News Release

ST. MARTINS (GNB) – A key piece of St. Martins’ shipbuilding history has been restored and returned home from England in time for Canada 150 celebrations.

Standing nearly eight feet tall, the restored figurehead from the ship The Prince Victor, which was built in St. Martins 147 years ago, was unveiled today at the Quaco Museum. The figurehead is the centerpiece of a tribute exhibit at the museum to the bygone days of shipbuilding.

“A visit to this new exhibit, or to any of our museums around the province, is a great example of the kinds of unique staycation experiences available to New Brunswickers and to visitors,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister John Ames. “In St. Martins, you can learn about the rich shipbuilding history of this area, but you can also visit the nearby caves and the stunning Fundy Trail Parkway in a day, or over a few days.”

“Tourism, heritage and culture play an important role in our government’s economic vision,” he said. “The more than 42,000 New Brunswickers who work in this sector, as well as those planning their vacations, can help this sector to grow.”

The Prince Victor was launched on the nearby beach of the Moran Shipyard in St. Martins. During the Golden Age of Sail, St. Martins was a busy centre of excellence, with Quaco shipbuilders producing more than 500 sailing vessels, more than anywhere else in New Brunswick outside of Saint John.

Built by the Vail and Moran shipbuilding families, the ship eventually ran aground in the Severn River in England on Good Friday in 1887. It was later broken up and parts were salvaged and placed in many of the homes up and down the riverside.

The figurehead was chained to a plum tree in the garden of a secluded cottage for more than 70 years. It was then housed in the basement of a museum in England before being offered to the Quaco Museum. The Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture contributed $20,000 to the approximately $65,000 project to purchase and restore the figurehead. The remainder of the funds were raised by the community.

“We hope this exhibit will inspire visitors of all ages to have a greater appreciation of the how the rich shipbuilding history of St. Martins and area contributed to Confederation, and also help them to acquire a deeper understanding of how this history has shaped and will continue to shape our community, province and country,” said Jacqueline Bartlett, president of the Quaco Historical and Library Society Inc. “The Prince Victor figurehead exhibit serves as a portal into our past and an inspiration for our future.”

Many museums throughout the province are offering special Canada 150 exhibits and programing. As part of the Canada 150 celebrations, the budgets of the department’s Celebrations and Commemorations Program and the Community Museums Operation Program were increased.