This week I am interviewing Andrew McClean, who tells about the backyard history of interesting things from the Maritimes. Our particular focus in this episode is on the prominence of rum in the life of people who live in New Brunswick during the early part of the 20th century. Rum was a part of the salary of some of the workers and it was common for them to take a “rum break” instead of a “coffee break”.

For more information about Andrew McClean, go to his website https://backyardhistory.ca/

In this episode I am talking with Jenna Morton, the Executive Director of the Greater Moncton Scottish Association. Specifically, we are talking about the upcoming Greater Moncton Highland Games and Scottish Festival that will be happening on June 13 to 17. More information about obtaining tickets for the event can be found on their website at https://monctonhighlandgames.com/

In this episode, Danielle Timmons, a member of the leadership team of Aquilla – The Centre or Cruise Excellence discusses some of the 35 year history of Cruise in Saint john. Danielle noted that 2022 was a restart year after the Covid-19 pandemic, and 2023 was a successful season with the industry operating at near maximum capacity. For 2024, Aquila expects 88 ship day visits, since 12 of the 74 ships scheduled to visit Saint John will be staying overnight. There was a listing of popular tours that passengers take and a discussion on the logistics of working with a large volume of passengers on a day when three ships visit at the same time.

Danielle highlighted that over 60 businesses in Southern New Brunswick work with Aquila and benefit from the tours that are provided. She also mentioned that about 50% of passengers explore on their own, benefiting the city's shops and restaurants.

Aquila – The Centre for Cruise Excellence.

Port of Saint John 2024 Cruise Ship Schedule.