The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[JHikka]

CBC is saying that a deal on the Harbour Bridge is coming soon, which would eliminate the tolls.

All I can say is that i'll actually start using the bridge once the tolls are removed.

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

CBC is saying that a deal on the Harbour Bridge is coming soon, which would eliminate the tolls.

All I can say is that i'll actually start using the bridge once the tolls are removed.

I think the tolls should stay on.

1.) The province cant afford to add this debt on the already excessive debt
2.) The toll booths act as a traffic calming measure
and
3.) Why should the ENTIRE province pay for this bridge? It's a user pay system now and should be kept that way. In fact the tolls should be 75cents 1 dollar like in Halifax. The highway between Fredericton/Moncton should go back to being tolls as well. Again user pays. Not the entire province.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

I think the tolls should stay on.

1.) The province cant afford to add this debt on the already excessive debt
2.) The toll booths act as a traffic calming measure
and
3.) Why should the ENTIRE province pay for this bridge? It's a user pay system now and should be kept that way. In fact the tolls should be 75cents 1 dollar like in Halifax. The highway between Fredericton/Moncton should go back to being tolls as well. Again user pays. Not the entire province.

The Harbour Bridge authority has a debt in or around 22 Million. I can almost guarantee you the revenue made from the tolls don't even pay the wages for the employees of the Authority itself. Why does the Authority exist?

The Tolls are 75 cents already for cars who have any sort of advertisement on them (IE Local business van, auto-75 cents). I wouldn't believe that raising the crossing-cost of something is going to alleviate any of the debt problems at all. Unless you're driving from outside of the city and are already on the highway, it's not difficult to take the Reversing Falls bridge, which costs nothing to cross.

See, there's a difference between Fred/Moncton tolls and the Harbour Bridge toll. That highway is the only significant link between the two. The bridges in Halifax save a thirty minute drive through Bedford. If i'm driving from East to West, there's nothing stopping me from taking the Somerset exit, driving along Hilyard, Chesley, and across the Reversing Falls Bridge. As someone who lives North, I have never had to use the Harbour Bridge, and having to pay to cross a bridge I don't need to cross gives me even less reason to use it in the first place.

If there are going to be tolls, they should be on the highway between Saint John and the Valley. We can talk about traffic calming there all we want.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

Why should the ENTIRE province pay for this bridge?

The "Altantic Gateway" is meant to be of regional benefit. It seems odd that Saint John citizens have to pay a per use fee for getting around town, when this money is helping pay for infrastructure that is supposed to benefit the entire region.

[GUB]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

The Harbour Bridge authority has a debt in or around 22 Million. I can almost guarantee you the revenue made from the tolls don't even pay the wages for the employees of the Authority itself. Why does the Authority exist?

The Tolls are 75 cents already for cars who have any sort of advertisement on them (IE Local business van, auto-75 cents). I wouldn't believe that raising the crossing-cost of something is going to alleviate any of the debt problems at all. Unless you're driving from outside of the city and are already on the highway, it's not difficult to take the Reversing Falls bridge, which costs nothing to cross.

See, there's a difference between Fred/Moncton tolls and the Harbour Bridge toll. That highway is the only significant link between the two. The bridges in Halifax save a thirty minute drive through Bedford. If i'm driving from East to West, there's nothing stopping me from taking the Somerset exit, driving along Hilyard, Chesley, and across the Reversing Falls Bridge. As someone who lives North, I have never had to use the Harbour Bridge, and having to pay to cross a bridge I don't need to cross gives me even less reason to use it in the first place.

If there are going to be tolls, they should be on the highway between Saint John and the Valley. We can talk about traffic calming there all we want.

Don't ge me wrong here, fewer cars on the road is always beneficial, but I think a toll between the Valley and Saint John is a very bad idea. If we really want to see Saint John stagnate, add a toll on the Mackay Highway.

[ErickMontreal]

:: Harbourfront Condominium ::



















http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sai...um/10961272403

[nwalbert]

Sunwing flights available for longer period

SAINT JOHN - Sunwing has extended the period it will offer non-stop flights to the Cuban destinations of Varadero and Havana and the Mexican hot spots Cancun and Riviera Maya this spring.
Enlarge Photo
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Photo: Peter Walsh/Telegraph-Journal
Bernard LeBlanc of the Saint John Airport says growth on Sunwing flights has been steady.

Flights to these sunny destinations begin on March 18 - about a week earlier than last year - says airport president and CEO Bernard LeBlanc, and will continue until May 22. Last year, flights ended in early May.

"It's the same destinations, but over a longer period," LeBlanc said.

Sunwing began flying out of the city about four years ago and LeBlanc says the growth has been steady.

"The first year, there might have been about 2,400 passengers," he said.

"This past year, we had about 6,600 passengers.

"Saint John has the highest Sunwing content in the province."

One of the draws is that, once passengers leave the ground in Saint John, they land directly in Cuba or Mexico without any stopovers and luggage transfers.

"It makes it a lot more convenient," LeBlanc said.

Sunwing's departure schedule includes three dates per week: Friday, Sunday and Tuesday.

"It's a good time to book, because there are some destinations that are as much as 60 per cent off," LeBlanc said.

"If someone just wants to get away and wants a cheap hotel you can probably find something, with taxes, for under $500 per person."

LeBlanc said the fact that flights are growing bodes well for the Saint John Airport.

"People are supporting it and so the people providing it say, How can we grow it?'

"If can do really well this year, let's try and push for new destinations next year," he said.

Seats on Sunwing direct flights are now on sale.


This is fantastic for the airport. I don't think we will ever see the airport ever become a hub to the US as a result of the proximity to Bangor, but good to see we are leading the way in NB for vacation travel.

[nwalbert]

Gretzky tickets selling fast

SAINT JOHN - Organizers of next week's charity breakfast with The Great One appear to be within easy reach of achieving their target audience of 500 paying guests.

Wayne Gretzky, shown in his Edmonton Oilers playing days in this photo from the 1980s, will be featured at a charity breakfast in Saint John on Thursday, Dec. 9 . The event will benefit Romero House and the Empty Stocking Fund.

"We do expect we're going to sell out this event," Saint John Board of Trade president Imelda Gilman said at midday Tuesday, only the third day of ticket sales for the Breakfast with Gretzky fundraiser in support of Romero House and the Empty Stocking Fund. The breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9 at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre.

"We have over 360 tickets sold already," she said of the $99-per-ticket event, which will feature NHL legend Wayne Gretzky and former premier Frank McKenna, deputy chairman of the TD Bank Financial Group.

"On Friday morning (the first day of ticket sales), the phones were ringing off the hook and we had people waiting for tickets when we came to work in the morning," Gilman said. "So, the interest is certainly high."

CEO Derek Riedle of Revolution Strategy, which is organizing the breakfast, said he's "thrilled" with the early response to tickets.

"This is going to a long way toward making sure both the Romero House and the Empty Stocking Fund get a nice donation from the presenting sponsor, TD Bank Financial Group, and the other sponsors at a time of year when it is really needed," he said.

Riedle said it was too early to talk about the possibility of adding more tickets should organizers reach their target.

"We are just focused, right now, on selling out the 500," he said. "We certainly want to hit our target."

Riedle said the Breakfast with Gretzky event has been a hot topic with local residents since its launch on Thursday.

"I'm hearing a lot about it," he said.

"I play hockey a couple of times a week and the guys in the dressing room are excited about it. People all over the community are talking about it and there's been a lot of social media buzz."

Breakfast with Gretzky will feature a breakfast buffet and interview with Gretzy, facilitated by McKenna, before those in attendance get to participate in a question-and-answer session.

"What you'll have is a conversation between a couple of Canadian icons, Frank McKenna and Gretzky," Riedle said.

"I'm sure it will be lighthearted, full of anecdotes, followed by some questions from the floor."

Gretzky wore No. 99 during his days as a junior star and in the World Hockey Association, before assuming superstar status with the Edmonton Oilers.

In the NHL, the Brantford, Ont., native scored 894 goals.

As long as they're available, Breakfast with Gretzky tickets may be purchased by calling the Board of Trade at 634-8111.

While the TD Bank Financial Group is the presenting sponsor, the other sponsors of the event are Irving Oil, J.D. Irving, Limited, McInnes Cooper, the Board of Trade, Revolution Strategy and the Telegraph-Journal.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by GUB

Don't ge me wrong here, fewer cars on the road is always beneficial, but I think a toll between the Valley and Saint John is a very bad idea. If we really want to see Saint John stagnate, add a toll on the Mackay Highway.

I was mostly being facetious.

Also, i've been reading up on this Safer Communities Legislation Act, which allowed for the police to issue a warrant of eviction on the premises of a building in the North End. There are a few problems with this, of course, and a few loopholes, and i'll try to have a decent write-up done this evening. I like the idea, but it's not completely solving the problem, and may in fact be doing more harm than good.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by CHSJ News

According to the latest community feedback Plan SJ is receiving about the municipal plan, the future of the city lies in focusing on compact urban development.

Consultant Cyndi Rottenberg-Walker says the key message is to focus development on the priority neighbourhoods and build up on top of existing infrastructure.

Another key recommendation is to establish a significant retail presence in the north end.

Plan SJ will be presenting its latest progress at an open house meeting tomorrow. It starts at 5pm at the UNB Saint John Grand Hall building across from the City Market.

Saint John thread's been pretty busy lately, huh?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

Saint John thread's been pretty busy lately, huh?

Aside from idle gossip (especially about consulates), things are pretty quiet in Moncton too.

Now that we are in the Alward era with a near $1B deficit, I think this might be a sign of things to come.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Aside from idle gossip (especially about consulates), things are pretty quiet in Moncton too.

Now that we are in the Alward era with a near $1B deficit, I think this might be a sign of things to come.

Right.

There's a good half-dozen projects currently ongoing in the city, not to mention a number of other things. I'm curious as to where everyone is hiding.

[kwajo]

Yeah we actually have the busiest construction season in a decade in SJ and no one wants to talk about it because most of the projects are institutional (hundreds of millions in university buildings and courthouses) or infrastructure (over a hundred million for sewage treatment plants and interchanges). We do have a few large housing projects in our urban core, but they're been known about for so long that they aren't really exciting anymore and I think most of us are still a bit disappointed that the boom that was supposed to be happening is kind of faltering and a lot of the more exciting projects have been cancelled.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by nwalbert

good to see we are leading the way in NB for vacation travel.

The leader with Sunwing vacations in NB maybe...but GMIA has 4 seasonal vacation airlines. Sunwing, WestJet, Air Transat and Canjet.

[Wolkenkratzerliebhab]

I've noticed that they are building a new four story, steel frame building behind the new Chateau Saint John on the grounds of the nearby nursing home. Anyone have any idea what it be for? Looks like an office complex of some kind, but since its on the property of the nursing home itself, it might just be more nursing units? I'm hoping it's going to go higher, but I doubt it. It does look nice though, almost directly across from the steel frame work of the new court house.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

Right.

There's a good half-dozen projects currently ongoing in the city, not to mention a number of other things. I'm curious as to where everyone is hiding.

Well, what I really mean is that what fuels forums such as this are the new projects and speculation about what is next on the horizon.

There are a number of projects ongoing in Moncton as well (eg Peace Centre, Courthouse, NBCC expansion, expansions at the Dieppe and Moncton industrial parks), as well as a lot of residential construction but as kwajo intimates, there is not much new or sexy visible on the horizon.

My comments regarding Alward should not be misconstrued as disapproval of him. Shawn Graham was reckless with the provinces finances and has left the cupboard bare for his successor. Alward has little choice but to cut costs and this no doubt will impact on funding for major public projects. I fear what this might mean for projects such as the proposed downtown arena/events centre in Moncton. This might not happen.......

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

as well as a lot of residential construction but as kwajo intimates, there is not much new or sexy visible on the horizon.

My comments regarding Alward should not be misconstrued as disapproval of him. Shawn Graham was reckless with the provinces finances and has left the cupboard bare for his successor. Alward has little choice but to cut costs and this no doubt will impact on funding for major public projects.

Yeah, we all went into the election knowing that afterwards the Conservatives were going to have a lot of cleaning-up to do and with very little room to move. And that's fine. If they have their hands tied behind their back for a year or two that's understood. Sometimes it's better to do very little and do very little wrong (Lord) rather than doing a lot and do a fair amount wrong (Graham).

Also, in regards to new or sexy on the horizon, something new may be happening next week in regards to Irving Oil.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

Sometimes it's better to do very little and do very little wrong (Lord)

Ha. I don't want to turn this political either, but history has a tendency of downplaying one's achievements, or in Lord's case, understating his many huge screw-ups.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Ha. I don't want to turn this political either, but history has a tendency of downplaying one's achievements, or in Lord's case, understating his many huge screw-ups.

Fair enough.

Also, there'll be a meeting in the coming days/weeks in regards to providing more retail in the North End, in particular the Crescent Valley area.

There's a reason why Zellers at Lansdowne shut down, and it wasn't for poor sales.

[flwright]

Originally Posted by Wolkenkratzerliebhab

I've noticed that they are building a new four story, steel frame building behind the new Chateau Saint John on the grounds of the nearby nursing home. Anyone have any idea what it be for? Looks like an office complex of some kind, but since its on the property of the nursing home itself, it might just be more nursing units? I'm hoping it's going to go higher, but I doubt it. It does look nice though, almost directly across from the steel frame work of the new court house.

This is a new convent for the Sisters of Charity and they are closely associated with Rocmaura Nursing Home to the point that the new building will be connected by a pedway to the nursing home. This building has been designed by Steen Knorr Architects and it recently went before PAC so the elevations are available for viewing if you can track down the date of the meeting. Although the new construction is welcome, it came at the expense of a significant heritage structure that stood in the same place. According to the Sisters of Charity, the renovations required to the original building were cost prohibitive and new construction was the best answer financially.