Excitement grows for opening of Area 506 container village in Saint John
With more than thirty modified shipping containers now set up along the uptown waterfront, and more set to arrive soon, the Area 506 container village is starting to take shape.
The container village, which will include retail shops, a 120-foot long graffiti alley, a waterfront beer garden, stage, and more, is slated to open to the public next month – the culmination of a project that’s been a year and a half in the making.
“We started our infrastructure build last fall in terms of the undergrounds, the next step was just last weekend where we brought in most of our shipping containers,” says Area 506 founder Ray Gracewood.
“The last two months or so we’ve been focused on creating the retail containers, so that’s the welding work, the electrical work, the carpentry work – all the things that need to happen before the shipping containers get on site.”
The shipping container village concept will be familiar to Area 506 festival-goers, but this time it won’t be dismantled when the concert series is done.
“We always had anticipated six years ago to say wouldn’t it be cool if we could have a permanent home where we could really lean in and really create an opportunity not just for people from Saint John but also the province,” says Terry Wagner, director of partner success. “And for us to be really proud of where we’re from.”
The new container village will open just in time for the arrival of the Oasis of the Seas on June 8 – a cruise ship that has a passenger capacity of 5400 people.
“We’ll have an open house that first week as well,” says Wagner. “And we’ve just announced our first concert in our waterfront concert series happening with July Talk on June 11.”
There will be 54 containers in total.
“At the end of the day I think it’s a special and unique property for the Saint John waterfront,” adds Gracewood.
“I think it’s very specific to this area being a port city, and I think it’s going to be a really unique experience for people to come and visit.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi found dead at helicopter crash site, state media says
Iranian president, the country’s foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash Monday after a search through a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest.
The push to Parliament's summer hiatus is about to begin, here's what you need to know
When MPs file back in to the House of Commons on Tuesday, it will be for the final five-week parliamentary push before hitting the barbecue circuit. Looking ahead to what could be a raucous rush to the summer hiatus, CTVNews.ca spoke with top House representatives to get a sense of what's atop their priority list.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Netanyahu
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas.
Red Lobster seeks bankruptcy protection with US$100 million in financing commitments
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
Your kids' ultraprocessed food consumption may put them at higher risk, study shows
The ultraprocessed foods your kids eat now may be putting them at greater risk for cardiometabolic problems – like heart attack, stroke and diabetes – in adulthood, a new study suggests.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.