History

On This Day Sept 8

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.