Joseph Salter

Joseph Salter (June 7, 1816 – January 1, 1901) was a Canadian businessman and politician, becoming Moncton’s first mayor and one of the leading shipbuilders in the Maritime Provinces.

As a young man employed by John Leander Starr of Halifax, Salter crossed the Atlantic 36 times.

The Salter family initially lived in Falmouth, Nova Scotia, but later moved to Kennetcook, where Joseph was born.

[1]: p2 After his schooling, he departed for Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he entered the office of Leander Starr, where he was soon promoted to head clerk.

While in Starr’s occupation, Salter made many trading voyages to the West Indies and Africa, earning the nickname "Africana".

At the age of 31, Salter moved to The Bend in 1847 to operate the shipyard while his brother George remained in Saint John to run the ship brokerage and chandlery business.

So on an early morning in April, Salter waited upon by a delegation of his workers who protested the length of the working day, which was from sunrise to sunset.

After a short but prosperous ten years the Salter business came to an end due to adverse conditions in England, which caused significant losses on several new vessels sent there for sale.