Events and Places
in New Brunswick
of Interest to Genealogists
Tomorrow was going to be an exciting
day. Mum would get us up earlier than usual so she could make certain we
were properly dressed for the June School Closing. Dressed up meant a white
shirt and tie for Cliff. The waving iron would be heated on the stove to
make some waves in my hair, to go with the big bow that was to crown my
head. I hated that horrible bow. I told mum, it made me look like our one-eared
rabbit but my complaints fell on deaf ears.
When the programme of recitations, songs and musical drills finished,
we would go outside for games and races, after which lots of sandwiches
and homemade ice cream would be served.
As we walked home, we would chant, “No more lessons! No more
books!”
Things are a little different for family researchers. Summer means carrying
pencil and paper, spending as much time as possible copying notes, visiting
archives, museums, cemeteries and attending Genealogy Fairs.
By the way, to start off your genealogy summer, you might wish to be at
the pavilion in Fernhill Cemetery, Saint John at 10:30 a.m. on July First
to attend the Tribute to the Fathers of Confederation Walk with Joan
Pearce and David Goss. You will be guided to the graves and hear about the
lives of the two Fathers of Confederation, Sir Leonard Tilley and William
Henry Steeves. Then on to the burial spot of Winnifred Blair - the first
Miss Canada. My Own Canadian Home, the official song of Saint John, will be
sung at the final resting place of its author, Edwin Nelson of Saint John.
Information will be provided on others buried in this cemetery.
The Ste-Croix 2004 Genealogy Fair will be held on Saturday,
July 3, 2004 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the New Brunswick Community College
in St. Andrews, sponsored by Ste-Croix 2004 and New Brunswick Genealogical
Society. Admission is free. Everyone is Welcome! Here you will get tips on
how to start a family history project, visit displays set up by book vendors,
genealogical researchers, genealogical societies/clubs, historical societies,
cultural associations, and share information with other researchers. If
you are interested in booking display space, please contact badeau@nbnet.nb.ca. This Fair is part
of the Ste-Croix 2004 Festival celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the arrival
of the French at St. Croix Island in 1604. For more information about the
festival, visit the Ste-Croix 2004 website at http://www.stecroix2004.org/en/index.htm.
Until July 25, the “Someone Before Us” exhibit of aboriginal material
will be on display at the Court House Museum in Gagetown. The “Rock-abye
Baby” exhibit opens on July 31, featuring an in-depth look at cradles
and the people who made them.
The Restigouche Genealogical Society will be hosting their
first Historical and Genealogical Fair on July 31, 2004 from
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Archibald Room of the Recreaplex, 122 Inch
Arran Avenue, Dalhousie, as part of the Bon Ami Festival celebrations.
Anyone with an interest in genealogy or history is invited to attend. This
will be a great way to discover the region, gather information and meet with
people of similar interests. An "Ancestor's Cafe" will provide exhibitors
and visitors a place to sit and relax or chat with old and new friends. A
"Research Area" will allow those interested in doing some family tree
research to browse through the many documents. Experienced searchers will
be available for help and guidance. A "Silent Auction Table" will be
in place to bid on favourite pieces. To commemorate the 400th Anniversary
of French Culture in North America, there will be an area with an Acadian
accent. Everyone is welcome to experience the North Shore hospitality and
its history.
The Saint John Branch of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society
is holding a Genealogical Fair on Sept. 18, 2004 from 10:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. at the Millidgeville North School, Boar's Head Road, Saint John.
Admission is Free! The Fair is an "Open House" for anybody
interested in genealogy. Their website is at http://www.nbgssj.ca/
If you have roots in Kings County, a stop at the Kings County Museum
in Hampton could provide you with many interesting details from their
extensive genealogical library as well as a look at the hundreds of artifacts
pertaining to Kings County. A wedding display titled, "Century of Weddings
in Kings County" is being featured this summer. You might enjoy
taking a peek at the cell in the stone jail which housed the Mysterious
Stranger. Their website is at www3.nbnet.nb.ca/kingscm
Drop into the Agricultural Museum in Sussex to see life as it was for
your farming ancestors from the kitchen to the field. Their website is http://www.agriculturalmuseumofnb.com/
Several school reunions are planned. One is for all former teachers and
students of Upper Midland School at the Midland Hall, Saturday, July
31, 2004. Registration starts at 1:00 p.m. Pot luck supper at 5:00 p.m.
Contact Ron Menzies 839-2040 or Arthur Keith @ 839-2008. E-mail akeith@nbnet.nb.ca.
Another reunion is for former students who attended the old St. Martins
School from 1922 to 1972. It will be held in the St. Martins School
on July 10, 2004. Class lists and other memorabilia will be on display.
A pewter ornament of the part of the Baptist Seminary which housed the old
school will be available. More information is available at http://stmartins.nbed.nb.ca.
As a variety of research depositories can be found in the cities, towns
and villages of New Brunswick, I suggest you do some homework in locating
them, as well as the numerous historical sites which could well provide
you with not only statistical and biographical information on ancestors
but their way of life and the events that influenced their decisions.
