Saint John’s famed King’s Square bore the brunt of hurricane Dorian on Saturday as heavy rain and winds downed several centuries-old trees.
“We’re standing in a square that has had kings stand in this square and princes stand in this square,” said Saint John mayor Don Darling, who pointed out the importance of no one being injured.
The damage to King’s Square hit hard for some onlookers.
READ MORE: New Brunswick picks up the pieces after hurricane Dorian
“It’s heart-wrenching,” said Lawrence LeBreton, who was among those on hand to take pictures of the square — now filled with warning signs and giant trees on the ground.
For some King’s Square holds great sentimental value.
“Coming to feed the pigeons with my dad who was an uptown Saint John’er his entire life,” said Saint John resident Christina MacLennan. “The amount of trees that we have lost since then…they just keep going.”
Darling appreciates the historic significance of the trees.
He told Global News that he’d like to see these trees repurposed and not just discarded.
“I think there are some creative ways that we could have a legacy from these 200-year-old trees live on within our city for citizens to enjoy,” he said.
Flooding had mostly subsided on Sunday while city crews worked to clear streets blocked by downed trees.
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Officials say it’s a process that could take some time and that they do not want the public to get involved with it.
“We don’t know what hazards are there,” said Saint John EMO director Kevin Clifford. “We don’t know (the) complicated hazards. If you move a branch that whole infrastructure, that whole tree, is going to collapse.”
NB Power says at its peak there were more than 80,000 of its customers without electricity.
A spokesperson says some people should expect to be without electricity for at least one more night.