The Fredericton Junction Historical Society has collaborated with the Village of Fredericton Junction, the Oromocto Watershed Association Inc., and the Hanson Art Gallery to offer a unique and captivating destination that invites visitors to return throughout the year. The Currie House Museum, located at 100 Currie Lane, is open to the public during the summer months.

Dr. Elizabeth Secord (1841-1916), the first woman licensed to practice medicine in New Brunswick, was born Elizabeth Smith and raised in Sunbury County. One of nine children, she met her future husband, John Secord, while teaching public school in Norton. After becoming a widow in her early 30s with a young son, she decided to pursue a career in medicine. With no Canadian medical schools admitting women, Secord earned her MD in 1881 from Keokuk College in Iowa. She also trained at the Woman’s Hospital Medical College of Chicago and completed postgraduate work at the University of Dublin. Despite facing considerable opposition, she became a registered physician in New Brunswick in 1883. Dr. Secord’s medical diploma is housed in the Currie House Museum.

Nearby Currie Park is open all year around. Within the park you will find the White Rapids Adventure Trails. You will walk through one of New Brunswick’s greatest white pine forests. Easy walking trails with approximately twenty sculptures carved out of pine trees.

Visitors can witness salmon and gaspereau swimming through the forest, observe black bears on the prowl, spot turtles and beavers, and admire a diverse collection of sculpture art. From Currie Point Bluff, take in the views of White Rapids and Gaspereau Falls. Be sure not to miss the historic gaspereau run in spring, and always bring your fishing rod for an incredible angling experience!

In a surprising historical fact, elephants once swam and bathed in the Oromocto River. In 1912, the Barnum and Bailey Circus train arrived in Fredericton Junction for a two-day visit, offering a full circus program. After the “Greatest Show on Earth” concluded, the elephants were led to the North Oromocto River by Peterson’s Rock for washing and watering. A commemorative elephant statue in Currie Park stands as a reminder of that extraordinary day.

Bring your camera as this place is a photographer’s delight. Don’t forget to climb and explore the face of Currie Bluff for fossils, as there are many!

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