A major problem of early nineteenth-century urban life was the procurement and distribution of sufficient food for a large population. In Saint John a family usually went marketing daily. There was no refrigeration for preserving food, and most people simply did not have enough money to buy supplies for more than one or two days. Since it was necessary to walk to market, each neighbourhood had its own market. In the centre of the market were butchers' stalls. In this photograph, dating later than the early nineteenth century, a quantity of wild game is seen. Most of the food supplies were brought to Saint John overland from the Kennebecasis Valley or by ship from the Chignecto area of the Bay of Fundy. The sale of meat and dairy produce was regulated by the city. It could be sold only in markets where it was inspected, and where the butchers' scales were checked against city scales to guarantee accuracy. For the poor, meat was a rare treat. Less desirable varieties of fish, such as alewives, could be bought in season much more cheaply.
