Building New Brunswick: An Architectural History

Ian A. Andrews is a high-school social sciences teacher and editor of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association’s Focus.

When Canadians think of architectural models, the small Atlantic province of New Brunswick is not likely to appear in their thoughts. But too often we tend to focus on the diversity found in cosmopolitan urban areas while neglecting the grace, beauty, and variety that can sometimes be found in our smaller, less publicized regions.

In his preface to Building New Brunswick: An Architectural History, Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson declares that “a building … is a silent and profound extension of our humanity and its sense of continuity.” In the pages that follow, architect and author John Leroux clearly highlights this sense of continuity while also outlining the ways in which this only officially bilingual province has participated in the structural changes of its built history, albeit not with the extravagance or depth evident in larger centres. 

This is a thoroughly enlightening and entertaining volume. It combines the photographic appeal of a coffee-table book with a contextual narrative that simplifies science and art for the lay reader. With over 400 high-quality photographs and illustrations, Building New Brunswick effectively promotes the rich cultural history from Aboriginal and early Acadian settlements, through Planter and Loyalist traditions, to the architectural designs adapted from around the Western world. While Leroux provides the commentary on early French and contemporary 20th-century influences, he enlists three other experts to elaborate on their specialties. Robert Leavitt, professor emeritus, who served as director of the Mi’kmaq-Maliseet Institute at the University of New Brunswick, provides his insight on Aboriginal building techniques, canoe construction, and village planning. Stuart Smith, professor emeritus of Art History at UNB, explains the Loyalist built heritage, while Gary Hughes, curator of History and Technology at the New Brunswick Museum, highlights the golden years in New Brunswick architecture, which date from the mid 19th century to the First World War.

The reader will learn much about New Brunswick history and geography in Building New Brunswick: An Architectural History. The buildings, according to architect Leroux, “tell us who we were, who we are and who we might become.” One cannot help but be impressed by the story told here in picture and word.