning claims, "a strategic piece of infrastructure. Nowhere in the province is the investment going to bring that much leverage to the economy."

But industrial growth is not the only force that is driving the Graham government to make the interchange a priority. Routing traffic away from Water Street, on the eastern side of the city harbour, is the next logical step in waterfront development. The city has invested in Harbour Passage, a waterside, multi-use trail system. It will invest tens of millions in removing sewage from the city harbour. With the interchange in place, it will be able to concentrate on redeveloping Water Street as the heart of the waterfront district - and uptown visitors and residents will no longer need to dodge between speeding cars and heavy trucks.

Premier Graham and the provincial Transportation Minister are to be congratulated for seeing what the previous government did not - that the One-Mile House Interchange will make Saint John a healthier and wealthier place to live, and a more prosperous contributor to the province as a whole.

YES!!!! this needs to happen ASAP!! I also want to see the entire highway from Saint John to St. Stephen twinned and hopfully Maine will connect dirrectly to 95... I want to be able to drive to Boston in 5 hours or less,, takes about 6 now...:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[ErickMontreal]

West Side development is a powerful thing

CANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Saturday April 21st, 2007
Appeared on page B5


The West Side of Saint John is powering up for an electrifying $10-million development.

Saint John Energy, now located at 239 Charlotte St. in the South End, will move in 2008 to a new building to be built on the site of the former Labatt Brewery on Simms Street.

The utility's president and CEO, Eric Marr, said the 6,750-square-metre (75,000-square-foot) building is necessary to suit the needs of the growing utility.

"We feel it's a strategic location," Marr said, moments after a ground breaking ceremony at the new site Friday. "We've been at our present location for over 40 years and the operation has grown more and more into an industrial type of operation with heavier trucks and equipment," he said. "To be operating out of a heritage area is not quite appropriate."

Construction on the multi-million dollar building will begin immediately, and Marr said he sees Saint John Energy staff moving into their new home this time next year.

Not only does the West Side location make more sense for growth, Marr said, the site is also better connected to roads and highways.

"It has great access to the transportation system to allow us to have quick response to any trouble we may have and we'll normally dispatch crews out of here on a daily basis."

The chair of the utility's operations committee, Bernie Desmond, chimed in with Marr, stating that the West Side spot also has more storage space.

"This gives us a great opportunity to have everything in one spot," Desmond said. "(Crews) can just pick up their stuff and go, they don't have to run to two or three places to pick it up."

There are three interested organizations looking at the Charlotte Street building, Marr said, adding that "no decision has been made yet on that."

He said the utility has about one year to sell the building before it's vacated, but noted "we are considering the three independent proposals."

Marr wouldn't say how much the building would fetch on the open market.

When the time comes to move into the new abode, Marr said it will likely take several days and happen over a weekend. He said the relocation will not affect staff numbers at Saint John Energy, which employs about 100 people.

Those making the West Side move can look forward to a modern building and even a fitness centre.

"It will have a lot of energy efficiency components to it, making it a much more efficient operation," Marr said of the new building.

Deputy Mayor Michelle Hooton also attended the ground breaking, and topped in a white construction hat, she applauded Saint John Energy for bringing growth to the city's West Side.

"I think the fact that we're seeing development on the West Side is tremendously encouraging," she said. "There will be activity again and we'll have an additional, beautiful new development here."

It was a three-year process to finally select a design for the building, which will be the third location for Saint John Energy in 85 years. Marr said the project is the largest single investment ever made in the utility's history.
_________________________________________________________________________________

West Side project making progress

CANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Friday April 27th, 2007
Appeared on page C4


The vision of an all-weather sports field on the city's West Side has leaped from Jim Sullivan's mind onto paper.

The conceptual drawing of an artificial turf field to be built behind several churches, Barnhill Memorial and St. Rose schools and an old post office on Church Avenue, paints a sunny, well-groomed image of the area.

Sullivan, the president of the Lancaster Kiwanis, and his members are driving the $2-million project.

"It's awesome, isn't it," Sullivan boasted of the drawing, which depicts a green field filled with soccer players, shrubs, a walking path and field lighting.

The image of the field is taken from above, the bottom right portion of the sketch being the Peter Murray Arena, beside it the existing medical centre and seniors' complex.

The tennis courts are already at the site.

Construction is slated for late 2009, and when finished, the centre will include an all-weather field, lights, bleachers, and a rubberized 400-metre running track.

Sullivan said he'd like to see the payment plan work in thirds, split between the federal and provincial governments, and fundraising efforts by the Kiwanis, combined with funds from the municipality.

The project will be executed in phases, Sullivan said, adding that the field itself could be installed in just six weeks.

"We're probably going to phase the track in, depending on how successful we are with our fundraising," Sullivan said, offering that the track could first be gravel, then asphalt, then rubberized when the money is available.

One hurdle that must be overcome before the completion time in 2010 is finding a home for two ball fields sitting in one corner of the lot. Those using the fields must have new homes to relocate to before the construction can begin.

Sullivan said the city has given him assurances that come 2009, the ball fields won't be a problem.

"They basically told me that it wouldn't be an issue when the time came, they have ideas around that," he said. "This isn't about displacing one group for the benefit of another group, this is adding facilities."

The tract of land where the project will be built is the size of a regulation football or soccer field - 210 metres long by 105 metres wide.

The next step in the effort is to organize fundraisers, Sullivan said, stressing the need for community support in the field dream.

"We need some help with this," he said, adding that the Lancaster Kiwanis has about 25 members. "It's convening all of the users and the interested parties and it's putting together a fundraising strategy that would include the various levels of government and corporate citizens."

The site should not just be viewed as a West Side development, Sullivan said, noting that the project will be used by everyone in Greater Saint John.

"It's not a West Side project although the location is clearly West," he said. "When we look at the projects that are going to be undertaken here locally over the next few years and the need for us to attract skilled workers to our community, clearly one of the factors in any decision like that would be recreational facilities and access to them."

Along with sports such as football, soccer, lacrosse and rugby, Sullivan said the field will be used by residents who wish to walk the trail or picnic on the grounds.
______________________________________________________________________________

Put Port of Saint John on the map

Published Monday April 23rd, 2007
Appeared on page A4

The Port of Saint John's declaration that it's in "growth mode" is good news for a group that's been bobbing along the surface without much sense of direction. Capt. Al Soppitt says the port authority hopes to double its throughput within five years. That would mean 200,000 cruise ship passengers, 2 million tonnes of bulk cargo, 1 million tonnes of break bulk cargo and about 100,000 containers a year. This is welcome talk, but is it ambitious enough?

Most of the gains recorded by the port have little to do with its own initiatives. The same is true for most of the expected future increases in traffic. The start up of the LNG terminal and the possibility of a second oil refinery are just dumb luck for the port authority. The increase in cruise ship passengers is definitely a plus, but one wonders if the port's efforts have much to do with those gains. The building of the new cruise ship terminal has been interminably delayed, with the latest prediction that it will open its doors in 2008. For $8 million, close to the figure the port spent just on the pad for the facility, one hopes it will be a signature facility the entire region can be proud of, not a cheap-looking box similar to what sits on the former General Hospital site.

If the port truly wants to get into "growth mode," where are the bold and ambitious targets for increased revenues? The port has some of the most valuable property in the province - several hectares of land next to the old sugar refinery site that's tying up development possibilities. Few people want to build there unless they can get the parcel of land as a whole. The waterfront development partnership has impressive plans for this area, a sort of urban village with plenty of green space and waterfront trails, but the port has given little indication it would be receptive to such an idea, despite the fact that it could make millions of dollars for leasing the space over a long period.

Why? Because it says Saint John's natural port is so small it shouldn't lose any waterfront. Other jurisdictions haven't been so cautious. The port authority in New York City made millions upon millions for leasing out its property - the former World Trade Center, for example, was located on land under its control.

In Saint John, the port prefers to sit on Lower Cove terminal, an immense parking lot that stays largely empty year round, in the hopes that business will come back one day. It would make more sense for the port to start making some serious money off the land and reinvest the revenues into the aging West Side of the harbour. By modernizing the dilapidated piers on the West Side, far more traffic - bulk, break bulk and containers - would be lured to Saint John.

Growth mode for the port is good. Serious growth mode would be even better.
________________________________________________________________________________

Baby on her hip, new Board of Trade chair ready for action

Mary-Ellen Saunders
Telegraph-Journal
Published Wednesday April 25th, 2007
Appeared on page C1


With a baby on her hip and a litigation practice to run, 37-year-old Nathalie Godbout, said you can't have too many good things in your life, which is why on May 1 she will be appointed chair of the Saint John Board of Trade.

In her Rothesay home, Godbout sits comfortably on the coach and sips coffee while her baby coos sleepily into the baby monitor and her husband Jim Lawlor looks at her appreciatively.

"I used to think I was busy," said Godbout. "I wasn't, now I'm busy."

Godbout moved to Saint John when she was 15 years old with her parents from Grand Falls and graduated from École Samuel de Champlain. She went on to do her undergraduate at St. Thomas University and her law degree at the University of New Brunswick Fredericton. She said even though her family was no longer living in Saint John, she loved the city and decided to come back and make it her home. Godbout litigates for professionals such as doctors and engineers who have found themselves in hot water.

She was married a year and a half ago and said the newborn baby Madeleine Grace Lawlor is the couple's first big project. She arrived 11 weeks ago.

Godbout is managing to breastfeed the child while working full-time and serving the Board of Trade. She simply takes Madeleine with her most places she goes. She went right back to work as soon as she could and her husband is staying home with the baby on parental leave from Moosehead Breweries.

"I feel like the luckiest woman in the world, it's nauseating but there it is. I feel fortunate and that's how I think the city feels," said Godbout. "I look around and think 'we have it pretty good here and we're looking to make it better.'"

Godbout said she is involved with the board because she believes people should contribute and get to know their city.

"The best way I can make sure that my family has a nice breathable city to live in is to get involved," said Godbout. "It's so easy to stand back and say 'I disagree with this or that' but I don't want to just express concern. I want to find a solution."

Godbout is taking the seat that's been occupied the last year by Bob Manning and while she plans to bring her own personal touches to the table, she said the agenda will stay the same.

"Once we transition things in May, it's business as usual, it's still energy and we are forging ahead and hopefully the city will just continue to grow," said Godbout.

Now that the final cheque has been signed for harbour cleanup, Godbout said her number one priority will be the One Mile House Interchange. The province plans to have it complete by 2011, but she's hoping it will be there before the energy boom. She said before Saint John gets new industry, it needs to be prepared to handle the boom, and that means getting transport trucks and gravel trucks off city roads.

She said the city has come a long way since five years ago when she started on the board. Nowadays, discussion is far more open, something she hopes will continue.

Godbout has served as second vice-chair and first vice-chair, but she didn't imagine having the perspective she has today.

"I never knew what people said when they said having a baby changes everything," said Godbout. "But it definitely does change your perspective, it broadens it. My narrow view as a business person was how can I improve business opportunities in the city and how can that grow?

"But when you have a family to take into consideration you are looking at the bigger picture, about lifestyle, schools, education, job opportunities, the environment. I'll bring to my position the opportunity for a family to grow in this city."

[ErickMontreal]

Opportunity knocking for city's Water Street

http://www.sjwaterfront.com/saint_john_waterfront_development_newsroom/images/clip_image001_047.jpg
Workers were busy laying down cement for the Water Street portion Harbour Passage on Wednesday.
PETER WALSH/TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

Khalid Malik

Telegraph-Journal

To some, the proposed One-Mile House Interchange that would reroute truck traffic away from the uptown area is just another exit on the Saint John Throughway.

To others, it's a window of opportunity for retail and commercial development possibilities in the city's waterfront district.

Ross Jefferson, executive director of the Saint John Waterfront Development Partnership, believes the absence of heavy trucks, that can altogether block people's view for a few seconds as they drive by them, could turn the street into a very pedestrian-friendly, retail shopping area.

"It will be a great improvement," said Jefferson. "It will be a very good move for the safety of cruise ship passengers. It will make a good first impression on them, and it will get people closer to the water."

Jefferson also noted that construction began Monday on the Water Street section of the Harbour Passage, with its signature wider, red sidewalk, which will eventually be linked to the boardwalk at the Hilton Hotel.

The proposed interchange - located literally one mile (1.6 kilometres) east from the city centre - is expected to cost between $45 million and $50 million. It's an idea that's been around for more than 35 years - it was to be part of the Throughway built in the early 1970s. It will off-load heavy industrial traffic from Highway 1 to near Russell Street on the East Side, allowing it to go directly to two of Saint John's industrial parks via Bayside Drive.

Peter Asimakos, general manager of Uptown Saint John, is equally enthusiastic about the positive effect the interchange could have on the downtown.

"It will not just lessen the wear and tear of our streets, it will reduce noise and traffic congestion on the busy downtown streets," he said. "Noise and traffic are nuisance issues on the entire southern peninsula. A lot of it is residential area and they will benefit from it."

The interchange will make life easier for the truckers too.

Jenn Gillespie, director of policy and projects for the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, called the interchange "a good idea.

"Anything that will help with a direct connection (to the highway) is a good idea. It is not convenient for trucks to go through the busy streets. Anytime we can get more open road, it is better, easier. We like direct links to highway."

Gillespie said such constructions also result in improvements to city streets. "That is something we are always looking for," she said.

As it stands now all heavy trucks coming east on Highway 1 have to take the city centre exit and travel on Water Street if they are going to the city's two large industrial parks or delivering materials to some of the big businesses located in the east.

Premier Shawn Graham told a Saint John audience last month the One-Mile House Interchange would form part of a $400-million federal-provincial infrastructure agreement.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Skateboarders will give council a positive update

John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal

Fitting for someone helping out skateboarders, Jason MacLean's attitude toward fundraising for the proposed skateboard park in the uptown has flipped 180 degrees.

"A year ago we were so far away that it seemed it would never happen," said MacLean, the chairman of the Fundy Skateboard Association. "A year ago we were at about $15,000 and I think (tonight) people will be surprised about where we're at."

The association will make a presentation to common council tonight about the funding of the project, which has a price tag of between $500,000 and $700,000. MacLean refused to divulge any exact fundraising numbers because he wanted council to hear it first, but he said the report will include a "very positive" update and a recommendation to council.

The city provided $265,000 toward the project last year, while the province offered $180,000. Aliant recently offered $25,000, and MacLean said there have been other corporate donations.

The park will cost in the area of $500,000 to $700,000, and MacLean said he hopes ground will be broken in the late summer or fall.

MacLean applauded council for its "progressive" decision to get funding started last year, and defended himself against complaints by Gerry Dort, a local soccer coach and organizer who felt the city should not have given money to a skateboard park while the city's playing fields are in poor shape.

"It's the right thing to do for kids," MacLean said.

"It's not political. It's a void that needed to be filled."

Dort wondered why council would support skateboarders when there are thousands of people using sports fields in the city, but MacLean said exact numbers of skateboarders aren't needed.

"I wonder if it's not obvious that we have a lot of kids skating in the community and they don't have a facility," MacLean said. "It's hard to give exact (participation) numbers, but it's about recognizing the fact that kids are skateboarding in unsafe places. It's time to get over it and get on with it."

He said he expects there will be a number of skateboarders in council chambers for the presentation.

The park, measuring 1,300 square metres, will be between Harbour Passage and Harbour Station. Located under the viaduct, it will have partial cover from rain and will also make use of the big pillars supporting the viaduct.

A skateboard park was one of the top four priorities identified in the so-called Wallace Report on recreation in Saint John. The priorities mentioned in the 2005 report included the park, high school sport fields in Millidgeville, the upgrade of the Canada Games Stadium, and the proposed multiplex.
______________________________________________________________________________________________

Remax : Saint John real estate report

One word can describe real estate activity in Saint John so far this year—heated. Th e market is fi ring on all cylinders with year-to-date sales up 29 per cent over the same period one year ago. From January to March, 508 homes have sold compared to 393 in 2006. Inventory remains adequate, up two per cent so far this year. Solid demand has driven average price up 15 per cent to $155,500 year-to-date from just over $134,000 one year ago. Sales of homes priced over $260,000 have risen 63 per cent over 2006 levels (31 vs. 19). A strong local economy has driven momentum in the real estate market. Th e oil and gas sector remains vibrant.

The city continues to grow through continued building activity in the residential, commercial and private sectors and healthy immigration levels. Many new Canadians are looking to become homeowners much quicker and are buying homes at the move-up price point. Quispamsis, Rothesay and Millidgeville are most popular with today’s purchasers. Aff ordability is drawing an increasing number of fi rst-time buyers to the East Side. Uptown is experiencing some renewal and multi-unit activity is on the upswing as a result, particularly as the waterfront becomes revitalized. Although condominiums remain a small portion of the market, new developments are typically well-received. Builders in Saint John are busy, currently focused on the $250,000 to $350,000 price point in Quispamsis and Rothesay and construction of new homes priced between $150,000 and $200,000 on the East Side. The momentum is expected to continue with solid appreciation of eight to 12 per cent expected for both unit sales and average price by year-end.

[ErickMontreal]

City Transit may move East

April 30, 2007 - 12:31 pm
By: News 88-9 Staff - Graham Brown


Click here to find out more!



SAINT JOHN, NB - The city is looking at land across from Loch Lomond mall as the location for the new Saint John Transit garage.

Mayor Norm McFarlane confirms they want about seven acres owned by the Irving's on MacDonald street .

A new location for the transit garage is one of the things that has to be nailed down before a development involving Wal-mart goes ahead on Fairville Boulevard.

"We still have a couple more things on the legal agreement with Wal-mart but they're getting very close. So while they're doing that we sure want a place to move it and have the land already acquired." McFarlane said.

McFarlane says if they decide on that location it would be bought at fair market value and there would be no swapping city land.

He says a deal is two or three weeks down the road.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

Here is what the condos on the boardwalk are looking like today.

http://www.adamdickinson.com/2007-may02-condos.jpg

[Smevo]

I'm visiting SJ about twice a week now, so I'm working on a photothread in the process. I'll be sure to post it when it's done, though I'm taking a bit at a time to try to make it comprehensive, including both sides of the river/harbour.

Good to see all this stuff happening. Those boardwalk condos should be pretty well finished by the time I'm done going to SJ.

[Ottawa]

April 19, 2007

Think Bustling Boulevard


http://www.sjwaterfront.com/saint_john_waterfront_development_newsroom/images/clip_image001_050.jpg
COURTESY OF THE WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP

The artist's conceptual drawings show the Bay of Fundy Cruise Welcome Centre entrance (left) and the site where a clock tower will be erected (right) – both part of the development vision for Water Street.

John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal

Appeared on page C1



Right now it's just a "glorified sidewalk," but as Ross Jefferson gives a tour of what the future holds for Harbour Passage and Water Street, he shows how that familiar cranberry colour could pave the way to better tourism, retail, and self-esteem in the Port City.

"Any time you come to a stop sign you're going to see something that's going to be exciting and something that will encourage you to come down to the waterfront," said Jefferson, the executive director of the Saint John Waterfront Development Partnership.

Plans include a clock tower, a new location for the Barbour's General Store, waterside shopping, the long-awaited cruise terminal, a large park space, and a return of some much-loved pieces of art by the late sculptor John Hooper.

Jefferson walked along the street under a cold mid-April drizzle, pointing out exactly what people will see as the plan unfolds over the next several years. Common council recently authorized the partnership to negotiate a contract with the park-planning firm Daniel K. Glenn, which will come up with final designs for park space from one end of Water Street to the other.

Preliminary designs have already been completed by a committee that included representatives from the waterfront partnership, Tourism Saint John, the Saint John Port Authority, Saint John Energy and the city's operations, leisure, and planning departments.

The group's designs were presented to council last week.

Assuming everything goes according to plan, a person standing at City Hall would look down Water Street and see a heavily landscaped boulevard bustling with locals and tourists alike, each checking out the shopping, resting in the shade, or strolling along Harbour Passage.

The entire area will be known as The Bay of Fundy Cruise Welcome Centre.

Directly across from City Hall, in what is now a bus turnaround area, will be a much more significant St. Andrews Park, new location for the Barbour's General Store, the Little Red Schoolhouse, and John Hooper's famous sculpture People Waiting, which is now at the New Brunswick Museum after almost 30 years at the Rothesay Avenue post office.

Interestingly, Saint John Energy will be using the general store - an authentic 19th century country store featuring more than 2000 artifacts - to hide some of its equipment. The city-owned utility has a need for transformers in the area, and agreed to place them in the basement of store. The utility will share in the costs of developing the basement.


The city's tourism department would also like to use the store, for the more obvious reason of providing visitor information services.

Moving from St. Andrews Park, people will cross the street and work their way down Harbour Passage, which will have the amenities Saint Johners have come to expect from the walkway, including benches, landscaping, light fixtures, and interpretive signs.

At the foot of Princess Street will be the entrance to Pugsley Park - now a parking lot, the spot will finally reflect its name. The entrance will feature a clock tower that will help tourists orient themselves, and remind them of the local time so they don't worry about missing their cruise's departure.

Jefferson says the clock tower is one of at least three landmarks that people will be able to see when they look down any of the streets running to the water.

"At the end of each street, our objective is to have a piece of architecture or a significant design that speaks to the history and character of the city, and really makes it a people place," he said.

The park area, including trees and benches, will snake its way south along the water's edge. The heart of the parking lot today is where private retail development will go - restaurants, coffee shops, or shopping are all possibilities, depending on the response to a call for proposals that goes out later this year.

Jefferson says the private development could potentially connect to the $8-million cruise ship terminal, which is expected to be completed by the time the first ship ties up in 2008.

The main entrance to the cruise terminal building will be at the foot of Duke Street.

It will feature a gateway that the report to council said will be reminiscent of the cranes and towers that were once prominent in the area. The footings are already in place.

Further down the street will be a larger and more landscaped Three Sisters Park, with the Celtic Cross at the site moved slightly so that it - like the clock tower, the gateway, and the Three Sisters - becomes another prominent symbol easily viewable from a long distance.

Jefferson says the chain-link fence along this end of Water Street will be replaced by a more decorative fence, and the Furncan Marine metal building located at the very end of the street will be torn down.

The site of that building is meant to become an across-the-street, westerly portion of the Three Sisters Park. At the same time, Saint John Water needs that spot for a piece of equipment connected to harbour cleanup.

The city plans to integrate the green space and the cleanup site, and Jefferson says the cleanup pump might be the ideal place for a public washroom.



Proposed schedule, waterfront development:
SECOND QUARTER, 2007:

Cruise terminal: start design consultation process with community, finish architectural drawings

THIRD QUARTER, 2007:

Harbour Passage: complete construction of current phase
St. Andrews Park (across from city hall), Three Sisters area, cruise terminals: call for tenders
Pugsley Park: call for proposals for private development

FOURTH QUARTER, 2007

St. Andrews Park and Three Sisters area: construction (both projects, possibly SECOND QUARTER, 2008)
Pugsley Park and Broad Street Plaza (near Three Sisters Lamp area): tender call

2008
Pugsley Park and Broad Street Plaza: construction
Cruise terminal: completed

Source: City manager's report to common council, and Ross Jefferson

[Smevo]

I've noticed a demolition going on with a wharf warehouse between harbour bridge and downtown. Is that part of the above project or is it for something else?

As for the harbour passage, it's already a very pleasant walk. I can't wait until it's finished.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

As far as I know, the demolition is to make way for a cruise tent for this summer. Also, I’ve heard the building was in serious disrepair.

[Seely32]

I would love to see some retail on water street a couple of coffee shops, 2 or 3 restaurants and some shopping would make water street sick kind of makes me proud to live uptown.

But what are the chances that this all goes through?

[kwajo]

The chances are good for those types of things, but don't expect it any time soon. Saint John's slow pace will mean it'll be at least 2009 or 2010 before anything starts to take shape.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

If NB Liquor would move to Water Street it would speed things up.

Glen Murray (former mayor of Winnipeg) has made some good points about how public buildings (such as liquor/wine stores and libraries) can attract businesses to an area. As the government has the ability to make location choices on non-financial criteria they can be the first to move in without having to worry about being on the "bleeding edge."

[Seely32]

Book fair at the public library today and tomorrow anyone else going to be there.

Paperbacks .50
Hardcovers 1.50

Cant beat that!
Plus its a beautiful day give uptown some life.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

First, yay Library Book Sale!

Second, I was just at the new sushi place on Waterlook street and thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a pretty steady stream of pantron, some who seemed like regulars. I like to see new businesses doing well.

[ErickMontreal]

SJ showing up on radars across the country

May 04, 2007 - 2:26 pm
By: News 88-9 Staff - Andrea Cyr

SAINT JOHN, NB - If the real estate market is any indication, Saint John is starting to show up on the radar outside New Brunswick.

Heather Stewart of Royal LePage Atlantic says people in other provinces are starting to take notice of the city.

Stewart says slowly but surely the housing market in Saint John is following the trend of bigger cities.

"We've experienced price increases over the last three years and we're still experiencing those steady price increases. Saint John seems to take a little bit longer than places like Toronto or Calgary, but it certainly is happening in our city." Stewart said.

Stewart says articles about the L-N-G terminal and the potential for a new oil refinery are showing up in the Globe and Mail, and perspective buyers from as far west as British Columbia are showing interest in Saint John.

[Ottawa]

AIRPORT HOLDS ITS ANNUAL MEETING

04 May 2007

Saint John Airport Inc. held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday at the Delta Brunswick Hotel. The meeting was attended by approximately seventy-five Board members, employees, media and the general public.

Board Chairman David Barry stated that the Board was very pleased with the Airport’s performance over the past year. He introduced new Board members and thanked the Board and employees for their continued efforts. He highlighted the fact that it has been the most successful year the Airport has seen since it was privatized in 1999.

Chairman Barry also extended special thanks to Enterprise Saint John, the Saint John Board of Trade, and Saint John Mayor Norm McFarlane for their support, particularly in making presentations to the new airlines – SunWing (which offered seasonal service this spring), and WestJet – which starts operating daily flights to Toronto on May 14.

The Airport’s Auditor Andrew Logan (Teed Saunders Doyle & Co) provided an overview of the 2006 financial performance, stating that the Airport enjoyed a strong year financially, with revenues being up and remarkably, expenses being down. He noted that the Airport was able to put aside an amount into a long-term capital reserve fund.

Airport President and CEO John Buchanan opened his comments by saying that the 2006 performance had been nothing short of “outstanding”. He stated that the Airport had seen an operating surplus for the first time in its history, adding that the passenger count was up 10% over the previous year. He noted also that 2007 performance is already improved over Quarter 1 (2006) performance.

Mr. Buchanan also expressed his excitement for the new flight offerings from SunWing and WestJet, as well as Air Canada’s fourth daily flight to Toronto. He noted that the Airport is currently in discussions with several airports for service to the Northeastern US.

He highlighted several capital projects that had been completed, and expressed his pleasure for the Airport’s ability to make a much-needed contribution to the long-term capital replacement fund.

Mr. Buchanan expressed thanks to the Board of Directors, management team, unionized employees, meet & greet volunteers, and acknowledged several key community stakeholders

The way things are starting to move, I would expect to see a link to a US hub and/or a major US airport soon. As the US northeast is becoming the major customer for LNG, gasoline, etc., I would expect to see a lot of business travel in the near future and the new hotels will be welcoming a lot of those travellers.

[Seely32]

I would love to see a flight to new york or boston we already have enough cruiseships coming from the states why not a couple of planes. The demand has to be their I guess but the new international flight laws recently past last week could open up the airways and drop the prices. With all the jobs opening up here Whenever the new refinery starts I think the poeple in the city will have enough money to make a trip or two. Not to mention the flow of people coming in and out of here.

[kirjtc2]

I would love to see a flight to new york or boston we already have enough cruiseships coming from the states why not a couple of planes. The demand has to be their I guess but the new international flight laws recently past last week could open up the airways and drop the prices. With all the jobs opening up here Whenever the new refinery starts I think the poeple in the city will have enough money to make a trip or two. Not to mention the flow of people coming in and out of here.

Not only that, Saint John just has too much to lose to Fredericton and Moncton, which both already have direct flights to the US.

[Seely32]

This Is all I Can do for now.

[Seely32]

Me and My 3.2mp and 3x optical
skyline
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture147.jpg
first assumption
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture182.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture181.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture178.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture152.jpg
Lower west and The Evil Empire
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture177.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture175.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture174.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture173.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture172.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture163.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture160.jpg
3 Steeples
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture164.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture157.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture168.jpg
St. Patricks
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture154.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x152/seely32/Picture153.jpg

[Seely32]

I need a better day and a better camera.

[Stanzmastertron3000]

Whoa, is St Patricks the school at the top of a hill with a park across from it? If so, my grandmother worked there and I used to play in the gym on weekends that we were visisting SJ. There was a storage room full of typewriters and the bathrooms had one giant sink with a lever or something. Soo cool.

[Cambridgite]

Ahhh, my old town. Haven't been there since I moved 10 years ago. Actually, I lived in Gondola Point which amalgamated with Quispamsis I believe. Nevertheless, Saint John was "town" to us. These pics bring back so many memories. How's Brunswick Square and Market Square these days? lol

[Smevo]

Good work Seely! Way to represent SJ West, there's definitely some hidden charms on that side of town that most people don't get to see. I was rippin around there about a week and a half ago thinking I could find a good waterfront vantage-point for a skyline photo, only to realize the docks are in the way. I plan to return to that side one of my many trips down to get some shots around the area, especially Martello(?) Tower.

[Seely32]

I would have got some shots of martello tower but it started to rain and I am on foot ill be going out later this week Im going to do Upper West and Maybe the North End keep an eye out.

[ErickMontreal]

Saint John harbour bridge to get subtle makeover

Last Updated: Monday, May 7, 2007 | 12:13 PM AT
CBC News

The Saint John harbour bridge is getting a $3.5-million makeover, but motorists who cross the bridge each day probably won't see any work being done.

They may face a few traffic delays, however, after contractors started a project Sunday to clean the surface under the bridge, do some repair work on it and paint the side of the bridge a fresh coat of "harbour blue."

Chris Titus, board chairman for the Saint John Harbour Bridge Authority, said drivers will see the normal diversion of traffic that comes with any construction project.

"Hopefully not too disruptive to people, but they must understand they don't see the work underneath here, but it's absolutely necessary work, and in order to do it, we have to close the lanes down at both sections at various times," Titus said.

The authority has so far closed one of two eastbound lanes. It will stay closed for the duration of the project.

Authority general manager Ken Anthony said the project should take until the fall to complete.

Anthony expects drivers will be irritated by the traffic delays, but said it's best to get the work done all at once.

"When you have a structure like that that's over salt water, and has salt put over it in the winter, it doesn't last forever," Anthony said. "So it's time to do repairs and spruce up the paint."

It's been about 15 years since this type of maintenance was performed on the bridge.

[Ottawa]

AIRPORT REPORTS STRONG GROWTH

09 May 2007

John Buchanan, President & CEO, Saint John Airport Inc. is pleased to report that year-to-date passenger numbers to the end of April are up over the same period last year, by a total of 10.3%, and represents the highest 4-month total recorded since 1999.

The one-month total passenger count for April was a staggering 18.7% over the same month last year.

John Buchanan attributes the increase largely to the addition of SunWing Vacations into the market, offering spring flights to Cancun, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Mr. Buchanan also notes that traveller confidence in the industry is improving overall. The addition of low-fare carrier WestJet into Saint John as of May 14 is expected to result in continuing growth for the Airport.

[Seely32]

Heard this moring on the radio that starbucks is moving to the Mcallister Mall On June 27th And possibly move into a place uptown in the summer.

Great to see them here love the coffee, Would love to see them start the move to water st. They could afford it but I doubt it happens.

[kwajo]

I heard the Starbucks thing and I'm very against it. First off, SJ isn't exactly rich, so the high priced coffee isn't on my wish list personally. Also, we already have several Java Moose locations that serve basically the same thing, but are locally owned and operated. All Starbucks is going to do for SJ is run Java Moose out of business and have hard working people feel inclined to waste money money on more costly beverage addictions.

[Smevo]

Starbucks isn't that bad, and coffee being what it is, the presense of Starbucks shouldn't drive anyone out of the market. The one thing I do like about Starbucks is that it's fair trade coffee. As yuppie oriented as they are, it's nice to see them at least do that.

[brandenp]

I heard the Starbucks thing and I'm very against it. First off, SJ isn't exactly rich, so the high priced coffee isn't on my wish list personally. Also, we already have several Java Moose locations that serve basically the same thing, but are locally owned and operated. All Starbucks is going to do for SJ is run Java Moose out of business and have hard working people feel inclined to waste money money on more costly beverage addictions.

In response to kwajos rant..... I had to respond
First of.... SJ isnt broke.... Well i know i live in Saint John... and im far from broke. And i have no problem spending money at Starbucks, regardless of the cost.
Clearly your forgetting Quispam & Rothesay are part of Metro Saint John, and they are far from broke.
Clearly the company did a feasibility study prior to setting up shop in this city, and.... well look at that, something must of been looking good for them to want to set up not one, but two stores in this city...
Clearly the one in East SJ will cater to people in the suburbs that come into the city, to and the uptown location will cater to cruise ship passengers, tourists, and office execs.



Kwajo.... you need to stop being so pessimistic about this place.

[Smevo]

^agreed. It says something that a place seen as a much more affluent city than SJ (Fredericton) only has one with no signs of new ones opening, and that one is only here because it's in Chapter's. Businesses don't set up where they don't think they can do well, and SJ is back on the radar of businesses looking to expand their chains (as are a few more places in the Maritimes).

[PersonPlaceorThing]

I heard the Starbucks thing and I'm very against it. First off, SJ isn't exactly rich, so the high priced coffee isn't on my wish list personally. Also, we already have several Java Moose locations that serve basically the same thing, but are locally owned and operated. All Starbucks is going to do for SJ is run Java Moose out of business and have hard working people feel inclined to waste money money on more costly beverage addictions.

To top it off the Starbucks guy was quoted in the paper as saying there was nothing special about Saint John, that it just happened to be the first NB city this licensee group chose.

Hopefully Java Moose will be able to survive, though I'm concerned for the one in the mall.

[Seely32]

Tim Horton's will run someone out of business as much as Starbucks would if Java Moose can survive with them then they can survive with Starbucks. There is nothing wrong with a little coffee competition. There are plenty of places that have 5 or 6 cafe's on the same block. The whole cafe scene is not a bad thing at all to see in Saint John.

[Ottawa]

Paul Zed Announces a Fifth Daily Saint John – Toronto Air Canada Flight; Evidence that Saint John Continues to Grow

May 10 , 2007


Saint John Member of Parliament Paul Zed today announced a fifth daily Air Canada flight from Saint John to Toronto. This flight will begin as a seasonal route on July 5th.

“I am pleased to announce the addition of this flight,” said Mr. Zed. “This will bring the total number of daily seats from Saint John to Toronto to 250, and will also mean 250 daily seats coming into Saint John. This increased capacity will do a great deal toward helping bring more conventions to Saint John. I want to thank Air Canada for their continuing confidence in Saint John and New Brunswick.”

Mr. Zed is the only Atlantic Canadian Liberal Caucus Member to sit on the Standing Committee on Transport, where he has been advocating for more and better transportation services for the region. Mr. Zed met just this week with Air Canada officials at his office in Ottawa to discuss the need for more flights.

“We continue to work as a Team in Saint John to ensure that we grow, and that we have the necessary capacity at our airport to support this growth,” said Mr. Zed. “By working together as Team Saint John, we will continue to improve Greater Saint John.

[Varlik]

I heard the Starbucks thing and I'm very against it. First off, SJ isn't exactly rich, so the high priced coffee isn't on my wish list personally. Also, we already have several Java Moose locations that serve basically the same thing, but are locally owned and operated. All Starbucks is going to do for SJ is run Java Moose out of business and have hard working people feel inclined to waste money money on more costly beverage addictions.

Personally I am thrilled to hear that we may get a Starbucks. I am all for supporting local business but that business has to measure up and Java Moose just doesn't IMO. I do not like their coffee and most of all I do not like their hours. The fact that they close at 6pm (and I'm talking Prince William St.) proves that they just don't get the whole coffee house thing. If Starbucks come here and take over it will be because they know what they are doing. I do hope that this will prompt Java Moose to improve but either way Saint Johners will be getting a better coffee experience out of the deal.

[ErickMontreal]

Saint John deserves a Starburcks like any other decent cities in that country. Moreover, in the same field, I heard that Second cup will open a second coffee in Regent Mall in Fredericton area.

[kirjtc2]

Second Cup had a location in Regent Mall for years. It closed. They have Starbucks (in Chapters) and Tim Horton's in the food court. Second Cup still is in Kings Place downtown.

Though I wouldn't be surprised to see Starbucks downtown at some point.

[ErickMontreal]

Second Cup had a location in Regent Mall for years. It closed. They have Starbucks (in Chapters) and Tim Horton's in the food court. Second Cup still is in Kings Place downtown.

Though I wouldn't be surprised to see Starbucks downtown at some point.

I suppose they will reopen it

http://www.secondcup.com/eng/franchising.php?sec_id=250&msid=1#m1

[Smevo]

Interesting, I wonder where they plan to put it. There are a couple of possibilities, but each one seems to be very close to another coffee shop, though they will have the advantage that kiosk rents are lower.

[kirjtc2]

Interesting, I wonder where they plan to put it. There are a couple of possibilities, but each one seems to be very close to another coffee shop, though they will have the advantage that kiosk rents are lower.

Maybe down in the old part of the mall by Booster Juice and La Cremiere? Still some room for kiosks there.

Also wouldn't be surprised to see mmmuffins close sometime soon - their business seems to have taken a nosedive since Tim's came to the mall. Second Cup could go there (and, FWIW, the original Second Cup was right next door where Telus is now).

We gotta start a Fredericton thread sometime.

[Seely32]

Later today, UNB Saint John will be announcing a new University
Bookstore in Uptown Saint John. Located in a newly renovated section of
CenterBeam Place at 16 King Street, the new store will sell a wide variety of
fine books, university clothing and gifts, and select office supplies.
Its close proximity to Saint John’s main hotels, entertainment
venues, restaurants and the renewed cruise ship terminal is ideal to increase
our visibility in prime pedestrian traffic.

Greater Saint John is on the verge of exciting new developments, and we
feel the time is right to introduce an independent bookseller of this
kind. This is a strategic investment intended to augment revenue for UNB
Saint John and we believe the new Bookstore to be a complementary
development that will offer a distinctive collection of products and
services unlike any other Uptown independent business.

The University Bookstore has received acclaim locally and nationally,
with recognition as the Campus Bookstore of the Year from the Canadian
Bookseller’s Association, and a nomination in the Saint John Board of
Trade’s Outstanding Business Achievement Awards. Plans are still
underway to relocate the on-campus Bookstore in the new University Commons
building at Tucker Park in future.

Look for more information on the grand opening of our new Uptown store
at the end of June.

Dr. Kathryn Hamer
Vice-President (Saint John)

[Smevo]

We gotta start a Fredericton thread sometime.

I second that. Anybody get the Gleaner on a daily basis? The free online section has very little, and I've already paid for a subscription to the CB Post for the Sydney thread. The only major projects I know about are Frederick Square 2 that's been on hold since the 90's (and the third building's been cancelled...it's where Place2000 is on King St now), and the e-Centre or whatever it's called beside the Playhouse which is also on hold.

[kwajo]

I hate UNBSJ's academics with all my heart, and the campus is in a horrible location relative to the city, but opening this bookstore on King Street could be the best thing they've ever decided to do.

At this rate, I may actually stop hanging my degree upside-down - maybe...

[kirjtc2]

I second that. Anybody get the Gleaner on a daily basis? The free online section has very little, and I've already paid for a subscription to the CB Post for the Sydney thread. The only major projects I know about are Frederick Square 2 that's been on hold since the 90's (and the third building's been cancelled...it's where Place2000 is on King St now), and the e-Centre or whatever it's called beside the Playhouse which is also on hold.

Yeah, I get the Gleaner...but those are the only big projects I can think of right now either. All the big development, be it residential or retail, is on the outskirts of town.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

I hate UNBSJ's academics with all my heart, and the campus is in a horrible location relative to the city, but opening this bookstore on King Street could be the best thing they've ever decided to do.

At this rate, I may actually stop hanging my degree upside-down - maybe...

Take pride as I do that it's a UNB degree. No campus is mentioned on mine.

King St. is a good location, but I expected the Grand Hall would have been the site selected.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

The city has posted its GIS maps including 2004 aerial photography at http://www.saintjohn.ca/sfe-publicmodule/mapInterface.html

[kirjtc2]

The city has posted its GIS maps including 2004 aerial photography at http://www.saintjohn.ca/sfe-publicmodule/mapInterface.html

Niiice...Google Earth doesn't have high-res imagery for the west side and Service New Brunswick's data for the Saint John area is 10 years old.

Of course, the thing's running slower than molasses in January as I type this. I hope they work the kinks out soon...

[kwajo]

Take pride as I do that it's a UNB degree. No campus is mentioned on mine.

King St. is a good location, but I expected the Grand Hall would have been the site selected.
lol I feel the same: very happy that my degree just says UNB, and leaves out the SJ part.


Nice move by the city with the maps. I already have the 2004 photos and the GIS maps, but it is nice to have them online. Hopefully they get the 2006 photos they took last summer online some time.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

lol I feel the same: very happy that my degree just says UNB, and leaves out the SJ part.


Nice move by the city with the maps. I already have the 2004 photos and the GIS maps, but it is nice to have them online. Hopefully they get the 2006 photos they took last summer online some time.

I wish they had digital maps showing water and sewer services clearly.

[kwajo]

I think I have those somewhere on a CD, I might be able to upload them, though they are maybe 7-8 years old now. They are great fun because you can go around counting all the places where sewer lines just go into the harbour or Marsh Creek and just end abruptly.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

Moncton has their water and sewerage system intergrated with the GIS system. It is pretty good for analyzing properties.

The city officials here are accomodating, but they just don't have the same quality of data (I've seen a lot of hand drawn sketches).

[Seely32]

Daniel McHardie
Telegraph-Journal
Published Friday May 18th, 2007
Appeared on page A1
Premier Shawn Graham is taking his message of self-sufficiency into the heart of the world's financial district next week during his first visit to New York.

Graham will be landing in New York City Tuesday and Wednesday with Finance Minister Victor Boudreau and Tourism and Parks Minister Stuart Jamieson on a mission geared to pushing the province's tourism and business agenda.

The premier said he will be delivering a simple message to influential travel media representatives as well as business leaders and diplomats.

"The message is we are open for business. We are embarking upon an ambitious agenda of self-sufficiency and to achieve that goal we are going to require outside investment in our region," Graham said. "We are starting to see the potential of that investment in the development of new energy generation projects. New Brunswick is poised to become the energy hub for the eastern seaboard and we are the area to invest in."

When Graham and Jamieson sit down to talk about the Bay of Fundy and the Acadian travel experience, those attending will include executives from NBC Today, as well as publications ranging from Martha Stewart Living, Travel and Leisure to Food and Wine.

Tourism figures show the U.S. market is the largest external market for New Brunswick, representing close to 23 per cent of the province's total visitation.

"And the New York market has been identified as a strong area and opportunity for growth," Graham said.

The premier will be spending his second day speaking at a luncheon event hosted by the Canadian Association of New York.

The premier said he wants to get across to these influential business leaders that New Brunswick should be on their radar screens.

"It is going to mirror the meetings I undertook in the state of Massachusetts and looking at what the baseload requirements are going to be and identifying how New Brunswick provides export potential into that marketplace," the premier said.

On the trip, Graham and his ministers will be holding other private meetings with business and financial players.

Graham said New Brunswickers will see the results of these meetings in the future, similar to other trade missions to Toronto, Alberta and Massachusetts when announcements are made.

[kwajo]

Moncton has their water and sewerage system intergrated with the GIS system. It is pretty good for analyzing properties.

The city officials here are accomodating, but they just don't have the same quality of data (I've seen a lot of hand drawn sketches).
What do you expect with a city that still has square wooden pipes from before the early 19th century as an active component in its water system? I'm quite proud of that actually.

[KatSeely26]

Tea infusion. Let me count the ways I love the. This is an amazing little cove to hide away in when the fierce winter weather is beating down on your back. To warm up, stopping in for the daily soup sandwich combo, as well as cup of tea is essential in those cold months, and for me whenever I get the chance. My Personal favorites are: Mushroom Bisque, Pear Tea and Lovers Leap.
However Tea Infusions can be a bit pricey for every day brew stop. The Feel Good Store has a delightful little tea bar in the back with a very assimilating selection of tea. Found this treasure when browsing the neighborhood (uptown) shops. Couldn't believe I hadn't heard about it. There is even a little lounge area to sit in the back. The place isn't designed to be a cafe, but it does the trick to warm you up and rest the feet. I found myself sitting for an hour and even playing a quick game of chess.

~ Katrina ~

http://www.thefeelgoodstore.ca/

[ErickMontreal]

Government money helps North End housing project

May 22, 2007 - 12:38 pm
By: News 88-9 Staff - Denise Barkhouse

SAINT JOHN, NB - The provincial and federal governments are investing one-point-two million dollars in a north end housing project called Rehabitat Inc.

President of Housing Alternatives Leona Laracey says the support of other community groups like one change are making a difference in the lives of many throughout a number of neighbourhoods.

The housing project which will be at the corner of Adelaide and Victoria will receive a total of five hundred and sixty thousand dollars in federal funding to complete construction and the province is kicking in 608-thousand dollars in rent supplement.

Housing Minister Mary Schryer says the graham government plans to invest upwards of seventeen million dollars in programs similar to this in 2008-2009.

[ErickMontreal]

I wish it`s a joke.

Refinery's impact assessment won't look at emissions

Last Updated: Thursday, May 24, 2007 | 1:26 PM AT
CBC News
The proposed new Irving oil refinery for Saint John will not undergo a full environmental impact assessment, and one New Brunswick environmental group is shocked.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency announced Thursday the proposed scope of the EIA would be restricted to the environmental impact of constructing a pier and breakwater on the site.

A spokesperson for the agency said an examination of air emissions as part of the EIA is unnecessary, because the refinery project would already be subject to strict federal law on greenhouse gas emissions.

David Coon of the New Brunswick Conservation Council says it's hard to believe the federal government is not doing a full environmental impact assessment on a project of this size.

He calls the decision appalling.

"This is going to have a massive impact on increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and yet the minister's decided to narrowly focus an assessment on the harbour development around it instead of looking at the impact of the emissions," Coon said. "It's horrendous. Horrendous."

Coon says it makes you stop and pause when you realize the federal environment minister flew to Saint John to meet with the Irvings but has refused to answer any of the Conservation Council's correspondence.

"We raised these issues with [Environment] Minister [John] Baird in a letter three months ago and we haven't had the courtesy of a reply," Coon said. "Yet the minister found time in his busy schedule to fly to Saint John for a private meeting with the Irvings to discuss the refinery project."

Coon says carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides will cross provincial and international boundaries, and that the federal government has legal obligations regarding the impact of increased greenhouse gas emissions on global warming.

He says the council hasn't ruled out taking legal action if the federal government refuses to do a full environmental impact assessment on the refinery project.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

I wish it`s a joke.

Refinery's impact assessment won't look at emissions

Last Updated: Thursday, May 24, 2007 | 1:26 PM AT
CBC News
The proposed new Irving oil refinery for Saint John will not undergo a full environmental impact assessment, and one New Brunswick environmental group is shocked.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency announced Thursday the proposed scope of the EIA would be restricted to the environmental impact of constructing a pier and breakwater on the site.

A spokesperson for the agency said an examination of air emissions as part of the EIA is unnecessary, because the refinery project would already be subject to strict federal law on greenhouse gas emissions.

David Coon of the New Brunswick Conservation Council says it's hard to believe the federal government is not doing a full environmental impact assessment on a project of this size.

He calls the decision appalling.

"This is going to have a massive impact on increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and yet the minister's decided to narrowly focus an assessment on the harbour development around it instead of looking at the impact of the emissions," Coon said. "It's horrendous. Horrendous."

Coon says it makes you stop and pause when you realize the federal environment minister flew to Saint John to meet with the Irvings but has refused to answer any of the Conservation Council's correspondence.

"We raised these issues with [Environment] Minister [John] Baird in a letter three months ago and we haven't had the courtesy of a reply," Coon said. "Yet the minister found time in his busy schedule to fly to Saint John for a private meeting with the Irvings to discuss the refinery project."

Coon says carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides will cross provincial and international boundaries, and that the federal government has legal obligations regarding the impact of increased greenhouse gas emissions on global warming.

He says the council hasn't ruled out taking legal action if the federal government refuses to do a full environmental impact assessment on the refinery project.


These agencies are in the business of approving projects. At least this way there isn't a bunch of time and money spend pretending to actually look at the project before it's approved.

[ErickMontreal]

I do not know the way these agencies work but the point is Saint John likely has the worst air quality east of Montreal and this refinery will not help to improve the current situation. I mean there is more than economic impacts in those kind of issues. I am not sure this project will be as good as it suppose to be for Saint John if the city become unattractive caused by the pollution level. You should keep in your mind that there will be pollution provided by two refeneries, Pulp & Paper Company, Smokestacks and Coleson Cove Generating Station as well. I like Saint John but i am concern about that matter and the way federal goverment manages environmental issues as well

[kirjtc2]

Looks like the province is going to be doing that part of the report. The greens are now complaining because their standards/methods aren't as thorough as the feds.