Travel Trade

Indigenous influence in the Saint John area is largely overlooked. Prior to the establishment of Canada’s oldest incorporated city, flourishing cultures already existed. Learn about the relationship and influence the Wabanaki peoples on the land in which this city is built.

 When Samuel-de-Champlain first arrived in the Saint John harbour he was met by the Indigenous inhabitants of the village of Ouigoudy that called the Wolastoq their home. Their expertise and knowledge of the land proved invaluable to the new visitors and would ultimately allow the creation of Canada’s first incorporated city. Explore the relationship Fort la Tour had with the Wolastiqiyik and Mi'kmaq people and how this location is the origins of Saint John, and Canada itself. 

 The stories of the Indigenous origins of Canada’s oldest incorporated city are not widely known. Prior to the arrival of Europeans to this area, families and friends gathered around fires and told stories handed down through the ages. Learn the importance of stories and how their timeless wisdom still applies today. 

 Prior to the establishment of Canada’s oldest incorporated city, Saint John, a flourishing Nation existed in the area already. Learn about how they lived along the “beautiful and bountiful river” in balance with nature and how it was integral to their movement around the region and province.