|
Discover Places to Go and Things to Do
|
|
Saint John, NB
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saint John is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 68,043. The population of the Census Metropolitan Area is 122,389.
The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the St. John River.
HistoryPredated by the Maritime Archaic Indian civilization, the area of the northwestern coastal regions of the Bay of Fundy is believed to have been inhabited by the Passamaquoddy Nation several thousand years ago, while the Saint John River valley north of the bay became the domain of the Maliseet Nation. The mouth of the Saint John River was first discovered by Europeans in 1604 during a reconnaissance of the Bay of Fundy undertaken by French cartographer Samuel de Champlain. The day upon which Champlain sighted the mighty river was St. John The Baptist's Day, thus the name for the river Fleuve St-Jean (St. John River). The strategic location at the mouth of the St. John River came to be fortified by Charles de la Tour in 1631. After several wars between the French and the British, Saint John passed to the British. Fort LaTour was renamed in 1758 as Fort Frederick. Fort Frederick was destroyed during the American Revolutionary War and Fort Howe was built nearby at the insistence of newly-arriving Loyalist refugees.
The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the St. John River.
HistoryPredated by the Maritime Archaic Indian civilization, the area of the northwestern coastal regions of the Bay of Fundy is believed to have been inhabited by the Passamaquoddy Nation several thousand years ago, while the Saint John River valley north of the bay became the domain of the Maliseet Nation. The mouth of the Saint John River was first discovered by Europeans in 1604 during a reconnaissance of the Bay of Fundy undertaken by French cartographer Samuel de Champlain. The day upon which Champlain sighted the mighty river was St. John The Baptist's Day, thus the name for the river Fleuve St-Jean (St. John River). The strategic location at the mouth of the St. John River came to be fortified by Charles de la Tour in 1631. After several wars between the French and the British, Saint John passed to the British. Fort LaTour was renamed in 1758 as Fort Frederick. Fort Frederick was destroyed during the American Revolutionary War and Fort Howe was built nearby at the insistence of newly-arriving Loyalist refugees. For more complete information, researchers are encouraged to contact the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, the New Brunswick Museum, the University of New Brunswick or one of the many other local historical societies and museums. The Loyalist-dominated communities of Parrtown and Carleton developed around Fort Howe and both towns were amalgamated by Royal charter to become the City of Saint John in 1785, making it the first incorporated city in British North America (present-day Canada). During the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, the city's location made it a probable target of attacks, thus several military forts were constructed, namely Fort Dufferin and one of Canada's sixteen Martello Towers.
The Irish potato famine (1845-1849) saw the city's largest immigrant influx occur, with the government forced to construct a quarantine station and hospital on Partridge Island at the mouth of the harbour to handle the new arrivals. These immigrants changed the character of the city and surrounding region from its Loyalist-Protestant heritage with their Irish-Catholic tradition. Saint John became the province's leading industrial centre during the nineteenth century, fostering a shipbuilding trade that lasted until 2002. Much of the city's shipbuilding industry was concentrated on the mudflats of Courtney Bay on east side. One local shipyard built the famous sailing ship Marco Polo. Due to its location for railways and servicing the triangle trade between British North America, the Caribbean, and the United Kingdom, the city was poised to be one of Canada's leading urban centres, however a disastrous fire in 1877 destroyed a large portion of the central business district.
During the First World War, the city became a trans-shipment point for the British Empire's war effort. The Second World War saw the port decline in importance due to the U-boat threat which saw Halifax's protected harbour offer improved convoy marshaling. However, manufacturing expanded considerably, notably the production of veneer wood for De Havilland Mosquito bomber aircraft. On account of the U-boat threat, additional batteries facilities were installed around the harbour.
Saint John's first airport was located north of the business district at Millidgeville. This location on a plateau overlooking the Kennebecasis River was a summer cottage area used by local residents to escape the coastal fog from the Bay of Fundy. It was here in 1932 where Amelia Earheart landed during her solo trans-Atlantic flight. The current Saint John Airport was developed post-war and is located in the eastern part of the city.
GovernmentMunicipal Government (Common Council)ResponsibilitySaint John is governed by a body of elected officials, referred to as "Common Council" who's responsibilities include
Setting the City Operational Budget Setting the City Water Utility Budget/ Rates Enacting and Amending By-Laws Rezoning and Land-Use permissions of properties in Saint John. Setting the Capital budget for the City. Act act the Board of Directors for the Corporation "City of Saint John" Appoint persons to City Staff and Commissions. Oversee the operation of City Commissions and DepartmentsCompositionThe Common Council is comprised of
One Mayor who runs at-large, acts as Chairman of the Board. Ten Common Councillors, voted at large
One of the Ten Councillors is elected by the council to serve as Deputy Mayor. By tradition the councillor with the most votes is appointed.
As of the October 9th 2007 Plebiscite the citizens have decided as of the May 2008 Quadrennial Municipal Elections that the way council will be elected is that the city to be divided into four wards of approximately equal population with two councillors to be elected by the voters in that ward, and two councillors to be elected at large.
Climate, geography and economyClimateThe climate of Saint John is humid temperate continental. The Bay of Fundy never fully freezes, thus moderating the winter temperatures compared with inland locations. Even so, with the prevailing wind blowing from the west (from land to sea), the average January temperature is about -7 degrees Celsius. Summers are cool to moderately warm, and daytime temperatures usually do not exceed 25 degrees Celsius. Saint John experiences a considerable amount of fog during the summer months, though the fog usually does not last throughout an entire day.
Precipitation in Saint John is heavy and is well distributed throughout the year, although the late autumn and early winter is typically the wettest time of year. Snowfalls can often be heavy, but rain is as common as snow in winter, and it is not unusual for the ground to be snow-free even in mid-winter.
In Saint John the height difference from low to high tide is approximately 50 feet due to the funnelling effect of the Bay of Fundy as it narrows. The Reversing Falls in Saint John, actually an area of strong rapids, provides one example of the power of these tides; at every high tide, ocean water is pushed through a narrow gorge in the middle of the city and forces the St. John River to reverse its flow for several hours.
Physical geographySituated in the south-central portion of the province, along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the St. John River, the city is split by the south-flowing river and the east side is bordered on the north by the Kennebecasis River where it meets the St. John River at Grand Bay.
The St. John River itself flows into the Bay of Fundy through a narrow gorge several hundred feet wide at the centre of the city. It hosts a unique phenomenon called the Reversing Falls Rapids where the diurnal tides of the bay reverse the water flow of the river for several kilometres. A series of underwater ledges at the narrowest point of this gorge also create a series of rapids.
The topography surrounding Saint John is hilly; a result of the influence of two coastal mountain ranges which run along the Bay of Fundy - the St. Croix Highlands and the Caledonia Highlands. The soil throughout the region is extremely rocky with frequent granite outcrops. The coastal plain hosts numerous freshwater lakes in the eastern, western and northern parts of the city.
NeighbourhoodsSaint John is a city of neighbourhoods, with many residents closely identifying with their particular area.
South Central PeninsulaThe central peninsula on the east side of the harbour, and the area immediately opposite on the west side, hosts the site of the original city from the merger of Parrtown and Carleton. The central peninsula on the western side subsequently saw increased development and currently includes the central business district (CBD) and the Trinity Royal heritage district, which together are referred to as "Uptown" by residents throughout the city. As most of this area in the central peninsula is situated on a hill, it is rarely called "Downtown." The south end of the central peninsula, south of the Duke Street, is appropriately called the South End.
North EndThe area north of the Highway 1 from the South Central Peninsula is called the North End; both areas being predominantly urban residential comprised of older housing which is undergoing gentrification. Much of the North End is made up of the former city of Portland and comprises another former working class area which is slowly undergoing gentrification at the eastern end of Douglas Avenue; immediately north of Portland and upstream from the Reversing Falls is the former community of Indiantown. Vessels navigating the Saint John River can only transit the Reversing Falls gorge at slack tide, thus Indiantown became a location during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries where tugboats and paddle wheelers could dock to wait. Being located at the beginning of the navigable part of the St. John River, Indiantown also became a major terminal for vessels departing to ply their trade upriver. Further north of the central part of the city, and northeast of the North End and Portland, along the southern bank of the Kennebecasis River is the neighbourhood of Millidgeville. Located here is a campus of the University of New Brunswick as well as southwestern New Brunswick's largest health care centre, the Saint John Regional Hospital. The eastern area of the North End plays host to the city's largest park, and one of Canada's largest urban parks. Rockwood Park encompasses 890 hectares of upland Acadian mixed forest, many hills and several caves, as well as several freshwater lakes, with an extensive trail network, a golf course and the city's zoo. The park was designed by Calvert Vaux in the mid- to late-1800s. Mount Pleasant borders the park, and is generally seen as distinct from the traditionally poorer North End.
East SideTo the east of the Courtney Bay / Forebay and South of Highway 1, is the East Side, where the city has experienced its greatest suburban sprawl in recent decades with commercial retail centres and residential subdivisions. There has been commercial development in the Westmorland Road-McAllister Drive-Consumer's Drive-Major's Brook Drive-Retail Drive corridor since the 1970s, including McAllister Place, the city's largest shopping mall, which opened in 1978. The city's current airport is located further east on the coastal plain among several lakes at the far eastern edge of the municipality
West SideWest of the St. John River, the city is collectively referred to as West Side, however Saint Johners typically divide this into several neighbourhoods. As mentioned previously, the Lower West Side (or sometimes "Saint John West") is the former working class neighbourhood that was known as Carleton at the time of the city's formation in 1785. West and north of the Lower West Side is the former city of Lancaster, which was amalgamated into Saint John in 1967. The dividing line is generally agreed upon to be the street known, appropriately, as City Line, with the streets below City Line being considered to be the West Side. The southern part of Lancaster abutting Saint John Harbour and the Bay of Fundy is Bayshore and the location of Canadian Pacific Railway's Bayshore Yard. The north end of Lancaster, known as Fairville, is home to Moosehead brewery and older neighbourhoods clustered along Manawagonish Road. North of Fairville are the communities of Milford and Randolph. Randolph, which is home to Dominion Park Beach, is actually on the city's largest island, joined to Milford by a bridge over Mosquito Cove on Greenhead Road. West of Lancaster, the city hosts its second largest park, and one of the largest coastal urban parks in the country. The Irving Nature Park sits on an extensive peninsula called Taylors Island extending into the western part of the harbour into the Bay of Fundy.
Urban redevelopmentAn urban renewal project in the early 1970s involving a partnership between CPR along with the federal, provincial and municipal governments saw a new harbour bridge and expressway (called the Saint John Throughway) built on former railway lands. The ferry terminal for the service to Digby, Nova Scotia was also relocated from Long Wharf to a new facility on the lower West Side (see Bay Ferries Limited) as the CBD was expanded with new office buildings and downtown retail areas while historic industrial buildings were turned into shops and museums. The skyline in the city boasts office towers and historic properties.
In 1982, a 2-block area of the Uptown area (see Trinity Royal) was designated for historic preservation. A related development in recent years has been waterfront redevelopment for tourist and residential use. This effort increased markedly in the early 2000s following the closure and dismantling of the Lantic Sugar refinery in the South End.
In the 1970s redevelopment of the city and port, most of the port's industrial areas were scheduled to be relocated at a major new deepwater port being considered for the western part of the outer harbour at Lorneville in a major partnership between the Irving conglomerate, NB Power, CPR and the three levels of government. However, the plan fell through in favour of concentrating industrial development on the inner harbour along the mouth of the Saint John River - the very area where the waterfront redevelopment is being proposed (see Saint John Waterfront Development Partnership). Often cited in the media and by politicians as part of Saint John's redevelopment strategy, Harbour cleanup refers to the infrastructure project that will bring an end to the practice of discharging raw sewage into local waterways.
Energy projectsCanaport LNGCanaport LNG, a partnership between Irving Oil (25%) and Repsol YPF (75%), is constructing a state-of-the-art LNG receiving and regasification terminal in Saint John, New Brunswick that will begin operations in late 2008. It will be the first LNG regasification plant in Canada, sending out natural gas to both Canadian and American Markets. The LNG have a send-out capacity, or the ability to distribute via pipeline, 1 billion cubic feet (28 million cubic meters) of natural gas a day after it has been regasified from its liquid state. The BMO report states: “Real investment in non-residential structures is expected to jump 12.2 per cent in 2006, compared to a gain of 2.7 per cent last year. The largest increases are anticipated in the retail trade and transportation and warehousing sectors. The latter reflects work on the C$750 million Canaport liquid natural gas terminal near Saint John. Construction on the terminal began in September 2006, and the terminal is scheduled to be in operation in 2008. There is also a C$350 million pipeline planned to transport natural gas from the terminal to the U.S. border state.
Brunswick PipelineEmera Inc. will invest approximately $350 million, for full ownership of a proposed pipeline which will deliver natural gas from the planned Canaport(TM) Liquefied Natural Gas ( LNG) import terminal near Saint John, New Brunswick to markets in Canada and the US Northeast. Brunswick Pipeline will have a diameter of 30 inches and will be capable of carrying approximately 850 million cubic feet per day of re-gasified LNG. Capacity can be expanded with added compression. Brunswick Pipeline will deliver natural gas from the Canaport™ Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) receiving and re-gasification terminal near Saint John, New Brunswick to markets in Canada and the US northeast. The 145 kilometer pipeline would extend through southwest New Brunswick to an interconnection with the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline at the Canada/US border near St. Stephen, NB. The National Energy Board (NEB) has issued its Environmental Assessment Report (EA Report) on the proposed Brunswick Pipeline project. The main finding of the EA Report is that the project is not likely to result in significant adverse environmental effects, provided Brunswick Pipeline meets all of its environmental commitments, and all of the NEB’s recommendations are implemented. The pipeline is under construction and it expected to be in service by the end of 2008
Buildings and structuresCourtney Bay Smokestacks (each 106.7 metres)Brunswick Square (80.8 metres) 19-story office building with 511,032 sq/ft which was built in 1976. It is the largest office building in New Brunswick in terms of square footage and second in Atlantic Canada behind the Maritime Centre in Halifax. It is tied with Assumption Place in Moncton for the tallest.Fortis PropertiesCathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Gothic style Catholic cathedral, construction began in 1853, its spire rises to 70.1m)City Hall (55.2 metres) 15-story office building (165,000 S/F)Brunswick House (52 metres) 14-story office building (103,000 S/F) Commercial PropertiesIrving Building (50 metres) 14-story office building JD IrvingSaint John Hilton Hotel (49 metres) 12-story hotel (192 rooms) Hilton Hotel Harbourside Senior Citizens Housing Complex (43 metres) 12-story apartment buildingHarbour Building (37 metres) 10-story office building Mercantile Centre (30 metres) 7-story office building (106,600 S/F)CBREFort Howe Hotel and Convention Centre 10-story Hotel (135 rooms) Fort Howe HotelHoliday Inn Express Hotel and Suites 7-story Hotel (94 rooms, 15 suites ) Holiday Inn Express - Saint JohnCity Market (built in 1876, oldest city market in North America, with an original ship's hull roof design)CultureImperial Theatre, Saint JohnGothic Arches, Saint JohnSaint John Theatre CompanyOpera New BrunswickFestival by the SeaSaint John Shakespeare FestivalCity of Saint John GalleryCobalt Gallery, Saint JohnHandworks GalleryNew Brunswick MuseumPeter Buckland GallerySaint John Arts CentreThird Space GalleryTrinity GalleriesCanada Day CelebrationsSalty JamCanada Day CountdownSportsIn the fall of 2005, Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League began to play here at the 6,200 seat Harbour Station, in the city's uptown.The Saint John Flames of the AHL played here from 1993-2003, winning the Calder Cup in 2000-2001.1999 World Curling Championships1998 World Junior Figure Skating Championships1997 AHL All-Star Game1995 Skate Canada1985 Jeux Canada GamesEducationIn 1964, the University of New Brunswick created UNB Saint John. Initially located in buildings throughout the downtown CBD, in 1968 UNBSJ opened a new campus in the city's Tucker Park neighbourhood. This campus has undergone expansion over the years and is the fastest growing component of the UNB system with many new buildings constructed between the 1970s-2000s. A trend in recent years has been a growth in the number of international students. The city also hosts a New Brunswick Community College campus in the East End of the city. In the fall of 2007, a report commissioned by the provincial government recommended that UNBSJ and the NBCC be merged to form a post-secondary institution independent of the University of New Brunswick and the NBCC system. The proposal recommended calling this new school a polytechnic to reflect a new focus on undergraduate- and graduate-level engineering, sciences and business. The proposed reduction in the humanities and the new name (which led some observers to believe that there would be no university-level programs offered at the new institution) prompted criticism.
Saint John is served by two school boards; District District 8 for Anglophone schools and District 1 (based out of Dieppe, New Brunswick) for the city's sole Francophone school, Centre-Scolaire-Communautaire Samuel-de-Champlain. A private school, Rothesay Netherwood School is located in the adjacent town of Rothesay. Saint John is also home to Canada's oldest publicly funded school, Saint John High School. The other high schools in the city, all belonging to School District 8, are Harbour View High School, St. Malachy's High School, and Simonds High School.
Media Television Channel 4 / Cable 3: CBAT, CBC Channel 5 / Cable 11: CBAFT, Radio-Canada Channel 9 / Cable 8: CKLT, CTV Channel 12 / Cable 6: CIHF, Global Cable 10 Rogers Television
Radio 930 AM - CFBC, "Goodtime Oldies-930 CFBC" oldies 88.1 FM - CBAL-4, Espace musique 88.9 FM - CHNI, News 88.9 news/talk 91.3 FM - CBD, CBC Radio One 94.1 FM - CHSJ, Country 94 country 96.1 FM - CINB, Newsong FM, Christian music 97.3 FM - CHWV, 97.3 The Wave adult contemporary 98.9 FM - CJYC, Big John classic rock 100.5 FM - CIOK, K-100 adult contemporary 101.5 FM - CBZ, CBC Radio Two 102.3 FM - CBAF-1, La Première Chaîne 103.5 FM - CJEF, 103.5 The Pirate comedy/CHR 105.7 FM - CHQC, L'onde francophone de Saint-Jean 107.3 FM - CFMH, University of New Brunswick-Saint JohnChurches First United Pentecostal Church (UPCI) (130 Mark Dr.) Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses (2020 Loch Lomond Rd.) Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses (Magazine St.) St. Maris Catholic Church (at Bayside Dr. and Park Ave.) Park Avenue United Church (at Park Ave. and Wilton St.) St John's (Stone) Church (87 Carleton St.) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - Mormons (177 Manchester Ave.) St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - Greek Orthodox (33 Dorchester St.) Silverfalls United Church (1832 Loch Lomond Road)Many other churches exist in the city and will be added in time.
NewspapersThe Telegraph-Journal, (daily)Here (weekly)Le Saint-Jeannois (monthly)West Side Tides (weekly)East Coast Chinese Newspaper (monthly)Coffee News (weekly)WesTides (Bi-weekly)MilitaryBesides being the location of several historical forts, such as Fort Howe, Fort Dufferin, and a Martello Tower, Saint John is the location of a number of reserve units of the Canadian Forces.
HMCS Brunswicker - a Naval Reserve Division. D Company, 1st Battalion, Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Carleton & York) - an infantry unit of 37 Canadian Brigade Group. 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (The Loyal Company) - the oldest artillery regiment in Canada and third in the British Commonwealth, a part of 37 Canadian Brigade Group. 31 (Saint John) Service Battalion - a Service Battalion of 37 Canadian Brigade Group. 722 (Saint John) Communications Squadron - a unit of the Communications Reserve.Notable firstsCanada's first public museum, 1842. Originally known as the Gesner Museum, named after its Nova Scotian founder Abraham Gesner, the inventor of kerosene. The museum is now known as the New Brunswick Museum.Canada's first quarantine station, Partridge Island.The first chartered bank in Canada, 1830, the Bank of New Brunswick.Canada's oldest publicly-funded high school, Saint John High SchoolThe world's first foghorn as invented by Robert Foulis.First penny newspaper in the Empire, Saint John News, established in 1838 (tri-weekly) by George E Fenety.Canada's first Y.W.C.A. established in 1870 by Mrs. Agnes A. Blizzard, in a house on Germain Street.First police union in the world was formed in Saint John in 1919.First Miss Canada Mrs. Harold Drummie (nee Winnie Blair) - 1923.First public playground in Canada which was started by Miss Mabel Peters. This playground is known as the Allison Ground Playground in Rockwood Court.First Minister of Health of the British Empire, W. F. Roberts, M.D. First Knights of Pythias in British Empire. First monitor top railroad cars in the world invented by James Ferguson. The original model is in the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John. First orchestra to accompany a silent moving picture on the North American continent was by Walter Golding in the old nickel theater, May 1907.First clockwork time bomb developed in 1880.Notable citizensStompin' Tom Connors, musicianJames De Mille, novelist, educatorGeorge Edwin King, statesman, justice of the Supreme Court of CanadaGeorge Frederick Phillips, military heroWalter Pidgeon, actor Art Burns, Power Engineer,Instrument Mechanic renowned for his quick wit and keen intellectDonald Sutherland, actorWilliam Murdoch, poetAbraham Pineo Gesner, the inventor of kerosene, was born in Nova Scotia in 1797 but lived in Saint John from 1838 until his death in 1864. What began as Gesner's Museum in 1842 is now known as the New Brunswick Museum.Louis B. Mayer, Hollywood producer of MGM fame, was born in Russia but raised in Saint John. The burial site of his mother can be found in the small Jewish section of the Fernhill Cemetery on Westmorland Road.Arthur J. Nesbitt, cofounder of Nesbitt, Thomson & Co. and Power Corporation of CanadaHarry Saltzman, Producer of the James Bond 007 films. Harry bought an option on Ian Flemings' James Bond novels and became a founding partner of EON (Everything or Nothing) Productions and Danjaq, LLC along with Albert (Cubby) Broccoli. He died on September 29, 1994.The Paris Crew - World Rowing Champions Robert Fulton, George Price, Samuel Hutton, Elijah RossBenedict Arnold - Arnold moved to Saint John after surrendering West Point to the British in the American RevolutionAlden Nowlan, poetAnne Compton, winner of the Governor General's Award for Poetry, director of the Lorenzo Reading Series.Mort Garson, (20 July 1924 – 4 January 2008) who was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, was an electronic musician best known for his albums that predominantly feature Moog synthesizers.NotesAccording to Alan Rayburn's 'Geographical Names of New Brunswick', which was published by the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names, the county is spelled in its entirety, while the river is "commonly abbreviated." However, according to the 'Gazetteer of Canada', both the river and the county are spelled in their entirety. Additionally, in the Territorial Division Act (http://www.gnb.ca/acts/acts/t-03.htm), the county is spelled in its entirety.
Communications New Brunswick follows the Canadian Press format, which is to spell out the names of the city, harbour and county, and abbreviate the name of the river.
So while not definitive, it appears that St. John River and Saint John River are both correct (with the nod going to St. John River).
External linksThe Official City of Saint John WebsiteCity of Saint John Tourism WebsiteSaint John SPCAiSaintJohn.com - Online web community & forumsThe NB Lighthouses WebsiteTrinityRoyal.com - The Historic Heart of Saint JohnThe New Brunswick Museum.Enterprise Saint John - The community economic development agencySaint John SearchHeritage Resources Saint John
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
By SUNNY
9 days
Road Trip from Quebec City to New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia and back to QC.
|
|
|
By Arif
9 days
Road Trip from Quebec City to New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia and back to QC.
|
|
|
|
|
Add to
My Places
Plan Your Visit
