26 May 2009
All Aboard the New Brunswick Day Train
The New Brunswick Provincial Capital Commission used the
McAdam train station to announce that McAdam will be this year's host for the official New Brunswick Day celebration. Above, touring
the station, from left are: Frank Carroll McAdam mayor and commission board member, Winston Gamblin Harvey mayor, Carl
Urquhart Tory MLA for York, Walter Brown commission chairman, Judy Hawkins commission board member, and Maj. Hal Skaarup of Canadian
Forces Base Gagetown.
McAdam New Brunswick - The adventure and romance of
train travel will be part of the provincial New Brunswick Day celebrations hosted by McAdam this summer.
A restored vintage train passenger coach will carry Lt.-Gov. Hermenegilde Chiasson, Premier Shawn Graham, and other
dignitaries to the celebration.
"This is something we really, really, wanted to have happen because of the heritage of the community," McAdam Mayor Frank
Carroll told The Daily Gleaner.
"The train makes this a very unique experience. It is a wonderful way to bring the government guests into McAdam."
The announcement was made at a ceremony in McAdam's historic train station Monday.
The capital commission selects a community each year to host the official New Brunswick Day celebration. Rexton hosted the event last
year and more than 1,600 people attended - double the village's population.
This year also marks the province's 225th birthday. New Brunswick Day will be held 3 Aug 2009.
In addition to the official train ride, two other vintage passenger coaches will be available for trips by visitors who buy tickets,
he said.
Carroll said the Irving-owned NB Southern Railway company is donating the use of the passenger coaches.
"They are coming from Saint John that morning," he said.
In addition to the train rides, there will be a foot parade through the village with two marching bands, a craft fair, and a free
community barbecue, said Carroll.
Children from the village will make individual name tags for every visitor, he said.
The event will go ahead rain or shine, and a huge tent that can hold 1,000 people will be pitched near the train station, said
Carroll.
Capital commission chairman Walter Brown said McAdam and its historic train station are the perfect location for the theme of Pride in
Our History.
Part of each New Brunswick Day celebration is an annual writing and drawing competition for school children.
The prize winners will be announced on New Brunswick Day.
Capital commission executive director Lee Ellen Pottie said the prize for the winners is a trip to another part of the province to
learn more about New Brunswick.
The Canadian military will also be part of the celebrations, and Maj. Hal Skaarup said the Armed Forces is honoured to be invited.
He said McAdam holds the record for the largest percentage of its population to volunteer for military service in the First and Second
World wars.
The McAdam train station also has a history of being part of Canada's military transportation network.
Skaarup, a New Brunswick native, said one of his earliest memories as a child was seeing his father, who was enlisting in the air
force, board the train in McAdam.
He said tradition is important and New Brunswick is fortunate that the train station has been saved and restored.
Carl Urquhart, the Tory MLA for York, in which McAdam is located, said the community worked hard and did its homework to be selected
to host the event.
"It is going to be a fun time," he said.
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