Category Archives: History

This Weeks History New Brunswick

Here are some events that happened this week in New Brunswick history (March 8–14) 🇨🇦


📅 March 8

  • 1836 – Saint Andrews and Quebec Railway planned
    The Saint Andrews and Quebec Rail Road Company was incorporated to build a railway from St. Andrews to Quebec. It showed how important railways were becoming for trade and travel in the province.

1977 – Jackie Vautour eviction conflict
Police used tear gas to evict Jackie Vautour from a motel in Richibucto after his home had been destroyed during the creation of Kouchibouguac National Park. This became a famous protest about land rights in the province.


📅 March 9

  • 1885 – First Acadian senator
    Pascal Poirier from Shediac became Canada’s first Acadian senator, helping promote Acadian culture and history.

1934 – Women can run for office
Women in New Brunswick were granted the right to run for provincial political office.


📅 March 10

  • 1760 – Mi’kmaq treaty renewal
    Chief Michael Augustine signed a Peace and Friendship treaty renewal in Halifax, confirming Mi’kmaq hunting and fishing rights.

1796 – First Canadian novelist born
Julia Beckwith Hart was born in Fredericton. She later wrote St. Ursula’s Convent, the first novel written and published in Canada.


📅 March 12

  • 1822 – Birth of a New Brunswick premier
    Albert James Smith was born in Shediac. He later became premier and a federal cabinet minister.


📅 March 13

  • 1769 – Caraquet resettlement
    Alexis Landry received permission to re-establish settlement at Caraquet after the Seven Years’ War.


📅 March 14

  • 1899 – Birth of an industrial giant
    K. C. Irving was born in Bouctouche. He later built the Irving business empire, one of the largest companies in Atlantic Canada.


Interesting pattern this week:
Many events involve Acadian history, political rights, and economic development (railways, industry, and settlement).

This Weeks History

📅 March 1

1872 – Creation of Yellowstone’s Canadian counterpart movement
The idea of national parks was gaining momentum in North America after the creation of Canada’s first protected areas in the Rockies (a movement that would later lead to Banff National Park in 1885).

1999 – Nunavut Act preparations
In the lead-up to its official creation in April 1999, administrative groundwork was underway for Nunavut, marking a major milestone in Inuit self-governance.


📅 March 2

1923 – Birth of a hockey legend
Gordie Howe was born in Floral, Saskatchewan. Nicknamed “Mr. Hockey,” he became one of the greatest players in NHL history.


📅 March 3

1847 – Annexation Manifesto published
A group of Montreal businessmen published the Annexation Manifesto, proposing that the Province of Canada join the United States — a controversial moment in pre-Confederation politics centered in Montreal.


📅 March 4

1929 – First Canadian woman appointed to Senate
Following the landmark Persons Case, Cairine Wilson became the first woman appointed to the Canadian Senate.


📅 March 5

1931 – “The Maple Leaf Forever” debate era
Throughout the early 20th century, discussions about replacing “The Maple Leaf Forever” with what would later become O Canada reflected shifting ideas about national identity.


📅 March 6

1834 – York renamed Toronto
The town of York was officially incorporated as the City of Toronto, reclaiming its Indigenous-derived name.


📅 March 7

1969 – Official Languages Act passed
The government of Pierre Trudeau passed the Official Languages Act, making English and French the country’s two official languages nationwide.

This weeks History

🇨🇦 January 11 — Sir John A. Macdonald & Cold Climate Records

  • Sir John A. Macdonald Day: Canadians commemorate the birth of Sir John A. Macdonald (1815), Canada’s first prime minister and key architect of Confederation. The day was created by federal act to honor his role in founding the nation.

Extreme Cold Record: On January 11, 1911, Fort Vermilion, Alberta recorded one of the coldest temperatures in North America (−61.2 °C), highlighting Canada’s harsh northern climate.

Notable Birth: Anne Heggtveit, Canadian alpine ski gold medalist, was born on this date.


🇨🇦 January 12 — Early 20th-Century Events

  • Stephen Harper Leadership Entry (2004): Future prime minister Stephen Harper entered the Conservative Party leadership race on this date.

(General history resources list other global events on this date; specific major Canada-wide political or landmark law events tied strictly to Jan 12 are less prominent in common Canadian timelines.)


🇨🇦 January 13 — Contemporary Diplomacy

  • 2026 Mark Carney China Visit: Prime Minister Mark Carney began a major visit to China (Jan 13-17, 2026), the first Canadian prime ministerial trip there since 2017, aiming to reset bilateral relations and expand trade partnerships.


🇨🇦 January 14 — 20th Century Governance

  • PEI Leadership Change (1936): Thane Campbell became premier of Prince Edward Island, reflecting routine shifts in provincial leadership during the 1930s.


🇨🇦 January 15 — Pemmican Proclamation

  • Pemmican Proclamation (1814): Governor Miles MacDonell issued a controversial decree aimed at controlling pemmican trade in the Red River settlement, intensifying fur-trade rivalries and Indigenous tensions that shaped early Canadian colonial politics.

RCMP Musical Ride (1962): The RCMP Musical Ride became a permanent full-time unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.


🇨🇦 January 16 — Auto Pact Agreement

  • Canada-U.S. Automotive Agreement (1965): The landmark Auto Pact was signed by Prime Minister Lester Pearson and U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, reshaping the North American auto industry with tariff-free car parts and integrated production across the border.


🇨🇦 January 17 — Women’s Suffrage Milestone

  • Manitoba Women’s Vote (1916): Manitoba became the first Canadian province to grant women the right to vote and hold office, a major step in the nation’s democratic history.


📌 Summary

Date Key Canadian Historical Highlight
Jan 11 Birth of Sir John A. Macdonald; extreme cold record
Jan 12 Stephen Harper enters PC leadership race (2004)
Jan 13 Beginning of landmark Canada–China diplomatic visit (2026)
Jan 14 Provincial leadership change in Prince Edward Island
Jan 15 Pemmican Proclamation (1814) & RCMP Musical Ride becomes permanent
Jan 16 Auto Pact signed, integrating Canada–U.S. auto industries
Jan 17 Women gain the vote in Manitoba (first province)

A Little History

Description of Historic Place

The Domville Building is a three-storey Second Empire sandstone building with Doric and Corinthian columns situated on the southeast corner of King and Prince William Streets in uptown Saint John. The building is located in the Trinity Royal area and was recognized in the City of Saint John Preservation Areas Bylaw in 1982.

 

Heritage Value

This building is significant as one of a collection of Italianate and Second Empire style commercial buildings built between 1877 and 1881 after two thirds of the City of Saint John was destroyed in the Great Saint John Fire of 1877. The Second Empire building also exhibits significant Greek architectural features and a unique design. The Domville Building was built for the Maritime Bank of Saint John in 1878. The building includes an associative value with its founder, Senator James Domville, for whom the building was named. He owned the land on which the building was built and laid the corner stone. A member of the Canadian Senate for eighteen years, Domville is the only Canadian Senator born in Honduras. He was also the founder of the Saint John Public Library which was the first free, tax based, library in Canada.

This building serves as a reminder of the strong will of the Saint John merchants to rebuild the city after the fire. The brick and stone architecture sent a message that the city would be more fire resistant in the future. The elements and level of design demonstrate that the city was rebuilt in grander fashion.

Source: Planning and Development Department – City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The architectural elements relating to the Greek style of the building include:
– elements and massing that imply the fortitude of the era’s bank buildings;
– temple design;
– Doric columns on the 1st storey and Corinthian columns on the 2nd and 3rd storeys;
– 2nd and 3rd floor windows are flanked with Corinthian columns;
– coat of arms in the curved pediment above the central door has a rampant lion with inscription “Qui Stat Caveat”;
– lions head with mane set upon the pediment.
The architectural elements relating to the Second Empire style of the building include:
– Roman arch windows are crowned with ornate keystones;
– bracketed cornices;
– dentils under roof cornice.

Other unique and relevant architectural elements relating to this building are as follows:
– sandstone construction;
– each storey lessens in height from the preceding giving the illusion of a taller building.