Tides of Fundy

		Bay of Fundy VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world (due to the tidal force working with the natural rhythm of the oscillating water in the bay, the shape of the bay; and the topography of the bottom of the bay.) The record was 55 feet in depth, and the typical is in the mid forties. The name Fundy probably comes from a Portuguese word for funnel. The Portuguese explorers were first to document the tremendous amount of water that moves into and out of the bay as early as mid 1500s. The volume of water that goes into and out of the bay in 12 hours exceeds all the rivers in the world. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick border on the Bay of Fundy. The rivers that flow into the bay actually reverse direction during high tide. This tidal bore (Norse word for wave) shows up with a great force and appears as a large wave with white water forces. Salmon swimming upstream get a break and even a free ride during the high tide. Fishing boats tied to wharfs must rest on cradles on the dry river bottom during low tide and wait for high tide to be able to set out. A fishing day is measured between high tides, since this is the only time that they are afloat. Many beaches have ¾ mile or more to the water’s edge during low tide and no beach at all during high tide.

Dramatic examples of this are: (1) Hopewell Rocks which were created by the dramatic twice-daily tidal erosion. We walked along the ocean floor at low tide there and returned at high tide to see kayakers paddling among the rocks; (2) our drive across the ocean floor to Ministers Island. We made sure to get our car back before high tide; and (3) photos attached of the fishing boats in the harbor at low and again at high tides.

The “Saints Come Marching In” along our path next as we continue on to St. Martins, St. John, St. George, St. Andrews, and St. Stephen, all in New Brunswick. We are following the Fundy scenic highway all along the Bay of Fundy to the Atlantic Ocean.

You'll tak the high road, and I'll tak the low road, and I'll be in (New) Scotland afore ye"

		Nova Scotia VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Nova Scotia is the third and last Maritime Province of Canada that we visited and is located half way between the equator and the North Pole. Nova Scotia originally included New Brunswick. We were surprised to learn that Nova Scotia is not an island as is PEI, but rather an isthmus extending from New Brunswick and the Cape Breton Island. The French claimed this area in 1605 with the first French establishment in North America in Port Royal naming it Acadia- “peaceful land”. Interesting name since it was anything but that when they were subjected to a great upheaval by the British. The territory (renamed Nova Scotia; Latin for New Scotland) was given to Sir William Alexander by King James VI in 1829 and there are many Scottish roots still today. Musical traditions are still very much alive and quite lively, with fiddles, guitars, & keyboards, and dances as the Scottish strathspey, Acadian jigs (think Riverdance), Celtic lively foot-tapping beats, step-dancing, and Hornpipers.

Alexander Graham Bell had a summer home and laboratory here. Other famous people include Hank Snow and Anne Murray. In 1901 Marconi sent the first transatlantic wireless message from Glace Bay to Cornwell, England. (Do you think he was ordering Cornish Hens “to go”?). Transatlantic cables were put on the ocean floor and maintained from cable ships in Halifax. Due to ocean floor geography, weather, & movement of the ocean floor, these cables proved to be more reliable than those laid further south (US to Europe).

The Cape Breton Highlands National Park has the famous 185 mile long “Cabot Trail” which has jaw-dropping gorgeous views of rugged coastlines, steep hills, and quaint, isolated villages. The road hugs the steep tree-covered hills, winds around the Highlands, and is reminiscent of windy, steep roads with large drop offs along Big Sur California and the narrow, curvy Road to Hana Hawaii that come so close to the water. Nova Scotia has craggy coastlines of massive granite ledges and few beaches, unlike PEI. There are 4,600 miles of coastline even though you can never be further than 45 miles from the ocean anywhere in Nova Scotia. That is amazing since the province is only 374 miles long and 60-100 miles wide. There is an abundance of hardwood forests, bays, fishing coves, lighthouses, churches, & seafood. Lobster, today’s delicacy, is so abundant it was once considered cheap food only the poor would eat.

The capitol, Halifax, is a thriving commercial seaport with much history. The Citadel here is one of four that Britain depended on to keep the trade routes safe and free running. Most notably for us, it was the closest seaport to the Titanic disaster and they sent ships out to recover the bodies. There were 209 bodies taken to Halifax, which they numbered along with a description of clothing and effects, then eventually matched names to many of them. First class passengers were brought ashore in a casket, 2^nd & 3^rd were in canvas bags, and the crew on open stretchers. They used a Curling Rink for a temporary morgue. Fairview Lawn Cemetery is where 121 Titanic passengers are buried, in a curve shape to mimic a boat’s hull. This includes violinist John Law Hume, an unidentified baby whose headstone symbolizes the entire tragedy, and J. Dawson (who is not the Jack Dawson from the movie but people like to think that it is.) All gravestones say “Died April 15, 1912” and their ID#. Halifax citizens were so involved, they held church funeral services, determined that the victims would not be alone in their departure to the beyond. Also, the sailors from the rescue ships paid for the infant's grave themselves as they were so moved. All floating items found by these sailors were retrieved, not for money or for themselves, but in honor of the lost ship. These items are in a museum here.

We were impressed that there are so many brightly-painted, multicolored homes and shops, as you can see from some of our pictures, as well as bright color schemes in their Adirondack chairs, boats, and even the lobster pots. We especially enjoyed our stay at Peggy’s Cove. We rented a little house that was on a hill overlooking the ocean. It stood off by itself and had a view of the lighthouse, the cliffs, Atlantic Ocean, and town. Peggy’s Cove is a picturesque fishing village, often foggy, with probably the most-photographed lighthouse on the rocks and quaint fishing cove where tour buses pull up all day long. We visited many similar fishing villages and scenic coves all along the shore, but without the tour buses. The fishing industry is greatly diminished from overfishing. Timber and mining are also reduced in production. We were, however, surprised Nova Scotia is 4^th in film (television and movies) production in Canada.

Upcoming is the Bay of Fundy which has the largest tides in the world (over 50 feet change in height and ½ mile in length). Therefore it seemed like a good idea to open the first tidal power plant in 1984 at the Annapolis Royal. More on these tides in our next posting.

Prince Edward Island, Canada

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Britain was awarded Prince Edward Island in 1763 as a result of the Treaty of Paris. The English, Scot, and Irish peoples were very loyal to the crown, adhering to old traditions although very independent and not wanting to be told what to do. The first Canadian Confederation was held in Charlottetown which resulted in the official creation of Canada in 1867. The three sections of PEI are named in order of royal hierarchy and in closeness to England: called Prince to Queen to King. The island was named after Prince Edward who was the father of queen Victoria and the son of King George III. Charlotte was the wife of King George III and Charlottetown, the largest city here, was named for her.

Prince Edward Island is the longest natural rock reef in North America. It is 120 miles from tip to tip. Being an island, life revolving around the sea is evident everywhere. There are many marinas full of lobster boats and full of lobster traps. The main sea crops here are mussels, oysters and lobster. There are rocky parts of the coast, but due to the wind blowing in sand to create dunes, there are miles and miles of sandy beaches. These beaches alone are why many visit PEI. The waters are warmer than New England’s since they are warmed by the St Lawrence Current. The countryside is pastoral, green, rural and beautiful; filled with bays, rivers, beaches, cliffs, farms, & wide open spaces replete with carefully tended farms. The fields were full of potatoes & barley, their main crops. The attitude and pace is one of calm, relaxation, and tranquility.

We noticed the people reflect the friendliness and hospitality that is typically very Brit. There are many pubs with English items on the menus. Most places serve Fish ‘n Chips, although it is interesting to note that fish and chips is served with either white (yuck!) or malt vinegar and your choice of cod, haddock (an East Coast favorite) or halibut fish. This is a seafood lovers paradise, although we’ve also enjoyed the local beers which are quite good, as well as the decidedly best ice cream on the planet (Cows Creamery and worth the trip by itself).

The houses are mostly Victorian from the 1820- 1850 era, fairly large, with brightly painted colorful schemes, large porches and vast flower gardens. We have thoroughly enjoyed PEI, had perfect weather, and are now on to Nova Scotia!

What’s a Cajun?

		Acadians VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The Acadians have a lasting influence on the culture of the Maritime Provinces. They were Catholics from France and settled in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec. They looked and dressed more Dutch than French, including wooden shoes. Wooden shoes were worn in boggy areas to avoid sinking into the soft soil. Wooden shoes were not exclusively worn in Holland, but in other areas as France and England.

In 1755-1759, England took over these provinces and wanted everyone to swear allegiance to the King, to speak English, to change their religion, to change customs as dress styles, and to look English. Many fled to the interior, many returned to France, and some tried to go to the American Colonies. The event is immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s narrative poem “Evangeline.” Not wanting to strain an already increasing hostile relationship with England, the U.S. colonies declined to accept these new immigrants. They continued down the colonies, into the Gulf, and finally found acceptance in the French area of Louisiana. They stayed and developed a major culture presence there and Acadians became known as Cajuns.

In the mid 1800’s, the Maritime Provinces were less committed to the English way as the only way and many Acadians came out of hiding or returned from where they had fled. The Acadian culture is still seen extensively in the provinces of Canada, as it is the Cajun heritage in Louisiana.