Saint John closes streets to traffic and opens them to shoppers and diners

The City of Saint John launched its Open Streets Uptown pilot on Saturday, as part of the city’s social and economic recovery from COVID-19 shutdowns.

The initiative will provide an open-air hotspot for patio dining and sidewalk shopping, according to a city news release.

From noon until 8 p.m., Canterbury Street was closed to vehicle traffic from Princess Street to King Street, along with Grannan Street.

“I think it’s great,” says Coun. Donna Reardon.

“It’s going to add a little drama, a little dynamic to the Uptown right now, so I think it’s good,” she says.

The host street will rotate every Saturday, allowing residents to have a new experience each time, with different shops and restaurants taking part.

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According to Reardon, next week’s event will be set on Prince William Street, followed by Germain Street taking over the Saturday after that.

2:03 Businesses in uptown Saint John say city was wrong not to maintain greenspaces