Category: Janes Walks

Janes Walks/

A guide to Jane’s Walks

 

Jane’s Walk logo

Jane’s Walks are a series of free neighbourhood walking tours that get people out on the streets to discover unseen, under celebrated and unique stories about their city. Traditionally, the tours – named after the famed urban scholar and activist Jane Jacobs – are held on the first weekend of May each year, but here in NL for pragmatic weather reasons we have lately tended to schedule them in June. Happy City St John’s has been organizing the walks since 2014.

They are led by locals like you who want to create a space for residents to talk about what matters to them in the places they live and work.There have been many interpretations of the event as its changed hands from year to year: from dog walks to bike rides, from local lore to historical reenactment. By discussing what makes a city great, and what makes it tick, walk guides and participants are empowered to be better citizens, better stewards, and better neighbours.

The walks can be as varied as the people taking part, and they usually last about 90 minutes. We ask each walk guide to offer their perspective along the route, and to encourage the public to weigh in. Through the simple act of walking and talking, Jane’s Walks create ways for people to connect, share, and develop ideas about where their communities and cities are at and where they are headed.

Contact the St. John’s Jane’s Walk city organizer (and Happy City Board Member), Elizabeth Oliver, at janeswalks@happycity.ca if you’d like to volunteer to be a Walk Guide or to help out in other ways – eg by improving our online archives of past walks (eg earlier, 2024). Elizabeth is keen to hear your ideas for a walk theme, and she can help plan, promote, and share your walk! For more information about the worldwide festival, visit www.janeswalk.org.

Janes Walks/

June 2: Ping’s Path: A walk through the world of Hollow Bamboo

Join an award-winning author for a walk through key locations from his recent book Hollow Bamboo It’s the hilarious and heartbreaking fictional story of two William Pings in Newfoundland—a lost millennial and the grandfather he knows nothing about who moved to St John’s in the 1930s.

The walk starts at 2pm on Sunday 2nd June on the sidewalk outside George St. United Church at 130 George St. West and will end at Harbourside Park.

Janes Walks 2024/

June 8: Downtown Queer History Walk

This province has a rich queer history, much of which remains under-acknowledged and under-recognized. All around us – from rural beaches to urban streetscapes, from fishing wharves to nightclubs – lie sites of queer history, queer life, queer potential.
The Downtown Queer History Walk is a 1.5 – 2 hour journey through queer history as represented in the sites and spaces of downtown St. John’s. It’s hosted by Rhea Rollmann, journalist and author of 2023 book A Queer History of Newfoundland. We’ll explore key organizing sites, sites of protest and activism, sites of community-building and the struggle for change. Along the way, we’ll discuss some of the key moments in 20th century queer activism: the individuals and groups who fought for change, the intersectional solidarities that made change possible, and the ways in which the struggles of the past echo in the lived realities of the present.

The walk traverses the St. John’s downtown core, from Military Road to Water Street, along a meandering route heading for the most part downhill. Be aware however that St. John’s streets are often in a state of rubble-strewn disrepair so wear appropriate footwear. There is one portion of the route involving a set of stairs but reach out if you require accommodation. Dress for the weather, which in St. John’s is unpredictable at the best of times.

The walk begins at 11AM on Saturday, June 8th at the gate in front of the Colonial Building, 90 Military Road.

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