Geocaching to Commemorate the March of New Brunswick’s 104th Regiment

In February and March 1813, New Brunswick’s 104th Regiment of Foot marched up the St. John River to Upper Canada in support of the military efforts underway as part of the War of 1812. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of this March, the Friends of New Brunswick 104th will be placing a series of geocaches along the route of this historic March. Geocaches will also be installed at locations of outposts and military installations occupied by the 104th Regiment. These containers will be installed over the next several months, and will be activated during the 200th Anniversary activities in each community, currently being organized under the leadership of the St. John River Society.

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting activity that is fast growing in popularity. Participants use a handheld GPS device or a Smartphone application to navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find a hidden container at that location. It is a great family activity that requires minimum investment. It can be done anytime of the year and in groups or individually. It is also an emerging tourism and vacation activity. In Fredericton alone, there are over 300 Geocachers!

“With my military background and my passion for Geocaching, it was a natural fit to have folks follow the path of their ancestors and go to places they were in the winter of 1813”, said Randall Haslett, Friends of New Brunswick’s 104th. “When I discovered that there was a series in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland to honour Captain John Smith, I just knew we had to do this one. The Geocoin that we have available is amazing.”

The plan is to install special containers that replicate the backpacks worn by soldiers of the 104th Regiment . The Friends of New Brunswick 104th will be responsible for the installation and maintenance of the caches. Liaison has been made with the St. John River Society, the Fredericton Region Museum, as well as other individuals with expert knowledge of the event for historical data and authenticity of locations.

As is common practice with this kind of series, a special limited edition of 200 Geocoins will be offered as incentive to visit these sites. These Geocoins are treasured memorabilia by Geocachers will certainly keep them. Other recipients may choose to register them using a special unique tracking code and then watch vicariously as the Geocoin travels around the world from cache to cache.

It is anticipated that this series will draw visitors from all around to visit these sites, and, by doing so, relive an important military event in the history of New Brunswick.

“New Brunswick’s story of the 104th Regiment was one of tremendous historical significance and we are happy to see the various ways members of the community are engaging in remembering and celebrating this great event 200 years later,” said Brian Macdonald, Legislative Secretary to the Premier responsible for intergovernmental affairs and military affairs and Chair of the Provincial War of 1812 Commemorative Committee.

Funding for this project has been secured with the support of the New Brunswick Museum in partnership with New Brunswick 1812 Commemoration Project and the St. John River Society.

For more information: Randall Haslett, Friends of New Brunswick’s 104th , 506-458-9930; and Molly Demma, St. John River Society, 506-450-8709