‘The weather wasn’t great’: Maritimers hopeful for sunnier days in May

Maritimers react to a rainy spring season.

The old saying goes April showers bring May flowers – but so far this month, it’s more of the same. Thick fog, chilly temperatures, and rain.

“We heard maybe tomorrow we’re supposed to have some nice weather,” one Saint John resident told CTV when asked about the grey skies. “Tomorrow there is some sunshine coming out, maybe rain again on Sunday, and hopefully [the sun] comes to stay by next week.”

“I got some yard work done at my house, but basically it’s been a nasty April,” says John Rouse. “So, we’re glad that May is here.”

Another reason Rouse is happy for the new month is the opening of Saint John’s lone 18-hole golf course, Rockwood Park Golf Course.

“We’ve been thinking it was going to open last couple of weeks, but the weather wasn’t great,” he says. “Today was the day and we are out here, and I wasn’t going to stop for a little rain.”

There were heavy rains in the area Thursday, that trickled into Friday morning, which meant the opening round at Rockwood was for those looking to walk only, with the course too wet to support powered carts.

Course assistant superintendent Tyler Gunn says there were a lot of challenges in getting the course ready this season because of a cool and rainy April.

“Despite the wet conditions out there everything is shaping up well,” says Gunn. “It’s pretty green, things are growing, we had last week a couple of nice days out there, and so that allowed for the grass to start greening up and growing.”

Down the road at Cedarcrest Gardens staff say the April rain has been both a good and bad thing.

Staff member Juno Garnett says the outdoor plants have enjoyed the extra precipitation, but it does make moving stuff like dirt and mulch around the property a bit more difficult.

She says the cooler nights means it’s still a little early for residents to get their gardens gussied up for the summer, but has heard from customers about the weather woes.

“Customers are always like, ‘Oh, I want to get outside and I want to do my planting and everything,’ but it’s been nothing but raining lately,” Garnett says. “It’s seeming like May showers are going to bring June flowers.”

But the rain isn’t bad for everyone.

Wet and foggy conditions are perfect for fishing, which is why Jackson Noseworthy wasn’t too bothered by the not so nice start to May while casting a line at Rockwood Park.

“The rain in the past has really helped the fishing season,” Noseworthy points out. “So, I’m hoping for a good day out here on the lake.”

The rain is also good for the dry conditions that are being experienced around the region. Firefighters in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have battled outdoor fires over the past week, with officials reminding folks to follow guidelines when it comes to burning restrictions.

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