ABOUT THE MUSEUM
A number of artifacts from the Internment Camp, as well as a 4x8 scale model of the camp made by local students, have been viewed by over 20,000 people throughout New Brunswick before the newly renovated New Brunswick Internment Camp Museum officially opened its doors June 22, 1997.
The Museum houses nearly 600 artifacts from the camp and occupies over 2,000 square feet. A mural in the hallway to the museum has been painted by Eugene Vautour, a local artist, to give those who enter the impression that they are walking past the rows of barbed wire that surrounded the perimeter of the camp.
In addition to the may artifacts inside, visitors will see a reconstructed portion of a prisoners' hut, as well as a discovery box in which children may dig for artifacts.
MUSEUM SUMMER HOURS
Monday through Friday 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday 12 pm - 5 pm
Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm
ADMISSION
$1.00 Person
$3.00 Family
Ages 12 and under Free
School Tours Free
For more information or to arrange for guided or special tours contact:
Museum Office - (506) 327-3573
Fax - (506) 327-6008
Ed Caissie, Project Coordinator
Home - (506) 450-9666
SIZE
The New Brunswick internment Camp was a total of 58 acres, which included a 15 acre fenced in prison compound. It was one of 26 such camps across Canada and the only one in the Maritime.
LOCATION
34 km
The site of the camp was chosen for three reasons. It's remote location on highway#10, east of Fredericton, at Ripples was perhaps the most obvious. The site had been the location of a relief camp during the depression and some of the buildings were serviceable. And thirdly, there was plenty of lumber to provide work for the internees.
INTERNEES
PHASE 1 (1940 - 1941)
The first people housed at the camp were primarily German and Austrian Jews. Many of these people had escaped from the brutal holocaust of Nazi Germany and led to England. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, not knowing where the loyalty of these Jewish people lay, asked Canada and Australia to house these refugees. 711 Jewish men and teenage boys were interned at the camp. After a year, the government of Great Britain realized that many people among the refugees could contribute to the war effort. The internees were given the opportunity to return to England and join their military, or obtain a sponsor to remain in Canada or the United States. Many contributed to the fields of medicine, the arts and business, some of which led to international recognition. One name to remember is Fritz (Frederich) Bender, an inventor who went to Ottawa where he furthered his work to waterproof plywood, which led to the development of the mosquito bomber.
PHASE 2 (1941 - 1945)
The camp was closed for three weeks between the two phases to allow for the preparation of a larger and more diverse group of POW's. During these years the camp housed captured German and Italian merchant marines and Canadians who may have spoken out against the war effort. One such person was Camillien Houde, mayor of Montreal, who supported Italy and disagreed with certain Canadian Government initiatives. He spent three years behind barbed wire at the camps.
GUARDS
The Guards were veterans of the first world war who had enlisted and were denied active duty but were put on the Veterans Guard roster. At this camp there were 350 guards at any given time, but they would be rotated periodically among the other 25 camps in Canada.
WORK
The internees worked mainly in the forest cutting the 2,500 cords of wood required each year to keep the 100 wood stoves in the camp burning. The internees, organized in to work crews, received 20 cents a day for their labour as wood cutters or as helpers in the camp's kitchen, hospital, library, canteen or dormitory huts.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAMP
When the war was over, the 52 buildings on the site were sold to individuals and businesses in the surrounding towns and villages. A small number of these buildings continue to be used as homes or summer cottages in the Minto and Grand Lake areas.
NB INTERNMENT CAMP MUSEUM
