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Those who are faithful to my blog might remember that at this time last year, I made a post contrasting my beloved hometown of Welland with the culturally-rich yet fish-and-chip-free city of Quebec. Well, as fate would have it, I'm back in 'la belle province' once again. This time I'm in Jonquière, a comparatively small town in the Saguenay region. Being away from Welland always makes me think about Welland, though, and here I am writing about my home once again.
It seems like every time I go away, things start happening in Welland. GE announced its first ten hires for their new Brilliant Factory, which I still think sounds like a cheap Chinese knockoff of the real factory, but hey, it's great news for Welland. I missed PC leader Patrick Brown's visit to Welland, and I'm also missing the antique and artisan market in its prime. But what really has my interest is the dog and pony show happening at the terminus of Niagara Street.
Okay, maybe it's really more of a donkey and chicken show, but you get the idea. For those who haven't heard, the former Crabby Joe's (and former many other things as well) building has been taken over by one David Clow, who has designated it a 'reclaimed community safe space.' He and a group of people are currently staging some kind of demonstration on the property which involves the use of animals. The purpose of that part is unclear, but I'm sure we'll learn soon.
It has ignited controversy on Facebook, and it seems like it is becoming a catch-all issue, one where people can vent and get out all their problems with our city. Many have accused Clow of squatting, and labeled his group as a bunch of druggies, but as is always the case around here, it's just rumours. Some say the building should be demolished, others say it will undoubtedly burn down, as happens to any abandoned building in Welland, while others still want to see it revitalized and turned into something good. People complain about the lack of restaurants and things to do in Welland, citing the seemingly cursed building as an example, since everything that opens in it seems to close before much time has passed. The general consensus: there are a lot of things wrong with Welland.
But do these problems really only exist in Welland?
As it turns out, Jonquière, Quebec is a lot like Welland. Both cities have similar populations, Welland having 52,000 to Jonquière's 54,000. Both were formed from the amalgamation of several smaller communities, and both are in turn part of larger regions, Welland of course being in Niagara while Jonquiere is in Sagunay-Lac-Saint-Jean. Jonquière is surrounded in its region by cities that have far more to offer than it does: Chicoutimi (which has a university and shopping) and La Baie (which has tourism). Likewise, Welland is next door to St. Catharines (which has a university and shopping) and Niagara Falls (which has tourism).
The similarity that jumped out at me was the apparent lack of things to do in Jonquière. Just like Welland, at a glance, this city isn't very exciting. There's only one mall, the Place Centre-Ville, and it's not the greatest, to say the least. Most people go to Chicoutimi, home of the Place du Royaume, which boasts over 140 shops. There's not much to attract visitors to go there, aside from a few museums - which I love, but few others seem to appreciate - and the CEGEP, a post-secondary institution. There's not even much to make locals want to stick around - hardly any nightlife, and barely any restaurants, except for the Petit St-Do, a classic diner combined with a taxi dispatch office, that serves cheap, greasy food 24 hours a day. You'd have a hard time finding anything else there with similar hours, as everything closes early, and even the things that are open late always seem to be closed for some reason or another. Even the owner of the local sex shop took a 7-day holiday for the Fete National du Quebec. No kidding.
Welland is a similar story, or at least it always seems to be described that way. Our mall is always slighted, and people prefer to go to the Pen Centre, or even that God-forsaken Outlet Collection at Niagara, which to me is the embodiment of everything that's wrong with our commercial society. In terms of tourist attractions, we've got a museum that gets sadly neglected by the public, and that's about it. There's a college in Welland, which brings in students from all over the place, but nobody pays much attention to them. There's not much to do here at night, unless you fancy a happy ending over at Max's, and in terms of classic local restaurants, the Blue Star always comes to mind - classic, yes, but hardly something you'd promote to your out-of-town friends (though it was good enough for Justin Trudeau).
And yes, both Welland and Jonquière share the issue of chronic vacancy. Many shops in Jonquière are empty, just like in Welland, leaving both cities' downtowns unappealing to pedestrians. Indeed, most people seem to be passing through Jonquière on their way to somewhere else. It's the same fate that has fallen on Welland - indeed, Wellanders have complained about it for years.
So, does this mean that Welland and Jonquière are lost causes? Of course not!
Both Welland and Jonquière have their own unique culture that just isn't found outside of their boundaries. The people who live in Jonquière have pride in their city and what it has to offer, as do many Wellanders. Jonquière (and its vicinity) has been home to several artists, such as Arthur Villeneuve, who used their chosen mediums to depict the things they loved about their local area. Welland has such a community of artists right now. Jonquière is home to a hidden gem of a brew-pub called Hopera - a cool restaurant with a laid-back and welcoming atmosphere. Welland is the home of the Black Sheep Cafe, founded by Lucas Spinosa with the same goal in mind, except that he brews coffee, not beer. Jonquière has an annual music festival, Jonquière en Musique, which features artists of all genres and attracts huge numbers of people from around the community. Welland has its summer concert series at Merritt Park, which similarly showcases a mix of genres and attracts good-sized crowds.
So the truth is, there's plenty going on in Jonquière, and in Welland. You just have to know where to look for it. The next time you get the idea that Welland has nothing to offer, close Facebook and go take a walk or a ride around this great little city of ours. You just might see some of the things I'm talking about, and your faith in Welland might be restored. Our city is improving, and it has hope. Don't ever let yourself forget that!
My apologies to Welland's many great restaurateurs for naming the Blue Star and leaving you out, but you gotta admit that the Blue Star is Welland: it may not be the finest, but we still love it for what it is, eh?
