This Week in New Brunswick History

May 17 – May 23

Here are some notable moments from New Brunswick’s past during this week in history:

May 17

• 1686 – Bishop Saint-Vallier arrived at Grand Falls during a five-month journey through Acadia. His writings later became one of the earliest recorded descriptions of inland travel in the Maritimes.
• 1871 – The Town of St. Stephen was officially incorporated.
• 1871 – New Brunswick introduced the Common Schools Act, creating publicly funded, non-denominational schools. The move sparked major controversy because separate Catholic schools were abolished.

May 18

• 1783 – Thousands of Loyalists landed at Parrtown (now Saint John), beginning one of the largest migrations in early Canadian history.
• 1785 – Parrtown and Carleton were united and renamed Saint John, becoming Canada’s first incorporated city.
• 1885 – New Brunswick militia gathered at Camp Sussex before heading west during the North-West Rebellion.

May 19

• 1632 – Isaac de Razilly was appointed lieutenant-general of Acadia by the King of France, helping shape early French influence in the region.

May 20

• 1816 – New Brunswick’s first steamboat, the General Smyth, completed its maiden voyage from Saint John to Fredericton. Crowds gathered to welcome the vessel upon arrival.
• 1848 – New Brunswick formed its first government under the principle of Responsible Government, an important step toward democratic self-rule in Canada.

May 21

• While no major provincial milestone is widely recorded for this date, the week marked continued growth of Loyalist communities and early trade settlements throughout the province.

May 22

• 1867 – Queen Victoria issued the Royal Proclamation officially uniting New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada into the Dominion of Canada, effective July 1, 1867.

1958 – Joseph Leonard O’Brien of Miramichi became Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.

May 23

• 1906 – Moncton mayor James Ryan was found guilty of assault after violent confrontations with newspaper publisher John Hawke in both a newspaper office and city council chambers. It became one of the province’s most talked-about political scandals of the era.

New Brunswick history during this week reflects Loyalist settlement, the growth of democracy, transportation breakthroughs, and the road toward Canadian Confederation.