In May of 2025, the York County Jail at 668 Brunswick Street in Fredericton went up for rent after it was bought by a new owner in March. The building which is better known today for housing Science East, an educational not-for-profit, was built in 1842 and served as a provincial prison for over 150 years. Because of its unique construction—made of granite quarried from the Fredericton area—and long history, the building is a provincially designated Heritage Place, meaning any new renter would have to comply with certain restrictions meant to preserve its character defining details. Jennifer MacDonnell, the Executive Director of Science East, noted that working out of a Historic Place is not necessarily a challenge, but certainly involves added responsibility. Peter Pacey, an advisor for the Fredericton Heritage Trust, explained why it is important to preserve buildings like the York County Jail and what they can contribute to the Fredericton community today. I reached out for a comment from the new owner, but did not receive a response in time for publication

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This spring, community gardens in Fredericton have seen an unprecedent increase in interest, with almost all boasting a 40+ person waitlist.

Heather Greechan, President of the Fredericton Organic Community Garden, noted that their waitlist this year included nearly 43 people, up from roughly 10 last year. Carol Muncer, the Youth and Family Educator for the New Brunswick Community Harvest Gardens, said that they have never had to turn people away from their gardens until this year.

Both Heather and Carol noted that increased interest has brought shifting demographics to the gardens, with many newcomers and young families getting involved in growing their own food. Heather postulated that increasing food prices were to blame for the recent demand for garden plots, while Carol blamed political uncertainty and an increased awareness of supply chain issues since the COVID-19 pandemic.

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From June 1 to 6, the University of New Brunswick hosted the 2025 Canada Wide Science Fair (CWSF), which pulls together the finalists of each provincial and territorial science fair in the country.

Reni Barlow, the Executive Director of Youth Science Canada — the organization that runs the CWSF — noted that this year saw a significant increase in the number of projects utilizing AI and machine learning.

The focus on AI based projects seemingly follows a wider trend in Canadian schools, as middle school science teachers Trudy MacNeil and Amanda Boutilier explained that student interest in AI has increased drastically over the past year.

Only 15 of the 339 projects on display were from New Brunswick, nonetheless Hejin Wang, a student from Saint John, took home the Senior Discovery Platinum Award at the CWSF award ceremony on June 5. The Platinum Award means that the judges determined that her project, titled “Controlling Humongous Fungus: Cyanobacteria as a Biocontrol Agent for Root Rot Fungus” was the best in its category.

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On May 28, 2025, members of ACORN NB and several local unions gathered at the Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre in Fredericton to deliver a report to Rene Legacy, Minister of Energy, and John Herron, Minister of Natural Resources. The report, titled “Crumbling Apartments in a Warming World: Tenants in an energy cost crisis,” notes that renters are at a much higher risk of energy poverty than other demographics in Canada, meaning that many low and moderate income Canadians cannot afford their energy bills. ACORN NB Chair Nichola Taylor explained that energy poverty often means that low-income people are left without adequate air conditioning in the summer or heating in the winter, which can have potentially deadly consequences. Frederictonians are particularly susceptible to energy poverty, as NB Power raised rates by 9.7% in April and still allows winter cutoffs if a customer is unable to pay their bill, a practice Nichola described as “outrageous.” NB Power responded to Nichola’s criticism by asserting that cutting a costumer’s power in the middle of winter is a last resort, and customers are encouraged to communicate with the company to find a solution to financial barriers.

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The New Brunswick College of Craft and Design (NBCCD) and St. Thomas University (STU) have announced a new program that offers students a joint bachelor of arts in Interdisciplinary Humanities taken between the two schools.

Previously, students who wanted to attend both institutions would spend three years at NBCCD — one year to complete the Foundation Visual Arts certificate and two years to complete their discipline’s diploma — before spending another four years earning a bachelor’s degree at STU.

This new program cuts two years off of that process, saving nearly 30% on tuition and time.

STU’s Director of Student Recruitment, Cristi Flood-Caristi, explained that this particular partnership has been in the works for years, with talks between STU and NBCCD beginning before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ultimately, this partnership intends to combine the hands-on technical training offered by NBCCD with the reflective academic learning done at STU. Kaylee Moore, NBCCD’s Chief Marketing and Recruitment Officer, noted that the program promises to be popular, as she received inquiries from prospective students within hours of the new degree being announced.

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