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A publication for employees and retirees of the
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Engage ng
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5N Vol.
What’s Inside? In the Headlines Page 2 – 5
Recognition Pages 6 – 8
Good Works
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A publication for employees and retirees of the City of Saint John
In the headlines
Finishing touches made to Emera NB Field at Shamrock Park
Pages 9 – 13
SCDWP Update Pages 14 – 17
Engage in the Community Pages 17 – 21
Health and Safety Page 22
Hires, Retires, Promotions and Transfers Page 23 – 24
Published by City of Saint John Communications Editor Lisa Caissie Senior Communications Officer 506-648-3714 engage@saintjohn.ca Next issue Summer 2015 Deadline for submissions: August 28
This spring marks the first seasons for the City’s new artificial turf field at Shamrock Park, known properly as the Emera NB Field, named after its corporate donor, Emera NB. Special recognition goes to Mike Hugenholtz, Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Public Spaces, and his team for the work done to revitalize the field. The field was made possible thanks to a $1 million investment from the City, coupled with a $500,000 contribution from Emera NB. Along with the installation of the artificial turf, the project included a new lighting system.
These improvements will decrease the day-to-day maintenance required, and increase the amount of available playing time – both in terms of an increase in the length of the season and an increase in the intensity of use. The City will install new bleachers at the field this summer. The official opening for the field will be part of this year’s Passport to Parks program and will take place on Saturday, June 20. Be sure to stop by – there will be activities for all ages.
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In the headlines
Staff marked final milestone for Harbour Clean Up Project Representatives from the federal, provincial and municipal governments joined City staff to mark the final milestone of Saint John’s Harbour Clean-Up project – a harbour 100 percent free of raw untreated sewage. With the construction of the Eastern Wastewater Treatment Facility completed in 2011, the last of the 24 lift stations required to move wastewater to a treatment facility was completed in 2014.
Shine on Saint John
Our team behind the project L-R: John Campbell, Jodi StringerWebb, James Margaris, Brian Keenan, Dean Price, Mayor Mel Norton, Greg Yeomans, Kendall Mason, Graham Huddleston, Richard Graves, John Clack and Rob Hamilton. Missing from photo: Bill Edwards
Samir Yammine, Trevor Gamblin and staff from Facilities Management represented the City in a partnership with Saint John Energy to see the iconic Saint John sign on Fort Howe receive a facelift and an LED lighting retrofit late in 2014. Originally installed in 1999 to celebrate the new millennium, improvements in lighting technology will provide more lighting hours, better illumination and decrease maintenance requirements. The retrofit will also decrease operating costs. While Saint John Energy paid to have the sign installed, the City is responsible for ongoing maintenance including the cost of the energy. The cost to run the sign is expected to be about $1,000 per year compared to the $9,000 prior to the retrofit.
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In the headlines
Council Gave Staff Green Light to Proceed with Open Data Project Data Defined
With annual conferences, governments, and citizens talking about open data, the term is gaining more and more momentum. However, it also leaves many of us wondering what it all means. Defined, open data is the notion that certain data should be freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents or other mechanisms of control. Open data is released in a machine readable format, and in ways that protects private, personal, or proprietary information. As part of the larger open government movement which consists of open data, dialogue, and information, the proactive release of data opens up the flow of information from all levels of government, making us more transparent and accountable, while also empowering citizens to be creative with the data. Some examples of popular datasets made public by municipalities across Canada include: rezoning permit applications, land use changes, financial data, location of things, transit data, development permit applications, crime information, and road construction. As a City, we have traditionally had a longstanding commitment to openness – from the posting of all Common Council agendas on
: facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something : information that is produced or stored by a computer
Open Data Project Team Back Row Left to Right: Evelyn Hatfield, Patricia Anglin, David Burke, Neil Jacobsen and Jonathan Taylor Front Row Left to Right: Troy McGraw, Lisa Caissie, Yves Leger and Brian Woods
www.saintjohn.ca as well as regular construction reports, maps of City bike routes and walking trails, our service based budget, GIS data sets, and the facilitation of public consultations for budgets, capital projects, and planning processes. In 2013, Common Council resolved to solidify our position on open government initiatives by engaging all City of Saint John departments, agencies, boards and commissions, including the Saint John Police Force, Saint John Energy and Saint John Water for input in the drafting of a City of Saint John Open Data Policy. In response to the resolution, a dedicated team of staff set to work on a draft policy and implementation plan. Key objectives for the policy included: • A review of relevant Canadian municipal, provincial and federal government open data precedents and best practices; • Key internal and external stakeholder engagements; • The development of a business case that included an
assessment of the costs and benefits associated with the initiative; and • Recommendations to be presented back to Common Council in the form of a draft policy. A policy and recommended course of action for a pilot implantation and governance structure were unanimously approved by Council this past March. The pilot implementation will begin this summer and, in its initial onset, will include an open data portal on the City’s website and datasets from the following six key categories: municipal planning, public safety, economic development, financial information, energy and utilities, and recreation. A review of the pilot implementation will be done in 2016 and the Project Team will report a cost/benefit analysis back to Common Council to determine if and how the City will further develop the Open Data program.
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In the headlines Project Team
Project Timeline
Neil Jacobsen (co-sponsor), Commissioner, Strategic Services Jonathan Taylor (co-sponsor) Common Clerk Patricia Anglin, Corporate Records Manager David Burke, Information Management Officer Evelyn Hatfield, Corporate Project Coordinator Brian Woods, IT Manager Troy McGraw, Web Specialist Lisa Caissie, Senior Communications Officer Yves Leger, Manager of GIS Phil Ouellette, Executive Director, City Manager’s Office Scott Brittain, Solicitor
The SJFD partnered with Irving Oil to develop a state-of-the-art fire training facility Situated off Grandview Avenue, the facility includes a number of industrial and residential fire training props, including a Live Fire Emergency Training Structure and custom-built instruction classrooms. The Saint John Fire Department (SJFD) will use the facility to deliver a variety of emergency planning, preparation and response training exercises for members of the SJFD, Irving Oil Refinery Fire Brigade as well as other municipalities and businesses.
According to Fire Chief Clifford, “The City of Saint John is one of the most challenging municipalities for firefighters, with a risk profile that is dominated by industrial threat that is complicated given the close proximity of older housing stock.” The opening of the training facility further solidifies the SJFD’s commitment to providing a high level of training and certification, ensuring safety for citizens and firefighters.
Rendering of Training Facility
Stormwater Management implements innovative pilot project Jeff Hussey and his team led the charge for innovation in stormwater maintenance with the installation of a new plastic catch basin and manhole on Ferry Cove Lane. This new type of infrastructure material used is manufactured in NB and has a life expectancy three time that of traditional concrete. Early analysis of the installation has been positive. The supplier has expressed an interest in partnering with City staff to write a research paper.
Lloyd Parks, now in Sanitation, was with Stormwater last year and helped install the catch basin.
RECOGNITION
SJFD Members Recognized for Years of Service
L to R – Mayor Norton, Roy Nolan, Chief Clifford
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L to R – Trevor Tompkins, Mayor Norton, Chief Clifford
The Saint John Fire Department held its Long Service Awards banquet on November 13 at the Trade and Convention Centre. During the evening, fifty-seven firefighters were presented with Federal and Provincial pins for their continuous years of service, ranging from 15 – 35 years.
Long Service Federal and Provincial Award Recipients 15 year Provincial Pins Fire Fighter Sonny Urquhart
Fire Fighter Robert Nichol
Fire Fighter Charles Landers
Fire Fighter Terry Cropley
Fire Fighter Todd Walsh
Fire Fighter Paul Hallett
Fire Fighter Peter Tait
Fire Fighter Peter Christian
Fire Fighter Joseph Shelley
Fire Fighter Edward Moyer
Fire Fighter Daniel Coates
Fire Fighter Colin Lucas
Fire Fighter Scott Goguen
Fire Fighter Trevor Price
Fire Fighter Allan McLeod
Fire Fighter Christopher Hanlon
Fire Fighter Scott Nordstrom
Fire Fighter Joseph Taylor
20 year Federal Medals Senior Fire Fighter Geoffrey Ferguson
Senior Fire Fighter Jason Foley
Fire Fighter Robert Howard
Senior Fire Fighter Peter Lavigne
Fire Inspector Trevor Tompkins
Senior Fire Fighter Mark Higgins
Senior Fire Fighter Kevin Comeau
Fire Inspector Sean Johnson
Senior Fire Fighter Jeffery Kearney
Captain of Fire Prevention Roy Nolan
“Recognizing long and outstanding service to those employed in a high-risk profession that provides public security.” – Governor General of Canada
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RECOGNITION 25 year Provincial Medals Senior Fire Fighter Brian Quigg
Senior Fire Fighter Norman Burns
Senior Fire Fighter Stephen Hamm
Fire Fighter Paul Britt
Lieutenant Frederick Bramston
Senior Fire Fighter Michael Clark
Senior Fire Fighter Frederick Slipp
Senior Fire Fighter Mark McCormick
Senior Fire Fighter Brian McAloney
Senior Fire Fighter George Morrow
Senior Fire Fighter Scott Langille
Senior Fire Fighter Daniel Freeman
Fire Inspector Robert Kaine
Fire Fighter John D. Murray
Lieutenant Marc Carey
Senior Fire Fighter Peter Alexander
30 Year Federal Bar Lieutenant Anthony Gautreau Lieutenant Peter Woodhouse Lieutenant Leonard Dow Lieutenant Steven Leaman 35 Year Provincial Bar Captain (Retired) Jack Melanson
Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Armstrong
Captain Dale Russell
Captain Christopher Tobias
Captain John O’Neill
Captain Philip Lynch
Captain Stephen Green
Captain Murray McCavour
Lieutenant Paul Kyle
Congratulations Rob Hamilton, Water and Sewerage, for being awarded the Silent Hero Award at the Atlantic Canada Water and Wastewater Association Conference in Halifax. The award was presented to recognize outstanding contributions of water and wastewater operators in each of the four Atlantic Canada provinces.
Rob Hamilton, Centre
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RECOGNITION
And the Winners are … Shayne Galbraith, Retiree; Holly Young, Manager, Infrastructure and Development; Eric Giffin, Retiree; and Mélanie Tompkins, Solicitor, Legal Department, of Team Scales and Justice for winning the Annual Management-Non Union Golf Tournament held in September at the Rockwood Park Golf Course. Team Scales & Justice Left to Right: Shayne Galbraith, Holly Young, Eric Giffin, Mélanie Tompkins
Firefighter Larry Salmon won the Atlantic Canadian Singles Handball title in November to become the all-time Atlantic Canadian title holder at 13 titles and the second oldest to ever win. Larry also won the Canadian 45+ doubles in May 2014 in Montreal. In addition to handball, Larry has two World Fire Police Gold Medals.
Evan Arsenault
Larry Salmon, Left
Saint John Firefighters won
an annual hockey tournament in Moncton. The four major Maritime departments (Saint John, Moncton, Fredericton and Halifax) were represented.
Congratulations to Firefighter Evan Arsenault, who finished the 2015 Boston Marathon with a great time of 02:48:34!
Rob Zwicker, Facility Management, won an Association of Consulting Engineering Companies New Brunswick Award. Congratulations, Rob! Rob Zwicker, Second from Left
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RECOGNITION City staff were recognized at the 2015 Faces of Fusion Achievement Awards and Gala held on February 6. During the evening, awards were given to Saint John’s most inspirational under-40 leaders in the following 5 categories: community building, arts and culture, sports and recreation, entrepreneurship and immigrant entrepreneur. Jody Kliffer received a Community Building award for the work he and Brian Irving do as founders and managers of the Queen Square Farmers’ Market. Due to the work being done in Queen Square, this year’s market will be held in Rainbow Park. The Market is open every Sunday, 9am – 2pm, from May 31 – October 18. Be sure to check it out!
Jody Kliffer and Brian Irving
Greg Cutler took home a Sports and Recreation award for his work with various community organizations and groups, including Marigolds on Main, the Soap Box Derby, Marathon by the Sea, Mudd, Sweat & Tears, and much more.
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GOOD WORKS
Thanks to you, Saint John survived
#SNOWMAGEDDON! Within a 12 week period, we received over 480cm of snow, and broke the City’s 52-year-old snowfall record. The last time Saint John saw snow banks
close to the same height was in 196263, after close to 420cm fell over a longer period of time.
GOOD WORKS
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GOOD WORKS Good Samaritans among City Staff Special recognition goes to plow operator, Kris Vautour, for stopping his truck on City Road to block traffic and assist a citizen in need of help across the road. This message was posted on Facebook after our Sub Foreman, Nazif Suljic, took it upon himself to assist a citizen. Nazif Suljic, Right
Kevin Rice, Deputy Commissioner of Transportation and Environment Services, held recognition celebrations among colleagues to acknowledge the acts of compassion and kindness these two men displayed. Their actions represent the City’s value of a caring community. Great work!
Kris Vautour, Left
A Job Well Done! “I’d just like to send a quick message to the Councillors to let them know that my wife and I truly appreciate the work that the City of Saint John staff do. On Wednesday, February 25th, we placed a call to the maintenance staff in the evening to make sure that we would be plowed by the AM as my wife was schedule for a C-section in the morning. Not only did the staff respond kindly to our request, they made sure that we were plowed out. What really made the difference to us was that the plow driver was kind enough to remove the large amount of snow blocking the entrance to our driveway so that we could get to the hospital for our 7 am deadline. Although it may seem small to you, it meant the world to us. To us, that small act went above and beyond what was required. Thanks to your city staff, we were able to make it to our appointment safely. Thanks to your staff, we were able to safely return to our home with our healthy boy.” Nicholas and Kimberley Tobin, Saint John Citizen
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GOOD WORKS
Top, L to R: John Marino (DCMF); Andrew Grady (RBC), David Craig (DCMF); Amanda Kueppers (RBC) Bottom, L to R: Councillor John MacKenzie; David Dobbelsteyn; Kathy Davison; Rob Burke (DCMF); Mark Russell (RBC); Chad Tucker; Samantha Martin; Joan Lawrence
Overall it was great Tournament and these gentlemen certainly added to the success of it.”
Thank You City Staff “The 1st Annual Dickie Crossman Hockey Tournament was a huge success and raised over $10,000. During our post tournament review we felt there was one thing that should not go unnoticed and that’s how great the rink attendants were and how they became a big part of our success. Right from the very first meeting we had at Stu Hurley with Vic Ryan who was on hand, not only was he very pleasant to deal with he was very helpful in allowing us to have the run of the upstairs so we could plan out our event. Mike Arsenault and Brad Matchett were very professional and great to deal with. Brad even jumped in on Thursday to help unload some the equipment and carried it in. During the tournament both Brad and Mike were always available and very helpful providing whatever we needed, they were also always on time with the ice cleaning keeping the Tournament on schedule.
Kudos
John Marino Member of the Dickie Crossman Memorial Foundation
GOOD WORKS Commissioner Greg Yeomans thanks Brian Irving for his efforts to move Barge Terminal project forward “This morning, a major announcement was made by Saint John Industrial Parks about the approval of funding for the construction of a $7.5 million Barge Terminal in the Spruce Lake Industrial Park (news release). The Provincial Government and the Federal Government (through ACOA) are each contributing $3 million towards the project, and Saint John Industrial Parks is contributing $1.5 million. The terminal will enable manufacturers to prefabricate over-size modules that are too large to be moved by road or rail and transport them by waterways. Construction of the terminal is expected to begin this spring and will take about eight months to complete. The terminal
“ZoneSJ and supporting plan amendments received first and seconding reading at Council. This is a major milestone for our Department and our community planning team led by Stacey Forfar deserve special recognition for the hard work and dedication over the last two years to produce a state-of-the-art new bylaw that modernizes our development rules, cuts red rape and promotes investment to support our community’s vision for a more sustainable Saint John. Congrats on a job well done!” Jacqueline Hamilton, Commissioner of Growth and Community Development Services
will generate close to 175 full-time jobs, with the potential for hundreds more by 2020.
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I want to acknowledge the significant efforts of Brian Brian - Thank Irving in moving this project towards completion. As the you and General Manager of Saint John Industrial Parks, Brian congratulations!” has spent countless hours Greg Yeomans working with a variety of Commissioner of Finance and stakeholders (Province of New Administrative Services Brunswick, ACOA, Saint John Common Council, Saint John Port Authority, Saint John Industrial Parks Board members, and the tenants of the Industrial Park) to get this funding approved.” “We recently held the Learn & Go presentations to potential partners at the Carleton Community Centre. The three projects presented involved three neighbourhoods with two of the projects looking for support from the City. After watching those presentations by folks, some of whom, have never presented in public and then the response from partners, I had to write to you to tell you how much we appreciate the partnership with the City. The project in the North End was to repair the steps that start at Cunnard Street and go to Main Street. The team had contacted John MacKenzie who checked in with Kevin Rice and the project not only received approval prior to the completion of Learn & Go but the work on the stairs was completed! Also, Tim O’Reilly has been wonderful with the team who are looking for crosswalk signs and possibly the flashing solar lights at the crosswalk on Elliot Row and Pitt; he told me last night, he loves going to Learn & Go to see how engaged people in our priority neighbourhoods can be. In addition, Barry Freeze has been involved with our Steering Committee, facilitated a session on Leadership with participants and mentored the East Side group who would like to see a skateboard park somewhere in East SJ.” Brenda, citizen on Learn & Go Committee
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Safe clean drinking water project
SCDWP Update The Safe Clean Drinking Water Project is well-underway. Since the last issue of Engage, staff information sessions were held at Rothesay Avenue and City Hall. Notable takeaways from the sessions were the age of our existing infrastructure, the discovery of high quality ground water on the west side, the requirement for the City to meet new water standards. Staff were also pleased to hear that there will be no loss of jobs due to the project, and the water will remain publically owned. New project milestones include the shortlisting of three proponents on November 3, and the release of the request for proposal (RFP) on January 8. The RFP is a document detailing all of the projects, specifications and protocol that must be adhered to. Did you know that the SCDWP depends on many city services? With support from City staff, the SCDW team has been answering hundreds of questions and finalizing details to ensure that everything is ready for the successful bidder to hit the ground running. Saint John Water Tower
Welcome to the team! Tammy McAllister
How City Staff outside of the core project team have been making Safe Clean Drinking Water a reality:
The SCDW team is pleased to welcome Tammy McAllister to the table. Tammy joined the Communications Department in December 2014 to support the various communication efforts as the project unfolds.
Cindy Calvin and her team has been leading procurement. Planner Mark Reade is making sure our 13 projects are zoned properly. Holly Young and Pam Bentley are guiding the team through permits. Risk Manager Ian Fogan has advised the proponents on insurance requirements. Margot Rankin and the HR team have supported the project with staffing. Lorraine Gibson, Troy McGraw and Bill Neal from IT have created a secure data room. Stephanie Rackley-Roach from Corporate Planning led the implementation of the data room and will be serving on an evaluation team. Craig Lavigne has been providing support from Finance. Chris O’Keefe provided her guidance in setting Customer Service standards in the RFP. The Facilities Management team helped find and prepare a secure space in City Hall for meetings. Several departments shared old furniture which allowed costs to be kept to a minimum.
Safe clean drinking water project What’s next for the Safe Clean Drinking Water Project?
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Evaluation teams will begin reviewing and scoring the bids this summer. You or your colleagues may have been asked to sit on one (or more) of these teams. By holding down the fort while they are evaluating the proposals, you will be contributing to the project’s success as well. Saint John Water employees are preparing to put all hands on deck from the duration of the evaluation until implementation. Staff will be depended on more than ever to help support the efforts by working together, sharing knowledge and providing their expertise on the water distribution system as it is rehabilitated. The project is slated to be awarded late this fall. The SCDWP has been a true example as to how well city employees collaborate.
Project Team Profile: Cheryl McConkey and Paula Carroll – SCDWP Project Administrators Cheryl and Paula have taken on the hefty task of project administration. They are the gatekeepers and have been keeping the project’s data (and team) organized and on task. Cheryl’s focus is on administrative duties associated with the office and Paula administers the data room, where all project related documentation is stored. If there is one thing you’d like your fellow colleagues to know about the project, what would it be? Cheryl: Having taken the job to expand my skill sets, I didn’t realize how large this project would be. Paula: I worked on the Peel Plaza project, so this is my second one. The magnitude of this project is unbelievable. A lot of resources and man hours have been required to develop processes. What do you enjoy most about the project? Cheryl: It’s exciting to be a part of the City’s largest project ever. Meeting new people and listening to them explain different aspects of the project are really exciting. Paula: I enjoy being part of the team and variety keeps it interesting. I like
being able to contribute to something that will make such a huge impact. Is there anything in particular you’ve learned about the project? Cheryl: Water is a different environment for me. There is so much technically and financially to get your head around. I’m constantly learning something new. Paula: The water system is really complex. I’ve learned about the pipes, slip-lining, swaging, tuberculation and the quality management system. The list goes on. What are you most looking forward to? Both: The day shovels hit the ground!
Paula Carroll and Cheryl McConkey
Safe clean drinking water project Meet Keagan Marcus – PhD Student with the SCDWP What are you studying? I’m doing a PhD in interdisciplinary studies. My research is focused on Public-Private-Partnerships (P3s). What is your role on the project?
Keagan Marcus
I joined the team in August 2014 as a research student participating in all aspects of the project while learning the P3 process. Not only is the City a pioneer in terms of the project, but they are the first to allow a student to be embedded in a P3 project to get a better understanding of the process. What do you enjoy most about the project?
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and develop the documents. City staff, consultants and advisors engage in intense discussions to ensure the ratepayers will get the most value from the project. What do you plan to do after the project? I’ll be working on the project until financial close which should be around the end of 2015. I intend to work towards the completion of my thesis. I also hope to leverage the knowledge I’ve gained working with this great team and to help other jurisdictions or countries to better procure infrastructure using the P3 process.
I enjoy the team discussions that take place to define the project specifications
One Stop Development Shop Update The focus of our new One Stop Development Shop initiative is to streamline the development process in order to facilitate investment and quality development in Saint John and maintain alignment with PlanSJ. One objective of this initiative is for us to have clear and consistent internal processes to enhance customer service. ZoneSJ was the team’s first major deliverable. Other accomplishments include mapping of the current planning processes and the launch of a comprehensive draft service model to the community in the fall of 2014.
One Stop Development Shop Team L to R: Andrew Valeri, Chris McKiel, Brent McGovern, Stacey Forfar, Jeff Cyr and Amy Poffenroth.
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ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY
Park renamed in honour of fallen Mountie
The Park Committee: Lisa Caissie, City of Saint John
Thanks to the generosity of the community, a dedicated committee of 14, and the hard work of staff from Parks and Public Spaces and the Carpentry Shop, a small west-side play park and green space in Quinton Heights got a facelift last October and was named in memory of Constable Douglas James Larche, who was killed in the line of duty with two of his colleagues on June 4, 2014. Cst. Larche and his brother were raised on the City’s west side, a short distance from the newly named Larche Memorial Park.
Nancy Moar, City of Saint John
Improvements to the park include a monument, 12 new park benches, two red picnic tables, three maple trees, a flag pole, signage, rejuvenated flower beds and a granite stairwell.
Rene Coulpier, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 69
Hundreds of citizens and visitors turned out for the event, and an incredible show of support was provided by fellow peace officers and first responders.
Bernard Cormier, City of Saint John Councillor Greg Norton Sgt. Stephen Wilson, SJPF
Mark Wilson
Division Chief Mark Wilson, SJFD Larry Lynch, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 69 Henry D’Eon, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 69 Bob Little, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 69 Jim Jennex, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 69 Paul Garnett, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 69 Pastor Dave McElhinney Staff Sgt. Gilles Cote, RCMP
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ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY
City hosts annual Volunteer Appreciation Awards Saint John Common Council recognized the contributions and achievements of volunteers in sport, recreation and community development at its 5th Annual Volunteer Appreciation dinner held Wednesday, April 22 at the Lily Lake Pavilion in Rockwood Park. Thank you to Lori Lambert for organizing this event with the assistance of Broc Belding, Tammy McAllister and Jen Reed.
Tammy McAllister and Broc Belding
For more information on the awards, visit www.saintjohn.ca, and click here to see photos from the evening.
David Dobbelsteyn, Councillor John MacKenzie, Councillor Donna Reardon
Jen Reed, David Dobbelsteyn, Helen Bridgeo
Deputy Mayor Rinehart
ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY
2014 Heritage Award recipients recognized at Common Council Jill Good, Administrative Assistant and Alice Fudge, Heritage Officer, coordinated the 2014 Heritage Awards on February 16. Following a reception in the Ludlow Room, the eight award recipients were recognized formally at the meeting of Common Council. The awards provide an opportunity for Common Council and the Heritage Development Board to recognize excellence in heritage conservation by owners/ developers and their contractors who have completed exemplary heritage projects. The Heritage Grant Program is an incentive program designed to encourage property owners to meet the spirit and intent of the Saint John Heritage Conservation Areas By-Law, as expressed in the National Standards for Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and Saint John’s own series of Practical Conservation Guidelines.
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Alice Fudge and Jill Good
Christmas Spirit Strategic Services, along with staff from other service areas, participated in a holiday volunteer initiative to purchase items for the mothers residing at First Steps Housing.
Back Row L to R: Peter Morgan, Shelley Richard, Evelyn Hatfield, Jessica Smith, Jessica Richards Front Row L to R: Margot Rankin, Paula Doucette, Tiffany Dalton (former City employee), Katherine Shannon, Pamela de la Torre
ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY
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Rockwood Park Events – be sure to check them out! Rockwood Park is our hub of outdoor activities year round. There is always something fun going on in the park and the best part is that many activities are free to attend, check them out at rockwoodpark.ca.
City installs cameras for citizens Staff in IT have been busy with the installation of public webcams. In 2014, a portal was launched on www.saintjohn.ca/webcams where live camera feeds can be viewed. The cameras provide citizens with a bird’s eye view of popular City streets and landscapes including King’s Square, King Street, Loyalist Plaza, the inside of the City Market, and the City Harbour.
ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY
Public presentations by Staff Employees from three City services made presentations to participants in the Energy Fundamentals for Leaders at Saint John College. Fire Chief Kevin Clifford spoke of his experiences in managing a variety of emergency situations, from the evacuation of the Prince Edward Apartment Complex to the decision to call the state of local emergency for the southern peninsula. EMO Manager Mike Carr and DC Gerry Green also participated in the session. Communications Manager Nancy Moar participated in a panel discussion about the importance of strategic communications when dealing with sensitive issues. Energy Fundamentals for Leaders is a program designed for professionals, leaders, and managers at all career levels, who work directly or indirectly in the energy sector. This program provides participants with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of complex energy and related industries to help them make informed decisions about energy issues affecting their or their client’s, organizations.
The City of Saint John Office of the Common Clerk discussed their Records Information Management roadmap over the past 10 years at an ARMA Conference on April 21 at the Q-Plex. The roadmap has embraced records management using Laserfiche and retention management for non-records using SharePoint, and the ongoing work to integrate Laserfiche and SharePoint. Staff who presented on behalf of the City were David Burke, Access & Privacy Officer/Acting Corporate Records Manager; Jonathan Taylor, Common Clerk/Manager of Legislative Admin Services; and Patricia Anglin, Deputy Common Clerk.
Cathy Graham, the City’s Comptroller was selected by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to participate in a roundtable hosted by Infrastructure Canada in Ottawa. Forty representatives from all levels of government and government organizations across Canada discussed the state of asset management in the country and how that state can be improved. The FCM defines asset management as “an integrated process, bringing together the skills, expertise, and activities of People; with Information about a community’s physical Assets; and Finances; so that informed decisions can be made, supporting Sustainable Service Delivery.”
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HEALTH AND Safety
Employee and Family Wellness Fair On October 29, 2014 the City hosted an Employee and Family Wellness Fair. The purpose of this fair was to gather information from a variety of health and wellness organizations to have a positive impact on our life-styles and well beings. There were over 15 vendors with interactive booths, giveaways and prizes.
Kevin Watson, Recreation Manager, visits one of the displays
Tech Tip - Protecting personal information Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or email messages from individuals asking about employees or other internal information. Follow these simple rules to evaluate your emails: • Do not provide personal information or information about our organization, including our structure or networks, unless you are certain of a person’s authority to have the information.
• Pay attention to the URL of a website. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com vs. .net).
• Do not reveal personal or financial information in email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information. This includes following links sent in email.
• If you are unsure whether or not an email request is legitimate, contact the IT service desk at 6496047.
• Do not send sensitive information over the Internet before checking a website’s security.
HIRES, RETIRES, PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS September 30, 2014 to April 3, 2015
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Welcome to the City! • Kristen Flood, Planner • Greg Hovey, Skilled Worker, Works & Transportation • David Johnston, Skilled Worker, Works &Transportation • Maxime Lapierre, GIS Technologist • Jason Logan, Skilled Worker, Works & Transportation • Jordan Moran, Municipal Engineer • Sabrina Nason, Claims Examiner • Caroline Newman, Acting Administrative Assistant, Parking Commission • Jen Reed, Community Development & Programming • Todd Wilson, Skilled Worker, Works & Transportation
Congratulations on your promotion! • Mark Arrand was promoted to 1st Class Fire Fighter, SJFD • Michael Ballard was promoted to Skilled Worker, Water • Broc Belding was promoted to Administrative Assistant, Corporate Communications • Bernard Breau was promoted to Municipal Engineering Technician, • Colin Boyd was promoted to Skilled Worker, Wastewater • Marc Carey was promoted to Lieutenant of Training, SJFD • Michael Carr was promoted to Manager of SJEMO, SJFD • Mark Chisholm was promoted to Foreman, Works • Julie Collins was promoted to Administrative Assistant, Office of the Common Clerk • Christopher Crowley was promoted to Skilled Worker, Water • Thomas Cusack was promoted to Superintendent, • Paul Danaher was promoted to Skilled Worker, Parks • Derek Doucette was promoted to 1st Class Fire Fighter, SJFD • Paula Doucette was promoted to Human Resources Administrator, HR • Steven Edgar was promoted to Skilled Worker, Works • Tyler Embree was promoted to 3rd Class Fire Fighter, SJFD • Ryan Ferris was promoted to 1st Class Fire Fighter, SJFD • David Flewelling was promoted to 3rd Class Fire Fighter, SJFD • James Hamilton was promoted to Skilled Worker, Works
HIRES, RETIRES, PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS
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• Adam Ketchum was promoted to 1st Class Fire Fighter, SJFD • Kevin Kincade was promoted to Skilled Worker, Water • Lori Lambert was promoted to Community Development & Programming • Joe MacDonald was promoted to Skilled Worker, Works • Justin MacDougall was promoted to 1st Class Fire Fighter, SJFD • Patrick Mackin was promoted to Designated OP, WS • Tammy McAllister was promoted to Communications Officer, Corporate Communications • Kathryn McCarthy was promoted to Finance Clerk • Shawn McKiel was promoted to Skilled Worker, Works • Aaron Mitchell was promoted to Information Systems Assistant Acting Assignment, Information Technology • Brent Morne was promoted to Skilled Worker, Works • Robert Nichol was promoted to Administrative Officer, SJFD • Kevin O’Brien was promoted to Municipal Engineer • Thomas Owens was promoted to Skilled Worker, Works • Cindy Perry was promoted to Administrative Assistant Temporary Assignment, Customer Service • Adam Pilmer was promoted to Skilled Worker, Water • Geoffrey Sargent was promoted to Skilled Worker, Building Maintenance • Katherine Shannon was promoted to Operations Manager, Transportation • Anthony Shaw was promoted to Sub-Foreman, Works • Mitchell Sherwood was promoted to Skilled Worker, Works • Rodney Skerry was promoted to Foreman, Works • Brad Taylor was promoted to Skilled Worker, Works • Patrick Thebeau was promoted to 1st Class Firefighter, SJFD • Trevor Tompkins was promoted to Fire Prevention Inspector, SJFD • Stephen Wright was promoted to Skilled Worker, Wastewater • Wayne Wright was promoted to Sub Foreman, Works
Thank you for your years of service! • David Alchorn – 26 Years • John Armstrong – 31 Years • Kenneth Neves – 23 Years • Bernard Thibodeau – 29 Years