Amanda PhillipsWe’ll admit, New Brunswick is one of the least well-known Canadian provinces. But that’s not to say that it isn’t as beautiful and fascinating. From shark fossils to whale-watching and an American President’s summer residence – here are 10 things you didn’t know about New Brunswick!
1. It’s home to the world’s highest tide
Nestled between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia lies the world’s highest tide in the Bay of Fundy. Tides here can reach 16m (equal to a 5 storey building) and there are only about 6 hours between high tide and low tide – so you’re almost guaranteed to see both!
2. Water also flows backwards
The high tide at the Bay of Fundy causes water to flow back into Canada. You’ll find the reversing flow where the Saint John River meets the Bay of Fundy. It’s a wave of rapids most of the time before eventually pushing the water flow backwards at high tide.
3. And the largest tidal whirlpool in the western hemisphere
You’ll find the Old Sow Whirlpool in the Western Passage of the Passamaquoddy Bay. It can be seen from the southwestern tip of Deer Island.
4. There’s a potato museum
Did you know that potato farming is one of New Brunswick’s largest industries and that McCain Chips was started here? You can learn all about it at Potato World.
5. Whales are very common here
If you’re visiting Atlantic Canada in the hopes of spotting whales, New Brunswick is a great place to start. The Humpback Whale, Minke Whale, and Finback Whale are all common sights at the Bay of Fundy. Plus, the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, White-beaked Dolphins, Sei Whales and Pilot Whales are occasionally observed.
6. The Great White Shark is also known to stop by
Okay, it’s not super common but it happens occasionally.
7. President Franklin Roosevelt spent his summers here
Franklin and Eleanor spent their summers from 1909 to 1921 in New Brunswick. You can visit the 34-room Roosevelt Cottage on Campobello Island, which is part of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park.
8. There are 14 wineries
Atlantic Canada is a fairly new player to the international wine scene, but it is growing quickly. Due to the colder climates, the wine is also unique and taste very different – even when compared to other Canadian wines.
9. You can visit Canada’s oldest museum
The New Brunswick Museum, located in Saint John, is Canada’s oldest continuing museum. In 1992 it was decided that a new exhibition space was required downtown, but The Collections Centre, the Archives and Research Library, and the Head Office can still be found at the original location.
10. And the world’s oldest intact shark fossil
See what we were saying about sharks? In 2003 palaeontologists unearthed the world’s oldest, intact shark fossil—a 409-million-year-old specimen of a small, primitive species known as Doliodus problematicus—in New Brunswick.
