Unique Eastern Canada

​NEW BRUNSWICK & NOVA SCOTIA
Job 9:8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
Job is talking about God and the great things He can do as he speaks these words. If you get a chance to go to the east coast, this verse is one that fits the vista there!
 I had the privilege of living in Nova Scotia for 3 months one summer to work in a Mennonite bakery. I had a friend in New Brunswick as well, so on my journey out, I took the time to stop over at her place. She treated me royally and took me on a great exploration of this small, but vivid province. There were so many amazing things that I could spend a month just describing – eating “real” lobster, going through the small fishing village museum – but I think my biggest thrill was going to the Bay of Fundy, and seeing the Flowerpot Rocks in person. We didn’t have all day to stay and watch both the in tide and the out tide, but I think seeing it from the top when the tide was out was more astounding to me anyway. That gave you a better perspective of how immense the tides must be to have trees growing on rocks that are standing on bare sand (when tide is out). To see pin points of people down on the beach – and to visualize that completely filled with water in about 12 hours – my! What an experience. But I have to admit I was so glad she was driving. We went round and round and round to get up there. I was busy hanging on to the door handle!
I’ve also crossed the border into/from Maine to NB a couple times – if you get a chance to take #4, do so. McAdam is a lovely little town, and has an absolutely amazing historic railroad station that is worth the stop.
When I first realized I had the chance to go to Nova Scotia for the summer, I was determined to sightsee every chance I got. By the time I actually reached my destination of Tatamagouche I was so traumatized by the curves and no shoulders I determined if I ever made it safely, I’d never put my car on the road again until I was leaving! This prairie girl really had some adjusting to do with those narrow curvy roads out east. I am glad to say that as I had three months, I got used to it gradually, and did start making trips out and about on my own. But I was certainly happy for the offers of rides with people going places so I didn’t have to do all the driving.             
Tatamagouche was so quaint and historic and I worked just yards away from the Atlantic Ocean! Many times I’d walk over to gaze out from the top of the cliff at the ocean below, or climb down the stairs to walk the beach when the tide was out. Ps 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all the waves and thy billows are gone over me. I understood better some of David’s Psalms as I watched some storms come in. It’s scary and awesome at the same time.
 There’s so much to do in a small area. I got to cross many times one of the dykes the Acadians put in the mid-1700s before they were forced out of their homes. (It’s sad how we never seem to learn from history.) I had known nothing about Anna Swan until I moved there – going to the museum about this lady that had been 7 ft, 11 inches tall was very interesting. Naturally I had to go to Truro to see the blowhole. (A tidal bore) It was hard for me to find as it wasn’t very publicized at the time. But there was a very large “ditch” if you want to call it that, that if you are there at the right time, you will hear a strange whistling sound and then this massively wide, dry as dirt bed suddenly starts flowing with water. It has to do with the Bay of Fundy and the tides. This blowhole has a side effect that you had better not be standing in the ditch when the water hits, or you can drown from the force and quickness with which it fills up. There was a lot to see and do in my own area, but I have to admit when a friend asked if I wanted to go with her to Halifax that was a highlight of my stay. She had to drop a couple girls off at the airport at 3:30 am, so it was a very early start, however, because of that, we were at Peggy’s cove to watch the sunrise. The beauty of that just caught at my throat. Plus there were no other people there, so I had it all to myself, which just made it so much more impressive.
The day was filled with as much sightseeing as we could pack in – the citadel was interesting, but again, my biggest delight was spending time at Pier 21. The history there of the thousands of troops being sent off to war from there, as well as the thousands of immigrants and war brides that arrived on that pier just grabbed at my imagination. They have it well set up to help you feel the emotion of that time period.
I thoroughly enjoyed my three months there and would go back in a flash to spend another summer there if someone asked me. However, I’m not sure I’d want to winter there. I prefer my -40C and sunny days to some of the weather the Atlantic provinces seem to get hit with every winter! But if you ever get to go to the east coast in the spring or summer, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t regret it! :0)

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