Harbour Passage can mirror new waterfront jewel
Strolling across Saint John's handsomely groomed Harbour Passage, I'm reminded of Kamil Kubik's dream. He's a renowned American impressionist painter who, with his wife Joanna, visited New Brunswick in 1991. We met them through our friend Art Piccolo, who used to take New Brunswick Christmas trees to New York's Bowling Green Park.
Kubik came here to paint. As soon as he arrived at our home on the west side, he insisted that we get over to King's Square so he could start sketching some scenic spots in our seaport city before the evening light faded.
I had scarcely parked the car when he had his easel set up and was portraying then-mayor Elsie Wayne and cultural affairs officer Bernie Cormier - in Loyalist costumes - in front of the King's Square bandstand. He completed a number of Saint John paintings, capturing the ambience of King's Square, Market Square and Prince William Street.
We arranged a reception for him with Elsie Wayne at City Hall's Red Room, where he could meet with Ray Butler and other local artists, while looking over the panoramic view of Saint John Harbour. Kubik was impressed. He liked the elegant old-style architecture of Saint John's downtown and he liked the water.
He was born in Czechoslovakia and came to the United States, fleeing the Communist takeover. He developed a notable reputation as an "impressionist" painter, interpreting scenes in a personalized manner. In that particular year, his works were chosen as the official White House Christmas card themes for former president George H. Bush, father of the present incumbent.
But Kamil Kubik wasn't into politics. Philosophy was more his line. He told me he was especially taken by the Irish-Canadian atmosphere of our city - and of course we took him to St. Patrick's Square with the Three Sisters, overlooking Partridge Island. But there was one dominant theme in his conversation.
"Your waterfront," he said. "Why are you hiding it? It's beautiful, one of your city's greatest assets. People should be able to walk along there and enjoy the river and the sea."
His artist's eye saw something that it took the rest of us a while to catch up with.
There's a commemorative rock at the eastern end of Harbour Passage. It was officially opened on June 26, 2003, in the presence of Mayor Shirley McAlary, Premier Bernard Lord, William Grant (now Justice), who was chairman of the Saint John Development Corporation and John Wallace, president of the Waterfront Development Partnership. The plaque also lists the participation of the City of Saint John, the Saint John Development Corporation, the Board of Trade, the Port Authority, Enterprise Saint John and Uptown Saint John Inc. Other plaques along the passage recognize contributing sponsors.
The walkway is anchored by residential York Point (which used to be a ramshackle site of Orange versus Green riots,) Harbourside, the Smythe Street Apartments, Robertson's Wharf, the Saint John Hilton and Market Square. Work is proceeding on John Rocca's new Three Sisters condominium complex, an expansion of St. Patrick's Square is planned - and eventually, many of us hope - some permanent recognition of historic Partridge Island.
There's more. The city will be deciding next month on a proposal for Long Wharf by Irving Oil and the port authority that could place a dynamic new jewel in the beauty and the public accessibility of our harbourfront.
Besides a stylish world headquarters for Irving Oil, the plan includes a cruise ship welcome centre, a waterfront park, and enhancement of historic Fort La Tour on Harbour Passage.
There's a land-swap clause to give the port the former sugar refinery site for cargo usage. I'm with those who believe common council must find a way to make this world-class development happen.
Kamil Kubik's dream could be coming true.
Fred Hazel is a retired editor-in-chief of this newspaper. His column appears on Thursday.
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