"O Fortunati Quorum Jam Moenia Surgunt" (Latin for, "O Fortunate Ones Whose Walls Are Now Rising." or "O Happy They, Whose Promised Walls Already Rise")
Saint John (French:Saint-Jean) is aseaport city located on theBay of Fundy in the province ofNew Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldestincorporated city,[b] established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ofGeorge III.[9] ThePort of Saint John is Canada's third-largest by tonnage with a cargo base that includes dry and liquid bulk,break bulk, containers, and cruise.[10] The city has a strong industrial base, including oil refining and manufacturing, matched with finance and tourism sectors and research institutions such as theNew Brunswick Museum and theUniversity of New Brunswick. Saint John was the most populous in New Brunswick until the2016 census, when it was overtaken byMoncton. It is currently the second-largest city in the province, with a population of 69,895 over an area of 315.59 km2 (121.85 sq mi).[11]
After more than a century of ownership disputes between the French and English over the land surrounding Saint John, the British governmentdeported the Acadians in 1755 following the destruction ofFort Menagoueche, which was reconstructed asFort Frederick. Following the pillaging and burning of Fort Frederick by Americanprivateers,Fort Howe was constructed across the river above the harbour in 1779. In 1785, the City of Saint John was established by uniting the two communities of Parr-town[15] andCarleton on either side of the harbour after the arrival of thousands of refugees from the newly founded United States who wished to remain British after theAmerican Revolution. During the next century, immigration viaPartridge Island, especially during theGreat Famine, would fundamentally change the city's demographics and culture.
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A blacksmith shop near Saint John Harbour during the late 19th century.
The Saint John area had been inhabited by peoples of theWabanaki Confederacy for thousands of years. The northwestern coastal region of theBay of Fundy was home to thePassamaquoddy Nation, while theSaint John River valley north of the bay became the domain of theWolastoqiyik Nation. TheMi'kmaq also frequented the Saint John area due to the harbour and coast being an important hunting ground for seals. The area around the harbour, where the city is, has been traditionally called Menahkwesk by the Wolastoqiyik people, who continue to reside in and around the city. In precolonial times, the Wolastoqiyik lived in mostly self-sustaining villages living largely off bass, sturgeon, salmon, corn, wild roots and berries.[16]
In 1604,Samuel de Champlain landed atSaint John Harbour,[17] though he did not settle the area. Saint John played a crucial role in trade and defense forAcadia during the French colonial era, with Fort La Tour in the city's harbour becoming a pivotal battleground during theAcadian Civil War.[14] At the end of theSeven Years' War, the British took the region from the French.
The population of Saint John grew with immigration from the formerThirteen Colonies and Europe. In 1785, Saint John became the first incorporated city in what is now Canada.[9] Immigration led to the building of North America's first quarantine station,Partridge Island.[18]
The city became a shipyard of global stature, producing vessels such as the 1851 shipMarco Polo, which became the fastest in the world,[19] and witnessing the development of the automatedfoghorn byRobert Foulis.[20]
As the city grew in strategic importance to English power and capital, unrest grew among many of its working class. Black Saint Johners faced restrictions on trade, fishing and voting, compelling the majority of the city's Black community to settle in Portland (the city's north end), which later became amalgamated with Saint John.[16] In 1849, Canada's first labour union, the Laborer's Benevolent Association (now ILA local 273) was formed bylongshoremen.[21] Between 1840 and 1860,sectarian violence became rampant in Saint John as tensions escalated in response to the poor living conditions of poorIrish Catholics, resulting in some of the worst urban riots in Canadian history.[22] Saint John experienced acholera outbreak in 1854 that claimed over 1,500 lives,[23] as well as theGreat Fire of Saint John in 1877 that destroyed 40% of the city and left 13,000 people homeless.[24] Although the fire caused damages exceeding $10 million (equivalent to approximately $256 million today),[25][26] Saint John quickly embarked on rebuilding. Nevertheless, the aftermath prompted many residents to leave the city.[24]
Covered bridges dot the Greater Saint John region.
Situated in the south-central portion of the province, along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River, the city is split by the south-flowing river and the east side is bordered on the north by the Kennebecasis River where it meets the Saint John River at Grand Bay. The city hosts many beaches and is just east ofNew River Beach Provincial Park. Saint John Harbour, where the two rivers meet the Bay of Fundy, is a deep water port and ice-free all year long. Partridge Island is in the harbour. The city land area is 315.96 km2 (121.99 sq mi), and the metropolitan area covers 3,509.62 km2 (1,355.07 sq mi).[27]
StonehammerUNESCO Geopark, the first Geopark in North America, is centred around Saint John. The Geopark has been recognized by UNESCO as having exceptional geological significance. The park contains rock formations that date back to the Precambrian era and some of the rocks may be a billion years old.
The Saint John River itself flows into theBay of Fundy through a narrow gorge several hundred metres wide at the centre of the city. It contains a unique phenomenon called theReversing Falls where the diurnal tides of the bay reverse the water flow of the river for several kilometres. A series of underwater ledges at the narrowest point of this gorge also create a series of rapids.
The topography surrounding Saint John is hilly; a result of the influence of two coastal mountain ranges which run along the Bay of Fundy – theSt. Croix Highlands and theCaledonia Highlands. The soil throughout the region is extremely rocky with frequent granite outcrops. The coastal plain hosts numerous freshwater lakes in the eastern, western and northern parts of the city.
In Saint John the height difference from low to hightide is approximately 8 metres (28 ft) due to the funnelling effect of the Bay of Fundy as it narrows. The Reversing Falls in Saint John, actually an area of strong rapids, provides one example of the power of these tides; at every high tide, ocean water is pushed through a narrow gorge in the middle of the city and forces the Saint John River to reverse its flow for several hours.
As Saint John rebuilt from theGreat Fire in 1877, buildings would start to be constructed using brick and stone rather than wood.[30] During the late 19th to early 20th centuries, the most popular styles in the city wereQueen Anne andRomanesque architecture. In 1911, a proposed city hall was to shareGothic and Second Empire architectural styles. Over time, the city would no longer adopt some of these styles.[31] Buildings in Saint John also feature stone carvings and sculptures.[32][33]
In 1982, Saint John introduced theTrinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area, which serves to preserve historic districts and buildings in the city.[34] The Saint John Preservation Areas By-Law regulates exterior work done to these properties in a way that preserves the historic architecture in buildings built prior to 1915.[35][36][37]
List of buildings in Saint John:
Courtney Bay Smokestacks (each 106.7 m (350 ft))
Brunswick Square (80.8 m (265 ft)) 19-storey office tower with 511,032 sq ft (47,476.4 m2) which was built in 1976. It is the largest office building in New Brunswick in terms of square footage and second in Atlantic Canada behind theMaritime Centre inHalifax.
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Saint John is home to the historicKing's Square, anurban park located in the city's Uptown region.[42] Multiple historic buildings are located by the park, including theSaint John City Market, theImperial Theatre, as well as the formerAdmiral Beatty Hotel. King's Square's counterpart, Queen Square, is another urban park located a few blocks south from it.[43] Queen Square features an annual outdoorfarmers market which runs through the summer months.[44][45]
South: Typically referred to as the South Central Peninsula.[72][73] Includes Uptown, Germain Street, Broad Street (although the mapping data refers to the area as Broad Street, it is commonly known as South End,[73] which formerly encompassed Lower Cove),[74] Orange Street, andWaterloo Village.[75] On the east side ofSaint John Harbour and the area immediately opposite on the west side are the sites of the original city. Now includes the central business district and theTrinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area, which together are referred to as Uptown.
Parts of this article (those related to climate normals; change it from 1981 - 2010 to 1991 - 2020) need to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2025)
The climate of Saint John ishumid continental (Köppen climate classificationDfb). The Bay of Fundy never fully freezes, thus moderating the winter temperatures compared with inland locations. Even so, with the prevailing wind blowing from the west (from land to sea), the average January temperature is about −8.2 °C (17.2 °F). Summers are usually warm to hot, and daytime temperatures often exceed 25 °C (77 °F). The highest temperature recorded in a given year is usually 30 or 31 °C (86 or 88 °F). The confluence of cold Bay of Fundy air and inland warmer temperatures often creates onshore winds that bring periods of fog and cooler temperatures during the summer months.
Precipitation in Saint John totals about 1,295 mm (51.0 in) annually and is well distributed throughout the year, although the late autumn and early winter are typically the wettest time of year. Snowfalls can often be heavy, but rain is as common as snow in winter, and it is not unusual for the ground to be snow-free even in mid-winter.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Saint John was 34.5 °C (94 °F) on June 20, 2024.[92][93] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −36.7 °C (−34 °F) on February 11, 1948.[93]
Climate data for Saint John (Saint John Airport), elevation: 103 m (338 ft), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1871–present[c]
At the2021 census conducted byStatistics Canada, Saint John had a population of69,895 people that were living in31,825 of33,908 total private dwellings. The population density was 221.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (573.7/sq mi),[2] and is most densely populated in Uptown Saint John.[101] The median total household income was $62,800. Of the city's population aged between 25 and 64,24% held a bachelor's degree or higher,58% held a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree, and32% had a high school diploma or equivalent. The median age was 44 years.[2]
At thecensus metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Saint John CMA had a population of130,613 living in55,865 of its59,272 total private dwellings, a change of3.5% from its 2016 population of126,202. With a land area of 3,505.66 km2 (1,353.54 sq mi), it had a population density of37.3/km2 (96.5/sq mi) in 2021.[102]
Historically, as one of Canada's main ports, Saint John has been a centre for immigration from all over the world. The city was incorporated in the late 1700s after more than 3,300 Black Loyalist refugees came to Saint John along with more than 10,000 White refugees after the American Revolution.[103] In the years between 1815 and 1867, when immigration of that era passed its peak, more than 150,000 immigrants from Ireland came to Saint John dramatically changing the city.
Those who came in the earlier period were largely tradesmen, and many stayed in Saint John, becoming the backbone of its builders. But when the Great Famine of Ireland raged between 1845 and 1849, huge waves of famine refugees flooded the city's shores. It is estimated that between 1845 and 1847, some 30,000 arrived, more people than were living in the city at the time. In 1847, dubbed "Black 47", one of the worst years of the famine, some 16,000 immigrants, most of them from Ireland, arrived atPartridge Island, the immigration and quarantine station at the mouth of Saint John Harbour.[104]
As of the 2021 census, approximately 86.4% of the residents were white, while 10.9% were visible minorities and 2.8% were Indigenous. The largest visible minority groups wereBlack (2.7%),South Asian (2.4%),Arab (1.5%),Chinese (1.4%), andFilipino (0.9%).[2]
Panethnic groups in the City of Saint John (2001–2021)
87.2% of residents spoke English as a mother tongue. Other common first languages wereFrench (3.7%),Arabic (1.5%)Chinese languages (1.0%) andTagalog (0.5%).
58.5% of residents were Christian, down from 79.6% in 2011.[109] 29.7% were Catholic, 20.6% were Protestant, 5.1% were Christian n.o.s, and 3.0% were other Christian denominations or related traditions. 36.0% of the population were non-religious or secular, up from 18.4% in 2011. Other religions accounted for 5.5% of the population, up from 2.0% in 2011. The largest non-Christian religions were Islam (3.1%) and Hinduism (1.0%).
Saint John's location along theBay of Fundy has been of major importance to the city's prosperity. The bay's dramatictidal range prevents theharbour from icing over, allowing the city to be accessible all year round.[110] Shipbuilding, shipping and lumber trade rose as prominent industries.[111][112] By 1840, one-third of New Brunswick's timber, as well as two-thirds of its sawn lumber and manufactured wood products, were exported through Saint John.[110] At one point, Saint John wasBritish North America's biggest shipbuilding city,[113] constructing many well-known ships, including theMarco Polo.[112] However, these industries suffered a decline in trade due to technological advancements,[114][112] which was only made worse with theGreat Fire of Saint John in 1877.[112] Shipbuilding in Saint John permanently ceased in 2003 following the closure of theSaint John shipyard, which had been idle for the past three years.[115][116]
Today, Saint John benefits from industries such as tourism, reporting a tourism expenditure of $282 million in 2018.[117]Port of Saint John, the city's port, allows for a capacity of three cruise ships, and has been a cruise ship destination since 1989,[118] first welcoming theMSCunard Princess.[119] Saint John receives around 80 cruise ships annually.[120] As of the 2023 cruise schedule, Saint John is scheduled to receive 190,680 passengers' worth of cruise ships.[121] The port also carries over 20 million metric tonnes of cargo annually.[122]
Fiddlehead sculpture at the Saint John Arts Centre in the city's uptown
The arts and culture sector plays a large role in Saint John's economy. The Imperial Theatre is home to the highly acclaimed Saint John Theatre Company, and the Symphony New Brunswick and hosts a large collection of plays, concerts and other stage productions year-round. Harbour Station entertainment complex is home to the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL.
Art galleries in Saint John cover the uptown, more than any other Atlantic Canadian city.[citation needed] Artists likeMiller Brittain andFred Ross have made Uptown Saint John their home, and now the torch has been passed to artists like Gerard Collins, Cliff Turner and Peter Salmon and their respective galleries. Uptown art galleries also include the Paris Crew, Trinity Galleries, Citadel Gallery, Handworks Gallery and the Saint John Arts Centre (SJAC). The SJAC in the Carnegie Building hosts art exhibits, workshops, local songwriters' circles and other shows too small to be featured at the grand Imperial Theatre.
Saint John maintains industrial infrastructure in the city's East side such as Canada's largestoil refinery as well as the country's largest dry dock. CapitalistK.C. Irving and his family built his unfettered industrial conglomerate in the city by buying up mills, shipyards, media outlets, and other industrial infrastructure during the 20th century, and still continue to this day. Today Irving dominates the city and province with stakes in oil, forestry, shipbuilding, media and transportation. Irving companies remain dominant employers in the region with North America's first deepwater oil terminal,[123] a pulp mill, a paper mill and a tissue paper plant.
Saint John has a long history of brewers, such as Simeon Jones, The Olands, and James Ready. The city is now home to Moosehead Breweries, James Ready Brewing Co., Big Tide Brewing Co., Picaroon's and other craft brewers. TheMoosehead Brewery (established in 1867, is Canada's only nationally distributed independent brewery [M. Nicholson]), James Ready Brewing Co., theNew Brunswick Power Corporation which operates three electrical generating stations in the region including thePoint Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station,Bell Aliant which operates out of the formerNew Brunswick Telephone headquarters, the Horizon Health Network, which operates 5 hospitals in the Saint John area,[125] and numerousinformation technology companies. There are also a number ofcall centres which were established in the 1990s under provincial government incentives.
View from Fort Howe of the Saint John skyline prior to Peel Plaza
Saint John is a major Canadian port, and the only city on the Bay of Fundy. Until the first decade of the 21st century, Canada's largest shipyard (Irving Shipbuilding) had been an important employer in the city. During the 1980s-early 1990s the shipyard was responsible for building 9 of the 12Halifax-class multi-purpose patrolfrigates for theCanadian Navy. However, the Irving family closed the shipyard in 2003 and centralized in Halifax leaving the Saint John dry dock sitting idle.[citation needed]
Ecological research on surrounding marine life of the Bay of Fundy and the Saint John and Kennebecasis Rivers is centred in the city. The University of New Brunswick's Marine Biology department in Saint John as well as local NGO's and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans heads the majority of research and monitoring work on marine life and environments.[126]
Traditional fisheries (lobster, scallops etc.) still make up the livelihood for many Saint Johners today. Aquaculture, primarily Atlantic Salmon farming, has grown to be a major employer in the region as the decline of other traditional wild fisheries has unfolded in recent decades. Cooke Aquaculture, one of the largest companies in the industry is headquartered in Saint John.[127]
Prior to the opening of theSt. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, the Port of Saint John functioned as the winter port forMontreal,Quebec when shipping was unable to traverse thesea ice in theGulf of St. Lawrence andSt. Lawrence River. TheCanadian Pacific Railway opened a line to Saint John from Montreal in 1889 across the state ofMaine and transferred the majority of its trans-Atlantic passenger and cargo shipping to the port during the winter months. The port fell into decline following the seaway opening and the start of year-roundicebreaker services in the 1960s. In 1994 CPR left Saint John when it sold the line toshortline operatorNew Brunswick Southern Railway. TheCanadian National Railway still services Saint John with a secondary mainline fromMoncton. Despite these setbacks, Port Saint John is the largest port by volume in Eastern Canada, at about 28 million metric tonnes of cargo per year, includingcontainers andbulk cargo.[128]
Saint John is a major exporter to theUnited States, with 96.3% of the city's exports being sent past the border according to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. This was particularly highlighted in light of U.S. PresidentDonald Trump'stariff threats against the country due to research by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce concluding that Saint John is the most vulnerable Canadian city in the potentiality of atrade war between both countries with a trade exposure index of 131.1%, which is nearly 50% higher than the second-ranked city ofCalgary.[129][130] The study highlighted the Irving Oil Refinery, noting that over 80% of its exports go to the United States. Irving announced a tariff response plan as a result of this, in which all tariff costs on oil exported to the country will be absorbed by U.S. customers.[131]
The city is the birthplace of several notable artists, actors and musicians, includingWalter Pidgeon,Donald Sutherland,Louis B. Mayer, andMiller Brittain.What is considered the golden age of the Saint John arts community was during the post-war era from 1940 to 1970 when the city produced renowned artists and writers such as poetKay Smith, paintersJack Humphrey, Miller Brittain,Bruno Bobak,Fred Ross, sculptorJohn Hooper and folk-singerStompin' Tom Connors. PoetBliss Carman once wrote about Saint John, "All the beauty and mystery Of life were there, adventure bold, Youth, and the glamour of the sea, And all its sorrows old."[132]
Comhaltas Saint John: Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann was founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1951. Its mandate is to promote traditional Irish music and culture, and there are more than 400 branches around the world. The Saint John branch of Comhaltas is the easternmost chapter in Canada. JP Collins Celtic Festival is an Irish festival celebrating Saint John's Irish heritage. The festival is named for a young Irish doctor James Patrick Collins who worked onPartridge Island quarantine station tending to sick Irish immigrants before he died there himself.
Saint John is known for its pub and restaurant scene throughout uptown. Statistics Canada found the city has the third most pubs per capita in Canada[162]
TheImperial Theatre, a National Historic Site still hosting live performances
Prince William Street, National Historic Site of Canada. The building in the foreground in theBank of New Brunswick building, Canada's first bank established by Royal Charter
Early settlers influenced music in Saint John from the time the area had been a series of forts for the English and French colonists. Working class fishers, labourers and shipbuilders carried Maritime traditions and folk songs with kitchen parties and outdoor gatherings. But musical high culture was captured by the wealthy. New Brunswick's solicitor-general 1784–1808, Ward Chipman Sr was known to have fancy soirées at his home with all the latest songs from London. A notable Loyalist musician, Stephen Humbert, moved in 1783 from New Jersey to Saint John and opened a Sacred Vocal Music School. In 1801 Humbert published Union Harmony, the first Canadian music book in English. The Mechanics' Institute, built in 1840, was the first large-scale platform for comic opera and concerts. In 1950 The Saint John Symphony was founded by Kelsey Jones; by 1983 the organization becameSymphony New Brunswick.[163] Some musicians from Saint John include Berkley Chadwick,[164]Stompin' Tom Connors,[165]Ken Tobias,[166]Blank Banshee, Stevedore Steve,[167]Jane Coop,Bruce Holder,Frances James,[168] songwriter Michael F. Kelly,[163] Ned Landry,[169] composer and teacher Edward Betts Manning,[163] organist Paul Murray,[170]Catherine McKinnon, Patricia Rideout,Frances C. Robinson, Philip Thomson, and tenor and choir conductorGordon Wry.
Music festivals have long been a part of the city's cultural scene. New Brunswick's Music Festival was held in Saint John every Spring in the early- to mid-20th century.[171] As the city's music changed with the times, so did its festivals. Other popular festivals include the now defunct Festival By The Sea[172] and Salty Jam[173] catering to various genres of pop music.
The Area 506 music festival is held every New Brunswick Day long-weekend at Long Wharf onSaint John Harbour. The festival is set up with shipping containers from the port with vendors from New Brunswick companies to promote local business. A main stage area is also set up for night time shows with local acts as well as major groups. Major bands to have played Area 506 includeTegan and Sara, Stars, Bahamas, Interpol, and Arkells. Each year the festival also includes a bevy of bands coming out of the Saint John music scene.[174] Quality Block Party music festival hosts independent New Brunswick musicians in smaller venues throughout uptown Saint John. The festival gets its name from the old quality block on Germain Street.[175]
TheSaint John City Council consists of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and ten Councillors, two of which overlook the city and the other eight overlooking one of four wards.[177]
Saint John's law enforcement agency is the Saint John Police Force. It was established in 1849, though police forces in the city date back to 1809.[194] The police force had 139 sworn officers as of December 31, 2022.[195] The Saint John Police Force was originally based out of the City Hall building from 1971[196] until 2012, when a new police headquarters was built at Peel Plaza.[197] In 1977, while still based out of the City Hall building,a fire was started in the ground floor jail, killing 21 inmates.[198] In April 1998, the police force's north end station was bombed, injuring a number of officers.[199] An attempted bombing also took place near the jail in June 1998, but was defused.[200]
Saint John is served under thefirefighters of the Saint John Fire Department, which was established in 1786.[201] There are six active fire houses throughout the city under operation by the fire department. 4 Engines, 2 ladders, 2 tankers, 1 Sqaud / Rescue Company as well as an on duty platoon chief are strategically placed throughout the city. Due to budget cuts over the years, the fire department has seen a dynamic drop in staffing, fire houses and companies being closed. Many days the tanker companies are browned out due to staffing shortages. The fire department also has a small quantity of spare and support apparatus within the city for fire prevention, training division and operations. Saint John Fire Department is an old city that has many fires throughout the year, as well as being hit with the fentanyl epidemic. The hard working individuals of the fire department continue to serve the city when called upon even after the harsh cuts to staffing. The most recent fire house that was closed was Engine Company 8 in the cities North End in 2019. Also came with the elimination of 16 positions and cut the daily staffing by 4 personal.[202]
Many of Saint John's military divisions have utilized theBarrack Green Armoury (pictured)
Besides being the location of several historical forts, such as Fort Howe, Fort Dufferin, Fort Latour, and theCarleton Martello Tower, Saint John is the location of a number of reserve units of theCanadian Forces.
Saint John is home to a number of post-secondary institutions, including the smaller of the two campuses of theUniversity of New Brunswick, the Saint John campus (UNBSJ). Opened in 1969 and located next to theSaint John Regional Hospital nearMillidgeville,[206] the campus serves around 2,000 of UNB's total student body.[207] As a result of its proximity to the hospital, the Saint John campus also houses Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick forDalhousie University as well as the Gerald S Merrithew Allied Health Education Centre for the provincial community college.[208][209] Saint John also contains one of the campuses for theNew Brunswick Community College as well as a campus forEastern College.[210][211]
In the fall of 2007, a report commissioned by the provincial government recommended UNBSJ and the NBCC be reformed and consolidated into a new polytechnic post-secondary institute. The proposal immediately came under heavy criticism and led to the organizing of several protests in the uptown area, citing the diminishment of UNB as a nationally accredited university, the reduction in accessibility to receive degrees – and these are only a couple of the reasons why the community was enraged by the recommendation. Support for keeping UNBSJ as it was, and expanding the university under its current structure, fell slightly below 90%. Seeing too much political capital would be lost, and several Saint John MPs were likely not to support the initiative if the policies recommended by the report were legislated, the government abandoned the commission's report and created an intra-provincial post-secondary commission.[212][213]
First opening on May 18, 1883,[214] the Saint John Free Public Library was among Canada's firstfree libraries.[215] It first operated out of theSaint John City Market with a book inventory of 2,885. It temporarily relocated to theSaint John Masonic Temple before moving to a building funded byAndrew Carnegie and constructed in 1904, where it operated until moving to its present location in Market Square in 1983.[216] The library currently maintains three branches.[217]
Saint John is often described as the birthplace of unionism in Canada and is one of the few pre-capitalist colonial settlements in North America. The city has a history of labour achievements and sparked the Canadian labour movement with Canada's first trade union, the Labourers' Benevolent Association (now International Longshoremen's Association Local 273). In 1849 the union was formed when Saint John's longshoremen banded together to lobby for regular pay and a shorter workday. One of their first resolutions was to apply to the city council for permission to erect the bell, which would announce the beginning and end of the labourers' 10-hour workday. As the bell shears were hardly finished when capitalists and merchants in the city objected to the bell and successfully lobbied city hall to keep the bell from being put up. But then, citizens and longshoremen defied the order and erected a larger bell and merchants withdrew their opposition to the "Labourers' Bell". ILA Local 273 remain one of the city's strongest trade unions to this day.[218]
The Saint John Street Railwaymen's strike and riot of 1914
The1914 Saint John street railway strike (sometimes called theSaint John street railwaymen's strike)[219] was astrike by workers on the street railway system in the city which lasted from July 22 to 24, 1914, with rioting by Saint John inhabitants occurring on July 23 and 24. The strike was important for shattering the image of Saint John as a conservative town dominated primarily by ethnic and religious (rather than class) divisions, and highlighting tensions between railway industrialists and the local working population.
The Saint John General Strike of 1976 was a result of the Bill C-73 passed by Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and the House of Commons in Ottawa on October 14, 1975. This bill limited wage increases to 8% the first year, 6% the second year, and 4% the third year after its enactment. Most provinces of Canada accepted the bill by spring of 1976, but within eighteen months they began to withdraw from the program. After its introduction in 1975, it was not until 1976 that the Anti-Inflation Board (AIB) began to roll back workers' wages. The employees of Irving Pulp and Paper, members of the Canadian Paper Workers Union, were among the first to experience the roll backs implemented by the AIB. The paper workers were required to give back to the employer 9.8% of their previous wage increase the first year, and 11% the second year. The Atlantic Sugar Refinery workers of the Bakery and Confectionary Workers International Union of America soon felt the burden as well. The majority of workers within Saint John were influenced by the AIB by January 1976. On February 5, 1976, the Saint John District and the Labour Council held a conference to plan an organized opposition to the AIB. Fifty-two people came to the meeting as representatives of twenty-six unions in Saint John. The council was led by the Labour Council president, George Vair. They began by educating those present on wage control legislation, but swiftly transitioned into rallying and demonstrating in opposition throughout the city. Five thousand marched from numerous ends of the town to King Square. All major industries in Saint John were shut down.[220]
On May 12, 1994, at 4:30 pm, members of Local 691 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) union at the Irving Oil Ltd. Refinery went on strike. At this time the refinery's management took over its operations. Irving had argued the refinery might have to shut down and had to bring in a bevy of rollbacks to the workers' pay and benefits and other changes to the collective agreement. Local 691 argued Irving simply wished to lengthen the work week without paying workers overtime rates. The strike lasted 27 months and was based on Irving's demands for flexibility of the workers to ensure the refinery was competitive. The strike is seen as symbolic of a rollback of labour and democratic collective bargaining rights that have been in decline across North America.[221]
Saint John's daily newspaper is theTelegraph-Journal, which was previously owned byJ. D. Irving under their Saint John-based publishing companyBrunswick News, until its acquisition byPostmedia Network in 2022.[222] The newspaper was created in 1923, following the merger ofThe Daily Journal andThe Daily Telegraph and The Sun,[223] which itself was created from the merging ofThe Sun andDaily Telegraph.[224] Additionally, the University of New Brunswick Saint John campus (UNBSJ) has astudent newspaperThe Baron.[225] The city was also home toHuddle, abusiness news website which published from 2015 to 2023.[226]
Air service into Saint John is provided by theSaint John Airport, near Loch Lomond 8nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) east northeast of the central business district[231] or approximately 25 km (16 mi) by road northeast of the city centre. Flights are offered bySunwing Airlines (seasonal) andAir Canada (Air Canada Express andAir Canada Rouge). In 2011,WestJet decided to withdraw from the Saint John Airport. Quebec-basedPascan Aviation announced its expansion into Saint John in late 2012, with direct flights from Saint John to Quebec City, Newfoundland, and other destinations beginning in September 2012.Porter Airlines flies once daily from Saint John, to Ottawa and Toronto Island Airport.[232]
Port Saint John is located where the Saint John River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Thus both the ocean and the river system is navigable from Saint John docks.[234]Bay Ferries operates a ferry service,MV Fundy Rose, across the Bay of Fundy toDigby, Nova Scotia.
Saint John Transit is the largest transit system in New Brunswick in both area coverage and ridership.[237] Bus service is provided bySaint John Transit (Greater Saint John Area) andMaritime Bus (Inter-city).Acadian Lines used to operate regular inter-city bus services between New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Bangor, as well asRivière-du-Loup,Quebec (connecting withOrléans Express). Maritime Bus has since replaced Acadian Lines as the regional bus service.[238]
The following sporting events have been held in Saint John:
The2022 Memorial Cup, the national tournament of theCanadian Hockey League took place here after two years of absence due to the pandemic, with the Saint John Sea Dogs winning the championship.
Collegiately, Saint John is home to theACAAUNB Saint John Seawolves, the athletic team representing UNBSJ. The team has six varsity sports: basketball, soccer and volleyball, for both men and women.[241]
^This is the legal name in both English and French.
^While other cities throughoutCanada were founded as communities earlier, Saint John was the first to be officially incorporated as a city.
^Based on station coordinates provided by Environment Canada, climate data recorded near downtown Saint John from January 1871 to September 1970, and atSaint John Airport from November 1946 to present.
^Saint John was amalgamated with the neighbouring city of Portland in 1889.
^Saint John was amalgamated with the neighbouring city of Lancaster and part ofSimonds Parish in 1967.
^Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
^Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
^Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
^Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
^"Facilities: Hospitals". Horizon Health Services. Retrieved26 August 2019. Hospitals in the Saint John Region: Charlotte County Hospital, Grand Manan Hospital, Saint John Regional Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital and Sussex Health Centre.
^Schuchman, John S. (1999).Hollywood Speaks: Deafness and the Film Entertainment Industry. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. p. 82.ISBN978-0-252-06850-8.
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