New Book Releases

In its 225 years of existence, Saint John has undergone numerous transformations to become the city it is today. In 1783, an influx of American settlers resulted in upwards of 16,000 residents, and
by 1867, the city was the fourth largest in Canada. The most catastrophic fire in the city's history came in 1877, resulting in the loss of some 1,600 homes and businesses. Many of the structures were
rebuilt and are still standing today, contributing to the city's Victorian character. By the 1950s, historic structures began to disappear in the name of progress, and a huge urban renewal development was
carried out in the 1960s. Saint John: 1877-1980 highlights the many changes the city has seen over the years, through photographs of its neighbourhoods, play places, tourist attractions, and residents.

East Saint John, affectionately called the "East Side," became a part of the City of Saint John in 1967. For decades prior to its merger, the city and east side community of the Parish of Simonds cooperated in many areas of municipal service. East Saint John contained many industries, including the dry dock, Foleys Pottery, and McAvitys, and later K. C. Irving's oil refinery at Silver Falls. During World War II , Fort Mispec was established at Mispec Point, and in 1970, the fort site became Irving Oil's Canaport. More than just an industrial area, East Saint John was the site of recreational fishing and boating and home to the neighbourhoods of Forest Hills, Glen Falls, Champlain Heights, and Jean and Belgrave Streets. East Saint John was also the home of the Moosepath raceway, Exhibition Park, and the Simonds Arena. Rothesay Avenue was the commercial heart of the east side until the 1970s, when new malls and shopping centers opened nearby.

In the 1850s, lumber mill owner W. Kilby Reynolds, with engineer Edward R. Serrell, succeeded in building the first suspension bridge to connect divided Saint John. This operated as a toll crossing until 1858, when it became a government-owned structure. From then until the present, there have been two vehicular-pedestrian bridges and two rail bridges serving travelers crossing Saint John Harbour at the gorge at the Reversing Falls. By the third quarter of the 19th century, there was talk and plans for a second bridge, one which would cross at Navy Island to the North End. It took about 80 years before this plan came to fruition, and the Saint John Harbour Bridge opened in 1968. Through this rich collection of photographs, Bridging Saint John Harbour clearly shows the importance of the varied connector bridges over Saint John Harbour and how they came to be built.

For many, the City of Lancaster lasted less than one generation. Incorporated as Canada's newest city on January 1, 1953, Lancaster was swallowed up in an amalgamation with Canada's oldest city, Saint John, on January 1, 1967, Canada's centennial year. Since then, the name Lancaster has conjured up images of that part of Saint John known as the west side, or Saint John West. Yet even prior to 1953, when Lancaster was a collection of communities including Fairville, Beaconsfield, Randolph, Milford, and South Bay, area residents have been bonded by a unique sense of community and pride. The name lives
on today in the Lancaster Mall and the Lancaster Centennial Arena, as well as in the names of local sports teams.