Remembrance Day: What's Open In New Brunswick

Remembrance Day in New Brunswick is a time to honour those who have served in the Armed Forces. It is observed annually on the 11th of November, marking the end of the First World War in 1918. Most retailers, schools, universities, colleges, and municipal services are closed on Remembrance Day. However, some businesses and services operate with modified holiday hours. Residents of New Brunswick can expect closures of transit services, government offices, and tourist attractions, while also having access to open indoor pools, arenas, and select drug stores.

Tourist attractions, museums and zoos

Remembrance Day in New Brunswick is a time when most retailers and services shut their doors, but there are still some tourist attractions, museums, and zoos that remain open for visitors. Here is a list of places that you can visit:

Tourist Attractions:

• Magnetic Hill in Moncton is a fun spot where a car in neutral with brakes released will appear to move uphill due to an optical illusion.
• The Bay of Fundy is a natural wonder with the world's highest tides, creating dramatic cliffs, sea caves, and rock formations.
• The Fundy Trail Parkway is a scenic coastal drive with lookouts, picnic areas, and a pedestrian and bicycle trail that parallels the drive.
• Whale Watching from St. Andrews-by-the-Sea is a popular activity, with the chance to see up to 12 species of whales and other marine life.
• Roosevelt Campobello International Park is a historic site featuring the 34-room summer cottage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his family.
• Reversing Falls in Saint John is where you can witness the powerful tidal effect of the Bay of Fundy, causing the river to flow backward and creating a unique waterfall.
• Fredericton's Garrison District is a former British garrison site that now hosts summer festivals, historical reenactments, and museums.
• Boyce Farmers Market in Fredericton is one of Canada's top community markets, featuring local farmers, food producers, and craftspeople.
• Grand Manan Island is a tiny fishing community accessible by ferry, offering birding, whale-watching, and artistic inspiration.
• St. Martins Sea Caves are natural wonders carved from red sandstone and conglomerate stone by the powerful tides of the Bay of Fundy.

Museums:

• The Fredericton Region Museum focuses on the history of the area, including its most famous resident, a giant frog.
• The School Days Museum in Fredericton showcases period classrooms, clothing, toys, lunchboxes, and other artifacts.
• The New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in Fredericton celebrates the province's sports heroes.
• The Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton is the province's premier art museum, featuring works by Salvador Dali and other talented artists.
• Kings Landing is a unique combination of a museum and historical village, depicting life in rural New Brunswick from the Loyalist era to the early 20th century.
• Village Historique Acadien is a living museum portraying the daily lives of Acadians, the French-speaking settlers of northeastern New Brunswick, from 1770 to 1949.

Zoos:

The Magnetic Hill Zoo in Moncton is the largest zoo in Atlantic Canada, housing about 600 species, including big cats, monkeys, toucans, and local wildlife.

Government offices and public services

On Remembrance Day in New Brunswick, government offices and public services are largely closed. Federal offices, city administrative offices, and provincial offices are all closed for the holiday. This includes Service New Brunswick and Service Canada.

Public libraries are also closed, though those that are normally open on Mondays will be closed on the Saturday of Remembrance Day weekend.

Public transit is affected as well, with no service in Saint John or Fredericton. However, Codiac Transpo in Moncton operates on a regular schedule.

Regular garbage and fall leaf collection will continue across the province. Fredericton arenas and the indoor pool will remain open.

Retailers and grocers

Most retailers and grocers in New Brunswick will be closed on Remembrance Day. This includes Walmart, Sobeys, and Atlantic Superstore locations, as well as NB Liquor stores. However, some Shoppers Drug Mart locations will remain open, with others operating with reduced hours or being closed.

Regent Mall, McAllister Place, and Champlain Place will also be closed. The Saint John City Market will be closed as well.

On Remembrance Day in 2022, most municipal services and retailers in New Brunswick were closed. Schools, universities, and colleges were also closed, though some services or retailers operated with modified holiday hours.

In 2018, most retailers in the province were closed on Remembrance Day, which fell on a Sunday. Retailers were open the following Monday, some with adjusted hours.

Schools, universities and colleges

Public schools in New Brunswick were closed on Remembrance Day in 2023, and locations of the New Brunswick Community College and the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design held no classes. Campuses of the University of New Brunswick observed Remembrance Day on Saturday but were open on Monday. Campuses of the Université de Moncton held no classes, while Mount Allison University was closed on the Friday instead of Saturday, so was open for Remembrance Day. St. Thomas University was closed for Remembrance Day.

Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in New Brunswick, and schools, banks and government offices are closed.

Remembrance Day services and parades

In 2018, Remembrance Day ceremonies were held across the province, including in Fredericton, Moncton, Dieppe, Riverview, and Saint John. There were parades in Moncton, with intermittent street closures on Broadway Street, Massey Avenue, and Peter Street.

In 2022, services were held across the province, including in Southern New Brunswick, Western New Brunswick, Greater Moncton, and Northern New Brunswick. For example, a service was held at TD Station in Saint John, Jervis Bay Ross Memorial Park in Saint John, and the Fredericton Cenotaph, with a parade preceding the ceremony.

In 2023, services, marches, and parades took place across the province. Some locations included the Milltown cenotaph in St. Stephen, All Saints Anglican Church in Saint Andrews, Stella Maris Hall in Blacks Harbour, and TD Station in Saint John.

In 2020, due to the pandemic, most Remembrance Day ceremonies in New Brunswick were virtual or downsized, with the public asked not to attend in person. Ceremonies were held in Bathurst, Campbellton, Fredericton, Miramichi, Moncton, Riverview, and Saint John.

Frequently asked questions