Let’s start with a quick look to the future:
- The cruise ship industry is in very serious trouble. Would you be eager to go on a cruise? Have a read of what The Guardian has to say: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/14/cruise-ships-coronavirus-passengers-future
- The oil and gas industry is shrinking. Hopefuls in the Newfoundland offshore optimistically argue otherwise, but the writing is on the wall.
- Oceanex have scaled back their operations and may continue to do so as they were unable to use the pandemic to leverage millions of dollars in subsidies out of the federal government.
The items cited above will have an impact on the St. John’s waterfront. It will be less busy in the future – perhaps the near future. So forward-thinking should tell us not to bemoan this, but to adopt an approach that will restart the local economy, especially in the downtown.
I have examined the issue of the St. John’s harbour fence in the past. For those who need a refresher go to: https://scaleandcontext.com/take-down-the-fence/
This previous post from May of 2019 attempts to debunk various arguments. To recap:
- It is a fallacy that the cruise industry gives any kind of worthwhile boost to the local economy.
- The “working harbour” discussion is an exercise in deflection and obfuscation. The fence was put there for security following 9/11 and not for safety. Public criticism led to the Port Authority hedging its position to say that the MARSEC 1 security feature is about security and safety.
- Transport Canada never asked for the fence.
The nature of how we plan cities and who we plan them for is one of the few positive discussions that have fallen out of the Covid-19 lockdown. I have never seen so much interest or excellent rationale for giving a large portion of our urban infrastructure back to pedestrians and cyclists who have been subjugated now for about a century. These contemplations are valid if we wish to enjoy our cities and infuse the local economy with cash.
Based on future predictions, our port will see far less traffic in the coming decade than it has in the past two. Offshore servicing demands will decrease and many of the service vessels will be redeployed or put to other use. The three docking spaces that the port authority have reserved for cruise ships between Jobs Cove and Ayres Cove are no longer required. And if Oceanex continues to act like spoiled child, throwing tantrums to get what they want, there will probably be a lot of waterfront real estate available when they take their ball and go home.
Therefore, with wharf usage headed for an unprecedented downturn, how can the City turn this to its advantage?
We simply must regain control of our harbour or a portion thereof. Perhaps we don’t need to take down the fence at all. It will make an excellent back boundary for eating, drinking and recreational establishments. Given the vicissitudes and challenges of our weather, perhaps we only need this wharf apron for two or three months each year. (That’s when it was typically used by cruise ships.) The Port Authority can have it back for the other nine or ten months.
The area that is currently defined as MARSEC 1 can be given over to public space for walking, cycling and performance. Restaurants, coffee shops and pubs can lease portions of the outdoor space, with first dibs going to all the downtown businesses that have been long established in this area. The pandemic has demonstrated that catering offsite can be made to work effectively and hopefully turn a profit if local entrepreneurs are afforded opportunity.
This is the place to buy fresh fish, shellfish delicacies and seal flipper directly from the fisherfolk who caught it. Or imagine, boat-to-table in less than thirty feet? Let’s talk about food security and the plight of our harvesters.
Ice cream and bicycle rentals. No need to expand.
Efforts along these lines would see the rear of Water Street premises (facing Harbour Drive) finally developed to support our new public space in the downtown. This is good for all the owners in the area … even the developers behind the Park Hotel – proposed to perch itself on top of the Atlantic Place parking garage – for without this kind of draw, the street level / pedestrian portion of this development is doomed to failure.
Most will have forgotten this but back in 2002 the St. John’s Port Authority put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Pier 7 Development. Their intent, or so it was relayed, was to provide a vibrant, pedestrian friendly attraction for the downtown. The entire idea however turned into a bit of a fiasco. A number of kiosks (for want of a better descriptor) were built. The idea was that these would cater to souvenirs, charter tours, fast-food, etc. These were indeed erected, but it soon became clear that these quasi-permanent shacks were doomed to fail, largely because (and here’s where the SJPA missed the boat) the concept was geared totally towards tourists. There was nothing really provided for the local population. Lesson learned.
Damning the torpedoes, the SJPA then launched into a second phase. They started a much larger construction of something – not sure what. The entire structure of this much larger, more permanent, solution was then erected. Then it was stopped. Then it was demolished. Then we got The Keg. Most everything else was demolished in the bargain and the Scademia was told to pound salt. The rest is history. (Although perhaps not a particularly transparent history. No public bids – the sort of thing we’re used to.)
But it does show that the Ports Authority did at one time have a notion to make the waterfront more of an attraction. Mini-Halifax. Not sure we can ever rekindle this idea. Probably a sore point.
I’m not sure how you feel, but I certainly don’t think that the Mill Street Brew Pub, The Keg and Jack Astors have done a great deal for the typical citizen in St. John’s. That’s not to say that you and I are not patrons. But we sort of have that privileged dimension creeping into the equation (that the pandemic take on outdoor spaces has provided us with).
There really are no good arguments not to explore this. Walkers, cyclists, families, arts groups, coffee-drinkers, beer swillers, and fresh food fanatics would be pleased. Want to jump start the downtown post Covid-19?
And for those who say this is federal jurisdiction, I say “acknowledged”. There’s an election coming.
Excellent article, Jim! Hope you (finally!) get some traction on traction on your ideas. Looked at this way, Covid-19 might have a bit of an upside!
Ann Anderson
I wish you were on Council. Denis O’Keefe gave them permission to build that ugly fence and even contributed our taxes to help build. People stopped going on the waterfront after it was built and to this day no one goes for a walk. The cruise industry is a joke and I don’t care what some people says they add very little to the economy. Please keep pursing this.
There is something wrong when the restaurants sitting on the water’s edge are chains “from away”. No local input. No fish shops, seafood restaurants. It’s a pity.
YES Jim!!!
Thank you for this. Let’s proceed!
Love it. Progressive thinking. This is the perfect opportunity to reclaim the harbour as part of a larger pedestrian/cycle centred plan for the downtown.
Since Covid the walkers and bikers have increased exponentially along the harbour and downtown.
I hope council seriously explores ways to continue this trend.
This is an awesome blog-post! Thanks Jim!
Cheers
Bruce
Well written post and I agree whole-heartingly. The fence was never required – a security guard for busy times was another option. All who have visited and enjoyed the similar area along Halifax harbour know this can be a beautiful area to be enjoyed by local and tourists.
Let’s do that !
Well written and an absolute necessity. Let’s make it happen.
Excellent article, and as you so clearly describe, the possibilities are endless. Let’s get access to our harbour back for all to enjoy, especially now that the harbour’s water quality is so much improved.
Another way to look at this would be the fact that now is the prime opportunity to finally take downtown out of the dark ages and make it a bustling modern downtown , because after all if people are going to be continuing to live in fear of taking cruise ships, there is no longer a need to keep the CBD looking like it came out of a Charles Dickens Novel.
Excellent idea! I’m on board!
Oh what a dreamy idea-I would love this to be reality!!! Here’s to a potentially progressive and sustainable future.
A great idea! Keeping things local, sitting by the sea and I love the idea of purchasing seafood directly from the fishers.
As a young person, very devoted to our local economy, I would love to see something like this flourish. I spend most of my summers in Victoria, BC or Halifax, NS and their waterfronts are impeccable. It’s definitely not impossible for St. John’s to adapt some form of this idea. Bring our own population, and at times, tourists, to downtown will save the local businesses and boost the vicinity. A great read and excellent view point.
I visit Halifax downtown and often wonder why st John’s downtown couldn’t have the same attraction and allow walkers and others enjoy our downtown . Allow accessibility to the waterfront. Allow venders to open restaurants along the waterfront and allow people enjoy our city.
Great article jim.
Brilliant concept. All the best with getting the city on side with this one.
Thank you James! Well said. The lose of the harbour to locals has irked me for so long. I had friends who would get the bus to go down on the wharf(Harbourfront) and look at the boats that were in maybe even chat to someone. They were sailors, former boat owners. I enjoyed walking by the boats and yachts from all over the world. What an asset! A world reknown harbour. Why take it away from the people? Once again, thank you for your well presented article.
Interesting and predictive.
I lived and worked close to St John’s downtown area for a few years and was sad at the site of their wharf and the missed opportunities for economy and friendship. I’ve been to Halifax to Victoria to Nanaimo B.C. and visited other port towns and cities in Canada and love the healthy and vibrant way they design and use their ports for the benefit of their residents. I thought Newfoundland with their gagle of talented and creative people would of created an environment on the wharf that would do NL proud. Sadly, oh no, lets put up a fence. Come on St John’s!
Great write-up.
I’ve worked in many downtown shops and restaurants over the years and can tell you first hand that the cruise industry contributes absolutely nothing to the downtown community.. in fact it places a heavy burden on it. The city dedicates the entirety of Harbour Drive parking to the buses that will immediately whisk the passengers away from the downtown core and the economic value vanishes immediately. And those tourists that stay behind? Well, they’re not going to the restaurants, they have onboard meal plans.
Your words are music to my ears!!
Charlie Anonsen
I came across your blog, Jim, and was intrigued by your perspective. I wouldn’t say myself that the cruise industry and the oil industry is doomed… I wouldn’t count on it, and I wouldn’t want it doomed.
The management and the development of the port and the city of St. John’s are simply the reflection of the local Newfoundland culture. Population here has very little interest in architecture and urban planning and development. Population here is majorly against change, any change. I have been witness, as well as directly involved professionally, and peripherally involved in many many development projects/initiative in St. John’s in the last 40 years. There is one singular constant – any proposal for change, whatever it is – is killed by the vocal dissident minority, and a silent coward majority ignores it because they are not interested either. The list of projects goes on and on and on… from the fierce demolition of some many older structures that had architectural and heritage value, to the condo project on Longs Hill next to the Kirk, to the Stadium (what a circus), to the outer ring road extension around Quidi Vidi lake to Harbour Drive, to the half decent proposal of a building on the north west corner of Prescott and Water (now we have that black bunker as the Alt Hotel… OMG), to current projects such as the parish hall of the Anglican church and the hotel on top of Atlantic Place parking…. Newfoundlanders are against change, any change. Period. That’s cultural, I’ve come to realize. Nothing will change until NL culturally grows up to have a greater appetite and interest for architecture and urban development. But the majority is interested in going to the cottage, or around the bay, on quad, skidoos and on boats, rather than hangout downtown other than a night on George.
I have been in NL for 40 years now. I know the place as good or better than many. I love NL and live happily here. But NL has a unique culture, and we take all the good and the bad too.
Thanks for your thoughts.