Saint John, NB

Saint John () is a seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of George III. The Port 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. The city has a strong industrial base, including oil refining and manufacturing, matched with finance and tourism sectors and research institutions such as the New Brunswick Museum and the University of New Brunswick. Saint John was the most populous in New Brunswick until the 2016 census, when it was overtaken by Moncton. It is currently the second-largest city in the province, with a population of 69,895 over an area of .

French explorer Samuel de Champlain landed at Saint John Harbour on June 24, 1604, the feast of St. John the Baptist, and named the Saint John River in his honour; the indigenous Mi'kmaq and Wolastoqiyik peoples called the river "Wolastoq". The Saint John area was an important area for trade and defence for Acadia during the French colonial era, and Fort La Tour, in the city's harbour, was a pivotal battleground during the Acadian Civil War.

After more than a century of ownership disputes between the French and English over the land surrounding Saint John, the British government deported the Acadians in 1755 following the destruction of Fort Menagoueche, which was reconstructed as Fort Frederick. Following the pillaging and burning of Fort Frederick by American privateers, 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 and Carleton 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 the American Revolution. During the next century, immigration via Partridge Island, especially during the Great Famine, would fundamentally change the city's demographics and culture.

History

The Saint John area had been inhabited by peoples of the Wabanaki Confederacy for thousands of years. The northwestern coastal region of the Bay of Fundy was home to the Passamaquoddy Nation, while the Saint John River valley north of the bay became the domain of the Wolastoqiyik Nation. The Mi'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.

In 1604, Samuel de Champlain landed at Saint John Harbour, though he did not settle the area. Saint John played a crucial role in trade and defense for Acadia during the French colonial era, with Fort La Tour in the city's harbour becoming a pivotal battleground during the Acadian Civil War. At the end of the Seven Years' War, the British took the region from the French.

The population of Saint John grew with immigration from the former Thirteen Colonies and Europe. In 1785, Saint John became the first incorporated city in what is now Canada. Immigration led to the building of North America's first quarantine station, Partridge Island.

The city became a shipyard of global stature, producing vessels such as the 1851 ship , which became the fastest in the world, and witnessing the development of the automated foghorn by Robert Foulis.

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. In 1849, Canada's first labour union, the Laborer's Benevolent Association (now ILA local 273) was formed by longshoremen. Between 1840 and 1860, sectarian violence became rampant in Saint John as tensions escalated in response to the poor living conditions of poor Irish Catholics, resulting in some of the worst urban riots in Canadian history. Saint John experienced a cholera outbreak in 1854 that claimed over 1,500 lives, as well as the Great Fire of Saint John in 1877 that destroyed 40% of the city and left 13,000 people homeless. Although the fire caused damages exceeding $10 million (equivalent to approximately $256 million today), Saint John quickly embarked on rebuilding. Nevertheless, the aftermath prompted many residents to leave the city.

Geography and climate

Physical geography

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 of New 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 , and the metropolitan area covers .

Stonehammer UNESCO 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 the Bay of Fundy through a narrow gorge several hundred metres wide at the centre of the city. It contains a unique phenomenon called the Reversing 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 â€“ the ''St. Croix Highlands'' and the ''Caledonia 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 high tide 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.

Architecture

Saint John, especially in its Uptown region, features a multitude of architectural styles spanning from the 19th and early 20th centuries, with residences and buildings containing Victorian, Romanesque Revival, and Second Empire architectural styles. Over time, the city would see the use of Georgian, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire and Queen Anne style architecture.

As Saint John rebuilt from the Great Fire in 1877, buildings would start to be constructed using brick and stone rather than wood. During the late 19th to early 20th centuries, the most popular styles in the city were Queen Anne and Romanesque architecture. In 1911, a proposed city hall was to share Gothic and Second Empire architectural styles. Over time, the city would no longer adopt some of these styles. Buildings in Saint John also feature stone carvings and sculptures.

In 1982, Saint John introduced the Trinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area, which serves to preserve historic districts and buildings in the city. 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.

List of buildings in Saint John:
* Courtney Bay Smokestacks (each )
* Brunswick Square () 19-storey office tower with 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 the Maritime Centre in Halifax.
* Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Gothic style Catholic cathedral, construction began in 1853, its spire rises to )
* Saint John City Hall () 16-storey office building ()
* Brunswick House () 14-storey office building ()
* Irving Building () 14-storey office building
* Harbourside Senior Citizens Housing Complex () 12-storey apartment building
* Harbour Building () 10-storey office building
* Mercantile Centre () 7-storey office building ()
* Chateau Saint John 8-storey hotel (112 rooms)
* City Market (built in 1876, oldest city market in North America, with an original ship's hull roof design)
* Loyalist House (built in 1817)
* Irving Oil Home Office (2019) 11-storey office building

Parks and nature

Saint John is home to the historic King's Square, an urban park located in the city's Uptown region. Multiple historic buildings are located by the park, including the Saint John City Market, the Imperial Theatre, as well as the former Admiral Beatty Hotel. King's Square's counterpart, Queen Square, is another urban park located a few blocks south from it. Queen Square features an annual outdoor farmers market which runs through the summer months.

Located in west Saint John is the Irving Nature Park, located in the city's west side and measuring . Saint John is also home to Rockwood Park, a large municipal park located to the east of the Millidgeville neighbourhood. Designed in the 19th century by landscape designer Calvert Vaux, one of the designers for New York City's Central Park, It features 2,200 acres of park area, ten lakes, and 55 trails and footpaths.

Neighbourhoods

According to Saint John mapping data, the city has 33 neighborhoods categorized into four groups: North, East, South and West.
* North: North End (mostly the former city of Portland), Pokiok, Douglas Avenue, Churchill Boulevard, Cedar Point, Millidgeville, Mount Pleasant, Kennebecasis Bay, and Brookville. Cedar Point is the site of the city's only completely French school and community centre, Centre Scolaire Communautaire Samuel-de-Champlain. The area includes one of Canada's largest urban parks, Rockwood Park.
* East: East Saint John, McAllister, Champlain Heights, Eastwood, Red Head, Forest Hills, Lakewood, Glen Falls, Latimer Lake, and Loch Lomond.
* South: Typically referred to as the South Central Peninsula. Includes Uptown, Germain Street, Broad Street (although the mapping data refers to the area as Broad Street, it is commonly known as South End, which formerly encompassed Lower Cove), Orange Street, and Waterloo Village. On the east side of Saint 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 the Trinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area, which together are referred to as Uptown.
* West: Saint John West (includes Carleton), Lower West Side, Sand Cove, Fairville, Island View, Lorneville, Ocean Westway, Milford-Randolph, and South Bay. Collectively referred to as West Side, but Lancaster was a notable former municipality.

Climate

The climate of Saint John is humid continental (Köppen climate classification ''Dfb''). 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 . Summers are usually warm to hot, and daytime temperatures often exceed . The highest temperature recorded in a given year is usually . 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 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 on June 20, 2024. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on February 11, 1948.

Demographics

At the 2021 census conducted by Statistics Canada, Saint John had a population of people that were living in of total private dwellings. The population density was , and is most densely populated in Uptown Saint John. The median total household income was $62,800. Of the city's population aged between 25 and 64, held a bachelor's degree or higher, held a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree, and had a high school diploma or equivalent. The median age was 44 years.

At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Saint John CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Ethnicity

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. 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 at Partridge Island, the immigration and quarantine station at the mouth of Saint John Harbour.

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 were Black (2.7%), South Asian (2.4%), Arab (1.5%), Chinese (1.4%), and Filipino (0.9%).

Language

87.2% of residents spoke English as a mother tongue. Other common first languages were French (3.7%), Arabic (1.5%) Chinese languages (1.0%) and Tagalog (0.5%).

Religion

58.5% of residents were Christian, down from 79.6% in 2011. 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%).

Economy

Saint John's location along the Bay of Fundy has been of major importance to the city's prosperity. The bay's dramatic tidal range prevents the harbour from icing over, allowing the city to be accessible all year round. Shipbuilding, shipping and lumber trade rose as prominent industries. 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. At one point, Saint John was British North America's biggest shipbuilding city, constructing many well-known ships, including the ''Marco Polo''. However, these industries suffered a decline in trade due to technological advancements, which was only made worse with the Great Fire of Saint John in 1877. Shipbuilding in Saint John permanently ceased in 2003 following the closure of the Saint John shipyard, which had been idle for the past three years.

Today, Saint John benefits from industries such as tourism, reporting a tourism expenditure of $282 million in 2018. 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, first welcoming the MS ''Cunard Princess''. Saint John receives around 80 cruise ships annually. As of the 2023 cruise schedule, Saint John is scheduled to receive 190,680 passengers' worth of cruise ships. The port also carries over 20 million metric tonnes of cargo annually.

Arts and culture

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. Artists like Miller Brittain and Fred 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.

Heavy industry

Saint John maintains industrial infrastructure in the city's East side such as Canada's largest oil refinery as well as the country's largest dry dock. Capitalist K.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, a pulp mill, a paper mill and a tissue paper plant.

Other important economic activity in the city is generated by the Port of Saint John.

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. The Moosehead Brewery (established in 1867, is Canada's only nationally distributed independent brewery . Nicholson, James Ready Brewing Co., the New Brunswick Power Corporation which operates three electrical generating stations in the region including the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station, Bell Aliant which operates out of the former New Brunswick Telephone headquarters, the Horizon Health Network, which operates 5 hospitals in the Saint John area, and numerous information technology companies. There are also a number of call centres which were established in the 1990s under provincial government incentives.

Maritime industries

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 12 multi-purpose patrol frigates for the Canadian Navy. However, the Irving family closed the shipyard in 2003 and centralized in Halifax leaving the Saint John dry dock sitting idle.

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.

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.

Prior to the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, the Port of Saint John functioned as the winter port for Montreal, Quebec when shipping was unable to traverse the sea ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence River. The Canadian Pacific Railway opened a line to Saint John from Montreal in 1889 across the state of Maine 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-round icebreaker services in the 1960s. In 1994 CPR left Saint John when it sold the line to shortline operator New Brunswick Southern Railway. The Canadian National Railway still services Saint John with a secondary mainline from Moncton. 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, including containers and bulk cargo.

Exports

Saint John is a major exporter to the United 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. President Donald Trump's tariff 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 a trade war between both countries with a trade exposure index of 131.1%, which is nearly 50% higher than the second-ranked city of Calgary. 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.

Culture

The city is the birthplace of several notable artists, actors and musicians, including Walter Pidgeon, Donald Sutherland, Louis B. Mayer, and Miller 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 poet Kay Smith, painters Jack Humphrey, Miller Brittain, Bruno Bobak, Fred Ross, sculptor John Hooper and folk-singer Stompin' Tom Connors. Poet Bliss 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."

Dance, music, and theatre

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 on Partridge Island quarantine station tending to sick Irish immigrants before he died there himself.

Arts organization include InterAction School of Performing Arts, New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, Symphony New Brunswick, TD Station, The Imperial Theatre, and the Saint John Free Public Library, among others.

Film and television

Saint John, as well as New Brunswick as a whole, entered the film industry in 1924 with the now- lost silent film ''Blue Water'', produced by the once-successful Ernest Shipman. The film featured soon-to-be Hollywood star Norma Shearer, though it had a short-lived screening and failed to succeed commercially. Saint John made a return to film with the ''Bravery in the Field'' (1979), a short drama film by the National Film Board of Canada both set and filmed in the city which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Saint John is notably one of the filming locations for '' Children of a Lesser God'' (1986), a romance drama film that received five nominations at the 59th Academy Awards. Marlee Matlin, in her film debut, won Best Actress, making her not only the youngest Best Actress winner but also the first deaf winner in Oscar history. William Hurt, who made a return to the city for filming '' The 4th Floor'' (1999), befriended some Saint John residents during his time there for filming of ''Children of a Lesser God''. Other films shot in Saint John include '' The Secret Life of Algernon'' (1997), crime drama '' Blue Hill Avenue'' (2001), ''Jericho Mansions'' (2003), '' Geraldine's Fortune'' (2004), black comedy thriller '' Stuck'' (2007), romantic drama ''Still Mine

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