Albert County discovery started petrochemical industry

The origins of the petrochemcial industry can be traced to a substance found only in New Brunswick, says the head of programming at Moncton's Resurgo Place museum.

In fact, James Upham said a store in Moncton was one of the first places in the world where you could buy kerosene.

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The museum currently has a travelling mineral show on display called Prince Gemo, which features minerals found in mines across Canada and showcases unique crystals and gemstones.

"We've had a lot of nice exhibits, but as far as I'm concerned, honestly, if this isn't my favourite,it's definitely in my top two," Upham told Information Morning Moncton on Friday.

Upham said the story of the birth of oil and gas starts with Abraham Gesner, who came from Nova Scotia to do the first geological survey of New Brunswick in the mid 1800s.

Information Morning - Moncton11:13Resurgo Place presents "Prince Gemo"

James Upham is in charge of public programming at Resurgo Place

He found a unique formation in Albert County, which also extends as a small offshoot in Rockport near Dorchester.

"Gesner discovered that stuff, named it Albertite, brought it home and then he used it to invent Kerosene," said Upham. "That used to light the streets of Boston and New York."

Upham said before Kerosene was invented in 1847, lamps burned whale oil.

Moncton one of the first places to sell Kerosene

He said Moncton was one of the first places on earth where you could buy petroleum products because Gesner was friends with Charles Record, who owned a store before he started a foundry in the city.

Record's store sold some of the earliest Kerosene, Upham said, just as Albert Mines in Albert County was the place where petrochemical extraction began on Earth.

Kerosene also has a notable byproduct, said Upham.

"That byproduct is stinky and it blows up real easy it's super volatile people thought it was useless and they used to just burn it off or chuck it in the river. We call that stuff gasoline."

Gesner's discovery eventually led to cars and the creation of plastics, which Upham says are two of the most import things in the modern world.

"That entire industry started here and nobody knows about it, and it drives me right up the wall, because this is one of the most important things that has ever happened in the history of our species," he said.

"Honest to goodness, this is literally right up there with the invention of the wheel and the discovery of fire."

Upham notes while no one knows who discovered those things, it's well known that Gesner invented kerosene.

Albertitecooler than gold, diamonds, says Upham

During the last three weeks, Upham says 1,400 school children have already been through the exhibition at Resurgo Place and the students have been very impressed.

"It is literally filled with gems and minerals and crystals, and you can touch [some of]them," he said.

While other materials are in display cases, Upham says there arelots of hands-on activities for students and adults to do as part of the interactive exhibition.

But he also impresses on the students the local significance.

"Gold is cool. Diamonds are fancy. Rubies are neat. But the thing in your hand is so, so, so much cooler than that," Uphamsays to the students when talking aboutAlbertite.