The designated National Historic Site that is the St. John’s Ecclesiastical District needs some attention from the capital city to manage and protect it as a major cultural and tourist draw.

Heather McLellan and John Fitzgerald are on a working committee that has written all St. John’s municipal candidates seeking a firm commitment on a management plan for the historic district.

McLellan says the district which makes up the Basilica, the Anglican Cathedral, The Kirk, Gower Street United and many associated buildings, has numerous historic designations, and is an important part of the city’s architectural and cultural heritage.

She says the district goes back to the 1600s. She calls it “a time capsule, beginning with when there was a migratory population, then of course, permanent settlement. It has seven designations of national historic significance…the latest designation was about the role the district played in the development of St. John’s itself, and also the historic nation of Newfoundland.”

Fitzgerald says they want candidates to understand the importance of the district and that it get the attention from council it deserves.

“We need better signage, we need better crosswalks, there’s broken cement, there’s missing handrails, and we also need to look at the architecture, the landscapes, the park.” He says the city committed some time ago to work with them and come up with a management plan “and that hasn’t happened.”