Tom Says: “It’s been forever…”
Last week, on a couple of occasions, we’ve had record amounts of rainfall not only in Saint John but in many other communities in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The rain takes me back to what seems like eons ago when I worked at another radio station doing much the same as I’m doing now. More than thirty years ago, after lots of flooding in East Saint John, I got a phone call from a frustrated housewife living in what’s known as the Glen Falls area complaining about how every time it rained, her house and other houses on adjacent streets would flood.
This frustrated housewife finely decided that she could no longer fight the flooding from the outside – so she would fight it on the inside. She let her name stand for election to the Saint John Common Council based on one issue only — “Clean up the flooding in Glen Falls.”
She wasn’t able to accomplish her mission as a member of Common Council, so she let her name stand for for Mayor. She served more than ten years as the Chief Magistrate for Saint John and despite lots of talk there was little action. During her time at city hall, every time it rained to any degree, the Glen Falls area bore the brunt of the flooding in East Saint John.
Unable to accomplish her avowed mission statement — “I’m going to clean up the flooding in Glen Falls,” she decided she had to go to Ottawa to do the job. The citizens of the city duly elected her as their member of parliament on three different occasions as she promised — “I’m going to clean up the flooding in Glen Falls.”
During her tenure in the nation’s capital, every time it rained and there was flooding in East Saint John, Glen Falls bore the brunt. It’s been a number of years since she decided to put politics behind her and every time it rains in East Saint John and it floods, Glen Falls bares the brunt.
Looking back on her original promise to — “Clean up the flooding in Glen Falls,” I have to wonder if Elsie Wayne thinks her time spent as a Councillor, Mayor and M-P was time well spent on behalf of the citizens of Saint John, particularly, those living in Glenn Falls.
I must note, when the heavy rains came last week and East Saint John was flooded, Glen Falls bore the brunt.
Funny, how things haven’t changed all that much…
I’m Tom Young.