Do I Know You From Somewhere, the first film to be shot in New Brunswick and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival since 2013, is coming to the Fredericton Cineplex on May 30. The opening weekend in Fredericton sold out days before the premiere, prompting Cineplex to add a full week of screenings from June 2 to June 5. The film is the directorial feature debut of local filmmaker Arianna Martinez who co wrote the film with her husband Gordon Mihan. Martinez, Mihan, and Lance Blakney, make up Strike Pictures, the company that produced Do I Know You From Somewhere. All three emphasized that shooting the film in New Brunswick was more than a financial consideration. Keeping shooting locations local meant that film’s crew could maintain a healthy work-life ballance while still finding employment in their field. The trio behind Strike Pictures noted that this production style sharply contrasts the industry norm, which favours long hours in major filmmaking hubs like Toronto and Vancouver. Shooting in New Brunswick also meant that the crew could highlight the natural beauty in the Picture Province, shooting exteriors on the Maquapit lake and interiors at the Fredericton Delta.

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Starting on May 20th, and continuing every Tuesday at 5:30pm, the Charlotte Street Art Centre is offering a free running club for local artists. The Art Centre’s Artreach Coordinator, Oscar Tecu, explained that he wanted to share his love for running and its meditative potential with the Fredericton art community. While art is a much needed creative outlet, Oscar emphasized the importance of staying active and ensuring that the often sedentary process of creating art is balanced with exercise.

Several running club members agreed with Oscar, noting that the act of running itself is often akin to art, allowing one to make mental space for creative thinking while exposing artists to the natural beauty of Fredericton’s trails.

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On Sunday, May 25, 2025, the Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew (FSSA) and the York-Sunbury Historical Society (YSHS) unveiled a new exhibit at the Fredericton Region Museum celebrating the 200th anniversary of the FSSA.

According to FSSA President and Second Vice President of the YSHS, Dr. Cynthia Wallace-Casey, the tagline of the exhibit, “200 years of Scottish Benevolence,” is an homage to the FSSA’s early roots when it served as an aid organization for Scottish immigrants arriving in Fredericton to harsh 19th century conditions.

Many of the artifacts on display at the Fredericton Region Museum are related to the FSSA’s pipe band, which was founded in the 1920s and now competes in bagpiping competitions around the world.

Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers — whose great grandfather and brother were a pipers in the FSSA band — noted that honouring cultural organizations like these helps to preserve the rich history of immigration in Fredericton, and it reminds Frederictonians that cultural diversity contributes to the city’s unique character.

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From May 8th to June 5th, the University of New Brunswick’s Sustainability Office is hosting “Garden Therapy Thursdays,” a drop-in mindfulness program that sees participants weeding and preparing garden beds. UNB Sustainability Engagement Coordinator, Bailey Saunders, explained that this new program is meant as a pilot to gauge interest in guided gardening programs. The Sustainability Office expected a modest response from intermediate and seasoned gardeners, but was surprised by the number of participants with no gardening experience. Bailey noted that this increased interest in gardening could be linked to rising grocery prices and the the personal satisfaction that preparing a garden bed provides. Interest in Garden Therapy Thursdays was high enough that the Sustainability Office has already decided to continue the program next year.

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Beginning on April 14, 2025, the City of Fredericton implemented new half hour service on its busiest bus routes. Previously, buses arrived at stops every hour, but on routes 12, 13, 14, and 15, buses now arrive every half hour during the mid-day rush. Routes 16 and 17 also have new half hour service, but only on the portions of the route located on Fredericton’s South Side. Routes 116 and 216 similarly received half hour service, with their peak hours starting 60 minutes before the other routes. The City of Fredericton’s Manager of Transit and Parking Services, Charlene Sharpe, explained that higher frequency bus service was in direct response to a 19% increase in ridership during 2024, with 1,600,406 individual trips taken last year—up from 1,344,996 in 2023. Nichola Taylor, the Chair of ACORN NB, noted that increasing the frequency of bus services is one step towards creating a convenient and effective bus service, particularly for low income Frederictonians who rely on public transit. Similarly, Warren Maddox, the Executive Director of Fredericton Homeless Shelters Inc. noted that public transit in Fredericton has made large strides in recent years, and anything that makes buses more convenient is a positive change.

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On May 1, 2025, Tokyo Ramen re-opened after closing temporarily in July. Tokyo Ramen is a family run restaurant, and front of house manager Fumi Kamazuka—oldest son of head chef Hirofumi Kamazuka—explained that the closure was due unforeseen health complications that prevented Hirofumi from working. During a family trip, Hirofumi, who has diabetes, visited a hospital for a checkup. The doctor who examined him told his family that Hirofumi required dialysis immediately, and if he did not receive treatment, that he might could die as soon as tomorrow. After resting and recovering for ten months Hirofumi is back in the kitchen, although he no longer works thirteen hour shifts like he did before the closure. The Kamazukas were concerned that their business would not recover after such a long hiatus. However, the family was surprised by the outpouring of support from the Fredericton community, with their announcement post on Facebook receiving over fifty-thousand views—almost as much as Fredericton’s total population—in less than a week.

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2025 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the University of New Brunswick’s Renaissance College, which recently changed its name to the School of Leadership Studies. To commemorate a quarter century of the faculty, a special committee of volunteer alumni is planning several events for the UNB reunion weekend, scheduled for June 12th to 15th. The special committee has confirmed two events, both time honoured Renaissance College traditions: a soups-on dinner and a coffee house gathering. The soups-on is an homage to an integral part of all Renaissance College students’ experience, where every week a group of students organizes themselves to cook soup that they serve to the UNB community. One alumni is using the twenty-fifth anniversary to compile a book cataloguing the various soup recipes used over the last twenty-five years and any interesting stories associated with them. The coffee house is another longstanding tradition where students gather to share stories, artwork, and music in a casual inclusive environment. The committee is also considering creating merchandise specifically catered to alumni, a service that the faculty has not previously offered.

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This year, eight students from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design (NBCCD) Photography and Videography Studio won ArtsNB Scholarships, each valued at $2,500. This year’s cohort took home almost half of the twenty scholarships given out and doubled the number of winners from 2024—when four photo-video students won—and more than doubled 2023’s cohort—when three students won. Students from across New Brunswick are eligible to apply for the scholarships as long as they are pursuing some form of study or training in their given art form. ArtsNB states on their website that the scholarship is, “designed to recognize and encourage New Brunswick students who have demonstrated exceptional artistic talent and potential, and who are pursuing a career in the arts.” Karen Ruet, an Instructor in NBCCD’s Photo-Video Studio, explained that applying for the ArtsNB Scholarship is now integrated into Photo-Video students’ coursework, because the application process prepares students to write grants and proposals as a professional artist. The scholarships offer exposure for young artists and help alleviate economic barriers that can negatively impact students’ ability to study. Both Jesse Curtis and Emily MacDonald won ArtsNB Scholarships this year, yet described how they still need to work while studying to make ends meet.

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