New Brunswick Traveler (Mark J Brewer, Host)

An interview with David Goss who has spent over 45 years sharing about the wonders of Saint John and the surrounding area through his walk and talks, and his books. In this episode, I talk to him about his new book on Fernhill Cemetery co-authored with Harold E. Wright, and on walks he is doing on New River Beach. The book launch will be at a huge celebration at Fernhill cemetery on August 26 in the morning. Walk and talks on New River Beach will be on August 23-24 and September 14-15.

This episode talks about fiddleheads and their popularity in New Brunswick. The village of Tide Head New Brunswick bills itself as the Fiddlehead Capital of the World.  Perhaps it is, but Saint John has the only Fiddlehead sculpture. It was made by Jim Boyd of Sussex and sits in front of the Arts Centre.

The predominant type of fiddlehead in Canada is the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). These are bright green, with tightly coiled heads, sometimes with bits of the forest floor still clinging to them. With a flavor slightly reminiscent of asparagus, but somehow also nutty and pleasantly bitter, they are a short-lived but delicious reminder that the doldrums of winter are finally over.

I refer to an article by Raymond Plourde entitled “Fiddlehead Season” in Saltscapes Magazine for some of the information found on the podcast.

https://www.saltscapes.com/kitchen-party/1068-fiddlehead-season.html

To learn more about harvesting opera fiddleheads, this video might be helpful:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBfG6yyPtAg

Information about freezing or pickling fiddleheads

https://foragegirl.com/en/

St. Andrews by the Sea was one of the places that the Loyalists arrived at in 1783.  Lesser known and talked about than Saint John, it was still an important port on the Bay of Fundy.  And then later in the 1830s it was one of four arrival ports for the Irish emigrants.  This podcast takes a brief look at the Loyalists that arrived there and the Irish that followed.  The NB Traveler shares this not as a seasoned historian, but rather as one that is curious about the dynamics that formed the New Brunswick culture.  If you have comments or would like to come on the NB Traveler podcast and share more insights about NB Loyalists and the Irish, just contact me. Below are links to sources that I have read for this podcast.

Some other place … than here by Ronald Rees

Old New Brunswick  by David Sullivan

In the Wake of Loyalists: Retracing their path across the Bay of Fundy by Robert A. Liftig, EdD

Irish Canadian Cultural Association of New Brunswick

The Exodus of the Loyalists from Penobscot to Passamaquoddy by Wilbur H Seibert

Loyalist Saint Andrews

This week I am interviewing Andrew McClean, who tells about the backyard history of interesting things from the Maritimes.  Our particular focus in this episode is on the prominence of rum in the life of people who live in New Brunswick during the early part of the 20th century.  Rum was a part of the salary of some of the workers and it was common for them to take a “rum break” instead of a “coffee break”.

For more information about Andrew McClean, go to his website https://backyardhistory.ca/

Today I interviewed Loretta Landry and Maggie Bryson, co-owners of Jeremiah’s Deli and Catering located in the Saint John City Market.  Maggie says that Loretta keeps to-do-lists, and that she doesn’t, which makes for a very balanced partnership.  They have recently started Charlotte Street Bakery in a space next to their business at the market.  In the interview, they talk about the challenges and rewards of being small business owners, the challenges of expanding into an additional business and the benefits of not working for someone else.

Now I can once again enjoy Portuguese tarts!

Deli website - https://www.jeremiahsdeli.ca/

I noticed that there's a lot in tourism literature today about a term called glamping, G L A M P I N G, which seems to be something about geodesic domes.  My interest in doing this podcast is simply to find out more about that. Concept itself, how you got interested in it and just what you're doing out there in the forest. Well, glamping is like a nice medium between camping and luxury hotels. We found that many families will have one member of family that likes to either camp or rough it and enjoy the outdoors.  As well, another member of the family would prefer to go to a luxury hotel and have. Things like flushing toilets glamping and the geodesic domes can provide both of those. So, our plan is to make vacations easy. We are trying to make an easy family friendly vacation that's in nature and provides luxury. We chose domes because they are popular. It also provides us with an easy shell, with a lot of interior space to be creative. We have a heat pump that also has air conditioning for summer, and we have a wood burning stove in there which keeps things nice and comfortable in colder weather. As well as those items. We have other luxuries in there. We have a hot shower. We have a sink in the washroom and a fully plumbed house style toilet. We have a kitchen which is fully stocked with pans, pots, cups, plates, knives, forks, glasses. There's a fridge freezer. And a cooktop., We're also going to be providing a grill, so people can cook outside. Being there in the woods boosts immune system. It's calming, it reduces stress stimulates creative thinking, lowers heart rate, lowers cholesterol, and has proven to reduce depression, but we took it a little step further as well. We've introduced grounding mats into our beds. Since about the 1950s, when shoes started to be made with rubber soles, we've lost that ground connection.  So we did some research on that and found that there are many benefits to grounding or some people call it earthing. For example, some of these benefits are it reduces pain and inflammation. It can improve sleep, increase energy accelerate recovery and healing. And normalizes biological rhythms. To find out more about Forest Lane Domes and Experiences, go to their website, or call at (519) 216-9803.

This episode deals with the history of leprosy in New Brunswick and the government’s policy of forcing the “lepers”  as young as eight to segregate on Sheldrake Island without adequate accommodation or support.  Basically, deals with the types of decisions that communities and governments make when pressured by fear, ignorance, or hidden agendas.  The episode also highlights the efforts of the Acadian community to not allow the names of the 15 individuals that died on the island to be forgotten.

Video and Lesson plans - https://loststories.ca/sheldrake/

https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/arts-culture-society/the-lepers-of-tracadie

https://leprosyhistory.org/geographical_region/site/canada

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprosy_Act_1906

Wild blueberries are native to Canada and grown mostly in coastal areas that have moderate temperatures and not as much possibility of frost. The majority of wild blueberry production is in Northeastern NB, but about 20% is in Southern New Brunswick where I live.

Currently there are over 300 wild blueberry producers and with good crop management over 4,000 pounds of berries are harvested per acre. The farm gate value is about 20 million dollars and the blueberry industry has contributed $81 million to the provincial GDP.

Only five percent of the crop is sold fresh. Most is frozen and the largest markets are industrial, hospitality and institutional. But for the New Brunswicker, there is nothing better than going to a local producer and purchasing them fresh. Or even better, buying the muffins and pies that they have available at those farm stands. In season, McKay's Blueberries sells 300 pies a day. And I buy one any time I am in the Pennfield area!

This episode features an interview with Faye Gorham, the market manager of the Brundage Point River Centre Market, set to open on May 23rd. Faye, affectionately known as the 'Pickle Lady' for her popular homemade pickles, discusses the market's vendor policies, unique offerings, and community engagement. She emphasizes her commitment to ensuring vendors make a profit by limiting duplicates of product types. The market features a variety of goods, from gluten-free baked goods and fresh produce to handmade pottery and Avon products. Faye also shares insights into her history with the market, its operations, and her personal journey with pickling. Additionally, she compares her market to Kingston's larger market, highlighting the differences. The interview closes with hopes for a successful market season and a significant demand for Faye's chow-chow pickles. Faye can be contacted at (506) 763-2912

Thursdays

Brundage Point Market Grand Bay – Westfield

Saturdays

Kingston Farmers Market Kingston

Boyce Farmers Market Fredericton

Moncton Market Moncton

Sundays

Queen Square Farmers Market Saint John

Other New Brunswick Markets

Today I am interviewing Greg Marquis, the co-host of a brand new podcast about Saint John history. Greg is a local university professor and president of the New Brunswick Historical Society. His co-host is Mark Allan Greene, an Alberta university professor and the author of The Great Saint John Fire of 1877. The podcast launches on September 17 and will be produced every two weeks. Link to the podcast is https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/saint-john-nothing-happened-here/id1766391411

In this episode I discuss the upcoming Fundy Sea Shanty Festival with Gary Caines, its artistic director. Gary explains the historical significance of sea shanties, their role in maritime culture and how appropriate to have it annually in St. Martins. We also talked about the Festival, program, highlighting its diverse activities and the importance of partnerships and sponsorships. Gary expressed his interest in expanding it and appreciated the unique friendliness of New Brunswickers.  The festival will be held in St. Martins August 9-11.  For more information and their schedule, go to their website at https://www.fundyseashantyfest.com/schedule-1

Where was the telephone invented and who invented it?

Actually there is strong evidence that the telephone may have been invented in New Brunswick.  While Alexander Graham Bell may have been successful in obtaining the patent, he was not the first to send and receive messages over the wires.  William McLeod, an inventor of note who lived in the Sussex New Brunswick area had made and used a telephone before 1861.  It connected his house and shop and was in use for many years.  He also generated electricity, made his own camera, a clock which recorded the months, days, hours, minutes and seconds; and a large compass for woodsmen.

There were farmers on the Kingston Peninsula that put a wire between the house and barn in the 1870s to communicate. And little independent telephone companies began to be established throughout the Maritimes by the end of the 19th century.  Even as late as 1966 there were still 120 independent telephone companies in Nova Scotia, some serving as few as 50 customers.

Alexander Graham Bell is attributed as the inventor of the telephone because he was the first person to successfully obtain a patent for it.  He claimed that the telephone was invented in Canada, but made in the United States.  

In August, 1870, His father and mother moved to Brantford Ontario from Scotland and England.  They chose the rural area of Ontario, thinking that it would be a healthy surrounding for their 23 year old son who was sickly at the time.  Both his older and younger brothers had died of tuberculosis.   Alexander recovered after eight months of country living and went on to work at the Boston School for the Deaf.  On a visit back to the Ontario farm in July, 1874, Alexander sketched out the plans for his phone and his father kept a copy of it.  This was the reason that he claimed that the phone was invented in Canada.  Of course, Italy claims that Antonio Meucci invented the telephone, and Germany maintains that it was Johann Reis.  The U.S. House of Representatives even passed a resolution in 2002 maintaining that it was Reis that made contributions in the invention of the telephone.

Mark J Brewer, Host

This episode is a conversation with David Goss, a well-known author and storyteller from Saint John.  He gives some information about some of the developing traditions of Christmas in New Brunswick.  Following are some of the things that David said:

I think a lot of Christmas celebrations in New Brunswick are homogenized. They are pretty much the same for everybody in every area of the province.  Although when I did my first book on Christmas, the Acadian Christmas was quite different. Their Christmas was more based on the baby Jesus and the Nativity story than the Anglophone Christmas was.  They told me they didn't celebrate Christmas, but what they meant is they didn't celebrate Christmas the way the Anglophone population did, which was mostly based on Santa Claus, after about 1880.

But before that, the first Christmas that I was able to get records of was Lady Hunter in Fredericton in 1804 to 1808. She was here with her husband, Sir Martin Hunter, and they came from England. He was the Governor General of the province, representing England. And they were with the military in Fredericton, and she wrote letters back to England, several letters over the years, 1804 four to 1808.  And in those, she just described the Christmas that they were enjoying in New Brunswick.  By that time, English Christmases were quite well established, but among the New Brunswickers, there was probably very people were just getting by, living very frugal existences.

But Sir Martin Hunter had the wherewithal to have lavish parties and balls, and have the military involved in them.  So, they skated on the river, and they had sleigh rides, and they had the barracks all decorated with greenery, which nobody else was doing at the time.

And Queen Mab.was the gift giver. Santa Claus hadn't come on the scene yet.  Although Clement Moore had written the famous “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, it wasn’t until 1821 or 1822 that it was written.  So, they were before the era of Santa Claus, but there was still a gift giver and it was Queen Mab.  And there were still stockings hung. So that was a tradition even before Clement Moore's time.  So that was the first time I ran across any great collection of information about Christmas in New Brunswick, and there's not much more until about the 1850s. 

In 1848, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's image appears with a Christmas tree in the Illustrated London News, and that's the first appearance of a Christmas tree idea in the United Kingdom.  In the 1850s, 1860s, and 70s, maybe 10 percent of New Brunswickers had trees. By 1900, 90% had trees in their house. So that tradition grew slowly over a period of 50 years.  As far as public trees go, the first public tree in Saint John was not until 1923, and it was in King Square.

Then the Irving’s began that tradition in 1980 of lighting a large Christmas tree during the time that Canada was celebrating its bicentennial.  So, during the bicentennial years, which was 1983-85, the tree grew to be a massive 66-foot tree with over 5, 000 lights.  It was known as the most beautiful tree in Canada at that time.  And then, the tree blew down one year. Broke in two. And they, they now reduced it down to about a 30-foot tree. But it's still a magnificent sight, for sure.

David is offering his newest book Cottage and Campfire Chillers as a Christmas special.  A signed copy directly from the author for $12.00, or two for $20.00.  Mailed anywhere in Canada for $15.00.  Contact gosswalk@nbnet.nb.ca or call (506) 672-8601. Mark J Brewer, Host

The launch of New Brunswick Traveler was on Tuesday morning, December 5, 2023. Hope to share a cup of coffee with you on Tuesday mornings, and have the water on for tea if that is what you prefer!

The cable ferry was invented in New Brunswick.  We have eight of them on the St. John river system. They all operate as part of the highway system at no cost to drivers.

Just north of Saint John is the Kennebecasis Peninsula, an area settled very early after the Loyalists arrived in 1783.  As early as 1825 there was a type of ferry service crossing the Kennebecasis River from Reeds Point to Gondola Point.  These early ferries were really nothing more than a rowboat, later enlarged and fitted with a sail so that they could take one horse and buggy across the river.  Their existence was vital to the farming community that existed on the peninsula.

William Pitt began operating one of these small sail and oars scow by the 1870s.  In 1903, he invented the cable ferry.  Unfortunately, he died in 1909 when he fell into the equipment.  But his invention became something that is used worldwide.

There is a website www.discoverthepassage.com that highlights traveling the ferries of the lower river passage along the St. John River.  Cable ferries quickly spread throughout the region in the early 1900s, though they were sometimes replaced in winter by ice roads. These ferries are specially engineered to cope with New Brunswick’s winter and early spring runs of river ice.

Ice can be particularly worrisome for the ferry captain.  The extra strain on a cable may cause it to break. In that case, the ferry would drop anchor and wait for another ferry, or a tugboat to rescue it.

There have been times that the government of the day has tried to eliminate some of the cable ferries, citing the cost of maintenance and operation.  That occurred in 2016 when the Gagetown Ferry was removed from service.  That ferry had been in service for 90 years and without the ferry it was a 70 km round trip to get to services that were located just five minutes away by boat. It took four years of yard sign and social media protest, and a change of government, but the service was restored – at least in the summer.  When the river freezes over then the residents can use an “ice road” to go from one side to the other.  The same thing is done by the few residents on Kennebecasis Island when the seasonal ferry ceases operation, usually in November.  That passage is the shortest of any of the cable ferries at 500 metres.

For the residents, cable ferry service is a highway link for them to cross the river when bridges would be unfeasible.  They know that if the ferry is down, you are going to drive around.  For instance, if the two Gondola Point Ferries are out of service it is a 38 km drive to get from the one ferry dock to the one across the river only ½ mile away.

The cable ferries in New Brunswick all travel less than 2/3 mile from one side of the river to the other.  Typically the trip is 5 to 7 minutes. But it is possible for cable ferries to travel a greater distance than that.  The longest cable ferry in the world is located in British Columbia on Baynes Sound and goes from Vancouver Island to Denman Island, a distance of 1 ¼ miles. The diesel powered Peninsula Princess that ravels on the Kennebecasis River from Milledgeville to Summerville covers a similar distance on a trip of 15 minutes. Had the province chosen to make that as a cable ferry, New Brunswick might have had the world record for the longest one.

So cable ferries are a very important part of the lifestyle of those of us in southern New Brunswick. In the words of local song writer Brent Mason: "Take your car, take your bike, take your half-ton truck/ It's the last thing left that don't cost a buck/ The very best things in life are free/ So take a ride, ride, ride on the Evandale Ferry."

New Brunswick Youth Orchestra website

Mark J Brewer, Host

Ice fishing is a very popular sport in New Brunswick.  In this episode Jason Willcox will be telling about some of the locations to fish in the Fredericton/Saint John area and the type of fish that one might expect to catch.  You can contact Jason at the Minnow Tackle Shop in Fredericton.

Mark J Brewer, Host

In this episode, Mark Greene shared the inspiration behind his book The Great Saint John Fire of 1877, which began with his childhood fascination with the event. He explained that Saint John was a significant port city, founded by Loyalists in 1783, and had grown to become the third-largest city in Canada by the mid-1800s. Despite being prone to fires due to its rapid construction and lack of fire prevention, the city was rebuilt each time after the 13 previous major fires, continuing to ignore practices that were needed for fire prevention.

The fire of 1877 was a catastrophic event that destroyed much of the city's wooden infrastructure and left 14,000 homeless. The fire, which started in a warehouse district, was exacerbated by a deflation explosion and spread quickly due to strong winds. The city's lack of building codes and fire prevention measures at the time were cited as contributing factors. In the aftermath of the fire, the city rebuilt under new building codes, prioritizing fire prevention and resulting in a more resilient and rebuilt city. Despite its significance, the Great Saint John Fire is not as widely known as other urban fires of the era.

You can purchase the book The Great Saint John Fire of 1877 by Mark Allan Greene from your local bookseller, or wherever books are sold.

Today NB Traveler is featuring the Marigolds and Murals Project – a program that has been going on for over 20 years in Saint John – and I am interviewing Barry Ogden, the man that brought the program into existence.  Barry states: “Well, we started out with it was one garden and one school, and we're now up to about 46 schools all over Greater Saint John. And I think we've gone over 5 million marigolds now. And 10 years ago, we set the world record for the most flowers planted at one time.” When asked what the main purpose of the project was, he responded the following: Well, one of course is beautification. But another reason is to empower children - that they have the power to change, make things happen.  And another one was to use what we call cross curriculum learning, which was that they started counting the germination rates, learning about photosynthesis.  They wrote some music and they did some artwork. They did some poetry and learned more about their community, where the marigolds were. So it's what we call cross curriculum. It's hands on and academic, and it's inclusive. Every child was involved, and of course it develops pride in the child and in the community because people were saying, “My God, who planted those beautiful marigolds?” And of course, it was the children and their teachers. To obtain more information about The Marigold Project, go to their website

Mark J Brewer, Host

The province of New Brunswick has some great 4-lane highways and good by-roads, but this was not always the case.  The preoccupation with railway construction took much of the government’s focus in the early part of the 20th century.  It was only with a strong push from the Boards of Trade of Saint John and Fredericton that road construction finally began sufficiently in 1917 and beyond.  By the early 1920’s the tourism industry in the province was growing significantly because of the popularity of the automobile and the good roads that the province was building.

The Impact of the Automobile on the Government of New Brunswick  written by Charles Joseph Allain

Was the First Car Invented in Canada  written by Andrew McClean

Early Motoring in New Brunswick  written by Ruby Cusack

Here in New Brunswick, we had about 400 covered bridges at one point in time. Today, there are 58 remaining.  These bridges represent more than a simple aid to transportation. They symbolize the growth and prosperity of the province in the 20th century. Covered bridges were covered for a very practical reason. The roofs protect the floorboards and their supporting beams from the wetting and drying that open bridges normally endure.

New Brunswick covered bridges are distinctive from similar bridges in other parts of North America for two reasons. The most visible is that the wall boards were left unpainted, resulting then in turning the wood the popular soft gray. They are today. Secondly, the openings are taller than most as most bridges were built in rural communities.  Regulations stated that bridges must allow a full wagon load of loose hay to be able to pass under safely.

With each passing year, New Brunswick's covered bridges are increasingly at risk of irreparable damage or demolition due to a range of natural forces, accidents, vandalism and the lack of maintenance. Recent ice and floodwaters have taken their toll, weakening and immediately threatening the future of many bridges.

But the province is investing in repairing some of the bridges, and even in building the first new one in 70 years.  In this podcast, you will learn about some of the ones that you should visit!

Businesses/organizations mentioned in the podcast are listed below:

Hartland, New Brunswick

Association Heritage New Brunswick

Provincial List of Covered Bridges

SJYO Holiday Concert – December 16

Home for Christmas playing at Fredericton Playhouse – December 22

Mark J Brewer, Host

This episode focuses on the Loyalist House in Saint John that was built in 1817 by a New York loyalist, Daniel David Merritt.  Five generations of the Merritt family lived in the house and it was purchase by the New Brunswick Historical Society in 1958.  Society President Greg Marquis and Vice President Troy Middleton.

The episode also reveals some of the interesting items that are in the Loyalist House and also highlights paranormal investigations that are done regularly at the house as a fundraiser.  In addition to talking about the activities at the Loyalist House, there was also a discussion o the other activities that are occurring on May 18 in the city, celebrating the original arrival of the Loyalists in 1783.  More information can be found on their website:

The Loyalist House

In this episode, I interview Laura Weil, who has established a fiberglass door manufacturing company, perhaps the first one in the Maritimes.  Laura shares her journey of establishing a business in Saint John, a city known for its doors. She discusses the hurdles she encountered in securing a suitable location and suppliers, and her efforts in transforming a vacant space into a functional showroom and workshop. Laura also highlights her collaborations with a local artist and a contractor, and her plans to connect with builders, developers, and contractors in the area. She talks about her unique fiberglass doors, which offer a stylish and customizable alternative to the standard steel doors commonly found in the region. Despite the geographical challenges of the Maritimes, Laura expressed her determination to expand her business across the region.  The company website is https://www.hatchparley.com/

This episode is an interview with Joe Morin about his experiences with fishing in southern New Brunswick. Suggestions on where to go, what to fish for and how enjoyable the activity is. Makes me want to get my kayak out of the basement and get it on the water!

In this episode I discuss the rich history of Partridge Island, a site significant for navigation aids, quarantine stations, military fortifications, and lighthouses. I highlight the role of lighthouse keepers and their duties, including the use of foghorns and the invention of the steam-powered fog alarm. I also shed light on the island's quarantine station, its use as a burial ground, and its importance in controlling the spread of diseases during the 19th century.

 

Information for this podcast is Linda Hersey, Harold Wright and others that have contributed to seven different webpages which are listed below:

ihttps://www.saltscapes.com/roots-folks/3024-partridge-island.html

https://legionmagazine.com/the-sad-story-of-partridge-island/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/partridge-island-quarantine-site

https://newirelandnb.ca/quarantine-stations/partridge-island

https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=191

https://maritimemac.com/2018/01/22/the-quest-of-saint-john/

https://mynewbrunswick.ca/partridge-island/

Fundy Winterfest 2024 is featured in this episode. The six communities of Rothesay, Quispamsis, Hampton, Saint John, Grand Bay-Westfield and Fundy St. Martins join together for a 6-week long event starting February 1, where people celebrate and embrace winter as an opportunity to connect across generations, communities, classes and cultures.

I am talking with Keri Flood, the Rothesay Recreation & Communications Coordinator, about events that are happening in her community.

For more information:

Fundy Winterfest 2024 in Rothesay

Guided Snowshoeing in Rockwood Park

Grand Bay Westfield – Feb. 24

Mar 2 – Various activities in Hampton

Look up Fundy Winterfest 2024 on Facebook for more details.

Mark J Brewer, Host

My session today is with David Smith – The First Nation Storyteller living in Saint John.  David shared his journey of becoming a storyteller two years ago, leaving his previous job. The aim was to bring an indigenous flavor to Saint John, an area he felt lacked such activity and visibility. He shared his unique perspective, having grown up off-reserve and later realizing the differences in his worldview. He shared that his storytelling had been well-received and had led to unexpected opportunities, including referrals and invitations from companies. He expressed surprise at the level of support he received and noted the potential for networking.

First Nations Storytellers website

Uptown Burger Week information

Buy Mark a Coffee

An episode with Michael Sadavoy, the Director of Growth and Committee Services at the Greater Saint John Chamber of Commerce, gives a picture of some of the important things that will be happening in the city in 2024 and looking at some of the challenges that the city faces.

To find out more about The Chamber and how to benefit from there services, check out their website

I moved to Canada 21 years ago, and my wife and her family always celebrated their Christmas on Boxing Day, December 26. That would be when the gifts would be exchanged and when the family would get together.

I always found it very intriguing that there was a Boxing Day celebration here in Canada, because it wasn't something that I had ever experienced in the United States. 

According to information I have found, it wasn't until 1871 that Boxing Day did become an official holiday in the United Kingdom. So it makes sense that it wouldn't have been a tradition that would have been in the United States back before the Revolutionary War in 1776.

In Ontario, Boxing Day was much like Black Friday in the United States in that it was a major shopping day there in all of the shopping malls across the province.

Ten years ago, when we moved to New Brunswick, I was somewhat shocked to find that here in New Brunswick, Boxing Day is a provincial holiday, and therefore, everything is closed on Boxing Day. A few pharmacies are open along with convenience stores, but that's about it. I'm still somewhat intrigued with regard to why, not only in New Brunswick, but in many of the Maritime provinces, everything is closed and it's a provincial holiday.

I have a sneaking suspicion that there may have been some major department store back in the day that decided that they would get government to close everything because they wanted their employees to have an extra day of vacation.

So, it's not a day to strap on the gloves. And get in the ring, but rather it's a day to get together, share gifts, and in many of the provinces in Canada to have a major shopping time.

So, to look at the history of Boxing Day, it may go all the way back to Good King Wenceslas. The traditional Christmas Carol, Good King Wenceslas tells the story of one of the possible origins of Boxing Day. The events of this carol takes place on December 26th, which also happens to be the Feast of St. Stephen. In the song, a 10th century Duke of Bohemia sees a poor man and he decides to help this man. The Duke enlists the help of his page and gathering food, wine, and firewood, boxing it all up so that they can take it to the peasant. Then Wunchalus and his page brave a blizzard to deliver the boxes of goods.

Legend holds that Wunchalus actions started a tradition in which church goers would donate money during the advent. Then on the day after Christmas, the boxes of money would be broken open and distributed among the poor. After decades of carrying this out, December 26th became known as Boxing Day.

A second tradition is that it originates from the practice of the aristocracy giving their employees bonuses and presents on the day after Christmas. As the stories go, employees would take their boxes home and open them up with their families, hence Boxing Day. We may not know precisely how this holiday came to be, but we do know one thing.

The first recorded mention of Boxing Day comes from an 1830s version of the Oxford English Dictionary. The definition given is the first weekday after Christmas Day, observed as a holiday on which postmen, errand boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas box.

In other words, according to this definition, Boxing Day is a day to recognize All the service people in your life by leaving them Christmas presents.

Just because we closed the stores here in New Brunswick on Boxing Day, That doesn't mean that there still aren't a lot of sales, because what we have here is Boxing Week. In terms of significance, the holiday spirit of gift and almsgiving. It's generally faded away from memory. It's become a commercial holiday, and we take advantage of it just as much as they do in the United States on Black Friday.

Mark J Brewer, Host

This episode primarily talks about some of the history of lobster fishing in New Brunswick and the value of the lobster industry to the province.  Until the development of a canning process for lobster meat in the mid 19th century, there was really no commercial value, rather lobsters were just harvested for feeding individuals and their families.  By the 20th century, the sale of live lobsters and the processing of lobster meat made it a significant commercial product.  Lobster is Canada’s most valuable seafood export, contributing as much as $1 billion in export sales, and is one of the exports most closely associated with Canada. Live lobsters can be purchased from:

Collins Lobster Shop https://collinslobster.com/

Misty Harbour Seafood https://www.mistyharbourseafood.com/

A cup of coffee can be purchased for me at https://buymeacoffee.com/marks5

This episode highlights the June opening of Place Fort La Tour for the 2024 tourist season. Don LeBlanc, a historical reenactor at the fort, give information about the days and hours that the facility is open, and things that a visitor can expect to see.  Visitors will observe interactive cooking and listen to the story of Charles La Tour and his young bride, who is infamously known as the Lioness of Acadia as presented by reenactors in costume of that era. These is also a discussion on the challenges of raising the money to maintain such a wonderful facility since it is only open four to five months of the year.  In addition to individual tourists that visit the fort, there are cruise passenger tour groups and bus tour groups.  This summer there will be a production of Hamlet right in the open space in the middle of the fort.

Place Fort La Tour website

The Imperial Theatre hosts the TIFF Film Circuit and I am here today with Lindsay Jacquard, the Sponsorship and Patron Services Coordinator, to talk about the series and other great things that are happening at the theatre.  An edited part of the interview is below:

(Mark) So Lindsay, tell my listeners about the theatre’s community spirit and its outreach to connect and engage people.

(Lindsay) Well, the Imperial Theater has been a part of Saint John for about a hundred years now, and the theatre in this iteration under this name has been around for 30 seasons, so we are about as entrenched in Saint John history as we can get, but we have the privilege of not only presenting shows year round, but working with community partners doing outreach with schools, with assisted living homes and with groups in our community.  And we get to present amazing art.

(M) So talk a little more about the TIFF series.

(L) Yes, we're now the new home of the TIFF circuit here in Saint John.  TIFF, is an international film festival that happens in Toronto every year. But what they also do is work with film distributors to get these movies into smaller communities, into places that may not have these independent films released in their cinemas.  And we are the right venue for that. We have the technology. We have the space. And we have the audiences to bring in to see all sorts of films that might not be here otherwise.

(M) I am very impressed by how accessible the theater is for people that might have some physical handicaps.

(L) Yes, especially in the past couple of years, we have really been focusing on how we can make the venue accessible in a multitude of ways, whether that is for folks with mobility needs or other physical accessibility considerations, and also for folks who might have different accessibility needs. People who might need a quieter space; people who might need to take more time when ordering tickets or any number of things. And I think there's a lot of different ways to consider accessibility whether that is physical or price point or language barriers.

(M) What are ways to obtain tickets in addition to doing it through the Imperial website?

(L) I run the box office, and there will always be a whole bunch of friendly faces in The box office is not just about selling tickets. But it's about folks who whether they don't enjoy using the website or they've just run into a problem beyond their control. We're here to be your troubleshooters and we're also here to be helpful to you. We're open Monday to Friday, 12 to 5. But if there's a show going on, sometimes you can sneak in in the evening and find that we're still available too.

(M) So, Lindsay, how can my local listeners become more involved with the Imperial Theatre?

(L) Oh, goodness! I mean, you can always just come. See shows here because we are happy to have faces that we recognize. But if you want to be even more involved, we have a wonderful volunteer core. Our volunteers really make this place run. They are ushers, they are our ticket scanners, and they are the faces that you see when you come to a show in the evening. And if folks want to get involved in that way, there's more information on our website on how to volunteer at our shows and at our events.

(M) When will the kick off be for the 31st season?

(L) We haven't announced the date of our launch yet, but our season launch is always in June, so June of 2024 we will be revealing all of our secrets, and then our first shows of the new season are always starting in September, or October.

Imperial Theatre Website

Jan 30 – TIFF Film Circuit: Bones of Crows  7:00 PM

Feb 11 – Greater Saint John Chinese NY Gala  2:00 PM

Feb 13 – Retro Film: Legally Blonde  7:00 PM

Mark J Brewer, Host

This episode is an interview with Kerry Wilhelm, the owner of an e-bike business in St. Martins, New Brunswick.  Kerry talks about his background, the reason for selecting St. Martins as the location for his business, some of the challenges of starting a business, and  future opportunities that he is hoping can be accomplished.

Kerry started by building his own e-bike, then converting bikes for friends and that grew into a business.  He then began repairing e-bikes and later began doing rentals in both the St. Martins area, and on the Fundy Trail Parkway.  His next step is providing guide tours both on the Fundy Trail Parkway, and also on Deer Island.

His website is www.2ndwindcycle.com and his shop is located at 2551 NB-111 in St Martins.

Talking with Jenna Fitch from Kings Landing. They are having an event there called Maple, the First Taste of Spring.  Jenna will share about this event and some background of Kings Landing.

Jenna:  Our Maple Event has been going on for about 40 years. Visitors can come and get a glimpse into what life in the sugarbush was like in the 1900s.

The history of maple dates back many years. introduced by indigenous people in the area and then, shown to settlers as this amazing product that you can use. Very sweet, very nourishing and very energizing. We have a couple of houses open where we talk about life in the winter in the 19th century. And then we have demonstration of how they would boil that sap down to then make maple syrup and then eventually the maple candy, which is usually everybody's favorite.

It is just a fun day for the family to get out, learn a little history and just mostly have some fun. Take a horse and wagon ride as well. And then we do have our pancake breakfast in support of the Luxor Shriners.

Mark:  So, talk a little more then about King's Landing itself. I know that, when the dam was put in, there were a lot of homes that were going to be essentially destroyed when the water filled. And many of those homes, or some of them at least, were moved.

Jenna:  Yes, it was the late 1960s. And as you mentioned, the dam construction project was sort of underway or the plans were in place and a committee came together there is a lot of history in this area that eventually would be underwater.

So, they wanted to save different buildings or houses that had some type of historical significance. About 70 of these historic buildings are on our site. Some early after we opened, some in the late 1960s, and others in the 1970s. Kings Landing is now alive as a 19th century village where people can come and visit the different homes and the characters inside.  We also have the shops, including the Blacksmith, the Carpenter and the General Store, which is my favorite.

We have been operating for 50 years now. July 20th was our official opening date in 1974. We will be having a celebration in the summer as well, on July 20th, to mark that.

Kings Landing – The First Taste of Spring

Travelogue: In the Footsteps of Joni Mitchell

NB Poli Podcast

CanadaLand

Buy Mark a Coffee

The authority on the waterfalls of New Brunswick is Nicholas Guitard, who is an avid nature photographer, canoeist, hiker and waterfalls hound.

The second tallest waterfall in the province is Fall Brook Falls, which is 108 feet high. This waterfall should not be confused with Falls Brook Falls, which is located near Edmonston.

The tallest waterfall in New Brunswick is 115 feet, but in the summertime it has very little water flow in it.  Compare this with Hickory Nut Falls in Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina at 404 feet. Which is one of the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi in the United States. I hiked up that trail along that falls a number of times when I lived there over 20 years ago.

If you're driving down Highway 2 from Quebec, the best waterfall to stop and see would be Grand Falls. One reason you can see it without having to hike a trail to get there. Secondly, it's the largest waterfall in New Brunswick. Not as tall as Fall Brook, but a lot wider.  At 75 feet in height, it is still quite a significant view, if you take the trail to the base of the gorge.

Guitard mentioned that Grand Falls is reported to be the largest waterfall east of Niagara Falls.  It is estimated the volume of the water that flows over Niagara Falls is over 3, 000 tons per second. Well, we don't have any waterfalls in New Brunswick that have that kind of volume, but we do have the Bay of Fundy that has the highest tides in the world twice a day. The volume of water that flows in and out of the bay in one tide change is over 160 billion tons.

A park ranger once mentioned to me that it would take one year and nine months of Niagara Falls water flow just to equal the amount of water that flows in and out of the Bay of Fundy in one tidal cycle. Now that is impressive. And will be dealt with in a future podcast.

If you're driving into the province from St. Stephen, you should stop and see Lepreau Falls. There's an observation deck that gives an excellent view of the falls. It's only about two miles off Highway 1, and located about halfway between St. Stephen and St. John. The waterfall is part of Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark, which is a large region in Southern New Brunswick with a geologic history going back 1 billion years.

The final group of waterfalls that I want to mention is along the Fundy Trail Parkway.  The parkway is 19 miles long and has over 22 miles of hiking and biking trails. It opens on May 19th and will close for the winter on October 29th. The operating hours are from 9 a. m. to either 5 or 8 p. m., depending on the time of season. There'll be a entrance fee to get into the Parkway, but it's well worth it.

The four waterfalls are:  Fuller Falls, Long Beach Brook Falls, McLeod Falls and Walton Glen Gorge Falls. The last two are in Walton Glen Gorge. The gorge has been compared to the Grand Canyon, but obviously much smaller. At over 300 feet deep and with vertical rock faces, it is an awe-inspiring scene.

Oromocto River Watershed

Hiking NB

All Trails

Guide: Waterfalls of New Brunswick

Fundy Trail Parkway Waterfalls

King’s Landing

I have always been intrigued by drive-in theatres. There are three of them that still operate in New Brunswick and in this episode, I interview Don Monahan, the owner of the Sussex Drive-in and Campground.  We look at the place of the drive-in in the current time.  We also talk about Fundy Fest which will be held on July 19 and 20 with headliners Julian Austin and Tim Hicks.  Information about Fundy Fest can be found at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sussex-fundy-fest-2024-tickets-781532624117

In this episode I am talking with Jenna Morton, the Executive Director of the Greater Moncton Scottish Association.  Specifically, we are talking about the upcoming Greater Moncton Highland Games and Scottish Festival that will be happening on June 13 to 17.  More information about obtaining tickets for the event can be found on their website at https://monctonhighlandgames.com/

Some travelers come to New Brunswick with the hope of seeing a moose. This episode focuses on some background about the health of the moose herd, locations where they can be found, safety tips for avoiding a collision with one of them and details on the hunting season for those individuals that want to not only see one, but to shoot one.

The following businesses/organizations were mentioned in the episode:

Java Moose coffee - https://javamoose.com

Red Bank Lodge - http://redbanklodge.com

Taxis River Outfitters - https://taxisriveroutfitters.com

Adair's Outfitters - https://adairsoutfitters.com

Rockwood Park "German Christmas Market - 142 Lake Drive, Saint John

Pine Grove Nursing Home "Festival of Lights" - 521 Woodstock Road, Fredericton Mark J Brewer, Host

Did you know that men from New Brunswick fought in the American Civil War? I certainly didn’t!  That is until I saw that the New Brunswick Historical Society is raising money to purchase a sword that a medical officer from St. Andrews had used when he served with the Union army.  I did an interview with the president of the historical society to get the rest of the story. 

(Mark)  I'm here today with Greg Marquis, who's the president of New Brunswick Historical Society.  And one of the things I'm really interested in, Greg   is the fact that something between 35, 000 and 50, 000 individuals from what is now known as Canada fought in the American civil war, mostly on the side of the union. So why is the story of Dr. John Stevenson’s sword important?

(Greg)  Well, I think it's important for the very issue you've raised that so many men were involved in this supposedly foreign war, but it wasn't really that foreign to many people living in the British colonies. Now, Stevenson. was a bit more of an exception because he crossed the border after the war started, to enlist; whereas many of the Canadian men who joined union regiments for the most part were already living down in the States, working and that type of thing.  And he represents the medical history, which is also interesting. We certainly know that there's hundreds of men from New Brunswick who served, but obviously a smaller number of doctors. I think the other interesting thing about Stevenson is that he was a surgeon for one of the all black infantry regiments, except for the officers and the Connecticut 29th Regiment.  About 1, 000 or 1, 200 men  mainly from Connecticut and New England who were African American  volunteered to preserve the union.   He served with that unit and they served in Virginia and later they went to Texas and that's where he became ill and died.

(Greg)  So why is a sword important?   I don't think we have any personal dress swords because this is not a combat sword on display in Atlantic Canada. This was the ceremonial or dress sword that even medical officers had to have as part of their kit.  So this would be a first and I think it would be a very. Important symbol of that participation because we don't have a lot of uniforms and artifacts and weapons and things like that - the physical aspect  of the service of these men.  And so I think it would be important to have this. To help remember that time of history and also to help remember Dr. Stevenson, who was from St. Andrews, New Brunswick, and after he passed away, he was buried there. 

(Mark)  So trying to get the sword,  what's the process and how can people assist with that? 

(Greg)  Well,  from what I understand, the collector in Ontario is sort of holding it for us.  Which is nice because I think he believes that it should stay in Canada and we agree.  The total cost of purchasing and displaying the sword will be about $7,000.  Donations can be made directly to the museum, or Canada Helps for individuals to receive a tax deduction receipt.

Donation through CanadaHelps

New Brunswick Historical Society Website

January 28 talk at the library

Buy Me a Coffee

Picture that I am using is from the New Brunswick Historical Society

Mark J Brewer, Host

So I want to talk a little bit today about new beginnings, but in some ways, that new beginning goes back ten years to when my wife and I moved here to New Brunswick. I first heard about the Bay of Fundy in the late 1990s when I was living in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

And a friend told me how wonderful it was with all those tides and everything, not dreaming that some years later, I would actually be living on the Bay of Fundy.  In 2003, I made my first trip to New Brunswick when my wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary at Marsh Harbor Inn in Sackville and visited Hopewell Rocks where I could walk on the ocean floor and then six hours later see that same area under over 30 foot of water.

On that trip, we also visited Prince Edward Island in Nova Scotia before coming back to St. John on the ferry from Digby and spending a night at Homeport Bed and Breakfast. Homeport originally was two homes that were side by side overlooking the water of Saint John Harbour. They were owned by ship captains and called the Wedding Cake Houses because of their shape. These two houses were later purchased by one individual and turned into a bed and breakfast.

At that time, I just sort of saw myself as a drive through traveler who stopped in Saint John on the way back to Ontario. My second trip to New Brunswick is in 2010  when I came here to attend the annual convention of Eastern Canada and the Caribbean district of Kiwanis International, which was held in Saint John. One thing that impressed me about the city at that time was the friendliness.

When I married Linda in 2002, she told me that when she retired, we were moving out of the city that she had lived in for over 40 years. She was a South Shore Montreal girl who never felt particularly at home in that Toronto suburb where she was teaching elementary school.  So, in 2013, retirement happened, and it wastime for a new beginning.  We chose Saint John because there was an active Kiwanis club here, it was near the water, property was affordable to rent or own, and the people were friendly and very welcoming. We came eight years ahead of that massive immigration of Ontarians who have arrived over the last two years.

Five years ago, I started working for Aquila Tours spending time sharing the wonderful things about the history of Saint John with those cruise passengers that would come.  And we're excited that each year, it seems that there's more cruise ships that are stopping here in Saint John. Even after 21 years of living in Canada, I still have that Yankee and on cruise ship days might be accused of being a passenger instead of being a resident of Saint John.

I've enjoyed living in the area for the last 10 plus years, helping the Kiwanis Club to raise over 100, 000 annually through their Cash Calendar Project.  In 21 years, they've put over one and a half million dollars back into the community, helping kids.

I bought a kayak to use in the summertime and snowshoes for the winter. Spending time with the Outdoor Enthusiast Club here in Saint John as they explore the lakes, trails, and parks in the area.

For me, New Brunswick is home. I started the New Brunswick Traveler podcast so that we can explore and enjoy it together. Do you have a special place in New Brunswick that you would like  my other listeners to know about?  If so, go to my website at mbtraveler. com and either leave me a voice message or just send an email from that link.

An Evening with James Mullenger and Friends

New Brunswick Youth Orchestra

Mark J Brewer, Host

This interview with local historian Harold Wright deals with the military history of Partridge Island and the other sites around Saint John. Harold offers insights and humour as he shares about the establishment of a military defense in the 1790s, the War of 1812, and the wars in the 20th century.

Interview with Elizabeth Case, the owner of Sweetums Artisan Patisserie, which was opened in April, 2024.  Elizabeth shares her journey as a pastry chef from working with a high end restaurant on Vancouver Island to returning to New Brunswick and opening he own shop. There is good advice for individuals that would want to open their own business.  The bakery is located at 83 Hampton Road in Rothesay.

The theme of this podcast is “out of the ashes”.  In the case of a murder in 1935 in the Moncton area, the ashes revealed evidence that resulted in two brothers being convicted of murder and hanging, along with their mother being charged with kidnapping – the first in New Brunswick to be charged with that.  In the second fire, rising out of the ashes of the Covered Bridge Potato Chip factory in Hartland is a continuation of a great product with the promise of a new facility being built right on the same site.

Covered Bridge Potato Chips

Maritime Murder by Steve Vernon

Buy Mark a Coffee

In this episode,  Danielle Timmons, a member of the leadership team of Aquilla – The Centre or Cruise Excellence discusses some of the 35 year history of Cruise in Saint john. Danielle noted that 2022 was a restart year after the Covid-19 pandemic, and 2023 was a successful season with the industry operating at near maximum capacity. For 2024, Aquila expects 88 ship day visits, since 12 of the 74 ships scheduled to visit Saint John will be staying overnight. There was a listing of popular tours that passengers take and a discussion on the logistics of working with a large volume of passengers on a day when three ships visit at the same time.

Danielle highlighted that over 60 businesses in Southern New Brunswick work with Aquila and benefit from the tours that are provided. She also mentioned that about 50% of passengers explore on their own, benefiting the city's shops and restaurants.

Aquila – The Centre for Cruise Excellence.

Port of Saint John 2024 Cruise Ship Schedule.

Interview with Saint John poet and playwright Clyde Wray about upcoming fundraising production titled ”Tell it on the Mountain” which will be on December 14 at 4 PM at the Old Stone Church in Saint John.  It is the backstory to the Nativity and will feature local singer Debbie Ashley.

Clyde shares his journey to Saint John, where he moved to be closer to his wife's family. He explained how the local community's warmth and willingness to speak surprised him, coming from a fast-paced city like New York. Clyde's artistic focus on black identity and history in Saint John was inspired by the lack of representation in the photographs he saw at the Pompadour Cafe. He advises young poets and playwrights to persevere and remain dedicated to their craft, sharing his own experiences of sacrificing for his art.