Tuesday, April 18, 2017

New Brunswick Stamp Stories 2017 !


NB Stamp Stories is back! This week we are featuring the student designs from Anglophone West. Stamp Stories is a provincial design contest that students in grades 4 to 9 can enter. Every student has been tasked with designing a stamp that they feel best portrays New Brunswick’s past. We are showcasing some of these submissions, from all across the province.


Please take some time to view this week’s designs – and then vote here for your favourite. 

Friday, March 3, 2017

Spotlight on our Heritage #12: The Paris Crew

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is part of a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017, entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. This particular "spotlight" highlights New Brunswick's Paris Crew, Honoured members of the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame.

The Paris Crew (Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P98/134)

The Paris Crew


On July 8, 1867, three fishermen and a lighthouse keeper took the international rowing world by storm, with their upset win at the famed Paris Exposition’s International Rowing Regatta. The crew was comprised of oarsmen George Price, Robert Fulton, Elijah Ross and Samuel Hutton. All were from Saint John, New Brunswick.

The Paris Crew’s underdog victory against Britain and Europe’s best rowers made them national heroes back home in Canada, on the very week that Canada became a nation, inspiring pride and unity in the new country.


Thursday, March 2, 2017

FREE MARCH BREAK ACTIVITIES AT THE MUSÉE ACADIEN DE L’UNIVERSITÉ DE MONCTON: DROP-IN CRAFTS AND GAMES FOR ALL AGES!


Moncton, February 27 2017: The Musée acadien de l'Université de Moncton invites you to participate to our various activities offered on Thursday March 9 and Friday March 10 from 10 am to 3 pm. We will be hosting a drop-in craft, a traditional Acadian game, a quiz by images and many more activities during those two days. The activities and crafts are free and there is no registration required. Donations to the museum are accepted. The fun is for all ages.

For more information, please contact Renée Beaulieu at (506) 858-4088, by email at maum@umoncton.ca or visit one of our online sites: www.umoncton.ca/umcm-maum, Facebook (@Musée.acadien), Instagram (MuseeAcadien) and Twitter (@MAcadien).


Friday, February 17, 2017

Spotlight on our Heritage #11: James H. Moran

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is part of a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. This particular "spotlight" highlights the Prince Victor figurehead recently repatriated to the Quaco Historical and Library Society in St. Martins. 

James H. Moran (1816-1879)
Quaco Historical& Library
Society

James H. Moran
(1816 – 1879) 


Mathias Moran was one of the original settlers of St Martins (then Quaco). He arrived in October 1783 after the war ended and the King’s Orange Rangers were disbanded. He was given a grant of land for his years of loyal service to King George III, a portion of which the Moran Family Shipyard was located is still in possession of his direct descendants.

Mathias Moran’s son, James Moran Senior, born in 1781, inherited his father’s property and continued the business of farming and building small vessels. He built his first ship in 1805. James Moran Sr died in 1860 at the age of 79.


Spotlight on our Heritage #10: Fenians, Americans, Acadians, and Canadians: The Confrontations of Confederation

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the tenth in a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. The blog series celebrates 150 years of history, and reflects upon New Brunswick’s role in Confederation. This particular "spotlight" draws from the Fredericton Region Museum exhibition A Ship Full of Troubles: New Brunswick and Confederation, which was co-curated by STU and UNB graduates Nathan Gavin and Caleb Goguen.

Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon
(Provincial Archives of New Brunswick,
P360-14)

Fenians, Americans, Acadians, and Canadians: The Confrontations of Confederation


New Brunswick’s experience engaging with the Confederation question was tumultuous to say the least. With responsible government still in its infancy, New Brunswick’s politicians would face a number of hurdles before being able to join in Confederation. From the staunch localism shown by some, to blatant outrage against the idea of any form of union with the Canadians from others, New Brunswick’s entrance into Confederation was not going to be a smooth ride.

One of the biggest influences on Confederation was the American Civil War and the mixed bag of threats that permeated from it. The young Lieutenant Governor Arthur Hamilton Gordon landed in New Brunswick 1861, just in time for his first colonial trial. Within the first month of setting foot on the continent, he was faced with the Trent Affair.


Friday, February 10, 2017

Spotlight on our Heritage #9: The Acadian Renaissance - Auguste Renaud

Auguste Renaud
(Libraries & Archives Canada)
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the ninth in a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. The blog series celebrates 150 years of history, and reflects upon New Brunswick’s role in Confederation. 

Auguste Renaud 


Born in Bordeaux, France, Auguste Renaud and his family moved to Bouctouche in the mid-19th century. Renaud became a farmer and married Cécile Léger in 1862.

Auguste Renaud represented Kent County in the first Canadian Parliament in 1867. He was voted in as a Liberal representative on September 20th. Renaud was the first francophone from the Maritimes to get a seat in Parliament.

Renaud ran again in 1872 and lost to Robert Barry Cutler. He was again defeated in 1874 and retired from politics to work as the Deputy Collector of In-Land Revenue in Bouctouche. He died in 1897 and was buried in “Fond-de-la-Baie”.

Spotlight on our Heritage #8: The Acadian Renaissance - Amand Landry

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the eighth in a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. The blog series celebrates 150 years of history, and reflects upon New Brunswick’s role in Confederation. 

Amand Landry 


Amand Landry, born in Memramcook, was a farmer, school teacher, and pillar of the community. Landry was one of the first Acadian politicians on a provincial level in New Brunswick. He was elected to Legislative Assembly in 1846 as a representative for Westmorland County. He lost his seat in 1850 only to regain it again in 1853. He earned his seat in 1861 and stood in assembly until 1870 

Amand Landry brought to light the thoughts and concerns of the Acadian people on Confederation. He maintained that Confederation would not benefit the Acadian population and that all of the railways that were being promised were projects that they would never see and still be forced to pay for. They were also afraid of being governed by a second layer of English politicians, effectively losing the small voice they had. After the Albert James Smith Anti-Confederation government lost, Amand Landry held on to his seat until 1870 as one of the 8 Anti-Confederation members who were reelected in 1865.

Spotlight on our Heritage #7: The Acadian Renaissance in New Brunswick

Isreal Landry
(Le Moniteur Acadien, 1892)
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the seventh in a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. The blog series celebrates 150 years of history, and reflects upon New Brunswick’s role in Confederation.

The Acadian Renaissance in New Brunswick 


Confederation saw the rebirth of Acadian cultural, economic, and political identity through various media. From newspapers to parliamentary seats, “La Renaissance Acadienne” became a keystone in Acadian history, and a strong proponent for shaping New Brunswick of today.

Valentin Landry
(Centre d'études acadiennes de
l'Université de Moncton)
1867 marked one of several important milestones for Acadians in New Brunswick. That year Le Moniteur acadien, published out of Shediac by Israel Landry, became the first French newspaper in the Atlantic region. This would be followed by L’Évangéline in 1887, published by Valentin Landry (of Pokemouche), which would become a mainstay in Acadian culture for nearly 100 years. 

Confederation, and the promises that followed, caused a significant disturbance in Acadian communities. Confederation promised railroads (that would potentially bypass any and all Acadian communities), a second layer of government consisting of little-to-no Acadian representation, and secular schools.

Amand Landry
Acadian opposition to Confederation was not without reason. Many of the promises seemed to have virtually no effect on Acadian communities. Amand Landry, one of the early Acadian political figures, understood these concerns, and stood as a flagship for Acadian concerns throughout the Confederation elections. In particular, he opposed a southern railway project spanning from St. Andrews and Woodstock, because it served no benefit to Acadians living in the northern part of the province. Albert James Smith picked up on this concern, and gained the trust of Acadians with his Anti-Confederation movement.

Friday, February 3, 2017

Spotlight on Our Heritage #6: Lalia Annie Laura Halfkenny

Editors Note: The following spotlight presents a summary of Jennifer Harris’ research, which was published in Acadiensis in 2012.

Lalia Annie Laura Halfkenny


Lalia Halfkenny was born in Dorchester New Brunswick. Her household consisted of Lalia, her 18 year old mother, her widowed grandmother, and five of her mother’s siblings. In 1885, Lalia entered Acadia Ladies Seminary in Wolfville Nova Scotia, as a preparatory student.

Acadia Ladies Seminary, Wolfville, NS
(New Brunswick Museum, X15514)
By her senior year, Lalia was one of the seminary’s top students, studying literature and elocution. Lalia graduated in 1889 from the Ladies’ Seminary, becoming the first black woman to graduate from a post-secondary institution in the Maritime region.

Upon graduation, Lalia moved to Richmond, Virginia to begin her career as an english and elocution instructor at Hartshorn Memorial College. Hartshorn had one of the highest standards of education in the country and some of the highest ranking students (black or white) in the early 20th century. It was far easier for Lalia to find employment in the southern states than at home. The Maritimes were very resistant to let black residents attend secondary and post-secondary schools, let alone teach at that level. Black teachers only taught in black primary schools, and were often drastically underfunded.


Spotlight on Our Heritage #5: Black History Month in New Brunswick

As Black History Month unfolds in New Brunswick, now is a good time to reflect upon the many prominent New Brunswickers of African descent who have shaped this province, and nation. Here are a few that were selected from the NB Black History Society’s Website that we thought should be brought to your attention. For more information on New Brunswick’s rich black history, check out the NBBHS at: http://www.nbblackhistorysociety.org/


Miss Betty Riley:

“Black Is” aired in the 1970s and was the first all-black television program to air in Canada. The program was created by Miss Betty Riley, one of the first black female producers at the time. Her program “Black Is” could be seen as a response to programming on black issues at the time. In a newspaper article dated 1973, Miss Betty Riley spoke about how most productions on the topic were written by white people: “If they are going to deal with black issues, they should be controlled by black people.”

Fred Hodges:

Fred Hodges began working as a freight worker for the Canadian Pacific Railway company in 1940. By 1947 he was the first black member of the Brotherhood of Railway, Airline, Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees. He would later take part in a number of organizations such as the New Brunswick Federation of Labor, New Brunswick Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the New Brunswick Industrial Relations Commission, and the Saint John and District Labor Council. Fred Hodges became the first black New Brunswicker to hold the position of City Councilor in Saint John in 1974.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Spotlight on our Heritage #4: Peter Mitchell

Peter Mitchell
(New Brunswick Museum,
X10202)
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the fourth in a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. The blog series celebrates 150 years of history, and reflects upon New Brunswick’s role in Confederation. This particular "spotlight" draws from the Fredericton Region Museum exhibition A Ship Full of Troubles: New Brunswick and Confederation, which was co-curated by STU and UNB graduates Nathan Gavin and Caleb Goguen. 


Peter Mitchell 


Peter Mitchell was a first generation New Brunswicker, born to Scottish parents. He became involved in the shipbuilding business on the Miramichi, and remained an active player in the industry until 1868. Mitchell also studied law, and eventually opened a practice with John Mercer Johnson. He entered the realm of politics and gained the seat for Northumberland in 1857. 

Peter Mitchell became the President of the Executive Council in 1861. He was an avid supporter of Confederation, and went to the Quebec as well as London Conferences. He succeeded Samuel Leonard Tilley as leader of the Confederation Party and became Premier of New Brunswick in 1866, leading the province into Confederation. 


Spotlight on our Heritage #3: Sir Albert James Smith

Sir Albert James Smith
(New Brunswick Museum,
X10120)
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the third in a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. The blog series celebrates 150 years of history, and reflects upon New Brunswick’s role in Confederation. This particular "spotlight" draws from the Fredericton Region Museum exhibition A Ship Full of Troubles: New Brunswick and Confederation, which was co-curated by STU and UNB graduates Nathan Gavin and Caleb Goguen. 


Sir Albert James Smith 


Albert James Smith was born in Shediac, New Brunswick in 1822 to a family of United Empire Loyalists. He studied law under E.B. Chandler and became a fully-fledged Barrister in 1847. He joined the “Smashers” and was elected to represent his home riding of Westmorland in 1852. 

Smith served without portfolio until he became attorney general in 1862. He was extremely popular among the people of New Brunswick, due to his honesty, compassion, and caring nature. He sparked the Anti-Confederation movement out of fear that the province would lose its political and economic autonomy. In 1865 his movement succeeded, winning 26 out of 41 seats, and became Premier of New Brunswick. 


Friday, January 20, 2017

Spotlight on our Heritage #2: Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the second in a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. The blog series celebrates 150 years of history, and reflects upon New Brunswick’s role in Confederation. This particular "spotlight" draws from the Fredericton Region Museum exhibition A Ship Full of Troubles: New Brunswick and Confederation, which was co-curated by STU and UNB graduates Nathan Gavin and Caleb Goguen. 

Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley
(Bibliothèque et Archives 
nationales du Québec,
P1000,S4,D21,P24)
Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley 


Samuel Leonard Tilley was born into a small United Empire Loyalist family in Gagetown, New Brunswick. As an adult, Tilley became deeply involved in the growing abstinence and temperance movements, and became the leader of the Sons of Temperance in New Brunswick before he began his political career. Tilley also co-owned a pharmacy in Portland (now part of Saint John).

Samuel Leonard Tilley was elected to the House of Assembly as a representative of Saint John in 1850. In 1854 he joined the “Smashers” and was re-elected under Charles Fisher, and serving as Provincial Secretary.

Tilley became Premier of New Brunswick on March 19, 1861, after Charles Fisher was forced out of his seat. Serious talks of Confederation arose the following year. Tilley’s pro-Confederation stance would eventually lead to his defeat in the 1865 election, but he was later re-elected to the House of Commons in 1867, after the passing of Confederation. Tilley became Minister of Finance twice: first in 1872, and then again in 1878. He also became Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick twice: once in 1873, and then again in 1885.


Spotlight on our Heritage : Lieutenant Governor Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the first in a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. The blog series celebrates 150 years of history, and reflects upon New Brunswick’s role in Confederation. This particular "spotlight" draws from the Fredericton Region Museum exhibition A Ship Full of Troubles: New Brunswick and Confederation, which was co-curated by STU and UNB graduates Nathan Gavin and Caleb Goguen. 
Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon
(Provincial Archives of New Brunswick,
P360-14)

Lieutenant Governor Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon 


Lieutenant Governor Arthur Hamilton Gordon, son of George Hamilton Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, was born in London England on 26 November 1829. He was 32 years old when he arrived in New Brunswick in October 1861. Gordon, like many colonial officials of aristocratic bearing, was an avid sportsman and naturalist who immediately fell in love with the landscape of the province. His affection for the flora and fauna, however, did not extend to the politicians our province. He believed that the legislature was corrupt and filled with men who were poorly educated and narrow-minded.

Maritime Union appealed to Gordon for a variety of reasons. His disdain for New Brunswick politicians led him to believe that a complete fusion of the provinces would create a better pool of political candidates.


Friday, January 13, 2017

New Brunswick and Confederation

by Nathan Gavin, BA
Project Executive,
Heritage Branch

New Brunswick’s role in Confederation held a significant amount of weight in the formation of Canada. New Brunswick was both the epicenter for the beginning of serious talks of Confederation, as well as the province that was given a chance to vote on the subject.

In the mid-1800s New Brunswick was experiencing a period of economic prosperity. The recently signed Reciprocity Treaty provided incentives for cross-border trade, and the lumbering and shipbuilding industries were also flourishing.

Security, however, was an issue for New Brunswick at the time. British North America did not have its own military, and whenever conflict would arise British Regulars would need to be brought in. This not only mean that response times were slow, but it also meant that Britain was funding virtually all military operations in what was a self-governing British territory. Events like the Trent Affair and the Chesapeake Incident would amplify these concerns.[1]

Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon
(Provincial Archives of New Brunswick,
P360-14)

Maritime Union seemed like a logical solution to the issue. The unification of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island into a single province, was favoured by many of the local politicians as well as the young Lieutenant Governor Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon.

 A month before the first Confederation conference in Charlottetown (PEI), a delegation of politicians and journalists from the United Province of Canada (now Ontario and Quebec) landed in Fredericton for an informal visit. Extravagant speeches were given, lavish balls were thrown, and upon their departure the Canadians were given an informal invite to sit in on the Charlottetown Conference.


Friday, January 6, 2017

New Brunswick Heritage Week - Celebrating 150 Years!


In honour of the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the theme for Heritage Week 2017 in New Brunswick is Celebrating 150 years – Célébrons 150 ans. This topic provides an opportunity to recognise New Brunswick’s role in Confederation, as well as to reflect upon the many past contributions made by the people of New Brunswick to our nation of Canada.

Dusan Kadlec, Province House Ball, 1864
(Source: Parks Canada)
The 2017 New Brunswick Heritage Week poster features a "crazy quilt" from the collection of the Kings County Museum in Hampton. It was made by dressmaker Fannie Parlee between 1864 and 1895, from fabric taken from dresses worn by those who attended the Charlotte Conference ball of 1864. This historic conference, where Confederation was first discussed, was noted for its extravagant ball held in the name of union on September 8, 1864.

Also within the 2017 Heritage Week poster can be found the faces of the many individuals who witnessed New Brunswick’s transition into Confederation. Notably, Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon who was Lieutenant-Governor at the time, as well as Chief Gabriel Acquin, Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, Amand Landry, Lady Alice Tilley, and The Paris Crew (only to name a few).

This Heritage Week, join with us in celebrating 150 years of making history in our province. On National Flag of Canada Day (February 15) take time to consider how our past has shaped our sense of identity as Canadians, and on National Heritage Day (February 20) reflect upon how heritage provides us with a legacy for the future.

Now is the time to do your part in planning your Heritage Week event. Let your imagination be your guide! The scope is endless --- you may choose to host, compose, perform, explore, research, record or organise --- the possibilities go on and on! We invite you to join in, plan an event, and share your information with us through our online registration.