It is a beautiful day at the Albert County Museum. Perfect temperature for a visit and walk through the many displays ready for viewing. Including the newest exhibit: "County of Heroes - Cy Peck - VC and the Victory Cannons" that opened this weekend.
This morning, as I arrived to open the museum, I was taken by the beauty of the Shepody Bay. The sun shining like silver coins tossed on the water.
On Saturday, May 19, County of Heroes-Cyrus Peck, VC and the Victory Cannon opens at the Albert County Museum in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick. The exhibit highlights the life of Albert County born, Colonel Cyrus Peck, VC, DSO (1871-1956) who won the Victoria Cross on September 2, 1918 during the Second Battle of Arras. In addition, the exhibit tells the exciting story of the capture of the Vimy Gun, from its use on the battlefield to its final resting place in Hopewell Cape Square. Housed in a stylized First World War trench, complete with sandbags, and rusted corrugated steel, the exhibit creates a life-like setting for both parts of the exhibit.
If you pass through Hopewell Cape in the square by the cannons you will see two black granite benches which face the guns looking out over the bay. These were donated to the museum by Harold Clifton Reid. They bear the inscription, “Donated by Harold Reid, World War II (1943-44) and Korean War Veteran (1950-52), Regular reserve (1954 -57).” They grace the square where Harold spent many days playing on the guns as youth. Read more...
We have found another Albert County man who paid the supreme sacrifice during the First World War.
Charles Osman Steeves, 832325 was from Hillsborough, Albert County, New Brunswick and was born November 10, 1888. He was the Son of Jerimiah and Lavinia Steeves. He enlisted with the 145 Battalion on February 14, 1916. He was listed as Killed in Action at while fighting with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles (Quebec Regiment) on October 30/31, 1917. He has is buried at LA CHAUDIERE MILITARY CEMETERY ; Pas de Calais, France
You can find his complete war records by clicking here.
He is Commemorated on Page 332 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.
A virtual memorial can be found here.
His gravesite information can be found here.
If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along.
Thank you to Steeves House Museum for the photo.
Join us at the Albert County Museum in congratulating Gwen Dixon on her outstanding achievement in completing this incredible project - Ruby Anderson's Scrapbook! Gwen is a long time friend of the Museum, volunteering in on the Fibre Arts & Quilt Show committee, where she also sells some of her work. This year, Gwen was also involved in instructing a rug hooking workshop during the event.
Gwen's fibre arts exhibit was inspired by a scrapbook that spoke of life on the Fundy Coast between the 1940s to 1960s, and it is this art that is being featured in exhibit during the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival from October 8 to 15. Support this local talent by taking the drive out to view her exhibit. Details are below.
Robert Archibald Colpitts, 709672 was born in Liverpool, England and was born July 4, 1893. He was the son of George W. and Margaret (Gardiner) Colpitts. He enlisted with the 104 Battalion on November 3, 1915. His occupation at the time of attestation was listed as a farmer. He was listed as Missing in Action and presumed dead during the Battle of Hill 70 while fighting with the 26th New Brunswick Battalion on August 15, 1917. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vimy Monument :Pas de Calais, France.
You can find his complete war records by clicking here.
He is Commemorated on Page 218 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.
A virtual memorial can be found here. \
A Memorial Plaque was crafted in his honour with an excellent write up and can be found here.
The museum is also fortunate to have his mother's silver cross medal, which can be viewed at the museum.
If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along.
The Albert County Museum was bustling with activity on Wednesday, May 10 as Anglophone East students came to spend the day participating in the 2017 Regional Heritage Fair.
Students from five middle schools proudly displayed their creative and innovative heritage projects of varied themes and project categories in the Community Hall. Judges interviewed the students and assessed the projects based on specific evaluation criteria for the special juried awards, as well as other prizes. But, the day included much more than the judging!
Enrichment activities included each student “Painting a Mosaic Tile”. This activity is part of a Canada 150 project which will result in a large mosaic being created by a professional artist using the painted tiles from all the Regional Heritage Fairs throughout the school districts in the province. The finished provincial mosaic will then be displayed at Government House in Fredericton.
In the historic Courthouse built in 1904, the students also enjoyed the presentation of historical vignettes by the summer students from the William Henry Steeves House Museum in Hillsborough. The costumed actors portrayed the inhabitants of the Albert County region of Canada, beginning with the Aboriginal Mi'kmaq, then the Acadians, followed by the German immigrants of the Stief family, and English loyalists. The last vignette portrayed the celebration of Dominion Day, July 1, 1867.
This year the RHF students were present for the special ceremonial planting of a Vimy oak tree presented to the Museum by the Vimy Foundation. The students learned of the significance of the Vimy oak tree being planted at the Albert County Museum. At the Museum is a WWI German K-14 cannon captured by a Canadian Battalion at the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. The German cannon, a war trophy of Canada, was awarded to Albert County for winning the Victory Loan campaign of 1919.
Following the planting of the Vimy oak tree, the Awards Ceremony took place in the Courthouse.
The following students were recipients of the Regional Heritage Juried Awards and other prizes.
Naiya Istvanffy, grade 5 student from Dorchester Consolidated School, received the Provincial Showcase Award. Naiya was selected to represent ASD-E with her project “The Mothers of Confederation” at the Provincial Heritage Fair to be held June 23-25 at the Albert County Museum, Hopewell Cape, NB.
Naiya Istvanffy also received the Young Citizen's Award so she will be creating a 2-3 minute video about her project to be submitted to the History Society of Canada website.
Dominick Fournier (Dorchester Consolidated) received the NB Historic Places Award for his project “The History of Westmorland”.
Kassi Stuart (Riverview East) received the NB St. Croix Award for her project “Blockhouses and Forts of New Brunswick”.
Cadence Nelson (Dorchester Consolidated) received the NB Aboriginal Affairs Award for her project about The Maliseet Tribe and First Nations”.
Megan MacAulay (Evergreen Park) received the NB Provincial Commemorations Award for her project “The Ganong Family”
A, Jane Martin ( Riverview East) received the NB Museum Award of Merit for her project “Miramichi Fire of 1825”
Sarah MacAulay (Evergreen Park) received the Council of NB Archives Award for her project “Le Pont de la Confédération”.
Jake Purdy and Elliot Hicks (Dorchester Consolidated) received the NB Sport Legacy Award for their project on “Lacrosse”.
Sally Kim (Riverview East) received the NB Labour History Award for her project “Ganong”.
Lexa Kwan (Evergreen Park) was awarded the Canada's History medal for her project “Les événéments et les personnes qui ont mené a la création du drapeau Canadien”.
Liam Haynes (Evergreen Park) received the NB Military History Award for his project “Speech About the Battle of Vimy Ridge”.
Three Royal Canadian Legion Military History Medals were awarded to Natalie Thompson, Caylin Carson and Haley Batson from Port Elgin Regional for their project “The War of 1812”.
The Albert County Museum prizes were awarded to Molly Dixon (Port Elgin Regional) for project “Vimy Ridge”and to Landon Stevens, Ben Bouchard, Ryan Milburn and Alexander MacFarlane (Caledonia Regional) for “Sugar Woods” project.
Prizes from Resurgo, Moncton were awarded to Jonathan Field (Riverview East) for project “Covered Bridges of NB”
Special prizes from Fort Beausejour-Fort Cumberland were awarded to Joris Jakob and Aiden Sweeney (Port Elgin) for their project “Acadian Farming”.
Honorable mention prizes were awarded to Robbie Harker and Hunter Pepper (Port Elgin) for project “The Confederation Bridge”; to Breeze Tingley and Hailey Tingley (Caledonia Regional) for project “Gray's Island” and to Olivia NcGrath (Caledonia Regional) for project “Multiculturalism”.
Submitted by Dawne McLean, ASD-E RHF Coordinator
Jim Landry of Landscape NB/PEI with Vimy Oak in front of Albert County Courthouse
If you missed the planting of the Vimy Oak Tree yesterday at the Museum, not to fear you can still visit the oak tree at its new home on the museum grounds. We planted the tree across from the English Oak tree planted in 1937 in commemoration of the Coronation of King George VI in front of the majestic county courthouse. The tree is planted with a direct view of our gun which was captured at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917 and won by Albert County in the 1919 Victory Loans Campaign.
Our Vimy Oak was grown from scions cut from one of the original oak trees grown from acorns gathered at Vimy Ridge in 1917 by Lieutenant Leslie H. Miller. He planted his acorns at his farm in Ontario, which he eventually called Vimy Oaks Farm.
After the battle of Vimy Ridge all but one oak tree was destroyed, so the Vimy Oaks Legacy Corporation was formed and began the project to repatriate the Vimy Oaks to Vimy Ridge in 2015. Our tree was originally slated to be planted at Vimy Ridge, but due to soil regulations was unable to be planted there. The project then sent over acorns from the Vimy Oaks in Ontario to France and and are growing them there. Our Vimy Oak tree is one of 250 that are going to be planted across Canada, and was the first to be planted in New Brunswick.
The day was made more profound as it was 100 years to the day that Lieutenant Louis Stanley Edgett from Hillsborough, NB died of wounds suffered from a counter-attack at Vimy Ridge on May 10, 1917. You can read more about him here.
With special thanks to the people who made this project possible: The Liptay Family for purchasing the tree, Jim Landry at Landscape NB/PEI for having the foresight to obtain 40 trees for NB and PEI, Kim Wilmot of Ayles Natural Landscaping from Riverview for helping with the planting and subsequent care of the tree and the Vimy Oaks Legacy Corporation for making the whole thing possible.
Thanks to the large number of people who attended the planting, along with the dignitaries present, our MLA Brian Kierstead, and representatives from the Hillsborough Legion Branch 132 President Keith Steeves, and Riverview Veterans Association President Peter Jubb.
From Left to Right - Brian Kierstead - MLA Albert, Stuart Liptay - ACHS President, Kim Wilmot - Ayles Landscaping, Peter Jubb - Riverview Veterans Association President, Keith Steeves - Hillsborough Legion Branch 132 President, Jim Landry - Executive Director Landscape NB/PEI
Norman Yeomans was from Elgin, New Brunswick. He was born in 1891. Son of Elias Millage and Catherine (Powers) Yeomans. He was Killed in Action in France at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
We were unable to find any further information on him. If anyone has any please forward it to us, so we can properly honour him.
Charles Lawson Fenton, 817985 was from Hillsborough, Albert Co., New Brunswick and was born September 3, 1893. He was the son of Lawson Fenton and Ruth Fenton of Edgett's Landing, New Brunswick. He enlisted with the 140th Battalion on March 22, 1916. His occupation was listed as quarryman. He served overseas with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regt.). He died as a result of wounds April 12, 1917 at Vimy Ridge, France. He is buried at LAPUGNOY MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France.
You can find his complete service records by clicking here.
He is listed on page 236 of Canada's Book of Remembrance.
You can view his internment records here.
If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along.
