Notes from the Road: Crossing Canada, Part 2 - the Journey Home (Maritimes)

Halifax NS to Saint-Quentin, NB

Summerville, NS

As I mentioned in the first installment of Notes from the Road, our cross-country trek to Nova Scotia had a purpose.  While the original plan was to introduce my father-in-law, Frank, to his granddaughter dog, Quinn, we ultimately congregated with family at a small cemetery in his birthplace of Lower  Burlington, near the Bay of Fundy, to inter his ashes.  As we have been returning to Nova Scotia annually for many years, we have had ample opportunity to explore this glorious province  during every season. I promise you, there is no place prettier than Nova Scotia in summer, unless it's Nova Scotia in fall.  Of course, we were too early for the fall colors but that didn't stop us from visiting some of our favourite places and we are still in awe over the natural beauty of this part of Canada.  Take, for example, the view from our friends' deck.  Every morning, this is what they look at; if they want to change it up a bit they simply walk over to the neighbours' for a completely different  but equally breathtaking image.

Nine-Mile River, NS

On the 'downriver' side of Lock 4, Fletcher's Lake

One of the first places I fell in love with in Nova Scotia, was the locks in Fall River.  Located between Lakes Thomas and Fletcher, a few km outside of Halifax, the remains of Lock #4 are clearly visible from the canal banks.  The Shubenacadie Canal Waterway was constructed during the early 19th century.  Hosting 6 locks, the Waterway negated the need for the major portages undertaken by the Mi'kmaq, once the sole users of the natural waterway stretching from Dartmouth Cove, on the Atlantic Ocean, to the Minas Basin on the Bay of Fundy, some 114 km.

Old Dr. Charlie Hines Home, Bay of Fundy

Frank grew up near the Bay of Fundy and, when he returned some years back, this became the view that greeted him.  Originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq, Acadians arrived to the area around 1685, only to be deported in 1755 by the English who settled in 1750.  The Planters came to Hants County in 1760, from New England.  Shipbuilding became the prominent industry  during 1840-1890.   As I understand it, this home was originally constructed by one of the master builders.  

Animaland RV Park 

After our goodbyes to family and friends, we made our way to Sussex, NB.  Along Route 114, there stands a larger-than-life sized statue of a broken down race horse, the only part of Animaland Resort visible from the road.  Originating in the early 1960s, the RV park is filled with myriad giant concrete animals, including an elephant, snail, giraffe, turtles, and more.  The work of Winston Bronnum who reportedly would stay up through all hours of the night carving wooden animals in his studio, for the next 30 years, Bronnum put his talent to work building giant concrete animals. Located adjacent the Timberland Motel and Restaurant, Bronnum charged tourists to watch him work, in an effort to support his theme park where he also kept deer, rabbits, chickens and, at one point, a lobster tank.  Closed for many years, the RV Park has recently reopened.  Amenities are limited and the facility is in need of some tender loving care but the food and service at the Timberland is good and where else would we find such an emaciated creature as a star attraction?

Hopewell Rocks, NB

Being intimately familiar with Nova Scotia's side of the Bay of Fundy, known for the highest tides in the world, we thought we had seen it all.  We were wrong.  I don't think we anticipated the beauty the same Bay would give us from the other side.  One of New Brunswick's top tourist attractions from mid-May to mid-October, Hopewell Rocks Park is well worth a visit.  When the tide is in, the sandstone formations carved out of the rock, make for an intriguing landscape.  When the tide is out, not only can you wander about the Rocks on the ocean floor, there is 2 km of beach to explore.  While indeed picturesque, the tide has a way of sneaking in at alarming speed.  There are many stories of experienced men collecting dulse with tractor and wagon who left it too late to make shore. 

Low Tide

If you choose to spend some time in the area, perhaps to witness the Rocks at both high and low tide, be sure you check out the picturesque community of Alma.  You might even want to take a slight detour to experience the spectacular views of Cape Enrage and it's 140 year old lighthouse via zipline!

Acadian Colors Proudly Displayed

New Brunswick is Canada's truly bilingual province.  As one might imagine, the closer you get to Miramichi, heading toward the Acadian Peninsula, evidence of a strongly francophone community continues to mount.  National Acadian Days is held the 15th of August each year, an occasion where homes, businesses, entire communities dress in  blue, white, red and yellow, the traditional Acadian colors.  Festivities abound in celebration of the Acadian heritage and culture.  If you time it right, you can even take part in a Tintamarre, a parade filled with a cacophony of noise made with improvised instruments, including pots, pans, spoons; everything but the kitchen sink! 

Point Wolfe Bridge, one of two Covered Bridges In the Bay of Fundy National Park
and the only bridges in NB to be Painted Red

We loved the Acadian Peninsula, including Shippagan, a charming seaside town nestled between Chaleur Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  We were so taken, in fact, that we decided to spend the night in Camping Shippagan and, while we stayed in some very scenic spots along the way, this one holds the award as being one of the nicest.  The facilities are clean, well maintained and plentiful, the campsites spacious, and while many afford a sea view, all have easy access to trails and boardwalks for an evening stroll.  We were told by one family that they waited for several years just to get the right spot next to the water.  Yes, it's that popular!

"Les Pecheurs -- The Fishermen"
Originally a Wood  Sculpture Created by Artist Claude Roussell,
the Community Eventually Raised Funds  to Turn the
Work into a Stone Monument. 

While no one can dispell the beauty of the Maritimes, they are also steeped in sadness evidenced in the tributes to those lost at sea.  One example is the1959 Escuminac Hurricane is said to have been the worst storm in 100 years which wreaked havoc throughout the Maritimes.  It produced 15 m high waves in open water, destroying 1/3 of the salmon boats in Miramichi.  A total of 35 people were killed across Maritimes, leaving in its wake 24 widows and 84 children without fathers. There began the New Brunswick Fishermen's Disaster Fund, created to assist the families.
While we were tempted to try to squeeze in the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec, we knew we couldn't do it justice. It, along with Labrador, must wait for another day.  That day will come.  I don't know when, but I do know it will.

To that end,once again, we turned westward, toward Saint-Quintin, Saint-Leonard, and the Quebec/New Brunswick Border.

Stay tuned for more adventures in further Notes from the Road.


Resources:
https://www.shubenacadiecanal.ca/lock-4/
https://westhantshistoricalsociety.ca/history/
https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/jmawvk/the-creepy-legacy-of-new-brunswicks-abandoned-animal-theme-park
http://www.thehopewellrocks.ca/about-the-park
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1959_Escuminac_disaster#Impact_and_aftermath

Cape Forchu: Perhaps Acadia's Best Kept Secret

We didn't so much as stumble upon Cape Forchu; moreso, we were guided by a friend involved in the lighthouse restoration; otherwise we would likely not have found it.  Cape Forchu, meaning 'forked cape' was so named by Samuel de Champlain in 1604.  Shipwrecks were common along this shoreline; also known as the Yarmouth Light, constructed in 1839, the light station became one of a chain of lighthouses which protected vessels along this coast.  

Standing on the headland of the most southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, the structure stands almost 23 metres high and 37.5 metres above sea level at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy. Nova Scotia's only intact lighthouse open to the public, the light station was the first 'applecore' style lighthouse. The original light, lit in 1840, consisted of ten carefully placed oil lamps which was later changed to kerosene.  Later, a mathematically precise globe, built in France by physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, refracted and reflected light to send rays visible up to 32 kilometers. The lanterns were eventually replaced when electricity finally came to the Cape, in 1940.  From 1840, to 1972, there were no less than twelve lightkeepers. The last three were not lightkeepers in the traditional sense but monitored the Coast Guard equipment.  With computerization and modern technology the station was no longer required and was decommissioned in 1994.

In much the same way as Western Canada's prairie sentinels, the grain elevators, in the mid 1990's, lighthouses were being decommissioned and still remain today in grave danger of being demolished as societies scramble to raise funds for restoration. In 1996, spearheaded by resident volunteer Craig Harding, the Friends of the Yarmouth Light Society was formed and in June 2000, it became the first operating lightstation in Canadian history to be transferred to a municipality and entrusted to the care of the Society.  In 2003 Cape Forchu Lightstation was designated a Provincial Heritage site.  

Along with the countless hours of volunteers and gifts of corporate sponsorship, private donations play a vital role in funding required for maintainance and operations.  The keeper's house, built prior to 1940,  has been transformed into a museum and cafe.  A second house is now a gift shop while the grounds have been developed to form Leif Ericsson Park, with walking paths, picnic sites and benches, not to mention fascinating geology.  Here's an interesting tidbit: The rocks that form the Cape were originally part of what is presently North Africa, joining Nova Scotia through the processes of continental drift! They were, in fact, already 200,000,000 years old when dinosaurs began roaming our planet!  

While you might be tempted to explore these rocks, beware the power of the mighty Atlantic.  On clear days, rogue waves have been known to crash over the rocks to the right of the lightstation and spill into the parking lot below.  That may mean nothing to you now but when you get there, you will see that the parking lot is a significant distance from the water's edge!

While the Lightstation may be the attraction, getting there is not only scenic but a reminder of Nova Scotia's coastal heritage, as one meanders through the charming and active fishing village of Cape Forchu.  The Cape may not have received the same level of fame as Peggy's Cove, on Nova Scotia's South Shore, but it is not without it's charm. Home to the largest and most diverse fishery in Atlantic Canada, Cape Forchu, is culturally and historically tied to fishing and its related industries. In the 1930s and '40's about 30 families lived on the bar.  While most of the homes are gone, the Cape still remains active.  

The stunning seaward vistas is what first catches the eye, however, if you take some time to meander along the docks, and chat up a few of the locals you will find a vibrant community of hard working and friendly fishermen willing to take a break from their chores and share a bit about their lives and their community. It is their kindness, their stories, that captured my heart.  

  

Incidentally Cape Forchu, along with the  Yarmouth, Digby, Annapolis, Shelburne and Queens Counties form the UNESCO designated Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve.  One of only 18 biospheres in all of Canada, there is a plethora of information on the website (link below).

If you are in the area, plan to spend a few hours on this seaside adventure. 

Resources:

http://www.capeforchulight.com

http://www.nslps.com/dir_AboutLights/LighthouseSingle.aspx?LID=61

http://swnovabiosphere.ca/