Pokémon Monsters to Invade Museum this Sunday, July 24

History of a different sort is going to happen this Sunday, July 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Albert County Museum, with a planned invasion of Pokémon Monsters. Located in Hopewell Cape at 3940 Route 114, just before the famous Hopewell Rocks, the museum is going to host its first Museum Monster Hunt for the new Pokémon Go game.

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The Museum is extremely lucky to have 3 Pokémon Stops and a Pokémon Gym located on the Museum’s grounds. The first stop is located at the RB Bennett Monument, located in the Hopewell Cape Square at the entrance to the Museum. The Monument is dedicated to Canada’s 11th Prime Minster, RB Bennett who was born in Hopewell in 1870. He was Canada’s Leader from 1930 to 1935 during the height of the Great Depression.  The next Pokémon Stop is located at the Hopewell Cape Community Hall, which was built in 1870. The last Pokémon Stop is at the Albert County Court House, a majestic building constructed in 1904 after a devastating fire. Lastly, the Pokémon Gym is located in the Silver Jubilee Lodge and Library, located on Route 114, which serves as the museum’s Admissions office and Gift Shop.

The Museum plans on setting monster lures every half hour during the day on Sunday, in the hopes to attract a number of monsters for Go players to catch.  To go along with the special Museum Monster Hunt, the Museum is offering all families who come out to the Museum Monster Hunt a $5.00 discount on the Family Pass to the Museum. To receive the discount just show the Pokémon Go app at the Admissions office and Gift Shop.

When asked about the reason for the special event, Donald Alward, Manager/Curator of the museum said, “Some of our student employees play the game and mentioned about the three stops at the museum and also the Pokémon Gym in our Library. We thought this was an excellent opportunity to get people to come to the museum to not only catch some Pokémon’s but to then take a walk around and see what the museum has to offer.  People are often surprised that the museum has 8 buildings and an 1845 gaol full of original prisoner graffiti.”  Mr. Alward continued to say that if the first Museum Monster Hunt is a success, then we might hold one every Sunday. 

See you this Sunday, July 24 from 10am until 5pm!

Did you hear our HUGE Steeves family announcement? If not read on!

On Opening Day we opened our fantastic "Steeves Family 250 years in Albert County Exhibit", (Have you been in to see it? It's not to be missed, especially with the guided tour which features stories built on stories built on stories) and we made our major announcement regarding that exhibit. It seems that we never actually posted here what our BIG announcement was... so drum roll... 

“The Albert County Museum is pleased to announce as part of the Steeves 250 years in Albert County Exhibit, with the help and support of Libraries and Archives Canada, that all 138 men (and women!) with the family name Steeves who fought in the First World War service records will be digitized and made available in time for the Steeves Family Reunion” ”

These records are an amazing source of information for anyone doing research on their relatives, and are fascinating to read in their own right. They list all the men who enlisted and also the women who served as nurses. The files are huge, some over 75 pages, so they are a wealth of information on each of the people. Here is a sampling of the Attestation paper for a couple of the Steeves.  These are just a sampling of the information.  Come to the museum to see the rest!

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Opening Windows to Our Past - This Thursday 7:30pm - Come Explore the Diaries of the ACM

The Albert County Museum is excited to host our first of five "Opening Windows to Our Past" Diary Explorations, Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 pm. Taking place the last Thursday of every month, the "Opening Windows to Our Past" Series, is going to explore some of the many diaries in the museum's collection. It's going to be a walk through the past as told by the very people who lived it! 

The first diary to be explored belonged to Emeline Stevens and was recently discovered in the museums collection at last year's Mystery Box Talks. Emeline was the third child of James Stevens and Eleanor Steeves who lived in the small farming community of Memel, NB.

The diary begins on August 20, 1882 and is a fascinating look at daily life in rural Albert County. It records many of the daily routines and activities a young lady working on a farm in the 1880's did. One of the highlights of the diary is the recording of one of the major events to happen in September 1882, so come and hear what she has to say!

The Opening Windows to Our Past Series is:

Thursday, May 26 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, June 30 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, July 28 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, August 25 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, September 29 @ 7:30pm

Saturday is Opening Day at the Museum - Museum & Market Opening - Steeves Exhibit Grand Opening - HUGE STEEVES ANNOUNCEMENT

Saturday, May 21 is OPENING DAY at the Museum, with the start of the 2016 season. It's going be one fantastic day with the Grand Opening of the Steeves 250 years in Albert County exhibit, and its big announcement. This coupled with opening day of the Museum Market and the museum itself, it's going to be one exciting day to be in Hopewell Cape.

We're super excited about our Grand Opening of the Steeves: 250 Years in Albert County exhibit, and our huge Steeves Family announcement of a major component of the exhibit which has just been approved by Library and Archives Canada, and is to be ready in time for the Steeves Family Reunion in July. Come and hear the big news!

The “Steeves: 250 years in Albert County” exhibit is planned as a special exhibit at the Albert County Museum which coincides with the 2016 Steeves 250 Family Reunion and is scheduled for exhibit for two years. A full gallery of the museum has be dedicated to this theme and includes displays of ‘all things Steeves’. The exhibit has been carefully selected from over 700 Steeves related artefacts in the museum collection, with each artefact on the display having some special historic significance. The highlight of the exhibit is the original 18th century clock that Heinrich and Regina Stief brought from Germany. 

The Market at the Museum is having its fourth season in the most unique location for a farmer's market anywhere. The market is located in Exhibition Hall surrounded by the Museum's extensive collection of antique farm implements, pioneer tools, and early home furnishings and appliances. It brings the past and the present together so people can see the tools that were once used to make the products they're buying at the market today. The Farmers and Crafters Market is a joint venture between the Albert County Museum and Foods of the Fundy Valley, a local non-profit organization whose mandate is to encourage local food awareness through education and promotion.

One of the highlights of the market is the weekly breakfast prepared by the Museum. Each week it is a different breakfast sourced from the local economy.

The museum is open 9:30am -5:30pm and the Farmers and Crafters Market hosted by Foods of the Fundy Valley is open 9am-1pm. The weekly ‘Breakfast at the Museum’ is open 9am-noon.

We hope to see everyone at the Museum on Saturday! Remember Market and breakfast start at 9am, the Museum opens at 9:30am and Grand Opening of Steeves Exhibit with its' big announcement is at 11am!

Museum to Open “Steeves: 250 Years in Albert County” Exhibit and Make Major Steeves Family Announcement - May 21 @11 am

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The Albert County Museum is excited to announce the Grand Opening of their Steeves: 250 Years in Albert County exhibit, on Saturday, May 21 at 11am. At the opening, the museum will be announcing a major component of the exhibit which has just been approved by Library and Archives Canada, to be ready in time for the Steeves Family Reunion in July. The day also marks the opening day at the museum (9:30am -5:30pm) and is also the first Weekly Farmers and Crafters Market hosted by Foods of the Fundy Valley (9am-1pm) of the season.  The weekly ‘Breakfast at the Museum’ (9am-noon) starts on the 21st as well.

The “Steeves: 250 years in Albert County” exhibitis planned as a special exhibit at the Albert County Museum which coincides with the 2016 Steeves 250 Family Reunion and is scheduled for exhibit for two years. A full gallery of the museum has be dedicated to this theme and includes displays of ‘all things Steeves’. The exhibit has been carefully selected from over 700 Steeves related artefacts in the museum collection, with each artefact on the display having some special historic significance. The highlight of the exhibit is the original 18th century clock that Heinrich and Regina Stief brought from Germany. [photo enclosed]

The exhibit is arranged chronologically, leading the visitor through the story of the Steeves family and their significance in, not only, Albert County’s history, but Canada’s history. A few of the members of the Steeves family that will be included are: William Henry Steeves, Father of Confederation; Simon Newcomb, Astronomer and Mathematician; Percy Hamilton Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset; Dr. Esther Clark Wright, Author, Historian and Scholar; Jack Layton, former Leader of the Opposition.

2016 marks the Sestercentennial of the arrival of the Stief (Steeves) family and in celebration of this, the Steeves Family will be holding a reunion on a substantial scale.

The major announcement at the Grand Opening will relate the Steeves 250 Years in Albert County exhibit with the Museum's Victory Cannon Campaign, which is restoring the two First World War Trophy Cannons that sit in the square in Hopewell Cape.

The exhibit was made possible by partial funding from the province of New Brunswick, Heritage Branch.