Uptown Saint John Purchases Its Own Street Sweeper
SAINT JOHN– Some of the streets in Saint John’s city centre will be a little more clean with the purchase of a new street sweeper by Uptown Saint John, the business improvement association.
The little street sweeper decked out in Uptown Saint John’s branding was revealed Tuesday morning on Grannan Lane.
Uptown Saint John executive director Nancy Tissington says purchasing the machine, which would work in conjunction with the cleaning the city already does, has been in the works for a while.
“We found that we were hearing a lot of member uptown businesses saying that we need some more cleanliness. We did take to the streets with two cleaning crews this year, and we just found that it was just not enough. The board actually approved back in the spring that we would go ahead and investigate getting a sidewalk sweeper,” says Tissington. “We had gone to the city, but it was just not in their budget, so we decided to purchase it outright and to manage it on our side.”
The street sweeper cost around $60,000, which Uptown Saint John purchased itself. The organization has hired a driver and the machine will be stored with help from the Saint John Parking Commission and Saint John Transit.
Established in 1976, the Uptown Saint John Business Improvement Association represents more than 650 businesses and property owners operating in the city’s 26-block Business Improvement Area. Its mandate includes advocacy, beautification, clean and safe streets, marketing, and urban design and development.
Street sweeping is a service typically provided by the municipality, but Tissington says business improvement associations in Canada taking on these kinds of roles is not unheard of, noting Winnipeg and Moncton business associations also have sweepers that help the city with the job.
“It’s not unusual and we thought it was missing in one of New Brunswick’s largest cities,” she says.
The Uptown Saint John street sweeper will operate from spring until the end of October.
“We’re just very excited for the businesses,” she says. “We think they’re opening up and welcoming this. We need a little more attention here, so let’s do this and let’s get cleaned up.”