Brian Abbott set up a traffic barrier at one of the two Dominion entrances to Quidi Vidi Lake at 7 a.m. on Regatta Day.
He won’t leave his post until most of the crowd leaves in the evening — he estimated around 8:30 p.m.
He wore a black uniform and safety vest, and the sweat on his forehead shone under the hot summer sun (Environment Canada issued a heat warning for Regatta Day as temperatures hovered in the high 20s and low 30s).
“It’s public safety — you’ve got to control the flow of traffic down this way because there’s just so many pedestrians,” he said.
When NDP Leader Gerry Rogers was asked who she thinks are the unsung heroes of the day, she mentioned people like Abbott.
“When you look at the people who are doing traffic control in the streets just on the perimeter of where the Regatta is, and they’re out there in the hot sun and they’re guiding traffic and watching for pedestrians — you see that this is a real community event,” she said.
Abbott stood on the road waving drivers in the right direction.
“Excuse me! Where do we go?” asked a female driver.
He showed the woman — “ma’am,” he said — to the other entrance, and gave her tips to turn around safely.
“Busy location,” he said, after helping several people.
Abbott said what he loves about his work is “helping people”.
“Directing them the best way you can, and telling them where to go to and the easiest way to get there.”
After 200 years, the Royal St. John’s Regatta is like a well-oiled machine — year after year, spectators watch can the races while enjoying a wide range of treats, children play lakeside games, and rowing crews move seamlessly to and from the boathouse.
What does it take to put off a sports and community event that sees upwards of 50,000 people?
When The Telegram surveyed the crowd watching the races, some people pointed to precise planning and the committee of volunteers, others to the eagerness of event participants — both rowers and spectators.
Many, though, said it’s those people who work behind the scenes — the so-called “unsung heroes” who ensure an event of this scale goes smoothly.
“We were called earlier today about setting up a water stream here just to keep people cool on such a hot day,” said Capt. Paul Griffin with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department.
He pointed to several people who wore expressions of relief as they jumped into the spray.
“We’re a public service, and we just want to make sure that everyone has a good time and goes home with their family OK at the end of the day.”
Spectator Bill Gosse, 81, said he’s attended most regattas since 1975.
He said police officers are the day’s unsung heroes.
“They have to walk around — they can’t sit down and enjoy.”
Across the lake, spectator Krystle Dalley looked at the ground littered with tickets.
“The people who clean up at the end,” she said, when asked who she thinks deserves more recognition on Regatta Day.
“All those tickets on the ground, and the next day everything is gone.”
Director of the boathouse and pond, Ashley Peach, said the city brings in extra workers on Regatta Day to empty garbage bins throughout the day. Then, when everyone else goes home in the evening, their real work begins.
Cleaners set up industrial spot lights on the shoreline and pick up trash.
“It’s all night-long business,” said Peach, but she added that by Monday morning, “you wouldn’t know the Regatta happened.”
Peach said her heroes of the day are the dock staff who do maintenance on the boats in the weeks before and after the races, and who are also at the boathouse all summer so teams can practice.
“They’re running up along the wharf making sure that boats come in to the wharf nice and well, and getting, for example, if a rower needs a new washer, a new bolt, or if they have a question about their oar, anything – they’re the ones down there helping us out.”
There’s four dock staff: John Harte, Zachary Meaney, Emily Antle and James Byrne.
“If I didn’t have them this year, I would have been lost,” said Peach.
While she hurried down the boathouse stairs, captain of the course and vice-president of the regatta board of directors Brad Power walked by.
“These are the ones who make it all work,” he said, pointing to Peach.
“Ashley and her team are the ones who keep this place in tip-top shape, making sure boats are ready for race day, and they’ve done a phenomenal job this year.”
Sitting at the lakeshore, spectator Donna Murphy praised the many volunteers who dedicate countless hours to make the regatta happen every year, and after listing many other people – emergency services, vendors, the rowers themselves – she stopped and exhaled deeply.
“I mean, it’s something that no one person can do – it takes a lot of people.”
Twitter: @juanitamercer_