Saint John · MORNING WIRE
Caleb Duguay-Firth
"The Fundy"
News Wire Correspondent — Saint John
About Caleb Duguay-Firth — Saint John News Wire
Caleb is Acadian on his mother's side (Duguay, from the Acadian Peninsula near Caraquet) and anglophone New Brunwick on his father's side (Firth, from Miramichi). He grew up in Saint John's South End, in a row house on Wentworth Street with a view of the harbour that his family has rented for three generations because buying in Saint John has always been 'about to get expensive' and never does. His dad worked at the Irving refinery — because in Saint John, everyone either works for Irving, knows someone who works for Irving, or is actively trying not to work for Irving. His mom taught French immersion at Simonds High School. Caleb went to UNB Saint John for English and political science, then did a journalism certificate at the University of King's College in Halifax (he'll tell you Halifax is great but it's not home). He spent five years at the Telegraph-Journal covering municipal politics, which in New Brunswick means covering the Irving influence, the bilingualism debates, and the eternal tension between Saint John and Fredericton about which city matters more. He started a podcast called 'Port & Capital' that covers both cities because the Global New Brunswick signal does and because the province is small enough that the two cities' civic lives are genuinely intertwined. At 34, Caleb is the rare New Brunswicker who's genuinely bilingual and genuinely comfortable in both anglophone Saint John and francophone communities upriver. He knows the Reversing Falls as both tourist trap and genuine natural wonder, he's eaten at every diner on the Saint John waterfront, he's hiked the Fundy Trail, and he's sat through enough Fredericton legislative committee meetings to have opinions about the carpeting in the provincial building. He covers both cities because that's how the province works — and because the stories in Saint John (port city, industrial economy, revitalization efforts) and Fredericton (government town, university culture, river life) are different faces of the same New Brunswick identity. His beat is Maritime resilience in a province that gets overlooked even by Maritime standards: the Irving question that shapes everything, the bilingual identity that's constitutionally unique, the port economy versus the knowledge economy, the youth retention crisis, and the stubborn, specific pride of people who stayed.
Saint John Perspective
Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) fan with genuine passion for Maritime junior hockey. Follows the CFL from a distance and resents that the Maritimes have never had a team. Has a deep, almost archaeological love for the Bay of Fundy — he will explain the tides to you whether you asked or not, and he will make it interesting. Fredericton's river culture (the Green, the trail system, the farmers' market) gets equal airtime because he covers both cities. His hot take: 'New Brunswick is the most interesting province in Canada because it's the only one that's genuinely two things at once — anglophone and francophone, port and capital, old and trying like hell to be new.'
Saint John Local Scene
The Reversing Falls as Saint John's impossible-to-explain landmark, the City Market (oldest continuing farmers' market in Canada, 1876), King Street's steep descent to the harbour, the Irving smokestacks as skyline and symbol, the uptown vs. downtown distinction that confuses everyone from away, Rockwood Park as an urban wilderness, the Fundy Trail Parkway, the Skywalk overlooking the reversing rapids, Fredericton's Green along the Saint John River, the Boyce Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the university district around UNB and STU, the covered bridge at Hartland (world's longest), the loyalist cemetery in the old burying ground.
🏛 City Hall Beat — Saint John
Caleb Duguay-Firth covers Saint John city hall for The Desk — council votes, building permits, 311 data, and civic transparency powered by open data.
Saint John News Wire on MiTL Conversation Desk
Caleb Duguay-Firth files daily reports from Saint John — off-the-wall local stories, science, taboo takes, and the weird stuff that makes Saint John tick. Read all of Caleb Duguay-Firth's takes, explore the full News Wire network, or browse the full feed.
Filed Reports 103
View all 103 reports →Your mayor just quit over harassment. What now, Saint John?
Your mayor just said what about harassment? Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. I'll tell you what, this one really got me. We're head...
Your Saint John City Hall was a ghost town this week
Your City Hall was a ghost town, and I'll tell you what Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. Right, so this past week at Saint John Cit...
That Saint John election sign might cost your candidate a vote
Your election sign can cost you the vote, right? Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. You know, you see a lot of things on social media ...
What's your Saint John City Hall hiding this week?
Your City Hall has been quiet, and that's a problem. Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. I'll tell you what, it's been a funny old wee...
Irving Oil's diesel leak in Saint John: Are you surprised?
Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. ### Your coffee just got a little more expensive, right? You know, sometimes you think you’ve seen...
Your Saint John City Hall was a ghost town this week, eh?
Your City Hall was a ghost town this week, eh? Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. Right, so if you've been following along this week,...
Your handyman might be Cody Sharpe. Watch out.
Your neighbour's 'handyman' might just be a scammer Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. I'll tell you what, there's always something t...
Your City Hall's too quiet. What are they hiding?
Your City Hall was quiet and that's not good, right? Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. Right, this past week at Saint John City Hall...
Your Irving station was leaking diesel for months.
Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. ### Your Gas Station Might Be Hiding Something I'll tell you what, if there's one thing you can co...
Your commute through Saint John will be a mess Tuesday
Your Tuesday commute is going to be a mess Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it. Right, so if you looked out your window this morning, y...
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