Navy Island, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
Navy Island was a small island situated within the Inner Harbour of Saint John
, New Brunswick
in Canada
. For centuries, Navy Island existed as a narrow, oval shaped hunk of rock sitting roughly at the turning point of the harbour where the deep open water ends and the harbour approaches the Reversing Falls
. However, the island ceased to exist in its traditional form when the construction of the Saint John Harbour Bridge
linked the island to the mainland in the 1970s. The island now sits under the western footing of the bridge, and is survived in name by the Navy Island Forest Products Terminal, operated by the Port of Saint John.
The island is noted as the location of the so-called Navy Island Gold
, a storied treasure supposedly left behind by privateers or smugglers who were members of the Royal Kennebecasis Adventurers Society
. Despite great effort and expense, no treasure has been found, and skeptics have dismissed it as a sinkhole and natural cavities. Following the construction of the Harbour Bridge in the 1970s, much of the surface area of the island was heavily altered and developed, leading many to believe that if any treasure had existed, it would be nearly impossible to ever recover.
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. For centuries, Navy Island existed as a narrow, oval shaped hunk of rock sitting roughly at the turning point of the harbour where the deep open water ends and the harbour approaches the Reversing Falls
Reversing Falls
The Reversing Falls are a series of rapids on the Saint John River located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where the river runs through a narrow gorge before emptying into the Bay of Fundy....
. However, the island ceased to exist in its traditional form when the construction of the Saint John Harbour Bridge
Saint John Harbour Bridge
The Saint John Harbour Bridge is a hollow box, haunched girder bridge crossing Saint John Harbour at the mouth of the Saint John River in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.-History:...
linked the island to the mainland in the 1970s. The island now sits under the western footing of the bridge, and is survived in name by the Navy Island Forest Products Terminal, operated by the Port of Saint John.
The island is noted as the location of the so-called Navy Island Gold
Navy Island Gold
"Navy Island Gold" is a traditional New Brunswick song about the site of a supposed buried treasure on Navy Island in Saint John Harbour. It is most likely based on accounts of privateers from the Royal Kennebecasis Adventurers Society who captured prizes from American merchant vessels during the...
, a storied treasure supposedly left behind by privateers or smugglers who were members of the Royal Kennebecasis Adventurers Society
Royal Kennebecasis Adventurers Society
The Royal Kennebecasis Adventurers Society , is a name that refers to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, it refers specifically to the Kanabicases Adventurers Society, a guild of smugglers and privateers founded in Saint John, New Brunswick between the late 18th and early 19th...
. Despite great effort and expense, no treasure has been found, and skeptics have dismissed it as a sinkhole and natural cavities. Following the construction of the Harbour Bridge in the 1970s, much of the surface area of the island was heavily altered and developed, leading many to believe that if any treasure had existed, it would be nearly impossible to ever recover.
See also
- Royal Kennebecasis Adventurers SocietyRoyal Kennebecasis Adventurers SocietyThe Royal Kennebecasis Adventurers Society , is a name that refers to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, it refers specifically to the Kanabicases Adventurers Society, a guild of smugglers and privateers founded in Saint John, New Brunswick between the late 18th and early 19th...
- Saint John, New BrunswickSaint John, New BrunswickCity of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
- Navy Island GoldNavy Island Gold"Navy Island Gold" is a traditional New Brunswick song about the site of a supposed buried treasure on Navy Island in Saint John Harbour. It is most likely based on accounts of privateers from the Royal Kennebecasis Adventurers Society who captured prizes from American merchant vessels during the...
(song)