History Summer Day Camps!

Register Now for History Summer Day Camps at the Fredericton Region Museum!
Call us at 455-6041 or email us at frmcamps@gmail.com

New Executive Director Hired

Executive Director, Melynda Jarratt

The Fredericton Region Museum / York Sunbury Historical Society welcomed Melynda Jarratt as its new Executive Director on November 1.

Melynda is an historian and author who has many years of experience working in heritage and the non-profit sector. She has a BA (Honours History) and an MA in History from the University of New Brunswick as well as a Diploma in Digital Media.

Melynda looks forward to meeting old and new members of the York Sunbury Historical Society and is excited to be part of New Brunswick’s best community museum!

 

2nd Annual YSHS Member Art Exhibit

On Friday October, 13, 2017 the York- Sunbury Historical Society will be hosting our Second Annual Member Art Exhibit!
Come visit the museum to see all of the beautiful artworks on display created by our very talented members!
The event runs from 5:00pm- 7:00pm and is free to the public! Light refreshments will be served during the opening!
Stop in and enjoy!

September Program!

The Program Committee is pleased to announce the following presentation for the York Sunbury Historical Society.  Presentations take place at 7:30pm in the basement of Government House (51 Woodstock Road).  A reception follows the presentation and is free and open to the public.

Speaker: Koral LaVorgna

Title: “At Fault: The Fredericton- ‘Frisco Connection in 1906”

Date: September 21, 2017 at 7:30pm

A distant city in ruins. Communication cut off. For many Frederictonians, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake hit far too close to home. In this lecture, Koral LaVorgna uncovers the Fredericton connections to this devastating disaster.

Koral who has a PhD in history often connects Fredericton heritage to the wider world.

Admission to this program is free and light refreshments will be provided after the talk.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Annual Members Art Exhibition Invitation to Display Works

Call for submissions for September 2017

Each year, the York-Sunbury Historical Society, Ltd. invites member artists and artisans to participate in our Annual Members Art Exhibition.  This unique art show allows member artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell their current work in the Fredericton Region Museum and to use the museum space to inspire new works.

Visual artists who are members of the York-Sunbury Historical Society exhibit and offer their work for sale on consignment in the museum’s seasonal flex gallery on the main floor during the months of September and October.

To Participate
Email the Executive Director with the following between June 1st and the third Friday in August:
– Contact information
– A short bio (100-150 words)
– At least two (2) images of your work (300DPI in jpeg format)
– Dimensions of work (so that we can plan the space)
– Artist photo (300DPI in jpeg format)
– A short description of your work

If Selected You
– Give permission to the Fredericton Region Museum to use your biography, name, likeness and artwork for media information and publicity purposes
– Certify that the artwork submitted is original artwork created by you
– Agree to abide by the rules and guidelines laid out
– Recognize that any insurance coverage of the artwork is your full responsibility

Conditions
– The artist must be a member in good standing of the York-Sunbury Historical Society, Ltd.
– All works must be original to the participating artist and not assisted, imported or manufactured by others.
– It is up to the artist to price the submitted work.
– The artwork being shown will be limited to two to four (2 to 4) pieces per artist depending on size and space.
– Artwork must be able to attach to the Centre’s installed hanging system.
– Participants will not hold the YSHS responsible for breakage or damage of work.
– The YSHS earns a 20% consignment rate on all works sold while on display at the museum.

Artists will be contacted about any sales enquiries during the exhibition.

The York-Sunbury Historical Society’s member art exhibit held at the Fredericton Region Museum in 2016.

Brian Hallett Receives the First CANB Volunteer Award

Brian Hallett in 2012 attending the York-Sunbury Historical Society, Ltd. Christmas Luncheon.

The York-Sunbury Historical Society, Ltd. is pleased to announce that their recent nomination of Brian Hallett for the Council of Archives New Brunswick Volunteering Award for his volunteer work with the Society has been accepted!

Brian graduated from Fredericton High School and the University of New Brunswick. His love for the archives was realized when he went to work at the Public Archives of Canada, aka the National Archives of Canada and Library & Archives Canada in 1964. He retired from the archives in 1998 having been an archivist in many fields of Federal government records.  On arrival in New Brunswick, he became a records analyst for the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) in many provincial government fields.

The award was created in 2016 by the CANB Board of Directors to highlight the work of archivists in New Brunswick.

Brian became a member of the York-Sunbury Historical Society (YSHS) in 2005 and became a devoted volunteer worker undertaking the onerous task of re-organizing and cataloguing the archival collection.  Brian retrieved the backlog of archival materials held at the Fredericton Region Museum and at the PANB and added them to the YSHS Finding Aid, the MC300.  During the process, he audited the existing MC300 and updated many of the entries with better descriptions and location notes.  He made it easier for people to use our valuable collection of records and prints for research and for the Society’s own purposes in creating exhibits and producing publications.

As he concluded his work on the backlog, Brian undertook the tremendous task of transferring several hundred administrative records from the museum to PANB storage mentoring a University of New Brunswick Intern through the process.  Lauren came to the Society as an Arts3000 Intern and worked closely with Brian over several months preparing and describing records in preparation for transfer and inclusion in the MC300/MS1 series. Under his mentorship, she learned to cull, organize, describe and re-box records.

Brian was unable to attend the program so Ruth Murgatroyd, Society Executive Director, accepted the award on his behalf from Shannon Doiron, CANB Archives Advisor, presented the Award. Photograph courtesy of Robert Richard.

Brian was the Chair of the Collections Committee until 2017 and has served on the Board of Directors for several years.  Under his direction, the Society rewrote its Collections Management Policy, developed a collections procedural manual and implemented a Curatorial Health and Safety Program.  The overall management of the Fredericton Region Museum’s collection, both archival and three-dimensional, has benefitted tremendously under Brian’s direction.

His work experience has given the YSHS valuable knowledge of how to set up the archival and collection records within the museum. He has been a wonderful mentor to many of the students, interns and volunteers. His kindness and helpfulness in all things has inspired many of our students to pursue careers in history and museum studies.

His work experience has given him the invaluable knowledge to produce an intensive study in the genealogy of the Douglas area by doing a personal history of his family as well as the families and history of the area. He has published the research and made it available to the public. He has kindly shared his research by contributing to the Officers’ Quarters and by giving public presentations.

It was with great pleasure that the Society submitted his name for the first CANB Volunteering Award for taking the initiative to restructure the Society’s most important treasures and artefacts into a sensible cataloguing and filing system, making it accessible to the public. Brian is priceless.

York-Sunbury Historical Society Award of Merit Presented last Month!

Tim Richardson receiving the York-Sunbury Historical Society, Ltd. Award of Merit from Maxine Campbell, Past President of the Society.

The following citation was written and presented by Maxine Campbell, Past President of the York-Sunbury Historical Society, Ltd.

The York-Sunbury Historical Society Award of Merit is accorded to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the conservation, preservation and presentation of the history of New Brunswick.

Timothy Richardson is such a person.

The link between our Society and the office of the Lieutenant-Governor began to evolve when Lieutenant-Governor George Stanley honoured the York-Sunbury Historical Society and the Museum by becoming the official Society Patron.

With the appointment of Lieutenant-Governor Marilyn Trenholme Counsell in 1997, and the restoration of Government House in 1999, the Historical Society was invited to hold the historical presentations in a Government House meeting room. Lieutenant-Governor Counsell stated that Government House was restored as a historical building of and for New Brunswick citizens, and that having the building used to host public historical presentations by our community historical organization was a most appropriate use of the building and consistent with the reasons for its restoration.

Tim Richardson, in his role of Principal Secretary, became a positive, active, and integral partner of the historical society program activities. He continues to support the mandate of the Society which is to preserve and present the history of central New Brunswick for the citizens of New Brunswick. He also consistently brings forward ideas for historical programmes and for special theme exhibits to be held at Government House.

Mr. Richardson not only ensures that the Historical Society has a room in the building for the regular historical lecture programmes, but also actively encourages the Society to hold special social events at Government House. He often goes beyond his regular responsibilities by providing guidance and direction to volunteer committee members. He takes care of many technical details and makes certain that Society members and guests are well served.

It is always a wonderful occasion to be welcomed into this beautiful building by the Honourable Lieutenant-Governor and to experience the preservation and exhibition of the history of NB in such an atmosphere. Mr. Richardson’s administrative and organizational skills ensure that the functions proceed smoothly from beginning to end.

This award recognizes Mr. Richardson’s partnering and leadership in more than 100 activities that preserved and presented many notable aspects of New Brunswick’s history. Some of those events may have gone unnoticed had it not been for these lectures, exhibits and social events.

He has invited and allowed us to showcase our representation of the history of the York and Sunbury region in concert with the Society values of integrity, heritage, community, and leadership. Tim Richardson embodies these values as he goes about his duties as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant-Governor, as he searches for antiques and artefacts which serve to compliment this historical building, and as he encourages groups such as ours to learn about and appreciate the history around us. And he does all of this and more with passion, energy, excitement, knowledge, devotion, and commitment.

It is my pleasure and my honour to present this Award of Merit to Timothy Richardson.

June Program Show & Tell

Donor pointing to Laura McAndrew in a panoramic photograph of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps at the Society Show and Tell in 2016.

The York-Sunbury Historical Society will be hosting a “Show & Tell” and “Show & Share” program on Friday, 16 June 2017 at 7pm at the Fredericton Region Museum.

We will be sharing a few favourite artefacts and some new ones from the museum collection and we invite you to share an artefact from your private collection.

Items to consider sharing could include family diaries, medals of family members, old tools or documents.  It could be something of historical interest or intrigue but it must be an item with a story attached to it, just waiting to be told.  Tables will be set up to display items brought in.

We will be creating labels in advance for the objects so please contact the museum with details of your artefact to save time. The presenter may decide whether to “Show & Tell” or to “Show & Share”. We ask that presentations be 5 to 10 minutes to allow time for all to share, or tell.

A reception will follow the presentations and the program is free and open to the public.

March Program!

Robin Hanson describing his painting entitled: “Enniskillen” inspired by the small rural community of the same name.

The Program Committee is pleased to announce the following presentation for the York Sunbury Historical Society.  Presentations take place at 7:30pm in the basement of Government House (51 Woodstock Road).  A reception follows the presentation and is free and open to the public.

Speaker: Robin Hanson

Topic:”The Oromocto Watershed one of the Most Scenic and Special Places in Canada”

Date: March 16th, 2017 at 7:30pm

Robin will be presenting a talk on: “The Oromocto Watershed one of the Most Scenic and Special Places in Canada” discussing how the watershed has inspired him to create art and to learn about our local history in the process.

 

More about Robin:

Robin Hanson hails from French Lake in Sunbury County and has been a business man and entrepreneur for many years in the community.

Robin has won many community and business awards such as:

1. Queens Diamond Jubilee Award .

2 . The Paul Harris award

3. NBCC – highest award for outstanding contribution and service. 4. The Friend of New Brunswick Award.

 

Aside from his other achievements, Robin has founded the Oromocto Watershed Association Inc. and continues his life-long passion to protect and conserve our local natural and historic sites while also inspiring himself and others to share the history of the area with others in various ways.

 

Robin loves art of all types and styles and creates many of his own pieces through various modes and materials. Inspired by New Brunswick and its history, Robin has created many pieces that showcase New Brunswick and tells the story of our history and the significance of the area.

Recently Robin has also presented the federal government with bronze statue of R.B. Bennett to be erected on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

 

Admission to this program is free and light refreshments will be provided after the talk.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

This program is presented in partnership with the Oromocto River Watershed Association! If you are looking for something fun to do, or are interested in local history and historic locations, why not visit their website to learn more?

http://www.oromoctowatershed.ca/

YSHS 2017 Annual General Meeting

Please join us for the AGM of the York-Sunbury Historical Society at 7:30pm on Thursday, April 20^th 2017 at Government House.  The meeting will begin with a guest speaker and the Annual General Meeting and a reception will follow.  Please note that memberships have to be in good standing 60 days prior to the AGM to qualify to vote.

Government House on Woodstock Road