New Brunswick Traveler Mark J Brewer, Host

This week I am interviewing Andrew McClean, who tells about the backyard history of interesting things from the Maritimes.  Our particular focus in this episode is on the prominence of rum in the life of people who live in New Brunswick during the early part of the 20th century.  Rum was a part of the salary of some of the workers and it was common for them to take a “rum break” instead of a “coffee break”.

For more information about Andrew McClean, go to his website https://backyardhistory.ca/

In this episode I am talking with Jenna Morton, the Executive Director of the Greater Moncton Scottish Association.  Specifically, we are talking about the upcoming Greater Moncton Highland Games and Scottish Festival that will be happening on June 13 to 17.  More information about obtaining tickets for the event can be found on their website at https://monctonhighlandgames.com/

In this episode,  Danielle Timmons, a member of the leadership team of Aquilla – The Centre or Cruise Excellence discusses some of the 35 year history of Cruise in Saint john. Danielle noted that 2022 was a restart year after the Covid-19 pandemic, and 2023 was a successful season with the industry operating at near maximum capacity. For 2024, Aquila expects 88 ship day visits, since 12 of the 74 ships scheduled to visit Saint John will be staying overnight. There was a listing of popular tours that passengers take and a discussion on the logistics of working with a large volume of passengers on a day when three ships visit at the same time.

Danielle highlighted that over 60 businesses in Southern New Brunswick work with Aquila and benefit from the tours that are provided. She also mentioned that about 50% of passengers explore on their own, benefiting the city's shops and restaurants.

Aquila – The Centre for Cruise Excellence.

Port of Saint John 2024 Cruise Ship Schedule.

This episode highlights the June opening of Place Fort La Tour for the 2024 tourist season. Don LeBlanc, a historical reenactor at the fort, give information about the days and hours that the facility is open, and things that a visitor can expect to see.  Visitors will observe interactive cooking and listen to the story of Charles La Tour and his young bride, who is infamously known as the Lioness of Acadia as presented by reenactors in costume of that era. These is also a discussion on the challenges of raising the money to maintain such a wonderful facility since it is only open four to five months of the year.  In addition to individual tourists that visit the fort, there are cruise passenger tour groups and bus tour groups.  This summer there will be a production of Hamlet right in the open space in the middle of the fort.


Place Fort La Tour website

This episode focuses on the Loyalist House in Saint John
that was built in 1817 by a New York loyalist, Daniel David Merritt.  Five generations of the Merritt family lived in the house and it was purchase by the New Brunswick Historical Society in 1958.  Society President Greg Marquis and Vice President Troy Middleton.

The episode also reveals some of the interesting items that are in the Loyalist House and also highlights paranormal investigations that are done regularly at the house as a fundraiser.  In addition to talking about the activities at the Loyalist House, there was also a discussion o the other activities that are occurring on May 18 in the city, celebrating the original arrival of the Loyalists in 1783.  More information can be found on their website:

The Loyalist House

This episode features an interview with Faye Gorham, the market manager of the Brundage Point River Centre Market, set to open on May 23rd. Faye, affectionately known as the 'Pickle Lady' for her popular homemade pickles, discusses the market's vendor policies, unique offerings, and community engagement. She emphasizes her commitment to ensuring vendors make a profit by limiting duplicates of product types. The market features a variety of goods, from gluten-free baked goods and fresh produce to handmade pottery and Avon products. Faye also shares insights into her history with the market,
its operations, and her personal journey with pickling. Additionally, she compares her market to Kingston's larger market, highlighting the differences. The interview closes with hopes for a successful market season and a significant demand for Faye's chow-chow pickles. Faye can be contacted at (506) 763-2912

Thursdays

Brundage Point Market
Grand Bay – Westfield

Saturdays

Kingston Farmers Market
Kingston

Boyce Farmers Market
Fredericton

Moncton Market
Moncton

Sundays

Queen Square Farmers Market
Saint John

Other New Brunswick Markets