Here’s “This Week in New Brunswick History” for the current week around April 5–11:
📜 April 5
- 1842 – The first public museum in Canada opened in Saint John (the Gesner Museum), which later became today’s New Brunswick Museum.
1883 – The first speed skating competition in New Brunswick was held in Saint John.
📜 April 6
- 1888 – The New Brunswick Telephone Company was incorporated, helping expand telephone service across the province.
1993 – Premier Frank McKenna declared April 6 as Tartan Day in New Brunswick to celebrate Scottish heritage.
📜 April 7
- 1691 – Joseph Robineau de Villebon became Commandant of Acadia and later built a fort at the Nashwaak–Saint John River junction.
1866 – A major political clash in Fredericton over Confederation forced Premier Albert J. Smith to resign.
📜 April 8
- 1874 – The Caraquet Railway Company was created to connect northeastern communities to the Intercolonial Railway.
📜 April 9
- 1825 – The Saint John Agricultural and Emigrant Society was founded.
1931 – Richard Hatfield, one of New Brunswick’s longest-serving premiers, was born in Woodstock.
📜 April 10
- 1866 – The Fenian Raids threat near Campobello increased fears of invasion and pushed support for Confederation.
1892 – Milton Fowler Gregg, a Victoria Cross recipient and later diplomat, was born.
📜 April 11
- 1816 – The first river steamboat in New Brunswick, the “General Smyth,” was launched in Saint John.
1969 – New Brunswick passed a law making it the only officially bilingual province in Canada.
✅ Quick takeaway:
This week highlights major “firsts” (first museum, first steamboat), important political moments tied to Confederation, and influential leaders like Richard Hatfield—all shaping modern New Brunswick
