A recent trip to New Brunswick in Canada’s Maritimes turned up four wonderful vacation destinations, the cities of Fredericton, Saint John, St. Andrews and Moncton. If you like small towns, check them out!
FREDERICTON
My first stop in the capital city of Fredericton was to check in to the Crowne Plaza Fredericton Lord Beaverbrook. www.cpfredericton.com The hotel was chosen due to it not only being a landmark hotel situated on the banks of the Saint John River, it was also located on the “main drag” of Queen Street in the historic Garrison District. Although it appears visitors can get a free three-day parking pass, I preferred to walk.
A few blocks from the hotel to York, I found City Hall to be quite recognizable, not only for copper hands of the chiming tower clock but Freddie, “the little nude dude” that sits atop the square’s fountain. It was here that I met with Mayor Brad Woodside and then took a tour of the council chambers, which houses a series of tapestries depicting the Fredericton’s history. As it turns out, the mayor owns and operates Carleton Boat Tours, a great way to relax and get some inside info on the St. John River (www.carleton2.com)
With a multitude of artisan studios and galleries, I singled out Aitkens Pewter, just across from City Hall. Each piece is hand-made in the studio but only sold at their store at 408 Queen Street. I was very curious to find out what the heck pewter was. It’s like gefilte fish. You know, there is no actual fish called gefilte. Pewter, by the way is composed of at least 90% tin with small parts of antimony and copper.
Barracks Square on Carleton, is a former military area turned arts and craft with still a bit a history. I passed by the NB College of Craft and Design & Gallery but checked out the Soldiers Barracks & Craft Shops with locals selling their fabulous wares. I was able to tour the guardhouse to view the jail cells just near the tourism office. The square is also used for free outdoor concerts and movies. One night they were showing “An Inconvenient Truth” along with a lecture.
On the way back to the hotel is the N.B. Sports Hall of Fame, the York-Sunbury Historical Society Museum and the popular Officer’s Square with its bronze statue of Lord Beaverbrook. Here you can watch the Changing of the Guards ceremony, and believe it or not, I was given the honor of inspecting the guards. It’s also the venue for outdoor concerts, theatre and winter skating
The Lighthouse Adventure Centre, on the St. John River, abutted on Regent and afforded me a great view from the top. It’s not a huge climb. Each of the landings has a display that interprets facts about life along the St. John River.
Out of the Garrison District I continued past the hotel to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. There’s that guy’s name again. Who was he and why is there a dispute over the 85 paintings? William Maxell (Max) Aitken, was the first Lord Beaverbrook and prior to his death in 1964, shelled out big bucks to New Brunswick, where he grew up. Since Fredericton is the capital, so it goes that much would be dedicated to him. As far as the dispute, tune in next year for the results. In the meantime I was able to enjoy his art collection as well as that of a few other donors.
The Provincial Legislative Assembly Building is next to the Playhouse. It has been the seat of the government in the province since 1882. The Playhouse is the city’s premier performance venue for regional and world-class musicians, dance and theatre companies. It is New Brunswick’s only professional English-speaking theatre company.
I pause to divert from Queen Street to go around the corner on St. John and walk a few blocks to the Science East Science Center, home to over 130 hands-on exhibits and a newly renovated dungeon museum. The building’s outside walls appeared to be a bit thick and was told that they were 40” of solid granite due to its prior use as a jail. On Saturday mornings it is home to the W.W. Boyce Farmer’s Market.
I was now on Brunswick where I continued on to the Trail Bridge, stopping to take in the Christ Church Cathedral, considered to be the first Cathedral in North America (1845-1853) to adhere to the standards of the mid-19th century Gothic Revival in church architecture.
As it was much too hot (95 degrees) to walk across the old CN Railway bridge (only open to pedestrians) to Carlton Park, I went far enough to be able to view the city skyline.
Did I ever pause to eat? Rather than dwell upon what I consumed (mostly seafood), I’ll just give you the info on the restaurants. Blue Door Restaurant, 100 Regent Street; Palate Restaurant (where I lunched with the mayor) – 466 Queen Street; BrewBakers, 546 King Street; Trinitea’s Cup Fine Teas, 87 Regent Street; and Bruno’s Seafood & Chophouse, at the Delta Fredericton Hotel, 225 Woodstock Rd.
Considering that Kings Landing Historical Village is New Brunswick’s top attraction and Provincial Historic Site, I did take the one side trip into the 19th Century. Horse-drawn wagons take you to the main village where the folks are all in costume. Aside from having buildings to view the blacksmith, sawmill, theatre and typical houses, kids can sign up to spend a week going back in time where there were no televisions or Ipods
SAINT JOHN
Saint John is probably the most visited port city of New Brunswick as many cruise lines dock to spend a day.
Watch the Fundy tides in action in the three-story Tidal Tower of the New Brunswick Museum. There are 15 galleries with permanent exhibits of the Industrial and Marine History of New Brunswick, Marine Animals and the Hall of the Great White Whale and both NB and Canadian art. For an extensive preview go to their website of www.nbm-mnb.ca
Barbour’s General Store, located at the Market Slip, is an authentic 19th century country store with about 2000 artifacts. Fort Howe Lookout on Magazine Street offers a panoramic view of the harbor and the city. King’s Square Bandstand, located at the top of King Street, hosts concerts during the summer months.
Saint John Jewish Historical Museum, created in 1986, is the only Jewish museum in Atlantic Canada and is located on Wellington Row in City Centre. You can experience Canada’s oldest continuing farmers’ market in operation since 1876 at the Saint John City Market located at 47 Charlotte Streetwww.sjcitymarket.ca . You must try dulse, a leafy sea vegetable which grows on the shores of Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy. Locals munch on this dried snack food like potato chips.
City Centre offers two theatres - Imperial Theatre houses Symphony New Brunswick, Theatre New Brunswick, Saint John Theatre Company and Opera New Brunswick www.imperialtheatre.nb.ca . Phoenix Dinner Theatre at the M.A.C. School for the Performing Arts is the newest dinner theatre www.phoenixdinnertheatre.com . Water Street Dinner Theatre, located above Steamers Restaurant on Water Street sports great food and music www.waterstreetdinnertheatre.com .
Take a side trip to the Reversing Falls, a phenomenon caused by the tremendous tide in the Bay of Fundy, the highest tides in the world. The funnel shape of the bay along with the moon’s phases affects the tidal action. Twice each day the powerful tides of the Fundy push the 450-mile long St. John River backwards for a period of several hours. One fun way to challenge the falls is by going aboard a jet boat ride that splashes your way through the whirlpools, white caps and rapids.
A great restaurant is the Opera Bistro, located at 60 Prince William Street. (www.operabistro.com) It’s local ingredients with an international flavour, breads of Bavarian rye and Morrocan olive. My local choices were Fundy sea scallops wrapped in smoked Sussex bacon and Wolfhead smoked salmon.
Saint John is a 90-minute drive from the U.S. border of Calais, Maine (who shares its border with the Canadian town of St. Stephen), an eight-hour drive from Boston, a two hour flight from Toronto, and a 75-minute flight from Montreal. The city is serviced by Air Canada with daily flights direct to Montreal and Toronto. For further information on the area go to www.tourismsaintjohn.com .
ST. ANDREWS BY THE SEA
Less than an hour away from Saint John, St. Andrews By The Sea is one of Canada’s oldest and best preserved 18th century towns, attracting summer visitors to the rich and famous Algonquin Hotel. This area overlooks the Fundy Isles, which are located at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy.
Galleries, shops, some murals and the performing arts are found downtown. Maritime musicians perform concerts (www.periwinkleproductions.ca) and productions by the St. Andrews Arts Council are ongoing, depending on the time of year.
There is a great deal of nature to absorb in this area. To get my fill of viewing marine life I drove to the Huntsman Marine Science Centre Aquarium/Museum. Aside from one of those touch pools, there was a tank of sturgeons that were “petable”. Most amusing was when the Harbour seals were being fed. There was a large seagull resting upon an overhanging just waiting for a seal to miss the fish. www.huntsmanmarine.ca .
Now, this was really cool. There’s this place called Ministers Island where you can visit Sir William Van Horne’s 50-room home. Sir William Van Horne was the driving force behind the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. This National and Provincial Historic Site is interesting enough, but getting there is the best part. I had to pass this house where a sign read “bunny crossing”. Let’s just say that there were more than just two rabbits. Then there’s the island crossing which you can only do when the tide is low. There is a sand bar, known as Bar Road, which allows you to ride or walk across the river. Something told me that this is “set in stone” as it doesn’t appear that this stretch of “road” washes away when the tides come in. Guided tours of the property, for visitors with their own transportation, include a drive across the ocean floor to reach the historic island; a visit to Covenhoven, the former summer cottage of Sir William Van Home; the bathhouse with its tidal swimming pool; the livestock barn and the spectacular view from Sheas Hill. www.ministersisland.org .
According to the New Brunswick Book of Everything, Kingsbrae Garden is one of the five “must see” tourist attractions and I agree, it’s a 27-acre horticulture masterpiece. The gardens were made in the grounds of a grand estate that lost its mansion in 1971. I’m told that the cedar hedges, flowers beds and old-growth Acadian forest survived to become the setting for these theme gardens that include a white garden, a knot garden, a cottage garden and a therapy garden. The grounds sport 2,000 varieties of trees, shrubs, and plants. I loved the day lily collection, an extensive rose garden, a small maze, a fully functional Dutch windmill that circulates water through the two duck ponds, and a children's garden with an elaborate Victorian-mansion playhouse. Oh yeah, there was an edible garden as well. www.kingsbraegarden.com
SUSSEX TO ACADIA
Moncton, is a key city in New Brunswick. A drive to the city of Sussex may be quicker and more directly via a land route, but you’ll miss all that is to offer along the Bay of Fundy.
Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site is one of the top attractions in New Brunswick. The effects of the world’s highest tides are the most visible. Why? The highest tide is at noontime but by mid-afternoon it gets so low that you can walk on the ocean floor and see what’s called the “Flower Pot Rocks”. This fabulous attraction, located in Hopewell Cape, offers an informative Interpretive Program in the Centre. You can then either take a shuttle or hike down to the main site. From there it is 99 steps to the bottom of the ocean. If you choose to, you can kayak during high tides via Baymount Outdoor Adventures. For bird lovers, from mid-July over a four to six week period, two to three million shorebirds congregate in waves along several key locations in the upper reaches of the bay feasting on mud shrimp. www.thehopewellrocks.ca .
Pull your car over to view Cape Enrage, located on the site of an old lighthouse. If you’re up for more adventure, drive to the cape where the site offers rappelling, rock climbing, caving, kayaking and beachcombing for fossils. Here you can also walk along the ocean floor and view saltwater marshes with ancient Acadian dikes.
Continuing on toward Sussex, there’s more nature at Fundy National Park, the first of Canada’s national parks in New Brunswick. www.pc.gc.ca/fundy .
Now let’s get to the area surrounding the city of Moncton. Since I’ve already visited the Reverse Waterfalls in Saint John, I might just as well take in another phenomenon; Magnetic Hill. You drive to the bottom of the hill having to use your gas pedal. Put your car in neutral and the car seems to magnetically coast back up the hill. I’ve not only done it but also watched a tour bus do the same.
SHEDIAC AND BOUCTOUCHE
Shediac, is purported to be the Lobster Capital of the World. It was there at the Pointe-du-Chene wharf that I boarded the Shediac Bay Cruise. I learned how lobsters were caught, you’re not allowed to take a female that has obvious eggs, the difference between and male and female, the components of their bodies and how to eat a lobster. Most people dine on the tail and claws missing much meat in the body. It seems that restaurants in New Brunswick do not serve whole lobsters. www.lobstertales.ca .
An even better treat awaited me at Olivier. Did you know that your skin is the body’s largest organ? Consider not just the chemicals that you consume going into your blood system, but also the ones that you place on your skin. The main plant, located at Ste-Anne-de-Kent, is where you can see “the cleanest show on earth” as one of the staff demonstrates the art of making olive oil based soaps. However, it doesn’t stop with just bars of soaps as this Soap Economuseum produces creams and shampoos to both cleanse as well as help rectify skin problems. www.oliviersoaps.com .
Wanting to learn about the Acadian culture, I was off to Le Pays de la Sagouline (Sagouine Country) in Bouctouche. Created from internationally renowned Acadian novelist and author Antonine Maillet's imagination, this is a real live village, in an enchanting natural setting with theatre, music, comedy and dance, that allows visitors to discover the unique Acadian culture.
Acadians were French who migrated to Eastern Canada. History has it that they were exiled and at that time Louisiana was a French colony and so they sought major refuge there. That is where the term Cajun derived. Many returned to areas of Canada, but most of the Acadian culture is now concentrated in New Brunswick.
Although French is the spoken language throughout this village, you can join a tour guide for a daily English presentation and you learn about the Acadian culture through its history, past and present! Accompanied by our fiddler, they will even show you how to play the spoons! For the sweet tooth, you’ll get to taste one of their famous Acadian desserts! www.sagouine.com
My excursion has terminated. Let yours begin.