Engage, August 2013 LOADING...

Welcome! It’s been over a year since the last edition of Engage - we’re back by popular demand, with a slight twist. We’ve gone digital! Engage has now been designed as an electronic publication that can be easily shared and the stories you’re interested in are just a click away.

With summer here, our people and programs are in full swing. In this issue, Engage introduces new hires, bids farewell to retirees and provides updates on staff and service area achievements, and community activities.

This issue will kick start a succession of more editions.

As we develop a regular distribution schedule, we invite you to take on an active role in submitting content for consideration. If there is something you would like to see, contribute, or not see, let us know by emailing engage@saintjohn.ca. The submission deadline for the next issue is September 16, 2013.

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A publication for employees and retirees of the

City of Saint John

Engage us

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What’s Inside?

Recognition Pages 2 – 4

Good Works Page 4

Hires & Retires Page 5

In the headlines Page 6 – 7

To do Page 8

Good Works Page 8

Engage in the Community Page 9 – 10

Summer Safety Page 11

Healthy Habit

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A publication for employees and retirees of the City of Saint John

recognition

Acts of

courage Hats off to retired Captain Wayne McGrath and Firefighter Al McLeod. Both men were recently presented with Certificates of Courage by the New Brunswick Association of Fire Chiefs. The honour recognizes their act of bravery in rescuing a young man from the upper floor of a burning house in Millidgeville two years ago.

Retired Captain Wayne McGrath, left, and firefighter Al McLeod

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Published by City of Saint John Communications Editor Lisa Caissie Communications Officer 506-648-3714 engage@saintjohn.ca Next issue Fall 2013 Deadline for submissions: September 16

Congratulations are extended to Peter Morgan, Manager of Safety and Policy with the City of Saint John, for his recent appointment as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Safety Services New Brunswick, the province’s leading notfor-profit safety service provider.

Peter began his career with the City in 1977 as a casual labourer in Municipal Operations.

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Recognition

Staff honoured with

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal Most people don’t know what to expect when they get the call, but are humbled when they hear that they’ve been chosen to receive a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. This year, a number of City staff received the call and were honoured with the Queen’s medal at a ceremony held in June.

Created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne as Queen of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal serves to recognize the Queen’s service to Canada and the significant contributions and achievements by Canadians from every field of activity.

Recipients: Constable Sarah Black Deputy Police Chief Bruce Connell Chuck Edison, Leisure Services Coordinator Bill Edwards, Commissioner, Transportation & Environment Services Staff Sergeant Jim Fleming Staff Sergeant Mike King Inspector Glen McCloskey Inspector David Parks Inspector Cy Thompson Staff Sergeant Tanya LeBlanc Police Chief Bill Reid Samir Yammine, Energy Manager Bobby Hayes, Skilled Worker Bernard Cormier, Cultural Affairs Officer

Pictured from left: Tanya LeBlanc, Mike King, Cy Thompson, Chuck Edison, Glen McCloskey, Bill Edwards, Samir Yammine, Councillor Gerry Lowe, Mayor Mel Norton, Bernard Cormier, Sarah Black

City wins two energy efficiency awards The City of Saint John proudly took home two of the 13 Premier’s Awards for Energy Efficiency. The awards were developed by Efficiency NB to recognize innovation and leadership in energy efficiency in New Brunswick and were presented by Premier David Alward in Fredericton.

“This year’s award recipients are great champions of energy efficiency who play a leadership role in helping our province achieve our climate change goals,” said Alward. “Their efforts also

contribute to our plan for rebuilding New Brunswick’s economy and adding jobs in our communities.”

The City of Saint John won two awards: Outstanding Energy Efficiency Project Award, Commercial New Construction for One Peel Plaza and Energy Efficiency Champion, Individual, Samir Yammine, Energy Manager, City of Saint John.

To find out more about the awards, click here.

Source: gg.ca

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Recognition

Queen Square Market gets

plugged in Thanks to a $5,000 community recognition award presented to the City of Saint John by the Department of Environment and Local Government, Queen Square is now ‘plugged in’. The award was invested in the community and used to install electrical outlets in the south end’s Queen Square, which is home to the increasingly popular outdoor farmers’ market.

Visitors and merchants at the outdoor Queen Square Farmers’ Market, founded by Jody Kliffer and co-organized by Kliffer and Brian Irving(Senior Manager, Real Estate).

Electricity in the square will attract more vendors to the market, says Queen Square Farmers’ Market organizer and City Planner, Jody Kliffer.

“Some vendors at the market use gas generators to heat food while others simply opt not to set up because there’s no source of electricity. With electricity available, other vendors and events can set up in the market.”

The provincial award serves to recognize community programs and promote best practices and leadership in the municipal sector. It was awarded to the City for our Municipal Energy Efficiency Program, which falls under the direction of the City’s Energy Manager, Samir Yammine.

Environment and Local Government Minister Bruce Fitch presents the 2012 Community Recognition Award to Mayor Mel Norton and Samir Yammine at a ceremony held in January. Photo credit: gnb.ca

Canada Day The City of Saint John is a proud sponsor of Canada Day activities.

Thanks to the Saint John Canada Day Planning Committee, this year proved to be a fun-filled occasion for all ages to celebrate in Canada’s original city!

The committee is made up of volunteers from the City and other organizations across Saint John. The full list of committee members is available at www.sjcanadaday.ca

HIRES AND RETIRES

Welcome to the City!

Thank you for your years of service!

Allan Gauvin Holiday Relief Fire Fighter

Saleem Kaleem Skilled Worker

Joshua Hennessy Holiday Relief Fire Fighter

Jacqueline Kelly Skilled Worker

Lucas Roderick Holiday Relief Fire Fighter

Kevin J. Kincade Skilled Worker

Scott Chamberlain Holiday Relief Fire Fighter

Bryan Gartside Skilled Worker

Shawn Elliott Holiday Relief Fire Fighter

David MacGillivary Skilled Worker

Adam Flewelling Holiday Relief Fire Fighter

Joseph Pilmer Skilled Worker

Sherry O’Conner Administrative Assistant

Ryan Woodman Skilled Worker

Alice Fudge Heritage Architect/Analyst

Craig Taylor Skilled Worker

S. Lorraine Gibson Web Specialist

Thomas Owens Skilled Worker

Troy McGraw Web Specialist

Shawn McKiel Skilled Worker

Jeffrey Cyr Planner

Luc Bard Skilled Worker

Christopher McKiel Technical Services Engineer

Robert Brown Skilled Worker

Lisa Caissie Communications Officer

Brad Taylor Skilled Worker

Gary Hopey – 35 Years Public Works Construction

P. Joel Landers Municipal Engineer

Steven Edgar Skilled Worker

Raymond Eatman – 34 Years Parks

Robert McGinnis Skilled Worker

Jeremy McFawn Skilled Worker

Peter Kierstead – 34 Years Water Treatment

Niki Schoenberger Skilled Worker

Joseph Bursey Skilled Worker

John Melanson – 34 Years Fire Department

Andrew Sullivan Journeyman Carpenter

Gordon McKenzie Skilled Worker

Joseph Estey Journeyman Carpenter

Terry Lavigne Skilled Worker

J. Francis MacKinnon – 34 Years Fire Department

James D’Entremount Journeyman T & T Mechanic

Christopher Lanigan Skilled Worker

Jeffrey McSorley Journeyman Welder

Warren Somers Skilled Worker

Kevin Desaulniers Instrumentation Technician

Jonathan Westfield Skilled Worker

Craig McHardy Skilled Worker

Stephen Blanchard Skilled Worker

Jody Savoie Skilled Worker

John Phillips Skilled Worker

Mark Madden Skilled Worker

Matthew Clifford Skilled Worker

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Maureen Smith – 41 Years Customer Service

William Melanson – 33 years Water and Sanitary

Daniel Campbell – 38 Years Parks

Charles Reid – 32 Years Fire Department

Stephen Ough – 37 Years Carpentry

Alan Powell – 32 Years Fire Department

Brian Jacquart – 37 Years Stores

Ronald Hache – 32 Years Public Works Streets and Traffic

Wayne Connell – 36 Years Fire Department Wayne Welton – 36 Years Parks Mary Fitzpatrick – 36 Years Finance Jackie Henneberry – 35 Years Neighbourhood Improvement Kathy Naves – 35 Years Payroll Department Richard Hachey – 35 Years Wastewater Treatment

Paul McDade – 34 Years Fire Department Wayne McGrath – 34 Years Fire Department Frederick Ramsay – 34 Years Fire Department Stephen Breen – 33 Years Water Treatment

James Maher – 32 Years Parks John McIntyre – 31 Years Human Resources James Duke – 30 Years Water Treatment Jeffrey Lavigne – 29 Years Public Works Transportation Randall Abric – 29 Years Public Works Transportation Florent Gray – 29 Years Public Works Construction Lynda Farrell – 28 Years City Solicitor Donna Fisher – 24 Years Finance Sherry Cunningham – 24 Years Customer Service Aurele Morin – 24 Years Carpentry William Whittaker – 21 Years Fire Department Terry Matheson – 21 Years Utility Services Elizabeth Gormley – 9 Years Common Clerk

At hl et esa ndc hi l dr enf r om Sa i ntJ ohnPl a y gr ound Pr ogr a mspa r a dea r ound t heCa na daGa mes St a di um a tUNBSa i ntJ ohn wi t ht heofc i a lSummer Ga mes a g.

IN THE HEADLINES

Mispec Beach is now open!

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The City and Canaport LNG recently hosted a beach party and BBQ to celebrate the refurbishment of Mispec Beach, a project that began as a result of significant weatherrelated damage that rendered the shoreline and staircase unsafe for public use. Click here for details on the refurbishments.

Crowds of people came out to celebrate the reopening of Mispec Beach on July 20

Got Bike?

It is with great excitement that the City announced the opening of Saint John’s first comprehensive bike route, connecting UNB Saint John to the Uptown Saint John area.

“The emphasis on active transportation started with Plan SJ,” Said Tim O’Reilly, the City’s Manager of Pedestrian and Traffic Services. “When they did a lot of the public consultation in the transportation section people were focusing on other modes of transportation.”

The Campus Harbour Connection provides cyclists with a route linking the UNB Saint John campus, Tucker Park Collaborative, and the Saint John Regional Hospital area with Uptown Saint John and points in between. It

is a 4.5 km long arterial of dedicated bike lanes and shared-use lanes using existing streets such as Millidge Avenue, Somerset Street, Adelaide Street and Metcalf Street and connects to Harbour Passage, a popular off-street trail.

The Saint John Cycling Club was among the first group of cyclists to use the route during an inaugural group ride on Thursday, July 18.

Tim O’Reilly stands next to the bike route on Metcalf Street

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To Do

Thanks to staff and volunteers, the City is ready for Summer.

As part of the Neighbourhood Support and Development Service, the City opened its free Summer Playground Program in June. The eight-week program is designed to promote recreation and healthy neighbourhoods – community priorities.

Beat the heat at one of Saint John’s City Beaches. Lifeguard service began Saturday, June 22. Click here for hours and supervised beaches.

Flemming Court Splash Pad, located in the North End’s Crescent Valley

Rainbow Park and Flemming Court Splash Pads are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.! Click here for more information.

GOOD WORKS

Saint John Water crews praised for their quick response The Atlantic Coastal Action Program recently commended City crews for their quick action in identifying and reporting a large volume of petroleum that entered a wastewater lift station on the City’s west side. Thanks to the dedicated

efforts of Saint John Water crews, affected wastewater wet wells and other infrastructure at the Lancaster Wastewater Treatment Lagoon were cleaned and the petroleum was properly disposed of without discharge to the environment.

Freedom to Read David Burke, Information Management Officer with the City of Saint John, co-authored an article with fellow researcher Carol Perry that was published in the Freedom to Read Magazine. The article, titled Access to Government Information in Canada’s Public Libraries, focuses on following the legislative trail for government policy on public access to information.

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ENGAGE IN THE COMmUNITY

Staff support students engaged in service-based learning project Over 75 students from across North and South America worked alongside twenty-five Parks and City Landscape and Neighbourhood Development staff to complete four projects across the City on May 15. They were joined by the PALS program at Lorne Middle School. The day was part of a Community Service Day organized by an international youth conference held at Rothesay Netherwood School in coordination with City staff.

Projects included work on playground space beautification and the creation of an outdoor classroom at Glen Falls School; a beautification project at Forest Hills Sports Complex; a PALS school garden launch at Lorne Middle School; and trail maintenance and Corduroy Bridge build at the Rockwood Park bike trails.

Clockwise from top left: Forest Hills Sports Complex; PALS urban school garden, Lorne Middle School; outdoor classroom, Glen Falls School; and Corduroy Bridge, Rockwood Park

A warm welcome POWER UP!, a successful 10week leadership training program designed to break the cycle of poverty for low-income women in priority neighborhoods, is receiving a lot of national attention, and the program organizers are very pleased with the City’s response.

Representatives from partner organizations and low income women from Toronto and Winnipeg were in Saint John last month to witness the success of POWER UP! and exchange best practices.

“I have always been proud of our community but this was definitely a time when I was so aware of why,” said Murphy.

In a letter to the City, Brenda Murphy, coordinator of the Urban Core Support Network, expressed her gratitude and pride in the City and thanked City staff and the community for their support and generosity during the visit. Barry Freeze, Leisure Services Coordinator, was thanked for his support in arranging a tally ho ride, and staff at Rockwood Park were thanked for providing a barbeque to the group.

Lori Lambert was thanked for assisting with the development of a news release about the visit and offering City swag to the guests and Deputy Mayor Rinehart was thanked for publically welcoming the guests during a Council meeting.

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Summer Safety

Stay safe Work under summer conditions poses an added risk of heat stress and heatinduced illnesses that can be very serious and even life threatening. In addition to wearing required personal protective equipment, here are some things you can do to prepare for the heat: Stay hydrated - Good hydration is absolutely essential to the prevention of heat-induced illness.

Wear proper clothing - A light, breathable long-sleeved shirt will keep your core body temperature lower than a short sleeved shirt.

Apply, and reapply, sunscreen Exposed skin should be covered to protect you from UV rays.

Pace yourself - Short minute or two breaks for water and rest will help prevent overexertion.

Watch for signs - Pay close attention to how you, and those around you, feel and watch for the following signs: • Headache, dizziness • Incoherent speech • Nausea • Excessive sweating • Cold, clammy skin appearance or rash Get help - Call 911 immediately if you notice signs of heat-related illness.

Move affected employees out of the sun and provide water. Apply first aid, and monitor the employee’s condition until help arrives.

Backyard bonfires

with family and friends can be a great way to wind down lazy summer evenings.

Whether you’re relaxing around the fire with family or entertaining friends, it’s important to keep safety top of mind.

For guidelines to follow when having a recreational backyard fire, click here.

Life is full of challenges Healthy Habit

Add fitness to your workday!

Did you know that the City offers staff and their immediate family members a subsidy on gym memberships through the Aquatic Centre? Memberships include unlimited lap swimming, pool access, fitness classes, and the use of the fitness centre. For pricing details and membership forms, please contact Human Resources.

And remember, when you’re looking to get outdoors, Rockwood Park has over 55 footpaths and trails – Check out the comprehensive trail map for ideas on where to go.

Help is available all day, all week, all year Through Manulife’s Resilience Program, the City of Saint John offers a full-service Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to all City employees and their immediate family members.

The service offers assistance from a team of experienced counsellors who will listen, offer sound advice and help create an action plan to address the issue.

Counselling is offered for, but not limited to, the following: • Marital and family problems

• Bereavement

• Stress

• Referral for Financial and legal problems

• Psychological disorders

• Lifestyle problems

• Drug and alcohol problems If you wish to contact an EAP counsellor to discuss a personal situation you may be experiencing, you can do so 24 hours/ day by calling (toll-free) 1-866-644-0326. All contact between you and your counsellor is completely confidential.