Seeing New Brunswick from the water looking in

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/11/2022 (1053 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a number of journeys to New Brunswick over the past few years, this summer I undertook to explore part of the province from a different perspective — from the water with experienced operators who knew the history of the land we were seeing — and the waters on which we sailed.

Miramichi River

Capt. Azade Hache has been welcoming passengers aboard his 50-passenger Max Aitken River Boat for over 25 years. He is a polished raconteur, fluent in what he describes as three languages, English, French and Miramichi.

His knowledge and humour bring his descriptions to life as we sail.

One of the tour highlights is sailing around Beaubears Island. Long before the Europeans arrived, the Miramichi region was home to members of the Mi’kmaq first nation. “For the Mi’kmaq, Beaubears Island, at the junction of the Northwest and Main Southwest branches of the Miramichi River was a natural meeting point”. They fished and hunted all along the Miramichi region.

It was the French who set up the first European colony here. When the British later came along and demanded loyalty to the Crown, the island became an Acadian refugee camp. It was a centre of resistance against the expulsion movement, which altered the path of history, creating bitterness for decades to come.

Beaubears Island would also become a major shipbuilding centre. Its history and achievements were permanently enshrined when a large area containing the remains of a 19th-century shipbuilding business was designated a national historic site.

Formed only in 1995, Miramichi is a new city by urban standards. It is an amalgamation of the communities of Newcastle and Chatham on the opposite sides of the river, creating one of the largest cities in the province.

Built in 1967, long before the amalgamation, the Pont Centennial Bridge connecting both shores is still one of the major links for people moving back and forth.

As we listened and enjoyed the evolving scenery, Capt. Hache described a litany of reference points in a wonderful part of New Brunswick.

Shediac Bay

Driving into Shediac we are greeted by what is described as the largest lobster in the world, which immediately underscores why the community takes pride in punctuating its position as the lobster capital of the world.

After shopping at the many unique stores along the main tourist street, the right thing to do was to book onto Capt. Ron Cormier’s Shediac Bay Cruises—for his advertised lobster feast experience. While the scenery around Shediac Bay alone makes taking the cruise worthwhile, it is Cormier’s dedication to the lobster fishing industry and his commitment to educate all who join his tours that make this experience different and rewarding.

Cpt. Cormier was a professional lobster fisherman for 25 years, before he began feeding guests aboard his appropriately named ‘Ambassador’ vessel.

He related how for a number of years as a direct result of overfishing the lobster catches were becoming smaller and smaller. The industry, like cod fishing, was in danger of becoming completely decimated. That is, until the fishers themselves, who depended on the industry for their livelihoods in the Atlantic provinces, stepped in and created their own plan based on controlled fishing periods by region. The structure was adopted by the provincial bodies and Cormier takes great pride in the leadership the industry took in helping solve its own challenges without government intervention.

As guests are dining on a complete meal, highlighted by this succulent crustacean, Cormier takes us through the entire fishing process from water to plate; setting the traps to bringing up an actual lobster; then demonstrating the technique for handling the lobsters, as he invites guests to put on the rubber bands to prevent painful pincer bites. He educates us on the best way to cook lobster, then illustrates the best way to crack the shells to capture the most amount of meat possible.

Captain’s tip for those soon to cook: “For juicier lobster and to make them easier to shell the meat out, once the lobsters are boiled, plunge them into ice water for a few minutes.”

Northumberland Strait

Kouchibouguac National Park is an amazing ecological experience featuring the Barrier Islands dune systems, the second largest colony of Common Terns in North America and a massive grey seals population which kayakers and canoeist can see quite close up. Stretching along the Northumberland Strait on the eastern coast of New Brunswick, it also has some of the best beaches in the province.

Most of the treasures the park has to offer can be accessed on trails the park has created to make exploration easier. On a previous trip we were able to hire an off-season lobster boat to take us on a tour past the seal population, and on to one of the relatively unpopulated shorelines to dig for clams.

The park has done a tremendous amount of work in preserving the clam population, and for a number of years, visitors have had to purchase clam digging licences to try their hands at digging for a small controlled number. Without knowledgeable help, it would have been an impossible task, but it was one of the highlights, especially when our captain cooked them for us on the way back home.

Kellys Beach, with its long boardwalk over salt marsh grass leading to a beautiful stretch of sand, is one of the most popular features of the park. A more engaging and interactive feature is partaking in one of the walking tours with a park interpretive guide,” as you “roll up your pants and wade through the natural home of dozens of vital marine species hiding in plain sight within the biodiverse seawater.”

pradinukr@shaw.ca