Item

T. Journal

April 15, 1977

Island Talks: "Difference of several $100,000"

Larry Grossman, Staff Writer

Although the provincial government still wants to purchase Minister's Island from its co-owners, officials are not optimistic a deal can be worked out in the near future. T. Michael O'Rourke, director of research and development for the historical resources administration, said Thursday.

Mr. O'Rourke said in an interview there is a difference of several $100,000 between what the government is willing to pay for the historic site and the price that the co-owners are asking for the island.

Mr. O'Rourke, who is the man responsible for negotiating with the co-owners, said he was forced to turn down three proposals made by co-owners Dr. Alexander George of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and Michael McPherson of Toronto at a meeting held here last week because the sale price was too steep.

However, Dr. George said in a telephone interview from his home Thursday the government did not negotiate during the session. "They (government officials) made no concrete proposal. They simply told us how much money they would spend and they said the government is only willing to purchase the entire island. If they want to buy the island, they have to pay a fair price for it," he added.

Mr. O'Rourke said he did make a counterproposal for the purchase of the entire island but it was turned down. "We think it was a fair offer," he said. "Their (the co-owners) price was unrealistic."

Neither Mr. O'Rourke or Dr. George would say how much money was attached to the various proposals that were discussed at the meeting. Mr. O'Rourke said as far as the government is concerned, the co-owners will have to make a new proposal if negotiations are to resume for the purchase of the 500 acre island located near St. Andrews.

Asked if the co-owners would make other proposals to the government, Dr. George said "that's hilarious. For what purpose would we approach them again if they are not even willing to negotiate?" Dr. George, a radiologist, said both he and Mr. McPherson, a mining contractor, are discussing the sale of the island with several other groups.

"I am not at liberty to discuss the details of these negotiations right now," he said, adding that the men feel no obligation to continue discussions with the provincial government. In a surprise move, the men purchased the island from a Maine businessman in March. The island contains the former summer home of Sir William Van Horne, who was in charge of constructing the CPR.

The sale of the island followed an auction of the contents of the house at which Mr. O'Rourke said the government purchased 95 auction items for a total of $30,000. He said since it doesn't appear that an agreement will be worked . . .

"We (government officials) had left the articles on the island in the hope that we would be able to purchase the site," he . . . . "Since the purchase doesn't appear likely in the near future, we are going to put the articles in storage." Asked what will happen to the articles, Mr. O'Rourke said . . . .

Gleaner

April 20, 1977

Sir, Minister's Island at high tide, the Minister's Peninsula at low tide, are dear to the hearts of the people of south-western New Brunswick. It is a significant to all of the people of Canada as the last remaining significant relic of Sir William Van Horne who forged the twin bands of steel across the swamps, over the Prairies and through the mountains, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, to enable a united Canada. (British Columbia's condition for Confederation—the railroad must arrive)

It is time again for men and women of vision and determination. That which Van Horne enabled is now threatened with destruction by those of determination but little vision. History teaches us that civilizations that ignore their past have little future. As Santayana said, "Those that ignore the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them." Minister's Island has been offered to the Crown in the past. Nothing has happened but an escalation of price. The Van Horne relics from Minister's Island have been scattered by public auction. There is no effective public outcry. What of the future if so little value is placed on the past?

A dreadful specter looms—Quebec separating—the Maritimes, emotionally and politically loyal to Canada, but economically unviable—the West, rich in natural resources, port and productivity, with an increasingly powerful separatist party. This can but must not happen. This will not happen, but only if all Canadians do their part, both as governments and individuals.

What, you say, does Minister's Island have to do with this? That question is best answered by another question. If we cannot honor the memory of the engineer who physically enabled a politically united Canada, what of our future?

The next question: how would government acquisition help to preserve Canadian unity? The answer is that it would not; the purchase itself would do nothing. It would depend on what was done after purchase. What should then be done? The island physically should be preserved in its natural state for the enjoyment of all nature lovers. The manor house and its landscaped ground should become a festival of cultural and educational activities and a French-English exchange center dedication to Canadian unity. Let there be action.

—Gordon Higgins, MD

Joe's Point Road, St. Andrews

April 23, 1977

Minister's Island: Some Observations

Dear Sir,

I wish to express a personal view of government attempt to purchase Minister's Island. It is my understanding that:

1. For some months the Government of New Brunswick was discussing the purchase of the Island from the recent former owner.

2. A public auction of the Van Horne artefacts was held.

3. Another party attending the auction suddenly bought the Island.

Certain deductions can be made from the above:

1. That the former owner was completely frustrated or dissatisfied with Government action.

2. That the new owners acted precipitously.

The writer does not question the legality of the sale and purchase, nor can he comment on the terms of any resale to Government. In the business world it is not uncommon for a third party to move in an outbid. However, to do this with the representatives of the people, in a highly emotional area, is another matter.

The BNA act clearly gives the provinces control over land (in a sense the Crown never sells land, only the rights to land if the rents [taxes] are paid).

The Crown owns all land from the high water mark—the beaches, bars, etc. The powers of government are great.

1.1. The island can be reassessed and taxed at a new rate.

2. Any new buildings must meet certain standards of quality and size.

3. Any new subdividing must be built on within two years.

4. More radical powers: the Bar road can be proclaimed a natural beach part and all vehicles prohibited.

5. The Island can be expropriated for a park.

One would hope that commons sense prevails. The essentials of the situation as this writer sees it are as follows:

1.1. The manor house and a surrounding area become public property.

2. As presumably there would be no realty fee, this could be pro-rated to the owners.

3. As the manor house itself is a major improvement, this be given consideration.

4. That the remainder of the island be developed . . . restraints of zoning, quality . . . time.

Gordon Higgins,

Joe's Point,St. Andrews

Courier

May 4/1977

Shiretown Coins are Collector's Items. "This year's dated nickel-copper addition features an engraving of the Algonquin Hotel." (First issued 1976; proved popular. 7,500 minted. Same sizes as standard Canadian coin dollar. Photo. First had blockhouse on reverse.

Courier

Courier

May 11/1977

Minister's Island Price Up. Owners plan to sell off top of island as luxury home lots. Envisage conference center. Barn would be fabulous place for theatre—Shakespeare or Shaw. Furniture purchased by McPherson at auction purchased by province. Owners have jacked price dramatically last few months.

May 11/1977

Minister's Island Price Up.

In a telephone interview May 5, Michael McPherson, one of the new owners of Minister's Island, said, "I don't know if the provincial government is sincere in their bid to purchase the island. I think they have a specific number of dollars and cents to spend and they don't have enough allotted for the island.

Mr. McPherson pointed out that it was the Historical Resources department which approached him about selling the property. "We intended to keep the property and sell the top part of the island off as luxury home lots," the same plan that former owner Norman Langdon embarked upon. Mr. McPherson referred to the island zoning plan compiled several years ago by Mr. Langdon and lot owners. The plan, registered with Fredericton, protects the land from commercial enterprises.

The move by Historical Resources to declare the Island a historic site has added unforeseen complications to Mr. McPherson's and Dr. George's plans for the island. "We can't even dig for a garden if we want to with permission."

According to the office of Historical Resources, in order for any new building to be constructed on the island, the Provincial Archaeologist must study the site for its archaeological importance. Then the minister in charge of Historical Affairs may issue a permit to build

Besides lot sales, what are some of the other plans for the island?

Mr. McPherson did not elaborate extensively. However, he mentioned that the barn is a "fabulous place for theatre," perhaps Shakespeare or Shaw. He envisions the Island as a conference center where either multinational conference or company union negotiations could take place, a substitute for the posh Canadian city hotels now hosting such events. He concluded that the atmosphere on the island would be more conducive to effective conferences than the facilities usually engaged.

As far as Mr. McPherson understands the furniture he purchased at the auction and which was subsequently acquired by the Province of New Brunswick will remain in the former Van Horne residence on the island.

Michael O'Rourke of the Historical Resources deputy minister's office confirmed on Monday that the province intends to remove the belongings from the island within the next few weeks unless negotiations between the present owners and the government improve.

The problem in the negotiations is money, according to Mr. O'Rourke. He said the province has made the present owners a firm offer. He would not state the amount. However, he did state that the difference between the province's firm offer and the owners' price is "several hundreds of thousands of dollars." Mr. O'Rourke confirmed that the price has taken a drastic increase within the last few months.

Island Price Said Too High

? 1977

Efforts by the New Brunswick Government to buy the former island estate of Sir William Van Horne . . . continue to be unsuccessful, the minister in charge of the historical resources administration told the legislature Thursday. Charles Gallagher, also education minister, said the price the new owners of Minister's Island are asking is more than 50 percent higher than the price established by an appraiser and almost agreed to by the previous owner. Gallagher did not disclose the price.

The ownership of the island changed hands in March. The new owners are Michael McPherson of Toronto and Dr. Alexander George of Antigonish, NS.

Gallagher said the island . . . "is one of the most significant historical locations in the province."

This was especially true in view of the discovery by the administration in the last few months of gravesites on the 500 acre island dating back to 500 BC.

There were also "the remains of house foundations dating around 1000 BC and extensive evidence of the pre-loyalist and Loyalist eras."

The province purchased "the majority of artefacts directly attributable to Van Horne" at an auction in March.

Telegraph Journal

May 26, 1977

Artefacts Remain on Minister's Island

Education Minister Charles Gallagher explained Wednesday that his department was prevented from removing artefacts from Minister's Island Tuesday because it had not complied with provisions of a restriction which the government itself had applied to the island.

Mr. Gallagher was commenting on the situation, which flared up Tuesday, in the question period in the provincial legislature. Hours earlier Wednesday two moving trucks had unloaded their contents of artefacts which the government had purchased in an auction on March 12, 13 at the main residence of the island which is considered to have historical significance. Norbert Theriault (L.-Bay du Vin) had asked Mr. Gallagher as to the whereabouts of the artefacts and "what happened" to them. Mr. Gallagher said the Historic Sites Protection Act, which the government had placed on the 500-acre estate, provides that any items leaving the site must first be advertised in the Royal Gazette for two issues before a permit is granted for the removal by the Historical Resource Administration which comes under the jurisdiction of the education department.

The act was imposed on the island following the auction and after the island was reported to have been sold by Maine businessman Norman Langdon to Michael McPherson of Toronto and Dr. Alexander George of Antigonish. Tuesday's events unfurled in the wake of a dispute between the new owners and the provincial government over the sale of the lands. The movers arrived on the scene Tuesday morning and loaded up the artefacts. When Mr. McPherson, a mining contractor, was informed of what was happening, he phoned the St. Andrews RCMP, read them the act claiming the government would be violating it if the artefacts were moved and threatened legal action. Later that day, Mr. Gallagher order the men to leave the trucks on the island for the night and have them unloaded yesterday morning. "The new owners evidently felt that Historic Resources Administration should apply through the Royal Gazette and in view of the fact that it was a law we put through ourselves we wanted to abide by it . . ." Mr. Gallagher continued.

He said that if the items, for which the government is believed to have paid around $20,000 for, should become a burden for the new owners, "we are of course prepared to give notification that we wish to remove them and then do so."

Meanwhile, on Minister's Island . . . the movers "were pretty ugly about" having to unload the articles. That's the way caretaker Wade Veinotte described the mood of the crew in the morning. He lives on the island with his wife and had contacted Mr. McPherson Tuesday about the happenings. In a press release issued by Mr. Gallagher, he said the talks between the government and the new owners have broken down because their demands were far in excess of what the government felt was a reasonable price.

Considerable public pressure has been applied to the government to purchase the island and have it restored as a historical site and tourist attraction. . . . Mr. Gallagher said the government has proposed a price of $805,000 which has been rejected by Dr. George and Mr. McPherson. The said the co-owners have made three counter proposals—one, that the entire island be sold for $1,400,000—two, that the main residence and 102 acre lot go for $805,000—and three, the sale of the main residence and the 102-acre lot—in addition to nine adjacent lots to be deeded over to the other provinces for the use of those province's provincial leaders.

The counter proposals were made several weeks ago, Mr. Gallagher said, while the government's original offer of $805,000 for the whole property had been agreed to by former owner Mr. Langdon with whom the government had also been trying to negotiate a sale.

However, Mr. McPherson said Tuesday that $805,000 would amount to less than what he and Dr. George were to pay for the property which they had purchased.

Gleaner

May 26, 1977

Minister's Island Artefacts May be Removed . . .

The government plans to leave provincially owned artefacts on Minister's Island for the time being but . . . remove them later, Education Minister Charles Gallagher said . . . . developed Tuesday when the government sent a truck to the privately-owned island to pick up items purchased by the government at an auction in March. The caretaker contacted one of the island's owners in Toronto, who in turn phoned the RCMP in St. Andrews to object to the removal of the items. RCMP went to the scene and eventually Gallagher, minister responsible for the province's historical resources administration, instructed that the artefacts be left on the island.

Gallagher explained in the legislature that the confusion was over the province's Historical Protection Act. The Island has been declared a historical site under provisions of the legislation. However, the province failed to advertise in the Royal Gazette its intentions to remove the items and Gallagher said the government did not want to contravene the spirit of its own legislation. Should the artefacts, including a cupboard purchased for more than $10,000, become a "burden" to the owners, Gallagher said the province would remove them later after giving proper notification. The island includes the estate of the late Sir William Van Horne and is considered of significant historic value. The province has been negotiation with the owners to purchase the island, but the parties are far apart on a price.

Education Minister Charles Gallagher said Wednesday the New Brunswick government isn't prepared to pay the asking price for Minister's Island, and that negotiations with the owners of the history-laden island have broken down. He said in a prepared release the island's owners have named a selling price of $1.4 million for the island and its buildings, and that the government has offered $805,000, based on appraisals of the island's worth. . . . Mr. Gallagher said the government was prepared to buy the island from its US owner for $805,000 at the time of its sale to the two Canadian businessmen. The government has been under pressure for years to buy the island for its historical value, but only recently decided to negotiate for it.

Telegraph Journal?

May? 1977

Artefact Move Stalled by RCMP

By Steven Belding, Staff Writer

Two moving trucks which were loaded Tuesday with artefacts which the provincial government had purchased here last March were left on nearby Minister's Island here last night, the caretaker of the island said. "It was quite a day, who knows what will happen next," was the way young Wade Veinotte described the latest turn of events in the New Brunswick government's controversial dealings with the owners of the pastoral 500-acre estate which is considered to be of historical significance.

Mr. Veinotte, 20, said the trucks have been ordered by Education Minister Charles Gallagher to be unloaded this morning with the artefacts left on the island. The confusion has arisen from apparent actions taken by co-owner Michael McPherson of Toronto in connection with restrictions which the government has placed on the development of Minister's Island.

The caretaker, who lives on the island with his wife, said the two Allied Van Lines trucks arrived on the scene around 10 am. Tuesday morning along with "six or seven" men—two of whom were employees of the provincial government. Mr. Veinotte said he called Mr. McPherson in Toronto to inform him of what was happening. Mr. McPherson, in turn, called the RCMP in St. Andrews who later arrived on the scene. When the trucks were all loaded, Mr. Veinotte said, "the men were ordered to leave the trucks on the island and unload them in the morning. He said a government official representing Mr. Gallagher called his home with the information. . . . RCMP which does not permit anyone to remove any artefacts of historical nature off the island. It also disallows any excavation to be on the land, Mr. McPherson said.

The Toronto mining contractor and his partner, Dr. Alexander George of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, negotiated a sale of Minister's Island from Maine businessman Norman Langdon in March. The negotiations with Mr. Langdon followed a sale of the contents of the main residence. Mr. McPherson, Dr. George and representatives of the Historical Resources Administration, which comes under the jurisdiction of the provincial education department, were among the bidders who bought artefacts at the sale.

At the time of the sale the provincial government had been under some public pressure to buy Minister's Island from Mr. Langdon and have it restored as a historical site and tourist attraction. The land, at one time, comprised the summer residence of Sir William Van Horne.

When the sale of the island was announced by Mr. Langdon, the government immediately began talks with the new co-owners which have since broken down. It also . . . Under the act, he said no item of historical value could be removed from the island at least until two consecutive ads were placed in the Canada Gazette by the party which was going to remove the item. He said this was not done by the government. Mr. McPherson said he called the RCMP and "told them (the movers) to get off the island." He said he read the act to the RCMP."

Mr. Veinotte said the RCMP stayed only for a short time on the island Tuesday morning to check if the men had a permit to remove the artefacts. "They didn't have any," he said.

A spokesman for the St. Andrews RCMP said he would not comment on the situation. He said all communication would have to come from Mr. Gallagher. The education minister was unavailable for comment last night. Dr. George MacBeath, the deputy minister in charge of the Historical Resources Administration, said a statement would be released by the government today but would offer no other comment.

Mr. McPherson said the . . . price of $500,000 but later went as high as $805,000. He said the government was only interested in buying all of the island. However, he said the land he and his partner purchased from . . . include three lots. He said they have succeeded in purchasing one of the three but there are still about 20 acres owned by Americans.

Mr. McPherson said the price offered by the government amounted to less than what they paid for the island. He would not divulge the asking price.

He said the restrictions left on the land by the government left he and Dr. George in a precarious position. He said it was difficult to find another buyer. As far as developing it goes, he said, "we can't even dig a garden."

Lawyers were currently assessing the situation on behalf of the two owners, Mr. McPherson said. If need be, he said, he would personally fly in from Toronto to settle the matter. "We'll probably take legal action on general principle," he said.

Among the items considered to be of historical significance that were left in the main residence after the auction were a Burgundian cupboard which was sold for $10,500 during the auction and a Tiffany lamp which went for $275.00. . . . Mr. McPherson had the high bid for the cupboard but he said he had made an agreement with government officials to . . .

Courier

June 1/1977

Program showing St. Andrews Heritage Buildings to air on CBC TV at 10:30 June 5. Work of Marion Cummings. Photo.

Courier

June 8/1977

Island offer confirmed. 1.4 million.

Minister's Island was offered to the province for $1.4 million, it was confirmed Monday by one of the two owners, Michael McPherson of Toronto. He and Dr. George of Antigonish bought the island earlier this year.

An alternate proposal offered by McPherson is that the province buy the 102-acre lot which goes with the main house and 80 percent of the buildings for $805,000. The 102-acre proposal involves a plan that each province buy a lot on the island, averaging between four and seven acres. It is suggested that the provinces build on the lots, creating a "national conference place." Mr. McPherson commented, "I'm a complete nationalist." He envisions the island as a place where the provinces can resolve their differences.

Mr. McPherson revealed that approximately two weeks ago, he purchased the "Old Minister's House," the first building one sees upon reaching the island. It's purchase means that there is now only one other person owning lots on the island and McPherson says, "It can be gotten."

However, as of March, the asking price for the parcel was $200,000. Mr. McPherson believes the minister's house was built around 1771. He is presently discussing the possibility of testing the Historic Sites Act through starting renovations on the building. He plans to return it to the original design which included a front porch and a back wing, according to the research. Mr. McPherson, who has previous experience renovating buildings, (his own home is an 1823 farm house,) says the stucco on the front of the minister's house would have to be sandblasted off, white paint removed, and the shingles replaced with appropriate ones. From his part renovating experiences, he knows where to find old wainscoting and authentic period woods. "It's exciting for us," he said.

The owners have a budget of over a million for renovations and refurnishing the buildings. Mr. McPherson said that he and his colleague could refurnish the main house in authentic period furniture, which they now have a line on. Michael O'Rourke confirmed on Monday that he province is not interested in Mr. McPherson's 100-acre purchase proposal for Minister's Island.

Mr. O'Rourke, executive director of research and development branch of Historical Resources was contacted at his office in Fredericton. An aspect of the plan not mentioned by Mr. McPherson which concerned Historical Resources involved changing the name of the island to Prime Minister's Island. Mr. O'Rourke felt the name change would "make a mockery of the island," and showed a disregard for the history of the area. He said there is no indication that the other provinces would be interested in purchasing lots on the island. He felt even if the economic circumstances were better, they wouldn't want land on the island. The greatest motive behind the province's negative stand on the proposal is that "We still want the entire island."

Mr. O'Rourke said, "We are still hopeful we will be able to buy the island at the price we are interested in." He indicated that the owners have made favourable overtures to the government within the past few weeks. However, he does not expect further developments immediately.

Assuming that the province eventually purchases the island, they intend to make it a "people place." It will be open to the public and feature cultural/historical activities highlighting the historical heritage of the island. The provincial government has approached the National Historic Sites Board about declaring Minister's Island a National Historic Site. Mr. O'Rourke said the board will meet about the proposal within the next few weeks and the province will know the outcome of the meeting later in the summer. If the Island is declared a National Historic Site, Parks Canada will then participate in the planning and development of the island.

Undated

1977

. . . Or Remove Restrictions

Businessman Norman Langdon, who says he's still the actual owner of Minister's Island, says if the provincial government doesn't want to purchase the 500-acre parcel of land it should remove the restrictions which it has place on it. "If they don't want it, they should take the damn act off."

He was referring to the Historical Protection Sites Act which the government has imposed on Minister's Island which does not permit the removal of any artefacts from the island and any excavation to be done on the land. These restrictions leave the owner of the property in a precarious position as far as developing it is concerned, he said.

Mr. Langdon said it was obvious the government was not acting "in good faith" in its negotiations towards purchasing the land which indicates it has no real interest in buying it. The owner is a third property involved in a heated controversy between partners Dr. Alexander George of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and Michael McPherson of Toronto and the provincial government. Mr. McPherson and Dr. George are in the process of buying the island from Mr. Langdon and are in turn trying to negotiate a sale with the government. A heated controversy between the new potential co-owners and provincial government has developed since the announcement was made last March that they were negotiating a sale with Mr. Langdon. The American says he has been talking with . . . government in hopes of getting the two sides . . . an agreement on terms of sale.

Mr. Langdon said it would be foolishness on the part of government to expect the co-owners to sell the land at the $805,000 price tag which the government has offered when they are paying him "roughly $200,000" more for the land.

The province has been brought under some pressure from the public to buy the island for its historical significance. It was the summer residence of famed 19th century railway builder Sir William Van Horne.

The situation came to a head when an auction was staged on the main residence of the former Van Horne estate on March 12 and 13. Shortly after that it was announced that Mr. Langdon was selling the property to the two newcomers. The government through the Historical Resources administration had been talking with Mr. Langdon about buying the island. When the sale was announced it resumed talks with Mr. McPherson and Dr. George—negotiations which have stalemated.

Shortly after the auction the Historical Sites Act was imposed by the provincial government on Minister's Island.

. . . To Move Artefacts . . . Cause Inconvenience

1977

At the time the contents of the Van Horne house were auctioned, during the march 12, 13 weekend, the government was considering a proposal worked out with Langdon by a senior official of the historical resources department, Gallagher said. Because the island is of great heritage value to New Brunswick, the minister said he was "surprised and disappointed to learn Mr. Langdon had chosen to sell his share of the island to a third party."

The proposal agreed to by Langdon, which called for a purchase price for the entire island of $805,000, was approved by the government shortly after the sale to McPherson and George, the minister said. [New Brunswick]

"However, when this figure was proposed to the new owners, the response was a counteroffer in excess of our proposal by several hundreds of thousands of dollars," Gallagher said. "Since our offer was based upon an independent appraisal as well as the provincial assessment, we had felt, and continue to feel, our offer to be reasonable."

The counter proposals, made several weeks ago by the newcomers, include:

—the entire island for $1,400,000.

—the Van Horne house and one 102-acre lot for $805,000

—the Van Horne house and 102-acre lot plus nine adjacent lots which would be deeded over to the other provinces' political leaders. This particular proposal also included the suggestion of changing the name of the site to "Prime Minister's Island," Gallagher said.

Because of the stalemate in negotiations, and the likelihood of government acquisition of the island, Gallagher authorized removal of government purchased artefacts from the island. Gallagher said he believed custody of the province's property would be a considerable burden to the owners, but this does not seem to be the case, and he has instructed his officials to place the artefacts back in the house under the care of the owners. The act does not specify whether or not the minister must himself apply for a permit to remove objects of historical significance that were purchased with public funds and are being held in trust for the people of New Brunswick. . . .

Courier

July 1977

Mr. Gallagher said he can't confirm or deny if the government is negotiating with the remaining three owners but said the government is interested in buying the whole island. In his statement Mr. Gallagher said the "agreement represents an important step in the province's effort to acquire this provincial historical resource and during the coming months we will continue our efforts to acquire the three outstanding lots."

The government proclaimed the island a protected provincial historical site about two weeks after a two-day auction in the 28-room residence of Mr. Van Horne in March in which 725 furnishings and artefacts were sold. The government also bought a large number of articles in the auction.

The act prohibits the owners from excavating on the island, or removing any historical or anthropological objects without a permit. The government tried to remove the articles it bought at the auction but forgot about the . . . the government to get a permit first and were restrained from moving the articles. . . .

One of the two Canadians . . . previously entered into an agree with Mr. Langdon and then were trying to sell it to the government, Dr. Alexander George of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, claimed in an interview last night that any agreement the government reaches with Mr. Langdon would be "subject to litigation." Dr. George refused to say anything further.

The other partner of Dr. George in the deal with Mr. Langdon was Michael McPherson of Toronto. Mr. Langdon, however said in an interview that the deal with Dr. George and Mr. McPherson was never "consummated." In an interview last night Education Minister Charles Gallagher, who is also responsible for the historical resources administration, said when he "okayed the agreement last week." He said the price was about three quarter of the $800,000 being asked when the negotiations started about four months ago.

The minister emphasized that he doesn't know the final price on which the agreement was reached though he said about a week ago "it looked as if the negotiations were finalized." Mr. Gallagher also said this time the owner himself approached the government on July 1 and said "he was in a position to sell the island to us (the government). We didn't haggle with the gentleman at all. He wanted to bargain in good faith."

Previously the government was negotiating with Dr. George and Mr. McPherson. They were asking for $805,000; the government was offering them $200,000. In a separate interview last night Mr. Langdon said that at that time the two Canadians had entered into an agreement with him to buy the whole of the island but the sale was never consummated. He said he doesn't know why they didn't go ahead with the purchase of the island.

"I was prepared to sell it to them. It was not on my part that the sale didn't materialize. They didn't follow through," said Mr. Langdon. Dr. George, in a telephone interview, seemed upset on learning of the agreement and said "I haven't heard a damn word about it."

He accused the government of "playing some kind of surreptitious game—that's the kind of game they (government) play. If they have bought the island I think it's beautiful," he said in a brusque manner and hung up. Under the agreement the government acquired nine of the 10? .

Bugle?

July 20, 1977

It's still too early to know if Minister's Island, near St. Andrews and former resident of CPR founder Sir William Van Horne, will become a provincial park, but the New Brunswick government has taken steps to assure that at least the major part of the historic island will be the property of the people of the province.

After years of negotiating and bickering, it is reported that the New Brunswick government has entered into an option agreement to purchase the major part of the 500-acre island, including the Van Horne residence and related buildings.

The agreement was reached with Norman Langdon of Ellsworth, Maine, the owner. Dr. Alexander George of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and Michael McPherson of Toronto, had previously announced they had acquired the island and they had some negotiations with the government. However, it appears they had only an option on the major part and the option expired without a clear purchase. The two maintain they do have clear title to other pieces of property on Minister's Island, including Parson Andrews' house, a brick dwelling built in or around 1790. "Providing all conditions in the agreement are met, the purchase will be completed in August," the government release stated in announcing the purchase of the property. It is believed the government will obtain clear title to nine of the ten buildings on the island and about 92 percent of the property.

Restoring he Van Horne mansion would pose a problem for the government as much of its furniture was sold at an auction this year. The government did buy some of the contents of the mansion but reportedly has only enough to furnish two or three rooms.

Courier

July 27, 1977

Island Sold

The Province has reportedly made arrangements with Norman Langdon of Ellsworth, Maine, to purchase Minister's Island, near St. Andrews. The planned purchase, at an estimated $600,000, would give the Province all of the island with the exception of two or three lots sold off by Mr. Langdon as part of a planned development. The proposed sale to the Province apparently negated an agreement between Mr. Langdon and would-be purchasers Dr. George of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and Michael McPherson of ? Langdon said the deal had never been consummated and therefore he is free to deal with the Province. Meanwhile, Dr. George said litigation is almost certain if Mr. Langdon tries to sell the property out from under the two Canadians. The Province would acquire better than 90 percent of the island and nine of the 10 buildings.

Axiom Magazine

Undated but between 1977 and 1979

Donald Cameron MacKay

"The Tycoon as Artist"

Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, builder extraordinaire, the man who created the Canadian Pacific Railway, was apparently a person possessed of a driving ambition towards success in many fields. Not only did he get into the business of art—amassing one of the first significant private collections in Canada—it turns out that he was no mean artist himself.

The evidence is present in a collection of fifteen extant paintings, known to be by Van Horne and currently held by Manuge Galleries in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Owner Robert Manuge, who is offering the collection for sale, boasts that it is a "rare treasure, an incredible achievement in excellence . . . by a great Canadian." Others have praised the painting as showing "genius in composition."

Van Horne was born in 1843 in Chelsea, Illinois and was descended from a sturdy line of Dutch ancestors. His father, Cornelius Covenhoven Van Horne, a respected lawyer, died in 1851 leaving 11-year-old William, his mother and four younger siblings in straitened circumstances. The youngster stayed in school until he was fourteen but showed aptitude for little else besides drawing and reading. After he was punished for producing a caricature of the headmaster, young William "dropped out" and went to work as a telegraph messenger boy. During many evenings he copied illustrations from magazines and once reproduced the entire text and illustrations from a massive work on fossils. While he was learning on the job to be an expert telegraphic he also studied all aspects of railroading—enabling him to fill in as dispatcher, accountant, timekeeper, cashier and even as locomotive engineer. By the time he was twenty-eight Van Horne had become the general superintendent of an entire railway line.

His introduction of methods and systems revolutionized railroading and his success led to the invitation to take over the operation of the CPR. His subsequent triumphs in railway and business affairs have been well studied but little has been written about his contributions to the art world and about his own artistic progress.

Although it is recognized that from boyhood Van Horne showed unique talents in drawing, until recently, his paintings were generally regarded as the works of an amateur. To be sure, he never attended an art school and, thus, missed formal training. But insofar as the definition of amateur stands as "one who works for love of his profession rather than for profit" Van Horne created in a thoroughly professional manner.

After the tycoon has mastered the executive problems of directing the new railway he started publicizing the magnificent country through which its trains ran. Van Horne sought out important Canadian artists studied their works and commissioned them to travel across the continent by CPR. By virtue of his strong friendships and continuous contact with the artists he broadened his own knowledge of painting. At times artists travelled with him in his private car and through conversation and observation of their methods he learned quickly what it takes many art students years to master.

Van Horne commissioned many notables, including William Brymner, John A. Hammond, Thomas Mower Martin, Lucius O'Brien, George Horne Russell. He brought Mower Martin, Bell-Smith and others to "Covenhoven" in St. Andrews on Minister's Island in New Brunswick and went with them on sketching trips along the coast.

At the same time VH started acquiring painting by old and modern masters. Consistent with the tastes of the time he began with Anton Mauve and the brother Maris, but soon expanded his collection to include fine examples of European schools. When the CPR extended its lines by the addition of Pacific Steamships VH built up a choice collection of Oriental art. Never forgetting his Canadian friends he continued to purchase their works and to convince other persons of wealth to do the same.

VH's own paintings must unquestionably be judged alongside those of his Canadian contemporaries. And in comparison they stand up extraordinarily well. They cannot, of course, be properly criticized in comparison with later artists like the Group of Seven whose forms of expression were not developed until after VH died.

At present the only known work by VH in a public collection is a painting of the Dosco Steel Works, (Sydney) which hangs in the Montreal Museum of Fine Art.

In 1976 (not 1977?) Robert Manuge completed the purchase of a choice selection of fifteen Van Hornes from Norman Langdon who had acquired "Covenhoven" on Minister's Island. In subject matter they range from a breezy marine of sailing crafts on the Bay of Fundy, "Covenhoven Birches," through broad vistas of the prairies and foot-hills to the heights of the Rockies. Many are large canvasses, the scope of which presents a challenge to the most competent artist. In atmospheric color, composition and textural quality the Van Horne painting meet this challenge in fine spirit.

Courier

April 6/1977

Tourist Center a Priority

New Brunswick Power Chairman Bill Cockburn advised St. Stephen—Milltown Chamber of Commerce Monday that he and fellow MLA Leland McGaw would do everything possible in Fredericton to set the Dept of Tourism wheels rolling towards establishing a tourist information center in downtown St. Stephen. Promised several years ago as one of five such centers including one at Houlton Crossing. Other four all completed.

Courier

May 4/1977

Shiretown Coins are Collector's Items. "This year's dated nickel-copper addition features an engraving of the Algonquin Hotel." (First issued 1976; proved popular. 7,500 minted. Same sizes as standard Canadian coin dollar. Photo. First had blockhouse on reverse.

Courier

June 1/1977

Program showing St. Andrews Heritage Buildings to air on CBC TV at 10:30 June 5. Work of Marion Cummings. Photo.

Courier

June 23, 1979

Photo of Girl and boy

Students of a Rescue Mission

Eight students are working on a project on Minister's Island in an attempt to rescue evidence of early inhabitants from being lost through soil erosion.

Courier Weekend

June 23, 1979

Rescue Attempted on Minister's Island

Dorothy Johnson

There is good evidence that people lived on Minister's Island near St. Andrews 10,500 years ago, and a group of students on a Young Canada Works program sponsored by the university of New Brunswick are now attempting to preserve evidence of early settlements.

Albert Fergensen, leader of one of the 'rescue groups,' explained that the major threat to artefacts on the island is erosion. He said that erosion in this area is two to four times greater than in other parts of the world because of the high tides and about one and half meters of solid have eroded from the banks of the inland in the past two years.

One reason for the interest in saving parts of the island from erosion is the evidence of house structures. Fergensen said this is the farthest north that evidence of houses has been found. Artefacts being found are mostly from the ceramic period, which began 2400 years ago when people began making pots.

The sites are being dug with trowels to make the banks straight. As this is being done, the soil that is removed is sifted to remove any artefacts. The soil profile is plotted on a graph, drawn and photographed. Fergensen said both the horizontal and vertical arrangements of artefacts are important; how old they are is determined partially by vertical placement and the distribution of the ancient people is determined by the horizontal placement.

After the ground is straightened, fibre will be placed between it and a wall to keep the soil from eroding further. In other areas, only a wire wall has been built and the soil has been eroded out while the rocks remained inside the wall. The fibre is being used experimentally to keep the soil intact.

Fergensen explained that the eight students working on the island are not participating in a formal archaeological dig but in a resume operation to reduce erosion so others will be able to study the sites at a later time. The site the students are now working on is an experimental area. It will be checked periodically to see how this type of erosion protection works.

Five students are now working on one site while three more are looking at other sites to see what time period they are and how fast they are eroding. There are six or seven sites that may eventually undergo rescue operations.

Weapons made of stone and bone have been found. They have been preserved because the calcium in the shells buried with them have leached the acid, that would have decomposed the bone, out of the soil.

Evidence has been found that people lived on the island year round: the skeletal remains of animals that were killed and the seasonality of clams consumed. In other areas of the Maritime Provinces, the early settlers lived on the island in the summer and came ashore during the winter months.

The students have been working on the island three weeks and will be there until the end of July. They are staying in the servants quarters of the old former home of Sir William Van Horne. The students are working with the Maritime Committee of Archaeological Cooperation. They are federally funded.

Courier

July 4/1979

Probing Passamaquoddy's past.

Editor's Note: The following article was submitted to the Charlotte County Historical Society by David Sanger of the Department of Anthropology, the University of Maine at Orono. With an archaeological dig now under way on Minister's Island, the article is particular timely. In the coming weeks the newspaper will be reprinting other articles prepared for the CCHS.

Charlotte County Prehistory, by David Sanger

Charlotte County, during the decade from 1960 to 1970, was the scene of more continuous prehistoric archaeological research than any other county in the Maritimes. Consequently, we are in a position of knowing more about the prehistory of this County, although it should be pointed out that this is a relative statement, because no area in the Maritime Provinces can claim to have a fully documented prehistoric past. In this paper I will trace the outlines of prehistory in a chronological fashion starting, as is the custom in archaeology, with the earliest and working toward the Historic Period, which is taken to be AD 1600. A time span of nearly 11,000 years or 97 percent of man's occupation of the Maritimes is encompassed by the prehistoric period. Incredible as it may seem, this portion of man's history has received scant attention due to the emphasis on the culture history of the lately arrived Europeans. As an anthropologist, I maintain that man's cultural record is equally valid and worthwhile documenting regardless of his culture or his ethnic background. It is to be hoped that the lengthy and rich Indian history will receive a far greater share of scholars' attention than it has been heretofore accorded.

Located in the south-western corner of New Brunswick Charlotte County offered two major ecological areas, or eco-systems, of great significant to the prehistoric Indian populations. One was the rich littoral eco-system revolving around Passamaquoddy Bay. Here the Indians learned to exploit rich shellfish stocks and so acquire a bountiful stage food supply and built up a larger population than in the interior eco-system. Supplementing the shellfish were beaver, moose, deer, caribou, seal, birds, fish and vegetable foods. All was hunted and gathered in its wild state, so far as is known, the prehistoric Indians of the area practised no agriculture or domestication except for the dog.

The interior eco-system centered on the St. Croix River and the lakes and streams in its watershed. Here the terrestrial mammals shared the merit with seasonally anadromous fish such as gaspereau and salmon, and with fish that were constantly available such as tout. Birds and vegetable foods we also utilized.

Population estimates are extremely difficult to achieve with even minimal accuracy, but judging b y the sheer numbers of sites, I estimate that the coastal eco-system supported a much greater population identity, especially in the last two thousand years of the record. It might be well to anticipate an objection at this point. On the basis of historical records anthropologists have been accustomed to thinking of he Indian as moving regularly from coast to interior on a seasonal basis. As we shall see, he evidence from the archaeology does not support this kind of transhumance; there are clear indications that people resided on the coast in all seasons. This does not mean, of course, that the Indians never went inland for hunting or fishing. It does suggest that the historic picture is over-simplified, and I suspect that the very early fur trade on the coast had a great deal to do with the seasonal movements observed by the Europeans.

We begin our survey of the prehistory with a brief historical resume of the important research activities. The first work of note in Charlotte County seems to have been that of S. F. Baird whose investigations were recorded in 1881 in a paper titled "Notes on Certain Aboriginal Shell Mounds on the Coast of New Brunswick and New England." Baird noted the numbers and size of some of the middens which ranged from Oak Bay to Grand Manan.

A year after Baird's publication some members of the Natural History Society of New Brunswick conducted a most interesting excavation at Phil's Beach near the outlet of the Bocabec River. Although there was nothing unusual about the excavation, the report read by G. F. Matthew, and later published in 1884, was far ahead of the questions he asked of the date. While generations of succeeding archaeologists became involved with describing the exotica, and excavating in romantic, far-off lands, Mathew approached the site like the naturalist he was, with a curiosity and sense of problem that would do justice to many practising professional archaeologists. Mathew saw the Phil's beach site in its total environmental setting, and poised penetrating questions concerning the way of life, or culture, of the inhabitants. He must also be credited with the discovery of semi-subterranean houses, a feature 're-discovered' in 1970. Space does not permit a more detailed description of Mathew's analysis, but all archaeologists and interested laymen would do well to study this report by the Saint John Customs officials.

In his 1899 work Ganong reviewed known historic and pre-historic sites around Passamaquoddy Bay and up the St. Croix and Magaguadavic Rivers without doing any actual excavating. Following World War II the R. S. Peabody Foundation for Archaeology, located in Andover, Massachusetts, sent out crews to investigate sites in our area. In the mid 1950's a crew under the direction of D. A. Byers excavated at the Holt's Point site. Save for a brief note on some etched pebbles by Fowler (1966) no report of the work is available.

In the early 1960's Richard Pearson, then a student at Yale University, dug in sites around Passamaquoddy Bay as part of a program of archaeology designed to cover the Maritimes. Working for the National Museum of Canada, Pearson conducted excavations at three sites, Sandy Point, Minister's Island, and Indian Point. Lack of time and manpower limited Pearson to 'test' excavations, and beyond a few artefacts and some useful radiocarbon dates, little information was derived. A summary account of that field work has recently been published.

Over the years there have also been sporadic diggings by amateurs and occasional sorties by professionals who have left us no record of their activities.

In 1967 a large-scale program of excavation in which I have been involved was initiated. Backed by ample funding from the National Museums of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick, the most recent Passamaquoddy Bay Program has been able to systematically survey and test all of the known sites in the northern half of the Bay. Work in the offshore island has only jus begun and preliminary surveys are planned for the near future. The program to date has also examined some of the lakes and rivers draining into Passamaquoddy Bay. Sites are plentiful in Spednik and Magaguadavic lakes and, although these are not in our area, the information will be incorporated. The survey and excavations between 1967 and 1972 has resulted in the location of more than 50 sites, the excavation of 8 and the recovery of more than 5000 classifiable specimens. Some of the analysis has been completed but a great deal of integration and interpretation remains. The discussion in follow outlines the extent of knowledge arranged chronologically by periods of time. The chronology, while approximate, is derived from over a dozen radiocarbon dates currently on file.

Early Period:

The Early Period (11,000 to 6,000 years ago), which would include Paleo-Indian, is not represented in the County and plays no part in the current discussion. The land was available to Indians of this period as H. Borne (1971) has indicated. It is possible that intensive research in areas such as the Pennfield Plain may someday turn up the characteristic fluted points diagnostic of this period.

Middle Period:

The Middle Period may be said to begin around 6,000 years ago with the presence of Laurentian tradition people in the interior lakes on the St. Croix drainage system. Characteristic of the Laurentian Tradition in this are large, side-notched and stemmed projectile points, ground stone adze blades of both the gouge and flat bit varieties, ground slate points, plummets, red-ochre smeared burials of the Moosehead complex, and area adaptations of the interior lake resources. A variant, perhaps only seasonal, may have made its livelihood on the coast hunting sea mammals. So far as we now know, these people did not place the reliance on the shellfish which characterized the later inhabitants. Unfortunately, no traces of coastal marine mammal hunters have turned up I the Bay area. Possibly, the rising sea levels have obliterated the older middle-period sites and we may never find them, but may not have searched hard enough. Our site surveys to date have been oriented towards located late-period sites with adjacent shell middens that make them easier to identify.

Late Period

The Late Period starts around 3,000 years ago and continues to the early 17th century when the Historic Period begins. It is characterized by shell midden sites along the coast and apparently by a de-population of the interior lakes area. The heavy dependence on shellfish as a source of protein represents a re-orientation to the local resources. The soft-shell clam is by far the dominant species, with only inconsequential amounts of the mussel and other shellfish. Deer and beaver are the most prominent land mammal remains. In lesser amounts are moose, caribou, bear, and seals. Limited quantities of bird and fish remains are found.

It is not possible to be precise about the starting date for this coastal adaptation pattern, but I doubt that it came about slowly through along trial and error procedure. More likely, it was introduced full blown from areas to the south where the initial experimentation took place. Ritchie has demonstrated the presence of the shellfish utilization patter by 4,000 years ago in Massachusetts, and there are sufficient similarities in artefact forms, mainly projectile points, to suspect the introduction of this way of life to Passamaquoddy Bay at least 3000 years ago. We do not have sufficient data to speculate on whether the new concepts arrived via the movement of new people into the area, or whether indigenous populations adopted the techniques transmitted by diffusion of ideas. It is possible that both occurred. Archaeologists have called this culture the Susquehanna tradition.

From about 2000 years to the Historic period we have far more information concerning the life ways of the Passamaquoddy Bay inhabitants. About this time ceramics were introduced. The earliest specimens excavated share many attributes with the Point Peninsula wares such as the dentate and rockered dentate some pseudo scallop motifs, and later, cord wrapped stick impressed pottery. Ion contrast with some areas to the west where the Iroquois Traditions developed pottery in the east seems to have consumed less emphasis and to have degenerated both in quality and quantity by the Historic Period.

Projective points change through time from the primitive stemmed point, to those with wide corner notches, to specimens with narrow corner and side-notching. A larger array of cutting and scraping tools is found but surprisingly few stone piercing or drilling implements. Among the Indians' organic tools the beaver incisor tooth heads the list of numbers. These ubiquitous artefacts can be groped according . . . in which they were hafted. Some were left in the lower jaw which was snapped at he chin; others were removed from the jaw and hafted in handles of wood or antler. Harpoons, bone points, awls, and needles are among the organic artefacts.

From sites dated between 200 years and about 800 years old we have evidence of semi-subterranean houses, a dwelling type in which part of the house is below the ground surface level. These are oval to round pits averaging three meters on the long axis by about 2.5 meters across. A conical structure resembling the Historic Period wigwam was pitched over the depression which ranged from more than 50 cm to less than 15 deep. We have no information concerning the covering of the dwelling. Inside, there were one or more hearths. The house are situated behind the midden areas unless later occupants have filled the depressions with shells and other garbage from their activities. By plotting distributions of artefact recovered in sites with houses of this type it appears that a great deal of the manufacturing occurred within, and little took place in the midden regions. In those later sites, where semi-subterranean houses are not present, the artefact distributions I more random, although there is still some patterning in evidence.

The semi-subterranean house form may be associated with a practice of wintering on the coast. Analysis of the faunal remains strongly suggests year-around habitation. Bird remains which can be sensitive seasonal reflections, indicate some fall through spring occupation. More research is needed to fully document the correlation of the house and winter residence, but the association of the dwellings and deer killed in the late fall or winter was determined in the 1972 seasons.

Towards the termination of the Late Period there are indications of a scarcity of deer in the Passamaquoddy Bay region, perhaps an anticipation of the Historic Period when deer were very scarce until the mid-19th century. This shortage, which may be linked with a worsening of the climate at that time, may have influence the duel coastal-inland pattern noted in historic times.

An interesting observation resulting from our work is the apparent abandonment of he New Brunswick parts of the St. Croix River region by AD 800 and a movement eastward to the Digdeguash Harbor area. Grant has documented the rate substantial rise in sea levels in the bay of Fundy, and has arrived at an average rate of rise of one foot per century. Apparently the rising sea not only flooded the traditional sits of habitation and clam gathering rounds, but also force the Indians to move to new site again and again after relatively brief occupancy of each new site. They depended on dense populations of clams an clams require silty-sandy inter-tidal beaches. When sea levels rise and erosion of the land occurs, beach slopes may increase in pitch until the slope is too great to allow the deposition of the find sands required for survival of extensive clam populations. Coarse sand and gravel replaces the muddy, and whelks replace the clams. When clam beds diminished in the Indians' home areas, they abandoned them and moved to new areas. Where clams were abundant. For example, Sandy Point and the shore of the Eidlitz property on the St. Croix River have extensive shell middens radiocarbon dated at around AD 50 and AD 660 respectively. But today a tribe would have difficulty in surviving if it depended on clams at either of these sites.

In reviewing our knowledge of the prehistory of Charlotte County it is fair, I think to say that we have a fairly clear concept of the events of the last 2000 years, and more than a hint about the 3000 years previous to that. Beyond that the trail grows cold.

At this time one of the most pressing questions is why there was no clam fishing until about 2000 years ago. We have a rough idea of the direction from which the new technique of subsistence on clams was derived, but why should the Indians of Charlotte County and adjacent Maine have been so slow in adopting this efficient way of life? Perhaps it was not available to them due to a combination of events which controlled the density of the soft-shelled clams stocks. Ecological questions like this and other must be solved before ewe can proceed very far in our cultural interpretations.

In a broader sense the research in Charlotte County is of general anthropological interest because it is primarily the story of man's adaptation to the ea. Archaeologists have long pondered the theoretical questions of how man came to depend on animals and plants through processes we optimistically call domestication, but the profession has largely ignored the process through which man adapted himself to life on the sea shore. What I am suggesting here, of course is that archaeology must go beyond the recovery of artefacts, beyond the reconstruction of history for its own sake, and into the realm of documenting and explaining the evolution of man as he has adapted himself and his culture to a variety of environments in this world. As our date from the prehistory of Charlotte County allows us to make every increasingly firm statements about events of the past, and as our colleagues provide more sophisticated environmental information, w e can use the prehistory of our area to generate and to test hypotheses abut man and his development in a maritime setting.

Rural Cemetery Burial

T. R. (Teddy) Meighen

Ashes

Lawyer, son of Rt. Hon. Arthur Meighen, former Prime Minister of Canada

73

Lot 184 ½

July 10, 1979

Atlantic Insight

1979

The Great Railway Bazaar

When he wasn't busy pushing railways through seemingly impossible mountain passes and quicksand, Sir William Van Horne relaxed by taking brush in hand and painting landscapes. Once, in an incredible three-month burst of creativity, one of the builders and second president of the CPR bashed off a painting a day. Literally hundreds of canvasses, his own and those of established painters of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries which he collected, cluttered the walls of Van Horne's 40 room summer mansion, Covenhoven, on the 500 acre Minister's Island, just off the New Brunswick coast near St. Andrews. Now a Halifax art dealer, Robert Manuge, is threatening to ship 21 of Van Horne's paintings off to auction in England. The trouble is, Manuge seems to be one of the few in the Maritimes who cares what happens to the US born pioneer's works.

Two years ago the New Brunswick government paid $745,000 for Covenhoven . . . and Minister's Island with the idea of someday making it a historic park. The government told Manuge that it wants only four or five of his Van Horne works—not 21 paintings at the original asking price of $210,000. So Manuge knocked his quote down to $105,000, which he estimates it cost him to retrieve the collection from a US dealer and have three European artists do repairs and restoration of both the paintings and their once-elegant gilded frames. But he insists that all 21 paintings should remain in one collection. The New Brunswick government has demurred. "We're dealing with tax money and we have to act responsibly," says Dr. George MacBeath, deputy head of the province's Historical Resources Administration. Replies the fast-talking Manuge: "I've spent three intensive years trying to convince Ottawa and New Brunswick to take these paintings and I must say they haven't been cooperative. I've found them to be a conservative, slow-moving lot."

Accordingly, Manuge has obtained export permits to ship his Van Horne collection to Surrey, England, for the annual York International Railway Festival and Auction of Railwayana in October. Manuge, never hesitant to too his own whistle, figures the railway buffs will queue up to bid on the paintings—if not for their artistic value, then as desirable memorabilia of one of the world's great track layers. Unimpressed, the Nb government says it has a line on other Van Horne paintings which would make the province, as one official put it, not "completely dependent on Mr. Manuge."

Gleaner

July 26, 1979

Price Lowered for Paintings

Manuge Galleries Limited of Halifax yesterday offered to sell a collection of 21 paintings by Canadian Pacific Railway builder Sir William Van Horne to the province of New Brunswick for $105,000 half the original asking price of $210,000. The offer was telegrammed to Premier Richard Hatfield, who was not available for comment on the yesterday.

George MacBeath, deputy head of the New Brunswick government's historical resources department and involved in negotiations along with the premier for the purchase of the painting over the past two years, said he was aware that telegram had been sent to the premier. "It will have to be checked into," Dr. MacBeath said. "I would expect the Premier to comment on it."

Dr. MacBeath had earlier said the original offer made by the art gallery's chairman Robert Manuge was not acceptable to the province. He said the province was interested in only two or three of the paintings for which Mr. Manuge was asking $100,000. Mr. Manuge made it clear that he did not to break up the collection. He had made it clear that the paintings, in his view, have "great historical and aesthetic value to Canada" and that he would like to see the collection remain in Canada and more particularly in New Brunswick where Sir William resided for many years.

In 1977, the province bought the summer home at St. Andrews, known as Covenhoven, where Sir William resided for a number of years and it is now protected under the Historical Properties Act. Robert Percival of Saint John, curator of art, head, New Brunswick Museum, said in an interview yesterday that most of the paintings were done in the 1820's [sic] and most are of New Brunswick landscapes. "Van Horne was what you would call a Sunday painter," said Mr. Percival. "The paintings have historic value but very little creative value." Tuesday he told a CBC interviewer that a reasonable offer for the collection would be about half of what Mr. Manuge was seeking. When told that such an offer had been made, Mr. Percival said: "In view of the length of time the collection has been on the market without making a sale, I think Mr. Manuge is afraid of being stuck with it."

He said the paintings had little or no value outside New Brunswick because Van Horne is not known as a painter. "The National Art Gallery wouldn't be interested in them even if they were offered for free and yet Mr. Manuge is asking the kind of money you would only pay for a Group of Seven paint collection."

Mr. Percival acted for the province as an appraiser of the Van Horne works and he said the province is interested in some of the paintings but not the entire collection. Mr. Manuge had the paintings appraised by an independent appraiser in Nova Scotia, Dr. Donald Cameron Mackay, retired principal of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and he valued 17 of the paintings at $178,000 in January, 1977.

Because Mr. Manuge's efforts to have the paintings retained in Canada have been "unavailing" he applied for and yesterday received an export permit to ship the collection to the York International Railway Festival and Auction of Railwayana to take place Oct. 16-20 at the York Railway Festival and Auction in Surrey, England. The sponsors of the event have said they are prepared to pay the shipping cost of the collection, an expense of "several thousand dollars," according to a spokesman for Mr. Manuge.

"My interest is to see the collection kept intact and remain in Canada," Mr. Manuge said earlier. But he said if he can't sell the collection here he will consider offers in England where he maintains he could get considerably more for the collection.

Chronicle Herald?

Aug 24, 1979

Imperial Oil purchases Van Art Collection

Imperial Oil said Thursday that it has bought a collection of 21 paintings by Canadian railway builder Sir William Van Horne. The company would not say how much it paid for the collection. A representative of the United Nations was seeking the paintings to sell this fall at a British art auction to raise money for international relief programs for children.

The paintings were sold to Imperial Oil by Robert Manuge, owner of Manuge Galleries Ltd. In Halifax. "Imperial will offer to donate a number of paintings, which the government of New Brunswick has expressed an interest in acquiring, to that province," the Imperial statement said. "Other paintings will be offered to communities across Canada that have historical links with VH and about three will be retained for display in Imperial's permanent collection of Canadian art."

Trevor Housser, corporate relations manager for the company in the Atlantic region, said Imperial felt that the collection was historically significant because it reflected an important and unique era in Canadian development. "Imperial was not engaged in any competitive bidding for these paintings against other Canadian interests," Housser said. "We decided to purchase the collection only after it became clear that there was an imminent risk of . . . (get rest of this article)

Telegraph Journal

Sept 21, 1979

Province Presented with Van Horne Painting

Jo Ann Claus

The first of "at least five" of the 21 Van Horne painting in the Sir William Van Horne collection from Minister's Island returned home Thursday. D. D. Lougheed, senior vice-president of Esso Resources presented the painting on behalf of Imperial Oil to the Province.

"Sunburst Over Minister's Island", a work painted by Sir William Van Horne sometime in the last decade of the 19th Century is valuable more as history than as art. In accepting the gift for the province, Premier Hatfield said these paintings reveal a valuable dimension to Van Horne, a sensitivity "that needs to be considered in understanding the full man and what he accomplished." Hatfield said it was unusual for a man who worked as hard as Van Horne did and "lived as hard as he did, and he was a very hard living man, to indulge in creative activity of this kind at that time. He was clearly a man who didn't just try to push aside mountains."

Imperial Oil's management had similar thoughts when purchasing the collection. As Mr. Lougheed said, "The company decided that given the man's position as Canada's master railway builder, as well as an amateur painter of some note, that it would be appropriate if these works of art remained in Canada."

Imperial Oil's plan for the breaking up of the collection have not been completed. One possibility is a tour of the entire collection before it is dispersed into various public institutions in the regions depicted in the paintings. In addition to others intended for New Brunswick, some painting will go to Western Canada, to the corporate offices of Imperial Oil and others to the East.

Premier Hatfield had no doubt where this painting and the others from the collection will eventually be hung. "I assure you these paintings will find their way to a home on Minister's Island. Since we've lost his house in Montreal, his home on Minister's Island is the only living museum that can be erected to his memory. The part of the island where the barn and the house are will be restored as close as possible to the way it was when he was there."

The premier said the New Brunswick Historical Resources Branch now has most of the important pieces to refurnish the house. Other items will be found from the CPR if possible to create "a living monument."

The premier said that ownership of the island has to be straightened out before actual plans for restoration of the Van Horne house can begin. There is still one private property not owned by the New Brunswick government. When ownership is clear, Premier Hatfield said he intends to go to the CPR as well as to the Federal government for the project.

"We do not think it's worthwhile that you contribute these painting to other parts of Canada as well as New Brunswick especially in Western Canada because Van Horne deserves a great deal of credit for making Western Canada such an im . . . (rest missing)

Courier

Oct. 10/1979

Van Horne painting donated to St. Andrews library. Orig. to senator Robert MacKay at Clibrig, 1906. Birches. Presented to library in 1978. Restored by Fred Ross.

Courier

June 8/1977

Island offer confirmed. 1.4 million.

Courier

Aug 24/1977 (Aug 18)

Levesque steals show at Premier's confab.

Rene Levesque was the star of the Premier's conference held last week in St. Andrews, at least as far as other press members were concerned. Newspeople clamoured to get to this side for his opinion after the conference sessions. His proposal for Reciprocal Education agreements raised havoc. His proposal was that French populations throughout Canada should have access to French language education. In turn, Anglophones, people who studied at the elementary school level in English, would be able to send their children to English schools.

He said: "We are prepared to take a calculated risk on reciprocity and open up to the Canadian dimension. We don't intend to build a ghetto wall around Quebec. The French are going to have to get along with the English and vice versa. The rules of Bill 101 as it applies in Quebec should extend through Canada.

The reciprocal agreement was not acceptable to the other premiers. Instead, they agreed to direct the Council of Education Ministers to meet as soon as possible to review the state of minority language education in each province. The council is to report back to each premier within six months. Following this, each province would undertake to ensure such provision of Canadian minority language education, and would then make a declaration of the policy plan and program to be adopted by the government of the province.

At the press conference following the last session, Premier Richard Hatfield said: "I don't believe a reciprocal agreement is any better than the Official Languages Act of this province. I will make efforts to expand our Official Languages Act. Mine is the bet you can get short of enshrining it in the Constitution."

At times it was questionable whether the 200 media people attending the conference were there to cover the conference or cover the media covering the conference. It would have been an easier job to cover the media.

Press releases and communiqués from the premiers were minimal. Premier Hatfield was in charge of briefing the press after each session and media considered themselves lucky if they were able to get him to sit down for 15 minutes to explain the areas covered during the sessions. He was even reluctant to explain New Brunswick's point of view on issues.

Interviewing other premiers was a matter of luck. After the last conference session on Friday, Mr. Hatfield said the other premiers were around and could be interviewed if they could be found. Many were quite inconspicuous.

Said Premier Hatfield of the conference: "As far as I'm concerned, the conference was a success because I set out to get a little bit and we got a little bit."

Chamber Entertains (St. Andrews Dollars presented at Algonquin)

Pub explains dress code: The dress code at Dick Turpin's Pub at the Algonquin Hotel has recently been questioned by local residents who find themselves excluded from the establishment due to attire. Jim Frise, manager of the hotel, is the author of the dress code which he points out is by no means unique to the Algonquin and has loosened up over the years. "I'm not trying to be restrictive of any group," he said. "If we are going to attract people to the hotel, we have to maintain an image and a big factor in image is the kind of people seen at the hotel." Clean and presentable appearance" is the criteria at the Pub with blue jeans and hats being definitely excluded after 5:30 p.m. "Usually the highest percentage of undesirables wear blue jeans," said Mr. Frise. According to several pub frequenters, sandals, tank tops and blue jean skirts have also been excluded. "We are dealing with a staff here for only four months," he explained. "In order to facilitate their job, staff members might make the rules tighter than actually intended. Sometimes rules get misconstrued. We are in the business to do business with anyone. But unless we maintain some level of atmosphere at the hotel, we are cutting our nose to spite our face."

Ham radio conference set for Algonquin.

Courier

Sept. 7/1977

Ad for Slaney at Dick Turpins. CP Hotels Algonquin. Photo.

Courier

Sept 28/1977

1977 tourist traffic way up at border crossing—from 50,000 to 53,000. Six percent increase. overall traffic 563,000 over 528,000: 7 percent.

October 31. Halloween 1977. Golf Clubhouse burned down.

Courier

Feb 8/1978

Chester, England: malls an old idea. Excellent photo of Tudor architectural block.

Courier

Feb 15/1978

Salt box House Heritage Feature. History of building on Queen St. School for girls once.

St. Andrews Civic Trust is holding an Open House at the Gladstone Smith Salt Box House on Queen Street on Heritage Day, February 20, from 2 to 5 pm. This 1785 house was purchased in 1975 by Heritage Canada with the provision that Mrs. Smith could live in it as long as she wished. When Mrs. Smith decided to move out Heritage Canada contracted with N.B Historical Resources Administration to provide the architectural plans for its rehabilitation.

This is the second house which Heritage Canada has purchased and rehabilitated in St. Andrews. The first one was the Pagan O'Neill House (1785) which has been converted into two houses sharing the same entrance.

Both the Pagan O'Neill and Gladstone Smith Houses were in very poor condition and their repair would have been beyond the pocketbooks of most people. One is a large building whose owners over the years were important members of the community; the other is a modest little house, important because it is a fine example of the early small house in this area, and the Saltbox style is rare in New Brunswick.

These are two fine buildings which have been restored to full practical use and without the investment by Heritage Canada they might easily have been demolished.

When Heritage Canada selected these two houses on the advice of the St. Andrews Civic Trust they agreed to finance their rehabilitation as witness to their interest in seeing St. Andrews become a Conservation Area. The completion of this second house means that Heritage Canada has invested approximately $200,000 and in doing so has provided employment for St. Andrews people.

Gladstone Smith Saltbox House

History: It is very probable that this house was erected by Joseph Crookshank, ship's carpenter, who bought the land on May 9th, 1785. A search of the deeds reveals that during the late 18th and early 19th centuries the property very likely served as a combination residence and place of business. Mrs. Charles Briscoe ran a school for girls upstairs during the 1800's. After Crookshank, the house passed into the ownership of 11 other persons and was acquired by Gladstone Smith in 1938. In 1975 Heritage Canada bought the house from Mrs. Smith, with the agreement that she live in it at a nominal rent as long as she wished. When she moved out in 1976 the planning for the rehabilitation of the house began.

The Project:

This has, from the start, been a cooperative effort of Heritage Canada, the province and St. Andrews Civic Trust Inc., It was on the recommendation of the Trust that Heritage Canada bought the Saltbox. It was with the cooperation of the Province's Historical resources Administration that Heritage Canada commissioned their architectural restoration advice and plans, and it is through Heritage Canada's investment that another very old building which is a valuable part of St. Andrews' heritage has been saved.

This investment represents a substantial economic benefit to the Town in terms of employment for local people. Those mentioned below, and their employers, have been involved in the project: architect – Robert Power, N. B , Historical Resources, Fredericton; General contractor, Morton Mitchell, St. Andrews; sub-contractors: plumbing, Bartlett's Plumbing and heating, electrical, Ed Lord, painting Leo Harmon, masonry, Jack Gibson, legal advice, G. Melvin Turner, property manager and insurance, Robert Charlton, photography, Charles Mason, all of St. Andrews.

Architecture:

The house is known as a Saltbox because its long rear roofline gives it the same shape as the saltboxes which were used in colonial kitchens. The exterior of the house has been faithfully restored to its original appearance. The shingle siding and roof will be allowed to weather naturally, the entire chimney has been rebuilt.

The interior has been repaired for practical contemporary use. At the same time, as many of the interesting features as it was possible to retain have been kept intact. These are worthy of note: original mantelpieces, stairs, banisters and handrail; early doors, latches and hinges; fanlight over the front door; plaster medallion on front hall ceiling; ceiling molding in front room, ground floor, Where windows have been replace they are true to the style and period of the house.

The Saltbox is a simple house, important because it is characteristic of its period and of a type which is fairly rare in this region. It is part of the history of our town. Its restoration and repair have been achieved in a practical way, at a reasonable cost for its future owner.

Telegraph Journal

April 13/1978

N. B. Funds to Upgrade Cove Available, Says Official

Funds to improve facilities at nearby Katy's Cove are available under the new provincial budget, now before the legislature Deputy Supply and Services Minister Glendon Graham says. "We have earmarked a specific sum but there's a considerable amount available," Mr. Graham said in an interview. Improvements to Katy's Cove, a salt-water inlet contained by a CPR train trestle on the north-eastern outskirts of this down, were discussed at a meeting of government officials and representatives of the St. Andrews Chamber of Commerce earlier this year, mar. Graham said. "We're hoping for some kind of permanent plant not just maintenance," Mr. Graham said. "And we hope to ge the town involved, too." Facilities at the cove are "falling apart," according to St. Andrews Chamber of Commerce Robert Charlton. "It's a shame," Mr. Charlton said in an interview. "Here we are the only resort town in the province with a salt-water cove and we're not taking care of it." Mr. Charlton explained that the water in the cove can be warmed by closing three gates in the CPR train trestle. "the gates need repairing and the pilings under the beach houses are all rotten," he said. "The system's shot—we've patched it and patched it and patched it," Mr. Charlton said. Mr. Charlton said the Chamber of Commerce had maintained the facility with the assistance of local volunteers for the past four years, but added tha the organization may not continue maintenance after the coming season. "We feel it's time the town did something," Mr. Charlton said. "Some kind of long-term plan needs to be worked out." However St. Andrews Mayor W. B. Bishop does not agree. "There's no problem," Mr. Bishop said in an interview. "The government owns it and they take care of it," Mr. Bishop said. (see MC 1916: "Katy's Cove Recreational Study and Tests, 1980 for drawing and proposal for renovation)

Courier

April 19/1978

Strathcroix part of local history. Part one by Willa Walker. Used to be bath house down by shore when owned by David Mc Roberts 1893. Purchased by Thomas Wheelock of Shanghai and Boston in 1889. (actually 1888; see Beacon above) Used to stay at Argyll. Part two April 26/1978

Courier
March 9, 1950
St. Andrews Bay Frozen Four Times in 74 Years
By Chester Allen Dixon
So outstanding has been the change in climate in recent years in the Passamaquoddy Bay region, especially in regard to the winter of 1949-1950, that a cold reminder may be in order. The result may cause readers to shiver, but nevertheless, it can be mentally digested with pleasure. Luther Stuart of Lord's Cove has supplied G. M. Haddon of the same village with some interesting material concerning the frigid air of the past, and Mr. Haddon has submitted it for publication in The Courier. A fisherman's memory is as keen as that of a shag that has been driven countless times from the vicinity of a weir that is full of herring – and we all know what that means. Luther states that within the memory of those living, St. Andrews Bay has been frozen over four times, thus presenting much opportunity for adventure. Some personal experiences with Old Man Winter are given, as follows:

In 1876
In the winter of 1876, Calvin Pendleton, accompanied by his dog and carrying a shotgun, walked from Pendleton's Island across St. Andrews Bay to within gunshot range of the Beacon, turned about and retraced his steps to Pendleton's Island. A few days later, he and others hauled a dory lashed on a hand sled over the ice to St. Andrews. After having visited around the Shiretown, he made the return trip to his home across the bay without accident.

In 1907
On March 1, 1907 St. Andrews Bay was again frozen over. Mr. Pendleton thought he would like to repeat his former experience. Accompanied by Luther Stuart, Bibber Stuart and Sydney Lord, and with a dory lashed to a hand-sled to ensure safety in case the ice should break up before they reached their destination, they made the trip to St. Andrews. On the way back, in about the middle of the day, they decided to have a game of ball. They halted, made a ball out of a mitten rolled tightly and hard, found a piece of a pole frozen in the ice which they used for a bat and commenced to play. (Unfortunately, this was the one and only ball game played in the middle of St. Andrews Bay.) Bibber Stuart was the pitcher, Sydney Lord the catcher, Luther Stuart first baseman, and Cal. Pendleton batter.

Smacked the Ice
The first ball was fired and Cal. made a swipe at it, which excused the others to think he intended to knock it over the top of the Court House in St. Andrews – but he never touched the woolly spheroid (in all probability it had a drop stitch in it.) Instead of making the proper contact, Cal's feet flew up and his stern came down on home plate with a resounding smack. The ice cracked and looked dangerous, so the game was called off and the players decided to proceed on their way home where they related their experience with no small degree of satisfaction.

In 1918
On February 11, 1918 St. Andrews Bay was again frozen over. Roy Pendleton (now Deputy Warden of the County Council) and Charles G. Lord walked from Lambert's Cove to St. Andrews and returned the same day.

In 1923
On February 26, 1923 the bay was again frozen over, and Luther Stuart decided to repeat his experience of 1907. He walked over from Deer Island to St. Andrews alone, and called on relatives and friends in the Shiretown. On his return he was accompanied by Miss Thelma Lambert and Miss Rheta English. They called on William H. Lord on the way, who was keeper of the New Light at that time.

Many Walked Over
Several people walked across St. Andrews Bay at different times, among whom were the following:
Thelma Lambert, Rheta English, Elmer Stuart, Vernon Stuart, Murchie Stuart, Harry E. Lambert, Roy Lambert, Harold M. Lambert, James L. Lord, Harland Pendlelton, Steadman Fountain and Ray Lambert.

A Record Walk

Telegraph Journal

May 24/1978

Charges Fly over Algonquin Losses, Hiring.

Julian Walker. Government figures that the provincially owned Algonquin Hotel in St. Andrews lost close to $1 million over the last five years and that half of the staff have been New Brunswickers, prompted chare in the New Brunswick Legislature Tuesday that tax-payers are footing the bill for the hotel while the youth of the province go unemployed.

A stormy debate in the supply committee's review of the estimates for the Department of Supply and Services saw calls of "disgrace" on the handling of the situation by the minister, Harold Fanjoy, and counter calls from the government side that the Liberals are "separatists." Attributing the loss at least the last two years to a drop in the tourists trade, Fanjoy touched off the debate when he disclosed that the loss for the hotel last year was $460,000 and the anticipated deficit for 1978-79 is $265,000. Fanjoy went on to state that the number of New Brunswickers on staff has been 50 percent, the figure will rise this year to 60 percent of a staff of 130.

Run by CP Hotels, which formerly owned the operation, the Algonquin has been provincially-owned since 1973. Alan Graham (L-Kent Centre) said 100 percent of employees without special training should be New Brunswickers, and the minister's handling of the matter and his explanations in the House were a "disgrace." "You didn't know what was going on down there," Mr. Graham said. A steady stream of Opposition members, including Shirley Dysart (L-Saint John North), John McKay (L-Miramichi-Newcastle) and Frank Branch (L-Nepisiquit-Chaleur) took aim at the minister on the matter and included the statement from Mr. Branch: "You should be fired Mr. Minister for saying such a thing in the House."

Fanjoy said there could be a "backlash" if the province went too far in requiring CP Hotels to hire in the province when the company employs New Brunswickers at other hotels in the country. Immediate questions from McKay on whether the government had received a threat from the company on this point, prompted the minister to state: "There's been no threat." It was a question of the best way to run a high-quality hotel, the minister said, and a proper mix of trained and un-skilled employees is needed. Asked where people in the province can go now for hotel training, Fanjoy said the New Brunswick Community College in planning a course in hospitality training.

This brought Finance Minister Fernand Dube to his feet. Dube said that training is available now at the Community College in Moncton. "And the minister didn't know?" challenged Graham. Fanjoy went on to say that the course at Moncton wasn't adequate as far as the Algonquin is concerned and the N. B. Community College has been in touch with the hotel manager to see what would be acceptable to the hotel. Mrs. Dysart suggested that the skills requirements didn't apply to grass-cutters, bed-makers and waiters who could be trained on the job. "our young people should have first shot."

On further charges that he owned the House an apology for his handling of the hotel question, Fanjoy said that it isn't his department which runs the hotel directly and that the government owns Algonquin Properties Ltd. and the minister sits on the board of directors. Asked it he had gone to meetings of the board? Fanjoy replied tha the had been to them all.

"You let this happen?" asked Graham. Late in the debate, the chairman of the N. B. Power Commission, and member for St. Stephen-Milltown, G. W. N. Cockburn, spoke at length on the question his quite tone sharply contrasting with previous debate. Cockburn said that is "no way" that the hotel could make money but that it does bring substantial return to the province in tax dollars and there are substantial spin-offs for the region and the province as a whole. He credited CP Hotels with doing an "exceptionally good job" in upgrading the hotel from a period of decline and the province benefits from the Company being a national organization with national advertising.

Because of university courses beginning in the province in early September, the hotel couldn't be run solely by local students, whereas hospitality course students brought in study on a different school schedule which allows them to work in peak tourist months. The comments from the Opposition members were not helping the hotel, the tourist industry or the Province or the Province of New Brunswick, Cockburn stated.

Graham countered with the argument that while he agrees with the point that qualified workers be imported while suitable courses are not available in the province, he could not accept that unqualified students from outside the province being hired while the province subsidizes the operation. Fanjoy responded that he believes "that's the policy now." Of the 130 people employed for this summer 15 are senior management people, about 35 are students trained in Ontario, and 80 students are from the province.

Courier

June 21/1978

New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants annual conference at Algonquin.

St. Croix Courier

Sept 20/1978

The New Algonquin Clubhouse was Opened Thursday, Sept. 14. The structure replaces one damaged by fire nearly one year ago. Photo of opening ceremonies with G. W. N. Cockburn, chairman New Brunswick Electric Power Commission; Clayton Van Tassel, pro; Hon. Harold N. Fanjoy, Minister of Supply and Services; and Hon. Leland McGaw, Minister of Tourism. Photo of new clubhouse as well.

(Exact date Oct. 31, 1977; arsonist James Ross, 19, student at Saint John Community College). Folder on new clubhouse design on file in MC 1916, Golf Club House—Design. See St. Croix Courier Feb. 1 and 14, 1978 on trial details.

Courier

Oct 25/1978

PC's third term win—history made.

Courier

Nov 15/1978

Udey, Tatton wed. Photo in front of Algonquin.

The Right Honourable Edward Richard Schreyer

Governor General: 1979 - 1984
Appointed: December 28, 1978
Sworn In: January 22, 1979, in the Senate Chamber, Ottawa
Born: December 21, 1935, Beausejour, Manitoba

Courier

Jan 17/1979

Memorial to Caddy Norris by Muriel Grimmer. "The hotel guests were all fond of Caddy and it was fitting that the hotel orchestra during its 29 August Sunday evening concert in the lounge should play a series of three selections 'In Memory of Caddy.'"

Courier

Feb 14/1979

The Lure of St. Andrews. James W. Knight. (1887 St. Andrews Railway connects with Quebec) Ordway hall demolished for liquor store parking lot (1975)

Courier

April 4/1979

Photos show early St. George.

Courier

April 11/1979

New Brunswick has toll-free number (for tourist info for those east of Manitoba)

Courier

April 25/1979

Julian Walker takes over as editor of Courier—photo. Formerly with Ottawa Journal, Telegraph Journal, Montreal Star. Editorial by J. Walker.

Courier

May 9/1979

St. Andrews—A Loyalist Town. (by Carol DeCabe, NY Times)

"determinedly English town" of St. Andrews "dowager hotel, the Algonquin." Recent renovation ahs left character unchanged from "old-fashioned solidity."

Courier

May 30/1979 (May 31-June 5)

Big preservation weekend planned. Heritage Canada Board of Governors to hold spring meeting at Algonquin. Pagan O'Neill House and Saltbox both preserved with Civic Trust money. Excellent drawing by Marion Cumming of Pagan O'Neill house in winter.

CLARK, Charles Joseph (Joe)

Prime Minister of Canada

Progressive Conservative 1979.06.04 - 1980.03.02

Courier

June 6/1979

Wires to be buried this fall between Edward and princess Sts. "The Premier made the announcement during a speech at Algonquin dinner Friday in which he described New Brunswick's heritage legislation as the most progressive in the country." Photo of Pierre Berton and Hatfield at Algonquin. Berton chairman of Heritage Canada.

Courier

June 13/1979

Hotel Manager honored.

Jim Fries, general manager of the Algonquin Hotel and his wife . . . were honored by the St. Andrews Chamber of Commerce and the Province at the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet at the Algonquin Saturday night. Fries leaving after six years to take over as general manager at Chateau Lacombe, Edmonton. Capacity (convention and corporate meeting hotel) of 350 to Algonquins' 200 rooms. Promotion. Oxner presents aerial shot of town to Fries and wife. Past president of Chamber of Commerce and Heather curling club. Chairman of New Brunswick Tourism Advisory Council.

Editorial: Clark discovers perils of world politics.

Courier

June 20/1979

Construction at Point Lepreau taking shape. Three-mile island a recent disaster.

Courier

June 27/1979

Piece, with photo, on Steve Smith and John Rattsmith.

Courier

July 4/1979

Probing Passamaquoddy's past.

Courier

July 18/1979

Surveyor's working on new subdivision—Argyll acres.

*Courier

Aug 15/1979

Resort Hotel—Free Water extended for another 11 years. "The Algonquin's water situation was up for question since the hotel put an extensive underground sprinkler system underground at its golf course in the fall of 1977. According to the original nine-year-old agreement, signed when the town took over the water system from the CPR, the Algonquin was entitled to free water for 20 years 'in the existing system.'" Get rest of article. (Town would have taken over water system in 1970)

Courier

August 15/1979

Shiretown Health Spa Hits Snag.

Douglass Rouse, 7.5 acre spread near Bar Road, wants to rezone as commercial for "health spa or high-grade resort." Application denied.

Courier

Sept 12/1979

Sewage Treatment—shiretown dragging feet? St. Andrews intends sewage treatment plant of one of two types. At present 7 drains empty into harbour from Blockhouse to railroad crossing.

Courier

Oct. 10/1979

Van Horne painting donated to St. Andrews library. Orig. to senator Robert MacKay at Clibrig, 1906. Birches. Presented to library in 1978. Restored by Fred Ross.