AC Museum to Commemorate New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War - June 11

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On June 11, 2016, everyone is invited to visit between 10:00am and 4:00pm to share memories and memorabilia from the First World War relating to New Brunswick’s significant contribution. A number of other Museums will be on hand for the day with items from their collections for a great show and tell experience. Besides the Albert County Museum, Resurgo Place (Moncton Museum), Musee Acadien and the New Brunswick Military History Museum will all bring items to help share New Brunswick's stories and answer questions.

The event is not just limited to collections housed in museums either. The public is also invited to bring items and memorabilia from their private collections to show publicly for the day. If you wish to bring along some items, please contact the Albert County Museum in advance at 734-2003 to reserve your space.

The Museum will offer admission with a free-will donation towards the Museum’s Victory Cannon Campaign for the restoration of the two First World War Trophy Cannons that sit prominently next to the highway in front of the museum buildings.

If you're wondering if your items are from New Brunswick, here is a list of all the NB raised Battalions and Batteries: 

12th BATTALION C.E.F. (Canadian Expeditionary Force), 8th BATTERY C.F.A. (Canadian Field Artillery), 1st BRIGHTON FIELD. COMPANY CANADIAN ENGINEERS, 26th N. B. BATTALION ("FIGHTING 26th"), 55th N.B. and P.E.I. BATTALION, 2nd DIVISIONAL AMMUNITION COLUMN, R.C.A.S. CORPS, 23rd BATTERY C.F.A., 24th BATTERY C.F.A., 28th BATTERY C.F.A., 64th N.B. and N.S. BATTALION, 104th N.B. BATTALION, 115th N.B. BATTALION, 132nd BATTALION, 140th BATTALION, 145th BATTALION, 165th FRENCH ACADIAN BATTALION, 236th MacLEAN HIGHLANDERS, 58th BATTERY C.F.A., 65th BATTERY C.F.A., 89th BATTERY C.F.A., 4th SIEGE BATTERY CANADIAN ARTILLERY, 6th SIEGE BATTERY CANADIAN ARTILLERY, No. 16 CANADIAN FIELD AMBULANCE, 257 RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION BATTALION, and other various drafts of infantry and engineers.

Museum to Open “Steeves: 250 Years in Albert County” Exhibit and Make Major Steeves Family Announcement - May 21 @11 am

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The Albert County Museum is excited to announce the Grand Opening of their Steeves: 250 Years in Albert County exhibit, on Saturday, May 21 at 11am. At the opening, the museum will be announcing a major component of the exhibit which has just been approved by Library and Archives Canada, to be ready in time for the Steeves Family Reunion in July. The day also marks the opening day at the museum (9:30am -5:30pm) and is also the first Weekly Farmers and Crafters Market hosted by Foods of the Fundy Valley (9am-1pm) of the season.  The weekly ‘Breakfast at the Museum’ (9am-noon) starts on the 21st as well.

The “Steeves: 250 years in Albert County” exhibitis planned as a special exhibit at the Albert County Museum which coincides with the 2016 Steeves 250 Family Reunion and is scheduled for exhibit for two years. A full gallery of the museum has be dedicated to this theme and includes displays of ‘all things Steeves’. The exhibit has been carefully selected from over 700 Steeves related artefacts in the museum collection, with each artefact on the display having some special historic significance. The highlight of the exhibit is the original 18th century clock that Heinrich and Regina Stief brought from Germany. [photo enclosed]

The exhibit is arranged chronologically, leading the visitor through the story of the Steeves family and their significance in, not only, Albert County’s history, but Canada’s history. A few of the members of the Steeves family that will be included are: William Henry Steeves, Father of Confederation; Simon Newcomb, Astronomer and Mathematician; Percy Hamilton Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset; Dr. Esther Clark Wright, Author, Historian and Scholar; Jack Layton, former Leader of the Opposition.

2016 marks the Sestercentennial of the arrival of the Stief (Steeves) family and in celebration of this, the Steeves Family will be holding a reunion on a substantial scale.

The major announcement at the Grand Opening will relate the Steeves 250 Years in Albert County exhibit with the Museum's Victory Cannon Campaign, which is restoring the two First World War Trophy Cannons that sit in the square in Hopewell Cape.

The exhibit was made possible by partial funding from the province of New Brunswick, Heritage Branch.

New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War - Come Share Your Memories and Memorabilia - Sat. June 11, 2016 10am-4pm

On June 11, 2016 from 10am until 4pm we are hosting a New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War Event, where we are bringing together collectors, museums and individuals to share Memories and Memorabilia of the First World War. If you have one piece or a whole collection of items from any of the New Brunswick Battalions and Batteries we encourage you to come out. Please share this with anyone who might be interested. Admission is a free-will donation to the Victory Cannon Campaign, which is restoring two WW1 German cannons that sit in the square in Hopewell Cape, NB. This event will be held in the Community Hall at the Albert County Museum, in Hopewell Cape, NB.

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The 2016 Victory Cannon Campaign Fundraiser

We are very pleased to introduce our 2016 fundraising effort for the Victory Cannon Campaign. Our goal is to raise the remaining $5000.00 of the total goal of $15,000.00. The Victory Cannon Campaign is raising funds to restore the First World War cannons located in the Square in Hopewell Cape. The two cannons were captured by Canadians during the First World War and awarded to the people of Albert County. The large cannon was won in the Victory Loans Campaign of 1919, for raising the greatest percentage over our set goal. The second cannon was awarded for Albert County having the largest number of men per capita enlist in the CEF in Canada. 

We were fortunate to have noted local artist, Norm Bradford agree to paint an original painting depicting our cannons, which we will be raffling off. Tickets will be $10.00 each with a limit of 600 tickets sold, and will go on sale Opening Day at the Museum (May 21), with sales continuing until all are sold or the draw date at our at our Annual General Meeting in October. The odds of winning are fantastic! (1 in 600 if all the tickets sell). 

Here is Norm's amazing painting, and below it are his comments on it. Please be generous and buy tickets!

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“The Spoils of War

As an artist who needs to convey a message and emotion through his art, I had to take my time to study how we got to have these cannons, why they’re here in Hopewell Cape Museum and how much it cost us. I was overwhelmed by the cost and the bravery of our local boys who captured these cannons. Below is a description of some of the symbolism in my creation. It took me a long time to plan this painting. I took lots of pictures, visits and composition planning to bring this painting to fruition.

The Cannons: As a realist, the cannons are recognizable, detailed and are central to this work. They are angled in such a way that your eye is drawn to the ghostly young WW1 soldier leaning on a strong maple tree, blowing taps in recognition of the of brave Albert County boys who gave their lives in the First World War, where these German Cannons were captured. The cannons were given to Albert County by Canada in recognition of those who fought, and from the 1919 Victory Loans Campaign.

The ghost: The young man is depicted as half ghost and half solid. He casts a shadow and the light reflects off his clothing. His uniform is what he would have worn at the time of the capture of these cannons. He is gone, but he is still here “lest we forget” the cost in human lives it took to have these “spoils”. He is standing straight and proud against a straight and proud maple tree (a symbolism for Canada).

The dramatic sky: The dark purple, threatening, ominous clouds of war are broken by a ray of hope lighting up the landscape and separating the foreground from the darker background. This ray in a small patch of blue sky signifies victory, hope, pride, freedom, and a brighter future thanks to our young men’s sacrificed and triumph. This light is of utmost importance in this painting. This sky was captured in a picture taken by Doran Milton recently just after a terrible downpour that flooded roads and fields. The light that it cast on the foreground (cows) helped me bring this whole painting together. It was central to bringing the emotion, the drama and the story together.

The background: Although the background is dark and treed, the buildings of the shire are recognizable although not to scale, not in the proper disposition. This an artist can do and no photographer can. The buildings have the light of the illusive sun also separating them from the dark green background. Bennett’s monument and plaques are also in view and centrally located.

The red poppies: although, there are no poppies in reality, they are in the painting to again remind the visitors that these cannons were not easy spoil, but won by many sacrifices.

Respectfully,

Norm Bradford”

You can purchase a ticket online here.