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Saint John West Volume II adds to and continues the story of the West Sides struggle for existence. Always dependent on seasonal industry, initially fishing and shipbuilding and later the railway and seaport, the area has seen high and low points in its 200-plus years of existence. At one time, residents imagined times would become so prosperous that King Street would be transformed into a major boulevard paved with gold and Courtenay Hill would be the site of a huge, decorative cathedral dedicated to the inner spirit. In reality, the fish have stopped coming, the wooden ships are no longer built, and the Canadian Pacific railway that provided hundreds of jobs and promised such hope has left the Maritimes. Changing trade patterns and political favours to keep the St. Lawrence open to Montreal has devastated the winter-port operations. Many Saint John West residents have had to close their businesses and move on. Others were displaced when the construction of the Harbour Bridge tore three full blocks out of the heart of the community in 1968. Still others have chosen to remain, and today, though little industry exists, the area is still vibrant and working hard to hold together some vestige of the pride of former times.
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Saint John West Volume II examines the period from 1920 to 1970 and highlights the people who worked hard to make a difference in the city. Featured photographs include early scenes of the businesses and industry that put money in their pockets, the shops they supported, the sporting life they enjoyed, and the church and school
activities that meant so much to them. This second edition came about as a result of the response to Saint John West and its Neighbours. The first volume of images prompted many current and former residents to dig deeper into their scrapbooks and add to the impressive collection of photographs and stories that David Goss and Fred Miller had compiled. Their dedication to the preservation of the community's history provides us with many new details and little-known facts about the people and places of this portion of Saint John.
