This fascinating collection of photographs brings to life the dramatic and colourful history of Saint John West and its neighbours. Over two hundred images show how this area developed during the last century as the fishing, shipping, and rail centre of Saint John; how it saw its business and residential districts gutted; how it struggled to rebuild itself and grow again, only to suffer a disastrous fire, revive a second time, and then slide slowly into decline during the latter decades of this century.
Together David Goss and Fred Miller guide us through the city's vibrant past: the events, industries, places, and people which have defined Saint John West over the decades. Photographs show the arrival of the railway, the flood of new immigrants, the development of the harbour, and the growth of the shipping industry. We see how significantly working conditions have changed over the decades for fishermen, foundry workers, and other local people. We see how much the local landscape has changed, with pictures of buildings both familiar and long gone and bustling streets such as King Street, Protection Street, and Union Street complete with drugstores, chowder houses, saloons, and other local landmarks no longer with us. The images capture catastrophes such as the Waterfront Fire of 1931 and celebrations such as parades and festivals. Most of all, they preserve and honour the lives of the ordinary people of Saint John West: streetcar drivers, firemen, harbour workers, fishermen, store owners, tipplers, schoolchildren, and foundry workers, amongst many others. We see how buildings, technology, fashions, and lifestyles have changed while a sense of community and a zest for life among local residents has remained constant over the decades.