News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the provincial government is inviting New Brunswickers to explore national, provincial and territorial archives.

“Your government invites you to share in the celebration of Canada 150 and expand your knowledge of New Brunswick’s role in forming the Confederation,” said Treasury Board President Roger Melanson. “The Provincial Archives provide an excellent resource for all New Brunswickers, including students, educators, and those new to the province in learning more about New Brunswick’s history.”

Featured below are two selections of the exhibits available through the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Disputed Boundaries and Rediscovered Families and Women at Work, as well as a national exhibit, The Ties that Bind Canada.

Disputed Boundaries and Rediscovered Families

This is featured as the main exhibit for the year at the Provincial Archives. It uses little-known archival records, historic maps and documents to examine the formation of a unique region that is now divided by interprovincial and international boundaries. This exhibit will be on display until Sept. 2.

Women at Work

To highlight some of their achievements, this online exhibit looks at the expanding horizons for New Brunswick women from the late 1800s to the late 1900s. It also highlights the success of women stepping out of traditional roles of unpaid domestic labour and performing work previously carried out by men or operating their own businesses. The exhibit is arranged in three general time frames: pre-World War I (1885-1914), the interwar years (1915-39), and World War II and later years (1939-71).

The Ties that Bind Canada

This national online exhibition is a collaboration of 14 institutions across Canada. It features 150 images and stories to show how people have travelled the nation over decades and centuries by using innovation, perseverance and ingenuity. Highlights include the vast northern Inuit transportation network and illustrations of various ways that indigenous and non-indigenous people travelled from the prairies to coastal communities.

The provincial theme for Canada 150 celebrations is Celebrate where it all began. People are invited to share why they are proud by using the hashtag #NBProud and visiting the Canada 150 NB website to spread the word about the summer-long celebration.

The Provincial Archives collects, preserves, and makes available for research, documents and records bearing upon the history of New Brunswick. People may visit the archives Monday through Saturday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Admission is free. More information is available online.