-AUTHOR-
MARK ALLAN GREENE
PROJECTS
Many people think that nothing significant ever really happened in Saint John, New Brunswick. This history podcast challenges those thoughts by uncovering little known tales from the city and providing fresh perspectives on the people, places and events of the past.
Mark Allan Greene is a history enthusiast who loves a good story. Greg Marquis is an academic historian who uncovers the past. Together, they bring you Saint John - Nothing Happened Here.
By 1851, Saint John had grown to be the third largest city in British North America. Home to thriving shipbuilding and lumber-exporting industries it was a vibrant port city and had the world’s fourth-largest accumulation of vessels. An economic depression in the 1870s was hard on the city, but nothing prepared residents for the disaster on June 20, 1877.
​
A sudden enormous fire swept through the busy centre of Saint John over nine hours. It destroyed almost half the city and left 13,000 residents homeless and livelihoods destroyed.
But the rebuild was swift, with fire prevention at the forefront of design and construction. By 1881, Saint John was reborn, stronger and more beautiful than ever.
​
This book, incorporating a collection of more than 120 archival images, tells the story in words and pictures of the rise, destruction and rebuilding of the city.
​
This book is available at Chapters Indigo and Formac Lorimer Books.
A Play in One Act (Running Time: 60 minutes)
​
The Bible tells us that Jesus was a carpenter. That’s it. End of storyline. How unsatisfying! There are so many unanswered questions. What did he build? Was he good at it? When did he ever find the time? Jesus Master Builder takes over that story where the Bible left off, and answers the above questions: He built Homes; He was a lousy carpenter; and He had much better (and Holier) things to do. That’s all fine and good for the souls of mankind, but what about the poor Customers of Christ? The play follows the quest of Jebediah, as he leads the first ever Condo Association through biblical events to find Jesus Christ and bring Him back into their lives… to fix the deficiencies in the homes that Jesus built.
Premiered at Walterdale Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta: May 18-23, 2015.
Performed at the 2016 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.
