Mecklenburg Fire Leaves Children In Fear

Every Saturday morning hundreds of Saint Johners flock to the Historic City Market in UPTOWN. Familiar faces catch up on the week’s events, share stories, connect, shop for fresh produce, seafood, and meat; and fill up on breakfast. This week a lot of the talk was around the fire on Mecklenburg. In the midst of my breakfast I was approached by a good long time friend and student mentor as part of the PALS Program at the school nearest to this week’s fire. She was really touched by the impact of the fire and told the story of her young student who lived at 74 Mecklenburg. She spoke of the child's fear, anxiety, and inability to focus due to the trauma being experienced due to the fire. The youngster, has lost all of his personal belongings, his pet cat, his familiar surroundings, but most of all he has lost his confidence. My friend believes the child is so affected by the trauma of the fire, that he must have counselling immediately in order to get him back on track and to relieve his fear that his new place will be burned down... because incredibly his new home is next door to another vacant building in the same neighbourhood.

This is the true reality of the affect these events have on the minds and souls of children living in the neighbourhood. Some of the very same children who attend(ed) The Chicken Noodle Club in the neighbourhood, which was recently rocked by the charges laid against a leader of that organization  Particularity at a time like this, children and families need re-assurance that authorities are doing all in their power to provide safe conditions in our neighbourhood. Once again I call on the City Manager, Pat Woods to show leadership by stepping forward and explaining to the citizens of the neighbourhood what changes can be made in the way vacant and derelict buildings can be managed better.  We all need to work harder to provide more safety and security for the children and families of Saint John's most challenged neighbourhoods.