1760 – Fall of Montreal and the End of French Rule
-
On September 8, 1760, Governor Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil, formally surrendered Montreal to the British under General Jeffrey Amherst.
-
This surrender ended New France and secured British control of what is now New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and beyond.
-
For New Brunswick specifically, this meant:
-
A firm shift from French to British administration.
-
Acadian communities already devastated by the Deportation (1755–1764) now had even less hope of reclaiming lands.
-
British settlement policies began shaping what became New Brunswick (founded as a separate colony in 1784).
-
🛠️ 1896 – Death of Henry Ketchum
-
Henry Ketchum was a civil engineer from Fredericton and a UNB graduate.
-
He envisioned the Chignecto Ship Railway — an audacious plan to haul ships across the Isthmus of Chignecto (between the Bay of Fundy and the Northumberland Strait) on railway tracks.
-
Why? To save time, money, and danger by bypassing the long, treacherous route around Nova Scotia.
-
Construction actually began in the 1880s and was about 60% complete when funding collapsed.
-
Ketchum died on September 8, 1896, never seeing his dream realized. Today, remnants of the project can still be found near Amherst, NS, and Sackville, NB — a reminder of a bold idea cut short.
🏒 2018 – Avenir Centre Opens in Moncton
-
On September 8, 2018, Moncton officially opened the Avenir Centre, a $113M multi-purpose arena.
-
It became the home of the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) and the Moncton Magic (NBL Canada).
-
Beyond sports, it hosts concerts, events, and cultural showcases — with acts like Elton John, Metallica, and Cirque du Soleil appearing early in its history.
-
For New Brunswick, it represents a modern hub for culture and entertainment, anchoring downtown Moncton’s revitalization.
✅ So in short:
-
1760 marks the colonial turning point.
-
1896 shows NB’s link to big dreams of engineering.
-
2018 highlights modern cultural growth.
