Cutting the lower field at Barrack Green in south – central Saint John
. Its not a city field.
Thanks to River Side Home Solutions – Quinn and Damien for helping.
Decades ago this field was one big field and the whole back end where I am was a crater.It took decades to rebuild it.
When I started teaching I was coaching several teams and helped Fran Hughes and David McPherson with some teams.The field was very rough,several of my girls and guys were hurt here.
I started with a few loads of soil,wheel barrel and shovel donated by Andy and Doug Simpson.
This was always a field owned by the Army(DND).
One story is that when the Exiled American Refugees(Loyalist)sailed into the Harbour in the 1780s cannons were placed here.
At the end of the 8 year civil- independence war thousands of refugees came north,sailing mostly out of New York.Our country’s first refugees,they lost everything they owned.These refugees,the single largest group came to Saint John and were afraid their American Cousins were following them so they set up cannon on this site.They slept in tents around the harbour and many of their children died and are buried in our burial grounds.The Wolastoqiyik taught these exiled refugees how ho fight scurvy and other diseases.
About 20 years ago Gerry Lowe wanted to help bring back little league baseball so he and friends restored the top part and we divided the field in two.The military put up the fencing. There is room to the side of the lower field to expand it.The children that will be attending the new South End School should have a much bigger field. In later years field hockey, football (David Grandy)SJHS,the kids at St. John the Baptist used it.
John Irving supplied the trees for Barrack Green and Irving Oil supplied the trees at Chown field that I was also working on.The city has turned Chown into more of a park,Prince Charles and St. Malachys used that field.
I was also involved with the two newer fields in Millidgeville,Simonds High field now the Upward field and started the Canada Games Stadium and field renewal.We are hoping the Upward field will be turf,there are people working on that and St.Peters restoration.We hope West Saint John will have two rinks again.
The City turned the Canada Games Stadium over to UNB who neglected it,closed it and because of their neglect it was condemned.
UNB Fredericton runs UNB Saint John.
I don’t think the city should have turned it over to UNB and it should have never been allowed to be neglected and closed.
It cost the tax payers of Saint John millions of dollars to build the Canada Games Stadium and field and now the city does not operate it.It took a-lot of work to restore it as the decisions are made in Fredericton.
Its now in good shape after the refurbishment.
Thank you to all the volunteers,after coaching and raising funds for 8 boys and girls sports I learned you can’t get-any thing done without proper facilities,volunteers and tons of donations.
Thank You Saint John – lets keep a healthy life by promoting sports, nutritional diets(no sugar) and good facilities.
