Mary Ann O’Hara at the Saint John West Days kick off event on August 13, 2025
If Saint John’s West Side had a hype team, Mary Ann O’Hara would be captain, coach and head cheerleader all in one. A proud “diehard Westsider,” she’s called Lancaster Avenue, Prince Street and Manawagonish Road home — and now lives in her family’s nearly century-old homestead on Champlain Street. “Never left the West Side,” she says. “Die hard. And no, I don’t have a problem with Simms Corner.”
Mary Ann’s roots run deep, and so does her knack for making everyone feel like an old friend. She’s the type who’ll give out-of-town visitors a quick tour just to show off the bay and the river — both within 10 minutes of her doorstep — or crack a joke about being “back across the bridge by five” if she ever ventures to the east side. “We’re a clicky bunch here, but in a good way,” she says. “You go to Sobeys, you see the same people, you connect.”
That sense of connection is why, three years ago, she helped relaunch the neighbourhood’s signature summer celebration. The event expanded from the old West Side Days to become Saint John West Days, reflecting a community that stretches as far as Morna Heights and Lorneville, while keeping its heart in the core lower west.
For Mary Ann, West Days is about giving kids something fun to look forward to, making sure seniors have ways to connect, and reminding residents they don’t need to leave their side of the harbour to enjoy a full slate of activities. From a casual afternoon of lawn bowling at Seaside Park to lively dance performances, the week is a showcase of what makes the West Side feel like home.
It’s also the product of months of work from a small but dedicated group of volunteers. Mary Ann is quick to praise the team at the Carleton Community Centre, especially Kate, Abbygail and Jen, for their energy and commitment, along with Greg Stewart of AJ’s, David O’Tool, Al Babineau and others who pitch in to plan, promote and pull it all together. “As soon as one West Days ends, we’re already talking about the next one,” she says.
And she wants the rest of the city to join the fun this week. “It doesn’t cost anything to cross the bridge,” she says, adding that those who do might just leave feeling like honorary west siders.