Just a few of the folks who left their mark on New Brunswick
A lot of the information below was taken from a book series called,
Discover Canada - New Brunswick.

By Author/Marjorie Gann

Majorie Gann is a writer and teacher who lives in Sackville, New Brunswick. She began her teaching career at the Toronto French School in 1970. Since 1976, she has taught grades four through six just over the border in Amherst, Nova Scotia. She developed many reading and writing programs for elementary children, and has written articles about language arts education. She has a special interest in children's literature, and reviews children's books regularly for the journal Canadian Children's Literature.

Max Aitken ( Lord Beaverbrook ) ( 1879-1964 ), born in Newcastle; author, financier, publisher; following considerable business success in the Maritimes, moved to England where he was elected to Parliament in 1910; held cabinet posts during both world wars; awarded peerage, 1917; benefactions included the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and Playhouse Theatre. Winston Churchill considered him a "man of exceptional genius "

Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), the famous American traitor who during the Revolutionary War switched allegiance to the British. He was considered one of the most brilliant generals of the Revolutionary War. He later left Saint John (where he lived with his family for about 8 years) a disgraced man and died in England.

Joseph M. Augustine ( 1911- ), born at Big Cove; Native Leader and Historian; Chief ( 1952-54 and 1956-58 ) and Band Councillor ( 1960-64 and 1966-72 ) at Red Bank Reserve; discovered the Augustine Mound, a trove of artifacts dating back more than 24,000 years; in 1988, received the Provincial Minister's Award for Heritage.

Richard Bedford Bennett ( 1870-1947 ), born in Hopewell; lawyer, politician; moved west in 1897; represented Calgary in the Assembly of North-West Territories and the Alberta Legislature, and was elected to parliament in 1911. Prime Minister of Canada from 1930-1935 ; moved to England in 1939.

Andrew Blair ( 1844-1907 ), born in Fredericton; politician; premier of New Brunswick 1883-96; built provincial Liberal Party and enforced party discipline; resigned as premier to accept federal portfolio of railways and canals in the Laurier administration.

Bruno Bobak ( 1923- ), Polish born artist, immigrated to Canada in 1925; director of Art Center of University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, 1962; awarded Silver Jubilee Medal, 1978; expands upon expressionist style in powerful oils, drawings and woodcuts.

Molly Lamb Bobak ( 1922- ), Vancouver-born artist; only woman appointed war artist in Second World War; began teaching at University of New Brunswick, 1960; employs rich imagery art, writing, and radio and television work.

Miller Brittain ( 1912-1968 ), born in Saint John; artists; interest focussed on subjects of social or religious interest, using both realist and surrealist styles; earned label " the Canadian Breughel " for his sympathetic depiction of working-class life.

Edith Butler ( 1942- ), born in Paquetville; recording artist; since 1973 has composed in blended folk and rock style; cofounder of Editions d'Acadie publishers; has toured internationally.

Dalton Camp ( 1920- ), born in Woodstock; political activist, author, journalist; as national president of Conservative Party, 1964-1968, spearheaded leadership review leading to resignation of leader John Diefenbaker in 1966; author of Gentlemen, Players and Politicians ( 1970 ), about New Brunswick politics in the 1950s and 1960s.

Bliss Carman ( 1861-1929 ), born in Fredericton; poet; possessed a gift for startling, lyrical poetry about relationship between people and nature; considered Canada's finest poet in his lifetime.

Herménégilde Chiasson ( 1946- ), born in Saint-Simon; Acadian poet, playwright, filmmaker, artist, studied under sculptor Claude Roussel at Université de Moncton; received Bachelor of Fine Arts at Mount Allison University. He has attempted to counteract the folkloric image of Acadians in his work.

Alex Colville (1920-), born in Toronto, Ontario; painter; taught art at Mount Allison University 1946-63; his painstaking "magic realist" style employs careful measurements, precise details and cool colours; Companion of the Order of Canada

Paris Crew (1867-1871), were a famous Canadian rowing team from Saint John, N.B. A four-oared rowing crew consisting of Robert Fulton, Samuel Hutton, George Price, and Elijah Ross. Went on to be world champions in 1867 till 1871. Saint Johners were so confident in the teams abilities that they wagered $100,000 in a race against the famous Oxford and Cambridge teams in Paris and walked away with the purse.

Nathan Cummings (1896-1985), founder of the National Tea Company (Consolidated Foods of Chicago). Business interest included, Electrolux, Sara Lee, Fuller Brush and General Dynamics.

Joseph Cunard (1799-1865), born in Halifax, Nova Scotia; businessman, politician; brother of Samuel Cunard, founder of the steamship company; established lumbering, milling and shipbuilding firm in Chatham in the 1820s; by 1832, was one of wealthiest men in New Brunswick; sat on Legislative and Executive councils.

Sir Howard Douglas (1776-1861), born in England; Lieutenant-Governor in Chief, 1823-1831; encouraged agriculture, steam navigation, lighthouse construction; in 1828, founded King's College, now the University of New Brunswick

Gilbert Finn(1920- ), born in Inkerman Ferry; businessman; president and later chairman of the board of Assumption Mutual Life Assurance Company (1969- 87); has served on numerous boards and commissions, and as Lieutenant-Governor (1987-94)

Robert Foulis (1796-1866), born in Glasgow, Scotland; civil engineer, inventor, artist; invented steam fog-horn, which hoots automatically in foggy weather; in 1825, established New Brunswick's first iron foundry in Saint John; founded a School of Arts in 1838

Dr. Abraham Gesner (1797-1864), inventor of kerosene. Known as the "Father or the Petroleum Industry." First New Brunswick geologist and founder of the New Brunswick Museum.

Charles Gorman (1897-1940) Charles Gorman was a popular man in Saint John throughout the 1920's. Although suffering serious leg wounds during world war I, Charles still became a three time World-Record holder in the 1920's. In 1926, thousands of residents gathered around the banks of Lily Lake to see Charles Gorman take home the 220 yard and 440 yard medals in the World Speed Skating Championship.

Julia Catherine (Beckwith) Hart (1797-1867), born in Fredericton; novelist; wrote the popular romance St. Ursula's Convent when she was only 16. Released in 1824, this was the first work of fiction by a Canadian-born author to be published in Canada

Richard Hatfield (1931-1992), born in Woodstock; politician; premier of New Brunswick (1970-1987); won re-election three times; introduced legislation guaranteeing equality of French and English linguistic communities; personal and political scandals brought his party to a crushing defeat in 1987

Sir John Douglas Hazen (1860- 1937), born in Oromocto; lawyer, judge, politician; member of Canadian House of Commons for Saint John (1891-96); premier of New Brunswick (1908-11); member of federal cabinet (1911-17); Chief Justice of New Brunswick (1917-35); stood up for the rights of Maritime Canada in Ottawa.

Jack Humphrey (1901-1967), an internationally known painter of the 1930's and 40's. Renowned for his watercolour paintings of landscapes and people, using Hans Hofman's cubist and expressionist techniques. Mr. Humphrey had lived in Saint John, N.B.

Kenneth Cohn Irving (1899-1992), born in Bouctouche; businessman; served as pilot in World War I; rose quickly from car salesman to owner of a service station chain that launched a business empire of over 300 companies. Irving holdings range from gasoline, pulp and paper, trucking and forestry, to radio stations and newspapers, with an estimated total worth of $6 billion.

George King (1839-1901), born in Saint John; lawyer, judge; represented Saint John in House of Assembly from 1867 to 1878; introduced Free Schools Act in 1871; appointed judge of Supreme Court of New Brunswick in 1880; appointed to Supreme Court of Canada in 1893

Sir Pierre-Amand Landry (1846-1916), born in Memramcook; lawyer, politician, judge; first Acadian Cabinet Minister and first knighted Acadian; MLA from 1870 to 1874 and again in early 1880s; as MP for Kent County, lobbied for Acadians and New Brunswick; appointed New Brunswick Supreme Court judge in 1893

Valentin Landry (1844-1919),born in Pokemouche; teacher, school inspector, journalist; as first Acadian school inspector (1879-87), encouraged growth of Acadian schools; founded regional Acadian weekly newspaper, L'E'vangeline, in 1887

Arthur LeBlanc (1906-1985), born in Dieppe; violinist, composer; recognized as a prodigy at age five; known as the "Acadian poet of the violin" for his purity of tone and expressiveness

Msgr. Édouard Leblanc (1870-1935), born in St. Bernard, Digby County, Nova Scotia; first Acadian bishop; appointed by Rome to Saint John diocese in 1912, following a 40-year battle by leaders of the Acadian community

Roméo LeBlanc (1927-), born in Memramcook; politician; Member of Parliament (1974-84); Minister of Fisheries (1974-82); summoned to the Senate in 1984, named speaker in 1993; first Acadian Governor General, appointed in 1994

Harrison McCain (1927-), born in Florenceville; businessman; CEO and Chairman of the Board of McCain Foods Limited; started frozen food business in Florenceville in 1956 with brother Wallace; on boards of directors of Bank of Nova Scotia and Beaverbrook Art Gallery; Officer of the Order of Canada, 1984

Margaret Norrie McCain(1934- ), born in Noranda, Quebec; philanthropist; wife of Wallace McCain; appointed first woman Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, 1994; founding member of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation for the elimination of family violence; member of the board of directors of several organizations, including the National Ballet School and the National Capital Commission

Wallace McCain (1930-), born in Florenceville; businessman; former co-CEO and President of McCain Foods Limited; started frozen food business in Florenceville in 1956 with brother Harrison; on boards of directors of Royal Bank of Canada and Alliance for Drug-Free Canada; inducted into Canadian Business Hall of Fame, 1993

Frank McKenna (1948-), born in Apohaqui; lawyer, politician; won election to the provincial legislature in 1982; became leader of Liberal party of New Brunswick in 1985. Won a clean sweep of the Legislative Assembly in 1987

Antonine Maillet (1929-), born in Bouctouche; author; Companion of the Order of Canada; received Governor General's Award (1972) for Don l'Orignal; first writer outside France to receive the Prix Goncourt (for Pelagie-la Charrette). The narrator of her works often represents the collective memory of the Acadian people

Anna Malenfant (1905-1988), born in Shediac; contralto, teacher, composer; studied in Boston, Paris and Naples; started the Trio lyrique in Montreal in 1932; recognized for a voice of unusual beauty and naturalness; under the name "Marie Lebrun," composed Hu its chants acadiens inspired by the region of her birth

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George Matthews (1837 - ?), Though he never took geology classes in school or received a university degree, he received more international recognition than any other NB geologist. His secret was simple: constant curiosity and work. George Matthews was responsible for finding more than 350 new kinds of fossils during his career. Nearly all were located in Southern New Brunswick.

Don Messer (1909-1973), born in Tweedside; fiddler; began playing at age 5; played his first radio show in 1929. In 1959 "Don Messer's Jubilee" started its ten-year run on CBC television. Developed the unslurred fiddling style of English New Brunswick

Graydon Nicholas (1946-), born on Tobique Reserve, Victoria County; lawyer, judge; appointed Provincial Court Judge for Woodstock, 1991; first aboriginal lawyer in Atlantic Canada; first aboriginal judge in Maritime provinces; has concentrated on aboriginal issues and treaty rights

Alden Nowlan (1933-1983), Born to the challenges of poverty and a rural life, Canadian poet, journalist and novelist Alden Nowlan wrote twenty-four books and three plays in just twenty-seven years. Making a living through journalism and a life through poetry, Nowlan earned sufficient respect from small magazines and publishers to eventually permit full-time writing. The personal happinesses of marriage to Claudine Orser, an affectionate relationship with son John, and the 1967 book of poems Bread, Wine and Salt, were soon followed with an arts grants from the Canada Council, a Guggenheim fellowship and the 1968 Governor General's Award For Poetry. In 1968 Nowlan became writer in residence at The University of New Brunswick, a position he filled until his death in 1983.
Nowlan was born in Nova Scotia. He was 19 when he arrived in Hartland, New Brunswick.

Peter Paul (1902-1989), born in Woodstock; barrel-maker, expert in Maliseet language and culture; advisor to many linguists and anthropologists; awarded honorary doctorate by the University of New Brunswick in 1970 in recognition of his enormous contribution to Native scholarship; Member of the Order of Canada.

Walter Pidgeon (1898-1984), Hollywood actor, best remembered for his startling role in "Mrs. Miniver" - a war time classic. Walter was born and raised in Saint John, N.B.

Pascal Poirier (1852-1933), born in Shediac; writer, senator; first Acadian appointed to the Senate (1885); wrote books on Acadian history and language; honored as a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by France in 1902 for his contributions to survival of French language in Acadia

Father Marcel-François Richard (1847-1915), born in St. Louis de Kent; priest; instrumental in founding a classical college (the Académie Saint-Louis), and building churches and convents; strong advocate of formation of Acadian diocese and appointment of Acadian bishop; known as the "Father of Modern Acadia"

David Adams Richards (1950-), born in Newcastle; author; formerly editor of Urchins magazine; won Governor's General's Awards for Lives of Short Duration (1981) and Nights Below Station Street (1988). He gives voice to the downtrodden people of the Miramichi

Sir Charles G.D. Roberts (1860- 1943), born in Fredericton; author, poet, professor; taught English at King's College (1885- 95); considered the "Father of Canadian literature." Roberts' poems mirror the landscape of the Tantramar Marshes, and he is recognized as one of the two creators of the realistic animal story.

Brenda Mary Robertson (1929-), born in Sussex; politician; first woman elected to New Brunswick legislature (1967); as Minister of Youth and Social Services (1970-74), was the first woman cabinet minister in New Brunswick; Minister of Health, 1975-82; appointed to Senate, 1984

Hon. Louis J. Robichaud (1925-), born in St. Anthony; politician; elected to the New Brunswick legislature in 1952; chosen as Liberal party leader in 1958; 1960-70, restructured provincial government, introduced the Program of Equal Opportunity, and passed the Official Languages of New Brunswick Act

Dan Ross (1912-), Dan Ross of East Riverside, has over 325 novels in print. He's the author of both national and international best selling novels. His book "China Shadows" sold over 2 million copies.

Donald Sutherland (1934-) Hollywood actor original from Saint John, N.B. Star of hundreds of TV and movie productions such as "Cassanova", "Eye of the Needle", "Klute", "M.A.S.H.", "The Dirty Dozen" and the Academy award-winning "Ordinary People."

Benjamin Franklin Tibbets Invented the world's first practical compound marine engine, used in the steamer "Reindeer." The Reindeer was the fastest steamer in the 1820's on the St. John River. It once made it up to Fredericton in under six hours.

Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley (1818-1896), born in Gagetown; politician; delegate to Charlottetown and Quebec conferences; leader of pro- Confederation forces and architect of British North America Act; held federal cabinet portfolios and twice served as Lieutenant-Governor

Dr. Wallace Turnbull (1870-1954), invented the varible pitch propeller, and built the world's first wind tunnel, which revolutionized the aviation industry. He was considered a genius of aeronautical engineering and inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame in 1977. He was a resident of Rothesay, N.B.

Peter Veniot (1863-1936), born in Richibucto; lawyer, politician; represented Gloucester in the Legislative Assembly (1894- 1900); the first Acadian to act as premier (1923-25); Postmaster General of Canada (1926-30).

John Clarence Webster (1863- 1950), born in Shediac; surgeon, historian; wrote medical and scientific treatises; upon retirement from medicine, turned to historical research and helped found museums at Saint John and Fort Beauséjour.

Lemuel Allan Wilmot (1809-1878), born in Sunbury County; statesman, jurist; attorney General (1847-1851); virtual head of first New Brunswick administration under responsible government, a reform he had advocated; judge of Supreme Court of New Brunswick; Lieutenant-Governor (1868-1873)

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