Canadian Destinations

Atlantic provinces have many charms for visitors

By C.P. Hillman

Photo by: Colin Smith

A rich sense of history is one of the attractions of the Atlantic provinces. Pictured are guards at the Citadel in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Spectacular coastlines, delicious seafood, a rich sense of history and friendly, hospitable people, these and more are what Canada's Atlantic provinces offer to visitors.

While Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island share these features, each has its own distinctive charms.

While the Atlantic provinces have a lengthy history by North American standards, Newfoundland's is the longest, it having been the site of the first verified landing of Europeans on the continent û the Norse in 1000 A.D.

The remains of the settlement built by these Scandinavian adventurers under Leif Eriksson can be seen at L?Anse-aux-Meadows National Historic Park on the northern tip of the island.

Also in the north of the island is the sublime Gros Morne National Park, a UN World Heritage Site, which has beautiful fjords, majestic tablelands, sandy beaches, mountain hiking trails, and historic fishing communities. Abundant wildlife includes caribou and moose, offshore seals and occasional whales.

In Nova Scotia, you are never more than 56 kilometres from the ocean, and that fact has shaped the history of the province.
Halifax, the capital, developed as one of the major ports of the British. Halifax-Dartmouth is now a modern, cosmopolitan metropolis offering fine dining and lively nightlife while retaining its historic air. Highlights of Halifax include the fortifications of the Citadel and the Maritime Museum.

The South Shore, stretching south from the city, is dotted with pretty fishing villages such as Peggy's Cove and Mahone Bay, as well as superbly-preserved Lunenberg and Hubbards, known for its lobster festival. Ruggedly beautiful Cape Breton Island preserves traces of the Nova Scotia's Scottish and Acadian heritages.

Prince Edward Island, the smallest of the Atlantic provinces, is a peaceful expanse of pastoral beauty. On the island's north coast you'll find Prince Edward Island National Park, with its lovely red beaches.

Near the community of Cavendish is Green Gables, the house that provides the setting for Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
As the birthplace of confederation, Charlottetown, capital of the island province, has an important place in Canadian history.

P.E.I. is also justly famous for its casual, delicious lobster suppers, often held in church halls.
That modern engineering marvel the Confederation Bridge takes you across Northumberland Strait from P.E.I. to New Brunswick, Canada's only officially bilingual province, which has a population that is 35 per cent Acadian French.

New Brunswick's landscape varies from the farming region of the St. John River valley to the Bay of Fundy with its cliffs, coves and tidal flats caused by the world's highest tides. The eastern shore offers warm, sandy beaches and top-notch salmon-fishing rivers flow out of the forested interior. The northern highlands contain some of the highest mountains in Eastern Canada.

You can take a trip back in time by visiting a couple of pioneer villages: The British Loyalist King's Landing near Fredericton and French Acadian Historic Village near Caraquet.
And if you are in St. John, New Brunswick's largest city (though not the capital, which is Fredericton), perhaps you might enjoy a tour of the famous Moosehead Brewery.