Small Town Service & Family Values in the City

In November I took a day or two off from work to turn my attention to my beloved beast of a house and the horror that is renovating! I have a 100+ year old Victorian home in the heart of Saint John's south end (for you readers who are not from the area, the city is known to locals by it's directional quarters, a nod to it's history as separate communities decades ago). The beauty of my place is it's "bones" - eleven foot ceilings, original hand-carved mouldings, marble fireplaces, etc. The challenge is… well it’s over 100 years old and as my grandmother says, the older you get the more maintenance you need!

Now I consider myself to be a relatively skilled do-it-yourselfer. I can tackle many carpentry jobs, install most flooring, even do some basic wiring, etc. But with my fixer-upper-house I am facing all kinds of interesting little challenges where a little advice, if not a full-fledged professional contractor, is absolutely necessary. So late in November I found myself looking for that advice at a local family-owned business called Ritchie’s, which is as far as I can tell the original Home Depot for Saint John.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! To me these folks are the epitome of customer service, something becoming a real rarity these days. The staff know their stuff, they know their products and they know their suppliers (in most cases personally) so if you’re looking for something that they don’t have they can pretty much get it for you. And another rarity – they all seem happy to be at work! The place is full of smiles, helping hands and practical jokes – jokes that you can participate in if you’re game!

I’m not posting this to provide any sort of commercial endorsement mind you. I just find that we’re so surrounded by stress these days that it’s wonderful (and truly unique) to have a relaxing, fun experience shopping. And it’s made even better by people who aren’t worried about clocking out for their break on time, or how something isn’t their problem or not their department. It’s just so nice to have a retailer genuinely understand and apply the definition of customer service!

I grew up in a very small town where all the businesses were family run. When I lived in other cities there were times when I would have given my right leg (or left for that matter) to have that kind of experience again. Lucky for me I’m now in Saint John where that kind of business is still alive and well.

Fall in Saint John

Written October 2007 - sorry for the late post!

Welcome to my life! This is the first entry in what will be an on-going exploration of the Saint John area through the eyes of a self-proclaimed Converted Maritimer (or “Come-From-Away” as the natives call me). My promise to you readers is to do my absolute best to explore every nook and cranny of life in our wonderful community. And as part of that promise I want to encourage all of you to let me know (email me or post a comment through this website) if you are curious about a person, place, activity, historical occurrence, etc. that you’d like me to explore – I’m all ears!

I’ve struggled for a place to start – there’s just so much to pick from around here it’s hard to know where to begin. But since I’m a true Canadian at heart I’ve decided to let one of our favourite subjects – the weather – dictate our first experience together. Since fall is upon us and is in my opinion the most glorious season going, I’ve decided to take you all on a photo tour of the outdoors and just some of the natural marvels unique to this area.

So I started in Grand Bay-Westfield, a quiet community that sits on the spot where the Saint John and Kennebecasis rivers meet. Grand Bay-Westfield is becoming well known for its eco-tourism and health and wellness activities, so if seemed fitting that I join the Hearts in Motion Walking Club for their inaugural walk. We paraded down the Heritage Trail system, a blend of nature trails, picnic areas and scenic interpretation kiosks. It was a blast spending an hour with this spunky group, who walk together every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.

Heading toward Saint John I crossed the Harbour Bridge (fantastic view of the skyline, especially at dusk!) to the city’s north end, home of all 2,200 acres of Rockwood Park. Here you have your pick of everything from paved driving parkways to backwoods hiking and mountain biking trails, not to mention the ten freshwater lakes in the park for you canoe, kayak or swimming enthusiasts. There’s also a campground, golf course, rock climbing, and a horse stable. This place is so huge I can honestly say that in the eight years I’ve lived in the city I’ve not even come close to walking all of the trails, and believe me I’m working on it!

Heading east we move on to the Town of Rothesay a family-oriented community just fifteen minutes from the city core. Strung along the banks of the Kennebecasis River, this is the kind of town where the locals know all the best trails, photography spots and places to simply kick back and relax. Today I visited the Rothesay Yacht Club, which sits on a flawless little bend in the river where the silent misty mornings and blazing sunsets are spectacular. Boating enthusiasts flock to this spot, and in the summer this is the site of more rowing, boating and beach activities than I can count.

A little further east takes us to the town of Quispamsis, which sits just a little further up the Kennebecasis River. This is where I visited Meenan’s Cove Park, which boasts a fantastic combination of facilities for the whole family (BBQ pits, ballpark, beach, etc.) and a beautiful backdrop of Mother Nature’s artistry (i.e. the river!). This is a great place to bring the kids for an afternoon of games and exercise, or if you prefer my speed (which is extreme laziness) you can simply find a shady spot on the river bank and relax.

And last but certainly not least, I took a lazy forty-five minute scenic drive to the Village of St. Martins, gateway to the Fundy Trail. St. Martins is actually no more than thirty minutes from the city core if you take the highway, but if you have the time I strongly recommend the Fundy Coastal Drive. If you’re a photo nut this is the perfect place for you – the rolling vistas leading to sheer cliffs or the red clay beaches framed by the clear blue water are not to be ignored! It’s also the home of a number of covered bridges, pebble beaches where finding sea glass is as difficult as simply looking down, and the famous tidal caves.

The seafaring history of our community is so strong that even an import like me can’t help but be taken up by it. Exploring this area by following the water seems like one of the most natural and most rewarding ways to spend a beautiful fall day.

Come back soon – and often – to find out more about the wonderful community that adopted and converted me!