Pipeline foes accuse council of selling out
John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal
As published on page C2 on November 28, 2006
SAINT JOHN - It was in with a whisper and out with a bang at a town hall meeting Monday night involving members of common council and concerned citizens.
The first two hours at the Boys and Girls Club saw a quiet discussion that was like a mix between a council session and a meeting of the Village Neighbourhood Association, an advocacy group for the city centre.
Prostitution, truck traffic, and recycling bins were among the items discussed in a conversation that was occasionally inaudible because of a malfunctioning microphone.
Then came a brief bit of fireworks as members of the anti-pipeline group the Friends of Rockwood Park confronted council, particularly an angry Leland Thomas, who demanded in a loud, quavering voice why council decided to "sell out" by endorsing the land-based route for the proposed natural-gas transmission line, which will take the pipe through Rockwood Park.
The councillors and Mayor Norm McFarlane left after a few brief exchanges.
The meeting itself was very subdued, with about 50 citizens listening to city staff members and the occasional councillor respond to questions from a few members of the crowd.
Only five citizens spoke during the entire meeting, with at least three of them belonging to the Village Neighbourhood Association.
Debbie Cooper, a member of the association and the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club, had concerns about how prostitution has crept in the direction of the club. She said she has been forced to clean up syringes that have been found less than 100 metres up the road.
"I didn't want to wait, because kids are inquisitive," she said.
Const. Jim Fleming, the community police officer in that area, said police are aware of the problem and are working on a solution, although he didn't get into specifics.
The amount of truck traffic in the uptown was also discussed, with Coun. Ivan Court mentioning that the $15 fine for heavy trucks that drive through the city illegally needs to be raised.
"If we give those truck drivers a $200 fine that's coming out of their pay cheque and that will stop them from breaking the law," he said.
Dan Robichaud, an uptown business owner and another member of the association, spoke on almost every topic during the evening, including the lack of recycling bins in the city centre.
Coun.Glen Tait, who is on the Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission, said the commission is "only too happy to accommodate areas that want more recycling," though citizens and city staff alike said it is difficult to find places where the people or businesses living nearby will allow them.
After the meeting was over, the pipeline protesters approached some of the councillors who had remained behind.
Thomas approached Tait, but Tait told him he would not talk with him while he was angry because the conversation would not be "intelligent."
Tait said he would be glad to sit and talk with him later.
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Energy boom holds key to expanded air service
Sandra Davis
Telegraph-Journal
SAINT JOHN - By the end of the year, Saint John should know whether it will have a flight to Boston, New York - or both.
Right now, Mayor Norm McFarlane and the Board of Trade are surveying commercial clients to figure out how best frequent business flyers would be served.
"I hope by the end of the year we'll have a plan together," the mayor said Tuesday from Florida, where he is attending pension board trustee training.
Once the need has been determined, further meetings will be held with two interested U.S. carriers, who McFarlane declines to name. Negotiations have been going on for about six months between the Saint John Airport Authority, the city and the carriers.
Getting the proposed natural gas pipeline and establishing Saint John as the region's energy hub is key to beefing up the city's air service, the mayor said.
"We need more flights within Canada and certainly to the U.S. Once you've got the energy hub, other companies are going to want to locate here," he said.
When the mayor was in Boston last month, firms were talking about Saint John and expressed an interest in exploring business opportunities with the city, the mayor said.
"They all knew what was going on in Saint John," he said, and are interested to hear more about the energy hub because of the opportunities they see n Saint John in everything from IT to construction, petrochemical, plastics and the service industry.
"There are all kinds of things that energy will attract."
Earlier this month, Air Canada announced it is adding 27 new flights each week in and out of New Brunswick, including up to three flights a week from Saint John to Montreal and, as of Nov. 1, Air Canada Jazz upgraded its evening flights between Saint John and Halifax to a bigger plane, almost doubling its capacity.
Earlier this fall, Toronto-based SunWing Airlines announced it will offer direct flights from Saint John to the Dominican Republic, Florida and Mexico between March and May.
This is the first time Saint John area residents have been offered non-stop charter flights to southern destinations.
Saint John Airport CEO John Buchanan has said the city's position as an energy hub will increase the demand for flights and attract airlines.