Saint John’s Environmental Issues
I am a citizen of Saint John. I don’t want to come across as negative, but many parts of Saint John stink. I just want to take a moment to state what most of the media and politicians in this province are afraid to talk about in a truthful matter. Saint John is an old industrial city and is controlled greatly by one giant company that has had its way too long as far as environmental issues are concerned. Saint John has natural beauty being surrounded by the Bay of Fundy and two major rivers and various lakes. Also, I am not anti business and believe that business is a key part of a vibrant community. What I am against is business turning a blind eye as far as environmental toxins and pollution are concerned. It seems that around here the almighty dollar comes before the environment.
I will begin this article with Mispec Park. I remember going to this beach as a little boy (that was 40 years ago). It used to be packed with people of all ages enjoying a nice summer day. When the tide was out it was one of the nicest beach areas I have ever seen. People could be seen building sand castles, throwing a football or a frisbee, or walking along the dunes. There were even a few brave enough to swim in the frigid Bay of Fundy waters. There is even a small hiking area and picnic area there It was the place to be back then. Now there is Canada’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal being constructed at at Mispec Point and the beach is practically empty. The liquefied natural gas facility is expected to begin operation in late 2008. It seems though Mispec Park as a beach and family park is dying a slow death.
In Saint John it is common practice to dump raw sewage into the harbour. The harbour feeds into the Bay of Fundy, which has a rich ecosystem. Saint John has the distinction of being the only municipality in Canada that discharges raw sewage into streams that run through the heart of its city, and finally into the harbour. Health risks associated with waters receiving raw sewage include amoebic dysentery, cholera, typhoid, Hepatitis A, and a variety of other gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin disorders. There are parts of the city close to the streams and the harbour that a person can actually smell raw sewage. In fact at times you can get a strong whiff of raw sewage while walking along a certain past of Saint John’s main walking trail. The Bay of Fundy has been described by some as the world’s largest toilet because of the density and high tides of the bay. It is difficult for the naked eyes to see the size of the problem. This is totally unacceptable in the twenty-first century to allow this to happen. It will cost millions to solve this problems and we as citizens of this city seem to sit and wait for the problem to get fixed while the three levels of government decide who and how this will be paid by.
Also the pollution levels in Saint John have been something that has lingered in this city for years. It is worse depending on the wind direction and air mass. Sometimes foggy days make the situation worse. I have heard many people that live outside Saint John as saying the city is “dirty and it stinks”. Why is that? A lot has to do with the pollution. I have heard many people that have asthma say that it is worsening by living in the city. Our main shopping district and a couple of sub-divisions are located within two miles of Canada’s largest oil refinery! I made I trip to that area a few weeks ago on a foggy night and the smell was awful. In fact it aggravated my slight asthma condition that night. Again, politicians and media tell us that the issue is not bad at all. But anyone in Saint John knows that one big company primarily controls the government and media..
This is my home city. There are lots of beautiful areas and bright spots in Saint John too. I am not all negative, however some issues need to be addressed, especially where big business and industry controls politicians. Politicians look after big business first and the environment and the average citizen second.