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Story and Photos by Barb Rees
New Brunswick, the only constitutionally bilingual province of Canada. Let’s take a loop of NB highlighting the places we’ve seen in 2003, 2007, and 2013.
From Mont Joli, QC across the Gaspè Peninsula on #132 is a lovely 167 km drive to Campbellton, NB “Salmon Capital of the World” and the beginning of the Acadian Coastline with the warmest waters on the eastern seaboard. It’s 410 km from the giant salmon in Campbellton to the giant lobster in Shediac. NB is home to 26,000 people with Acadian descent. In 1755 when the British attacked, 6-7,000 Acadians were expelled. Some settled in NS while others became known as Cajuns in Louisiana.
We camped at Camping Carequet in 2007 along the shores of the St. Lawrence. Oh what a sunset! Driving to Shippagan we crossed the bridge connecting the islets of Lamèque and Miscou. Red soil, white beaches, an ecological park and Canada’s oldest lighthouse at Miscou are part of the experience.
Miramichi, “The Irish Capital of Canada,” is a city of about 20,000 straddling the river by the same name. It’s a city with Irish culture, historical buildings, fishing, drag racing and an Irish festival the third weekend in July. Continuing on along the coast we passed places with lyrical names like Kouchibouguac, Richibucto and Bouctouche where we visited the dunes and walked the beach. It’s a long narrow neck of dunes with a 12 km boardwalk.
The Acadian part of the loop ends at Shediac, “The Lobster Capital of the World.” Since 1949 they’ve held a lobster festival. We have to get our pictures taken on the largest lobster in the world, five metres high weighing 90 tons.
Bypassing Port Elgin and Confederation Bridge to PEI we continued on the bottom of the loop to Moncton and home to the tidal bore. Moncton a city of over 64,000 is a busy place in the summer with a music festival in July, MotoMoncton bike races, and free outdoor summer concerts. We stopped by the Petitcodiac River with its red slippery mud banks to watch the tidal bore triggered by the Bay of Fundy tides twice a day. The high tide causes water in the river to flow back on itself creating waves up to 60 cm. Check the tidal bore schedule at www.tourism.moncton.ca. Visit Magnetic Hill, park your car at the bottom, release the brake and experience the freaky feeling of the car going uphill without you doing anything.
Staying on #144 in 2003 we followed the water that brought us out at world famous Hopewell Rocks (Flower Pot Rocks) at the Ocean Tidal Exploration Site on the Bay of Fundy. www.thehopewellrocks.ca. The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world at up to 16 metres. In comparison, the highest tides on the Westcoast are about 3.5 metres. The park is open mid-May to mid-October and is pet friendly. Take a walk around the bottom of these giant pillars of rock, then an hour later see them surrounded by water. Farther along Chegnecto Bay is Fundy National Park before the road turns inland.
From Sussex, with the New Brunswick Auto and Antique Market the third weekend in August, leave the loop to visit Saint John. Saint John, the capital of New Brunswick, has many firsts in Canada, including the first chartered bank and the first public museum in 1842 to name a few. The tremendous amount of tidal water pouring into Saint John River causes the river to turn on itself creating reversing rapids. Take one of their adrenaline charged tours. www.discoversaintjohn.com
Regaining the loop we landed at Fredericton, a grand old lady of historical buildings. From Fredericton we traveled 272 km to Edmundston on the QC border. Making our way north in 2003, we sold at a farmer’s market in Woodstock whose history goes back to the 1700’s.
Crossing the bridge at Grafton, we visited O’Tooles Gallery to see Kerry O’Toole’s beautiful carvings. “When pigs fly” happens, as his pig sculptures fly. www.otoolegallery.com
Hartland “Home of the World’s Longest Covered Bridge” is not recommended for big rigs. Built in 1901, it is 390 m (1,282 ft) long and was covered in 1921-22. Religious folk thought it would destroy the morals of the young people, as it was known as the Kissing Bridge. In the days of horse and buggy, young fellows would stop and give the girl a kiss. We kept up the tradition.
Grand Falls alongside the gorge of the Saint John River is the only town in Canada with a name in both official languages: Grand Falls/Grand-Sault. Dropping 23 m (75 ft), it is the largest waterfalls east of Niagra Falls. “Wow,” was all I could holler at Dave above the roar. It’s a short hop to Edmundston and on to the QC border completing our loop around New Brunswick, the land of natural wonders.
Barb Rees, Mètis writer is the author of four RV Canada books with the fifth due in the fall of 2014. From their home in Powell River, BC with husband Dave they have travelled Canada from coast to coast to coast on working holidays since 2003. Information on the books available at: www.write2dream.com