History

This Week in Saint John History June 1–8

This Week in Saint John History

June 1–8

A look back at notable events, milestones, and historical themes connected to Saint John and the surrounding region.

June 1

  • As spring turned to summer, Saint John’s harbour was traditionally one of the busiest ports in Atlantic Canada, with lumber, shipbuilding supplies, and immigrants arriving from around the world during the 1800s.

June 2

  • Throughout the 19th century, June marked the start of the peak shipping season on the Bay of Fundy. Saint John merchants prepared vessels for trade with Britain, the Caribbean, and New England.

June 3

  • Saint John’s reputation as Canada’s first incorporated city continued to grow during the late 1800s as new industries, banks, and transportation links expanded throughout the region.

June 4

  • Early June often saw the arrival of immigrant ships at historic Partridge Island, which served as Canada’s first quarantine station under Saint John’s 1785 charter.

June 5

  • The city’s waterfront and shipyards were bustling places in June during the age of wooden shipbuilding, when Saint John became one of the world’s leading shipbuilding centres.

June 6

  • Residents often gathered in public squares and parks as warmer weather arrived. Historic areas such as King Square have served as community gathering places since the city’s earliest years.

June 7

  • As June progressed in 1877, Saint John was unknowingly approaching one of the most significant disasters in its history—the Great Fire, which would strike later that month and reshape the city forever.

June 8

  • In the decades following the Great Fire of 1877, many of the brick and stone buildings that define Uptown Saint John today stood as symbols of the city’s determination and rebuilding effort.

Saint John Fact of the Week

Saint John was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1785, making it the first incorporated city in what is now Canada.

Looking Ahead: June 20–22 marks the anniversary of the devastating Great Fire of Saint John, which destroyed over 1,600 buildings and left approximately 13,000 people homeless.