Remembrance Day 2021 - Sunrise Flag Lowering and Museum Open 1-4pm
The Albert County Historical Society & Museum are proud to announce a Heritage Talk that will be taking place on Saturday, August 21st from 2-4 pm in the Albert County Court House. This Heritage Talk will share the history of the Reid Brother Architects who were born and raised in Harvey, and their accomplishments.
Heritage Talk August 21st from 2-4pm "From Harvey to Hollywood" - The Reid Brother Architects
The Albert County Historical Society & Museum are proud to announce a Heritage Talk that will be taking place on Saturday, August 21st from 2-4 pm in the Albert County Court House. This Heritage Talk will share the history of the Reid Brother Architects who were born and raised in Harvey, and their accomplishments.
Sunday, August 8th "People of the Tides" Event - part of the Rising Tide Festival
People of the Tides - Museum Experience & Community Fair - Part of the 2021 Rising Tide Festival! The Albert County Museum opens at 9:30 and the Community Fair starts at 11:00 am with live music from 1:30 to 4 pm outdoors in front of the Exhibition Hall. Featured Performers are: TOMATO / TOMATO, The Road Kings, headed by Shane Douthwright, and Colin Fowlie. Tickets are only $15 each or $10 for seniors and students
Watch New Captain Molly Kool Video produced by NB's Tourism, Heritage & Culture
We are proud to share the story of Albert County’s Molly Kool, first female sea Captain in North America. Born and raised in Alma, NB, Molly changed the Canadian Shipping Act by becoming a sea captain. Hosted by ACHS President Dawne McLean, this informative and educational video was produced by NB Tourism, Heritage and Culture and was recorded and edited by Peter Brzezicki of Painted Haus Productions and includes music from recording artist Paul Toner. We are proud of you Captain Molly Kool!
Love Your Covered Bridge Day at Sawmill Creek Covered Bridge Sunday August 1st from 2-4pm
“Love Your Covered Bridge Day”. Bring your lawn chair and join us for a festive afternoon on Sunday, August 1, 2pm-4pm, at the Sawmill Creek Covered Bridge in Hopewell Hill (just a stone’s throw off Route 114). Tap your toes to lively music played by Sara and James Nelson. Listen to the interesting history of the construction of the bridge. Enjoy canteen refreshments provided by Riverside-Albert Volunteer Fire Dept and also an ice-cream from C&S!
The Albert County Museum is proud to be a part of National Museum Day!
Canada’s National Museum Day takes place every year on May 18th. We are honoured to be doing our part by preserving and sharing the history of Albert County and New Brunswick with our local community and the visiting public. We have a great line-up of events for the 2021 season starting with our Season Opening on May 22nd with a Heritage Talk on Grindstone Island. See you at the Albert County Museum this Summer! Open Daily from 9:30 to 5:30 until the end of September! www.albertcountymuseum.com
Albert County Museum Season Opening & Heritage Talk on Saturday, May 22 at 2pm
Albert County Museum Officially Opens the 2021 Season with new “Grindstone Island” Exhibit and Heritage Presentation taking place on Saturday, May 22nd at 2pm in the Hopewell Cape Community Hall. For safety reasons, we can host a maximum of 50 attendees (by donation or admission to ACM). The Museum is open daily from 9:30 to 5:30 through to the end of September. Join us to meet the “People of the Tides”!
Thank you to the Albert County Chamber of Commerce for the Great 2021 Awards Event!
Albert County Historical Society & Museum would like to congratulate fellow nominees and award winners as part of the Albert County Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Excellence Awards, these year with the theme “Small Town - Big Hearts”. Thanks for nominating the Albert County Historical Society & Museum as well as sharing the work we did on Albert County 175 with community - we hope you can visit the Museum after we open on May 22nd!
GOOD NEWS! MAJOR REPAIRS TO SAWMILL CREEK COVERED BRIDGE!
Post by Dawne McLean, President, Albert County Historical Society. Everyone in our community is extremely pleased to see the scaffolding around the Sawmill Creek covered bridge, which means that major repairs are going to be done to preserve our covered bridge for years to come! No one is more pleased than I am!
Did you know an Albert County MLA and Premier of the Province tried to give women the vote 20 years before they got it?
It seems fitting to talk about this interesting Albert County MLA and Premier of the Province from 1897 to 1900 on the day 91 years ago that Women were declared persons! On October 18, 1929, the British Privy Council ruled that the word “persons” in the Canadian Constitution referred to both men and women.
Henry Emmerson was first elected MLA for Albert in 1889. In 1891 he was appointed to the Legislative Council of the province and oversaw its abolition. He re-entered the House of Assembly and in October 1892 was appointed to the Executive Council, serving as Chief Commissioner of Public Works in the Liberal government of Premier Andrew George Blair.
As commissioner, Emmerson stopped the practice of building bridges out of wood and opted for more permanent, and more expensive, materials thus driving up the province's public debt. He also supported women's suffrage.
Emmerson became Premier in 1897. During his tenure, he briefly held the position of Attorney-General. His government tried to promote tourism and wheat farming and the development of natural gas and petroleum in the province. In 1899, he introduced legislation to grant women the right to vote but in a free vote, the bill was defeated.
Remembering New Brunswick's First Female MLA and Cabinet Minister
Albert County is a place of wonder, from its beautiful scenery and our abundant natural wealth hosting such natural wonders like Cape Enrage, the Rocks Provincial Park and Fundy National Park that we often fail to celebrate the people who call Albert County home.
For Albert County has truly created trailblazers, pioneers and visionaries from such people as William Henry Steeves, a Father of Confederation; to Lt. Col Cyrus Peck, a Victoria Cross recipient; the Right Honorable Richard Bedford Bennett, 11th Prime Minster of Canada, the Honorable W.A.C. Bennett, the longest serving Premier of British Columbia and such notable people like Mary Majka, a historian and conservationist, Sir George Robert Parkin, founding secretary of the Rhodes Scholarship, and of course, Captain Molly Kool, the first female Ship’s Captain in North America.
There is another name we have been remiss in celebrating that needs to be added to that amazing list, New Brunswick’s first female MLA and Cabinet Minister, Brenda Mary Robertson, CM, ONB.
Brenda Robertson was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick representing Albert County in 1967 and was re-elected again in 1970. Then, the Albert District was split and Riverview district was created out of Albert, there Brenda was elected three more times (1974, 1978, and 1982) representing the district of Riverview. In 1970, she was appointed Youth Minister. She was also Minister of Social Welfare, Minister of Social Services, Minister of Health, and Minister for Social Program Reform. She remained a Member until her appointment to the Senate on December 21, 1984 representing the senatorial division of Riverview, New Brunswick. She sat as a Progressive Conservative and a Conservative until her retirement on her 75th birthday in 2004.
She was appointed to the Order of New Brunswick in 2004 in honour of "her tremendous work ethic and commitment to serve New Brunswickers and her country." and the Order of Canada in 2008 in recognition for being a "trailblazer and role model for women in politics".
Sadly, Brenda Robinson passed away on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. She was 91.
As a county we can be proud to have elected the first female MLA in New Brunswick history, especially during our 175th Anniversary year, and we, as a county, say a huge ” THANK YOU” to Brenda for her many years of service to Albert County and to Canada and for being such an inspiration to future generations.