Calm waters, rugged hearts: Botwood rebounding three years later

Cutline: Two cargo ships sit in Botwood harbour for repairs, a reminder of the traffic the port used to see on a daily basis. Ryan Cooke photo.


Calm waters, rugged hearts: Botwood rebounding three years later

By RYAN COOKE

It’s been three years since AbitibiBowater packed up and left the port of Botwood, stranding over 70 men without jobs in the small town.

The resilient bay side town has mostly seen calm waters since then, no longer frequented with the sights of ships from all parts of the world, coming and going weekly.

Mayor Jerry Dean recalls the atmosphere of the town in December of 2009, when news broke that the pulp and paper giant would be leaving the Exploits region.

“There was certainly a feeling of despair amongst the town at the time.”

He pauses.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s been three years.”

Dean, a former employee of the company himself, was mayor throughout the ordeal. His close ties to the company and the men he worked with saw him thrust into a role he was not necessarily elected for.

“Having worked there, other men in the company seemed to look to me throughout the ordeal. Sometimes instead of mayor, I felt like a pastor,” he said.

Carrying the weight of the crisis on his shoulders, the stress took a toll on Dean. He suffered a major heart attack last year, and spent much of the summer recovering from surgery. He said that while the departure of AbitibiBowater wasn’t the only factor, it certainly didn’t help his health, or the health of many other men who went through stressful times following the closure of the waterfront.

The move saw many men forced to retrain or move away to find work. Some fell just short of receiving full pensions. Families were strained with financial worries, and some couldn’t hold together.

“I’ve seen too many marriages break up in the past two or three years,” said Dean. “And to a large degree, that’s been a direct result of the closure of the newsprint mill in Grand Falls, and the port here in Botwood.”

Historically, Botwood has been a town of lost opportunities. Shipbuilding stations, a Royal Canadian Air Force base, a railway, and even an international airport have all been left by the wayside. But through difficult times, the town has survived for over 150 years.

“I think it speaks well of the townspeople, and our previous generations. We always bounce back.”

While the mayor admits he isn’t sure if Botwood’s waterfront will ever return to what it used to be, he remains hopeful and asserts that the port is the best in Newfoundland, and one of the best in Atlantic Canada.

“In some ways it will never be the same, but it will always be an important part of our history.”