Sussex New Brunswick area Highlights

AGRICULTURE

The 4H movement in New Brunswick got its start in the Sussex area in 1916. There are now 26 chapters and more than 500 members involved with this prestigious youth organization.

Agricultural Museum of New Brunswick – the leading source of information on agricultural history in New Brunswick. Open between June and September, with special viewings by appointment.

Butter - We are home to the best butter in the world. Dairytown Products earned the title in 2004. The Dairytown brand of unsalted butter was judged "World's Best Butter" at the world's largest cheese and butter competition held in Madison. Wisconsin, March 16-18, 2004.
Dairytown beat out 37 entries from countries like the United States, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Ireland, England, Spain, and New Zealand to take top marks in the competition. In fact not only did the Dairytown butter win the title but also it obtained a perfect score as judged by an international team of experts. (Source: Dairytown Products) The Sussex area was supplying more than half of Atlantic Canada's milk needs when the town was incorporated in 1904.

Champion Morgan Horse - Amadeus Mozart Ara-Li is the top North American Lippitt Morgan Horse for an impressive three years. The versatile stallion lives at Ara-Li Acres, owned by Dawn and Walter Brown of Collina. It was Sussex Vale businessman Hugh McMonagle who introduced the breed to New Brunswick.

Cows – the world’s largest bovines stand just outside town, at Exit 195 on Hwy 1. Daisy and her calf, Buttercup, were commissioned by the Irving corporation as a tribute to the town’s dairy heritage. Daisy stands 12 feet high at the top of her head and is 16 feet long, while Buttercup is five feet tall and eight feet long. That makes Buttercup the size of a normal mature cow and Daisy four times as large as the usual Holstein. Renowned sculptor Winston Bronnum of nearby Penobsquis created the cow in 1986, with the smaller calf appearing in 1987. If Daisy was producing milk, her annual output would keep the 4,200 residents of Sussex supplied with 1 litre of milk per day for six months!

Local businessman Hugh McMonagle introduced the Holstein cow to the area, laying the groundwork to Sussex becoming the Dairy Capital of Atlantic Canada. The Sussex area was supplying more than half of Atlantic Canada's milk needs when the town was incorporated in 1904.

Kings County Agricultural Fair – North America’s oldest such fair, marking 111 years in August, 2006. Be sure to view the beautiful handworked items, home baking, 4-H exhibits and produce at this historic event, Aug 21-23. And you won't want to miss the Sussex Flower Show, happening at the same time.

Needlework New Brunswick -- the leading organization for fibre arts in New Brunswick is based in Sussex.

Princess Louise Park Show Centre - Built in 2000, this international calibre livestock show facility has 200 moveable stalls in the four barns surrounding the roofed show ring. The roof was added in the winter of 2004.

Sweet, sweet strawberries -- The Millstream Strawberry Festival has been serving up bowls of red summer sweetness for more than 100 years! More than 600 people will be lining up to participate when the 104th festival takes place at the Millstream Recreation Centre this July.

Sussex and Studholm Agricultural Society - The oldest agricultural society in the world (founded 1841) was started in the Sussex area. Local farmers pooled their knowledge and resources to improve their crops and livestock while keeping up with the latest agricultural developments. The society is going strong today, with its grocery store, feed mill, farm store and livestock sales barn based on Park Street.

ART

The renowned Deichmann pottery was created by Kjeld and Erica Deichmann in the Sussex area.

Renowned Canadian sculptor John Hooper, painter Kathy Hooper and painter Sue Hooper have a studio in Hampton, where they create their own stunning work while fostering the talents of other Canadian artists.

EDUCATION

Bethany Bible College - a leading theological training centre, with its campus proudly overlooking the town.

Young readers making their mark -- The Sussex Regional Library summer reading club is one of the busiest ones in New Brunswick!

Books on Broad Street -- The 32,500 books in the Sussex Regional Library take up 800m of shelf space. That's twice the length of Broad and Queen Streets, or the distance between Sussex Elementary School and Bethany Bible College.

ENVIRONMENT

Environment -- We take our natural surroundings seriously. The Sussex area is home to the Fundy Model Forest, a partnership of forestry stakeholders working towards sustainable growth. The New Brunswick Environmental Network shares important environmental information to those interested from its Waterford office. And Jim Sackville and his staff at Basic Design Associates have won numerous international awards for their innovative solutions to urban design projects. You will find their office on Main Street, Sussex.

Grand Lake - the largest fresh water lake in Eastern Canada. It measures 67 square miles/174 square km, or 20 miles/ 32 km long by seven miles/11 km wide.

Waste recycling -- the Village of Sussex Corner was the first New Brunswick municipality to fully implement the green/blue garbage bag system.

FOOD

All Seasons Inn and Restaurant - 1015 Main St., is housed in the largest log building in Eastern Canada.

Barbour Foods -- The Maritimes' favourite tea, King Cole, and the ever popular Barbour peanut butter is produced in the Dairytown!

Broadway Cafe - regularly listed among the Places to Eat in Canada. Check out this popular gathering spot on Broad Street, across from the Sussex train station.

Ginger ale – One of the Maritimes’ favourite soft drinks, Sussex Ginger Ale, was originally produced from mineral waters bubbling underneath the town. You can experience the waters that prompted this refreshing drink at the landmark "egg fountain" on Church Avenue.

HEALTH

Blood donor clinics – Sussex truly gives from the heart, as one of the most generous communities for blood donations. Canadian Blood Services uses the town as a great example of a community in action. The six annual Sussex clinics regularly meet, and often exceed, their clinic quotas of 150 donors. Since Jan. 1, 2005, seven clinics have generated 854 units of blood, saving the lives of 2,562 individuals. Sussex mayor Ralph Carr has organized these events since 1992, and was recognized by CBS in 2002 for his and the community’s efforts. (Source: Ralph Carr and Canadian Blood Services, Apr 2006)

Relay for Life -- Sussex truly put the "can" in "cancer research fundraising" during its first Relay for Life event in 2003. The teams of volunteers helped collect the most money per capita for a Canadian community! The 2008 event goes on Friday, June 13.

HISTORY

Canadian cornerstone -- Local businessman Hugh McMonagle was pivotal in Sir John A. Macdonald's efforts to create the country of Canada. The first prime minister convinced the Sussexvale politician to switch parties and join his team to give Macdonald the numbers he needed to have a vote on the forming of the new country. The plan worked and Canada came into being a short time later.

Covered bridges - Kings County is home to 16 covered bridges, making it the Covered Bridge Capital of Atlantic Canada. Their combined length equals 7,777 feet!

Eight of these bridges are within 10 minutes of downtown Sussex. There are 64 covered bridges remaining in New Brunswick. The area is also home to Canada's largest and oldest covered bridge festival each July, the Kings County Covered Bridge Festival.

Moffett’s Hardware – Three generations of this family-owned business can provide you with all your hardware needs in a setting reminiscent of an old general store. Founded in 1922, the owners pride themselves on old-fashioned service that's never out of date.

Newspaper -- Canada’s most continuous community newspaper, the Kings County Record, has been reporting local events since 1877.

Oldest Chevrolet dealership in Canada – J. Clark and Sons on Leonard Drive was founded in 1883. The first Chevrolet to come into Canada came into J. clark & Son Limited in 1915. The company had at that time been operating for many years, selling and manufacturing carriages, wagons slovens, pungs and sleighs. Visit them on Leonard Drive, experiencing a bit of Canadian history while shopping for your new car.

Queen Elizabeth II — when Her Majesty wanted to visit a model rural Canadian community during her 2002 Golden Jubilee Tour to Canada, she chose Sussex. While here on Oct. 12, she opened the newly expanded elementary school, and watched area 4-H displays at the Princess Louise Park Show Centre. She and Prince Phillip viewed a display by the Agricultural Museum of New Brunswick, and the handwork of the Sussex Vale Quilt Guild. The community hall in Princess Louise Park was renamed Golden Jubilee Hall to mark her visit.

Oldest church organ in Atlantic Canada -- The Trinity Anglican Church, Kingston, is home to the oldest instrument in the region. The organ was built around 1780 by W. M. Hedgeland, Organ Builders of London, and is still played today.

MILITARY

Eighth Hussars (Princess Louise’s) Regiment – Canada’s first cavalry regiment got its start in Sussex. Today’s proud militia can trace its roots back to the American Revolution of 1776. Princess Louise Park, a 30-acre lot in the centre of town, was the largest military training camp in Eastern Canada before CFB Gagetown was built. Learn more about the regiment's impressive history at the Agricultural Museum of New Brunswick, and at the military museum at the Sussex train station.

Milton Gregg – Born and buried at Snider Mountain, near Sussex. A renowned soldier, politician and administrator who won the Victoria Cross in the First World War. The local armoury is named after this remarkable man.

RECREATION

Atlantic International Balloon Fiesta - Sussex is a Canadian leader in hot air ballooning. Thirty balloons fly through area skies on the weekend after Labour Day. Forty thousand guests enjoy the twice-daily launches, antique car show, craft fair and stage shows in this impressive display of colour and sound!

Bargains galore! – Canada’s largest outdoor flea market draws 30,000 treasure hunters to Sussex the third weekend of August. The New Brunswick Antique Auto Club members offer nearly 1,000 tables of car parts, household goods, antiques and crafts at Princess Louise Park. That's 30 acres of bargains!

Explore magazine, a leading Canadian outdoor adventure magazine, describes Sussex as one of the best outdoor recreation centres in the country in its March 2007 issue.

Fireworks - The town's Canada Day fireworks are the best display in southern New Brunswick. Be at Princess Louise Park at 10:13 pm on July 1 to enjoy the show!

Poley Mountain - This wildly popular resort is a favourite winter venue with snow enthusiasts. It's the home base of Canadian champion snowboarder Mark Fawcett! The 850-foot peak offers ski runs with a vertical drop of 650 feet.

Sussex Golf and Curling Club – one of Canada’s finest links, with 18 holes of challenging play. PROGRESS magazine readers recently named the Sussex facility as a regional runner-up in the golf course category and Number 1 in New Brunswick. Golf pro Ron Harvey Jr. got his early start here. The 2006 Canadian Junior Championships took place here.

Walking trails - Five miles of beautiful wooded paths provide a chance to view nature up close, and conveniently downtown.

YOUTH

Dairytown basketball tournament -- Dairytown hoopsters rule the court when it comes to this fast-moving Canadian sport! The annual February tournament and summer basketball camps are among the highlights of the area's sports calendar.

Ron Harvey Jr. -- Teenage golf phenom Ron Harvey Jr., now making his mark in the pro ranks, got his start in the game on the Sussex golf course.

Young readers making their mark -- The Sussex Regional Library summer reading club is one of the busiest ones in New Brunswick! And they have a great assortment of books to choose from. There are enough books in the library's collection to circle the town's favourite Broad and Queen Streets twice!

The story on Tolkein -- The Sussex Regional Library has one of the best collections of material on author J. R. R. Tolkien in the New Brunswick library system. Tolkien created the wildly popular Lord of the Rings series.