Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint John
The Father of New France
In 1904, much of the city’s population turned out to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the arrival of Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts and Samuel de Champlain, who was known internationally as the Father of New France. Over the course of three days, there were parades, a literary symposium, re-enactments, the visit of warships from England, France and the United States, and the unveiling of the Boer War statue in Douglas Avenue’s Riverview Memorial Park.
De Monts was a French merchant, explorer and colonizer. He is also given the credit as the founder of the first permanent French settlement in Canada. Champlain was a French explorer, cartographer and diplomat. He founded the city of Quebec and was very influential in the early French colonization of Canada.
Celebrating the 300th anniversary of the arrival of Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts and Samuel de Champlain, June 1904.
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint John
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint John
The Wolastoq
On June 24, 1604, Samuel-de-Champlain named the Saint John River in recognition of that day being St. Jean Baptist Day. Champlain had uncovered, to Europeans, the mouth of the river known as the Wolastoq to the area’s original inhabitants, the Wolastoqiyik and Mi'kmaq peoples. It was a waterway that would dominate the history of much of New Brunswick.
At that time, rivers were highways and Saint John’s location at the mouth of the river and in the Bay of Fundy would make it a hub for trade and commerce that helped the city prosper. The Saint John River was a key highway of New Brunswick until the early part of the 20th century.
Champlain’s 1604 map, with local landmarks edited to provide context. Included on the map are several elk, then native to New Brunswick, and the Ouigoudy on Navy Island.
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint John
Cartographers often adorned their maps with mythical sea creatures. The four dolphins no longer exist.
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint John
Founding Acadia
The Bay of Fundy would also be home to Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts and his expeditions settlement on St. Croix Island. In the milder months, the settlers built houses, a storehouse, kitchen and chapel, and formed strong alliances with the Indigenous population. Their first winter was a harsh one, and the Europeans relocated to Port Royal in Nova Scotia. Champlain used Port Royal as a base to explore the Atlantic coastline. Saint Croix Island is an International Historic Site.
Samuel de Champlain and later European explorers founded settlements in the region they called Acadia including at the mouth of the river where Saint John stands today. Champlain died in 1635, but today, many places in North America bear his name including streets, buildings, schools and, notably, Lake Champlain.
The Champlain monument in Queen Square was sculpted by Hamilton McCarthy. It is a large bronze cavalier of Champlain on a pedestal with four nautical dolphins on the base.
Cartographers often adorned their maps with mythical sea creatures. The four dolphins no longer exist.
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint John
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint John
Trade in 19th Century Saint John
In the 1800s, the Saint John River played a significant role as a trade route in eastern North America. It served as a transportation artery for the movement of goods and resources. The river facilitated trade in various commodities including timber, ship masts, furs, limestone, agricultural products and manufactured goods. The river’s navigable waters allowed for the transport of these goods between inland settlements and coastal ports, enabling economic development and growth.
Did you know Saint John plastered Boston? The area’s rich limestone and gypsum deposits were widely used building materials in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The plaster derived from gypsum was exported to various locations, including Boston’s stately homes.
Samuel de Champlain replica ship entering Market Slip
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint John
Market Square was the scene where de Mons and Champlain met the native inhabitants of Navy Island. Thousands crammed around the Square, climbed up the poles and filled windows and roof tops to catch a glimpse of this significant commemoration, June 1904.
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint JohnEntering the Market Slip, facing North
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint JohnNorth Market Slip
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint JohnMarket Slip
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint JohnEntering the Market Slip
Credit: Heritage Resources, Saint John
