The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[thefishingnut]

The Real Estate report I have a real issue with, because I think it is quite mis-leading. We purchased our latest home 10 months ago so I'm reasonably familiar with many of the resale homes in Rothesay/Quispam. The prices on those has not gone up significantly. What has skewed the market, is the high number of new more expensive homes which are being built out here and around the area. That is a good sign of course, but the housing affordability hasn't changed very much, the 20 year old 2 story house from last year sure hasn't gone up in price by 54% now that it's 21 years old.

[thefishingnut]

Originally Posted by random11

Montanas - very cool - seems I heard something about them setting up shop in Saint John awhile ago but nothing recently. I also took note where the Indigo footings are being prepared this afternoon when I drove by - not wasting anytime on that project. Westmorland Rd is also being widened more at the very top of the hill (by the Ellerdale intersection). From there down it will be hard to widen and it will need a new coat of ashphalt come spring with the heavy amount of traffic it now endures.

It's always been hard/dangerous to turn left onto Ellerdale going up the hill, if they can correct that it will be great.

Once the new highway intersections off Hwy 1 to Retail Drive are done, there should be a lot of traffic taken off Westmorland.

[ErickMontreal]

PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
( Major projects - September 2007 )

Item 3: East Point Inc.
336 Westmorland Road
_________________________________________________________________

Proposal: To construct a new retail plaza building.

Type of Application: Variance to reduce the minimum required rear yard from 15 metres to approximately 7.5 metres for a portion of the proposed retail building.

One letter in support of the application had been received. Mr. Rod Adams representing East Point Inc. appeared before the Committee and indicated he was in favour of the application.

When asked for a brief explanation as to why the variance was needed, Mr.
Adams indicated the variance would allow the building to be set back to make room for additional parking at the front of all three buildings. No one appeared opposed to the application. The Committee considered the report and adopted the recommendation



Item 8: Hughes Surveys & Consultants Inc.
(for Willow Creek Developments Inc.)
50 Technology Drive
_________________________________________________________________

Proposal: To develop a one-storey office building.

Type of Application: Municipal Plan Amendment, Rezoning and Variance to
permit a landscaped parking setback of 2 metres (6.6 feet), whereas a minimum of 7.5 metres (24.6 feet) is required.

It was noted that one letter in favour and one letter with concerns had been received. Mr. Richard Turner, Hughes Surveys & Consultants Inc. appeared before the Committee on behalf of the application and indicated he was in agreement with the recommendation.

The Chairman noted that both letters indicated they would prefer a one storey building. Since there is no restriction in the recommendation limiting
the structure to one storey, he asked Mr. Turner if the applicant would mind
a condition limiting the development to one storey. Mr. Turner responded
that the applicant would have no problem with such a condition. Since the structure appears that it will be a larger office building, the question was asked if there would be one office or multiple offices located in the structure. Mr. Turner responded that initially the facility will have two users. One will use 80% of the building and the second user will utilized the other 20%. He is not able to say who the tenants will be at this time. The question was asked that with a business park in close proximity why residential land adjacent to the business park was being rezoned. Mr. Turner responded that the cost of the land in the business park is expensive. The subject site was available and the proposed structure will just be one storey, it was felt it would fit with the area. He indicated the hours of operation would be office hours roughly 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Mr. Turner he did not want to see a condition imposed limiting the hours of operation because it could affect the long-range use of the building. The Committee recessed to consider the matter further. Upon resuming the meeting, and after considering the report and presentation a motion to deny the application was made.

It was MOVED and SECONDED to deny the application.


Item 7: Hughes surveys & Consultants Inc.
(for Woodhollow Park Development Ltd.)
461 Ellerdale Street
_________________________________________________________________

Proposal: To develop a revised apartment proposal consisting of three
buildings and a total of 168 units on an enlarged site.

Type of Application: 1. Rezoning of PID 55186381 and a portion of PID
431536 from “ID” to “RM-2”; 2. Section 39 amendment to permit a revised
proposal for the balance of PID 431536;

Mr. Richard Turner, Hughes Surveys & Consultants Inc., appeared before the Committee on behalf of the application and indicated he was in general agreement with the recommendation. He indicated Jennifer Peacock, Hughes Surveys & Consultants Inc. and John Rocca, the developer, were also present. Mr. Turner requested clarification of recommendation 3. a) which refers to an engineering study in water and sewer analysis prior to going beyond 80 units. He explained he had met with Municipal Operations representatives today to determine what this entailed. As a result of those talks, Mr. Turner requested that the wording be changed to “sanitary sewer analysis”. He felt this would better clarify the situation for them.

It was MOVED and SECONDED


Uptown

Item 5: Chaisson Construction Ltd.
151-155 Wentworth Street
_________________________________________________________________

Proposal: To construct a three-unit townhouse on a vacant property.
Type of Application: Variances that would:

(a) Reduce the minimum lot area requirement of 300 square metres (3,229 square feet) to approximately 226 square metres (2,433 square
feet);

(b) Reduce the minimum front yard requirement of 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) to approximately 0.3 metres (1 foot); and

(c) Reduce the minimum rear yard requirement of 7.5 metres (25 feet) to approximately 2.4 metres (8 feet).

It was MOVED and SECONDED to table the matter to the next Planning Advisory Committee meeting.


Item 2: Jim Bezanson
189 and 191 Princess Street
_________________________________________________________________

Proposal: To convert the existing three-unit apartment buildings at 189
and 191 Princess Street to a seven-unit and five-unit
apartment building, respectively.

Type of Application: Variances to:
1. Reduce the minimum required lot area from 225 square metres (2,422 square feet) to 190 square metres (2,045 square feet) at the 189 princess
Street;

2. Decrease the minimum required rear yard setback from 7.5 metres (25 feet) to approximately 5.9 metres (19.3 feet) at 189 Princess Street;

Mr. Jim Bezanson, the applicant, appeared before the Committee and
indicated he was in favour of the recommendation. When asked to explain what arrangements he has made for off street parking, Mr. Bezanson
explained St. Malachy’s High School is adjacent to the subject buildings. He
has had discussions with school officials about his tenants being permitted
use the school parking lot during evening hours. He indicated that he has a legal agreement in writing with the school for four parking spaces plus
however many he needs for evening use only. Mr. Bezanson also noted that
these buildings were saved from demolition from what was to be a parking
area for the entire street.The concern was expressed that with this application, 6 new apartment units will be added to the area and it was wondered if this would add to any existing parking problems.


Item 3: Craig Wilcox
300 Germain Street
_________________________________________________________________

Proposal: To construct a five-unit townhouse.

Type of application: Variances to:

1. Reduce the minimum required side yard setback from 1.5 metres (5 feet) to zero;

2. Reduce the minimum required rear yard setback from 7.5 metres (25 feet) to approximately 5.87 metres (19.25 feet);

Mr. Craig Wilcox, the applicant, appeared before the Committee and
indicated he was in favour of recommendation 1. but disagreed with recommendation

3. He explained in order to make the project financially viable he needs to construct the five-townhouse units. He understands the
position taken by staff but he does not think that reducing the width of the
townhouses from 18 feet to 15 feet will significantly impact the livability of
the townhouses. When drawing the plans for the project they tried to
compare the size of the rooms with what was available in the real estate
market. They tried to make sure the rooms were a significant size and he felt
they have accomplished this. Mr. Wilcox felt the project would be an asset to
the area. When asked about

[random11]

Originally Posted by thefishingnut

It's always been hard/dangerous to turn left onto Ellerdale going up the hill, if they can correct that it will be great.

Once the new highway intersections off Hwy 1 to Retail Drive are done, there should be a lot of traffic taken off Westmorland.

I agree. A simple widening of the Ellerdale-Westmorland intersection will go far to eliminate congestion and make it safer to turn onto Westmorland or Ellerdale. It seems that more people are beginning to utilize Retail Drive lately - with more construction taking shape in and around East Point I think commuters will begin to rely on Retail Drive more and more thus reducing traffic on Westmorland which is really quite high residential.

[homebody]

So I guess Montanas is a done deal. It is going behind CAA then. Funny ,you would think there would have been some sort of announcement. Thanks for the info guys. According to the PAC article it looks like even more development at East Point.

[Helladog]

Ellerdale Investments

Prince William Street Condos: http://www.ellerdaleinvestments.com/index.html



Woodhollow Park: http://www.ellerdaleinvestments.com/...ollow_Home.htm



Cullinan Place: http://www.ellerdaleinvestments.com/...linanPlace.htm

[Coyett]

I was kinda hoping the proposed Prince William condos would preserve the brick chimney + heating plant? next to the Eden building (across from the cruiseship terminal). Most people wouldn't think of the site as significant, but this is the last piece of industrial hertitage along Water St. Eighty years ago the entire street was lined with these types of factories. Anyone have photos of the site?

[ErickMontreal]

Port City on radar for Costco

Telegraph-Journal
Published Saturday September 29th, 2007
Appeared on page B1

SAINT JOHN - Greater Saint John is on Costco's radar, says a spokesman.

Advertisement

"I can tell you that there are several markets in Atlantic Canada that are of interest to us," said Ron Damiani, who is based at the head office in Ottawa.

Greater Saint John is among them, he confirmed.

Costco usually requires a marketplace of between 200,000 and 250,000 to set up shop, he said.

"Beyond that, I really cannot comment."

Costco has a strict policy against commenting on any eventualities in any marketplace, explained Damiani. "We never comment until a deal is done; until the dirt is bought.

"You can imagine if I open my mouth or someone opens his or her mouth that the value of properties increases and it's not to our advantage to comment. That's just basic real estate 101.

"Conversely, there are often times in marketplaces, and I'm not saying that's the case in Saint John, where we get calls from reporters because there are speculators out there trying to increase the value of their properties and they start throwing out names of big corporations.

"We will comment if and when there's going to be a deal in place. We will not comment on if and when or how we are working on a deal."

There have been rumblings about Costco coming to the region for more than a year now. And speculation seems to be growing following two recent retail announcements on the city's East Side and several major developments in the energy sector on the horizon, including the LNG terminal and possibility of a second oil refinery.

Mayor Norm McFarlane, who has been trying to woo the members-only warehouse store to the Port City, has said he'd like to be able to make an announcement before the end of the year.

New retailers can play a key role in helping make Saint John the community of choice in Atlantic Canada, he has said. And Costco is among the ones he's most often asked about by citizens.

JP Burnier, warehouse manager of the Costco in Moncton, believes it will happen. It's just a question of when.

"It's definitely a city we're looking very seriously at," he said, noting company officials have visited Saint John "a number of times.

"We will be in Saint John at one point or another. I certainly don't know (when), but I think it will happen in the future.

"At this point, nobody, and I really believe, nobody knows what the date's going to be."

Indigo Books & Music Inc. announced earlier this month it will open an 18,000-square-foot store on Fashion Drive, adjacent to the soon-to-be completed Hampton Inn at East Point Shopping.

Indigo, Canada's largest book retailer, operates more than 240 stores from coast to coast under the names Indigo, Chapters, The World's Biggest Bookstore and Coles.

It expects to open the new Saint John location by late spring.

Meanwhile, American coffee giant Starbucks announced it will open its first stand-alone retail outlet in New Brunswick at East Point Shopping.

Troy Northrup, lead Horizon Management developer of East Point, declined to comment Friday on rumours about Costco coming.

He did say, however, that he hopes to make between two and five more announcements before Christmas.

East Point has developed about half of the 80 acres it has available.

Speculation about other possible locations for a Costco have included a Fairville Boulevard site in West Saint John, where the Saint John Transit headquarters currently stands, and a parcel of land on Millennium Drive that Rothesay council refused to rezone to allow for a Wal-Mart.

Costco has more than 500 locations worldwide.

[kwajo]

As I think I mentioned before, I have heard directly from someone in the city planning office that one of the properties being looked at/negotiated for Costco is the land along Commerce Drive between McAllister Place (in behind the mall where there is a wetland now) and Loch Lomond Road.

[weezerfaninfreddy]

I don't understand why costco hasn't located in Saint John or Fredericton sooner. Prince George and Kamloops in BC got theirs in about 1994 and they only have around 80 000 people.

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by kwajo

As I think I mentioned before, I have heard directly from someone in the city planning office that one of the properties being looked at/negotiated for Costco is the land along Commerce Drive between McAllister Place (in behind the mall where there is a wetland now) and Loch Lomond Road.

If they locate there, they should raise the height a few metres, or their parking lot will be continuously sinking into the ground like McAllister Place's

[kwajo]

Well it would be exactly the same as all the buildings on The Great Marsh (Wal Mart, Parkway, the new hotel, Kent, McAllister, the theatre, etc), they all suffer from sinking parking lots. The buildings themselves used to sink before they started sinking pylons to the bedrock (some are as deep as 150m below the surface). Raising the parking lot won't help, it'll still sink.

[Ottawa]

SAINT JOHN RANKS 1ST in COUNTRY AGAIN IN DOMESTIC GROWTH

18 September 2007

A national report released earlier this week by Transport Canada ranks Saint John Airport as having the highest year-over-year domestic growth of all airports across the country for the month of July. The Airport posted 46.8% growth in domestic passengers over July 2006, setting a new all-time, one-month local record.

The report states that year-to-date growth at 25.8%, leads all airports in the Atlantic region, with Charlottetown ranked second in the region at 12.0%, and ranks second in the country year-to-date, after Fort McMurray.

Earlier this week the Airport announced that they have posted even better numbers for the month of August, breaking the July record with a count at a staggering 45.1% higher than last August. This brings the year-to-date total to 27.9% over the first eight months of 2006. The national report for August has not yet been released.

Officials at the Airport report that the growth can be attributed to extra summer flights offered by Air Canada, as well as the start-up of WestJet daily direct service to Toronto, and introduction of seasonal flights this past spring by SunWing Vacations to Punta Cana and Cancun.

WestJet Airlines recently announced that they will be staying year-round, as a result of the strong support they have seen for the summer flights.

http://www.saintjohnairport.com/

[kwajo]

Great news! A growth of 47% mean that we now have 147 passengers a year, not just the 100 that flew directly into Saint John in all of 2005-2006 instead of flying into Moncton or Bangor and driving here.

Seriously, this is really great news for the city. The good PR just keep rolling in. Now once Harbour Cleanup gets done in the next 5 years, people won't be able to complain about the smell either, and SJ will be on its way to being a modern, thriving city again!

[ErickMontreal]

Multi-million dollar seniors complex put on Rothesay table

October 02, 2007 - 2:44 pm
By: News 88-9's Trish Hamilton

SAINT JOHN, NB - A multi million dollar seniors complex is being proposed for the town of Rothesay.

Plans for the one hundred and forty-seven unit seniors complex will now be put forth to council.

Mayor Bill Bishop said he, for one, is behind the proposal...

"It's certainly a win-win situation. The company wants to come here. I'm very anxious to have them and it's a win for the assessment. It's a twenty five to thirty million dollar project and it will satisfy a need for a number of citizens in the greater Saint John area." said Bishop.

Bishop said the whole process will take two or three months to get through, but as soon as the frost is out of the ground, construction should begin.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Liberals oppose merger of Saint John university and college

Staff, students and university alumni aren't alone in opposing the recommendation to merge the University of New Brunswick Saint John with New Brunswick Community College. Some of the government's own Liberal riding associations are against the plan.

"Stand behind us and work together, to make sure the premier knows it isn't just the residents of N.B. upset, it's Liberals upset too," said Linda Watson, secretary of the Hampton Kings Liberal riding association. "If the Liberals can't push government we worked hard to elect, nobody can."

The report, released in September, recommends the schools form a polytechnic institution that would offer certificates, diplomas, undergraduate degrees and some graduate degrees. There would also be apprenticeship training and first- and second-year arts and science programs for transfer into other institutions.

The Hampton Kings association has passed a resolution in defence of the university and Watson said she hopes other party members will be getting behind the effort.

The support of Liberal associations in southern New Brunswick sends a strong message to the government, said Tom Condon, former vice-president of University of New Brunswick Saint John.

"I'm sure they're listening to everything that's being said and trying to figure what the fallout of this is as far as the party is concerned and as far as the continuation of present government is concerned," Condon said.

University leaders in Fredericton and Saint John have assured students they'll do whatever is in their power to protect the school.Enrolment at the New Brunswick Community College in Saint John has been steadily increasing while enrolment at the university has been in decline.

[ErickMontreal]

Vital Signs produces mixed results

Sandra Davis
Telegraph-Journal
Published Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Appeared on page C1

SAINT JOHN - When Vital Signs is released this morning, it should come as no surprise that poverty and obesity are two areas the report identifies as needing urgent action to improve.

On the other hand, most residents feel safe, Saint Johners compost enthusiastically and the city has an unemployment rate that is lower than the national average.

The 48-page Vital Signs report, being released by the Greater Saint John Community Foundation, has taken a close look at 10 areas critical to quality of life as it measures the vitality of Greater Saint John, identifies trends and assigns grades.

The reader-friendly report cards track quality of life in key areas, such as the gap between rich and poor, health, housing, and the environment.

The hope is that the report will provide insight into the community's strengths, challenges and opportunities.

The 10-year project is being launched in 11 Canadian communities today. Along with Greater Saint John, the exercise is taking place in Sudbury, Vancouver, Victoria, the Waterloo Region, Ottawa, Montreal, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and Calgary.

Vital Signs is an annual community check-up that uses data compiled from many national, provincial and local sources and is based on a project of the Toronto Community Foundation.

Community Foundations of Canada, the national membership association for the country's 157 community foundations, will also issue a national Vital Signs report tracking nation-wide trends. Community Foundations build and manage permanent endowments to support local priorities.

Last November, the Greater Saint John Community Foundation released 'Taking Stock' a community report card, as a 30th anniversary project and precursor to Vital Signs.

The foundation has commissioned the Saint John Human Development Council (HDC), a social planning agency with wide knowledge of the community, to produce the reports. The research undertaken relied, in part, on the partnership of the HDC and the Saint John campus, University of New Brunswick in their five-year Community University Research Alliance project.

By using year-over-year comparisons, the community foundation expects future reports will offer insights into local trends, successes and challenges and assist in analyzing progress in many aspects of quality of life. It will complement the city's Vision 2015 initiative.

The public is invited to attend the Vital Signs launch this morning at 10 o'clock at the foundation's office in the Business Resource Centre, 40 King Street. The report can be viewed on the website at www.saint-john-foundation.nb.ca

The Greater Saint John Community Foundation, the only Atlantic Canadian Vital Signs participant, has exceeded the $4.2-million mark in cumulative grants since 1976.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SJ vital signs report shows city has lots of room for improvement

October 02, 2007 - 2:55 pm
By: News 88-9's Denise Miller


SAINT JOHN, NB - A report card of sorts was written up in an effort to improve the quality of life in Greater Saint John.

The Greater Saint John Community Foundation is making this an annual report, which is now a benchmark to see where we excel and and areas of concern to work on and is a first for any city east of Montreal.

Some areas in dire need of attention are mental health issues, literacy rates, and services for addiction.

While Saint John is boasting record high employment rates, the city scored below the national average when it comes to literacy rates.

Pat Riley of the Greater Saint John Community Foundation said this report has set the benchmark for the next decade.

"Certainly it's going to be very interesting over the next decade to see where we can improve and it's vital of course that we have this community involved." said Riley.

The widening gap between the rich and the poor and addiction issues were also low points on the report.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Saint John is more than an energy hub

Michelle Hooton
Commentary
Published Monday October 1st, 2007
Appeared on page A7

There has been an unprecedented sense of optimism in Saint John with our recent designation as the provincial "energy hub." It is with deep pride that our community is being recognized as the economic engine for the Graham government's agenda of self-sufficiency. With that pride also comes a sense of expectation that our community's post-secondary education will be enhanced.

Saint John is far more than an "energy hub."

Saint John is an exciting, diverse, multi-cultural, engaged urban centre. We have a vibrant and edgy art and cultural scene. We are a national leader in heritage conservation. Our Uptown core has the largest intact collection of 19th century Victorian architecture in Canada, making us the envy of the country.

Saint John has unlimited possibilities in both the ICT sector and health sciences.

Saint John is leading the province in tourism growth through the cruise industry. Our local tour operators are considered to be the best in the world!

City Council has undertaken several processes to enhance local governance.

The development of Harbour Passage has allowed our citizens to share in the ownership of waterfront property, and with that, has come a huge source of civic pride.

Saint John also leads the province in all of the stats relating to poverty. One in four families in Saint John are living in poverty. Saint John leads the country in teen-age pregnancies. Saint John has the highest number of single parent families.

The cycle of poverty will only be broken through education. The children of poverty deserve to have a choice in their post-secondary education.

Through innovation, partnership, co-operation and sheer determination, Saint John has repositioned itself from a dirty industrial town to a vibrant, engaged and exciting urban centre leading the way for New Brunswick's goal of self-sufficiency.

Saint John needs both a nationally recognized university and a world-class skills training institution.

As Deputy Mayor of Saint John, I applaud the Graham government for following through on their commitment to thoroughly review the post-secondary education in our province. The conversation that is currently taking place on post-secondary education has created an amazing opportunity for both the province and for Saint John. Many of the recommendations spoke to the need for transformational change with respect to the students and the community.

The majority of my conversations over the last two weeks have turned to the future of UNBSJ. The obvious conversations with civic leaders, educators, and students have led to a general consensus of a willingness to embrace the future, willingness for co-operation and a willingness to change the status quo.

What has been surprising have been the conversations with people with no vested interest in UNBSJ, or so one would think.

What was expressed to me over and over was the sense of importance, contribution and hope that UNBSJ inspires in our community. Until the L'Écuyer-Miner report was released, we were silently proud of the social and economic impact that UNBSJ has played in our community's development. Now we are proudly discussing the university's role as an important contributor to the culture and vibrancy of the city. UNBSJ's contribution is being made through the thousands of alumni who work as teachers, lawyers, nurses, entrepreneurs, etc. and through the faculty and staff that contribute to community organizations as board members, volunteers and research resources to the community.

Saint John's contribution to the province's economy has inspired a sense of community confidence and self worth. We are worthy of investment - investment beyond the energy sector.

Saint Johners have clearly demonstrated their willingness for growth and change. Saint John will embrace change that enhances our community's quality of life.

I encourage the Graham government to listen to the voice of the people and implement wise changes that will meet our community's educational needs and allow us to fully contribute to New Brunswick's goal of self-sufficiency.

Michelle Hooton is Saint John's deputy mayor.

[Helladog]

‘BEST’ OF ALL WORLDS
Expansion Transmission line to pay for itself, as province readies to become energy centre

DANIEL MCHARDIE
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Appeared on page a1

FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick System Operator says a surge in bids to use the second international power line from New Brunswick to Maine could act as a catalyst to new electricity transmission projects in New England.

The new power line will start sending electricity across the border in December.

When the province's system operator called for reservations, six different companies put in bids for 793 megawatts, well above the 300 megawatts that the line can carry.

"It sends a signal to New England that there is an interest in Canada in exporting power to meet New England needs.

Hopefully that will drive a greater interest in Maine to get the transmission south of Bangor built," said Bill Marshall, president and chief executive officer of the system operator.

"It reinforces the government's position that New Brunswick is an energy hub. There is an interest in getting projects built here and exporting into New England." The system operator is an independent agency that administers the transmission tariff for using the province's system and it maintains the transmission reliability and co-ordinates system planning.

Hydro Quebec won the open bidding process and will now have the right to use the transmission link to the United States for the next 15 years. For that right, Hydro Quebec will be paying NB Power Transmission $9.6 million a year, which will quickly pay back the utility's $50-million investment in the project.

As well, P.E.I.'s Maritime Electric Company Limited won a 25-year transmission reservation for 30 megawatts from the United States into New Brunswick.

"The reservations from Hydro Quebec and Maritime Electric are essentially going to bring in enough money to totally pay for the line and yet we still gain value in New Brunswick,"Marshall said.

Rules governing the transmission system state that Hydro Quebec must give notice on the previous day that it plans to use that line, if that doesn't occur the capacity is up for bids. When the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station shuts down next April for its refurbishment, having the extra power line will be a huge benefit to the utility.

Michel Losier, managing director of corporate affairs for NB Power, said this new transmission capacity does open new opportunities for the company.

"What has been made clear there is definitely a market for export to the United States that was made clear in this open season process,"Losier said.

"The line is there, it provides significant benefits, it provides reliability, more efficiencies due to less line losses and the line will still be available for NB Power to use. At the same time Hydro Quebec will be paying the mortgage on the line in $9.6 million a year." The Liberal government is positioning the province as an energy hub and an electricity exporter. Part of that plan includes the feasibility study of a second nuclear reactor at Point Lepreau that would see its power shipped to the power- starved U.S. market, especially in New England and New York.

Premier Shawn Graham and Energy Minister Jack Keir have spoken about using a direct subsea connection to New England, bypassing the bottlenecks in Maine, as one option.

If that arrangement isn't followed, there are other projects on the drawing table that could help free up the power congestion that appear south of Bangor.

Among the many options, there is a transmission project being discussed from Orrington, Maine, to Wiscasset, Maine, and a separate proposed line from Wiscasset to south Boston. Those two proposed lines would see new opportunities created for New Brunswick to ship its power into the desired markets.

Keir called the Hydro Quebec bid the "best of both worlds" because NB Power can still take advantage of the new line and another utility is paying the bill. Like Marshall, Keir said he believes the interest in the second power line will spur on transmission projects in Maine.

"That would give a tremendous increase of delivery capability out of New Brunswick and access into the market,"Marshall said of those projects going forward.

[Helladog]

Lepreau II - Bring it on
Energy New poll shows almost three in four Saint John residents are in favour of adding a second nuclear reactor at Point Lepreau

John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal
Published Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Appeared on page C1

SAINT JOHN - Almost three quarters of people in Saint John support the construction of a second nuclear reactor, according to a new poll.

Corporate Research Associates says 73 per cent of Saint Johners support a second reactor in New Brunswick, while support in Saint John's bedroom communities was almost equally strong, at 71 per cent.

"It's a pretty strong majority on an issue that has been extremely controversial in the past," said Don Mills, president and co-founder of the polling company.

The survey results come as the provincial government, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. and Team Candu conduct a $2.5-million feasibility study that could lead to a 1,100-megawatt reactor being built next to the existing Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station. If built, it could be Canada's first new nuclear reactor since 1993.

The poll, done independently by Mills' company between Sept. 6 and Sept. 19, was based on a sample of 400 adult residents. A sample that size would be expected to be accurate within 4.9 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.

Mills noted that a similar, New Brunswick-wide survey done in 2003 showed less support, with slightly over half of provincial residents behind the idea.

Energy Minister Jack Keir said Monday that people in Saint John are no doubt more likely to realize the economic spinoffs of a second reactor; he noted that the previous provincial government received a warm reaction when the refurbishment of the existing reactor was announced.

Keir said the results were "perfect" and that the majority of people he has spoken with have bought into the concept of Saint John as the region's energy hub, complete with an energy corridor to the Northeastern United States. "I think [the public] see all these pieces of that puzzle," he said.

Keir said people not completely on board - 44 per cent "mostly support" the project compared to 29 per cent who "completely support" it - are probably concerned about nuclear waste, which he said is a legitimate concern. He noted in a recent interview that the current reactor is prepared for at least the next 30 years of waste.

Mayor Norm McFarlane was pleased to hear the survey numbers.

"That's another showing that the energy hub is real and it's moving forward when people are supporting these things," he said.

The question was, "All things considered, would you personally completely support, mostly support, mostly oppose, or completely oppose a second nuclear reactor being built in New Brunswick?"

According to a Corporate Research Associates news release, the support for a second reactor rises as education levels increase, with those who have completed post-secondary education the mostly likely to support a second reactor (79 per cent).

The support also increases with income. Eighty one per cent of people earning more than $75,000 a year support the project, compared to 66 per cent of Saint Johners who make less than $50,000 a year.

Seven per cent of Saint Johners "completely oppose" a second reactor in New Brunswick, while 17 per cent "mostly oppose" it.

The remaining three per cent said they didn't know or didn't answer the question.

[Helladog]

Port, city will study possibility of becoming trade corridor

Mike Mullen
Telegraph-Journal
Published Thursday October 4th, 2007
Appeared on page C6

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Port Authority, in cooperation with the City of Saint John, will undertake a Southern Brunswick Gateway study as a means positioning the area as vital trade corridor.

A gateway is a system of marine, road, rail and air transportation infrastructure that has national importance to global trade.

Consultant Paul Ouiment, executive vice-president of InterVISTAS Consulting Inc., has been engaged by the Port Authority to guide the organization through a planning and research phase that will lead to the formation of a Southern New Brunswick Gateway Council.

InterVISTAS is considered an expert on Canadian gateways, having worked closely with gateway councils in Vancouver, Halifax and southern Ontario.

It will begin preliminary consultations in southern New Brunswick from Tuesday to Friday of next week.

"The southern New Brunswick region - with its border crossing, strong port, airport and rail systems is ideally situated to benefit from increased international trade," Saint John mayor Norm McFarlane said in a Port Authority news release announcing the initiative."By creating a Southern Brunswick Gateway, we are increasing our ability to market this potential to trading partners globally, an make a better case for federal investment in infrastructure."

The gateway initiative came out of a meeting the mayor called to discuss transportation in Greater Saint John.

In addition to the mayor, Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson, Saint John MP Paul Zed and Fundy Royal MP Rob Moore, the study involves industry, the Port Authority, the Harbour Bridge Authority, the Saint John Transit Commission, the Saint John Parking Commission, the Saint John Airport Authority and the New Brunswick Department of Transportation.

Capt. Al Soppitt, president and CEO of the Port Authority, said the Port of Saint John is Atlantic Canada's "most diverse marine gateway and one of the largest ports for cargo throughout the nation.

"While the port's priamry cargo is bulk commodities, it is also a container port and is a major cruise port in Atlantic Canada," he added. "The port is poised for future growth, with projected increases in bulk cargo, opening of the LNG terminal, expansion of postash (shipments) and increases in cruise, and with partners in positioning itself in the proposed Atlantic Gatetway aimed at increasing international trade through Canada's east coast."

McFarlane said the Southern New Brunswick Gateway will help strengthen Canada's competitive position in international commerce. "By marketing our facilities, we will gain critical mass that wil reduce costs, and open new opportunities for other trade and tourism," he said.

He said jobs, increased taxes and a stimulation of regional business are just a few of the potential benefits.

Zed said he was pleased to be a participant in the gateway study group.

"We have proved time and again that by working together as a team, we are able to accomplish great things," he said. "The previous and current federal governments have supported gateway initiatives in other parts of Canada, and I am confident that by working together we will be able to put forward a compelling case for the creation of a Southern New Brunswick Gateway."

[Downtown Bolivar]

^^^Seems like St. John and NB in general would need a significant rail infrastruction upgrade for that to come true--hasn't a lot of it been removed--especially the line directly east toward St. Stephen and Calais? CP's pullout really massacred things.