Wednesday July 5th - Canadian Maritimes to New York 2017

On Wednesday the 5^th of July, we departed Camper City in Moncton, NB. We were a convoy of 4 rigs, with Andy and Rejeanne leading the way! We took TCH 2 to 11 N / 15E into the town of Shediac, the Lobster Capital and home of the Lobster Fest. Situated near the strait of Northumberland, Shediac is famous around the world for its giant lobster, where thousands of visitors have their pictures taken each year, thus confirming our claim to fame as "THE LOBSTER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD". The first mention of the word "lobster", a word attributable to Captain Parkhurst, appears in the Maritimes Archives as far back as 1578.

A pioneer in the lobster processing industry was named William Blizzard, a resident of Shediac. He opened a lobster processing plant in Shediac in 1861 and began to sell lobster on the open market. He was an innovator in the processing of lobster in Southeast New Brunswick. Another Shediac native whose name is synonymous with the lobster industry in the 20th century is Émile Paturel. The Paturel name was closely linked to this delectable seafood for over fifty years in Canada, the United States and Europe. The Town of Shediac certainly took advantage of this abundant natural resource and in 1949 the municipality staged the very first annual Shediac Lobster Festival, which marks it as one of the oldest festivals in the province.

Shediac is considered as one of the most important Acadian regions, thanks to the many builders who truly believed in the area. History shows us that during the 17th and 18th century, the first Acadians to settle in the area were employed in Shediac. In 1749 most of them were hired to build a fort, houses and warehouses for the purpose of resupplying the French troops in new Acadia. Supplies coming from Québec, Louisburg and France were unloaded from schooner ships and warehoused in Shediac to be transported later on by portage to Petitcodiac and Beauséjour from Shediac River to the Bend, from the Scoudouc River to the Memramcook River and from there to Beauséjour. The first Acadian settlers to permanently set up house in the area, today known as Shediac, arrived between 1798 and 1805. They settled mainly to the east of the Scoudouc River, in an area that was later known as La Batture because of the many oyster beds found at the mouth of the river.

Shediac is also intimately linked to the early stages of all forms of public transportation: public roads, railway, passenger, cargo ships and ferries, as well as commercial aviation. Acadian settlers from the area took advantage of the development of the municipality of Shediac and today Acadians make up about seventy five percent of the population in Shediac.

Pascal-Poirier Historic House was built in 1825, and is the ancestral home of Pascal Poirier, the first Acadian appointed to the Senate. It is the oldest house in Shediac. The house includes a museum, a sculpture that tells the story of the Acadian people, a collection of artworks depicting life as it once was in Shediac, as well as artisans demonstrating their trades. It is a neat stop for some serious Acadian history.

Route 15 and 11 N split, we stayed on Route 11. As we drove across the Shediac River, we could look off to the right and see the Route 134 Shediac narrow one lane steel bridge over the Shediac River. It is a limited use bridge with a height restriction of 13 feet and a 30 ton limit. Just a bit further down the road, Andy & Rejeanne had a flat tire, on the right rear side of their trailer. They called Roadside Assistance, but the 4 guys figured, between them they had all the tools necessary to put the spare on and get back on the road. So, they set out working hard on the repair. 

The town of Bouctouche is an enticing combination of scenery and sea, situated on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the magnificent Bouctouche River. The region offers endless bodies of water and wide-open spaces to discover and explore. You can purchase handmade goods at the Bouctouche Farmers’ Market, or visit the dunes, sandy beaches and charming lighthouses. 

Irving Eco-Centre, La dune de Bouctouche, one of the few remaining great sand dunes on the northeastern coastline of North America, will have you exploring the rich variety of plants and animals that make the dune their habitat.

We saw a string of single or a couple rigs traveling together heading south. They were part of an Adventure Caravan Group. The differences between Yankee RV Tours and this group are many, but the key points are Yankee RV has a wagon master that leads the group, Adventure Caravan moves as individual rigs and the wagon master goes ahead to the next location ahead of the group. The second most important point, is the Yankee RV Wagon master, is the owner of the company and he can make any changes to the itinerary necessary, without consulting a corporate office or the owner.

Situated on the Richibucto River, the village of Rexton was originally inhabited by Mi'kmaq First Nations, many of whose descendants still reside in the nearby Elsipogtog First Nation, formerly referred to as the Big Cove Band. Acadian settlers colonized the general area in the 18th century, in places such as Bouctouche, Miramichi and Richibucto Village. The first English-speaking settler was Thomas Powel who arrived in 1790, there was considerable colonization by English shipbuilders. Scottish merchants and Irish immigrants followed including many Irish Protestants who arrived to work in the Jardine Shipbuilding Yards around the year 1819 and they eventually cleared enough land to receive land grants following the 1820s survey.

The size of Elsipogtog First Nation was reduced to the current boundaries. Two ships brought the majority of the settlers here from Scotland, one being the Dickies, captained by Simon Graham, and the other was the Isabella, sailed by Captain Thomas Carruthers. Fishing, lumbering and shipbuilding flourished throughout the 19th century. The first bridge over the Richibucto River was completed there in 1850, improving commerce and communications in the region. The settlement was known from about 1825 as Kingston, but in 1901, the name was changed to Rexton. This was probably to avoid confusion with other Kingstons, particularly Kingston, Kings County, New Brunswick, which still carries the name.

Richibucto has a rich and vibrant history, and the unique cultural landscape created almost 4 centuries ago – a combination of Mi’kmaq, Spanish, Acadian, Celtic and English cultures – is still alive and well today in the region’s food, architecture and celebrations. At the Richibucto Visitor Center is a panel display depicting Richibucto’s colorful history. The region’s beautiful coastal landscape can best be seen with a stroll along the seaside trails of Jardine Municipal Park and a visit to the great sand dunes of nearby Irving Eco-Centre, La Dune de Bouctouche.

The village of St Louis de Kent Often shortened to simply Saint-Louis, is situated on the Kouchibouguacis River at the main entrance to Kouchibouguac National Park. It is considered as the birthplace of the Acadian Flag. A local park, Parc des Forgeron, celebrates the birth of this flag in 1884. Saint-Louis-de-Kent was founded by Joseph Babineau in 1797. L'Académie Saint-Louis was founded in 1874 by Father Marcel-François Richard. The Congregation of Notre-Dame of Montréal founded a convent in 1879. The academy became a college in 1876. The college was closed in 1882 by Bishop James Rogers.

We saw Moose warning signs again, we have not seen any signs, or Moose for that matter ... since we left Newfoundland!

Kouchibouguac National Park includes barrier islands, sand dunes, lagoons, salt marshes and forests. It provides habitat for seabirds, including the endangered piping plover, and the second largest tern colony in North America. Colonies of harbor seals and grey seals also inhabit the park's 16 miles of sand dunes. It is also home to the extremely rare and fragile Gulf of St Lawrence aster, though in 2006, storms eradicated most of the asters' colonies. The park's size is 92 square miles. Recently, sightings of the fisher marten in the area, making it one of the few places in New Brunswick that have fisher populations. The park is also home to the popular Kelly's Beach. It was founded in 1969 in order to set aside sensitive sand dunes and bogs. 

The rules of the time dictated that all permanent residents had to be removed for a park to be created. These residents were mostly Acadians, whose ancestors had been deported. As a result, Parks Canada encountered great difficulty expropriating land from approximately 215 families, including over 1200 individuals. These seven communities were Claire-Fontaine, Fontaine, Rivière au Portage, Kouchibouguac, Guimond Village, Cap St-Louis, and Saint-Olivier. The residents were generally seen as so poor that government officials believed they would benefit from having to start their lives again elsewhere. The government patronizingly created courses so that people might lead more productive lives. Government officials believed that they were rehabilitating the people by forcing them to move. But the residents resisted this move shutting down the park on several occasions. The most notable of these was Jackie Vautour, whose home was buldozed in 1976, but who returned to squat there two years later. Vautour's decades-long struggle has turned him into a folk hero.

Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay. The Miramichi River valley is the second longest valley in New Brunswick, after the Saint John River Valley. Miramichi is known as the Irish Capitol of New Brunswick. The Irish began arriving in Miramichi in numbers after 1815 at the end of the Napoleonic War and with a few exceptions ceased coming to the area before the great Irish famine of 1847. They came to the area voluntarily to better their lives. Contrary to prevailing belief, not all of them were Catholic though very few Protestants among them identified openly as Irish and most of their descendants in Miramichi do not do so, even to this day. Most arrived form the ports of Belfast and Cork each of which had strong commercial ties with Miramichi. Like the Scots they came on timber ships as individuals or in small family groups and the average age upon arrival was twenty-four.

Centennial Bridge, is currently under construction. It is a steel through arch crossing the Miramichi River. The bridge takes Route 11, Route 8, and Route 134 over the river, connecting Douglastown on the north bank with Chatham on the south bank; both communities were merged with others in the vicinity through municipal amalgamation into the city of Miramichi. The bridge was opened in 1967, Canada's centennial year, hence the name! It replaced the ferry service of Romeo & Juliet, which operated between downtown Chatham and Ferry Road. Upon the bridge's opening, Romeo & Juliet was moved to service a new route across Kennebecasis Bay between Summerville and Millidgeville near Saint John. Bridges of similar construction in eastern Canada include the Seal Island Bridge (which we crossed several times in Nova Scotia, and the Burton Bridge.

The construction preparation is almost complete and the bridge was reduced to single-lane traffic. There was an alternating traffic light to control the flow of vehicles. The bridge is the signature piece of infrastructure in the community. The repairs will ensure that the bridge lasts another 50 years. It is a $13-million rehabilitation project.

We saw a sign for the Ferme MacDonald Farm. The MacDonald Farmhouse was likely built between 1815 and 1820. A survey of a number of documents indicates that Alexander MacDonald was the builder of this house. In a land where wood was readily available, he constructed his house of stone - a material and style with which he felt more comfortable. MacDonald could relate to the traditional Scottish design - the type of house unattainable to the majority in the land of his birth, but could be had in New Brunswick for the labor. 

It is currently used as a cultural attraction in Bartibog. It is a pastoral setting overlooking the Miramichi River. It offers visitors a tour of the restored property, in the company of costumed guides, in the 1820s when the family of Scottish settler, Alexander MacDonald, helped to develop the area. Alexander MacDonald was a native of Ardnamurchan, Argyllshire, Scotland. MacDonald resided in Miramichi since the spring of 1784 but did not attempt to obtain a grant of land until 1787. Beginning in 1798, and continuing for the next twenty years, MacDonald gradually added to his land holdings through grants and purchases. Alexander MacDonald's life on the Miramichi was characteristic of the European immigrant in New Brunswick. He retained his old world values; viewing the ownership of land as the way to success, maintaining close kinship and religious ties, and a diversified subsistence lifestyle during an era of concentrated economic development. 

Driving over the Bartibog Bridge, you spot a fire engine red piano prominently displaying flags on top of an old bridge pier. Did we really see that? Yes, we did …. 77-year-old George MacDonald has been tending to this piano an others for more than 20 years! Commuters on Highway 11 got used to seeing the pianos perched high up on the concrete pillar. When the last one disappeared a few years ago, they asked locals when another piano would return. Many people wondered how it got there, guessing a helicopter was used or a big crane. MacDonald said he went along with the stories, keeping his involvement a secret for a long time. But he figured with Canada celebrating its 150th birthday of Confederation, now was as good a time as any to put another one up. So with some prodding and encouragement from his family, he got to work on an old piano his grandson had given him.

In addition to the Canadian flag that adorns the front of the piano, there are Canadian, New Brunswick and Acadian flags. After hours of work, the new piano was in place. Those who gathered, including MacDonald's wife, Vicki, celebrated with a drink of warm Hermits wine. Tradition lives on. MacDonald’s work drew lots of attention from vehicles driving as people honked their horns in appreciation. This piano should last four years, but MacDonald is not sure he'll be putting up another one. His family is committed to the project, however, and he's sure the Bartibog Bridge piano tradition will live on.

(IMG 5190) Passing through the village of Neguac, we saw their love of their village and heritage. Over 90 percent of its residents are French speaking. Incorporated in 1967, the village's population meets the requirements for "town" status under the Municipalities Act of the Province of New Brunswick, however the community has not changed its municipal status. Neguac calls itself the "Savoie Capital of Canada", as most Acadians with that surname trace their ancestry to this area. The first settlers in the village, Jean Savoie and his family, arrived in the area in 1757, two years after the Expulsion of the Acadians. In 2007, the community celebrated its 250th anniversary and this year, they are celebrating their 50th anniversary of incorporation.

We are traveling now on what is known as the Acadian Peninsula. It is the northeastern corner of New Brunswick, encompassing portions of two counties. It gets its moniker from the large Acadian population located there. Two major islands off the northeast tip of the peninsula, Lamèque Island and Miscou Island, are culturally considered part of the Acadian Peninsula. Most settlement in the peninsula occurred as a result of the Expulsion of the Acadians during the Gulf of St Lawrence Campaign in 1758, where British personnel forcibly removed them from their homes, mostly in southern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

We came into Tracadie where the signage is in French, as most inhabitants of the Acadian Peninsula are predominantly French speaking. The community became known as the hometown of Wilfred Le Bouthillier, winner of the 2003 Quebec reality show Star Académie. The success of the young singer, known simply as Wilfred, resulted in a significant rise in tourism to the region.

This is where Andy had his second flat tire. Can you imagine what was said inside the cab of his truck! Lucky for him, there was a pull off. We un-hooked the trailer, took the first flat tire and rim and left it! He would get a new tire and come back for it tomorrow! 

We stopped for lunch in Caraquet. It was a little fish market and ice cream stand. Rejeanne had to help us all order! We enjoyed our lunches on the patio and naturally, we had ice cream for dessert!

In Bertrand, you can visit The Acadian Village of History is a historical reconstruction that portrays the way of life of Acadians between 1770 and 1949. With more than 40 buildings, staffed by interpreters in period costumes, they share the ancestral customs and traditional trades to life. Among the attractions is Hôtel Château Albert, a replica of a turn-of the century hotel that once existed in Caraquet. The original was destroyed by fire in 1955 but it has been re-created at the Village. It offers overnight accommodations as well as a dining room.

Acadian pride is evident everywhere on the peninsula!

Bathurst is the closest “big” town to Andy & Rejeanne. It had been the location of the annual Mi'kmaq summer coastal community of Nepisiguit prior to European settlers. Early settlers from France came to the area in the 17th century in what became part of the colony of Acadia. Little is known about the region between 1688 and 1713, when Louis XIV ceded the territory of Acadia to Anne, Queen of Great Britain. The British attempted to remove the remaining scattered Acadians from the Nepisiguit basin and Caraquet in late October 1761. Following the formal fall of this part of Acadia to British control in 1763 by the Treaty of Paris, the region saw the arrival of numerous English and Scottish settlers, eager to exploit the region's natural resources. Some grants were rewards for good and loyal service with the King's arms. It seems that the great 1825 Miramichi Fire had a significant impact on the fortunes of Bathurst, for the devastation of 6,000 acres forced northwards many displaced people. This incident was the reason for the subdivision of two new counties, Kent and Gloucester, out of what had been Northumberland County, and in 1826, St. Peter's harbor was renamed in honor of the Colonial Secretary, Lord Bathurst.

We arrived in Petit-Rocher-Sud, NB and to Andy & Rejeanne’s little piece of heaven! 

Our home for the next few days … I hope NB is ready for us!