🥾 Stompin' towards a new statue

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An average pint of beer in Australia runs about $11 to $13, which already feels high enough without the added twist that one in three pints there are reportedly being poured 30% short. Inspectors say bars are serving glasses that are more suggestion than pint. Somewhere an Australian man is holding a croc with one hand and slamming the bar with the other yelling, “Oi… where’s the rest of it?” 🍺

Here’s the lowdown for the day:

G’day mate!

-Geoff Walsh, Publisher

The Saint John Region is shaped by the people who call it home, including those who have chosen to build a new life here. Our Region, Our Home shares real stories of newcomers who are helping to strengthen our communities – like Borys and Nataliia.

Surrounded by community support, Borys and Nataliia found a home in the Saint John Region. Now, they are giving back, helping other newcomers feel the same welcome and connection they experienced when their family first arrived.

🎸 A birthday push to bring Stompin’ Tom home

Yesterday would have been Stompin’ Tom Connors’ 90th birthday, and a group of Saint John locals used the milestone to push for a tribute the city has never built.

Filmmaker Greg Hemmings, alongside Scott Gogan, Mike Bravener and Jason MacLean, submitted correspondence to council proposing a larger-than-life statue of Tom on the waterfront, honouring the country legend’s birthplace and early years growing up on Station Street.

The group argues Saint John has been too quiet about one of its biggest cultural exports. “We’ve always had a storytelling problem,” Greg said. “We’re awkwardly humble about our assets in this city.” Gogan added that a national icon deserves a physical home here. “A guy created his own genre from Saint John and we don’t even have a place for a tourist to come celebrate that. That just seemed ridiculous to me.”

Once council invites a formal presentation, the next phase would involve partnering with a community foundation to begin fundraising and issuing a call for artists, ideally prioritizing New Brunswick creators. The organizers also want to document Tom’s early life here so visitors better understand his Saint John roots.

And if you’re marking the 90th this week, the crew says there’s only one proper soundtrack choice…spin Bud the Spud loud.

🌍A Saint John student on the edge of 17

Most 16-year-olds are trying to survive math class. Grace Totten is trying to complete all 17 United Nations sustainability goals before her 17th birthday.

The St. Malachy’s student launched a project called 17 by Seventeen, turning global goals into local action. Clothing drives, feeding the homeless with Street Team Saint John, beach cleanups at Dominion Park and recycling fundraisers have already helped her check off seven goals, with five more in progress and about four months left.

The twist is she wants other teens to copy it. Grace is recruiting youth across Canada and beyond to run similar projects in their own communities.

Her birthday is June 24, which gives her 134 days to complete the list.

🚶 West Side to Uptown just got closer

A Harbour Passage extension is coming that will give west siders a long, but continuous walking and biking connection from the lower west side straight into Uptown without needing a car.

The City is planning a new lit, landscaped multi-use trail linking Riverview Avenue to Riverview Drive, with construction targeted for spring 2026. It’s part of the bigger push for safer, more accessible ways to move around the city.

Residents can drop into an info session today at Carleton-Kirk United Church from 2-4pm or 6-8pm to see the plans and talk with City staff.

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THEATRE TALK TUESDAY

🎬 A Saint John-shot film opens at the Imperial | February 12

A new feature filmed in Saint John kicks off its Maritimes theatre tour Thursday night at the Imperial Theatre, with cast and crew in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

What We Dreamed of Then follows a father navigating invisible homelessness while trying to stay connected to his estranged daughter, told across parallel timelines that explore pandemic fallout and the fragile balance between memory and survival. The project was supported locally by filmmaker Greg Hemmings and his team, giving Saint John audiences a rare chance to see their city on screen alongside the people who helped bring it there.

The Imperial screening launches stops in Moncton, Miramichi, Fredericton and Halifax later this week.

Miss Congeniality Retro Film Night | February 13
The Imperial leans into Galentine’s Day with a $10 retro screening of Miss Congeniality at 7pm, bringing Sandra Bullock’s undercover pageant chaos back to the big screen. The early-2000s comedy follows an FBI agent forced to trade combat boots for evening gowns to stop a bombing plot inside a beauty pageant. It’s silly, nostalgic, and built for a laugh-out-loud girls’ night crowd inside one of the city’s best theatres.

Healing Voices Choir Concert | February 15
The Healing Voices Choir brings its annual concert to St. Mark’s Church in West Saint John at 3pm, offering an afternoon of music focused on support and encouragement for people navigating cancer and the caregivers beside them. Led by conductor Kelly Galbraith, the performance raises funds for the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation and welcomes anyone looking for a warm, community-centred show.

Art | February 18-21
A white painting kicks off a surprisingly explosive argument in this sharp comedy playing the BMO Studio Theatre at 7:30pm each night. Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning play follows three friends whose debate over modern art spirals into a hilarious fight about taste, loyalty, and friendship itself. Directed by Dean Turner, the production blends quick wit with real emotional bite. February 19 is Industry Night, with discounted tickets and a post-show chat with cast and crew.

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📸 Bonny Culley | 📍 Harbour Passage

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🌅 7:32am | 🌇 5:44pm

Today’s Tides 🌊

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Thanks for reading SJ Today, if you found it useful, share it with someone who knows the difference between Vegemite and Marmite. 🦘

-Geoff Walsh - Publisher