When I was a child, I spent all my summer vacations on Deer Island, New Brunswick, where my father grew up. Most of my relatives on his side of the family still live in the area. This summer my husband Will and I spent 10 days in that Canadian Maritime province. It was our first visit in 10 years. While there are more than 10 things I love about New Brunswick, here are 10 of my favourites — not necessarily in order.
1 The ocean
The minute I arrive near the ocean, I breathe in the tangy, salty air. Ocean breezes kept us cool during the hot days of our trip and we loved the views of water, lighthouses, and fishing boats.
2 . Bay of Fundy Tides: the highest tides in the world!
Due to the outlet’s unique funnel shape, billions of tons of water fill and empty the Bay of Fundy twice daily. A photo of a tidal scene looks remarkably different six hours later.
Cars can only drive to Minister’s Island, St. Andrews, at low tide. During high tide this land bridge is covered with water.
3 Bilingualism
New Brunswick is Canada’s only officially bilingual province, guaranteeing equal rights, status, and privileges for English and French. Over thirty percent of residents speak French regularly at home. My father’s southeast area of the province is as unilingually English as it gets, but it was originally part of the French colony of Acadia. French place names survive with English pronunciations. Our rental house in St. George was on the L’Etete (Luteet) road near my aunt’s home on the St. Croix (Saint Croy) River. In contrast, since the 1960s the City of Moncton has made great strides to become fully bilingual. Our walking tour was advertised as French only, but our bilingual guide conducted it in English since we were the only tourists who showed up.
Monument commemorating the mass deportation of the Acadians.
4 Seafood
The Acadian town of Shediac calls itself the “Lobster Capital of the World.” A 90-ton sculpture named The World’s Largest Lobster greets visitors. Highlights of our whole New Brunswick trip were local haddock & chips, scallops, chowder, and lobster rolls.
Seafood chowder with half lobster roll and chips
Shediac “World’s Largest Lobster”
5 Wild blueberries & raspberries
One of my favourite childhood holiday activities was picking wild raspberries and blueberries. This year I plucked some raspberries from a patch on Deer Island Point and found them far more flavourable than ones I buy in Calgary or grow in my home garden. No wonder I liked picking berries so much.
6 Ferry Boat rides
We chose our L’Etete road location for its twelve-minute drive to Deer Island to visit relatives and familiar sights. The ferry ride itself is worth the price and not only because it’s free. Locals make fun of tourists who get out of their cars to enjoy and photograph the views, but I do it every time.
7 Historic Saint John
Saint John, a ferry ride and hour’s drive from Deer Island, is Canada’s oldest incorporated city. The downtown core and scenic parks highlight Saint John’s history.
Will Arnold and former Saint John resident Benedict Arnold in Wolastoq Park
King’s Square two-storey King Edward VII bandstand
Market Square on the waterfront
8 Parlee Beach Provincial Park
Parlee beach, located on the Northumberland Strait that flows between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, boasts the warmest salt water north of Virginia. The shallow water, soft sand, and sandbars caused by tides make it a great playground for children. It’s also fun for adults on a hot day.
9 Lack of crowds & rural lifestyle
New Brunswick’s entire population totals around 776,000. Only about half of the province’s residents live in the urban regions of Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton. Through our trip, we enjoyed the gently rolling farms, the rustic fishing villages, and having the roads to ourselves much of the time.
10 My family – lastly but far from least
New Brunswick residents tend to be salt-of-the-earth down home people who don’t put on airs and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else on earth.
Aunt Kay and me on the wharf in Fairhaven, Deer Island