Cranston Avenue in Saint John, N.B., may have been closed for most of Saturday, but that didn’t mean cars weren’t racing down the street for the bulk of the day. The annual APEGNB Saint John Soap Box Derby featured 34 soap box derby cars that reached speeds of nearly 40 km/h down the hilly road. Of the 34 cars, 25 were driven by students from local schools, while the remaining nine were piloted by drivers from private schools or sponsorships. The average age for drivers was around 10 years old. “We’re part of the international All American Soap Box Derby family, so we’re actually a sanctioned race,” said organizer Deborah Lawton. “There’s very few children that actually get to experience this.” Friendly competition Connolly Miller was one of the lucky few to race down Cranston Avenue on behalf of Loch Lomond School. He said his favorite part of the event was the friendly competition and hopes to get more racing opportunities down the road. “I’m doing good,” he said confidently following the morning practice races. “The trick is to stay low, get all your weight into the back, and then you’ll go down the hill fast.” Fellow racer Mia Roy said not wearing any hoodies is another good practice to avoid any wind resistance. She admits racing down the hill at high speeds can be a little scary with limited ability to steer the car, but the fun outweighs the fear. “Having fun with my friends and them supporting me,” she said when asked her favourite part of the entire day. “I’m just having fun and staying confident.” It’s also an enjoyable day from a spectator perspective. Zavier Raynes raced in the derby in 2019, and said his brother won the entire event back in 2016 which led him to another title win in Ohio. “Everybody needs to come out here and enjoy it,” said Raynes. “Seeing people go down the hill, like the whole experience is just insane. It’s really cool.” Supporting PALS Not only does the event provide thrilling neck-and-neck races down the approximately 200 metre stretch of road, it also supports a local program called PALS in the Park, which gives students the chance to experience outdoor activities related to their classroom studies at Saint John’s Rockwood Park. Victoria Moseley is one of the members of the PALS team. She said in a time when devices and screens are becoming increasingly part of young people’s lives, it’s important to still give young students the chance to connect and learn more about their surroundings. “There’s a whole lot of research to show that being outdoors is a natural medicine,” Moseley said. “Anytime we can take learning outside the school walls into nature, it’s a win for everybody, and the students are so engaged.” PALS stands for Partners Assisting Local Schools, which over the past 26 years has worked with students around the region to help give them different and unique learning opportunities. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
