Snowy Owl in the City Market

By Connor DeMerchant - 31 August 2026

The mounted moose heads which are in the Market today have long been cherished artefacts from a bygone period in the building’s history. Indeed, the Saint John City Market has long been a place where unusual sights and curiosities could draw a crowd. Among the more unexpected visitors to the Market was a magnificent snowy owl, which was put on display at the stall of F. J. McDonald in November 1926. 

The owl, described by a contemporary newspaper as “the handsomest of all Canadian birds,” had been shot at Musquash Island, near the mouth of Washademoak Lake, and was brought to the City Market to be shown to the public. Its striking white plumage, marked with faint grey or black barring, made it an impressive sight. The article noted that the bird was “almost as large as the great horned owl.”

The display attracted considerable attention, and the presence of the owl also provided an opportunity to learn more about one of New Brunswick’s most distinctive birds. When asked to comment, Dr. William MacIntosh, curator of the Natural History Society, explained that snowy owls were fairly common in New Brunswick that season, although in some years they were not seen in the province at all.

Snowy owls normally inhabit the northern tundra, where they spend much of the year in the Arctic. Their occasional appearance farther south is connected to the availability of food. As Dr. MacIntosh explained, when the northern barrens and tundra become deeply covered in snow and food becomes scarce, the birds are driven southward in search of prey.

The owl’s white colouring is particularly well suited to its northern environment. Against a landscape covered in snow, its plumage provides effective camouflage, allowing it to approach its prey without being easily detected across the wide-open spaces of the Arctic.

The newspaper article about the owl also noted that there were two varieties of owls from the Arctic that occasionally visited New Brunswick. The second was the great grey owl, described as a handsome bird but one that could not quite compare with the snowy owl. Unlike the snowy owl, the great grey owl was grey all over and inhabited the stunted forests and wooded districts of northern regions. Its colouring allowed it to blend into the dull grey trees among which it lived, making it difficult to spot.

The bird did not simply disappear after its time at the Market, either. Dr. MacIntosh had already been asked to arrange for the stuffing of two fine specimens of snowy owls and knew of several others that had been captured. These specimens would presumably become part of the collections used to study and preserve New Brunswick’s natural history.[1]

[1] “Snowy Owl in City Market.” The Telegraph Journal. 20 November 1926, Pg. 9. 

Photo: Owls in a cage at the New England Sportsmen's Show in Boston, MA in February 1931. They were featured as part of the New Brunswick Exhibit. (PANB - P225\10400)