Suicide Turn on Westfield Road - Phase 1 of the reconstruction

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For Mike Bonga the word ‘community’ means a place where there’s a sidewalk to walk your dog and meet your neighbours. It means a safe place where children can walk and ride their bikes. The President of the River Road Community Alliance says it’s not right that a community of 5,000 people in Martinon can’t safely walk to the Co-op just half a kilometre away. That all should change over the next few years as the narrow and winding Westfield Road undergoes an 18 million dollar face-lift.

The non-profit neighbourhood group began as a voice of opposition to the Crane Mountain Landfill. While that is still a focus of the group, Bonga says over the last three years, they’ve turned their attention more to building a better community. Their first priority is getting the old road up to a safe standard followed by a push for water and sewage infrastructure.

The reconstruction plans for the nearly 8 kilometre stretch of Westfield Road from the bottom of Gault Road to the Grand Bay-Westfield border are impressive. The road will be widened to accommodate two lanes for cars and bike paths on both sides of the road. In addition a new sidewalk will line the curb on the river side of the street. The road will be straightened and raised in places and some blind hills will be removed. The work is expected to be completed over the next 8 to ten years.

The first phase of the project is Suicide Turn from Acamac Backland Rd. to just before the KBM. They plan to bank the curve a little, raise it a metre and a half higher and replace the culvert at St. John Marina. Work was supposed to begin this summer but so far nothing has happened. Mike Bonga says he drives by there every day looking for signs of construction. “I’d like to see the construction start because to me that’s a symbol that no one can take it away,” says Bonga. “They’re not going to stop the bulldozers.”

Mike Bonga - President of the River Road Community Alliance

Along with road reconstruction, the River Road Community Alliance is also planning some curbside gardens at various locations along the road and a series of community markers detailing significant sites and the history of the area. These improvements along the River Road play into the general revival occurring on the west side. Lancaster Mall is completing a major overhaul with new stores and a new look. Road work is happening on the Golden Mile and new businesses are popping up and others are being planned. It means exciting times ahead for west Saint John and the River Road area.

“If you look many years out, where are people going to go as the west side grows,” asks Bonga. “The answer is the land along the River Road. There is a huge potential here. It’s prime land with lakes, mountain tops, premium land so we need planned development.”

Bonga sees a day in the not too distant future where you can get on your bicycle in Grand Bay-Westfield and safely ride it along the river road bike lanes, connecting to Harbour Passage and uptown. He says that’s what a modern community needs.

photo by Bonnie Hamilton Bogart

About a hundred people spent the New Brunswick Day afternoon dancing and marching to fiddle music and a bagpiper on the Gagetown Ferry. Residents chose the holiday to celebrate their ferry and the history of cable ferries in the province. The story of the invention of the cable ferry by Captain William Pitt over a hundred years ago was told. Organizers handed leaflets to ferry passengers detailing their fight to save the service in Gagetown and Belleisle after the province wanted to shut them down to save money. It was a fun and festive day for all involved. Former liberal cabinet minister and Gagetown resident Vaughn Blaney said the old ferry was all decked out like a young bride.

The 11th annual Hoyt Car Show, sponsored by the Lower Valley Region of the New Brunswick Antique Auto Club, was held on June 6, 2009 at the Patterson Settlement Historical Society Grounds. There were 115 shiny cars registered and approximately 8 others, some arriving late. Cars came from as far away as Moncton, Sussex, St. Stephen, Woodstock, Chipman and one car from Nova Scotia. Many cars had little groups of people sitting in lawn chairs enjoying the day. The weather was perfect – lots of sun and only a few flies.

Music and song provided by Brian McCaw, Sherman and Irene Shannon, gave the day a festive atmosphere. The Car Club held a very successful Auction of many donated items, the proceeds of which go to charitable organizations.

The Historical Society Canteen was a very busy place all day – with the workers hardly getting a breather. The Canteen was well stocked but ran out of some items by mid afternoon – which indicated a successful day. Many enjoyed visiting the Historic Buildings, and talking with the greeters about the ‘olden days’. The Directors of the Historical Society thank everyone who helped prepare for and worked at the show.

There’s nothing more fun than a treasure hunt. It’s always an adventure finding these little gems, hidden away where you’d least expect them. There are many hidden treasures in this area but here’s a description of two interesting locations for the adventurous outdoor enthusiast to explore this summer.

We are all familiar with Moncton’s Magnetic Hill. But did you know we have our own magnetic hill, every bit as amazing as the original, easily accessible right here in the area? I first heard about it years ago and would take my kids and visitors there.  Some people find it absolutely amazing. Others don’t seem to get it and aren’t very impressed. I think it’s the same reaction people have to the Moncton attraction.

To find our own Magnetic Hill from Grand Bay-Westfield take Route 102 toward Brown’s Flat. Turn left at Day’s Corner Road at the bottom of the hill across from the road to Victoria Beach. Day’s Corner Road goes on for about 3 kms and ends when it intersects with another road that I think is called Britian Rd. The ‘magnetic hill’ is located at that last stretch just before the roads intersect. You round a curve and can see the intersection from on top of what appears to be a hill. Drive slowly toward the intersection and just before you reach it, pull over, stop and put your car in neutral. Amazingly your car will start rolling backwards up the hill and pick up speed as it goes. Of course it’s not really going uphill because we know that can’t happen. This is an optical illusion. Do it again going forward ‘up’ the hill. Get out of the car and walk that stretch of road. Either way, it is pretty amazing. I don’t know how the illusion works but it does. Check it out for yourself.

Lorne Blagdon

The other hidden treasure I want to tell you about is Welsford Falls. I’ve heard about this waterfalls for years but never had the chance to visit. I’m told it used to be easily accessible from a trail that started somewhere near the back of the Irving in Welsford but much of that area has changed now because of work on the new highway. I met up with Lorne Blagdon who writes the ‘Trail Magic’ column in this paper and who also has never visited the falls. We didn’t know exactly where it was but decided to access it near the tracks by way of the clear-cut for the new highway. It wasn’t long before we found the stream and followed it upriver a short ways and quickly discovered the falls. It’s actually a tiered falls with a drop of about 70 feet. The largest and most impressive is a wide falls about 30 feet high. It’s worth seeing and I’m glad I discovered it now because once the new highway is built it’s hard to say what the access will be like. Perhaps you may actually be able to see the falls from the road.

I discovered one other treasure on our way to Welsford Falls, this one was probably buried for many years. We followed a road through the clear-cut and I saw what looked like a coin laying in the sand turned up by the heavy equipment. It was a one cent penny from 1888 with a young Queen Victoria on the back. Yes, the River Valley is full of hidden treasures.

Dennis Sennett & Bert Beek

Years ago when the kids were younger I took them fishing. We went under the Nerepis Bridge and on my first cast I caught a nice bass. That was the last bass I pulled from the river until this summer. I recently had the chance to so some serious bass fishing with a pair of tournament anglers from the New Brunswick Sportfishing Association. Dennis Sennett lives in Grand Bay-Westfield and is the vice-chair of the organization. Bert Beek is the chair and he lives in Ripples.
First of all, bass are not native to new Brunswick. The species was introduced years ago and they’re thrived. Now we have one of the best sport fisheries for smallmouth bass around. Tournament fishing isn’t as big here as it is in the United States but it is very competitive. In fact some top prizes go as high as $10,000.

Bert and Dennis spend most of their weekends fishing in tournaments but on this day we were just out for some fun fishing. We met Bert in Oromocto and loaded our gear into his 18 foot Crestliner. We tried a few spots along the river including the mouth of the Nashwaak River in Fredericton. The fishing wasn’t terrific but we all managed to catch a few fish, even though Dennis was a little slow off the start.

“Smallmouth are one of the most fun fish to catch,” says Dennis. “I’ve fished for salmon and trout but if you catch a 3 or 4 pound bass it beats salmon.” Bert calls fishing his way of relaxing. “You get away from everything, all the struggles of daily life,” says Bert. “It’s calm and quiet and gives you a chance to be among friends and tell fishing stories.”

And every angler has a story. Bert says one day last year he and his father caught over a hundred bass in a tournament. It’s always ‘catch and release’ and the top five biggest fish win. But Dennis says you don’t need to be in a tournament with a fancy bass boat to enjoy fishing. Just drop a line anywhere you can and enjoy.

The River Valley has many great fishing spots. Some anglers have a lot of luck just fishing off the Westfield Wharf or where I caught that bass by the Nerepis Bridge. Further up river the fishing is great around Gagetown, especially if you can get in a canoe and paddle around some of the islands. If, like me, you haven’t gone fishing in a few years, why not give it a try this summer. After all, as Bert says, a bad day on the water is better than a good day at work.

Darren Emenau and Alexandra Flood

If you’re looking for a different way to spend a summer afternoon, why not enjoy an arts drive through the River Valley. This area, from Saint John to Gagetown , is home to many artisans and crafts people. There are more people who earn part of their living through crafts here in New Brunswick than in many other parts of Canada. In fact New Brunswick has the highest concentration per capita of artisans in the country. Many make their home right here. There is something about the beauty and tranquility of the River Valley that seems to attract artists. There are so many talented people in the region but we’ll focus on just the experience you can have driving along route 102 to Gagetown.

If not your first stop, one you’ll want to make this summer is at MNO Pottery in Jones Creek. The gallery is just off the highway on the river side. It’s located in an old farm house dating back to the mid 1800’s. Locals say 9 children were raised in this house and they scraped out a living by farming every inch of their quarter acre. Inside, the walls and shelves are lined with the work of potter Darren Emenau and painter Alexandra Flood. The bright colours of Alexandra’s acrylic, collage inspired work, jumps off the walls of the old farmhouse. Darren’s whimsical creations are beautiful. He’s known for using totally local clays and materials in his work.

These artists have also developed a unique way to market their work and that of other artists in the area. For the last few years they’ve produced a Travelers Map of the Lower River Passage. It’s beautifully hand drawn by Alexandra and comes packaged in a little brown envelope. The map gives you a detailed description of the area, roads and ferries, artisans you’ll meet along the way and other stops of interest.

“We created this map because we thought we needed a unique document to attract people to our area rather than paying to advertise with Tourism New Brunswick that we couldn’t afford,” says Alexandra. “We felt a hand drawn map that was packaged in a more historical format like the little brown envelope, the way maps used to be packaged, would attract people. It’s like a pirate map to get them out for an adventure and find some treasure.”

Treasure hunters have another guide to help them find the loot this summer. The Lower River Passage group has also produced a new map of the area called The Art and Artisans Route. It lists all the artisans, galleries, craft shops, markets and festivals.

To give you an idea of the type of art to be found just along highway 102 we’ll start in Grand Bay-Westfield where three artists are listed, painters Loretta Hill and Norma Ross and photographer Lance Timmons. Further up-river at Glenwood we have the River Gallery and Textile Studio and Design/Etch. Then at Jones Creek you’ll find Alexandra and Darren at MNO Pottery followed by Clay Design in Central Hampstead. In Queenstown there’s Route 102 Hand Made Goods. That takes us to Gagetown where there are many shops and studios including Greig Pottery, Juggler’s Cove Fine Arts & Crafts, Maja Padrov Pottery, Ferry Land Farm, Doctors Hill Crafts, Gagetown Artisan Station and Grimcross Crafts.

These maps can be found at all the Visitor Information Centres and at many of the studios and galleries we’ve mentioned. This summer make the arts a part of your exploration of the River Valley.

The Nature Trust of New Brunswick has retained a landscape architecture firm from Fredericton to conduct an open space and trail study on the Blueberry Hill property behind the Workers’ Rehabilitation Centre in Grand Bay-Westfield. Last fall, the land owned by WorkSafeNB was conveyed over to the Nature Trust as a way to preserve and protect the property for future generations. The 50 acre site is made up of diverse habitats and ecosystems including fields, marshes and different types of forest bordering the St. John River.

Renata Woodward, Conservation Program Director for the Nature Trust, visited the area for the first time in mid May. She was impressed with the property saying its central location makes it different from most other Land Trust properties. She says given its potential for the development of a trail network and for recreational use, she’d like to see the whole community get involved and take ownership of the property. Woodward says the first step is to look at what options there are for the property and to raise the $30,000 required to set up a stewardship fund.

Steve Pickett of the Glenn Group, the company hired to conduct the trail study is excited about the property saying there is great potential for a series of loop trails using existing routes and creating new ones. Eric Hadley of the Nature Trust also toured the property and saw the potential for a development similar to Odell Park in Fredericton. “People have really adopted that park. There is a tremendous amount of local use, people walking, running and biking,” says Hadley. “There is a lot of opportunity for nature viewing here, lots of birds and scenic views. I can see lots of local use and people from Saint John coming here for a nice walk.”

There are also some challenges associated with developing this property. After the initial tour of the site it was noted that some culverts and fences along the road need replacing. Some banks need to be stabilized and some areas need to be cleaned up. Quite a lot of garbage was found washed up on one of the rocky beaches accessible from the trail. In addition to this, the group discovered that an adjacent property, overlooking the river, was recently clear cut right to the boundary line. The cut is clearly visible from one of the existing trails heading down to the water. While the group was disappointed to see this, they realize there is nothing they can do about it. “You want to take every property owners rights into consideration and so we’ll have to think what kind of connections there are going to be, or how close we want to put certain amenities to peoples property,” says land planner Steve Pickett.  “But you can also look at it as an opportunity that maybe there’s another person we can form a partnership with to have a connection through there.”

Eric Hadley, Renata Woodward & Steve Pickett

The open space and trail study is expected to be finished by mid August at which time the Nature Trust will hold another public meeting in Grand Bay-Westfield. Renata Woodward says they should know by the end of the year whether they’ll take the property or not. Blueberry Hill is not yet a done deal. Even though the property has already been handed over to the Nature Trust, they still have to make sure it meets all the goals and visions of the organization. Woodward says they need to know how much it’s going to cost and whether it’s viable to implement the plan that comes out of the study. “But we really hope we will,” says Woodward.  “We really welcome comments, ideas or recommendations from the public. We take all comments seriously and really want this project to happen.”

The Nature Trust of New Brunswick is conducting a Bird Walk through the property on June 24th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Interested people are asked to meet in the parking lot of the Workers’ Rehabilitation Centre.

The Westfield RCMP, Coast Guard, Saint John and Grand Bay-Westfield Fire Departments are continuing a search of the St. John River after a body was reported seen floating in the river yesterday afternoon. A student  getting off the school bus Monday afternoon reported seeing what he thought was a dead person in the river near Public Landing. RCMP boats were launched at Westfield today and are searching the river near Victoria Beach. Fire personnel from Grand Bay-Westfield are searching the shorline in the area. Police say they have no reports of a missing person and the boy may have just seen debris floating in the river but they aren’t taking any chances.

It appears from what we’re hearing in Fredericton, the government is looking at privatizing all river ferries and that means charging tolls. This includes the Westfield Ferry.

There is a meeting tonight in Cambridge Narrows to discuss the formation of the new multi-stakeholder Ferry Committee at the Cambridge-Narrows Municipal Building beginning at 7pm.

Below is a transcript from Question Period yesterday where the ferry issue was addressed. This email was forwarded by Conservative MLA Jody Carr to people fighting the ferry cuts. What do you think?

LISTEN TO INTERVIEW WITH DONNIE ROBERTSON

He’s like a member of the family for thousands of people in the Saint John area. They’ve awakened to his friendly voice, corny jokes and weather reports for the last 37 years and Donnie in the Morning on CFBC Radio is still going strong. He’s a broadcasting legend in this town. Not bay for a shy guy from Grand Bay-Westfield.

Donnie Robertson says radio has been in his blood all his life. His parents told him that at the age of five he would sit by the radio and mimic the announcers. Young Donnie set his sights on a career in radio and he hasn’t been disappointed. He started at CFBC in September of 1970 but after only two months he got an offer to work in his hometown of Halifax. Two years later he was back in Saint John hosting the first rock show on the station from 7 to midnight. In 1973 he went to the morning and has been doing it ever since.

“Listeners have been so loyal through the years, like a family,” says Robertson. “And even though the AM audience has eroded over the years, we still have a good fan base who love the oldies.” Donnie was playing these same songs before they were oldies, when CFBC was the number one Top 40 station in the city. Over the years he’s worked with some great people, broadcasting institutions in their own right. People like the late Ingham Palmer and Dave Lockhart, Tom Young who’s now on the Rogers news station and even Steve Murphy of CTV worked with Donnie in the morning.

And those early, early morning shifts have not been always easy for Donnie. You never get used to getting up at 3:30 am but it goes with the territory. Donnie jokes that on weekends he lies around in bed until 6:30. The early morning drives into work from Grand Bay-Westfield have sometimes been challenging, especially in the winter but Donnie wouldn’t be anywhere else. He’s lived in the community for 35 years. His family has grown up here and he loves it.

“The best thing about being on the radio every morning is that I’m in touch with what’s going on in the community and I love Saint John because of the people. They’re down to earth, hard working, very giving people and it’s been an honour for me to talk to some of these people over the years,” says Robertson. “I’m basically a shy person. A lot of radio people are introverted and it’s a way to perform hiding behind a microphone. I got to do it. It’s my dream job and I’m still doing and I’ll continue to do it and that’s about it, I’m all out of words.”

Being out of words is unusual, especially for Donnie in the Morning.