At the end of the American Revolutionary War, tens of thousands of Loyalists were evacuated by the British from New York City. The flight ended in disaster for one vessel headed to the Saint John Harbour. Andrew MacLean from Backyard History joins us as a co-host for this episode as we look at one of the worst maritime disasters in an area that is known for maritime disasters. Show Notes: https://www.nothinghappenedhere.ca/post/except-for-the-sinking-of-the-loyalist-ship-martha

In 1863, during the American Civil War, a group of Saint Johners were recruited by men professing to be representatives of the Confederate States of America to seize control of a civilian vessel in the United States. The men successfully hijacked the ship and brought it to British North American waters with the United States Navy in hot pursuit. In this episode, we are joined by guest co-host, Troy Middleton, to discuss this incident and its fallout, which risked drawing the British Empire in...

Saint John is known for its love of hard beverages, so it is no wonder the city was quick to get behind bootlegging, rum-running and drinking during prohibition in New Brunswick (1917-1927) and supplying the Americans during their prohibition (1920-1933). In this episode, we are joined by guest co-host, Valerie Emerson, to discuss all the ways the city entered the illicit liquor trade and conducted business. As well, we discuss the evolution of the temperance movement and the social ill...

In this episode, we are joined by guest co-host, Peter Gillies, to chat about the 1775 American Privateer Raid on Saint John Harbour. At the start of the American Revolution, privateers were used to disrupt British supply lines, especially to the besiege soldiers who were trying to hold Boston. Before Saint John was Saint John, there were two small settlements around the harbour: Portland Point and Conway. In August of 1775, a British ship named the Loyal Briton arrived at Portland Poin...

Unfortunately, Season 1 of the podcast is coming to an abrupt end. Greg is unable to continue with the show. As we said in the last episode, there is a lot of work that goes behind the podcast. If you know Greg, he is very active in the Saint John community through music and volunteer organizations, as well as being a busy academic at the University of New Brunswick. He took some time to evaluate his workload and priorities, and came to the conclusion that the podcast was proving to be a bit ...

In this episode, Saint John - Nothing Happened Here goes back to the 80s. Also, it is revealed that a big decision must be made. If you would like Saint John -Nothing Happened Here to come back for a second season, vote by giving the podcast a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!

In this episode, we discuss the Fenian movement of the 1860s and its effects on Saint John during security scares in late 1865 and the spring of 1866, including its political impacts in the latter year and beyond. Founded on both sides of the Atlantic by former members of the Young Ireland movement of the late 1840s, the Irish Republican Brotherhood was dedicated to the liberation of Ireland from British rule and the establishment of an independent republic. A secret society whose membership ...

This episode, released close to International Women’s Day (March 8), recalls an important political reform cause in Saint John’s past that was part of a national and international movement: the fight for women’s voting rights. Starting in the late 1800s, the Saint John Women’s Enfranchisement Organization, which was a spinoff from a national organization, worked tirelessly for the provincial franchise for New Brunswick women as a citizenship right. The Saint John suffragists, who had male all...

Two weeks before Great Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, the Saint John central business district was the site of another type of conflict, a labour struggle that pitted more than 100 members of the street railway union against the unpopular streetcar company. The three-day strike drew thousands of onlookers and supporters to the uptown area and produced the most iconic image from early 20th-century Saint John, two tram cars resting on their side in Market Square, observed by curious c...

In this episode, we return to Sept. 11 1968 and the early moments of the first skyjacking in Canadian history on board Air Canada Flight 303. The flight had arrived from Moncton, New Brunswick to pick up passengers at Saint John with a final destination of Toronto. In addition to pilot, Ronald Hollett, and second officer, Robert Bromley, the crew consisted of flight attendants Christine Waud and Beverley Atkinson. Christine and Beverley were the first people on board to realize that a hijacki...