I found this old column that was suppose to be printed as a guest column in the Irving paper but was denied by the Irvings!!! Here's the column!!!
Two different Cities but two different Countries?
In the late 80s, I began to work at the shipyard in Saint John. It was 10 years of good money and a very high standard of living.
A few workers would take the bus to work and we would say - You take the bus??? With all that money you make???
I remember a few workers couldn’t understand the reason that some of our taxes would go towards the welfare system!
The good old days came to an abrupt end on July 19th, 1996.
The Shipyard closed its doors and many workers received a rude awakening. Carolyn McNaulty at Romeo House < Soup Kitchen > received many phone calls from many former shipyard workers in need of help.
It was a very difficult financial adjustment.
The days of going to the restaurants were over and months afterwards, many would instead go to the Soup Kitchen.
Saint John always had their share of poor citizens but after the closure of the Shipyard? The numbers grew.
On June 17, 2003, I began my six months tent protest in front of the Legislature and quickly learned there’s a big difference in attitude between the City of Saint John and Fredericton.
The Loyalist City has a Blue Collar attitude therefore more open minded than the Capital.
During my first evening, I heard someone shouting at an individual.
The reason? He was going through a garbage bin collecting empties.
Of course, in Saint John this would be a normal picture and no one will condemn the act.
On July 2nd, I decided to go to Officer’s Square and watch the morning sunrise.
While walking near a dumpster someone popped their head out like a Jack in the box. He had a cardboard box over his head.
He was collecting empty bottles from the celebration of the evening before. He said that he makes only makes $264.00 an month and that’s not enough to survive on.
He came by my tent and told me that he collected $92.00 in bottles and went home happy!
It’s called –Survival!
I would soon found out there was a Soup Kitchen located in the Western Part of the City.
Every evening, I would make my little walk to this needy place.
Once there, I notice that the volunteers were very friendly and George Pierse is really in charge of the going on around the Kitchen.
They served two meals a day and I might add you can eat all your stomach can take.
While in Saint John, The soup Kitchen would serve you one meal a day between 10:00am and 1:00pm! Even poor people do get hungry in the evenings.
I might add that the St-Andrew-St-David Church serves dinner once a month and the place is full of poor people. Many would ask for seconds to take home.
The summer of 2003, I read in the paper that former Mayor - Shirley McAlary announced that the opening of the Harbour Passage was a huge success because they gave away 500 to 800 hotdogs!
Excuse me? PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY!!!
Why do some poor families go hungry in one City while the other is full? That’s the emotional question?
I would soon find out the Shelter and the Soup Kitchen are the area of the less Fortunate. The poor souls can do their drugs or alcohol around the building.
No one will bother them as long they stay in that area!
Compare to Saint John this is a good idea. It’s their property and the Police won’t bother anyone.
I would soon find out that the Transit system is very bad in the Capital compare to Saint John.
I heard a sad story of a young woman who had an interview for a job but she couldn’t attend because she had to wait 3 hours for the next bus!
Of course, the attitude must be the same of my shipyard days?
They must say- You take the bus??? What’s wrong with you? Don’t you have any bureaucratic friends?
The bus system is much better in Saint John.
The Food bank in the Capital is located in a high class neighborhood.< never been
there >
In Saint John these helpful locations are located in the area of the poor population.
In the Capital, the homeless have no place to go so they can escape the cold winter winds.< except the shelters >
In Saint John, the Salvation Army has a place where these poor individual can have a coffee or play some pool!
Once a person is evicted from a mall? There’s not too many place a person can go.
The Salvation Army in Saint John would charge $7.50 a night for accommodation compare to the Capital who will take someone free of charge for a few
evenings.
In the Capital, if a person is down on their luck, They have to lower their pride and asked the Government for assistance.
They have open cubicles at the Family Services building where everyone can hear your personal business compare to Saint John were these private conversations are done in a private atmosphere!!
I could go on and on.
Yes! We do live in two different Cities and we have our different way of the matter the poor are too be treated but from the point I see it?
It sure looks like we’re living in two different countries!
