Grade 12 Students from Saint John High looking into the past, present and future of the Old North End.
Teacher Barry Ogden assigned his Canadian History class into 3 groups to find out how it changed from a vibrant community into a centre of urban poverty.
Carly Galbrith’s group was responsible for the history of the area, which they discovered was full of thriving businesses. Her group traced the history of the urban renewal experiment in the 1960’s, which demolished buildings and changed the look of the neighborhood.
Student Jonah Uhryniw says there’s a lot of great community leaders in the North End who believe it can be something. He points to One Change, who’ve reduced crime by bringing the community together. Uhryniw adds just cleaning up the area would engender pride and was surprised so many people looked at the area in a negative light.
Meagan Williams believes small changes can make a big difference like bringing in more community events such as tree planting, geocaching and organized sports.
Andre Basque tells CHSJ news getting local artists to paint murals in the area would really add some beauty. He says not only would that promote local artists, but it wouldn’t cost the City more money.
The students have also suggested filling vacant lots, enhancing Fort Howe, and even adding a mall to brighten up the area.
| Map of Old North End |
