Latest news with #Roadside
CBC
30-03-2025
- CBC
Once a bustling rail line, a Moncton path tells a former railway's story
Moncton and Buctouche Railway changed transportation remarkably in 19th century Walking through Irishtown Nature Park, on the northern edge of Moncton, the winding path suddenly straightens out. According to historian and Roadside History columnist James Upham, it isn't a coincidence. "We could look at this as like a park design approach to brutalism in some fashion or another, which it's not," Upham said from the straight, flat pathway inside the park. "It's a railway — it's an abandoned railway, and it's the railway that kind of shaped this area that we're in right now." The Moncton and Buctouche Railway, as it was called, was chartered in 1883 and opened in 1887, said Upham. At that time, New Brunswick did have some roads, but Upham said in today's context, they would be some of the roughest dirt roads you could imagine. "It's really hard to get our heads around from a modern context, of sitting in air-conditioned vehicles going along at 100 and some odd kilometres an hour down a highway," Upham told Information Morning Moncton. "There's kind of a famous line from the early 1800s from New Brunswick to say that, you know, at that time, there was less than 10 good miles of road in the province, and they weren't consecutive." Image | Moncton and Buctouche Railway Caption: This photo from 1910 shows a train that worked the Moncton and Buctouche railway, with the train station just visible in the background. Upham said trains revolutionized the ability to travel. (Provincial Archives of New Brunswick P211-15313) Open Image in New Tab That's why, Upham said, if someone needed to get somewhere efficiently or move something from one place to another, the Moncton and Buctouche Railway did the job. The railway made such a big difference that in the area that later became known as Saint-Antoine, businesses moved to where the train passed through. "The community itself changed and adapted and sort of molded itself around this railway," said Upham. "In Bouctouche itself, the railway station that was the terminus for this rail line there, it doesn't exist anymore, but it still has its own historic site." For decades, the train chugged on, moving cargo and traffic from Point A to Point B. Upham said it didn't close until 1965. He said trains revolutionized the ability to travel. What would now be considered a short drive would once more likely have been a trip that people "might not necessarily ever want to repeat again." "It used to be that if you're wealthy, you didn't go anywhere — people came to see you because it was such a pain in the butt," said Upham, adding that travel for fun or enjoyment didn't exist. "People tend to sort of think of locomotives and steam engines and stuff and even diesels, to a certain degree, as being kind of like old timey … and it was just an absolutely massive step into the future."
CBC
30-03-2025
- CBC
Once a bustling rail line, a Moncton path tells a former railway's story
Moncton and Buctouche Railway changed transportation remarkably in 19th century Walking through Irishtown Nature Park, on the northern edge of Moncton, the winding path suddenly straightens out. According to historian and Roadside History columnist James Upham, it isn't a coincidence. "We could look at this as like a park design approach to brutalism in some fashion or another, which it's not," Upham said from the straight, flat pathway inside the park. "It's a railway — it's an abandoned railway, and it's the railway that kind of shaped this area that we're in right now." The Moncton and Buctouche Railway, as it was called, was chartered in 1883 and opened in 1887, said Upham. At that time, New Brunswick did have some roads, but Upham said in today's context, they would be some of the roughest dirt roads you could imagine. "It's really hard to get our heads around from a modern context, of sitting in air-conditioned vehicles going along at 100 and some odd kilometres an hour down a highway," Upham told Information Morning Moncton. "There's kind of a famous line from the early 1800s from New Brunswick to say that, you know, at that time, there was less than 10 good miles of road in the province, and they weren't consecutive." Image | Moncton and Buctouche Railway Caption: This photo from 1910 shows a train that worked the Moncton and Buctouche railway, with the train station just visible in the background. Upham said trains revolutionized the ability to travel. (Provincial Archives of New Brunswick P211-15313) Open Image in New Tab That's why, Upham said, if someone needed to get somewhere efficiently or move something from one place to another, the Moncton and Buctouche Railway did the job. The railway made such a big difference that in the area that later became known as Saint-Antoine, businesses moved to where the train passed through. "The community itself changed and adapted and sort of molded itself around this railway," said Upham. "In Bouctouche itself, the railway station that was the terminus for this rail line there, it doesn't exist anymore, but it still has its own historic site." For decades, the train chugged on, moving cargo and traffic from Point A to Point B. Upham said it didn't close until 1965. He said trains revolutionized the ability to travel. What would now be considered a short drive would once more likely have been a trip that people "might not necessarily ever want to repeat again." "It used to be that if you're wealthy, you didn't go anywhere — people came to see you because it was such a pain in the butt," said Upham, adding that travel for fun or enjoyment didn't exist. "People tend to sort of think of locomotives and steam engines and stuff and even diesels, to a certain degree, as being kind of like old timey … and it was just an absolutely massive step into the future."
BBC News
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Actor creates play to 'celebrate' Glastonbury van dwellers
An original theatre production to "celebrate" the New Traveller community is opening tonight. Maddie Wakeling, a van dweller and actor from Glastonbury, Somerset, will be performing Roadside at the Trinity Arts Centre in one-woman show, inspired by Ms Wakeling's own experiences along with a council calls for a ban on van dwellers, tells the story of a woman called Milly and her search for autonomy and a different kind of life."It's very rare that you have the opportunity to tell the story from the inside and say actually, this is how it is and this is our community," Ms Wakeling, 28, said. New Travellers is a term often used to describe people who choose to live nomadically. It also describes the community which came out of the free festival movement in the 1960s. Ms Wakeling said she began planning the show in 2023 following calls to ban roadside dwellers from living in unauthorised areas in Glastonbury. She said she chose to move into a van herself when she was 21 to allow her time to focus on her creative Lillith Osborn, leader of the Conservative group on Glastonbury Town Council, said recently she had received lots of complaints from some residents over issues such as anti-social behaviour to concerns about where people went to the said "van dwellers are not welcome in Glastonbury" and believes the town "reached saturation point some time ago".According to Somerset Council, there are about 300 people living by the roadside or in unauthorised encampments in and around the town. It has the highest density of van dwellers in the local authority wants to create a regulated site for dwellers, as part of the Glastonbury Town Deal. In response to the proposals, Ms Wakeling began holding discussions with members of the van dweller community to gather inspiration for the play. "I was really lucky to be able to sit down with a lot of people and chat, not just about what's happening now, but about all of the attempts to criminalise roadside dwellers that haven't worked before. "I think there's a lot of fearmongering and powerful narratives against multiple groups of people - it's definitely not just roadside dwellers - but a lot of headlines and stuff that gives a bad view towards some groups of people."The show isn't about the ban - it's a celebration of the community," she added. Ms Wakeling said she hopes the production will leave audience members reflecting on what home and belonging means to opens at the Trinity Centre on Friday night, before moving to The Cockpit Theatre in London on 4 April.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Theatre show to 'celebrate' van-dwelling community
An original theatre production to "celebrate" the New Traveller community is opening tonight. Maddie Wakeling, a van dweller and actor from Glastonbury, Somerset, will be performing Roadside at the Trinity Arts Centre in Bristol. The one-woman show, inspired by Ms Wakeling's own experiences along with a council calls for a ban on van dwellers, tells the story of a woman called Milly and her search for autonomy and a different kind of life. "It's very rare that you have the opportunity to tell the story from the inside and say actually, this is how it is and this is our community," Ms Wakeling, 28, said. New Travellers is a term often used to describe people who choose to live nomadically. It also describes the community which came out of the free festival movement in the 1960s. More news stories for Bristol Watch the latest Points West Listen to the latest news for Bristol Ms Wakeling said she began planning the show in 2023 following calls to ban roadside dwellers from living in unauthorised areas in Glastonbury. She said she chose to move into a van herself when she was 21 to allow her time to focus on her creative endeavours. Councillor Lillith Osborn, leader of the Conservative group on Glastonbury Town Council, said recently she had received lots of complaints from some residents over issues such as anti-social behaviour to concerns about where people went to the toilet. She said "van dwellers are not welcome in Glastonbury" and believes the town "reached saturation point some time ago". According to Somerset Council, there are about 300 people living by the roadside or in unauthorised encampments in and around the town. It has the highest density of van dwellers in the UK. The local authority wants to create a regulated site for dwellers, as part of the Glastonbury Town Deal. In response to the proposals, Ms Wakeling began holding discussions with members of the van dweller community to gather inspiration for the play. "I was really lucky to be able to sit down with a lot of people and chat, not just about what's happening now, but about all of the attempts to criminalise roadside dwellers that haven't worked before. "I think there's a lot of fearmongering and powerful narratives against multiple groups of people - it's definitely not just roadside dwellers - but a lot of headlines and stuff that gives a bad view towards some groups of people. "The show isn't about the ban - it's a celebration of the community," she added. Ms Wakeling said she hopes the production will leave audience members reflecting on what home and belonging means to them. It opens at the Trinity Centre on Friday night, before moving to The Cockpit Theatre in London on 4 April. Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Are there too many van dwellers in Glastonbury? Council to meet as van-dweller numbers quadruple Van dwellers suffer as cost of living bites The Trinity Centre The Cockpit Theatre
