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Walk With Me
Davd Goss Walking Tours

David Goss feels that his life is running according to a plan that was laid down for him long before he was aware of it. When he looks back, he sees that he was moving towards the day when he would retire from his full-time job and would share the stories and history about Saint John he had been gathering from his childhood. David knows more about Saint John history than anyone else and it isn’t just the history from history books, it’s the story of individuals who made history, and in his walks they come to life.

David Goss brings history to life with his lively characters such as the ghost of John Nathanial Leavitt.

His walk and talk program has been the focus of his summers since 1978 when they first started. David was working for the Recreation Department of the City of Saint John and presented them through that department. The program was initially called “For Family Outings” and the fee was $2.00 per family. At first, they weren’t very popular, very small numbers showed up. It was not exactly a successful beginning but he has now done more than 500 walks in this series.

David explains, “I enjoyed them thoroughly and have learned a lot from each one of them. On the third year, the name was changed to Walks n’ Talks and for the first time I involved a member of the community to be in on the program. His name was Fred McIntyre and he agreed to be the commentator for a West Side Walk going from Tilton’s Corner to Tower Pond. He had lived in that area for 60 years and Fred’s commentary was so interesting and informative that I decided from that time on to try and find knowledgeable people so that not only could I benefit from their experience and knowledge but others could too. When I started doing the walk and talk series no one was doing ghost walks. They soon became very popular. In Saint John there are lots of ghost stories so I always have something new. Also having a ghost involved is a great way of getting our history across. I love doing these presentations and I know from experience people remember much more when they are having fun… and if they are a little frightened, well, that’s good too!”

First Walk N’ Talk - Dominion Park on June 19, 1978. The Irish Family & Dick Gallie were the only participants. The numbers would grow! (Photo: Dick Gallie)

Each year he introduces a new walk. This year on August 12th his new program is “HOW THE MOVIES CAME TO SAINT JOHN”. It begins at the corner of Wellington Row and Carleton Street in the uptown area at 7 p.m. David plans to have a real special surprise character in this walk because he says, “People learn best when they are given something memorable and this will be really special.”

King’s Square. A Walk in the 1980s. Photo: Saint John Recreation & Parks Dept.

With the walks and talks, the thirteen plus books he wrote himself, his compilations with other authors, historical writing in magazines, his columns in the Telegraph Journal and Moncton Times and Transcript and his work as a creative storyteller for the Writers in the School program, David Goss has enriched the lives of seniors, children and everyone in between by giving them history lessons in a fun way but most importantly, he has promoted a pride in New Brunswick’s heritage.

However, David claims he has been the biggest benefactor, “Through my walks and talks, I have met all kinds of fascinating people from all over the Province and many have become my friends. If I was to say which were my favorite walks, I would have to say the Downtown Discovery walks, I always enjoy doing them and The Moonlight walks are always fun. Also I really enjoy the fall Spooky walks at the Irving Nature Park and at Rothesay. But I would have to say the Ghost of John walks are my favourite especially when I can get characters involved to play other parts and bring the walk to life. I did the first Ghost of John program in Fredericton. I stood outside in my ragged outfit which I had made out of an old pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt that I had beat with a hammer. I wore a toque on my head and had a rope around my waist and to add to the aura I had stepped into a pair of rubber boots and poured baby powder all over my body. That costume has scared a lot of people. I just hope that I will be able to offer them a few more times before I have to give up this phase of my life.”

New River Beach. Hikers getting ready to mark the way to the Ghost of New River. August 30, 2002.

This summer the walks will be offered at various areas of Saint John on Tuesdays from June 17 to August 19, start times vary. One talk is offered on a Saturday night to coincide with the full moon. Most distances are under 3 km and the time is no more than 1.5 hours in duration. If it is raining one hour before the walk, the event is rescheduled to the next night. If in doubt check through a recording at 672-8601. To mark the 30th anniversary of this series, a Bay of Fundy driftwood whirligig will be given away by a draw at the conclusion of each of the walks. Mr. Goss will have copies of his latest book, “It Happened In New Brunswick” for sale and will take orders for his upcoming book “Saint John Curiosities”. For additional information on books or walks, David can be contacted at gosswalk@nbnet.nb.ca. No preregistration is necessary except for the night walks at Fernhill which will take place on July 22 and August 9.

Reversing Falls Walk N’ Talk. June 17, 2007.

For a complete list of upcoming Walks n’ Talks, see Calendar of Events in this issue of See Saint John.

Got a comment or suggestion? ownwords@nbnet.nb.ca 

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