Don't Give a Damn About My Bad Reputation

Don't Give a Damn About My Bad Reputation

Saturday, March 14, 2015

I Hate This City. A Love Story

I live in a strange place.This old city that has cemeteries, factories, beaches, and deer, right in the middle of urban neighborhoods. 

What other places call Downtown, we call Uptown. Because we do. And do not ever abbreviate the Saint. Do not ever EVER add an apostrophe and an s. That pisses us off. 

We adore stories, especially about Americans, who mix up Saint John and St. John's. Did you hear about the travel agent who sent a whole triple A hockey team to the wrong city? That was awesome.

We are a city like any other city I suppose. If all other cities are ass backwards and proud of it. I hate it so much sometimes. 

We have our local crazies that we support wholeheartedly in their right to wander their respective neighborhoods being crazy. Do NOT fuck with our crazy people. We know them by name. We know their stories. We love them. Leave them alone or face the indignant wrath of the community. We have no qualms about sicking a news chaser group on you.  

We swear each side of town breeds it's own type of person. We don't always trust snobs from the burbs. Looking at you Rothesay.

We know what is wrong with our town and we get defensive with outsiders. We seem unwelcoming yet totally welcoming. Here have an Alpine and shut up, you Upper Canadian bastard. 

We know that you are going to judge us and we are working on getting our shit together but it is slow going. We want to show you what we are good at, just, shhhhhhhh about the rest.  

We have an aging conservative population, loads of old money, even more poverty and a dismal job market. We have grass roots community groups that get mittens on little hands and lunches in bellies. In the summer even the poorest kids can get to a beach. Each side of town has well known spot to cool off and who knows how many "secret" ones. 

We have high rates of sexual assault, addiction, teen and single parents, domestic violence, and women seem to disappear or be murdered an awful lot. We do have a police force....

We can't even have food trucks :(

We have a problem with a bad attitude. We are negative nellies. We don't want outsider's opinions on our problems. We barely want our own actually. Oh glaring problems with obvious solutions? Please don't point those out. Lalalalala can't hear yoouuuuuuu.

We are too much like Springfield. Yes, as in the Simpsons. We even have a nuclear power plant outside of town and a Mr. Burns. Our mayors are generally Quimbyesque in effectiveness if not in gender or background. Moncton is our Shelbyville. 

We are envious of other cities and other provinces. l think social media is showing us what we are missing. I am glad so many of us went West and are posting pics. Thank you rest of Canada for rubbing the awesome things about modern times in our faces. Life is not all deep fried seafood and April Wine at the Three Mile.

We have good places for sushi. We have galleries showing of local artists. We are using our boardwalk for outdoor patios and events. Local bands are playing new and exciting music. We have festivals. We have yoga and belly dancing.  We have a place that sells fancy olive oil and we have veggie buying clubs for local produce at good prices. We have bike trails and walking trails and we have seals swimming in the harbour. Marsh creek freezes now. People want blue box recycling.

We have Zombie Walks and we have people fighting for the right access abortion and to sell food out of trucks. Saint John is not the town it used to be. Saint John doesn't seem as old but it seems more mature. Ready to do....something. Not sure what, but dammit we're ready.

I will never move from here, that I know. No place I have ever been has made my heart swell as when I see something uniquely, beautifully Saint John. Looking out over the South End from on top of the hill watching the sun rise over the roof tops. The storm swells at Bayshore or Saint's Rest over West. Seals in the harbour, bald eagles on the power lines. Rain on cobblestones. King Square lit up in the snow. Lobster boats loaded with traps at the wharf. The giant trees in the old neighborhoods. Crown molding and marble fireplaces in dive apartments.  

This is home. It needs work, but it is mine, and I love it.  




28 comments:

  1. I thought that was your picture Amanda. Well said.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Appreciate the originality, although more could be said about this terrible town. Aside from, maybe family, or friends, I'm not entirely sure why everybody thinks this small town is so great. There's nothing wonderful, even in the heart of Saint John. When asked why people stay in this corner of the world, they claim "Oh, it's the people! Surely you've met the people?!". I have, and there's nothing special about anyone in Saint John. In fact, all the "special" ones have up and left, upon swift realization that this city, is, a glorified dump, bothered by Irving Oil's beautiful eyesore, an abundance of call centres, and the women of the night sur la Waterloo St. Well done, Miss Bourque, although, I hope you see our city, for what it really is someday soon; just a hometown. As they say, you cant put a silk scarf over a pig's head.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brilliant! So spot on!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well done! You captured our unique city perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Are you people okay? This literally confirms the city is awful .... yet you praise it for its accuracy and call it brilliant? I'm truly concerned.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Saint John is an industrial city & it`s a tad bit hard on the eyes - undeniably. It`s beautiful that there are people out there that can see that it has so much more to offer. While the city has many obvious flaws a lot of them are not uncommon to any Maritime city. Governmental actions can only be taken so far before political game get`s in the way of progress - again, this is not uncommon anywhere.

    As for the people, there are good and bad people everywhere. If all you`re seeing is the bad then perhaps you should disassociate your self with negative perspectives. I grew up outside of Saint John and spent a lot of time in the city growing up. I have run into some pretty brilliant people who genuinely care about the growth of Saint John.

    It`s clear to see that you truly care about the cities well-being because a lot of young people (and old) that don`t see it`s value. You outted the city for what it actually is but, what`s the harm in that when everyone already knows. The truth is harsh but, you can`t produce change unless it`s addressed.

    The resources Saint John has are the resources they have, they have been there forever and they are there to stay. Simply put, it`s better to work with them then against them - this is what is truly beautiful about what you`re saying.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Drinking an Alpine as I read this, sums up home

    ReplyDelete
  8. Friends and family that's about it. Move somewhere else to see then more modern life. Vancouver aka the city with no winter . No ice no snow. Messed up but it's true. Beautiful and always something fun to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good for you that you able to live in Vancouver. However, it's not for everyone and not everyone has the means to thrive there. Also, I do not take advice from anyone who's favorite band is listed as Nickelback.

      Delete
    2. I lived in Saint John for awhile - long enough to own two houses - now I'm in Vancouver - love it.

      Delete
    3. "own two houses" did you have a beat up hot rod and big speakers to blare your Nickelback?

      Delete
  9. So glad I'm gone. Alberta for 5 years. No drama, lots of money, big truck, kids have everything they dreamed of and we own a beautiful big home. Happy in the inside more importantly. No struggles, no jealousy, just awesome Like minded people like us. So glad we had our kids here . SJ is disgusting

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are in the shithole that is fort McMurray then no one should be jealous of you. Lol

      Delete
  10. No place like it......and for that we must be thankful.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sums it up. Ounce a flourishing economic region of the Maritimes, Saint John has become like the modern day BlackBerry! Struggling to keep up with what else is going on in the new technology. No more Drydock, no more Lantic Sugar. What a waste of barron property left sitting there and undeveloped for years now. God forbid the idiots who work on the city council allow anything new to come to the city and create jobs for folks. And another thing, there is more English speaking folks here then any other language. Forgive me I do not mean to come off sounding prejudice but let's give our potential employees equal opportunity at jobs. This isn't Moncton or the northern part of the province. We shouldn't have to speak French or any other language. People should be evaluated based on how they can perform in that job and not by the fact that they can mutter a few words in another language. Anyway Don't get me wrong , there is a lot wrong with this town that is for sure but it is my home and there is more to it that I love than I hate.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Saint John is the little town that could never grow up. It's the town of a million lost opportunities, tunnel vision, lack of leadership and foresight, and full of abject poverty, illiterates and violence. It's a dump and always will be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With that attitude it will be. Good for you for getting out. I'm assuming you are living the high life in a city where there is zero violence and poverty lol

      Delete
    2. How are the problems Saint John face any different then the poverty, violence, and political neglect faced in other cities? -- If where you live is 100% sunshine and lollipops the government there must be doing a damn good job of covering up what`s actually going on.. which doesn`t make it better.

      Delete
  13. Wow lots of negativity here towards a CITY. So glad those who think it is disgusting have left. Lol. We don't need that attitude here. I guess those who enjoy it and choose to stay or are stuck here are just a bunch of losers. Grow up.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I left Saint John 10 years ago for Ontario , I've lived in a few cities here and can say I see the same problems here as I did in Saint John except there is more work here there is crime here as well I can say I've never been mugged in Saint John can't say the same for Guelph ( at the time I got mugged there it was in macleans magazine that Guelph was one of the safest cities in Canada and the same magazine said Saint John was bad it was #75 on the list of 80 cities ) I have nothing bad to say about Saint John my home !

    ReplyDelete
  15. Saint John NB will always be my home no matter where I live. While we lived in beautiful BC for a few yrs and our city is equally beautiful. We have a couple of very nice parks with beautiful trails, especially Nature park on the Bay of Fundy, with some of the worlds highest tides. We have a city full of history as the oldest incorporated city in Canada and awesome architecture in our some of our homes and buildings. As many of us heard growing up if you don't have anything nice to say than say nothing! I would venture to say that many people that left Saint John would not have left if the economy was not so bleak. It is not the fault of the people it is the fault of a poorly run city. And we all know only one family has the monopoly on the businesses left.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The fact that you list sexual assault, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and crazies walking the street as quaint, quirky problems, even a cute little italic 'have' for the police force is just one example of what is wrong here. Massive unemployment, high illiteracy, un or under education everywhere people 'proud' to be hicks and dumb, the whole thing is a sick joke. Having lived in SJ twice in my life I am proud to say there will not be a 3rd time. The whole city needs to be put out of its misery.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you all for your comments. I appreciate each and every one of them. There is a lot wrong with Saint John, seriously, scary wrong. However, I chose not to focus on that because those are not the reasons why I stay. Obviously. Nobody says well, this town has Canada's highest rate of sexual assault, that is where I am hanging my hat and raising my daughter!
    By staying in Saint John and raising my children here and having the difficult discussions about the problems we face, I am a catalyst for change. I do not expect a city to magically be perfect without work. I simply feel that the beauty surrounding and within the city make the job worth it.
    There are loads of blogs and sites that are pure vitriol, or cold hard views of the news. I try to offer a little something different for pure entertainment. I am surprised at how this one post has struck a chord. The attention this piece has received has definitely highlighted to me the importance of people seeking out their own happiness. Wherever that may be.
    If the Folks that really hate SJ so much had not moved, not only would we not get to see their pics, we would have to deal with their shitty attitudes too.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi..really enjoyed your article..love the way you write..and I think your bang on..lived in Saint John all my life..it's home

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great post! Started reading the comments and lost faith in humanity though! Keep this stuff up! Love the honesty!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I moved to Saint John at the age of 17, and again at the age of 22 (after a two year hiatus). Unfortunately I am brutally aware of the financial promises of areas West of Saint John (read: anywhere else in Canada), and I am back in Ontario making double what I was making in Saint John for easier work. That said, I would go back in a heartbeat if I could enjoy the same lifestyle I've become accustomed to. Some day I may return, either to work or to retire. I love the city of Saint John with all its flaws.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Well done Amanda! I just saw this post and am reminded of the similarities between my hometown Saint John and the city I now live in-Hamilton. Both city's are very similar, with similar issues, however,there's beauty in the grit I say! In Hamilton, we formed 11 community planning teams who are made up of residents just like you and I, who instead of dwelling on the negatives, choose to draw on the assets (people, local businesses, skills and talents, architecture, nature,etc), round them up, form committees and not only brainstorm how we can make changes, but get it done in as inclusive a way possible. By adopting an Asset Based Community Development model, residents make positive changes and decide for themselves what the priorities are in their neighburhoods.Once you organise using the ABCD model, you can really begin to change the way a city does business,and start to address some of these issues. Rise up, roll up your sleeves and be creative. The most important thing is to stop the negativity and get to know your neighbours, get engaged, get connected and arm yourself with knowledge. I hope I don't sound patronising- I really love my hometown, and I'd love to see residents stop complaining about what they don't have,start appreciating what they do have and are willing to do something about the issues instead of waiting for someone else to do it. Saint John's people deserve to have a thriving,vibrant city. For more information on what we are doing, google neighbourhood strategies, ABCD neighbouhood engagement. Cheers and have some periwinkles and dulse for me would ya?

    ReplyDelete