We are looking for a donation of the figurehead for the Marco Polo. It would be about 2 1/2 feet high as our replica is 1 /3 the size. Folks have told me it could be carved or made from a 3 D printer-Marco Polo- “Fastest Ship in the World”. 1851-1883
This 43 year journey of building the Marco Polo has been all donations and volunteerism.I have headed up the raising of over $23 million from food-banks,marigolds/ murals, cleaning vacant lots and encampments, Loyalist House restoration,tree planting to painting 300 homes,to 8 boys and girls sports to the restoration of the Canada Games Stadium and 4 other fields since I was 17 as I love Saint John.
We started out designing a full size Marco Polo and there were no plans to start with except some information at the Smithsonian in Washington DC,major museums in Liverpool,UK, Melbourne,Australia and Saint John, NB.
Our group did $800,000 in work to design a full size Marco Polo ( 15 feet above city hall and longer then the Canada Games Stadium).
There was $1 million dollars spent on the Marco Polo documentary by the National Film Board that we lobbied for, ” Marco Polo,Queen of the Seas “- it makes Saint John look fabulous, it’s online.
We also organized 12,000 letters for the Royal Canadian Mint and Canada Post and were successful in having a coin and stamp produced.
When we realized we could not build a full size Marco Polo we built a 1/3 replica. Jim Stewart wrote a suite ( album ) of songs on the Marco Polo.
The federal government declared the Marco Polo of National Historical Significance to the development of Canada and placed a monument here in Saint John.
I wrote a one hundred page paper on the social and economic impact the ” Golden Age of Sail ” had on Saint John, then the third largest Tall ship port in the world for proof. We had days of 200 square riggers and schooners in our harbour.
Many of the same successful factors that we had are still with us in our very successful modern Port Saint John. Our beautiful 19 th century buildings and homes are from the ” Golden Age of Sail”.
We are grateful to Port Saint John for allowing a space for the Marco Polo.As volunteers in building the Marco Polo we maintain it and insure it by volunteers and donations.We are looking for donations of wooden barrels,anchors, rope or anything nautical that would enhance the attraction.
Last year visitors from all over the world were taking pictures of the Marco Polo.
Our goal is to create awareness, pride and a greater sense of community for citizens and our beautiful Saint John
.
We want folks to be proud,participate and build confidence in our community and themselves.I have experienced this as you can make this happen through coaching,teaching and activism.
This can build a stronger economy and society.
We have had millions of online views from all over the world of our film and videos and lots of visitors.Like our very successful annual 46 Marigold Gardens/ 240 murals of 29 years.
We restored the Loyalist House (exiled American refugees) and restored the Canada Games Stadium,all add to the tourist attractions, local pride and have both economic and social value.
We can make Saint John Stronger.
All of these projects have taken up much of my life and I encourage all of you to think and act in what you can do to make Saint John stronger.
Some of my unfinished business I have worked on during much of my lifetime is to see our industrial tax returned,lower property taxes,lower generational poverty numbers, rebuilding our recreational infrastructure,higher educational levels,doubling the size of our post secondary student numbers who could if located Uptown would make a huge economic,educational and social impact.
Saint John has huge social,economic and educational deficits.I would love to see the return of Shipbuilding to Saint John.
Love Saint John
