Over 84 years, Joan Fowler’s life has unfolded in one small downtown St. John’s neighbourhood.
She was born in the Quidi Vidi Road area, was raised there, worked there and plans to spend the rest of her days there.
“I’ve always loved it here,” she said, sitting on a park bench in the Cavell Avenue playground near her home. “I have so many wonderful memories growing up here.”
Walking with her through the neighbourhood of colourful homes and narrow back streets with mature trees and gardens, the stories of her childhood are history lessons that help a visitor see the world through her eyes.
“We used to play softball and tag up there,” she said pointing toward an area on Quidi Vidi Road behind Caledonia Place, the former St. Joseph’s Church, which was converted into office condominiums in recent years.
“There wasn’t a lot of money back then because it was pre-Confederation, but for us kids, it was perfect.”
And she’d like it to stay that way.
Fowler is devastated by a recent proposal to rezone an area at 22 St. Joseph’s Lane — the former St. Joseph’s School, now an apartment building — to apartment medium density.
According to a notice sent by the city to area residents, an application was received from Fougere Menchenton Architecture Inc. on behalf of Premier Executive Suites. The notice states that the rezoning would allow for expansion of the existing apartment building for the development of an additional 14 units. More parking would be required to accommodate the development.
A group of residents is objecting and has distributed a notice, stating the new rezoning regulations would permit uses that include six-storey buildings, service stations and beauty salons. “Don’t let big developers have their way with our neighbourhood!” it says, while encouraging residents to attend a public meeting scheduled by the city for Sept. 12 at city hall to discuss the proposal.
“It’s not right what they’re doing,” Fowler said. “I cry, I bawl over this. It breaks my heart.”
Fowler feels so strongly about the proposed rezoning, she wrote a letter to the editor, which appears in today’s edition (see page B2).
“I have never left this neighbourhood. My parents and grandparents also spent their lives here,” she wrote in the letter. “I love this place where I live. Now I see that it is about to be desecrated and spoiled, if we let that happen.”
A retired nurse who worked at the nearby General Hospital and Leonard A. Miller Centre, Fowler has fond memories of playing in the area as a child. She also watched her children and grandchildren enjoy it.
She said it’s important the children of today have the freedom to live in a neighbourhood that has green space and limited commercial and industrial development.
This is not the first time Fowler has fought development in the area. In 2009, she and other residents voiced displeasure about a proposal to have a business’s parking lot extended, which would have taken a swath of land from Cavell Avenue Park.
They got that proposal quashed.
“We had to fight really fierce for this,” she said, sitting on a park bench overlooking the playground. “So, when this (rezoning proposal) came up, I said, ‘Oh my, this is starting again.’”
Fowler said she understands thing can’t stay the same, but it’s important to limit how much development is permitted in small neighbourhoods like hers.
“I think about the little boy who came to the door to drop off the (residents’ notice). I thought, oh my, they’re going to take this away from this neighbourhood and you’re going to have to grow up in a different place than I did,” she said.
“They’re going to take what’s precious to us — the peace and quiet and everything we know. They just come in here and take things without any regard for anyone or anything.
“These people have money and power and they come to a small neighbourhood and think they can come and take what they want. If we don’t speak out, they’ll take a piece of this and a piece of that until it’s all gone.”
Fowler — who is hard of hearing and finds it difficult to go out at night — won’t be able to attend the public meeting, but she’s glad to hear others will be there to speak out.
“I can’t go, but it’s nice to see these young people, these young families, coming up and fighting for it,” she said. “I appeal to all the young ones who are strong and healthy and enthusiastic to go and try to save our neighbourhood.”
Anyone wishing to make a submission prior to the public meeting must provide a signed written statement, including name and street address, to the Office of the City Clerk either by mail at P.O. Box 908, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5M2 or fax at 709-576-8474 or email at [email protected].
Twitter: TelyRosie
